The ensuing kiss was hot, passionate. Voracious came to Sophie’s mind. Trevor cupped her face in his hands, angling her head to further accept the sensual onslaught of his lips. His tongue plunged into her mouth, its silky texture a decadent pleasure. She stroked it with hers then boldly thrust her tongue inside his mouth.
Sophie had never guessed that mere kisses could be so arousing, so intimate. She reveled in it like a woman newly awakened to passion. And perhaps, in some ways, that was precisely what she was.
But when his mouth left hers, she whimpered with loss.
“Trevor,” she protested, wanting more, needing more.
“Sweetheart,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her neck, his tongue flicking out to taste her skin.
Her hands slid lower, pleasure exploding within her at the feel of his bare, heated skin. His tongue traced a path along the side of her neck, igniting fire in its wake. Her breath was coming in shallow gasps, desire for him melting her body, making her head spin like a whirling dervish. Up and down, up and down she ran her fingertips over his powerfully muscled back.
“You’re making me crazy, Sophie,” Trevor whispered into her ear, his hot breath making her shiver with anticipation.
A moan rose in her throat when his tongue made careful whorls over the shell of her ear. He pulled back, looking down at her unsmilingly, his eyes a deep shade of gold hazed with passion. His expression was almost grim.
“I don’t think this is a good idea, Sophie,” he murmured. “You’re not ready for this yet.”
The fire within her died abruptly, the effect the same as ice water. Trevor was right. They had only known each for one month and Peter and Elizabeth’s deaths were still painful scars on her heart. Starting her life anew didn’t mean she had to throw herself at another man. No matter how prepared she thought she’d been, becoming intimate with someone else still felt like a betrayal. It wasn’t like her to allow her baser needs to rule her mind and she was embarrassed to discover she likely would have made love with Trevor right there on the kitchen floor if he hadn’t stopped. She’d never felt anything quite like it before, the reckless, all-consuming passion she felt for Trevor. Not even with Peter.
Mixed emotions roiled through her. It wasn’t fair for her to jump headlong into emotional territory she wasn’t prepared for, not to her and not to him. She pulled away from him abruptly, feeling uncertain of the ground she had been treading. “You’re right. I guess I got caught up in the moment.”
Trevor’s hand on her elbow kept her from retreating entirely. He spun her back around to face him.
“What is it?” she asked, breathless. She was almost expecting him to pull her back into his arms and pick up where they had left off seconds ago.
Instead, he reached out with two fingers and scooped the forgotten glob of batter from her skin. “You forgot something,” he said with a wicked smile.
Her heart resumed its normal pace as she smiled. “I’ll take care of breakfast. You clean off the wall and cabinets.”
“Fair deal,” he agreed, an indecipherable emotion flickering in his eyes for a moment, then disappearing.
As Sophie turned to the task of cooking breakfast, she found herself puzzling over what it could have been.
Less than half an hour later, they were seated next to each another at the table in her kitchen, eating the cinnamon flapjacks she had prepared. Next to each another, not across from one another as they had been last night when she had laid out the plates. This morning, Trevor did the honors, purposefully keeping their plates side by side.
Sophie was uncomfortable.
She was acutely aware she was in her nightgown. Why had she ventured downstairs without proper clothing? And Trevor was only wearing those sexy boxer briefs of his, leaving most of his glorious body bare for her perusal. He was sitting so near to her the heat from his body warmed her. How could he be so darn warm when he was barely wearing any clothing? To top it all off, he was left-handed while she was right-handed, which meant that seated as they were, their elbows continuously rubbed together. The slight contact was driving her wild. Not to mention he smelled so good she wanted to lick him.
Of course, she couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss, either.
Sophie’s blood was simmering. No matter how ferociously she reminded herself it was totally wrong for her to have feelings for Trevor, to want him the way she did, Sophie was drawn to him and there was no denying it.
