Free A Perfect Chance by Becca Lee Page B

thought registered and then buzzed through me, relighting the hope that had previously been a tiny flicker on a wick. The spark grew until light reappeared.
    I leant up, gazing in wonder at Mace. Twice now he'd created the spark I'd been struggling with for so long. My eyes roamed his face, absorbing the laughter lines around his mouth. I was sure they hadn't been used enough recently. I settled my gaze on his eyes. He peered at me in earnest, as if urging me to have faith and belief in myself. I smiled, my skin tight from my dried tears. "Thank you."
    His eyes warmed, his taut body relaxing around mine. "Anytime, baby."
    I relaxed back on his chest and enjoyed the slowing beat of his heart. Mace was the king of the poker face when it suited him, but his once fast heart rate that had now slowed to a normal pace was enough for me to know that he was affected by what we'd shared.
    Content, I pressed a kiss against his chest. My lips twitched when his muscles bunched. I made to do it again but was interrupted by a loud banging on the front door. A moment later, I heard a key fumbling in the lock. I froze, my breaths coming heavy.
    Immediately, Mace sprang into action, but instead of diving for clothes or the door, ready to attack, he shifted me around and cupped my face in his large palms.
    "Breathe, Lena. Count and breathe." My eyes glued to his, I did as instructed, remembering to count, remembering to hold, and finally exhaling. Fuzziness had threatened my vision, but already it was clearing. Mace had my full focus.
    The door opening and closing made me jump. The only thing stopping me from darting out of bed and finding someplace to hide was Mace's apologetic face. It piqued my interest enough to stop me from hyperventilating.
    "I need to apologise. She has a habit of doing this." He reached out and grabbed his T-shirt from the side of the bed. "Here, put this on." Footsteps made their way through to what I thought was the kitchen.
    "Mace. Holy crap, I need to pee. Mace!" a woman hollered, seemingly distressed and in need of the bathroom.
    Mace groaned and planted a kiss on my lips. "You stay here and then I'll come back and explain everything, okay?" I nodded. "It's Jo, my sister-in-law. She has a habit of stopping by unannounced and bringing me meals to put in my freezer."
    I grinned at that.
    "It's not bloody funny. She's not even that great a cook." He jumped off the bed, grabbed a pair of shorts and stepped into them before he threw me a smile He then headed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
    After a few moments, I heard running feet, a door slam, followed by the flushing of the toilet a short while later. I relaxed a little. I'd discovered Jo was Mace's younger brother's wife. I'd never met Liam, but I'd already heard stories of what Mace and Liam had got up to in their youth. I'd heard stories about Jo too. Knowing she was family to Mace calmed my racing pulse. While she was a stranger to me, Mace loved Liam and his family. It made the thought of meeting her easier to swallow.
    The door creaked open, drawing my gaze. Mace stood in the open doorway carrying a child. My heart warmed, pulling an easy smile from my lips.
    "This is Abi," Mace said, stepping towards me. I climbed off the bed and stood, Mace's tee hitting me midthigh. "Say hi to Lena, Abi." His lips pressed against her cheek and he blew a small raspberry against it, causing her to release a beautiful giggle.
    "Hi, Abi." Lifting my hand, I gave a small wave.
    Still smiling, she looked over at me and made a combination of cute sounds before she wriggled in his arms. Mace placed her on the floor and walked around her to stand next to me. It was funny how a baby didn't bring forth anxiety. Their innocence was too wonderfully pure for that.
    "You good?"
    I looked up at him and grinned. "Yep. She's beautiful."
    A little squeal drew our attention back to Abi, who'd manoeuvred off her bum and proceeded to do a crab-like crawl towards us.
    "Holy shit!