by Bella Andre
“I never thought I’d hear the words ‘sweet’ and ‘Chandler’ in the same sentence.”
“I knew he was a softie at heart.”
“Only you saw that, Reese. Only you.”
“There have been so many changes recently,” she mused. “First with Quinn. And then with us.”
“All good changes,” he said as he pulled her into his arms to kiss her again in front of the whole world. “Great changes.”
“I know one thing that’s still the same, though,” Reese said. “How great the fried calamari at Charley’s Pub is. Have you been there since you’ve been back?”
“Not yet.” Because it had reminded him too much of Reese. When they were first dating they’d gone to Charley’s Pub every week, sometimes alone and sometimes with Trent’s siblings or their friends. They’d often stayed for hours, talking and laughing. “We should go there for dinner.”
Charley’s was located on the corner of West and Main, beside Island View Pharmacy. Trent pulled open the heavy wooden door. “Mm,” they said in unison as the scent of seafood wafted toward them. They claimed the table in the corner that they used to call their own. Trent slid in beside Reese and draped an arm over her shoulder. She snuggled against him as the waitress took their orders.
Two televisions were mounted behind the bar, one set to ESPN, the other to CNN. A handful of guys sat at the bar drinking, but the pub wasn’t very busy otherwise. There were a few couples sitting in the tables around them, but sitting in the booth with Reese like they used to felt to Trent like they were all alone in their own little world.
“Does it feel like no time has passed?” Reese asked. “Or like we haven’t been here in forever?”
“So much of what we do feels familiar,” he told her. “But at the same time, it’s all brand-new. What about for you?”
“Being here throws me back to when we were first dating, but just like you said, it doesn’t feel the same as it did then. At nineteen, I had no idea I was so young. That we were both so young. I thought we had it all figured out, that nothing could stop us.” She looked pensive as she said, “I’ve been thinking a lot about things. About the past...and the future, too. The truth is that ten years ago neither of us really knew what we wanted out of life. The problem wasn’t just that we weren’t good communicators—it was that even if we had been, we didn’t know ourselves well enough yet back then to be able to honestly tell each other what we needed to be happy. But if we had met a few years later, once we were older and wiser...”
“No matter when we met, I would have fallen in love with you.” He kissed her before adding, “But what you’re saying makes a lot of sense. I loved you when you were nineteen, I love you now at twenty-nine, and I’ll still be loving you just as much at eighty-nine.”
She picked up her wineglass. “To new and old coming together.”
“And to building a love that will last.”
* * *
BY THE TIME Charley’s had their last call, they were both a little tipsy, and Reese was sure she looked like she was swooning over Trent as much as he looked like he was desperately in love with her.
She’d been giddy when he’d asked her to come to the dance at the resort. Dancing with Trent had always been one of her favorite things. Her whole life was brighter since he’d been back, and now she had even more wonderful things to look forward to.
Trent paid the bill and then they made their way down the sidewalk toward home. He shrugged off his sweater and turned her toward him as he helped her put it on.
“You’re cute when you’re tipsy.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
“You’re hot all the time.”
She went up on her toes and mashed her lips against his in a messy, needy kiss. His strong arms circled her, bringing their bodies flush against each other. He buried his hands in her hair, tilting her head, angling her just the way he liked, and she immediately surrendered to their passion. The kiss was warm and wonderful, sharing oxygen as he loved her mouth with all he had. Reese’s insides were humming with need, and every kiss, every urgent touch, brought her desire for him even closer to the surface.
A car drove around the corner, putting them momentarily in a spotlight, and they came away breathless. They hurried several blocks in the chilly evening air, until Trent pulled Reese into an alley between two shops, where it was pitch-dark and they were blocked from the bay breezes.
He pressed his body to hers as he kissed her again, his hands traveling up and down her hips as she rocked into him, feeling the strength of his arousal, the ache of his lust in every stroke of his tongue. She couldn’t resist palming him through his jeans. He moaned as he slid his lips to her neck, kissing and sucking as his hand slid between her legs.
“Reese,” he whispered against her lips. “You’ve turned me into a teenage boy. I want to take you right here, right now.”
“Take me,” she urged him. “Here. Now.”
He cupped her face between his hands and kissed her. It was a rough kiss. A kiss that matched the urgency rushing through her and drove her hand to the button of his jeans.
“Yes,” he said between kisses. “Now.”
She didn’t stop unbuttoning his pants as they stumbled deeper into the alley, away from the road. She managed to get his zipper down, pulling a groan from deep within his lungs. She could barely see in the dark alley, but she could feel his heart thundering in his chest and could feel each heavy breath against her cheeks, her lips, her neck, ratcheting up her fervor.
She tugged his pants down, and he lifted her up and claimed her mouth, groaning as he shoved her skirt up above her waist, lifted her legs to wrap around his hips, and shoved her panties to one side.
She sank down upon his hard shaft, both of them beyond words as the breath whooshed from their lungs and their bodies ground together.
