She’d fallen into the compliant trap before and learned her lesson well. The moment she sought a man’s attention, craved it, she soon started to desire his approval, sometimes to a dangerous degree. She was better off single, identifying through her personal accomplishments and not relying on anyone else’s opinion of her.
She was her own person and in control of her own life. She didn’t need a man, let alone one who clearly enjoyed the alpha role.
Taking a deep breath she attempted to untangle their hands, but his grip slid to her waist and pulled her closer. Anger that he’d disregarded her non-verbal request collided with the thrill his persistence brought. This wouldn’t be so difficult if his touch didn’t feel so good. While her scarred heart said no, her neglected libido screamed yes!
She had a thousand questions running through her mind, but one disappointing thought, the one anchor keeping her curiosity from taking flight, was that a damaged woman like her could never sustain a man like Trenton Cole.
She believed in love, more so since meeting Adam and Tommy, Jade and Jeremy, and Kat and Tyson. But Jade was adorable and Kat was sexy and Tommy had boundless charisma. Chloe was none of those things. Oh, she was bright, intelligent, and a respected therapist. But Trenton was romance novel hot. Way out of her league.
The older you get the uglier you are.
Do something with yourself.
You disgust me!
She shivered as Marcus’s cutting words echoed through her mind. Those flashbacks were coming more often since running into Trenton Cole.
His presence in her life seemed to stir up old doubts and maybe it was best to let sleeping demons lie. She was happy with her quiet life. She was secure. Dating might disturb that hard-earned peace.
His hand tightened on her side as he shifted behind her, his fingers flexing in slow, massaging patterns. Her back was on fire where his body pressed against hers. His size should knock some sense into her, yet she loved how his body felt against hers, loved the way his broad build made her feel proportionate and feminine. But where did it end? How much was he after?
Every man wasn’t Marcus. She knew that. But there was still a fragile part of her that worried the dysfunctional aspects of her marriage stemmed from something wrong with her.
With one final burst of sound, the music stopped and the passing dancers paraded on in a spectacular grand finale. The crowd went nuts, clapping and shouting their praise. As exciting as it was, her senses were overwhelmed to the point of short-circuiting, so she excused herself and broke all contact from Trenton.
She remained close to the children, a safe barrier between commonsense and the sensations Trenton stirred within her body. After the parade, they walked to the park for the festival and concert. Thankfully, there were enough people in their group to keep a buffer for most of the day.
* * * *
As the band played from the amphitheater in the center of the field, Trent waited in line with Phoenix for some green beer. “She’s cute, Trent.”
“I think so.”
“She says she from Virginia.” His sister sent him a pointed look.
“That’s right.”
“I vaguely remember you and Pete having a client with the name Chloe—who was also from Virginia. If I recall, that client caused some trouble for you.”
He looked his sister in the eye as they moved closer to the concession tent. “It’s her.”
If Phoenix was shocked she hid it well. “Does she know what you do?”
“She knows I work in security and sometimes teach self-defense.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but her husband—”
“Ex-husband.”
“Her ex-husband is a bit of a loose cannon.”
Guilt rode up his spine and he grimaced. “Well, he’s out of the picture now.”
“Perhaps your past association with him, no matter how short, is something Chloe should know before you get involved with her.”
Yeah, perhaps, but any discussion regarding her husband made her run. He didn’t want to risk it.
“He’s been out of the picture for years. It’s irrelevant.” The truth was, he didn’t want to tell her. He wasn’t a bad guy, but doing business with her ex made him feel like one.
But his sister was right. Chloe needed to know how he came to find her that day. In the end, he’d done the right thing, so she should realize he wasn’t the villain, but he wanted her to trust he was a good guy before giving her more reasons to doubt him.
“I’ll tell her when the time’s right.”
Adam approached as they neared the tent. “Hey, you guys planning on sticking around until the end?”
Phoenix let the subject drop. “I’m planning on enjoying some green beer. I guess it depends on how the kids hold up. I sent Pete to the car for more blankets.”
Adam looked at him. “And how about you?”
“I’d like to stay a while. Is Chloe okay?”
“She’s fine. Georgia and Amanda are about ready to pack it in. The boys are still playing ball, but Mattie’s getting tired. I was thinking of asking Chloe if she wanted us to take the boys home so she could stay. She’d need a ride though. Would you be able to do that?”
A wave of excitement churned his stomach at the thought of getting Chloe to himself. “Yeah, I can definitely do that.”
Adam gave him an appraising look. Seemed the verdict was still out as to what kind of man he thought Trent was, though it seemed like a good start that he trusted him to take Chloe home.
“You know, Tommy and I have only been in our house for four years, but we know about her past. That day you offered her a ride you did a good thing. Not a lot of strangers would help a stranded woman for nothing in return. Chloe’s special. She trusted you and it worked out. We are trusting you, under the assumption that you’re still that kind of man. Please don’t prove us wrong.”
He respected Adam for showing his hand. It was decent of him to step in and look out for Chloe’s best interest. That’s what good men did for the women they loved when another man came sniffing around. It’s what he did with each of his sisters.
“I’d never hurt Chloe or the people she cares about.”
