Crown's Chance at Love Read online

  As I finally grab the phone and look at the screen, I hit what feels a wall of heat and muscle head on so hard that I feel like my air supply has been knocked right out of me. I feel large warm arms wrap around me, as I take a deep breath in, my head is filled with an expensive scent; it’s spicy, clean and completely unforgettable. Now I know that everything most likely happened in what was seconds, but it had all felt like it was in slow motion. Opening my eyes, soaking in the view of the most alluring male specimen in front of me.

  From bottom to top everything about him was exquisite. From the black Italian loafers, strong toned legs, a lean waist covered in beautifully tailor cut dark grey slacks. His broad and extremely strong looking chest that looked to be covered in utterly soft black cashmere, in a v-neck sweater. His neck was thick but not in a way it looked like he did bodybuilding, just strong and completely lick-able. Strong stone cut jaw that only made your fingers itch to touch it even more because it was covered in one of the most beautifully trimmed goatees I had ever laid my eyes on. But even beneath all this masculine beauty his eyes are breath taking.The wall of muscle and heat had the most beautiful, serious, pale blue eyes that seemed to stand out even more because of his creamy fair skin and dark hair that was slightly greying at the sides of his short clean cut hair. Then it hits me, I must look like a complete idiot standing in front of him like a drooling pre-teen girl at a boy band concert. I shake my head as I take a step back but his hold tightens slightly.

  “I’m so sorry,” I finally stutter out, “My phone started to ring and of course the stupid thing falls to the bottom, and I wasn’t paying attention.” I ramble on, my eyes never leaving his. He’s looking at me with a serious expression, that kind of makes him look a little scary, maybe even angry, but I’m not necessarily frightened of him. I try once more to take a step away, and this time he lets me go, and a little part of me feels a little sad at the coldness I feel suddenly not having his hands on me. Wait! Wasn’t I just sweating a second ago in my car, I think to myself. I quickly chalk it up to the lack of male company.

  It’s been over three and a half years since Sean had passed away. I had been completely focused on my career, because the kids were mini-geniuses. I knew I had to financially figure out how to save for three college tuitions all while raising three kids. I had been very lucky that Laney stepped into my life when she did. I loved my job as an event coordinator. Not only was I good at it, but it gave me the flexibility to be home for the kids, most of the time. Six months after Sean’s death, I had moved us back to my hometown of Pasadena, California, leaving Berkeley to it’s ghosts and memories. Now the kids and I had the support of my family and friends all being fairly nearby.

  Still staring at him, I figured he was probably just pissed that I had bumped into him, “Okay. Well sorry again” I say as I try to go around him to be able to walk into the coffee shop, but he stands in front of me, lifting one hand slightly placing it on my shoulder.

  The heat from his touch shocks me as I gaze up at him. Having to squint because the California sun is bright, and I had no idea where i had left my sunglasses. They were probably at the bottom of my purse, along with my cell phone that had stopped ringing. Even knowing all this, with his hand on my shoulder feeling as warm and wonderful as it did, everything else seemed to fade into the background of my mind. There is something about his eyes, I think to myself, as I try not to look like a complete dork in front of him.

  “No I’m …” his gruff deep voice gives me chills, his handsome face just as serious, “I’m sorry, I forgot my cell in my car and was looking for my keys. Are you okay?” He asks with genuine concern in his beautiful deep voice.

  “I umm, I’m fine.” I mumble out. He is so incredibly handsome, and I probably look like a hot mess. Since it was mid-week and I wasn’t meeting with clients, I was in a long maxi dress with this red and white tribal print, a denim jacket and tan leather booties. My hair was thrown in a messy ponytail at the top of my head.

  “You sure, I slammed into you pretty hard.” He asks lowering his head as his gaze quickly grazes over my body, my skin feeling warm as his eyes drink me in. I clear my throat.

