He held out his arm, keeping me safely away from the guy who’d stepped onto the porch. The guy, illuminated well enough by the porch light that I could easily see his features, was as tall as Trent, same dark hair and blue eyes. Strong, angular jaw. He was a mirror image of Trent and Jax.
“You told me Colt was dead,” I said, unable to tear my gaze from him.
“He is,” Trent said. “Or, he’s supposed to be.” Then, as if snapping out of a daze, Trent embraced his brother.
I stared in disbelief, unable to process what was happening. Trent told me that Colt refused to become a vampire, that he’d died in the war. So, how was he here now? And why was he a vampire?
Movement at the edge of the porch caught my attention, and I reached for Trent. “Someone else is here,” I said.
“She’s with me,” Colt said, holding out his arm. “Come, Karina. It’s okay.”
A girl my age stepped out of the shadows and straight into Colt’s arms. He kissed her temple, and I blinked. Even his mannerisms were the same as Trent’s. Talk about weird. She smiled tentatively at me, then at Trent.
How Trent wasn’t completely freaked out right now was beyond me. The brother he hadn’t seen in almost a hundred years, the brother he’d thought was dead, just showed up on his doorstep with a very human girl in tow.
“Jax…?” Colt asked, his voice somewhat hesitant.
“Inside,” Trent said. “Dad, too.”
Colt’s shoulders visibly sagged, as if he’d just received the best news in the world.
Trent took a small step back and laced his fingers with mine. His hand was trembling. I’d never seen him so visibly shaken before. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Suddenly, our disagreement about Ivy didn’t seem so important.
“C’mon,” Trent said. “I’m sure they’ll be surprised to see you.” He opened the front door and motioned me inside ahead of him.
Whitney and Wyatt weren’t anywhere to be seen. Sean was in a chair, and Jax was sprawled out on the couch. It struck me how normal they looked, but then I remembered there was nothing normal about any of this.
“Uh,” Trent cleared his throat. “There’s someone here to see you.”
Simultaneously, Jax and Sean’s heads snapped up, their eyes on Trent. Then, Colt stepped around Trent, and jaws dropped. Seconds later, I stood off to the side, watching as Colt reunited with his family.
Happy tears filled my eyes, and I blinked them away. Gawking like this was awkward, and I felt like an interloper. I was ready to sneak out the door so they could have some privacy, but Trent held his hand out to me.
Taking his hand, he tugged me closer. “Colt, this is Chloe. My fiancée.”
A thrill shot through me at his words. His fiancée. I loved the sound of that. “Hi,” I said. “And, um, happy birthday, I guess.”
Jax laughed, his gaze finding mine. I smiled in return, loving how much happier he was now than he had been only hours ago. I had so many questions about Colt, as I’m sure Trent and everyone else did, too, but it wasn’t my place to ask them.
“The pleasure is mine,” Colt said, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles.
“Oh, no, bad idea,” Jax said, shaking his head. “Trent doesn’t share very well. In fact, he gets quite violent when anyone touches Chloe.”
“Only when it’s you,” Trent said without missing a beat.
“Boys,” Sean warned.
Colt dropped my hand and grinned, his smile just as charming as Trent’s. “I need to hear this story,” he said. “But first.” He held his hand out to the girl he arrived with. “This is Karina, my girlfriend. Karina, my brothers, Jax and Trent, and my father, Sean. And Chloe, apparently.”
“Hi,” I said to her and leaned against Trent’s side. He wrapped his arm around me.
For so long, I was the only human who knew she was dating a vampire, but I assumed Karina knew, too. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on my part. It would be nice to have a fellow human to talk to things about. Of course, I had no idea if she and Colt planned to stick around.
“You have a lot of explaining to do,” Sean said, giving Colt a stern look.
“I know.” Colt’s expression turned somber. “And I will. I swear. But it’s been a long couple of days, and I kind of want to forget about my problems for a little while.” He sat on the couch, tugging Karina down beside him.
