Finding Serenity (The Unexpected Love Series Book 2)

by Black, T. E.

  "Trent, what are you doing?" I murmur.

  He pulls away, taking one of my hands in his, and tugs me into the shop. The moment the door shuts behind us, he has my back pinned against it. His eyes burn a shade of breathtaking blue, and I barely hear the door locking behind us. All I can think is thank the heavens the windows are tinted from the outside.

  "I'm doing what I've been dying to do since I felt your sweet little pussy squeeze around me six months ago." He fans kisses along my jawline.

  I moan at the memory, running my hands over the muscles under his T-shirt. His abs contract with my touch and his erection presses against me through his jeans. He leans his head down, capturing my mouth with his own, and our kiss becomes frantic with need. I kiss him back. Oh God, do I kiss him back. I take out every ounce of anger I've ever had for him on his mouth. I swear I ravage him. I bite his lip so hard I can taste the copper sting of blood, but it doesn’t stop me. I'm a woman on a mission. For all of those times I thought about punching him in the face for his rude comments or vulgar remarks, I use the hate to fuck his mouth.

  His hands slide down to my ass, squeezing it and picking me up without strain. My legs wrap around his waist without a second thought, and I make sure my heels dig into his lower back. He moves us over to the counter, his mouth never leaving mine. He rubs small circles over my clit, through my jeans, and I'm grateful. His kiss sucks in my moans; all the while, my hands find their way down to his erection between us. We’re both a mess of sweat, anger, and desire. It's the hottest combination of feelings I've ever encountered. I’ve never felt raw with someone—until Trent Wallace.

  "What the fuck?" I hear being yelled from the doorway.

  Trent and I fly apart, both of our heads swinging toward the sound, and there stands Gunner with a look of pure confusion splayed across his face.

  "What the fuck?" he repeats again, bringing his closed fists to his eyes and rubbing them roughly.

  He opens them again to look at us, his expression even worse than when he walked in. He looks like he's hallucinating. No one says a word. The only thing filling my ears is Trent’s and my heavy breathing.

  Trent lets out a protective growl, directing it at Gunner.

  "Aren't ya supposed to be fucking off today, man?"

  I take the time they spend staring each other down to right my clothing, which has been roughed up from Trent's violent touches. I hop off the counter, storming past the two men who are having a pissing match and outside where I can get some fresh air.

  I make a dash for my car, slumping against the side of it. I replay the moments before Gunner showed up in my head. Trent’s hands on me. Our mouths intertwining. A throbbing between my legs. The fact that if Gunner hadn't walked in, I would’ve let him fuck me. Fuck!

  I check my jeans hoping I had enough common sense to stick my keys in my pocket, and for once in my life, something goes right. I pat my front pocket and feel the outline of my car key sitting safely inside. That alone makes the decision for me to get the hell out of here. I fish them out and hit the unlock button when I hear Trent before I even see him barreling toward me.

  "Shay! Wait up! Please!" he shouts, closing the distance between us.

  I feel bad because all I keep thinking is get in my car and drive as far away from him as I can. I don't get the chance, though. With a blink of the eye, he's standing in front of me with his hands stuffed into the front pockets of his jeans.

  "Shay. Please. I'm fucking sorry. Don't run out on me. Let me talk to ya!" Hearing him plead causes my heart to skip beats.

  I look down at the pavement feeling shame. I'm not this type of woman. I have a daughter, for crying out loud. She comes first, always. I have to think about her and her feelings. She wouldn't understand if her mom was suddenly hanging out with guys. It would confuse the hell out of her.

  "Trent, I'm not running. I'm leaving work early because I can't be around any of this right now. If you make me use one of my sick days, I will. I just need to clear my head."

  I keep eye contact a distant memory. His finger grazes my chin, placing it between his forefinger and thumb while he lifts it up until our eyes meet.

  My breath hitches at the adoration staring back at me. I haven’t seen him look at me like this in a long time, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. It reminds me of the man he can be. Everyone sees a hard exterior at a glance, but what they don’t see is Trent’s heart. I know it’s there. He may choose to hide it, but I see it every time he looks at me the way he is now. His kind heart is the reason my walls must stand firm.