“You’re doing it again.” He interrupted her turmoil-laden introspection.
She blinked and turned her face toward him, meeting his gaze. “Doing what?”
“Brooding.” He skewered a bite of flapjack with his fork.
She had been brooding, she acknowledged with a frown, but that didn’t mean she had to admit it. Not aloud, anyway. “I was thinking about your pancake-batter antics. I can’t believe we actually had a food fight.”
The corners of his mouth kicked up in a sensual smile. “It was actually more of a brief skirmish.”
His eyes told her he was thinking of the way it had ended rather than the way it began. Heat rose in her cheeks, turning them pink.
If Trevor noticed her embarrassment, he ignored it. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had a food fight before.”
“Actually, I haven’t.” Her relationship with Peter hadn’t been teasing or playful. It hadn’t been fun the way being with Trevor was. Maybe there hadn’t been the time, she reflected, between working, paying the bills, and taking care of Elizabeth.
Trevor eyed her. “Let me guess. You’ve never called off sick from work just to go to the beach for the day to relax.”
Sophie shook her head. “No. Not that the library ordinarily has a high volume of patrons. If Elizabeth was sick, I would stay home with her. Even after Peter and Elizabeth died, I went in to work the next week. I think it actually saved my life in those first few weeks.” She stemmed the flow of her words when she realized she was rehashing days that were best left in the past.
But Trevor wasn’t looking at her with pity. Rather, there was a light of understanding in his gaze. She took comfort in it, in him.
He laid down his fork on his plate with a small clink, then turned in his chair to face her more fully.
“Let’s go somewhere tonight,” he said, his voice intense. “There’s a beautiful island off the coast of Maryland. My sister and I own a house there together. We’ll get an early start to the beach tomorrow, take a picnic lunch. It’s so early in the season the whole beach will practically be ours.”
It sounded like heaven. She visualized herself lying on a sandy white beach next to him, the sea breeze rustling her hair, the waves crashing rhythmically on the shore. Abruptly, Sophie forced herself to dispel the image. She had already spent far too much time with him. She couldn’t afford to allow things to go too far, to get too deep. Her heart just wasn’t prepared to heal itself and love again, or to hurt again.
“I have to work tomorrow,” she protested. “The library only gave me the last two weeks off.” And more if she needed it, but she didn’t have to tell Trevor that.
His long fingers toyed with the lace trim on the cuff of her sleeve. The tip of one of his fingers grazed her wrist. She jumped. This time, he ran his fingers over the back of her hand.
“Call off,” he said.
He made it sound so easy. Then again, life was easy for Trevor. He co-owned a prestigious New York art gallery and he played life by his own rules. He was reckless and carefree, two things she had never allowed herself to be.
But it was strange, what he did to her. He made her want to shed her old skin and leave all the pain behind her. He made her want to be as carefree and as hedonistic as he was. It was just so tempting. She had to force herself to resist him.
“The library needs me,” she protested. “We’re short a staff member right now because Tracey Ford is on maternity leave.” She kept her gaze carefully fixed on a random point over his shoulder. Refusing him was so much easier when
she didn’t have to look at him, didn’t have to see the heat in his eyes. “Besides,” she continued, undaunted by his silence, “I’m sure you should get back to the gallery. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your work—”
“Sophie,” he interrupted. The pad of his thumb pressed against her mouth, stilling the words she’d been about to utter.
“What?” She was unable to keep herself from looking at him any longer. Had she ever seen a man like him? So beautiful, yet so hard and masculine, so dark yet so full of tender concern. He was a study in opposites. Manly perfection brought to life.
“Stop thinking,” he told her, “and start feeling. Don’t box yourself in anymore.”
“I don’t box myself in.” She frowned at him.
He moved his thumb gently over the fullness of her lower lip. “Think about it, Sophie. You gave up your dreams of studying art to be with Peter. You stayed here, in this small town, forgetting about your passion. And now, even though years have passed, you’ve boxed yourself in all over again with your grief. Sweetheart, you barely let anyone in. Not even your family knows how desperate you were.”
