by Parker, Ali
Khloe looked from me to Trent. “I don’t know. I mean, it isn’t too far from my degree, but I’m not going to be fetching you coffee all day.”
Trent laughed. “I would never ask you to do that—unless you offered,” he quickly added.
“Thank you for helping her out,” I said, earning a scowl from Khloe.
“I told him I didn’t want a pity job, but I also don’t want to be a burden,” she said.
“You’re not a burden,” I assured her. “I’m so happy to have you here. All of you. Last week, I was down in the dumps, feeling all alone, and this week, I’m surrounded by all my favorite people in the world. If only Julia were here.”
“You would need to buy a house like Trent’s,” Khloe quipped.
My dad raised his eyebrows. “Like Trent’s?”
Busted.
“My house in Lake Tahoe is rather large,” Trent answered easily.
Khloe scoffed. “Rather large? It’s a freakin’ mansion!”
My dad nodded as if everything was suddenly clear. “And you girls have been to this house?”
“Yes,” Khloe answered, taking a bite of pasta as if she wasn’t throwing me under the bus. “Trent threw a big party and invited us the first couple of days we were in Lake Tahoe.”
I could feel my cheeks burning. “It wasn’t a party party. It was all very—uh, mature.” I felt ridiculous for having to explain myself.
“You two met and just hit it off?” he questioned.
Trent looked him straight in the eyes and nodded. “Yes. I saw her in the lobby and thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I felt an immediate connection.”
I wanted to crawl under the table. I was so embarrassed. My dad looked at me, that familiar stern look in his eyes before looking back at Trent. “She is a beautiful young lady. I know you would have treated her with the utmost respect.”
Trent smiled, nodding. “Absolutely.”
No one was saying it, but my dad basically just asked if we hooked up that night. I truly wanted to disappear from the table in that moment. I couldn’t disappear, but I could drink. I grabbed my glass of wine and took a long drink.
Khloe looked at me, trying her best to hide her grin. I shot her a glare. “Seconds anyone?” I asked in a high-pitched voice.
Trent only smiled. I was glad he wasn’t bothered by the questioning. Truthfully, it had been a fairly mild interrogation. I had a feeling my dad secretly liked the idea of me being with Trent. They had trusted each other with their lives. It made sense my dad would trust Trent with me.
After dinner was over, my dad and Khloe took care of the cleanup while Trent and I packed his stuff. There wasn’t much to pack, but it was a good excuse to steal a few minutes alone with him. We hadn’t really had a chance to talk since my dad showed up.
“How did it go today?” I asked.
He smiled and came over to put his hands on my hips. “It was fine. All that worrying for nothing. Things will be okay.”
I laughed. “It is kind of odd. I didn’t expect him to take it so well.”
“I’m a catch,” he said with a wink.
I rolled my eyes. “You could be a king or president of the United States, and you would still not be good enough in his eyes. Trust me. I wasn’t a virgin for nothing. My dad was strict. I didn’t dare bring a boy home or date.”
His eyes smoldered. “Until me,” he said, his voice husky. “I got to make you mine and only mine.”
I knew exactly what was on his mind and pushed my hand against his chest. “No way. Not with my dad ten feet away.”
“Come on. I’ll be quiet. You’ll be quiet.”
I shook my head. “You’re bad.”
“You say that, but we both know you mean I’m good,” he said with a grin.
“Oh my god. You’re incorrigible.”
“I’m horny,” he clarified.
I couldn’t help but giggle. The man was not afraid to say exactly what was on his mind. “Well, you’re just gonna have to deal with that semi-arousal for another week,” I whispered, reaching out and cupping him with my hand.
“You’re so cruel,” he groaned.
He reciprocated by reaching his hand and palming me between my legs. I closed my eyes, heat coursing through my body. I stepped away, releasing him and taking several deep, cleansing breaths. I felt flushed. I fanned my hand in front of my face.
“That wasn’t nice,” I hissed.
He grinned. “It wasn’t? I’m going to be thinking about you naked all damn week. If I can get away early, I’ll be back, and I don’t care if your dad is here. I’ll get a hotel room for an hour.”
“That works for me,” I replied, stepping close to give him a chaste kiss, keeping my hands to myself.
I didn’t trust him or me not to give in to the lust we were both feeling at the moment.
Chapter 49
Trent
“Let’s go!” I hollered at Leia, who had clearly missed me. She had barely left my side since I’d gotten home last night. The poor dog had probably thought I abandoned her. I promised her I would never leave her for that long again.
I couldn’t help but laugh as she raced toward me across the green lawn, carrying her favorite bone. If dogs smiled, she was grinning big, her jowls flying in the wind as she ran. She dropped it at my feet, waiting for me to toss it again. She was a strange dog. She didn’t much care to fetch sticks, but she would fetch her bone all day.
“No more. It’s time to go in.”
She followed behind me as I walked into the kitchen. Mira was just arriving. I had pushed my meeting back thirty minutes so I would have a chance to speak with her about my coming move. I wasn’t sure how she would take the news.