She stared at him with the same adoration I had for Trent. Was she Colt’s soulmate? Had he claimed her the way Trent had claimed me? Was she planning to change, too?
“Are you two staying for a while?” Sean asked.
“If we’re welcome,” Colt said.
“You’re my son. Of course you’re welcome,” Sean said. “I’ll make sure there’s a room ready for you.” With a smile, Sean left. I couldn’t remember a time I’d seen him that happy.
“So…” Colt draped his arms along the back of the couch. “What’s the story between you three?”
“No story,” Trent said.
“Oh, there’s a story,” Jax said.
I rolled my eyes.
“Let me guess…” Colt’s gaze darted between the three of us. “You love her”—he pointed from Jax to me—“but she loves him.” He pointed from me to Trent.
“Something like that,” Trent said.
“Oh, she loves me, too,” Jax said. “Don’t you, Chloe?”
I glared at him, refusing to answer.
“See, this is what happened,” Jax said, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. “Chloe and I were held prisoner by a coven of witches, and you know how dramatic witches are.”
“Naturally.” Colt nodded.
“They starved me, and Chloe couldn’t stand to see me die, so she let me feed from her.” Jax’s eyes were dancing between light and dark, as if he were thoroughly enjoying himself. “She was so sweet, too.”
“I swear to God, Jax,” Trent said, his voice deadly.
“Anyway,” Jax said, ignoring Trent. “I bit her, and well… things happened. We had an eternal bond and—”
“Shut up, Jax,” I said.
I was not going to stand here and listen to Jax recount every sordid detail of our time in capture, or all the stuff that happened after. If I had my way, I’d forget all about it. And seriously, why were they talking about this as opposed to asking Colt how he was still alive, or why he was here? I spun on my heel and marched out the front door.
“Chloe, wait!” Trent was right behind me. “Don’t go,” he said.
My shoulders slumped. “Clearly, you have a lot of family stuff to deal with right now, and I’m just in the way.”
“You are never in the way,” Trent said.
I smiled sadly. Maybe he was right about that, but I still wasn’t going to be the topic of discussion for Jax and Colt. I had too many other things weighing on my mind to deal with memories of Jax.
“It’s okay.” I patted his chest. “Go be with your family. I’ll call you when I get home.”
“We still need to talk,” he said.
“I know. We will, but you’ve got more important things to worry about right now.” My gaze darted toward the house, then back to him.
He shook his head, disbelief pouring off him in thick waves. “There will never be anything or anyone more important to me than you, Chloe.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from crying. Despite our massive disagreement, he still said the sweetest things.
Trent tenderly cupped the side of my face, and I leaned into his palm. “Thank you for the party,” he said.
I nodded. “It was nowhere near as amazing as what you did for my eighteenth birthday, but…” I rose up on my tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
But when I pulled back, Trent leaned forward, capturing my mouth in a kiss that could’ve melted the snow around us. He flattened his hands on my back and yanked me closer. Whimpering, I dropped my bag to the porch and snaked my arms around his neck.
He hadn’t kissed me like this in
days, not since I told him about Ivy’s deal, and God, I’d missed the feel of him. With a throaty growl that rumbled through me with the force of an earthquake, he grabbed the back of my thighs and lifted me off my feet.
And then I was deposited onto the porch railing. Standing in front of me, my legs wrapped around his waist, Trent’s lips never once left mine, and he continued to kiss me, each flick of his tongue sending my heart into frenzied flutters.
“Please don’t go,” he said, nipping at my bottom lip.
I’d agree to anything right about now if it meant he’d kiss me again. I clutched the back of his neck, brining his mouth back to mine, and kissed him until I couldn’t breathe.
But then he broke away from my lips and rested his hands on the railing on either side of my legs. “Every birthday, you used to wish for a brother or sister, remember? And then, as you got older, you started wishing for things that could change your life for the better.”
“Yeah,” I said, breathless and confused.
“When you’ve had as many birthdays as I have, you get to the point where you just stop celebrating, but I’ve never stopped wishing for things,” he said, his gaze searching mine. “Know what I keep wishing for?”
