Chapter 19
Trapped, his breath in her ear. Ella’s eyes flew open in the dark. Her stalker pinned her down, his hands on her body. Panic flooded her entire being. He pulled her closer and a scream tore loose as she pushed and shoved at the man who held her captive.
He moved away so fast, she scrambled off the bed and backed herself into the corner, trying to think.
“Ella, it’s a nightmare,” someone said calmly.
“No. No… don’t.”
The light flipped on and she shielded her eyes.
“Hey, Ella, say something. Please.”
That voice, she knew the voice. Trent. Not her stalker. Tears burned her eyes as she curled into a ball.
“Ella, tell me what to do.” The agony in his voice was enough to tear her open.
“Sorry,” she whispered, sounding out of breath.
Tears flowed when his hand curled over her shoulder. “Please look at me. Tell me you recognize me.”
She sat up and looked at him through the tears, but her gaze stopped at the bleeding scratch across his chest. “Trent, I… oh god.” She scooted past him, around the bed and out of his reach while snatching up her clothes.
Stupid. I can’t do this. I’m not ready.
Trent turned her back around to face him. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s nothing. Didn’t even feel it. I’m more concerned about what just happened.”
Words tumbled from her mouth. “I can’t. This isn’t going to work. I need space.”
“Oh, no you don’t. You need to talk to someone. If not me, Mila, a therapist. Someone.”
She shook her head and reached out to run her fingers over the marks she’d left on him. “I’m so sorry, Trent,” she whispered. Turning, she reached for the door, but he leaned against it before she could get to the handle, and gently pulled the clothes from her hands.
“I get it. You were reliving what happened, or something similar. You woke up in a strange place, in a new situation, and you freaked out. Perfectly natural response to a nightmare.”
“Not ripping you open.” She screwed her eyes shut and tried to step back, but he wrapped his hands around her arms and pulled her against his body. “Trent…”
He kissed the top of her head and held her close in his arms. “Just breathe, Ella.”
Tears leaked from her eyes as she pressed her forehead against his neck. “And if I do it again?”
He shrugged. “Then I wind up with a few more scratches, and if anyone asks, I’ll say you’re a tigress in bed.”
A sad smile pulled at her lips. “Seriously, Trent. I could really hurt you.”
“You didn’t and won’t. And you can’t tell me you’d rather wake up all alone, without me to pull you back to reality. Let me help.”
She touched the scratches and pressed a kiss to his flesh. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It’ll hurt a hell of a lot more if you walk out the door. I want to be here for you.”
“I’m a mess, Trent. I should go home.”
“Let me hold you tonight, please. I’ll feel a lot better if I know you’re safe in my arms, not alone and afraid in your bed.”
“You aren’t worried I’ll do worse next time?”
“Not in the slightest.” He took her hand, pulling her toward the bed, and they climbed under the covers.
She curled up beside him and he wrapped his arms around her. Unable to stop them, tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Shh, I’m not letting you go, Ella,” Trent promised, rubbing her back in soothing strokes. “I’m here for you.”
The sense of safety she only felt in his presence enveloped her. She started to relax. Eventually, his heartbeat settled her into sleep.
* * * *
Trent lay in bed, holding onto Ella until her breathing evened out and finally slowed. The terror on her face scared the hell out of him. She had been ready to run, and he wasn’t totally sure it was to her house across the street.
He knew he had wanted to know her from the moment he laid eyes on her. But now, after making love to her, he wasn’t letting go. Not without a really damned good reason. The asshole who broke her confidence, and made her fear the dark, wasn’t going to stop Trent from showing Ella she could overcome anything. Now he needed to figure out how.
The stinging in his chest didn’t compare to the pressure on his heart. He’d do anything to keep from seeing her lose it again.
Once she was deep asleep, he scooted out from under her and went to the bathroom. He pushed the door to the jamb before turning on the light, in case she attempted to leave.
Four bloody welts, several crimson trails down his chest. No wonder she was worried. He cleaned the scratches with soap and water, then used alcohol.
His thoughts wandered to what she’d endured. Waking up tied to a bed in clothes that weren’t here own. That situation would have terrified anyone. Bastard had undressed her, touched her. Probably held her while she was mostly unconscious and bound. Sick fucking prick.
Gritting his teeth, he poured alcohol down the cuts and caught the rest with the towel. “Shit,” he whispered, trying to ignore the sting.
A few scratches weren’t a concern as long as he could help Ella find her strength again. The answer was right there, just under the surface, waiting to break free.
The alcohol burned like a bitch. He gripped the counter and breathed through the pain, then wiped his chest off and washed it one more time before going back to bed.
When he found her hugging his pillow, some of his tension rolled away.
He lay down beside her and shifted the pillow under his head, and lifted her so her head was on his chest, and her arm around his waist. Maybe if she were on top of him, she wouldn’t panic.
Earlier when he’d awakened, she’d been pushing and scratching, then screaming. He’d held onto her, half on top of her. Thinking about her ordeal… that reaction made sense.
Fucking moron, Trent.