His strong arms guided her up and down. She used his shoulders for balance, digging her nails into his muscles.
“Faster…harder…Trent…” She barely comprehended what she was saying as he took her up, up, up, and higher still. When he sealed his lips over the crest of her shoulder and bit down as he thrust into her, they both cried out, spiraling over the edge.
He silenced her passionate moans with kisses as they rode out their orgasms, thrusting and clawing for more. Finally, Trent backed them against the wall, holding her close, until their bodies began to calm.
“You’re shaking,” he said as he helped her straighten her clothes a short while later.
“Aftershocks.” She fisted her hands in his shirt to stabilize her shaky legs.
“Jesus, Reese. I didn’t mean to do that here,” he whispered. “When I’m with you, I forget everything except how much I have to have you.”
“I loved every single second of it,” she said as she went up on her toes and kissed him again. “And even though some things have changed between us, I’m glad we still need each other just as much as we always did.”
“More, Reese. I need you even more.”
He was right. Even their desire for each other was bigger now. Bigger and better than before. And maybe it was that knowledge that helped her cautious worries stay settled for the first time as they took yet another step toward their second chance at forever.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
THE NEXT FEW days flew by in a blur of laughter and loving. Morning, noon, and night, Reese tumbled faster and faster over the edge of lust and into a love that was deeper and truer than she’d ever known love could be.
By Friday afternoon she was so excited to dance with Trent that she could barely concentrate on the mural. She was debating walking down to Annabelle’s boutique to look for a new dress to wear, when she spotted a group of teenagers heading her way.
“That’s awesome,” said a guy who looked to be in his late teens, with long dark hair that hung over his eyes as he admired the mural.
“Thank you.” Reese smiled at them. The other guy wore his hair cropped short. Each of the two
girls with them had long hair, one blond, one brunette, both wearing cutoffs and sweaters.
Reese remembered how fun it had been to be so young and carefree. Then again, she was extremely pleased to realize that it was turning out to be even more fun—and much sexier—to be older and wiser and to have an even deeper connection.
“Did you paint this whole mural?” the slim blond girl asked.
“Yes, but it’s not finished,” Reese explained.
The short-haired guy studied the cottage she’d painted. “We’re art students at the Rhode Island School of Design. I don’t suppose you’d let us help?”
“We’re visiting my aunt, Kathleen Torrence,” the blonde with the high-tops said.
“I know your aunt. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Reese Nicholson.”
“I’m Stephanie, and this is Cory”—she pointed to the short-haired boy—“and Michael and Elise.”
How could Reese say no to such a group of eager faces?
“Well, it is a community project. Why not?” Actually, now that she thought about it, she really loved the idea of truly making this a community project and bringing their creativity to the mural. In fact, she decided not to show them the drawing. “What would you like to paint?”
“I’d love to paint a guy with a surfboard down here at the edge of the water.” Michael pointed to the far left of the mural.
“Can I paint a little boy playing with a ball over here?” Elise pointed to the grassy knoll between the cottages.
“Absolutely. Both of those ideas sound great.”
“Can Cory and I paint one of those planes pulling a banner?” Stephanie asked. “We could have the banner read ‘Welcome to Rockwell Island.’”
“I couldn’t have thought up a more perfect idea.”
As Reese handed them each brushes, Cory asked, “Do you mind if I play music? I like to listen while I paint. Classical’s my jam, if that’s okay with you.” When she told him it sounded great, he pulled speakers out of a backpack that Michael had set on the grass and connected them to his cell phone. Classical music filled the air around them.
“That’s an interesting choice for a guy your age,” Reese said as she picked up her brush and began painting again.
“His father’s a violinist,” Elise explained.
The kids energized the air around them. They laughed and joked and talked about how cool the island was. Every so often, Cory leaned down and kissed Elise, and every single time, she sighed with pleasure as if she couldn’t get enough of their kisses.
Isn’t it lovely, Reese thought, that at twenty-nine, I’m still doing that with Trent?
Stephanie swung her hips to the music even though there wasn’t a real dance beat. And when she caught Michael looking, she just laughed and rolled her eyes before turning her focus back to the mural.
A short while later, when Stephanie sat down beside her, Reese told the girl, “You’re really talented. Have you thought about what you’re going to do once you graduate?”
“I’ve spent each of the last few summers working to save money, and over my school breaks I also work full-time, so the first thing I’m going to do is backpack through Europe for a summer to see everything I can.” Stephanie’s big green eyes were wide with excitement and anticipation. “After that, I’m moving to Boston, where my parents live, and I’m hoping to find a job in graphic design.”
“Wow. You really have it all planned out.” When Reese had been her age, while she’d had lots of hopes and dreams, she’d had no concrete plans for achieving them until Trent had planted the seed of opening her own gallery.
“You kind of have to these days. There are so many college grads now without jobs. I’m planning to send out a bunch of applications a few weeks before I return from Europe. That way I can start interviewing right away. I had a paid internship last summer at a big firm that offered me a part-time job while I’m at school, but I want to focus on my grades.”