“Good. I’m going to start cleaning up. Do me a favor. Get Chloe a beer. She’ll be stressed if we leave. That girl needs to loosen up, but only one. She doesn’t drink a lot and, believe me, this is not the place you want to see her drunk.”
When Trent and Phoenix returned to the blanket with a caddy of green beer, Georgia and Amanda were saying goodbye. Mattie was sound asleep with his shamrock painted cheek resting on Chloe’s lap. It was getting too dark to play ball, so Pete packed up the game. Dayton seemed disappointed he was leaving before Austin, but he also seemed tired so he didn’t argue too much.
“I’ll walk you guys to the car,” Chloe told Adam and the boys.
Adam scooped Mattie into his arms and carried him toward the lot with Dayton by his side. Trent wanted to walk with her but figured he better give her this moment with her sons.
* * * *
Chloe waited until they were a safe distance from Trent and his relatives to lay into Tommy. “What’s going on?”
“We’re taking the boys home for you so you can enjoy some grown-up time.”
She glared at both of them, mindful of her sons’ presence. Once they reached the car, she shut the kids inside and turned on them. “We came together so we should leave together.”
“Love, this is a good thing. Stop making it seem like a punishment,” Adam told her as he shook the dirt and grass off the folding chairs.
“I don’t like having decisions made for me. You set this up without even asking.”
Both men sighed, but Tommy was the one to speak first. “Chloe, what’s the worst that can happen? His sisters are here, his nieces and nephews are here. You’re in a public place. The man wants to spend time with you and… I think you want to spend time with him, too.”
She snapped her mouth shut,
unable to deny the accusation. “I don’t want to give him the wrong impression.”
“Which is what?” Adam asked.
“That I’m … interested.”
“Oh, but honey, you are.”
“You can’t know that if I don’t know that.”
“So stick around and find out.” Adam opened the tailgate of the SUV and loaded up the chairs. “We’re not far from home. You’ll have maybe thirty minutes tops with him alone. Just go with the flow and see where things lead. No one’s asking you to sign over your free will.”
She gritted her teeth. “If anything goes wrong I’m calling one of you to come pick me up.”
“Nothing’s going to go wrong.” Tommy kissed her cheek and she followed him to the passenger door.
Mattie was still asleep and Dayton looked like he was about to pass out. “I shouldn’t be home too late.”
Adam leaned over from the driver side. “Love, it’s fine. Enjoy yourself. I’ll send you a text once we get the boys settled. They can spend the night. This is good. You go get to know your lumberjack.”
She laughed nervously. “The way he makes me feel… What if I’m reading too much into this?”
Tommy tilted his head, smiling and somehow letting her know he saw the real her. “I don’t think so, sweet. I think he’s into you. Those eyes, the way he watches you, you're not imagining it.”
Her palms were clammy. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You can.”
Sending them each a pleading look, she whispered, “I don’t remember how.”
“You will. It’s like riding a bike. You just climb on and it all comes back. Now, enough of this worrying. No more excuses.”
She watched them pull away and took a deep breath, which her nerves promptly stole. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself. But mostly, she didn’t want to get hurt. She’d grown accustomed to a life that didn’t come with pain, and putting herself out there meant possibly letting some of those old aches back in—possibly experiencing some new ones as well.
She wandered back toward the music and slowed as a shadow caught her eye. Trenton waited under a tree on the other side of the lot, his silhouette unmistakable.
Her mouth curved into a gentle grin as she crossed the field toward the tree. By the time she was two feet away from him her heart was thundering. The sun had set and the air carried a chill.
He pushed his weight off the tree. “You okay, doll?”
She nodded. Each inch he crossed, her stomach flipped in a way that made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.
“If you want to go, you just say the word and I’ll drive you home.”
“I… I’m okay. Just nervous I guess.”
His thumb moved slowly over her knuckles as his eyes studied her. “Nervous about what?”
Nervous about looking stupid, nervous about coming on too strong, nervous about accidentally tripping or slobbering while talking, nervous he would kiss her, nervous he wouldn’t. So many possibilities, yet she failed to verbalize a single one.
He smiled. Perhaps he understood. “Hmm.” He tilted his head and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Her breath held as his face moved closer.
“Well, let’s get this out of the way so you have one less thing to be nervous about.”
He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, a rush of energy spiking from her heels to her heart. Her eyes fluttered shut, as chills crested her shoulders. His hands slid from her wrists to her hands, where he entwined their fingers.
At first, he didn’t so much kiss her as caress her with his mouth, leisurely dragging his soft lips over hers. She inhaled his delicious scent, pulling it into her lungs, afraid to exhale and let it go.
“You’ve been haunting my dreams, Chloe.”
His lips tickled the corner of her mouth, traveling to her jaw. His touch was the gentlest breeze and she was a trembling leaf, one strong pass of his hand and she’d fall. Her head tilted and he nibbled the sensitive space below her ear, sending her breath out in a rush. Her nipples beaded against the lace of her bra and she feared her knees would give out.