“What?” I whispered.
The wooden porch railing was icy cold and damp, the chill seeping through my jeans. I scooted forward, closer to Trent to soak in some of his warmth.
“For someone to spend my birthday with, someone I loved who loved me back, despite who and what I am.” He brushed hair from my face and tucked the strands behind my ear. “After decades of wishing for the same thing, it finally came true.”
My heart melted.
“Are you really going to deny me my birthday wish?” He flashed a flirty smile, his blue eyes sparkling. “All I want is for you to stay with me tonight.”
“Seriously, Trent?” Jax asked, annoyed. “We find out our brother is alive, and you’re hanging out on the porch.”
“Not now, Jax,” Trent said, his tone level. His gaze never wavered from me, almost like he was afraid if he looked away, I’d disappear.
“Whatever,” Jax grumbled, then slammed the door shut. A moment later, the door opened again, and Jax stuck his head out. “Sorry for being a jerk, Chloe.” Then he disappeared inside again.
“Well?” Trent asked, brow raised.
“You’re really playing the it’s-my-birthday card?” I asked, my tone teasing.
“I will play every single card I have at my disposal right now if it means you’ll agree to stay,” he said and adjusted so his hands were on my waist. “I’m not above dropping to my knees right here and now and begging.”
I laughed.
“Chloe, baby, please?” he said. “Don’t make me spend yet another birthday alone.”
I’d already made up my mind to stay, but hearing him call me baby only solidified my decision. “I’ll stay, but I’m going to wait in your room while you deal with Colt, okay? I don’t want to interfere.”
He sighed with relief and rested his forehead to mine. “Thank you.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT:
Trust
I WAS HALF ASLEEP BY THE time Trent climbed into bed. Sometime after two a.m., I gave up on waiting up for him. He’d begged me to stay, and while I was disappointed I’d spent hours alone in his room, I wasn’t mad. He had a lot of family stuff to deal with.
“You awake?” he whispered.
Nodding, my eyes fluttered open. Trent was poised above me, his face weary with exhaustion. “How’d things go with Colt?” I asked, stifling a yawn.
“Okay, I guess. He’s still not saying much, so we spent the last couple hours telling him about us and our lives. Sean hopes by us opening up, Colt will, too,” Trent said.
“Sounds fun.” Part of me wished I’d stayed out there with them. Maybe I would’ve learned something new about Trent. “I bet Jax loved that,” I said, my tone dry and sarcastic.
“He really didn’t say too much about you, and when he did, he was very respectful,” Trent said, giving me a mischievous grin.
I could only imagine how that conversation had gone—probably included threats of violence and death and maybe even a couple of punches. It was a good thing I’d locked myself in Trent’s room. I ran my fingers through his hair, and he lowered his head until his lips were on mine in a languid kiss.
“I was going to give you another birthday gift, but you took too long, and now your birthday is over,” I said. “Guess it sucks to be you.”
“Is that so?” He chuckled, the low raspy sound echoing around the room in the most decadent way.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Guess I’ll just have to wait until next year for birthday sex,” he said, settling on top of me.
I grinned. “Who said anything about sex?”
“Oh? You bought me something?” His voice was light with laughter. “Well? By all means…” He rolled off me and waved his arm, inviting me to get up and get his gift.
Sitting up, I shoved him onto his back, then straddled him. I’d never been more thankful for him deciding to climb into bed wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. His lids lowered, and his eyes darkened with lust. I kissed his neck, and he groaned. Dragging my lips across his throat and kissing my way down his chest, he trembled beneath me.
I loved that I could make him feel this way, that he wasn’t immune to my touch. God knew he could unravel me with a single look, so it was only fair I could return the favor with a few well-placed kissed.
“Thought you weren’t talking about sex,” he said, his voice thick with desire.
“I’m not.” I glanced up at him. “I was planning to just tease you for a little while, then go to sleep. I mean, it’s only fair considering you made me wait for hours,” I said dramatically.