He smoothed his hand over her hair in long strokes. He finally relaxed when she curled closer, pressing a kiss to his chest.
Chapter 20
Ella’s phone alarm pulled her from sleep. This time, she felt safe until she saw the ugly reminder of how she’d freaked out the night before. Across his right pectoral were four angry red welts, already scabbing over.
Her nightmares were getting worse. She knew the reason for them but didn’t want to admit the problem ran so deep. The dreams started earlier in her sleep pattern… and more frequently. Most of the time she managed to calm herself down, but twice she’d panicked with Trent right there.
Maybe it was time to talk to someone about her situation before she did something she truly regretted. She hated thinking of herself as weak, as a victim. Her stalker had held her for only a couple of days, but he broke something inside her.
Ella took another look at Trent before trying to climb from the bed, every intention of taking a quick shower.
Trent banded his arm around her waist, pulling her back down beside him. “Hmm, where do you think you’re going, Ella?”
“Quick shower before a run. I’ll take a long one afterward. Don’t worry, I was going to wake you up to go with me.”
“Can I join you in the shower now?”
She laughed. “Not until after our run.”
“Why not?” His fingertips trailed down her pelvis and between her thighs, grazing her sensitive clit.
Her breath caught as desire washed through her. “Because we’re running first, and if you get me soaking wet, we aren’t going anywhere.”
“I like you soaking wet, and you aren’t far from there now.” He pulled his fingers from her and put them in his mouth.
She climbed from the bed and shoved one leg into her jeans. “Running first. I’ll take a cold shower at my house. Meet you outside in fifteen.”
“I’ve got a problem, Ella.” He pulled her hand until she knelt on the bed trying like hell not to look where his gaze dropped. She couldn’t help it. He w
as rock hard and ready.
“Can’t run like this, and my hand’s not going to get the job done,” he purred.
“You going to be able to run after a repeat of last night?”
A devilish smirk formed on his lips. “I’ll be quick.”
She sighed, trying to think of a good excuse, but she needed him just as bad.
He pulled her fingers to his mouth. “Promise to make you come before I’m done. I sure as hell won’t leave you disappointed.”
“Fast, then separate showers, and running.”
“And after a long shower with you, I’ll take you to breakfast.”
“Or maybe just stop for breakfast before coming back here for that shower,” she replied her brow arching.
He rolled her onto her back and shifted between her thighs while removing the jeans she’d attempted to shield herself with. A breath later, he filled her.
“Trent,” she gasped.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No, just didn’t expect you so fast.”
He grinned. “Needed to feel you around me.” He glided nearly out before sliding back in. She’d never been so damned ready before. “I’m never getting enough of you,” he promised.
She didn’t have words to answer, so she brought his mouth to hers and licked across his lips before caressing his tongue with hers.
He dropped to his elbows, his body moving against hers as her legs slid up his sides to let him fill her further. She was right there with him, letting him wash away every ounce of doubt and fear as he pushed her past the point of no return.
His mouth broke away with a cry of her name on his lips. She came with him and held on.
“I’m glad you stayed,” he whispered in her ear.
“Me too,” she admitted. “Sorry about the scratches.”
He rose and shrugged one shoulder. “I already told you, if anyone asks, I’m telling them you’re a tigress in bed. It’s not a lie.” He kissed her quickly and climbed from the bed. “Better hurry. You’ve got fifteen minutes.”
Ella dropped her head back with a sigh. “Right. Got to get your ass in shape for a marathon.” She rolled from the bed.
His hands wrapped around her waist. “Take a quick shower with me. I promise to keep my hands to myself. Then you can change at home.”
It was the practical option.
* * * *
“I really do need to go,” Ella told Trent around noon.
He pulled her into his arms and looked into her blue-green eyes. “Alone?”
She nodded. “You’re hosting the barbecue. Let me go make something. Besides, Mila is probably wondering if I forgot all about her. We were supposed to do lunch.”
He sighed, letting her go. “Promise you’ll be early?”
“Sure. Have any requests?”
A smirk pulled one corner of his mouth up. “Nothing you’re granting until we’re alone.”
“Then you can tell me when I come back.”
“Okay. Call me if you need anything.”
She dipped her head and slipped outside. He followed as Tina hurried up the driveway with Blaze in tow.
His heart sank when he saw the desperate look on his sister’s face.
Tina smiled as she stopped in front of Ella. “Hi, you must be Ella. Blaze has told me so much about you.”
“Hi, I am. And you must be Tina,” Ella said with a smile and an outstretched hand.
Tina relaxed and shook her hand. “Pleasure to meet the woman who’s finally settled my brother down.”
Ella glanced back, blushing. “I hope so.”
Trent wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. “You have.”
Tina’s eyes dulled. “Hey, Trent, Blaze begged me to bring him early. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me around.”
“Sure, of course, I do. You’re welcome to come. You can stay, catch up.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I’m positive.”
Ella turned. “I’ll see you later.” She ruffled Blaze’s hair. “You too, buddy.”
“Bye, Ella,” Blaze hugged her leg and she patted his head before heading home.