  "Let me take ya out tonight."

  I feel like I have whiplash right now. Take me out? Is that what he just asked? Does he want to take me out? On a date? I think he might have fucking brain damage from the way I was pulling on his hair.

  "You … what?" I stutter.

  He smiles, but it's not the cocky grin I'm used to seeing. No, this smile is genuine, and it scares the living shit out of me.

  "I said let me take ya out. Like on a date."

  I stare at him in awe but not by choice. I blame the shock for my twinkling eyes. I feel like, at any moment, Ashton Kutcher is going to hop out of the bushes and yell, "You've been punked!" but he never comes. All I'm left with is an entirely new Trent waiting for my answer with the utmost patience.

  "I can't, Trent.”

  His face falls, and I jump to state my reasons.

  "I promised Abby I'd take her to the zoo. I was leaving work early anyway. Maybe another time." I half promise as I remove my chin from his grip.

  He’s disappointed. He takes a step away, putting his hands back in his pockets.

  "Uh, yeah … maybe another time. Don't worry about the sick time. I'll take care of it."

  I reach out for his arm to apologize, but he spins around and heads back inside before I even get the chance to say I’m sorry.

  “WHY DID YA turn him down?" Ryleigh questions as she sips her drink.

  I forgot about lunch with the girls today with the commotion surrounding me earlier, but it was almost a godsend when Callie called me to tell me where we were meeting. And to be honest, I need this time with my girls to figure my shit out.

  "I don't know Ry. I just … he just … we're not right for each other. He's a whore, and I'm a mom, for Christ's sake!" I squeak out.

  Sierra chimes in from across the table, her hands splayed across her baby bump. She's due in three months, and I can't wait to see their little boy. Sierra is naming him Aiden Michael. How freaking cute is that? I can only imagine him when he's old enough to walk. Evan will be putting Chucks on his feet, and Sierra will be trying to dress him in Ralph Lauren from the baby store. It's going to be fucking hilarious.

  "You know, Trent isn't a bad guy, Shay. He may be a whore, but you're woman enough to make him a one-woman man. Callie can give you pointers since she has Mac wrapped around her diamond-encased finger." She giggles.

  Callie holds up her hand and shows off her beautiful engagement ring for us all to see. And believe me, I've seen it five hundred times already. It’s beautiful. Mac can ring shop.

  "Shay doesn't need pointers, Sierra. She knows what she's doing. Trent hating her for the past six months is a façade. He's been in love with her since he first saw her. Who wouldn't be? Look at her!" Callie exclaims.

  I roll my eyes as I take another sip of my virgin daiquiri.

  "You guys do know I'm right here? You don't have to talk about me in the third person. Believe me, Trent hates me just as much as I hate him. I promise there’s no secret love affair going on behind your backs."

  Ryleigh cocks her eyebrow before the entire group, except me, bursts out laughing at my denial.

  “Right,” they all catcall.

  "So where are you going today that is more important than banging the hell out of Trent?" Sierra asks.

  "I promised Abby I'd take her to the zoo today after school. They have an Outback Trail, and she's going to freak when she finds out they have kangaroo
s. It's an early birthday present," I tell them all.

  "Aww! That's really sweet! You should have her birthday party there! She'd go crazy!" Callie declares.

  I let out a long sigh, swirling the straw around in my drink. If I could afford to have Abby's party there, I would. Believe me. It would be the highlight of her childhood. Hands down.

  "I can't afford it right now," I admit.

  Everyone at the table stops talking, and I feel sorry for being the Debby Downer I am. After another ten minutes of gossiping together, we separate and go our own ways.

  WE WALK INTO the New England Zoo and Abby runs around like a nut. Her eyes widen like saucers, and the smile on her face is permanent. I couldn't wipe it away if I tried. We stand at the butterfly exhibit, and I know we’re getting closer to the kangaroos I've yet to tell Abby about. Abby starts to pull on my hand and my cell phone goes off inside my bag. I retrieve it and see a text from Trent across the screen. I swipe my finger over the alert, and his text message pops up.

  Turn Around.

