by Bella Andre
But would she ever want that, too?
Sometimes, when she forgot the past, she smiled up at him so easily. Other times, however, he could see the clear hesitation hovering in her eyes. She was here with him today, but that didn’t mean she’d forgiven him for hurting her. Or that she ever would forgive him enough to give him a second chance at loving her the way she deserved to be loved.
He was so incredibly lucky that she’d agreed to this date, and he wanted to understand everything she was feeling so that he could make sure he never made the same mistakes again.
But he knew Reese well enough to understand that she had to be totally, one hundred percent ready. Until she felt she could handle it—all of it—it didn’t matter how much he pushed. He’d only push her away if he wasn’t careful. His mother, Abby, had always said, Reese really thinks things through. It’s one of the things I love best about her—that I always know she’ll give every option careful consideration. Trent loved that, too, and now all he could hope was that she’d carefully consider being with him again, rather than outright rejecting him for his past mistakes.
He’d wait as long as it took for her to make up her mind. He felt as if he’d lived a lifetime in the last ten years, and now he knew what would fulfill him and what he’d been holding out for all these years.
Reese.
Just then she made a happy little sound and tugged him toward a booth full of books. It was just what she used to do when they would go to a flea market together, and yet again he prayed that this outing meant she was going to give him a chance at reconciliation. Because he honestly wasn’t sure how he could ever move past her again.
Again? Who was he kidding? He’d never moved past her in the first place. Wasn’t that why he’d found something wrong with every woman he’d dated since their divorce? Wasn’t that why the idea of moving back to the island had been slowly simmering for all these years? Wasn’t that why he’d bought the wrapping paper and why almost every other thing he’d ever purchased had been with her at the forefront of his mind, from linens—Ooh, let’s get the super-high thread count. I love the softness!—to the shirts he wore—I love you in black and navy.
Reese picked up one of the books to show to him. “Are you still looking for this one?”
He was an avid collector, and it meant a great deal to Trent that after all these years, Reese still remembered his treasured list of books. In the first weeks they’d dated, he’d told her about the books he wanted to read. The books weren’t the old classics, but they had been suggested to him over the years by friends with similar interests, professors, his family. They ranged in topics from philosophy to nonfiction recounts of war stories. Reese had suggested that he start a list, much like her inspiration notebook. She’d jot down things she wanted to paint. When she was in search of inspiration, she’d flip through the list and find a note she’d scribbled at an earlier time, and it would spark a painting. Before they’d married, she’d bought Trent a special leather-bound notebook for his list, which had become one of his treasured possessions.
“I am. And I can’t believe you remember the list so well still.”
“I remember everything, Trent. Not just the bad, but the good, too.”
He couldn’t help but press his lips to hers. For a second she went still, but he didn’t want to pull away, and when a soft, surrendering sigh escaped her lungs and filled his, he knew he didn’t need to.
Their mouths moved in perfect harmony, and right there beside a table in the flea market, with people milling about and their bodies creating enough heat to ignite the book in Reese’s hand, he felt as if their hearts were reaching for each other, coming back together, bridging the years with silent hopes for a future.
Or was that just wishful thinking?
Her soft curves melted against him, and as they drew apart, she sighed. It was a dreamy, wanting sound that sent him reeling with desire.
“I can’t forget about Tami,” she whispered.
It took a minute for his lust-drenched brain to remember who Tami was.
“I should go see her before it gets too late,” Reese said as she set down the book. “If you want to stay to look through the rest of these books, I could come get you when I’m done.”
“I want to be with you, Reese. More than anything else in the world.” He slid his arm around her waist and held her close as they went in search of the eager, budding artist.
* * *
TAMI PRESTON WAS eighteen years old and full of youthful dreams and fangirl enthusiasm. She gushed over meeting Reese and kept smiling at her mother with an I-can’t-believe-she’s-here look in her wide eyes. Reese was happy to let Tami know just how great her artwork was, while also sharing a few thoughts on ways to bring more depth to her paintings and sketches.
It warmed her heart to see Trent paying for one of Tami’s paintings. He was so thoughtful. But then, fast on its heels, came that same question she’d been circling again and again since he’d come back into her life: Why did he let ten years pass before seeking me out? She still found everything about him alluring, from his wit and charm to his willingness to give her space when she needed it. But why, oh why, had he waited so long?
Ten years ago, she’d felt selfish asking for more of him when she knew he was working so hard to make a name for himself in his new profession. But she’d grown up with parents who put their relationship above all else, and that’s what she’d thought she’d found with Trent in those early weeks of their whirlwind romance. What’s more, she’d seen that same commitment in his parents’ relationship, and she’d believed Trent when he’d assured her that nothing would ever come between them.
Now, as he came to her side and placed a hand on her lower back, her heart was aching for a second chance, but the questions still lingered. Would he ever really put her ahead of work? Would he resent her if he did? And could she be more understanding about his hours and the demands of being an attorney, especially now that he’d taken on so many responsibilities at the resort as well?