  “Yeah, I’m totally okay…”

  “Michael Crown, call me Mike.” He says as he extends his hand, without thinking I extend mine and we shake. He places his other hand over mine. And I look down, noticing he isn’t wearing a wedding ring. Why had I looked at his ring finger?! Because the guy is hot and it’s time you get some, the bad girl voice in my head shrieks as she jumps up and down throwing her arms up and down in the air like a total dweeb.

  He keeps my hand in both of his huge warm hands which makes me feel calm, even though he is a complete stranger. They were strong and big and I wonder what they would feel like in other places my bad girl is shouting, “I…umm… I’m Sabrina Miller.” I finally spit out. His blue eyes are warm and he smiles. He has a genuinely beautiful smile, making him even more impossibly handsome.

  “Nice to meet you Sabrina, can I buy you a coffee?” He asks as he tilts his head towards the Starbucks.

  “Oh you really don’t have to. I’m really okay. But thanks.” I say, instantly kicking myself for sending him away.

  “I want to. Please?” He asks.

  “Oh.” Usually when men had asked me out before and I turned them down, they never really tried again. “Okay” I hear myself saying, he puts my arm in the crook of his elbow and we walk over to the door, which he gracefully opens for me.

  ***

  Mike

  My heart is beating like thunder during a summer storm. She is so incredibly beautiful, wearing a long dress, with a denim jacket over it, you can tell she has a beautiful body. Her hair is a maple brown up in a ponytail, a wavy piece in front of her face has come undone and my hands itch to touch it, maybe tuck it behind her ear. Shit. I wasn’t supposed to be having this type of reaction to her. I had seen her pictures, and in pictures she had been beautiful, but they hadn’t done her justice. Seeing her face to face she was absolutely breathtaking, easiest one of the most beautiful women I had ever laid eyes on, and that was saying something with the circles I roamed with, the rich and famous of California.

  I hadn’t planned on bumping into her that hard. The plan had been to slightly bump into her and ask her to get coffee. But I hadn’t calculated on her not looking where she was going and when I had put my arms around her to keep her from falling back, I’d felt something, an energy and comfort, that made me hold on to her tighter. When her eyes had finally met mine, I had been rendered speechless, completely and utterly speechless. She looked younger than thirty-six. If I hadn’t known her age, I would have easily thought she was still in her mid-twenties. Her face fresh without makeup, smooth creamy skin, only lip gloss enhancing her beautiful full mouth. Her brown eyes, so light they were almost hazel in the sunlight with flecks of gold in them, didn’t show the sadness I had seen in pictures from three years ago. Sean Miller’s wife had been a tough woman to find. Leaving Berkeley, California six months after my fucking idiot of a brother had destroyed her and her kid’s lives, she had moved back to her hometown, which fate would have it, was also mine.

  My private investigator had brought me back a file on her a month ago, her eyes had always seemed to haunt me. They were void and dark, nothing like they were right now as I looked at her. I knew I hadn’t been the one behind the wheel of the car who had slammed into her husband’s ambulance, but I had felt just as guilty. Maybe because at the end of the day, my actions had lead to the accident.

  Patrick had sounded off that morning when I had called him. But he always sounded off. I had laid into him about how important that business meeting had been and how he needed to get his ass to our father’s office. Part of it had been I was sick of everything, his delinquencies, the way he was just wasting his life with his partying, drinking, skanks and the drugs. Then add in the fight with Holly I had had that morning about changing the wedding date for the fourth time, before I had left to wor
k. If I would have just not called him that morning, or if I had asked him if he had been drinking… but it had been eight in the morning when I had spoken to him, I would have never imagined the asshole had been drinking the whole time from the night before, probably popping pills as well.

  If only I hadn’t called him.

  Sabrina Miller and her family, none of them had been to the trial. She had requested not to be asked to be there, and she didn’t want to know anything about it. Her husband’s partner’s family had been there every day. It had always intrigued me that she hadn’t wanted to be there, she didn’t even want to know my brother’s name. It had pissed Patrick off. I remember thinking that something was off about that, but after he was sentenced he had dropped it.

  Patrick had all but dropped it, until about six months ago when he had started in about wanting to contact Miller’s wife, saying that she needed to hear his side of things. I had told him to leave her alone, but he wouldn’t. So I told him I would try to contact her, just to try to calm him down. I know I could have probably left it alone, I probably should have, but curiosity got the best of me. I had hired my PI once more for recent information. She had done well for herself in the last three years since moving back home, quickly becoming one of the most sought after event coordinators of Southern California, especially for the rich and famous. Unknowingly I had even been at a couple of the weddings she had planned.

  Now here I am in a Starbucks, one of the places my PI recorded she frequented religiously, and we are standing together in line, her arm feels tiny and delicate in the crook of my elbow. I look down at her just as she looks up to me, her big brown eyes looking at me, when something in me panics.

  “What would you like?” I blurt out dropping her arm almost too harshly. I like how she fit in my arms. I like how it felt to be standing next to her. Fuck, I liked it too much.

  “Just an iced coffee.” She says, her voice soft and sweet. I nod.

  “Want to go sit and I’ll bring our drinks over, that sound good?”

  “Oh,” she sounds surprised. Maybe she thought I’d buy her a drink and let her go? Maybe if I wasn’t such a bastard, I would have. “Sure.” She says as she smiles up at me and walks over to a table towards the back of the crowded coffee shop.

  Once our drinks are ready, I walk over to her and see her smile. Shit, she has a beautiful smile. It lit up her whole face, and I can’t help but smile back. Her eyes are bright and full of life. They draw me in like a lighthouse draws in the boats lost at shore.

  “Thanks” she says as she looks at me. She has this look to her eyes that is completely intriguing, like she is hiding some kind of secret, and damn if that doesn’t spark something inside of me.

  “No problem, least I could do.” I spit out, taking my seat in front of her.

  “Oh no, it was my fault really,” she says blushing lightly.

  “So Sabrina, what are you doing at a Starbucks in the middle of the day?” I ask.

  “Oh, well we have some construction going on in my office, the sound of power tools was giving me a headache, so my boss lets me run away for a while.” She says smiling.

  “What do you do?” I ask, trying to sound genuine, like I didn’t already know.

  “I’m an event planner for Ritz Events.” She says. “What about you?”

  “I work for the corporate offices of Edwards Automotive.” I try to say nonchalantly trying to make it sound like what I did wasn’t that big of a deal, instead of the reality that I virtually ran our families’ business now.

  “You mean the national chain of automotive dealerships and auto parts stores?” She asks her eyebrow raising slightly, catching me a little off guard that she was familiar with my company. Suddenly I’m a little worried, thinking maybe she knows about my brother. Maybe in the past three plus years she had gave in and learned Patrick’s name and backstory. All she would have had to do was get his name and Googled him.

  “Yeah, that’s the one.” I say casually, trying to not show that my heart was about to jump out of my throat, “You’ve heard of us?”

  “Yeah, I actually just put in a bid to plan a couple of your charity events.” She says smiling, I nod thinking about how truly small the world was as I breathe in a sigh of relief that she doesn’t know who I am.

  “Oh yeah, which ones?” I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.

  “The 5K for MS in June and then the Gala for Breast Cancer in October.” She says smiling.

  “I’m on the board for both of those.” My mother would be surprised about my change of heart, but I would talk her into letting me be involved, after all she had let my best friend John into the committee, she surely wouldn’t deny her only son.

  “Really, well it’s a small world then isn’t it?” She says her eyes smiling, as she takes a drink from her iced coffee. Watching her mouth over the straw makes me instantly hard. I seriously was a bastard. My brother had ruined her; she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me if she knew who I was, how my actions had set the ball in motion that day and she had ended up paying the consequences.

  “Yeah, it really is. So tell me about yourself Sabrina.” I try not to sound too interested.

  “What would you like to know?” she asks tilting her head, smiling brightly at me.

  “Anything you are willing to tell me.” I smile back just as her phone rings. She looks torn, as to whether she should answer it or ignore it, so I help her out.

