by Opal Carew
Did it have to be Jake, though? If Trey had been attracted to her then—she’d been the first woman he’d ever been attracted to!—then maybe . . . could she have a chance at happily-ever-after with Trey?
Her stomach churned. How could she even think such a thing? She knew how Jake cared for Trey.
“I did decide I needed to put some distance between you and me, though. You were leaving anyway, but that’s why Jake took over your lessons.”
She had felt it . . . Trey’s withdrawal back then. She had felt it as a coldness . . . him releasing their friendship . . . ready to move on. Those feelings were blown out of proportion . . . she knew that now . . . but at the time, she’d been vulnerable . . . leaving for a new place . . . having to start developing friendships over again. If they could be put aside so easily as Trey seemed to with her . . . She’d fallen into believing that friendships weren’t to be trusted either. They were dangerous to get involved in, because they hurt when they ended . . . and they would always end.
Now she realized that Trey had simply been protecting himself. And Jake.
And nothing about him had been cold, she realized now. She had simply sensed the loss of the warmth she’d felt when she’d been around him. Because he had withheld that to protect his relationship with Jake. Which she admired immensely.
“Hey, you two.” Jake sailed toward them, then turned until he glided along the water beside them. “How about lunch?”
Had Jake noticed a closeness between them, just like long ago, and this time wanted to stop it short? This time, had he decided to win Trey no matter what?
No. From everything she’d seen, Jake would give Trey all the time and space he needed to figure out what he wanted.
Maybe too much time and space.
After lunch, Jake suggested Danielle take his board and he’d watch while she went solo. She placed the board along the dock and stepped aboard, careful to stay balanced while the board drifted from the wooden planks. She picked up the sail and cautiously shifted it until it caught the wind. It pulled against her arms and she sped up. She shifted it, going faster than she liked, then glided along at a comfortable speed.
She crossed the bay, back and forth, getting a good feel for the board and the sail. A young fellow along her left side sped across the water, then bounced over a cross-wake and fell into the water. Danielle turned to avoid his board and sail as he pulled himself back onto the board.
“Hey, Jeff, good job.” Another young man, who looked so much like the man he called Jeff that they must be brothers, stopped beside him. “You’re getting better with the speed.”
Danielle felt her board picking up speed and quickly tilted the sail and slowed down a little. On shore, Jake waved at her. She turned and glided toward him.
“Dani, you’re doing great, but you seem to be afraid to take a chance.”
She tipped her head. “What do you mean?”
“It’s like you’re afraid to get wet. If you want to learn . . . and get really good at windsurfing . . . then you need to push yourself. Take a chance on getting wet.”
“But the water’s cold.”
He jumped into the water and swam toward her board, then grabbed onto it. He flung one arm up and grasped her ankle.
“I think it’s time you got wet.” He tipped the board as he pulled on her ankle and she plummeted into the water.
She pushed her head above water and sucked in a breath of air, then swam straight for him and lightly whacked him on the side of his head. He chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his body. His long, hard body.
He pulled her in for a kiss, and as soon as his warm lips met hers, she forgot all about the cold of the water.
He grinned at her. “So now you’re wet, you can take some chances. Hop back on the board and push it. Make some mistakes. You’ll have more fun in the long run.”
She climbed back onto her board and picked up the sail. She caught the wind, and this time she didn’t back off when it pulled her past her comfort zone. She rode the wind. Faster and faster. When she found she was getting a little far out, she eased the boom around—too fast, and tumbled into the water. Quickly, she climbed back on the board. As she sped toward shore again, she saw Jake waving at her, a big smile on his face.
She swung her boom around, trying to turn faster than she had before, and tumbled into the water again. She pulled herself up and began again. After a few tries, and several falls, she could turn her board fairly fast and, although a little wobbly, without falling.
“You’re doing great, Danielle.” Trey pulled in behind her, matching her speed. “You’re really improving.”
“I took Jake’s advice. He told me I should take some chances and not be afraid of falling in.”
He nodded. “Good advice.”
Thirteen
Trey sipped his green tea, then set the cup on the coffee table. Hickory lay curled up beside him, purring softly. Trey petted him as he flipped through the channels on the television, but nothing interesting caught his eye. Of course, he’d much rather be sitting here with Danielle. She’d left only an hour ago and he missed her already.
The phone rang. He crossed to the computer desk and grabbed the phone from the dock.
“Hi, Trey. It’s Suzie. How’s it going?”
Suzie was a couple of years younger than he and still lived in Baltimore, where he’d grown up with his family, and where both his younger sisters and his parents still lived. Suzie had her own place, but Tasha, the youngest, was still in high school, so she still lived with his mom and dad.
“Pretty good. Tasha is thinking about which universities she might go to and she’s considering Carleton Falls. I suggested we come for a visit to check out the campus . . . and visit with our big brother. So what do you say? Can we stay with you?”
“Yeah, absolutely. When? I’ll arrange to take a few days off to spend time with you.”
“Well, if it’s okay . . . next weekend works out for us. We could come up Friday and stay until the following Friday. Maybe even the weekend.”
