by E. L. Todd
Now she looked at him like he was crazy. “Conrad, why would I lie?”
“To cover for him.”
She rolled her eyes. “I wore a black bob and had two tattoos on my shoulders. And I wore a black skirt with a short shirt. Happy now?”
Conrad finally relaxed. “I guess…”
“Now will you stop this hate parade on Slade?” she snapped. “Because he didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That’s debatable…” Conrad gave me the same hateful look he’d been giving me for months.
Would this drama ever end? “I want us to get along. But if you can’t accept me as her boyfriend, Trinity and I don’t care. We’re going to be together anyway. I think it would make everyone’s lives easier if you just accepted it. We’ve been committed to each other for months. I treat her right and she gives me the same respect. Now grow a pair and get the fuck over it.”
Conrad clenched his jaw then looked at Trinity. His eyes scanned Skye and Cayson before coming back to me. “Fine. I’ll stop being a dick.”
“Thanks,” I said in relief.
He walked over to me and lowered his voice. “As long as you make her happy, I’m happy. We can return to what we were with no hard feelings.”
That was exactly what I wanted.
His voice grew dark. “But if you hurt her, I will kill you.”
I knew he wasn’t bluffing. I could see it in his eyes.
“That’s fine. I’d probably do it myself anyway if I did.”
Conrad extended his hand to shake mine. “I’m sorry I attacked you with a bat.”
“You did what?” Trinity screamed.
Conrad smirked but didn’t look at her. “No one got hurt.”
“Conrad, if I could walk, you’d be dead,” she snapped.
I took his hand and shook it. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I broke it.”
“I guess we’re even.”
I nodded. “Guess so.”
We moved to the couch in front of the TV. I sat beside Trinity and put my arm around her shoulders. She fit into my side perfectly, like she was meant to be there all along.
Cayson and Skye returned to their homework, and Conrad grabbed a beer and drank it while he propped his feet up on the table and watched the screen.
It was the first time we’d hung out like we used to. Everything was as it used to be. But this time, Trinity and I were out in the open. I could hold her hand and kiss her whenever I wanted. While it was exciting to sneak around with the possibility of getting caught, it was even better to be together without having to hide. I could stare at her all I wanted, and she could stare at me. For the first time in months, we’d really made some progress.
When I went to Mike’s office, I assumed he would see me. After what happened last week, our feud seemed so unimportant in light of having a gun pointed at your head. If I thought that, he must too.
I sat down in the lobby and eyed him through the windows.
Vincent eyed me. “You are hard-core.”
“No. I’m just extremely motivated.”
“Still ridiculous.”
Mike looked up from his desk like he heard us. He spotted me then looked down again like my presence meant nothing.
Seriously? He still hated me after all of that?
I stood up and headed to his door.
Vincent stood up. “Uh, what are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?” I spat.
“You can’t go in there!”
I stepped into his office and shut the door behind me. “We need to talk.”
Mike stood up, the threat in his eyes. “Never walk into my office like that again.” His tense shoulders said he meant business.
“Sean does it all the time.”
“My fellow CEO and brother. Only he and my wife have that privilege.”
“Well, I’m not going to sit in the lobby anymore. I want to talk.”
He growled then stood up straight. “I’m a very busy man, Slade. Your teenybopper drama is really the last thing I care about.”
“It’s only teenybopper drama because you make it that way.”
Mike crossed his arms over her chest, not amused.
“We were almost killed last week, and you saved my neck. How can you be so cold to me?”
He narrowed his eyes. “You haven’t figured it out, have you? I guess I gave you more credit than you deserve.”
Haven’t figured out what? I didn’t like it when I felt out of the loop.
He gave me a firm stare. “Slade, I love you as much as I love Conrad. You’re like a son to me. Even with all your recklessness and baggage, you’re great. My protective instinct toward you isn’t dulled by any means. Nothing has changed.”
He was giving me a headache. I couldn’t disagree more with his statement.
“But as a man for my daughter, no, I don’t like you. At all.” He said it with no remorse or empathy. His words sliced through me like a hot blade.
“Why?”
He sighed. “Slade, you know why. Even if we put aside what you did to Trinity, I know you aren’t going to stick around. This is just some weird phase you’re going through. When you realize monogamy is boring, you’ll find someone else. And that wouldn’t be a big deal if my daughter didn’t envision something more. She wants a happily ever after and now she expects it from you. We both know you can’t give it to her.”
Getting married was one of my biggest fears. I associated it with death. Every man who settled down dropped all of his dreams to get fat and old. Sex became dull because it was always with the same person. Life was meaningless and just a slow passage of time. I wanted to be single forever, and not just because of all the women I would meet, but because of the opportunities I would have. But then Trinity came along and made me confused.
He kept staring at me. “That’s what I thought.”
“I could give her everything she wants,” I said quietly.
“But you won’t. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”
What?