At the same time, she had to ask herself—did she really want to be his entire world? Because she loved the sharp-witted, practical, and methodical side of Trent, which earned him accolades in the legal world, as she’d seen documented over the years in articles in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. She had always been so proud of him and of all of his accomplishments.
So, no, she didn’t want to change that part of him. At least not completely.
But she did want to know that his heart skipped a beat whenever he thought of her, the way hers always skipped when she thought of him. She wanted their love to be strong enough to withstand a few late nights, but also be important enough to him that he would want to come home to her in the evenings…and that when he left their bed each morning he would feel a pang of longing to stay.
Oh God. In the space of one outing, she’d already mentally inserted herself back into his life.
“Thank you so much for coming all the way here to see my work. You can’t imagine how much it means to me.” Tami embraced Reese.
“It was my pleasure. You’re really talented. Keep painting, and you have my e-mail address and phone number. Contact me anytime. I’m always happy to share thoughts with another artist.”
Tami’s eyes widened. “I can’t believe you just called me an artist. I’m hardly that good.”
“Nonsense,” Reese said with a smile. “Your work is excellent, and the great thing about art is that everyone’s talent is different. The minute you created your first painting or sketch and said to yourself that this was what you wanted to do, you became an artist!” She hugged Tami again, then wrapped her arm around Trent’s waist. “Have a great show.”
It had taken no thought to wrap her arm around Trent and snuggle against his warm, familiar body like she belonged there. Right now she felt like she did belong there. Being with Trent felt the best kind of right, even if it should feel wrong based on the problems they’d never been able to reso
lve.
She knew they needed to deal with it, but did it have to be right this second, when her heart was full and her body ached for the closeness they’d shared? Right now all she wanted was for this feeling of goodness and wholeness to continue. She wanted to be with the only man who had ever made her feel truly alive.
She tried to distract herself from her burgeoning desires by telling Tami’s mother, “Your daughter is very talented, and I’m sure with your encouragement she’ll go far.”
As they walked away, Trent said, “You just made her day.” He kissed Reese’s temple as his hand slid to her hip. A moment later his gentle touch felt even more intimate as his thumb stroked it. When his fingers slipped beneath the edge of her sweater and brushed against her skin, heat blazed through her.
Oh God, she didn’t just want to dip her toes into the goodness of them—she wanted to jump in with both feet and submerge herself. To tangle together and drown in the desire swelling between them.
“You didn’t have to buy one of her pieces, but I’m so glad you did.”
“It’s for you to have, Reese.” His voice was low and as thick with restraint as her body felt. “One day she’s going to come visit you, and when she sees this painting among your things, it will mean the world to her.”
The sun was just beginning to set as she turned to face him, giving the chilly evening a romantic glow. “I love that you thought of that. That you even recognize how special something like that could be in the first place.” She couldn’t resist touching his chest, laying her palm over his beating heart the same way she had earlier that day.
Oh, how she’d missed touching him like this. Missed being able to look up into his blue eyes and see his smile. Missed lying safe and warm in the circle of his arms.
“I felt your joy every time someone admired one of your paintings. Even before we were married, when a tourist would stop to watch you paint or sketch on the beach, you would light up. How could I not understand something that was such a big part of my wife’s life?”
Hearing Trent say my wife made her heart skip a beat, but it was the way he was looking at her, as if he still felt their deep connection just as strongly as she did, that had her breath hitching in her throat.
He drew her closer, and she went willingly into his arms as he told her, “I hurt you deeply, and I’m so very sorry. But I never stopped caring about you, and I want to make it up to you. I want to fix everything that I broke. Give me a chance, Reese. Let me show you how I’ve changed. Let me earn your trust again. Let me prove to you that I’m worthy of your love.”
So long. She’d waited so long to hear him say that.
“Please, sweetheart. I never meant to hurt you. I was young and stupid, and not fighting for you ten years ago was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”
His eyes were filled with so much sincerity, his voice laden with so much remorse, that suddenly she could barely think. Her fingers curled in his shirt as she closed her eyes and let her body take over. And boy did it ever take over.
There was nothing tender about their kiss as their mouths came together in a possessive, needful kiss. His mouth was hot and hungry, and her hands were greedy as they roved over his shoulders to the muscles on his back. She wanted to press her nails into his skin and mark him as her own.
God, how she’d missed him. But they weren’t in the past anymore. All that mattered was right here. Right now. And oh how she needed him. How she wanted him. She sank deeper into him, into the kiss, against his hard, virile frame, desperately trying to get closer.
“Car.” She barely got the word out before he took her in another demanding kiss. She’d always loved knowing the effect she had on him, and tonight was no different. Feeling the hard proof of how much he wanted her, too, pulled a moan from her lungs, and she wanted more. More of his emotions, more of his strength, more of everything he had to give her. She hadn’t felt these animalistic urges since the last time she’d been with Trent. She’d almost forgotten his power to transport her to another dimension. To a place where only they existed.
That thought brought her mind spiraling back to the moment—to the fact that they were groping and kissing in the park—and not even behind a wall of boulders this time.
