Chance Encounters

Caroline grabbed her cell phone and turned it on. “I’m going to text Tracey to let her know I landed,” she told Clay with a slight smile.

“Tell her I said hi.”

Caroline typed a mile a minute. “Hey girl, just landed. I HAVE to tell you about the guy I met on my flight. I think I’m in love. lol Call you tomorrow.” Caroline pressed Send and clutched the phone in her hand.

It took less than a minute for Tracey to reply. “What GUY? Why do I have to wait until tomorrow? I want to hear NOW, you cheating floozy!!”

Caroline laughed out loud when she read the text, which caused Clay to ask her what was so funny. She played it off by telling him it was just “girl stuff” and he didn’t question her further. “I can’t talk right now…in the car with Clay.” Caroline waited for another response from Tray, but it never came.

Chapter Four

It annoyed Jackson how the pit of his stomach twisted as he watched her with him. He berated himself to get over it, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that letting her go would be the biggest mistake of his life. Nervous squirming inside his belly urged him to chase after her, but he beat it down. He glanced back at the couple and caught Caroline’s green eyes boring into his. The look alone caused his heart to catch.

He watched as Caroline walked out of the airport, Clay’s arm possessively around her shoulders, until her blonde hair disappeared from view. His heart burned like wildfire in his chest and he was painfully aware that letting this girl go wasn’t going to be easy.

He had never been so taken by a girl before. When he first noticed her sitting alone on the airplane, chills tore through his spine and caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. He refused to let it show, but nerves uncharacteristically flooded through every bone, every muscle, and every fiber of his being. It almost stopped him from sitting with her, but as he inched closer, her pull grew stronger. Relief greeted him once he sat, followed by an intense longing to close the space between them.

He replayed the introduction with Clay and felt his blood pressure rise. When Clay eyeballed him from head to toe, Jackson ignored the temptation to punch him square in the mouth. He assumed Caroline wouldn’t be happy with him if he socked her boyfriend in the face. But did he imagine the sparkle in her eyes when he cautioned Clay to hold onto her? He was certain he’d seen something there. And the guy seemed like a jerk. Sure, maybe Jackson brought out the competitive side of Clay, but his tone of voice and snide comments were uncalled for.

Jackson suddenly felt like a wild animal. He wanted to grab her, steal her, and protect her from anything that could possibly hurt her. But most of all, he wanted to be near her again.

Jackson threw his bags into the back of a cab and gave the driver the name of his hotel. He settled into the back seat and pulled out his cell phone. Alex answered on the second ring. He and Alex had been friends since childhood and Jackson knew he was the right person to talk to about Caroline.

His other best friend, Tommy, was more of a jackass— a typical guy who felt like no girl deserved too much attention. Jackson knew telling Tommy about Caroline meant he’d never hear the end of it. Tommy would never let the fact that Caroline had a boyfriend slide.

“So, did you get her number?” Alex inquired.

“Shit. No. We didn’t exchange anything.” Jackson leaned his head into his free hand. Before Alex asked, he hadn’t realized they didn’t give each other any way to keep in touch.

“Really? No email? Nothing?” Alex couldn’t understand how they could spend an entire flight together and not exchange any kind of information.

“Shit, Alex. Nothing! This cannot be happening.” Jackson’s mind raced. There was no way he was going to just let this girl walk away and carry on with her life as if they had never crossed paths. He scanned his mind for all they had shared on the plane, desperately trying to pick out the one detail that could bring him to her.

“Maybe it’s for the best, man.” Alex’s tone quieted. “She does have a boyfriend.”

“I know. But it’s not like they’re married.” Jackson knew he treaded on dangerous ground. His feelings overwhelmed him, as his thoughts lacked reason. Normally, he’d never think twice about a girl with a boyfriend. But then again, he’d never felt this strongly for someone he’d just met before.

“Jax, did you really just say that?” Alex asked in shock. “You aren’t the home-wrecking type and last time I checked, you didn’t believe in cheating.”

“I know. I’m an asshole. It’s just…” He paused while he thought about how to word it. “There’s something about her.”

“I think you should just be thankful you two met and call it a day. If you’re supposed to see each other again, then you will. Can’t fight fate.”

A light bulb went off in Jackson’s head and he shouted into his cell, “Her job!”

“What?”

“She told me where she worked!” He let out a breath and relaxed back into the cushions of the cab seat.

“Jackson…”

“I know, I know. Dangerous ground, right?” Inside, Jackson knew what he was doing was wrong. But he couldn’t fight the way he felt when it came to this girl. The idea of walking away because she had a boyfriend seemed so inconsequential to him. He had to see her again.

“Just be careful. Don’t get in over your head. And don’t end up getting your ass kicked,” Alex warned.

Jackson laughed. “Thanks for the concern. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Jackson disconnected the call and put away his cell phone. He had a new determination. He scribbled some notes onto a piece of paper and smiled to himself as he watched the city race by.

Chapter Five