He walked toward the desk and glanced at the calendar. “I shouldn’t have any problem getting the time off, and I’d love to have you both visit.”
“Why don’t you invite your new girlfriend over while we’re there? I’d love to meet her.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Danielle, silly. Remember I talked to her on Friday?”
Danielle. Oh, damn. He wouldn’t be able to see Danielle for a weekend, possibly two. He did not want to go that long. But he couldn’t very well have her stay here with him and Jake. Maybe she could stay at Jake’s house. But he couldn’t really sneak away to spend time with her while his sisters were here. He wanted to see his sisters, and if he visited her at Jake’s, he would spend more time away from his sisters than with them.
“You know, we’ve never met one of your girlfriends. Rumors are starting about you.”
Trey almost dropped the phone. It was just a silly, teasing remark. She didn’t mean anything by it . . . but what if she did suspect? What if his family thought he didn’t like women? What if they thought he was gay?
He’d worried about it so much during his teenage years when he’d thought he was gay. Then when he and Jake had become a couple, he had hidden it from his family. As far as they knew, Jake had simply been his roommate.
He didn’t think they’d stop loving him, but he honestly didn’t know if they’d be disappointed in him. Even if they accepted it, would things be awkward between them? Would they look at him differently?
“So what do you say?” Suzie asked.
Danielle glanced at the clock. Trey had e-mailed her at work today asking what time she would get home, telling her he wanted to call her to ask about something. It was 5:35 P.M. so he should be calling any minute. She sat down on the couch with the cordless phone on the side table and picked up her book. She’d start cooking dinner after the call.
What did he want to talk to
her about? Probably something about plans for the weekend. Maybe he’d gotten tickets to the new play at the local theater and he wanted to check times with her or something.
She stared at the phone, but it did not ring. A knock sounded at her front door. She stood up and walked to the entrance, then peered through the narrow window beside the door.
Trey!
She pulled open the door. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I told you I wanted to talk to you, and I thought, Hey, what the heck . . . why not take you to dinner?”
“You came all the way here to take me to dinner?”
He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, then captured her mouth with his. The feel of his hard, muscular body pressed against the length of hers, his lips caressing hers, his hands cupping her head while he consumed her mouth with passion, sent her heart thundering in her chest.
He smiled at her. “Of course. I missed you. In fact, I started missing you the moment you left my house on Sunday.”
His words insinuated their way into her heart and her lips turned up in a broad smile. She felt wanted. And she liked the feeling.
She drew him into the house and pushed the door closed behind him.
“Well, you can’t show me how much you missed me if we’re out at a restaurant.”
“You’re not hungry?”
“Oh, I am hungry. For you.” She stroked her hand over his growing bulge.
He growled and stroked down her back as he pulled her closer against him, then nuzzled her neck. She unfastened his shirt button, then the next, but he brushed her hands aside and flicked open the buttons on his cuffs, dragged the shirt over his head, and tossed it aside. She tugged her T-shirt over her head and threw it on top of his shirt. A moment later, they’d both shed their jeans in a heap on the floor.
“Oh God, you are gorgeous.” Heat simmered in his cinnamon eyes.
Trey gazed at her perfect body. Her lacy black bra was embroidered with red roses across the top of the cups, and the satiny swell of her breasts above made him long to stroke them. Her long, slender legs seemed to go on forever, punctuated by the black thong with roses that matched her bra. She somehow managed to look sweet and pretty yet at the same time totally seductive.
He drew her against his body, enjoying the feel of her satin-soft skin against his. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight to him, and kissed her. Her lips moved sweetly beneath his. His groin tightened and his heart rate accelerated. Her breathing increased and he could tell she was as turned on as he was.
Her hand slid between them and she dipped into his boxers. He groaned at the feel of her hand enveloping his cock.
“Mmm. You really do want me,” she said.
He kissed her again, gliding his tongue inside her mouth and swirling it against hers.
“You bet I do.”
She unfastened her bra, revealing her round, dusty-rose-tipped breasts. She flung the lacy garment to the side, then pressed against him. Her bead-hard nipples burned into his chest, sending his blood boiling and his cock twitching. He cupped one delectable breast and stroked it, loving the feel of her nipple pressing into his palm.
He leaned down and licked the tight bud, then sucked it into his mouth. She moaned, her fingers raking through his hair as she held him tight to her. He suckled and licked, listening to her increased heartbeat and her sweet little gasps of breath.
“Sweetheart, I want you so badly.” He kissed her as he pressed her back until she was against the wall.
He nuzzled the pulse point at the base of her neck, then kissed downward, over the swell of her breasts. He licked her nipple, toying with it on the end of his tongue, then wrapped his lips around it and sucked. She moaned. He switched to the other nipple and sucked mercilessly. She stroked her hands through his hair, then over his shoulders.