Maybe he was right. Still, it felt odd to hear him say the words aloud, to analyze her thoughts, feelings, and actions as readily as though she were a painting on display. He stripped her bare, directly to the bone. No more pretenses. Trevor made her take a good, hard look at herself from the outside. At times, she was not at all certain she liked what she saw.
“It’s time to free yourself, Sophie.” He stopped his thumb at the corner of her lips and pulled it away. “Shake off the chains.”
“It’s not that easy. I’ve lived my life one way for thirty-two years and now here you are. It feels right, but it feels wrong. I don’t know who I am anymore. It’s like,” she paused as she considered it. “It’s like the old me died in that car accident and the new me woke up in the hospital.”
Trevor took both her hands in his, his gaze meeting hers. “I don’t know where you and I are headed, Sophie. I don’t know if this thing we have between us will last or fizzle. But I do know that you got a second chance at life the moment I pulled you from your car. For some reason, you and I came together and we’re good together, Sophie, you know we are. Stop holding back on me.”
“I—” She broke off, uncertain of what she’d been about to say. Say yes, a voice inside her urged. Go with him to Maryland.
“One day,” he murmured. “That’s all I ask.”
One day. He made it sound so simple, so innocent, so alluring. A day in paradise with Trevor all to herself. Of course, she should refuse him. There was no doubt about it.
“Oh, to hell with it. When do I do what I should do anymore?”
Trevor looked confused by her roundabout acceptance. “Is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes,” she confirmed, feeling exhilarated yet frightened at the same time. “It’s definitely a yes.”
The sun was beginning to set by the time Trevor and Sophie reached Winstead Island. It looked like a glowing ball of fire on the ocean, lighting the sky with various hues of pink and red.
“It’s beautiful here.” Sophie craned her neck to look out the window of the Audi at the scenery rolling by.
“It’s paradise,” Trevor agreed, flicking her a casual glance.
Warmth pervaded her body as his eyes briefly met hers. There was something in his gaze, some indefinable emotion, that was powerful, that did things to her senses. Crazy things.
Like picturing herself making love with him.
Feeling half horrified at herself and half confused, she tore her eyes from Trevor and looked back out the window. Take in the scenery, she advised herself.
The road they traveled was a narrow band of asphalt with a barely discernable double yellow line running down its middle. A lone car passed them here and there, but Sophie was still assailed by the feeling that she and Trevor were totally alone. The outermost limits of the island, the section through which they now drove, was inhabited only by wildlife. Pale white sand dotted with lush vegetation made for a strikingly simple but beautiful landscape.
She jumped when Trevor’s fingers laced through her left hand. When her gaze flew to him, he sent her a heart-stopping smile.
“Relax, sweetheart,” he murmured. “This trip is for you. It’s only what you want it to be.”
He was so understanding, so knowing, so good for her that looking at him just now made Sophie’s heart ache. She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze of gratitude.
Before she could manage a reply, he slowed the car. “Look. A doe and her two fawns.”
Sophie followed his gaze to a patch of tall grass off to the side of the road where a mother deer and her babies nibbled their dinners. The two fawns were adorable with gangly legs, long noses, and white spots dotting their brown fur. They made a charming picture and Sophie found herself itching to capture the image on canvas.
“It would be wonderful to paint here,” she said without thought.
Trevor threw a surprised look at her. “Any time you want to come here, the house is yours to use.”
But would he be there too? She noticed he had failed to mention himself. Not that it should matter to her. He had a busy life in New York. She could hardly expect him to be at her disposal whenever the mood struck her to have him on hand. Besides, she had no claim on him. He could be dating other women back in the city, for heaven’s sake.
It stopped her cold. Why had she never thought to ask him such a thing before now? A man like Trevor was bound to have any number of women dangling after him. And now she made yet another. She bit her lip, trying to control the feelings surging through her, unwanted feelings of jealousy, possessiveness.