His mouth worked in little bites, ghosting back to hers. When his hands gently squeezed hers she opened her eyes. Those piercing blue eyes stared at her with an intensity that overwhelmed every defense she had. She looked at his mouth, mere inches from hers and dropped her gaze.
The back of his knuckles feathered over her jaw, drawing her stare back to him. “Where’d you go, doll? Stay with me.”
Shaken by her attraction to this man and fearful she’d built him up to unreachable standards because he’d saved her life on one of her worst days, she shyly lifted her lashes. Unhidden, yet tucked away in this little space and time where it was only the two of them, she was overwhelmed with an unfamiliar sense of intimacy.
Trent’s lips closed over hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth, warm and profound, and for once she hushed her worries and gave in to her desires. His palm cupped the back of her head, angling her for deeper access. Unable to stop herself, she lifted to her toes.
Instinctively, her hand pulled from his and rested it on his shoulders. His hand curled around her waist and pulled her body flush against his. He kissed her deeply, more deeply than she ever remembered being kissed before. His mouth was insistent and strong, but not forceful. She believed if she hinted at escape he would release her. However, she had no intention of stepping away this time.
His palm rested on her side, torturously close to her breast, and drifted lower, cresting over the swell of her hip. She tilted her head and he groaned into her mouth, a sound of satisfaction.
That large, straying hand passed over her curves, landing intimately over the back pocket of her jeans. Although she was fully clothed, the heat of his touch seared through the denim. She gasped as he clutched a slice of covered flesh.
“You feel so good in my arms.”
Her heart catapulted against her ribs as she pushed to deepen the kiss. His words were her undoing. How was it possible this beautiful man was kissing her? She threaded her fingers through his dark mane and pulled closer.
The stubble on his chin chafed her face and an erotic tingle filled her at the idea of him leaving traces of their kiss on her skin. This is not a dream. This is real. This is real.
“I could kiss you for hours,” he rasped against her mouth.
Drugged by his wicked mouth, she whispered against his lips, “That would be great.”
He moaned and gave her ass a squeeze. Groaning as if it pained him to let her go, he carefully shifted back a step.
But she didn’t want to stop. The sound of Celtic folk music drummed in the distance, the cold March air forgotten. She wondered if he would think her desperate if she asked him to take her to his car, her inhibitions suddenly a vague memory. The nearby tick-tock of a car alarm, the kind produced by a key fob unlocking a vehicle, squelched all impulses to throw herself back into his arms.
“We better get back, doll.”
Chloe took a few seconds to find her bearings and slow her heart. When she met his gaze he stole her breath again. Those bright irises shifted to a smoky blue as his pupils dilated, the black consuming the sea of sapphire flecks. He kissed the tip of her nose and took her hand, leading them back to the festival.
Chapter Nine
Trent tried to walk off his hard-on as he led Chloe back to the blanket. But he had a feeling this woman might keep him perpetually aroused for the rest of the evening.
She tugged gently at his hand as her steps slowed. “Wait a second.” She sifted through the bag on her shoulder.
Her face was flushed and he wanted to drag her to his truck and finish what they’d started. She smiled triumphantly—adorable—as she plucked a thin tube of lipstick from her purse. She lined her lips in shimmering burgundy with two practiced strokes, no mirror needed.
“That’s quite a trick.”
“I don’t like being without lipstick.”
&nbs
p; Her mouth was swollen from their kissing and he imagined how sweet those soft, painted lips would feel kissing other parts of his body. Yeah, his hard-on wasn’t going away anytime soon.
She capped the lipstick and tossed it back in her bag. “Ready?” He loved the way her hand slid naturally back into his.
Pete and his sister sat in two camp chairs watching the stage while Brielle and Austin played on the blanket. His sister looked a little deep in her green cups.
“Hey!” Phoenix clumsily waved them over. Yeah, she was drunk. “We thought we lost you guys.”
“Taking the Irish role seriously, I see.”
“You bet. I’m thinking of getting one of those kilts for Pete.”
Trent looked at his brother-in-law. “I don’t know if you got the legs to pull that off.”
Pete rolled his eyes. “Trust me, I don’t.”
Trent laughed and pulled Chloe closer to his side. “We’re gonna head over to the stage.”
“We’ll probably stay here until your sister starts nodding off.”
“So, about five more minutes?” Trent teased. Phoenix had always been a lightweight.
“Hey, I’m in it for the long haul tonight!” his sister slurred.
“Well, if you aren’t here when we get back I’ll call you later. I assume Pete’s driving?”
“Definitely. Have fun you two. It was nice meeting you, Chloe.”
“Nice meeting you, too. Thanks for inviting us along today.”
After saying goodbye to his niece and nephew, Trent led Chloe closer to the amphitheater. Remembering what Tommy and Adam said, he snagged her a beer along the way. The band was great, straight from Dublin. He and Chloe hung close to the stage but out of the way of the younger dancers.
Holding Chloe to his front he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder as they swayed to the ethnic beat. She sipped her beer with a relaxed grin, taking it all in. The weight of her breasts fell comfortably on his forearm and he shut his eyes, memorizing the soft scent of her hair. Her body was perfectly shaped for his.
Something Borrowed (New Castle Book 3) Page 10