by Opal Carew
“I’m—”
Her voice cracked, and Trey’s heart crumbled. Her eyes were awash with unshed tears and she looked so very . . . vulnerable.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He drew her into his arms and held her close.
She sat stiff in his embrace, clearly fighting the overwhelming pain showing in her tortured eyes. Gently, he drew her head against his shoulder, cradling it there with one hand while he held her close with the other.
The thought of her as a small child . . . thrown out into the night . . . terrified and frightened . . . gnawed at him. How could any mother do that to her own child? No wonder Danielle never allowed herself to get close to anyone. To depend on anyone. The one person whom she should have been able to depend on without question . . . who should have loved her unconditionally . . . had betrayed her completely.
“You should never have been treated that way.”
At his words, she collapsed against him. Her body shook in sobs and he felt dampness against his shirt. She was shedding the tears she’d been trying so hard to hold back.
He stroked her back, pressing his lips to her soft hair and kissing her gently. A protective instinct flared through him, so strong it nearly bowled him over . . . followed by the realization of just how much he loved this woman.
And if the time was ever right to tell her, it was now. A part of him wanted to hold back, at least until he’d had a chance to talk to Jake—Jake was a part of this relationship, too—but Danielle needed to know she was loved, and right now, that was more important than anything else.
“Danielle, I understand why you’ve always kept to yourself. Why you’ve shied away from love. Because you’ve always believed you were alone. But . . .” He tucked his finger under her chin and tipped her face upward. Rivulets of tears streaked her cheeks. “If I have my way”—his voice lowered to a murmur and he smiled tenderly—“you’ll never be alone again.”
Her gleaming eyes gazed at him without comprehension.
“Because . . . I’m crazy in love with you.”
“You’re . . . ?” She shook her head in confusion. “I . . .”
He kissed her tenderly on the lips.
“Sweetheart, I love you. I want you to be a part of my life.”
Her eyes clouded and he knew she was struggling to accept his words. Of course she would struggle with this. She couldn’t trust love. Not that fast. But she would with time. He’d make sure of it. But right now, he wouldn’t give her time to deny his feelings. Or hers.
He captured her lips again, gently at first, stroking her lips with his own. Then he deepened the kiss. Finally, she succumbed to his tender persuasion and melted against him. Her tongue glided along his lips, then slipped inside. He groaned and gathered her closer.
Danielle knew she was losing the battle. Trey in love with her? But that’s not how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to fall for Jake again. Not her!
But God, it felt so good being in his arms. It felt so warm . . . so comforting. She felt so loved. His embrace felt like a warm, safe haven. It was sweeter than anything she’d ever experienced.
He’d said he loved her. That he wanted her in his life.
He would cherish her . . . and take care of her.
Thoughts of Jake and the betrayal this would mean slipped away, despite her desperate attempts to hang on to them. They simply could not survive Trey’s passionate, tender kisses, which showed how clearly he loved her.
And as her heart soared, she realized how much she loved him, too.
She stroked her hands over his broad shoulders, then down his sculpted chest, reveling in the feel of hard male muscle under her palms. He was so strong. So masculine. Solid. With him she would never be alone again. When she needed someone to lean on, he would be there.
She stroked down his taut stomach and over the denim bulging below. She unzipped and slipped her hand inside, desperate to feel his rock-solid cock. Wanting to join with him in the most basic of ways. To remind herself how well they fit together. To experience again the deep intimacy of making love with him. Of surrendering to him, knowing he would never hurt her, and she would be totally safe in his arms.
She wrapped her fingers around his cock. Hard as marble, but hot as fire. She stroked his length. He pressed her back against the bed and unfastened her blouse as he stared down at her with loving eyes.
“You are so beautiful.”
She stroked him again, loving the feel of his hard shaft in her hand. She cupped the crown in her palm and stroked the ridge under the corona. He peeled back the fabric of her top and kissed the base of her neck, then nuzzled gently. He left a trail of sweet butterfly kisses as he traveled to the swell of her breasts, kissing above the lace cups of her bra. He unsnapped her bra and drew it away from her body. Then his lips found her nipple and he tasted her.
Wild sensations fluttered through her as he nudged the tight bead with his tongue, then sucked lightly. She tightened her hand around his shaft. Her insides ached with wanting him. He kissed across her chest to her other nipple and drew it into his warm mouth. She moaned at the incredible sensation. He captured her lips again, then drew away from her. He unfastened the snap on his jeans and dropped them to the floor, then relieved her of her jeans, along with the panties she wore.
He returned to the bed and kissed along her thigh while lightly stroking the other. Tingles rippled through her and she ran her hands through his sandy brown hair, the spiky strands gliding through her fingers. Then his mouth found her intimate folds and his tongue dragged along her opening. He covered her clit and his tongue dabbed lightly.
A flurry of pleasure skittered through her. When he began to suck, she grasped his head and held him to her. As he licked and sucked, he stroked her opening with a seeking finger. She arched against him, moaning her encouragement. He slipped inside and stroked her hot passage.