  I spin around, halting Abby in her tracks, and my mouth drops down to the ground. Trent stands five feet away from us, and he's wearing the biggest shit-eating grin on his face known to man.

  "Mommy, who’s that?" Abby questions, her little fingers tightening around my hand.

  I hear Abby talking to me. I really do, but I can't do anything except stare at Trent. He stalks toward us at what is probably an average pace, but in my eyes, it seems to take more like a lifetime.

  His black Ramones T-shirt clings to every dip in his muscles, and his jeans are loose enough for me to risk thinking about the heat he packs underneath them.

  "Shay, ya all right?"

  He stops in front of Abby and me; my palms are soaked in sweat.

  Between my mind being blown and Abby tugging on my hand, I can't even register Trent's question. It takes Abby giving my jeans a swift tug, almost depantsing me in front of the zoo, to snap out of my shock.

  "Abby, one minute, honey. Please," I plead softly. "What are you doing here?"

  I know what he's doing here. I'm sure he didn't come to see the butterfly exhibit or the kangaroos.

  "I hope you’re not mad. Ryleigh told me where I could find ya. I really wanted to take ya out, and since you have an attachment who needs her mom, I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone. Ya okay with it?” he questions, looking nervous for once in his life.

  I flick my gaze down to Abby, watching her staring at Trent with the utmost curiosity. This is a first for Abby. I mean she's met my friends and some have been guys, but no one has just shown up out of the blue like this. She always had a warning from me beforehand.

  "It's not up to me. If Abby says you can stay, then you can stay. It's her day," I tell him, praying Abby doesn't throw a fit about him being here.

  Trent squats down, putting himself at her level while he twists his fingers together against his bearded chin, elbows on his knees.

  "That's a beautiful name, Abby. I’m Trent. I work with your mom."

  I look at Abby again, this time fully aware she’s using my legs as a barricade against him. Her face tells me she's unsure of him, and I don't blame her. The saying ‘like mother, like daughter’ has real meaning right now.

  "It's okay, sweetheart. Trent is nice. Go say hi," I encourage her.

  With one hand still wrapped around my knee, she steps in front of me, a small smile on her lips.

  "Hi,” she whispers.

  Trent's face lights up as Abby acknowledges him for the first time. It makes my heart beat faster than it should. Abby being just like me through and through takes her tiny little hand and holds it out to Trent for a proper handshake.

  While Trent takes her hand in his, he and I both laugh quietly together. This is their moment, and if Abby wants to make grown-up handshakes with Trent, then by all means, she should.

  "That's a beautiful scar you have above your eye. It makes ya look like a tough cookie. Ya know what? I have a scar just like yours above my eye," he admits bringing his fingers up to his eyebrow.

  Huh. I never noticed it before, but now, I know it's there, and it's pretty dominant on his face. It suits him, though. It makes him more attractive—as odd as that sounds.

  Abby giggles touching her scar at the same time Trent does.

  "We match," she peeps seeming flustered.

  Yeah, sweetheart, I know how you feel. Trent flusters Mommy, too.

  "We do. It's kind of cool. I've never met someone who has the same one as I do."

  The smile on Abby's face is infectious. She's grinning ear to ear like she just saw the sunshine for the first time. It's beautiful. It's a rare occasion when you can get a smile from her, but Trent has managed to.

  Abby nods her head at Trent, her excitement shining while he continues with his first impression.

  "Ya know what else I think is cool?" he plays along.

  She shakes her head back and forth, eyes wide. What else could he say to her now?

  "I love kangaroos."

  Oh. He’s smooth.

  The moment he says it, I know Ryleigh let out a little more than we were just at the zoo. When I see her, I'm giving her hell. She gave Trent the fuel to start a love-infested fire with my daughter. She's a dead friend walking.

  Abby jumps up and down, squealing with excitement. She throws herself onto Trent, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. Yep. She's a goner. Does this man have to charm everyone? Dammit. Time to intervene and get Abby back on team Mommy.

  "Abby, I have a surprise for you. A little birdie told me they have real live kangaroos here," I propose.

  Her head whips around, her eyes meeting mine with a smile so bright it could damn near blind me.

  "Really!?" she squeals again.

