“This looks great. Let’s go.”
My insides jump with excitement as we interlace our fingers and head toward the first vendor.
From that moment on, we taste as much as we can, whether it’s food or wine. Everything seems to melt in my mouth and is delicious. The wine is the same. Some are fruity, while others are rustic. The street artists vary from painters, musicians, and even street performers. Each is unique and awe-inspiring. We continue to walk until the sun begins to set, and Trent leads us back to my car. Before I can start it up, Trent gently grasps my chin and pulls my lips to his.
“It's been a long time since I had that much fun. Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” My heart races a bit at seeing his deep eyes looking back at me. “Would you like to come back to my place and have some coffee?” I ask before I even realize I’d been thinking about it.
Treat opens his mouth, and I’m sure he’s going to decline. “Let’s go.”
***
I CAN’T REMEMBER feeling more like a teenager during my adult life than I do now. Scarlett and I have been kissing like horny, sex-starved teenagers for God knows how long since we returned from our date. It was a fantastic date, but the kissing may be my favorite part of the night.
Scarlett gently pushes on my heaving chest. She’s exerting the same amount of effort to breathe as I am. She looks beautiful, more than ever, and it’s probably because she looks like she’s been thoroughly kissed. Her hair is a bit out of place where I’ve been running my hands through it, and her lips are perfectly swollen.
“Trent,” she says softly. “What are we doing?”
I tilt my head in confusion. “What do you mean exactly?”
“What are we?” She takes a deep breath. “I just want to know what we are, what this means. Are we dating? Are we friends? I want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
I cup her face for a moment before letting my fingers dive into her hair. “What do you want?” She’s right. We need to be on the same page, but I’d like to know which one she is standing on first.
“I want to date you,” she breathes.
The only thing that happens is I feel happy. Honestly, I was wondering and half expecting to feel more doubt, more negativity, but I don’t. Maybe I’m ready to date someone, to date Scarlett. I know Deborah would want me to be happy. Lately, Scarlett is the person who makes me happy.
She already knows my history. She doesn’t have any aversion to kids. She doesn’t give a lick about my job. She thinks about the possible consequences for her actions and how it’ll affect not only her, but Kaelyn and me too. She’s a damn good catch.
“Then let’s date.”
“What about Kaelyn?” See? She’s amazing.
“I think I should wait until things are more serious before I let her get too attached, okay? She already likes you, but,” I pause, trying to figure out a nice way to say it.
“You don’t want her to get used to having me around if I won’t always be there,” Scarlett finishes. “I understand that, and I agree with you, Trent.” She runs her hands up my chest before resting them on my shoulders. “So, we’ll date, see how it goes, and maybe I’ll eventually meet Kaelyn officially?”
I nod. “Sounds about right.”
Scarlett smiles and pulls me in for more kissing. Who knows if things will actually work out between us? I think it’s worth trying and finding out. I’m ready to do that. You can’t predict the future, and the only thing I can be certain of is that it’ll always be Kaelyn and me. There could another person joining our little family, but if not, we’ll be just fine.
We’ll have our hard days, of that I have no doubt, but we’ll have each other. And right now, I have Scarlett too. That’s plenty.
“I can’t wait to see where this goes,” I murmur between kisses along her neck.
“Me too, Trent. Keep kissing me though.”
I laugh, moving my lips back to hers. I have a feeling things will turn out spectacularly between us.
Jordan will release April 25, 2016 and is now available for pre-order.
***
About the Authors
LINDSAY PAIGE is a romance author from North Carolina who has published YA, NA, and Sports romances of her own. She is a huge hockey fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and loves read. When not writing, Lindsay is focused on completing college.
MARY SMITH was born in Chicago, Illinois, but currently lives in West Virginia. She is an avid reader, co-founder of Book Nerds Across America, and author of NA, Paranormal, Sports, and other romances. She goes nowhere without her cell phone or Kindle. Mary loves anything to do with Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Sharp, and hockey related!!
DESPITE THEIR LOVE for different teams and players, Lindsay and Mary write sports romances to vicariously live through their characters and their experiences with these hot athletes. Together, they have written The Penalty Kill trilogy, Oh Captain, My Captain series, and The Ninth Inning series.
Authors Links:
Facebook
Lindsay: facebook.com/authorlindsaypaige
Mary: facebook.com/authormarysmith
Twitter
Lindsay: twitter.com/lindsaypaige11
Mary: twitter.com/marysmith1980
Blog
Lindsay: authorlindsaypaige.blogspot.com/
Mary: authormarysmith.blogspot.com/
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Trent Page 18