“You’re still here?” Mira asked, coming into the kitchen.
I smiled. “I am. I wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh? About?”
I sucked in a deep breath. “I’m moving.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Moving?”
I nodded. “To Fresno. I’ve bought a house there.”
“I see,” she said with her lips pursed together.
“I would like you to come with me, if that’s an option?”
She smiled and slowly shook her head. “I’m afraid it isn’t an option. My sister is pregnant, and I have offered to help her. She has two other children at home under four.”
“I understand. Would you be willing to stay on here?”
“To do what?”
“I’m not planning on selling the house. You can either move into a guest room or you can take the pool house.”
She didn’t look convinced. “And what would you have me do? If you’re not here, who would I be cleaning up after?”
“I don’t want the house to sit empty. I expect I will be making plenty of return visits, and I don’t want to come back to a dusty, dank home.”
She smiled. “Ah, I see.”
“Without me here, that should give you plenty of time to help your sister out,” I offered.
“Yes, it does.”
“So, will you?”
“I will,” she agreed.
“Thank you.”
“When do you think you’ll be leaving?” she asked.
“Tomorrow if I could,” I said with a laugh.
“You’re hooked on the girl.”
“I am. I’ve bought a house, or rather, I’ve offered to buy it. They have until noon today to get back to me. If all goes well, I should be able to move in within a couple of weeks.”
“Wow. That is fast.”
“I’m also going to buy a hotel there,” I blurted out.
She smiled. “I see. You are very serious about this young woman.”
“Yes.”
“Congratulations. Will you be taking Leia with you?”
“Absolutely! I couldn’t live without my girl!”
“Whew!”
“Actually, I’ll take her to work with me today. I feel bad for ditching her for so many
days.”
Mira nodded. “She was not a happy girl.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, truly feeling guilty for abandoning her for days.
“It’s fine.”
“Let’s go, Leia,” I said in a chipper voice. It was the same voice I always used when we were going somewhere.
She barked once and ran for the front door. I followed behind her, opening the door for her to run toward Bentley. He greeted her with a scratch behind the ears before opening the door and ordering her inside. I climbed in behind her.
Once I got to work, I went straight to my office, grabbed the paperwork I needed, and made my way to the conference room. I walked in to find Richie already at the table with the company that was hoping to take over our advertising account.
Their proposal was not anything I was interested in, but I gave them the courtesy of hearing them out. Once the presentation was over, Richie saw them out. I remained in the conference room, knowing he and I had a lot of business to cover.
“That was awful,” he said, coming back into the room.
I laughed. “Yes, it was. Why did we agree to the meeting?”
He shrugged. “Their manager was hounding me. I caved.”
“I thought you were a tough guy?” I teased.
“Yeah, yeah. What’s the deal with that hotel?”
I took a deep breath. “I want it.”
“You want it because it’s a good investment, or you want it because you need an excuse to move?” he asked.
“Both.”
He laughed. “I saw the information you sent over. Obviously, this is your decision. I think it’s a little high-priced. I certainly understand there is a lot of potential, but with the recent acquisition of the other hotel, you are stretching the capital pretty thin.”
“It is, which is why I would offer a little less. I think the old man knows it isn’t worth as much as he is asking. He’s a good guy, and I don’t get the impression he is trying to screw anyone over. He wants to retire and live fat and happy for the rest of his days.”
“On your dime.”
I nodded. “Yep. I don’t mind paying him a good price, but not full. There is a lot of potential, but it is going to take some work to make it a nice property that commands a luxury price.”
“You always see the potential in everything.”
“I like the diamond in the rough,” I agreed.
“I know you do. Did you run it by finance?”
I grimaced. “No. I drew up a proposal, but I haven’t sent it.”
“Chickenshit.”
I nodded. “Yep.”
“What about the house?” he asked.
I grinned. “Just waiting on the paperwork. They will accept my offer, I’m sure.”
He shook his head. “I cannot believe you are uprooting your life for this girl.”
“It’s not just a girl. She’s different. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted. She’s smart, crazy smart actually. Beautiful. Humble. I can’t think of enough adjectives to describe her. I want her. I will give up everything I have if I need to. She’s worth every penny.”
He nodded. “I hope so.”
“Her dad showed up at her place,” I announced.
“Oh shit. Were you guys doing the dirty?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a child.”
“So, you were?”
“No. I wasn’t even in the condo. I just happened to be showing up at the same time he was. It was a little awkward, but he seems to be okay with us being together.”
“Her dad was your boss in the Army?” he asked.
I laughed at the way he put it. “Yes, something like that.”
“And he didn’t threaten to shoot you for doing the nasty with his daughter?”
I groaned. “You’re ridiculous. No, he didn’t threaten to shoot me. Well, he did mention something about yanking my balls off and shoving them down my throat, but it was all in good fun.”
Richie winced. “That sounds like a great time,” he muttered.
