Dare to Love: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 4)

by Delaney Cameron

  “How can I forget? Every time he did it, you made a funny face behind his back. I had the hardest time not laughing.”

  “I wanted to be alone with you, not talk to him.”

  “We were alone after dinner when you pretended to get lost in the woods.”

  “I wasn’t about to drive all the way back to campus without a kiss.”

  Sabrina smiled softly. “Everything about that night was magical.”

  At least he’d done a few things right. “So I didn’t entirely ruin your memory of your parents’ honeymoon spot.”

  “No, you didn’t.” She played with her fork, not looking at him. “I haven’t been back in that area since I graduated.”

  “It hasn’t changed much. I bought a cabin outside Hiawassee a few years ago. I don’t go there very often, though. Landris and Taryn use it more than I do.”

  “Why is that?”

  “There doesn’t seem to be enough time.”

  “You really are a workaholic.”

  He shrugged. “I’m a single guy. What else is there to do but work?”

  “So I can get rid of that picture in my head of you taking a different girl to your cabin every weekend?”

  He reached across the six inches of tablecloth that separated them and dropped his hand over hers. “I’ve only taken one person and it was Kiley, the woman you saw me with at the restaurant. Even then, it wasn’t a romantic getaway. We went there after my sister’s wedding, and we weren’t alone. My brother, his wife and my niece were there, too.” He hesitated a few seconds. “If we went to the lodge, we could easily stop by the cabin, too. I’d like you to see it.”

  “Going back to the lodge feels like we’re trying to recreate the past. We might not like what we find.”

  Trent linked his fingers through hers. “Then again, it could be a way for us to replace bad memories with good ones.”

  “Kind of like a catharsis?” she asked, smiling a little.

  “I love it when you use big words.”

  “Is that because it’s such an unheard of thing in the women you normally date?”

  Trent’s lips twitched. “Do you really want to go there?”

  “Actually, I don’t. I definitely shouldn’t be throwing stones at you, not when my dating situation is so pathetic that my sister and her boyfriend feel compelled to find guys for me.”

  “What didn’t you like about Chris, if you don’t mind me asking? He seemed like a nice enough guy.”

  Sabrina laughed as she stood up and started clearing the table. “He couldn’t keep his hands to himself.”

  Trent came to stand beside her, wishing he hadn’t asked. “In the restaurant? With your sister sitting there?”

  “No, in the theater with my sister sitting there. We went to see a movie afterward. I don’t think a half hour conversation is a long enough acquaintance to touch a woman’s thigh, especially when she’s wearing a skirt.”

  It’s a good thing he hadn’t seen him do it. He wanted to be the only man to ever touch her again. “Even I had sense enough to wait a couple weeks, and I came away with two sprained fingers. What did you do to him?”

  “Go sit down and let me take care of the dishes.”

  “Not until you tell me what you did to Chris.”

  “What makes you think I did anything?” she asked, opening the dishwasher.

  “Because I know you, that’s why.”

  “You’re right. I kicked his shin with my spiked heels. After the third time, he stopped.”

  “That’s my girl,” he said, sweeping her hair aside and kissing the nape of her neck. “Mmm. You smell like strawberries.”

  “It’s actually jasmine.”

  “Whatever is it, don’t stop wearing it,” Trent told her as he trailed a line of light kisses to her ear. He felt her instinctive move toward him and slid his arms around her waist, closing the rest of the distance between them. She lifted her hand and lightly touched his face.

  “I’ve got Oreo ice cream in the freezer,” she said.

  The ice cream could wait. “Later,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her into the living room.

  * * * * *

  Sabrina’s guilt over leaving the dishes half done quickly faded as Trent bypassed the couch and went straight to the chair, drawing her on his lap and into his arms. His lips teased hers with kisses that were as gentle as they were exciting. Tingles of pleasure danced down her spine. She shivered, and he raised his head to look at her.

  “You cut your hair,” he said, surprising her.

  “Only a few inches. How could you tell?”

  He twirled a strand of it around his finger. “Because of how far down your back it is. When I saw you on Friday, it was here.” He touched a spot near the base of her spine. “Two days later, it’s here.” He slid his finger up several inches.

  “That’s scary and flattering at the same time.”

  “Why scary?”

  She shrugged. “That you would notice something like that.”

  “I don’t notice this kind of stuff with other people; just you.”

  While she digested this, he caught her hand and brought her fingers to his lips, kissing them one by one. Sabrina’s heart began pounding like a wild thing in her chest.

  “How was your niece’s birthday party?” she asked, her tenuous hold on any kind of intelligent conversation quickly fading.

  “Noisy,” he said against her fingers. “Just what you’d expect from a houseful of kids and adults. Olivia had a great time.” He released her fingers and ran his hand slowly up her arm to her neck. “My family is very anxious to meet you.” His fingers began to caress the side of her face. “Is there anything else you want to know?” he asked in a low voice.

  She shook her head. “I think that covers it.”

  “Good,” he said, lowering his head to nuzzle her neck with playful kisses.