Pleasure swept through her as he tweaked her clit. She opened her arms. He stood, his magnificent cock standing straight up, then prowled over her. He captured her lips and she arched her chest against him. Her brushed brushed against his solid chest. Soft against hard. Her nipples drilled into him as he lowered his body onto hers. She guided his cock to her slick opening and stroked it along the wet folds. He smiled and thrust forward, driving his considerable length deep inside her. She moaned as he pivoted back, then drove deep again. She wrapped her legs around his waist, opening herself wider to him. He pivoted back, then drove deeper still.
Pleasure spiraled through her and she moaned. He thrust into her again and again and her senses rippled with acute pleasure.
His fingers stroked through her hair and he cupped her head as he murmured, “Oh, sweetheart, I love you so much.”
His words blazed through her consciousness, and the swelling pleasure burst into a mind-blowing orgasm. Ecstasy encompassed her, expanding to an infinite sense of bliss.
Trey loved her!
Oh God. What the hell was I thinking?
Danielle gazed at Trey’s strong classic features, illuminated by the soft moonlight shimmering in the window. His chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm. She snuggled a little closer, enjoying the feel of his heartbeat so close to hers.
He had told her he loved her. And, for a while, she had believed him. Not that she believed he had lied . . . just that he had gotten caught up in the emotions of the moment.
Worse, she had fallen under the same spell and convinced herself she loved him, too. This week with Trey and his sisters . . . feeling part of a family . . . having someone care about her and hold her in a time of emotional crisis . . . had gotten the better of her. She wanted so much to belong, to be loved. It had been natural, to believe she was actually in love.
Now she had to worry about damage control. First thing in the morning, she had to set Trey straight. Without hurting him.
That was the tricky part.
She pressed her cheek again his warm smooth chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart.
Oh,
how she dreaded the arrival of morning.
Trey opened his eyes to a soft hand stroking his cheek. He smiled at Danielle as she sat beside him on the bed. But as soon as his gaze locked with hers, his heart compressed.
Something was wrong.
He took her hand and kissed her palm. “What is it?”
She pursed her lips, her emerald eyes shimmering.
Something was definitely wrong.
“I . . . have to leave,” she said.
“Why?”
“Because last night was . . . a mistake.”
He kissed her hand again, then held it as he sat up. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, when you said you loved me . . .” She sighed. “I should have said something then, but . . .”
He crossed his legs and turned to face her. He took both her hands in his. He could tell by her expression that she wasn’t about to proclaim her love in return.
“Danielle, I love you.”
She shook her head and he drew in a breath.
“I know you’re not ready to accept it, and that’s fine, but I do love you.”
“No, you don’t, Trey.”
“Yes, I do. With your background, I know you’ll have a hard time accepting love—”
“No, that’s not it.” She stared hard into his eyes. “I know I have issues, I’m not denying that, but . . . the reason I believe you can’t love me is because”—she stroked his cheek and gazed at him with a tender look—“you can’t love anyone else until you love yourself.”
He stared at her in total incomprehension. This was about her, not him. What was she trying to say?
“Why do you think I don’t love myself?”
“Trey, you don’t accept who you are. In college, you and Jake were in love. No matter what your feelings are for him now, that was true then. But you don’t accept that. You don’t accept that you can love a man.”
“I love being with women.”
“But, at least once, you loved a man.”
Anger shot through him, but he tamped it down. “Look, Danielle, I don’t know why you’re on about this, but Jake and I have moved on, that’s all. We’re friends now.”
“I think we both know that you two are way more than friends. After all the weekends we’ve spent together, are you seriously going to classify him as a friend?”
“No . . . I . . . It doesn’t matter. Jake is fine with our relationship as it is.”
“Well, I’m not. I don’t think it’s fair to leave him out in the cold because you can’t admit to your family what truly makes you happy.”
He hesitated.
“I can’t tell,” she continued, “if you chose to be with me because it’s what your heart wants, or it’s simply what you believe your family wants. And I’m sorry, Trey, but that’s not good enough for me.”
“My family has nothing to do with this.”
“So you’re fine with telling them that you also enjoy being with men?”
“There’s no reason to tell them. My sexual preference is immaterial to my relationship with my sisters.”
“Unless hiding it gets in the way of being who you are.”
“And who do you think I am?” he bit out.
“A man who loves a man and is afraid to admit it . . . even to himself.”
“You’re wrong, Danielle. It’s you I love.”
Danielle shook her head and drew her hands from his. He caught her wrist and drew her back.
“Look me right in the eye and tell me you don’t love me,” he demanded.
She gazed at him, her eyes glimmering in the morning light. She shook her head. “I can’t.”
He smiled triumphantly.
“I feel it—the same thing you do—but I know it’s not real. The strong feelings I have for you . . . that I could so easily mistake for love . . . are just me wanting to be a part of a family. Your family. But it wouldn’t be fair to pretend I love you, just to get what I want. Just because it’s the easy choice.”
She stood up and pulled on her robe.
“I can’t stay here, Trey. You can tell your sisters I had to get home, that something came up. Probably easiest just to say I had a deadline come up with work.”
“Don’t go, Danielle.”
She met his gaze. His chest tightened when he saw how incredibly sad she looked.
“Thank you for this time with your family, Trey. It has meant a lot to me.” She stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.
Danielle showered and dressed. When she returned to the bedroom, Trey was dressed and waiting for her.
“Please don’t leave, Dani.”
She stepped toward him and took his hands—mostly to stop him from embracing her—and kissed him lightly on the lips.
“Good-bye, Trey.” She walked from the room without looking back.
“Danielle?” Suzie said as Danielle stepped into the living room. Her gaze locked on the suitcase in her hand.
“Honey, I’m sorry.” Suzie gazed at Danielle with wide eyes. “I didn’t mean to upset you last night. Me and my stupid questions.”
The tears now welling from Suzie’s eyes touched Danielle, and, hesitantly, she opened her arms to Trey’s sister. She could feel Trey’s gaze from the hallway.
Suzie wrapped her arms around Danielle in a tight embrace, and Danielle accepted it. And returned it.
“It’s okay. It was good for me to talk about it.”
It felt warm and comforting in Suzie’s arms. She would miss this taste of being part of a family. Of having a sister.
And a man who loved her.
Suzie glanced at the suitcase. “You’re not leaving because of me are you?”
“No, I had something come up. There’s some work I have to get done. I’m sorry I can’t stay for the rest of your visit.”
She hugged Suzie again, then left without another word.
Eighteen
Jake heard the doorbell ring as he stepped out of the shower. He scrubbed his hair with a towel, then tugged on his blue terry robe and tied it as he strode across the living room to the entrance.
He pulled open the door. There stood Danielle.
What a great way to start the day.
“Well, good morning.” He smiled but she did not return it. He glanced behind her but couldn’t see Trey or his sisters.
“Sorry to catch you in the shower. I . . . should have called first.”
“Nonsense. Come in.”
She nodded and stepped inside. He closed the door and followed her into the living room.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“That would be lovely. Thanks.”
She sat on the couch as he headed to the kitchen. The automatic coffeemaker had brewed two cups. He filled two mugs and added cream and sugar to the glass mug Danielle liked so much and just sugar to his. He set up the coffeemaker for another few cups, then carried the steaming mugs into the living room.
He handed her the glass mug and sat down beside her on the couch. She did not smile, and he could sense the tension in her.
“So you look pretty glum this morning. Want to talk about it?”
She sipped her coffee, then set the mug down on the table.
“Last night, Trey told me he loved me.”
Jake’s gut clenched. Damn it. Trey loved her? And he’d told her? Where the hell did that leave Jake?
One glance at Danielle’s unhappy face put things into perspective.
“I take it you don’t love him?”
Her fists clenched in her lap and her face turned away from him. Her body trembled. Was she hiding tears?
“Danielle? Do you love him?”
“I . . . yes . . .” She shook her head. “I mean . . . no.”
His stomach clenched. “You don’t sound too sure.”
She turned to face him and tears welled in her eyes. “I feel like I love him but . . .” She grabbed a tissue from the box on the side table and wiped away her tears. “I . . . know it isn’t real. T
hese past days spending time with him and his sisters . . . feeling like I belong to a family . . . it’s a very seductive feeling.”
He nodded. “I can see how you might mistake those feelings for love. Did you tell Trey this?”
“Of course, but he thinks I’m just having trouble accepting love . . . because of my background. I told him . . .” She sucked in a quivering breath. “I told him that no matter what, he couldn’t love me, because . . . he needs to learn to love himself.”
“You told him that?”
She nodded. “If he can’t face that he loves you . . . or that he did love you . . . If he can’t face the possibility of loving a man . . . then how can he know if he loves me . . . or any woman?”
He slid his arms around her and drew her close to his chest. Her damp face rested against his robe and he stroked her hair.
“You’ve got it all figured out.” He sighed. “Now what would you say if I told you”—he tucked his finger under her chin and lifted her face until their gazes caught—“that I love you?”
Danielle stared up at him, shock tumbling through her. She had intended to go back home to Phoenicia, but once she’d started driving, she’d felt so empty inside. So alone. She’d thought going to see Jake would help. But now . . .
“Jake, you shouldn’t joke—”
He captured her lips. Fervently. The underlying passion swelled through her, blazing through her blood like wildfire.
“My God, Dani. I love you. I’ve wanted to tell you for so long.”
Her eyes widened. “But . . . I thought you loved Trey. That’s why we started this whole thing.”
“No, that’s why you started it,” he reminded her. “I went along with it because . . . you seemed to want it to happen so much.”
Jake didn’t care about getting together with Trey? But she knew they cared about each other. She could feel it.
He tightened his arms around her. “Anyway, I just told you I love you. Let’s not talk about Trey.”
He captured her lips and she melted against his hard masculine body. His arms around her made her feel protected and . . . loved.
Jake loved her?