I laughed. “It’s all good. I promised him I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her and would never disrespect her. I think he believes me.”
“I guess you’re all set over there,” he said.
“I am. Or I soon will be.”
“She’s okay with this? You moving and crowding her?”
“I’m not going to crowd her, and yes, she’s okay with it. She’s looking forward to it.”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe this is all happening so fast. Another bachelor bites the dust.”
“It’s all good. It’s what I want. I don’t want to be a bachelor if I can have her. You’ll understand one day.”
“Nope. I won’t.”
“I’ve hired an assistant to help coordinate things between here and there. I’ve got a lot of balls in the air and don’t want to miss something important. I’ll give you her number.”
“You hired an assistant?” he asked with shock. “I’ve been telling you to hire a PA for almost a year, and you’ve rejected the idea over and over.”
I chuckled. “That was before I was trying to live in two different places. Plus, it’s kind of a favor.”
He looked at me, giving me the side eye. “Is it her?”
I laughed. “No! It’s her friend, Khloe. Why would I hire her?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know what you’re doing anymore.”
“Stop. It isn’t like I’ve gone off the deep end. I’ve met a woman that I want to be with.”
He smirked. “Be with. That’s one way to put it.”
“All right. I’m headed back to my office.”
He laughed, knowing he’d hit a nerve. “I’ll check in with you later. I’m assuming you’ll have an answer about the house. Let me know. I’ll start planning your housewarming party.”
“I will definitely let you know,” I said, walking out the door.
I’d let him know because as soon as I had somewhere to live, I was gone. I hated being away from her. It had only been one night, and I already missed her. It wasn’t a miss like I needed to be with her every minute of the day, but I missed being near her. It was the distance. I hated being far away. I couldn’t imagine if I was still in the military and deployed to the other side of the world.
I realized then just how much those men had sacrificed when they left their wives, girlfriends, and their children. I couldn’t imagine how they could even focus on the mission. They were my heroes.
It was strange to sit at my desk, knowing I wouldn’t be doing it for much longer. I would eventually have a new office, but for the immediate future, I would be working out of my new house. Speaking of the house, I grabbed my phone and called the realtor. I wasn’t going to wait around.
I was grinning big when I got off the phone. I had a house. I quickly called my personal accountant and arranged for the wire transfer. I wanted to move fast. It was probably a little foolish to move so quickly, but it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford to fix any issues that may arise.
I quickly sent Sade a text, letting her know it was a done deal. With all of that done, it was time to buck up and send the hotel information to the finance department. I was going to do it regardless of what was said, but I didn’t want to make a big fuss.
With all of that taken care of, I turned to the business that had been neglected with my absence over my long weekend. It was a tedious process of going through emails and making a few calls. It was late evening by the time I had finally managed to dig myself out of the mountain of work.
I walked outside with Leia by my side. The heat of the day had subsided a bit. I inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the warm summer air. I loved the evenings. I hoped Sade understood that although I was moving to Fresno, I would still be making regular trips back to Lake Tahoe. I did love the area, and I loved the way it looked in the winter as well.
I understood she couldn’t live there, but it would be a nice place for us to spend her time off or mayb
e even bring her parents back for a little getaway. Lake Tahoe was a part of me. It was where I had found my love for life again. It gave me everything I needed to become a whole man again. I wasn’t quite ready to leave it all behind.
I wanted to share it with her. I wanted her to experience the time between tourist seasons when things were fairly quiet and the locals all got to breathe a little. When we all got to hang out at a local restaurant and catch up after a busy few months. I wanted Sade to be a part of the community.
Chapter 50
Sade
Holly walked along beside me, chatting away about anything and everything. We were headed back to my place to have dinner together. Khloe had ordered pizza, and we were going to have a girls’ night. Something I was looking forward to, especially with a new friend.
Technically, it wasn’t going to be just girls. My dad would be there for part of the evening. I didn’t mind. He was used to me being chatty and girly with my friends. He said he liked watching young people have fun and live carefree lives.
“You live pretty close to work,” Holly commented when I pointed out my building.
“Yes, I do, which is why I walk,” I said with a laugh.
“I think I might look for a place a little closer,” she commented.
“Honey, I’m home,” I called as I opened the door.
“Ha, ha,” Khloe said, getting up from her spot on the couch. She had her laptop in her hands as she walked to the table.
“Khloe, this is Holly. Holly, my old and now current roommate, Khloe.”
They both went through the cursory hellos before we moved into the kitchen to snatch some pizza from the box. I poured three glasses of wine, and we moved back into the living room to sit down.
“How long have you two known each other?” Holly asked.
Khloe answered, “Five years?”
I nodded. “Yep, about that. We were roommates our freshman year and have lived together ever since.”
“That is awesome.”
“It made college life a lot easier,” I said with a smile.
We spent the next hour talking and laughing. Khloe and Holly got along very well. I was looking forward to many more pizza and wine nights in the future. My dad showed up, and I quickly introduced him to Holly. Because we both had work in the morning, she left around eight.