  Sabrina reminded herself to breathe. He smelled so good; he felt so good. Trent brushed her hair back and placed soft kisses on her shoulder. Tendrils of warmth swirled in her stomach and spread slowly to the rest of her body. For a large man, his touch was surprisingly gentle, and unlike other men she’d dated, Trent was never in a hurry. He didn’t overwhelm her, but instead took his time, as if he wanted to savor every moment.

  Her fingers slid up his chest to play with the collar of his shirt. Again, he lifted his head to look at her. She searched his face, so handsome and sincere, her hands slowly moving to rest on his broad shoulders, so much wider than her own, and then to the swell of muscles in his arms.

  A smile touched his lips and a warm light darkened his eyes. He feathered kisses over each eye and cheek, sending a glow right into her heart. Then his lips moved to cover hers, and she ceased to think altogether. When he would have drawn away, she leaned into him, her fingers sliding around his neck and into his hair. Trent responded by deepening the kiss, stealing her breath along with her senses.

  When at last he broke away from her, his breathing was as uneven as her own. A furtive grin pulled at his mouth. “We should probably have that ice cream now.”

  A few minutes later, she was watching him drizzle way too much chocolate syrup on a mammoth bowl of Oreo ice cream.

  “How’s your table project going?” he asked, capping the syrup and putting it back in the refrigerator.

  “It’s almost finished. I’m trying to decide whether to apply another coat of sealer.”

  “Can I see it?”

  “If you want to. It’s out in the garage.”

  He picked up his bowl. “Lead the way.”

  Sabrina took him through the door off the kitchen and down the short flight of steps. She saw his eyes widen in surprise.

  “Wow, I’m seriously impressed right now,” he told her, walking around the table, shaking his head in what she assumed was disbelief. “I was so proud of myself for turning an eight-inch block of wood into a somewhat recognizable derby car. But this…this is incredible. I can’t imagine the hou
rs you’ve put into this thing.”

  She grabbed a rag and wiped away some surface dust. “It’s taken a lot longer than I thought it would.”

  “They don’t make solid wood furniture like this anymore. How old is it?”

  “Early 1900s. It belonged to my great grandparents.”

  “Where are you going to put it?”

  “I’m not sure. It won’t fit in my little kitchen. I’ll probably give it to Madeline and James as a wedding present.”

  He looked up quickly. “I didn’t know they were engaged.”

  “They’re not, but it’s only a matter of time.”

  He bent down to examine the legs which happened to be the most challenging part of the refinishing job. “Will you stay here after she marries?”

  “Probably not. I wouldn’t need something this big for just me. It also depends on my job situation. I can’t do temp work forever.”

  “We’ll have to find you something permanent.”

  “We’ll have to? Do you know someone who needs a graphic artist?”

  “No, but I’ve got lots of clients who know all sorts of people. It’s just a matter of networking with the right ones. We’ve got time. Debby’s not coming back until after the new year.”

  “I like your confidence. I’ve been looking for months and can’t find anything. Then again, I don’t have your contacts in the business world.”

  “You didn’t before. You do now. If all else fails, we’ll start our own graphic design business. There’s plenty of space in our building, and it would have the added advantage of keeping you in Alpharetta.”

  “Is that important? That I stay in Alpharetta?”

  He walked over to where she stood by the door. “It’s more than important, Sabrina. Anything else is simply unacceptable.”

  “Why?”

  “Because of what’s happening between us.” Trent cupped her chin in his hand. “I already wasted one chance with you. I’m not going to do it a second time.” Then his head blocked out the overhead light as his lips skimmed softly and caressingly across hers.

  Sabrina thought about those words long after she should have been asleep. She’d believed him so easily before and lived to regret it. She wanted to believe him now. Was she ready to risk her heart again?

  * * * * *

  Trent took the coat folded over Sabrina’s arm and held it out. “Here, put this on. It’s much colder now than it was when we went in.”

  “It’s supposed to get down in the forties tonight,” she said, sliding her arms into the sleeves.

  He drew the jacket over her shoulders and took the opportunity of their closeness to kiss her cheek, still warm from their time in the restaurant. “Feel like a walk before we go home?”

  Sabrina slid her hands into the deep pockets. “I’d love to. We can look at the Christmas lights. All the shops should be decorated by now.”

  Trent hooked his arm through hers. “My mom is a Christmas decoration fanatic. She doesn’t just put up one tree. She has three: two downstairs and one upstairs, each in a different theme and perfectly coordinated. There’s not a room in the house that doesn’t have something relating to Christmas in it; even the bathroom has Santa Claus rugs and towels.”

  “It sounds wonderful. I love Christmas.”

  He turned to look at her. “That doesn’t surprise me at all. What’s your favorite part?”

  “Hmm. That’s a hard to say. I love everything about it, but I guess my favorite part is the tree: picking it out, taking it home, and then decorating it.”

  “So you’re a live tree person, huh? I’ve never had one.”

  She actually stopped walking. “You’ve never had a live tree? What planet do you come from? Christmas isn’t Christmas without a live tree.”

  “My mother would disagree.”

  They resumed walking, but he could tell his companion was still deep in thought.

  “There’s something about a real tree,” she went on. “I love the smell that it brings into the house. Each one is different with its own characteristics and personality, from the shape of the branches to the texture of the needles.”