“Not every man is meant to settle down. It’s okay not to be married. Some people are just not wired that way. They aren’t meant to be spouses or parents. They are good at other things and other interests. But I know my daughter. She wants the big fancy wedding with Prince Charming. She wants a home to raise her kids, and she wants a faithful husband that adores her. She needs that stability. In that respect, you couldn’t be more different. It’s just not meant to be.”
The truth was washing over me in waves, hitting me where it hurt.
“So, Slade, you can drag this out if you want. But remember who’s going to get hurt.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “And it isn’t you.”
My gaze shifted to the window where the skyline was. His words moved through my head and made me feel weak. I loved Trinity so damn much and I never wanted to be without her, but in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted my dream too. “I told her I would try. And I will.”
He sighed and closed his eyes. They remained that way before he opened them. “I really don’t want my daughter to be an experiment.”
“But I told her I would try to be a boyfriend and everything else…I succeeded.”
“Boyfriend and husband aren’t comparable. You know that.”
I scratched the back of my head, feeling dizzy.
“There’s nothing I can do about your relationship now. Trinity made it clear you’re the man she wants. I can’t protect her from this. I can tell her over and over how it will end, but she won’t listen to me. You will break her heart and you will hurt her. Of course, I’ll be there to fix the damage. It’s a lesson every person must learn at some point in their life. I just wished my daughter could have learned in through books and movies, or in a less harsh way.”
I tried not to think about the finish line, and instead concentrated on the race. Being with her was so wonderful and amazing. Why would I ever walk away from that? Even though doubts plagued my mind and hovered in the
darkness, I could push them away. I could try to give Trinity what she wanted. There wasn’t a doubt that I loved her. Now I just had to figure out how much. “Sir?”
“Don’t call me that,” he barked.
“I never cheated on Trinity. Whatever Conrad told you was a misunderstanding. I just wanted to clear my name.”
Mike studied my face. “Really?”
“You can ask Conrad if you don’t believe me. I can promise you I would never do anything like that to Trinity.”
He nodded. “That’s a promise I know you can keep.”
At least he had some sort of faith in me.
He sat back down in his chair. “You have my permission, Slade.”
I flinched, not expecting him to say it. “Really?”
He nodded. “But it’s only because there’s nothing I can do to change it.”
It was better than nothing.
“Every mean thing I said to you came from a protective parent. It wasn’t directed to you as my family. I hope you understand the difference.”
I remembered the way he risked his life to protect me. “I do.”
“Now go, Slade. I’m sure my daughter needs you.”
I came to his desk and extended my hand, hoping he would shake it.
He looked at it and a slight smirk stretched his lips. Then he stood up and shook it.
70
Trinity
I dreaded going to physical therapy. Pushing myself to the limit and trying to rehabilitate myself was much harder than I’d anticipated. I wasn’t expecting it to be a walk in the park, but I didn’t know it would be so hard either.
Whenever I wanted to give up, my therapist wouldn’t let me. He encouraged me to keep trying, and when I thought I couldn’t push myself further, he helped me reach my goal. As the weeks and months wore on, my leg became stronger. I desperately wanted to walk again without limping or having pain. So I focused and kept trying.
Slade didn’t cut me any slack. He pushed me and refused any weakness. Whenever we were home together, he wouldn’t let me sit around. He forced me to exercise and get my blood flowing. He would grab my waist and hold on to me while I did pull-ups. Then he would make me lie on the living room floor and do crunches. He said just because I couldn’t walk didn’t mean I couldn’t do other things.
Slade took me to every class and picked me up too. My refrigerator was always stocked with food, and he took care of the laundry and the house. He still found time to spend with me outside of his chores and homework. He didn’t see his dad much, so he was around more often.
Slade took me to my doctor for a check-up, and I was nervous what he would say. An X-ray was taken, one of many I’d already had, and now I waited in the room for his assessment.
Slade sat in the chair against the wall, his ankle crossed over the knee. His t-shirt showed his sleeves of tattoos. His arms were a display of bright and vibrant colors, depicting the chaos of his preference for art.
When I eyed him in the chair, I noticed his large chest and muscular upper arms. He had lean and toned thighs and legs and an ass that I loved to stare at. Whenever I looked at him, I wanted one thing.
Sex.
His fiery blue eyes contrasted against the paleness of his face. His brown hair was messy but sexy at the same time. His elbow rested on the armrest, and his fingers rested across his lips. I loved his lips.
“What?” he asked.
I turned away. “Nothing.”
The last time we made love was before my accident. I was eager to do it again, to feel that powerful pleasure that radiated through me like the aftershocks of an earthquake. Not having him was torture.
“Then why do you keep looking at me?” he asked.
“Because you’re hot,” I blurted.
He smirked, pleased by that response. “I know.”
“You know?” I asked with a laugh. “I take it back. You’re a dick.”
“You can’t take it back. Too late.” He ran his fingers through his hair then gave me a smolder. “You can’t resist me.”
“When you act like that, I can.” I looked at the other wall, ignoring him.
“If we were alone at the house, all I would have to do is give you two fingers and you’d be all over me.”