Tina turned to watch Ella enter her house.
“You’re right. She looks like Raven Star, but she’s not. No big actress would settle down here. Besides, she’s more down to earth than those movie actresses.”
Trent smiled, but his heart sank. He didn’t know how to respond to Tina’s comment. “So, you aren’t here to drop off Blaze?”
“Nope. Was hoping I could hang out, catch up with my big brother. Let Blaze play ball with you.”
He grinned. “Sounds like fun. Maybe after lunch, I’ll take you all for ice cream.”
“Best uncle ever!” Blaze exclaimed.
Tina gave Trent a sad smile. “I’ve missed so much.”
“But you’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”
Chapter 21
Ella stood in the living room, peeking out the window, waiting for Trent and his sister to go inside. Finally, they did. Ella flopped onto the couch and grabbed her phone, dialing Mila.
It only rang twice before she answered. “Finally. I was starting to wonder if you forgot all about me.”
Ella smirked. “Not completely, but Trent kept me busy.”
“I can imagine. You ready to talk?”
“Yeah, want to go for a drive with me? I need to go to the store.”
“Hang on.” Everything was quiet for a long moment. “I’ll pick you up. We’ll have a little one in the car seat. Valor just went down for a nap, and he likes riding so he should stay asleep.”
Ella grinned. “Aww, you can bring my buddy anytime you want.”
Mila laughed softly. “Be there in five minutes.”
Feeling free, she hurried upstairs to splash on some makeup and put her glasses on. She was back downstairs by the time Mila pulled the car up to the curb.
Ella peeked into the backseat with a grin. Seeing her best friend’s baby made her crave that kind of stable connection. Hopefully, she and Trent would form a similar bond… one day.
She climbed into the passenger seat and grinned at her oldest friend. “You and Kyle make beautiful babies.”
“Yeah, we do. But we aren’t talking about me right now. What happened yesterday?”
Ella told Mila everything about the day before, all the way through her middle of the night freak-out. She sucked in a breath and looked at their surroundings. Mila had driven out into the country, away from everything.
A shudder rocked through Ella, leaving her trembling. “Where are we?”
Mila shrugged. “Driving outside of town, and circling back. Valor naps best in the car.”
“Why out here?” She winced at the squeal in her voice.
Mila looked over and frowned. “Ella, are you okay?”
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes.
“I’m heading back.”
“Sorry, when I realized where we were, the panic edged in. I guess I started thinking about the guy who followed me. These panic attacks are happening more and more often. I thought it was getting better.”
Mila reached over and squeezed her hand. “I think you need to talk to someone. A counselor or therapist. Sounds like PTSD.”
“Yeah. As much as I hate admitting I have a serious problem, I need to deal with it and don’t know how.”
“And you can’t disappear without a word like you did yesterday. What if this happened while you were all alone?”
“I started thinking that when I saw what I did to Trent’s chest. I was ready to hurt him and run.” She leaned her head against the glass. “I can’t keep doing this.”
“You said Trent didn’t want to let you leave. I’m sure he was more worried about you than a scratch.”
A sad laugh escaped as she pushed back in the seat. “Doesn’t change the fact I need help. Any other time and he gives me a sense of security I can’t even describe. But I woke up, half pinned. Mental
ly, I was back in that room with my stalker holding me, his hands on my skin.” Shivers ran through her from head to toe. “I thought Trent was him. I was ready to hurt him so I could get away.”
“You didn’t realize who it was. That’s understandable. You weren’t awake. And I guarantee he wouldn’t have held you afterward if he was upset by your episode.”
Ella pressed on her temples and closed her eyes. “He doesn’t understand. I could have really done some damage if he hadn’t backed off me so fast.”
“But he brought you back. Next time, he’ll react faster, and he knows what you need now. He’ll help you get through the nightmares.”
“And if he doesn’t? If I can’t get over it? That asshole stalker is still out there. What if he was the one following me?”
Mila shrugged. “I believe it was some paparazzi jerk following Ryan and then trailing you. He probably wanted to know who the new woman in Ryan’s life was. Apparently, a reporter was arrested in some tiny town. Authorities had warrants out all over California. It’s trending. They never identified you. You covered your face enough, and the sweats. No one has speculated it was you.”
“That’s a relief. Though I doubt it is for Ryan.”
“I still don’t understand why you two never hooked up. You get along so well.”
Ella snorted. “He’s a good friend, that’s it. Besides, he’s happy with his other half.”
“Yeah, I know.” Mila laughed and glanced over. “But man he’s hot. I would have traded places with you in a heartbeat.”
“Not since Kyle, though,” Ella teased.
“No. And hey, you tamed the caveman.” Mila giggled. “You should have seen him yesterday before you showed up.”
“Was he worse than what I saw?”
“He was. Trent wanted to hunt you down and find out what happened. You had us both worried.”
“Sorry. Things are… intense between us. It’s more than a regular attraction. I can’t deny that’s powerful, but he washes away the fear and makes me feel safe. Except last night.” Ella turned toward her. “Do you happen to know any therapists around here?”
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