He blinked as if he couldn’t figure out if I was being serious, and then he whipped me around onto my back. I yelped with surprise, but when he went to kiss my neck, I giggled and attempted to squirm away from him.
Trent pinned my hands above my head, our fingers intertwined. “Thank you for waiting for me,” he said.
“I’d wait an eternity for you,” I said, remembering how he’d said something similar to me once before.
He grinned. “Throwing my words back at me, huh?”
His lips came down on mine in a sweet—and much too short—kiss. Still, he managed to leave me breathless and on the verge of begging for more. How did he always do that?
“I love you,” he whispered, nipping at my jaw and then nuzzling my neck in a very not-ticklish way.
Sighing, I tilted my head and closed my eyes, giving him permission to do whatever he wanted. It hit me then just how safe I was with Trent, how I’d literally expose my carotid artery to him knowing with absolute certainty that he’d never hurt me. I’d never trusted anyone the way I trusted him.
He released my hands and dragged his down my arms before pushing himself off me. He now lay half on me, half on the bed, head propped in his hand. “You said something earlier that’s been bothering me,” he said.
I rolled onto my side, putting us face to face, our bodies now pressed together. He rested his hand on my hip. We still had the whole Ivy thing looming over us, and while I didn’t want to avoid it forever, I didn’t really want to talk about it right this second, either. But considering the only thing I’d really said to him tonight was in reference to Ivy’s deal, it was safe to assume that’s what he wanted to talk about.
I slid my hand around the back of his neck and tugged his mouth to mine. Groaning, he kissed me deeply, and when he didn’t give any indication that he was going to stop, I draped my leg over his and pressed closer. I’d missed the feel of him like this, the closeness we shared, and that’s all I wanted right now—him.
He coursed his hand over my hip and down my leg before grabbing my thigh and jerking me tighter to his body. “You’re trying to distract me,” he mumbled against my lips.
“Is it working?” I eased back far e
nough to see his face clearly.
His eyes were dark with the same need that was coursing through my veins. “Yes,” he said with a soft laugh.
“Then why did you stop me?” I pouted.
“Okay, don’t do that,” he said. His tone held a dark edge.
“Do what?” I asked innocently.
“Pout like that. It’s hard to say no to you under normal circumstances, but when you’re half naked in my bed, your body so warm and eager, and then you look at me like you’re going to die if I don’t touch you…” He flopped onto his back and blew out a breath. “You make it impossible to focus on anything else.”
“That’s kinda the point,” I said. I propped myself on my elbow and rested my hand on his chest.
“Chloe, please.” His voice bordered on a whine, which probably shouldn’t be as sexy as it was. “Can we just talk about things for a minute?” He rolled onto his side, head once again resting in his hand. “Then I promise we’ll do all the touching and none of the talking.”
I laughed. “Okay.” I nodded. “I said a lot of things earlier. Which part bothered you?”
“The part when you said you felt like I’ve given you everything, and you’ve given me nothing in return.” He held my gaze, brushing stray hairs from my face, his fingers trailing down my cheek.
“That’s what’s bothering you?” I said incredulously. Of all the things I’d said to him, that’s what he’d been dwelling on? I wasn’t sure if I should be upset or relieved.
“Yes,” he said. “You’ve given me everything, Chloe. Just knowing you love me enough to be my wife, to spend eternity with me… That you trusted me enough to let me claim you…” He shook his head. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more. And I never will.”
I stared at him, unable to speak thanks to the emotion clogging my throat.
“When I tell you that I have everything I’ve ever wanted, I’m not lying. I have you, Chloe, and I will never need anything else,” he said, moving his hand to rest on my lower back and tugging me closer.
Was he saying what I thought he was—that I was enough, and he didn’t want to have a child of our own? Tears pooled in my eyes, and I fought to keep them at bay, but it was useless. I didn’t want to make him think or feel that he wasn’t enough for me, because he was. But we had the chance to have more—why wouldn’t he want that?
Eternal Love: (The Cursed Series, Book 4) Page 37