“What is it?” He immediately picked up on her discomfort.
She began to speak, then faltered. Was there a right way to go about it, she wondered fleetingly. No, best to just blurt it out. “Are you seeing someone, Trevor?”
He shot her a look. “You, I think.” He was silent for a moment, then spoke again. “There was someone, actually, when I first I met you, but she and I aren’t together anymore.”
Sophie wasn’t quite certain how to digest that bit of information. Was she the reason Trevor had broken things off with the other woman? Or was she merely hoping that was the case? A slight twinge of guilt pierced her.
“Was it serious?” She was unable to tamp down her curiosity.
“No, sweetheart. I don’t think you could say it was.”
“Oh,” she said, uncertain of what else she could offer, unsure of what his response meant.
She turned her attention back to the road before them as the trees and shrubs gave way to a charming little town on the interior of the island. The homes were adorable and the whole place was nothing short of picturesque. Boardwalks lined the shops and homes. She noted a bed-and-breakfast, a café with wrought iron tables dotting its deck, and several shops.
“What do you think?”
“I love it,” she told him truthfully. “It’s picture perfect.”
Trevor smiled as though pleased by her praise. “The house Danielle and I share is up ahead on the right, number 24.”
As they neared the house, Sophie took it in. It was small and charming with yellow siding and green shutters. Some flowering shrubs dotted either side of the wooden walkway that led to the front door. Sophie liked it instantly.
“Oh hell,” Trevor muttered. “What are they doing here?”
Belatedly, Sophie took note of the champagne-colored crossover parked in the driveway.
“Your sister and her family?” She already knew the answer.
He pulled into the driveway and parked behind the crossover, turning to face her. “I’m sorry. I meant for it to just be the two of us. If you want to leave, I understand.”
“Not at all,” she assured him. “I’d love to meet your sister and her family. Unless you don’t want me to meet them?”
She let the words hang between them, uncertain of herself. Of him. Of
whatever it was between them.
“No, of course not.” He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. His gaze searched hers. “You’ll love Danielle and the kids and they’ll love you. It’s just that, well, I wasn’t expecting to have to share you. Or to have to exercise restraint.”
Sophie swallowed. The look in his eyes made it clear exactly what he meant when he talked about restraint. She told herself she was relieved his romantic plans had been thwarted. The only problem was that she couldn’t muster up even a shred of relief. Instead, all she felt was acute disappointment.
“Trevor,” she began, then stopped as her attention swerved to a flurry of movement approaching the car.
“Uncle Trevor!” Excited shouts pierced the silence that had fallen between them. Trevor gave her a wry grin and got out of the car. He was immediately bombarded by enthusiastic hugs.
Sophie too emerged, watching as Trevor’s niece and nephew basked in his attention. She well knew the feeling. When those eyes settled on her, she felt as if she had the moon and the stars in her pocket.
She was so caught up in watching Trevor with the kids she failed to notice the woman who approached her until there was a hand on her arm. Sophie turned to find a striking woman with the same black hair and golden eyes as Trevor. She bore such a strong resemblance to him there was no doubt in Sophie’s mind she was his sister.
She flashed Sophie a warm smile and held out her hand for Sophie to shake.
“Hi. I’m Trevor’s sister, Danielle,” she introduced herself, seeming not at all put out to find her brother with a stranger in tow showing up in the midst of her vacation.
“I’m Sophie,” she returned, saved from feeling awkward by the sincere kindness and warmth written all over Danielle’s pretty face. Despite that, she still felt the need to explain herself. “I apologize for surprising you like this.”
Danielle waved away Sophie’s concerns. “No need to apologize. Trev and I both come down here whenever we feel like it. Sometimes we plan to meet, other times it’s serendipity.”
Reprieve (Love's Second Chance Book 1) Page 10