Just then Trent came around the corner, and Reese didn’t even try to control her urge to leap up into his arms. They’d taken so many wonderful steps toward building their new relationship that she was feeling more confident about it every day.
He kissed her dizzy in front of the teenagers before finally drawing back to ask, “Did you do some recruiting?”
It took her a few long seconds to get her synapses to fire properly again so that she could tell him, “They’re art students. Aren’t they doing a wonderful job?”
“Amazing. You’ve made this a real community project, Reese.” Trent smiled at the teens and offered his hand in greeting to the teenagers.
After they’d all introduced themselves, Trent said, “The resort is hosting a dance tonight with a great live band. Are you all going?”
Elise grabbed Cory’s shirt. “We should go!”
“Whatever you want.” He leaned down and kissed her again.
“Steph? Want to go?” Michael’s eyes were so full of hope that even Reese found herself hoping Stephanie would say yes.
Stephanie shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
The scene was so different from what she and Trent had been like when they were younger. She’d practically jumped up and down when he’d asked her out. Every. Single. Time.
Actually, she thought with a wide grin, she still did.
“It’s on the lower patio around eight,” Trent told the group before turning back to Reese and lowering his voice. “Do you want to listen to the music from our favorite overlook and have our own private dance?”
“I can’t think of anything more perfect.”
Besides us.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
TRENT HELD REESE’S hand as they made their way to what he’d always thought of as their spot, weaving through thick brush and trees and guided by the shimmering light of the moon slicing through the foliage.
“I always love how good it smells here, like pine trees and salty sea air,” Reese said as they neared the overlook where they’d first met and she loved to paint. Trent had set out a blanket, candles, and a basket of wine and cheese and crackers. Reese’s eyes widened with surprise as she stepped onto the blanket, looking radiant in her pretty blue dress, with a cardigan overtop and the moonlight at her back. Music played in the distance, providing a perfect hint of magic and romance.
“When did you do all of this?”
He bent to light the candles as he answered. “While you were working on the mural.” He rose and circled her waist with his arms, drawing her in close. “I wanted you all to myself tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I would always rather be with you than with a crowd of people.”
As they sat on the blanket and Trent poured them each a glass of wine, he said, “Remember how we used to talk about buying this property and building a house?”
“I always thought it would be the most amazing place for kids to play.”
“A few years ago, when I was home for the holidays, I came here and spent hours admiring the view of the bay and the lighthouse. And all the while, I thought of you, Reese.”
“I’m surprised I didn’t bump into you, since I was always doing the same thing and thinking of you. But wait, didn’t a corporation buy this spot two years ago?”
“Yes,” he said with a smile. “Trent Rockwell Enterprises bought it.”
She turned with a huge smile and surprise in her beautiful eyes. “You bought it? But you couldn’t have known we’d get back together. We were both fighting our feelings so hard back then. No one could have known.”
“No, I couldn’t have. But it was so special to us that I couldn’t let it go, either. I guess even though I tried to bury my love for you in order to get through every day and move forward, deep down I always knew that loving you was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Which was why he had one more surprise for Reese, waiting in a black velvet bag he’d slipped into his pocket earlier, in the hopes that tonight would be the perfect night to finally give it to her.
* * *
REESE’S HEART FELT like it was going to burst from her chest, not just because he’d bought one of their favorite spots on earth, but because of what he’d just said, which resonated so strongly with her that she could have said the exact same thing.
“That’s exactly what I feel like. Like I never let you go. You’ve always been right here with me. Because loving you is the best thing that ever happened to me, too.” She pressed her lips to his, and it took all her focus to pull back from their sweet kiss and say, “I have a confession to make. The other day, after I bumped into you at Shelley’s Café the first time, I came here. It was like I was driven here, totally inspired, of course, because you have always been my very best muse, one that I can’t ever escape. And I saw you running down the beach toward the stairs.”
“That was the first time I’d run that route since I returned to the island,” Trent admitted. “I felt driven by you, too.”
Never in her life had she felt like destiny was at work as strongly as she felt it right then. It was even stronger than when they’d first met, strong enough to bring them back together after they’d both rebuilt their lives and lived a lifetime in ten years without each other.
“I didn’t see you that morning, Reese. How did I miss you?”
“I left before you could see me, because from the second I touched you again, when you looked into my eyes that night in front of Shelley’s Café, all the walls I’d erected around my heart started crumbling.”
“For me, too.”
“It was unsettling, how quickly it happened. After we broke up, I always felt like I needed to be in control. For ten years, I’ve had a schedule that I’ve followed with work, teaching at Bay’s Edge, and seeing my parents. But then, in one collision of our bodies, one whisper of my name from your lips, the safe, comfortable world I’d created for myself shattered.”
His eyes turned serious. “Don’t you feel safe with me, Reese? I’ve tried not to move forward too fast again, because I didn’t want to scare you away, but it’s been hard, really hard, to hold anything back at all.”