  "Yep. They look just like Roo. Do you wanna go see them?"

  Needless to say, the high-pitched response I get from her is a yes. I grab her hand walking on one side and Trent on the other. We walk toward the exhibit when a strange noise makes me glance to the side. A sharp breath comes from Trent. He seems to be sweating like a whore in church. His eyes are wide while he stares straight ahead into the crowd of people. I sweep over his body trying to find the cause for his quick look of passing out. When my eyes land on Abby's tiny hand in Trent's, the tears pool in the corners of my eyes.

  Ne-Yo – “Let Me Love You”

  ABBY’S DELICATE FINGERS wrapped in my hand is something for the record books. It’s surreal. I've never had a kid touch me in such a loving way before, and it's warming my heart like that little girl did to the Grinch. My heart grows three times larger just from her touch. The ice surrounding my heart cracks in lines adjacent to the homemade cover that encloses it.

  Her touch is one of innocence. It's not tainted, forced, or deceitful. It's pure and extraordinary. Out of a primal need to protect something as innocent as a child, I squeeze her hand a little tighter. Her grip tightens on me as well. In a million years, I never thought I’d feel like a fucking superhero walking with a three-foot tall kid attached to me. But I fucking do. I’ll never forget this moment.

  We approach the kangaroo exhibit, and Abby is all smiles. With eyes wide as saucers and a pink hue to her cheeks, she’s fucking adorable. Then there's Shay. She hasn't said much since I got here. She only passes me secret smiles from afar as if she's afraid to come near me. I'm sure I've confused the shit out of her. For the past six months, I've been the epitome of an asshole, and all of a sudden, I'm Mr. Lovesick. It's ironic considering my life is total shit at the moment.

  My mom isn't getting any better and the doctors put her in a rehab center until she can take care of herself again. Between my mom, Tony, Rook coming home soon, and my little habit of sniffing white shit up my nose—it’s all gonna hit the fan before I even know it’s coming.

  Shay brings me back from my pity party, bumping her shoulder into mine in a playful manner. Even the smallest touch from her ignites a fire inside of me. It fucking roars to life, bringing my
mind back to the place where we're both naked and in love.

  "You didn't have to show up here. I know the tickets are expensive, and you only came to see me. You didn't have to," she confesses, watching Abby, who’s trying to feed the kangaroos through the fence.

  I shake my head, turning to look at her instead of the damn zoo animals. She’s my focus right now.

  "Ya know I don't give a shit about paying for the tickets, Shay. I have a fuckton of money, and the last thing on my mind right now is the twenty bucks I spent to get in here. You, on the other hand, have been on my mind since ya ran out of the fucking shop. That's why I came … to see you. That's all I'm worried about right now."

  Her head swings toward me, her eyes filled with speckles of color.

  "Why did you come here, Trent?”

  My gaze swings to Abby, and I shrug my shoulders. Do I tell her the truth or do I lie? I'm gonna go with the truth because Shay will kick my ass if I tell her some bullshit I think she wants to hear.

  "I don't know. That's the truth. I just needed to see you. I wanted to see you," I confess, fishing in my jean pocket to find my smokes.

  I stick it in my mouth, searching for my light when Shay's spunky attitude comes back to life.

  "You know you can't smoke in here, right? It says so on the sign." She nods at the metal sign stating smoking isn’t tolerated.

  I let out a loud laugh, bringing the lighter up and breaking the zoo's rules.

  "Ya know I'm not one for following rules, kitten."

  Shay laughs at my dumb ass, crossing her arms over her gorgeous rack.

  "I know. You're a regular bad boy, Trent Wallace."

  My dick springs to life in my jeans, pressing against the fabric so damn hard I'm afraid it will bust the damn zipper. Fucking God help me. I love it when she uses my full name.

  THE THREE OF us spent a few more hours at the zoo; oddly, we fell into a comfortable rhythm. Abby warmed up to me pretty damn quick, and I could tell Shay was shocked as fuck. I kept seeing her sideways glances when Abby and I were near each other. I thought she'd freak the hell out when I showed up, but thank God, she didn't. Because the whole time I spent with the two of them, I didn't think about getting high once. