Second Chance Kisses

This was not happening.

Not in a hundred years.

I stared at the schedule on the computer screen in front me. The caller on the other end of the phone line forgotten.

The least of my problems.

I forgot to breathe. Or maybe I just couldn’t get any air.

How many Kade Johnsons were there?

How many Kade Samuel Johnsons?

How many Kade Samuel Johnsons who were pilots?

“Hello?”

Right. I was scheduling a flight for Markus Peters. One of Skye Travel’s best customers.

Shit.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Peters. There was a glitch in the phone line.” There was actually a glitch in my brain.

It had been eight years since I’d seen Kade Johnson.

Eight years.

And not a day in those eight years had passed that I hadn’t had at least a fleeting thought of Kade Johnson in one way or another.

I put Mr. Peters on speaker and keyed in his information. He now had a flight to Florida with his family scheduled for Friday.

With Kade Johnson in the pilot’s seat.

My little brother, Quinn, was going to hear about this. Had Quinn lost his mind?

"Thank you, Mr. Peters, for flying Skye Travels. We'll see you Friday."

I clicked off the phone and looked toward the conference room.

Fortunately for Quinn, he was tied up in a meeting for the next… I glanced at my watch… hour or so.

And by then, I’d be heading out.

It was only my first day on the job—sort of, but I’d been doing this work on and off since I was a senior in high school.

A questionable perk of being the boss’s daughter.

My father, Noah Worthington, believed his children should work like everyone else.

He didn’t want us growing up soft, living off his money. And all five of his children had careers.

The only questionable one, though, was my little brother, Quinn.

He’d gotten his business degree, then somehow slid right into the company as vice-president.

He claimed to be following in our father’s footsteps, but I seemed to be the only one who noticed that Quinn had never flown an airplane.

Our father, however, was a well-known and respected pilot and had formed his company, Skye Travels, based on that reputation.

I could see the tarmac from here. Close enough that the office carried the comforting scent of jet fuel. But right now, even that wasn’t enough to calm my nerves.

I had to get through the next hour. Then I could figure out what to do about this Kade Johnson thing.

I straightened up what was going to be my workspace for the next three months and checked my phone messages.

I had one text from my best friend Emily.

Emily: Are you off yet?

Me: Not yet. One hour left.

Emily: Drinks at the Skyhouse?

She completely read my mind. I’d only been back in town a few days and hadn’t seen my best friend yet.

Me: OMG. Yes.

Emily: See you there.

My fingers hovered over the keys. But I set my phone down. I wasn’t ready to tell her about Kade. I was still processing it myself, and I didn’t need Emily’s opinion tossed into my brain just yet.

Quinn stuck his head out of the conference room across the hall.

“Madison? Would you make some copies for us?”

“Of course.” I put a big fake smile on my face for the benefit of the two men who were meeting with Quinn as I took the envelope from him.

The men were from a big marketing firm, and Quinn was meeting them to set up a contract. I had to give Quinn credit. He was good at schmoozing.

But seriously. Quinn was taking advantage of me.

I should have a nameplate made for the receptionist desk.

Dr. Madison Worthington.

I squared my shoulders. I'd done it to myself. I was the one who’d volunteered to help out until he could hire someone for the summer. And then I’d be the one to train the new person.

The receptionist they’d had for years had retired last week. I had trained her myself during the summer before I left for graduate school. I seriously think she waited until she knew I was coming in for the summer before she announced it.

I didn’t blame her. This way I was the one doing the training.

My father’s work ethic was firmly cemented in my psyche.

I didn’t begrudge it. That work ethic was what had gotten me through undergrad in three years. Then graduate school.

After getting my license to practice psychology, I’d done some teaching at Houston Community College and discovered that I liked it. Okay. Loved it.

At first, I couldn’t believe they were paying me to do something that was so much fun.

It hadn’t taken me long to land a full-time teaching job.

In Denver.

I had three months before I had to show up for new faculty orientation.

Since I already had my apartment secured, I had some time on my hands.

The copy room was at the other end of the office suite. Past the elevator.

Just as I stepped past the elevator, it dinged.

Skye Travels was known for not only its efficiency, but also its Houston hospitality.

I turned, holding the brown envelope Quinn had handed me against my chest and prepared to greet whoever stepped off the elevator.

But also, Quinn was waiting.

I took a step backwards.

The elevator doors opened.

And I froze.

Kade Samuel Johnson stepped off the elevator.

I was having that breathing problem again.

Maybe I should see a doctor about that.

But I already knew it was full-fledged anxiety.