She drew back in a panic, her eyes searching the area. Luckily, they were far enough from the booths that no one was giving them a second glance.
“Come on.” He took her hand and they half ran to the car, stopping every few feet to kiss some more.
Trent placed the painting on the roof of the car and pressed his body to hers. Her back hit the cold metal door, making the titillating friction between them even stronger as he slicked his tongue out against hers, claiming her in another passionate kiss.
She was this close to ripping off his shirt when she heard the door unlock. He helped her in, and instead of leaning down to kiss her again, he searched her eyes. Her heart swelled even bigger, knowing that he wouldn’t just take unless she wanted him to. And unless she was ready to give herself to him, too.
“I need you, Trent.” She’d been waiting ten years for this moment and didn’t want to wait another second longer. She pushed him toward the driver’s side door. “Hurry.”
Chapter Fourteen
REESE LOST TRACK of the roads as the sun faded and the headlights of the oncoming cars came on. She lost track of everything but Trent, who had reached for her hand and was squeezing it tightly, like a lifeline. Which seemed fitting, considering that whenever they were together he—they—blocked out the rest of the world without even trying.
She’d expected him to take her home, or to his suite at the resort, but when he pulled over on a narrow dirt road and cut the engine, her pulse quickened. This was who they had always been at their best. Spontaneous. Ravenous for each other. Neither one of them overthinking. Just wanting. Needing.
All of each other.
She scrambled over the console and straddled his hips, sealing her lips over his. Trent held her face, keeping her exactly where he wanted her. She loved the way he deepened the kiss, making her dizzy as he wound his fingers in her hair and angled her head, urging her mouth open wider as he kissed her more forcefully. Reese tore at his shirt, needing to see him, to feel his skin against hers. Their mouths parted just long enough for him to pull her sweater off and then tug his own over his head and toss it on the passenger seat.
He claimed her in another kiss that had her moaning with need as he unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. He groaned as he brushed his thumbs over the taut peaks, kissing her again, taking her higher, and higher still, as he fondled and teased her with his hands. And when he lowered his mouth to one peak and licked out over it, she gasped at the pleasure of having his hands and his mouth on her again. She felt feverish. Delirious.
And yet she couldn’t get enough. There was hardly any room to move in the cramped car, but he still managed to slide off her jeans and panties between kisses. One sweet kiss on the sensitive skin at her inner thigh. And then another on her kneecap. And then one at her ankle, before he kissed his way back up her naked skin. She’d never felt so adored, never relished her sensuality the way she did as he finally found her with his mouth. The warm slick of his tongue over her had her crying out and arching against him.
She hadn’t forgotten how good it was to be with him, but even in her memories it hadn’t been this good. Maybe, she thought with the few brain cells she had left, ten years of anticipation had heightened every nerve, every fiber of her being, readying her for his touch in the most incredible way.
So close. She was already so close. But the first time she went over the edge of bliss, she wanted Trent with her. Wanted to be able to feel his heart beating against hers and see his eyes go dark with pleasure.
Her fingers were already threaded through his hair, and now she tugged at him. “Please,” she begged. “I need you. Here. With me.” Thankfully, he didn’t need her to explain any further before he climbed back up her naked body and reclined the s
eat.
God, how she loved the weight of him, the way he gazed down at her like he wanted to climb beneath her skin. His hard length pressed against her belly, and she gripped his biceps as his mouth claimed hers again.
“Condom?” he asked hastily.
“I’m still on birth control. And it’s been ages since I’ve been with anyone,” she confessed.
“Me, too. And other than with you, I’ve always used protection.”
She didn’t have to think about it, didn’t need them to go into any more separate history. “Love me, Trent. That’s all I want. Just for you to love me.”
He gazed into her eyes, the air around them pulsing with need, their hearts beating frantically with anticipation. The edges of his beautiful mouth curved up as he whispered, “I always have, Dandelion.”
Her world stilled. She never imagined hearing him say that he loved her again…and she never dreamed he’d ever again use the nickname he’d given her the very first time they’d made love.
Dandelion.
Emotion and desire coalesced, and her desperate need to be close to him overwhelmed her ability to fully process the meaning of his confession.
He lowered his lips to hers and whispered, “You’re so beautiful. So soft. So perfect,” at the same blissful moment that he gripped her hips and sank into her.
“Trent.” He filled her so completely, and when their bodies began to move, there was no caution, no hesitation.
His scent was intoxication. His power, his passion, sent waves of ecstasy through her. She took him as aggressively as he took her, meeting each of his powerful thrusts with a lift of her hips. She clutched his biceps, his shoulders, his muscular back, touching everywhere and anywhere she could reach.
I’ve missed you so much, she thought. I dreamed of you so many nights, wishing you were with me.
As thrust after thrust took her higher, closer to the edge, her head tipped back and his mouth found her neck. Oh yes. He remembered exactly what she liked. He nibbled and sucked, driving her out of her mind. And when he slid a hand between them, teasing and taunting, she instantly shattered around him.