He kissed down her lovely flat belly, then across the top of her lacy thong. He smiled up at her, then hooked his fingers under the elastic and pulled. The sight of her curls being revealed as the lace slipped downward made his cock harden more. He continued past her hips, knees, then to her ankles. He wrapped his hand around her heel and lifted her foot, drawing the undies free, then released them from the other foot and tossed them aside. He kissed her calf, nuzzled her knee, then kissed up her thighs. She whimpered in anticipation.
As he closed in on her curls, he shifted to the left, kissing beside them. He stroked over the silky hairs, then slid his finger over the flesh between. Moist and slick. He pressed inside, gliding two fingers into her hot, welcoming opening.
“You are so ready for me.”
She simply whimpered for more. With his other hand, he pressed her folds apart and flicked his tongue over her eager clit. She moaned. He licked, then swirled over her as his fingers stroked inside her.
“Oh God, that feels so good,” she murmured.
His cock ached to be inside her. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her, then lifted her off the ground. Her legs wrapped around him as he backed her toward the wall and leaned her against it. He pressed the tip of his rock-hard cock against her.
“Oh, Trey.” She clung to him, her arms encircling his shoulders.
He pressed forward, easing his cock into her sweet depths a little at a time. She tightened around him, squeezing him as he glided deeper. Finally, he was fully inside her, pressing her hard to the wall, wondering how she could breathe . . . but she did, and rapidly. He captured her lips again and kissed her with passion as he drew back and thrust into her again. She moaned into his mouth. He dodged his tongue between her lips as he pulled back and plunged into her again . . . and again. His tongue darted forward with each thrust . . . and she murmured her pleasure.
As he thrust, he could feel her tighten . . . her legs around his waist, her vagina around his cock. Her entire being seemed to tighten like a spring. . . . Then she pulled her mouth free and wailed long and loud, her body shuddering with the force of her orgasm.
As her pussy tightened around his blazing hot cock, he felt his release building. He thrust into her, loving the feel of her around him. . . . Then he could feel it . . . close . . . closer.
“Oh, yeah. Sweetheart.” He clung to her as she stroked his hair, shooting deep and hard into her. Into the welcoming heat of her body.
As his body relaxed, he held her close, loving the feel of her in his arms. So soft and warm. Her lips trailed along his jaw, then she nibbled his chin. Her legs slid down his hips then to the floor.
“I am so glad you came to see me.” She smiled. “That was truly spectacular.”
He kissed her, then gazed into her big green eyes.
“I came to ask you if . . . would you be . . . my girlfriend?”
Fourteen
At Danielle’s shocked expression, Trey swore under his breath. What kind of an idiot was he to blurt that out? With her in his arms, his cock still embedded in her, he had known. He wanted her to be his woman. And his alone. But right now she was in a relationship with both him and Jake.
For her, was the attraction being with two men? But, no, she wasn’t the type to take advantage of people. If she was having sex with him . . . and Jake . . . it was because she felt something for them, even if it wasn’t all-out love.
Of course it wasn’t love. They had a very unconventional relationship to say the least. He certainly understood those. After all, that’s what he’d had with Nikki and Angela back in college.
It was different with Dani, though. He found himself longing for more than just sex with her.
Just what did she feel for him? And for Jake?
He wanted her to be his, but what about Jake? Would Jake be okay with that, or did he want her, too? He’d given no indication.
Damn, this was getting complicated.
But right now, Dani still stared at him in shock.
“I don’t mean for real.”
At that, her face crinkled in confusion.
“I mean, my sisters are coming to visit
me and . . . I was hoping you’d pose as my girlfriend.”
Danielle blinked. When he’d asked her to be his girlfriend, her heart had leapt in joy. Then it had crashed down as she saw the conflicting emotions flickering in his eyes. It’s like he’d immediately wanted to withdraw his request.
She’d been a fool to actually believe he’d want more from their relationship than what they had. Fun, unconventional, and exciting sex.
And she didn’t want him to want more. She wanted him to wind up with Jake. Trey and Jake were meant to be together. She couldn’t come between them.
But, of course, she wouldn’t. He just wanted her to pose as his girlfriend, not be his girlfriend.
“Uh . . . sure. I could do that.”
“Don’t you want to know when?”
“Oh, yes. When?”
“Well, they’re coming on Friday and they’ll be here all week. If you could come even just for the weekend and stay with me—”
“I can stay the whole week . . . if you want me to.”
A lot of her clients were on vacation, so next week was a good time.
He grinned and drew her against him. “I would love for you to come for the week.” He kissed her, stealing her breath away.
“So why do you want me to pose as your girlfriend?” Danielle asked as she gazed at Trey over the candle on the red-and-white checked tablecloth in the small pizzeria they’d chosen for dinner.
“When Suzie talked to you on the phone last Saturday, she assumed you were my girlfriend, and . . . well, she asked to meet you.”
“Okay, but you could have told her that I wasn’t.”
“My sisters have never met one of my girlfriends.”
“Did you think a woman would get the wrong idea, being introduced to your family?”
He glanced at their joined hands. “No. As pathetic as it sounds, I’ve never really dated a woman long enough to call her a girlfriend.”
“What about men?”
His gaze sharpened. “What about them?”