  “Go ahead”, I say gesturing to her phone. She is cute as she raises her eyebrows looking apologetic.

  “I’m so sorry, it’ll just be one second.” She says as she stares at her phone.

  “Hey baby, what’s up?” she says into her phone and mouths “I’m sorry” to me, “Yeah, sweetheart, that’s fine. I’ll pick you up from practice then. Yeah it’s fine, I have to work on a couple of things for the wedding we have on Saturday, so don’t worry about it. Tell Emmi thanks and tell your sister and brother to be good. Okay, no. No pizza for dinner tonight. Why? Umm, because dinner’s already slow cooking in the crock pot.” She laughs. She’s talking to one of her sons. I love the peaceful expression she has.

  “Okay honey I better go. Love you Mark. Be safe.” She hangs up, taking a deep breath as she stares at her phone, and then looks up to me. Her eyes trying to mask some kind of apprehension, but as quickly as it had been there it disappears, her eyes becoming warm as they meet mine.

  “I’m so sorry about that Mr. Crown. If it had been anyone else, I would have been able to ignore it, but it was my oldest and I had been waiting to hear from him.”

  “You have kids?” I ask even though I know the answer as I look into her beautiful rich brown eyes. There is something about her eyes and the way that she looks at me that almost makes me breathless, and the fact that I notice is a big red warning flag that I need to tread carefully.

  ***

  Sabrina

  “Three actually, I had been waiting to hear from him to see if he had a ride to baseball practice. I really am sorry. I don’t want you to think I am easily distracted from work.”

  The kids knew they could call me at anytime, but talk about horrible timing, I mean Michael Crown was a possible client, and now I felt like I had ruined any chances of somehow landing the two accounts. Plus, something in me was a little disappointed to know that I would have to see Michael Crown as a potential client, because when he had asked me to have a coffee with him I had felt a spark, an interest. Emmi and Nick had been pestering me about trying to date, they had even set me up a couple of times on blind dates, but that spark had always been lacking. But there was no way I would ever risk business with pleasure. That was what Michael Crown was made exactly for.

  “Three, wow. They must keep you and your husband pretty busy huh?” he asks and I shake my head without thinking.

  “Just me, it’s just me.” I say quickly, not knowing why I want to make sure he knew it was just me. But thinking about the way that I had said that made me feel icky
and a little guilty. Almost as if Sean wasn’t around because he didn’t want to be.

  “Oh, I’m sorry about that,” he says sounding genuine, his pale blue eyes warm almost with concern.

  “Don’t be. It was just… umm one of those things.” I see the confusion in his eyes like he is about to ask something but before he can I say, “I know your company usually only exclusively works with SPARK for your events, any particular reason for the request on bidders for your company’s events this year?”

  He looks at me seriously and licks the side of his mouth, and heaven help me, if it isn’t one of the sexiest things I have ever seen. His mouth looks so good, for a second I think what it would be like to kiss lips like his, but I shake my head and try to focus on what he is saying.

  “You did your homework, I admire that. Honestly, SPARK was getting comfortable, and every event felt the same, outdated, or if you don’t mind me saying half-assed.”

  “So by you requesting bids from other noteworthy event companies, it lights a fire under SPARK Events to get their stuff together?” I ask and he nods with a small smirk on his face, “Smart” I mumble. Smart for them, but sucks for those of us who had really wanted a chance to show them what we could do, SPARK would undoubtedly hear about the request for bids and put their butt’s in gear.

  “You think we won’t go with anyone else,” his eyes amused, almost as if he could read my mind.

  “Honestly? No. I mean look no disrespect, but your company has been pretty loyal to them for the last twenty years. They got comfortable, and you guys gave them a slap on the wrist. Either way I am glad it will work out for Edwards Automotive. These events at the end of the day are about helping the charity at hand.”

  “Can I ask you something?” he asks his voice deep and I nod.

  “You said you put in bids for the 5K and The Gala, but why not the MADD event? Being a mom of three I would have thought maybe you would be interested in that particular organization, you know Mothers Against Drunk Driving.”