  “That’s the artist coming out in you. For us more prosaic, unimaginative beings, a tree is just a tree.”

  “There was this Christmas tree farm near Canton we went to every year. As far as you looked in any direction, there were rows and rows of trees. It was like being in Christmas tree heaven. We would search for hours until we found the one meant for us.”

  “How did you know when you found it?” he asked, his eyes watching her closely.

  She stopped in front of a used bookstore, its large window lit with colorful lights. Inside, a display table held a dozen miniature elves holding equally tiny books.

  “We just knew,” she said quietly. “Do you mind if we go in here?”

  “Not at all.” He reached around her to open the door and then followed behind as she worked her way through the maze of aisles to the non-fiction section.

  “I’m looking for an old Betty Crocker cookbook,” she told him, bending down to look at a row of books on the bottom shelf. “It’s been out of print for years. I want to get one for Madeline for Christmas.”

  “Have you tried ebay or Amazon?”

  “No, but I might have to if I don’t run across it soon.”

  “Speaking of Christmas, I’ve been invited to a party. I actually forgot about it until yesterday evening when Bradley called to remind me. It’s this Saturday. I know this is very late notice, but would you be free to go with me?”

  She stood up again, her brow furrowed with what he supposed to be frustration at not finding the cookbook. “Where, what time, and dress code?”

  “Covington, seven, and I’m pretty sure semi-casual.”

  “Do we need to bring anything?”

  “It’ll be catered. It takes about an hour to get there. We’d have to leave around five-thirty to allow for traffic.”

  “That’s fine.” She touched his arm. “We can go now. They don’t have the cookbook.”

  Later in the car on the drive back to her house, he said, “I have to leave early in the morning. I won’t get back until Wednesday evening. Can I see you then or do I have to wait until Thursday morning at work? I’ll go ahead and warn you that wherever our reunion takes place, it will be obvious that I’m glad to see you. I doubt Paige and Jared will mind, but my exuberance will probably exceed your tolerance for public displays of affection.”

  “Then you better come over on Wednesday night.”

  “How late is too late?”

  “Up until I go to bed which is eleven.”

  “Maybe I’ll come closer to eleven so I can catch you in that nightgown again.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that nightgown.” She reached over and pinched his thigh. It wasn’t a love pinch either.

  “Ouch! What was that for? I like the nightgown. It made you look, I don’t know, kind of sexy and cozy at the same time.”

  “There’s nothing sexy about it, Trent. It covers me from neck to ankles, which is what I need in the winter.”

  He laughed as he pulled into her driveway. “A woman doesn’t have to show everything to be sexy.” He leaned across the console and ran his fingers through her hair. “For me, it’s a woman’s smile, and yours does it for me.”

  “You say the most charming and romantic things. Is it any wonder that I can’t say no to you?”

  “Do you want to say no to me?”

  Instead of answering, she put her hands on either side of his face and pressed her mouth, sweet as honey, against his. An electric shockwave radiated from her lips through his entire body. Someone made a sound, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t her. When she drew away, he wanted to pull her back and finish what she started, but although his body was clamoring for more, what little self-control he had kicked in. This was the first time she’d initiated physical contact with him. He didn’t want to do anything that would make her hesitant to do it again. />
  He cupped her chin and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’,” he said quietly and then turned to open his door.

  * * * * *

  Every time Sabrina thought about that kiss in Trent’s car, she went hot and cold. In all of her twenty-six years, she’d never made the first move with a man. She still couldn’t believe she’d done it, and from the look on his face, Trent had been equally as stunned. It had been a purely involuntary response; her heart hadn’t given her mind a chance to give an opinion.

  Once he’d recovered, Trent seemed to like it. He’d given her a look of such warmth, such affection, and - dare she even think it - love, that it was all she could do not to blurt out the three words she’d vowed never to say to him again.

  The tooting of a horn told her she couldn’t think about this right now. She turned into the parking lot, her eyes noting the empty space where a silver BMW usually sat. Trent had told her that this was his last business trip until after the holidays. Such news had made her happy. Things were fast reaching the point where she didn’t want to go a day without seeing him.

  She stuck her head in Jared’s office on her way to her own. “Hey, there.”

  He looked up and smiled. “Hey, yourself.” Then he pointed to the bag on the corner of his desk. “Someone left that for you.”

  Her eyes widened. “Who was it?”

  Jared laughed. “You know who. I’ll have some letters to go out later, but for now, go enjoy whatever was so important that he almost missed his flight.”

  “What was he thinking?”

  “We both know the answer to that.”

  Sabrina’s cheeks turned crimson. This was the first time Jared had made any direct reference to her and Trent. It appeared all their efforts to appear detached at the office hadn’t fooled anyone. She reached for the bag. “Let me know when you’re ready to do the letters.”

  Once in her office, Sabrina only waited long enough to put away her purse before she was opening the bag. Inside was a Little Debbie cake, the same kind she’d been addicted to in college. When she removed it, something was stuck to the bottom. It was a yellow sticky note on which were the words: You’re the only girl I ever called baby cakes.