And I knew how to treat it. I was a psychologist after all.

Take a deep breath.

Kade stepped out of the elevator. Stopped and looked right at me.

It was almost like he’d known I was standing there.

He wouldn't have known, of course.

Couldn’t have known.

He looked at me blankly.

He didn’t even recognize me.

We’d been together for three years, and he didn’t even recognize me.

I clamped down every thought that came to my head.

Kade worked here now.

My stupid, inconsiderate, clueless brother had hired him.

So I just turned around.

I turned around and continued to the copy room.

I wasn’t about to let Kade Johnson know that I’d thought about him every day when he couldn’t even have the decency to recognize me.

Sure. It had been eight years.

Sure. Instead of actually breaking up, we’d drifted apart.

But still.

I stepped into the copy room and opened the envelope.

My hands were shaking too much for me to do the simple task of pulling the papers out of the envelope and my eyes wouldn’t focus.

Damn it.

This was not going to get the best of me.

I yelped as the envelope sliced across my right index finger giving me a paper cut.

I dropped the envelope onto the copier and stuck my bleeding finger in my mouth.

When I’d gotten up this morning, I’d had no idea that this would be the day I’d see Kade Johnson again.

All the psychological training in the world was useless.

I recognized Madison immediately, of course.

But I swear my cock knew she was there before I did.

As soon as the elevator dinged and the door opened, it knew.

I’d always liked the scent of jet fuel, but it had never been a turn on.

Not like that.

It was definitely Madison.

By the time my brain caught up, she’d turned around and walked away.

My first instinct was to follow her. And I even took two steps forward before my logical brain reminded me that my instinct was eight years out of date.

She’d always been pretty. With a quick smile.

But the Madison who’d just walked away from me was not pretty. She was drop dead gorgeous.

Long, brunette mermaid hair. That perfect heart-shaped face. Lips that naturally turned up at the corners.

And a tight black skirt that did everything to remind me what I knew about that body beneath it.

She was wearing a white button-down shirt tucked into that skirt, revealing her narrow waist.

I bet I could still wrap my hands around that waist.

But I worked here now. And she was the boss’s daughter.

I had to keep it together.

And keep it in my pants.

I needed a minute before I walked down to reception to meet up with Quinn.

The last thing I needed was to walk into my new office with a hard-on.

I’d only met Quinn Worthington once and during the interview calls; neither one of us had mentioned my previous relationship with his sister. It was possible he didn’t even remember me from back then.

Not likely. But certainly possible.

He was younger than I was. Five years? Maybe more.

And when I’d been with Madison, Quinn had been away at a boarding school or some such to prep him for college.

It occurred to me then that Quinn might have hired me without telling Madison.

And if Madison worked here…

I thought she’d be far away from here by now.

I’d seen enough social media updates—not stalking—to know that she’d finished her degree in psychology.

She’d finished it just like she’d set out to do.

Madison completed everything she set out to do. It was one of the many things I admired about her.

Unfortunately, though, it had been the end of our relationship.

We’d decided not to do the whole long-distance thing.

I don’t know what she’d been thinking, but I always sort of thought we were on a break.

I’d dated, of course. It had been eight years after all, and a man had needs.

But I’d never let myself get serious with anyone.

Was it because of Madison?

Not that I would ever admit it.

I turned left and went toward what looked like a lobby. All my interviews and discussions had been via Facetime. My reputation was good enough to get me a job anywhere in the industry.

But life happened, and I needed to be closer to home.

There was no one at the receptionist’s desk. Quinn was in the glass-walled conference room on the other end of the lobby with two men.

I took a seat on one of the little sofas in the spacious lobby. This whole side of the office had floor to ceiling windows overlooking the tarmac.

I had an involuntary little sense of excitement. This third-floor office space was perfect.

I should have known Noah Worthington would do it right. The man had gone from being a commercial pilot—like me—to owning a fleet of small jets. He had started out in Dallas/Fort Worth, but for some unknown reason, he’d moved his main office to Houston.

Rumors suggested it had something to do with his wife, Savannah. And apparently, they were living in Houston now.

The receptionist must have already left for the day. Not a problem. I didn’t have anything else I had to do today.

I stretched out my legs and pulled out my iPad. Scrolled idly through my emails.

But. Damn it. I couldn’t concentrate.

Madison was somewhere in this office. I know she recognized me, but she’d turned walked away.

At the sound of feminine heels coming toward me from the elevator area, I looked up.

And watched as Madison walked straight toward me.

I stood up. Bad idea.

All the blood had rushed to my cock.

Then she smiled and I nearly came undone.