“Cocky…”
“You make me cocky.”
“I do not,” I argued.
“Come on. You’re the most gorgeous woman in the world and you want me. I’m obviously doing something right.”
When he was sweet like that it was hard to keep my distance. “Cocky is still cocky.”
He rose to his feet then slowly came to me, the dark look of desire in his eyes. He crept to the patient chair in the center of the room then gripped my chin. Slowly, he forced my face toward his, making me look at him.
I melted even though I wished I wouldn’t. Anytime he touched me, I was helpless to combat him. I wanted him right on this chair, right now. If the doctor walked in and took a picture I wouldn’t care.
Slade leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of my mouth. He left it there a long time, the heat radiating from both of our bodies. My lips parted slightly, a quiet moan escaping my lips. He inched away and looked at me, the longing heavy in his hooked brows. Then he placed a kiss on the center of my lips. My thighs automatically squeezed together.
“I can’t wait to be inside you again.” His quiet words echoed in my ears after he said them. My spine shivered at the thought. A quick daydream passed in my mind where my legs were wrapped around his waist and my nails were clawed into his back.
“Mmm…” I couldn’t manage to say anything coherent.
He pulled away slightly and smirked. “I can make you wet without even trying.”
My sexy mood evaporated. “And you can make me drier than a desert even faster.”
He smirked then pressed his chest into my arm while his hand grabbed mine. Standing perpendicular to me, he pressed his lips to my hair then kept his mouth there, waiting with me in silence. Our fingers connected together, a silent conversation passing between us.
The doctor walked in, his clipboard in hand. “Your leg is making excellent progress. Continue with the physical therapy and it will be good as new.”
“Does she still need to wear the brace?” Slade asked.
“Anytime she’s not in physical therapy. But I suspect Ms. Preston will be walking on her leg again in the next month,” the doctor said.
Hallelujah. I was sick of being handicapped.
He gripped his clipboard as he walked out. “It was nice seeing you.”
Something came to my mind, but Slade cut me off before I could speak.
“Can she have…you know…any sexual activity?” he asked hopefully.
The doctor had the grace to smile. “Just nothing strenuous.” He winked then walked out.
Slade clapped his hands in celebration. “Thank god.”
Even though I didn’t act like it, I was just as excited.
The moment we walked in, Slade headed for the bedroom. He pushed my wheelchair inside then immediately picked me up and placed me on the bed. Excitement burned in his eyes and his eagerness was obvious in every move he made.
He immediately pulled off my sweatpants, being careful when he moved them past the damaged leg, and then removed my underwear. He didn’t bother with my shirt, leaving it on.
Then he dropped his pants and boxers and moved over me, his cock hard and ready.
I yanked his shirt over his head because I wanted to see all of him, every inch of him. He seemed to be too anxious to be patient. He just wanted to be inside me.
“Don’t expect me to last long.” He grabbed my good leg then pinned it back, opening my legs as wide as he could without touching my injured one. He kept his legs away from me, not wanting to go anywhere near it.
“You better make me come,” I demanded. “I’m eager too.”
He gave me a smirk I knew too well. “When have I ever left you hanging?”
He never had. But I didn’t say that.
He pressed his face to mine then slid inside with one fluid motion. “Oh…my…monkey shit…wow.”
Despite the intensity of the moment, I had the urge to laugh. “What?”
He paused while he was inside me. “I can’t believe how good you feel. I’m trying not to blow my load as we speak.”
My hands moved up his chest and I gave him a second to acclimate. Just feeling him inside me was enough for me. He stretched me just the way he used to, sending shivers everywhere across my body. My hands moved up his chest, feeling his strength. Then I gave him a gentle kiss, moving to the corner of his mouth just the way he had done to me at the doctor’s office.
“Trinity…” He moved his hips then stopped.
“You’re literally pussy-whipped.”
He growled. “Well, when your pussy feels this fucking good, what am I supposed to do?”
“At least I know you haven’t been getting any elsewhere.”
His eyes lost their intensity. “I thought that was clear anyway.”
I cupped his face and kissed him. “It was. I was kidding.”
“Well, right now isn’t the best time to joke around.”
“Well, I thought it would be a good time to have sex but that’s obviously not going to happen.”
He growled then moved into me slowly. “I’ll rock your world, baby.”
I gripped his biceps then felt his lips press against mine. Our mouths came together slowly, and his hips moved at a snail’s pace. It still felt good anyway, feeling him slide through my slickness.
Slade put one hand between my legs and gave me the extra stimulation to push me over the edge. He normally didn’t need it, but right now he was struggling to stay in control.
He hit me in the right spot and made me come undone, giving me a hot, blinding pleasure that left me breathless and weak. Somehow, I’d forgotten how good it felt. My nails dug into his skin until I was completely finished. Only then did I pull my claws out.
Slade let go the second I was done. He thrust inside me completely then breathed hard while he released. A loud groan escaped his lips as he filled me. He pressed his head to mine when he was finished, recovering from the force we both just felt.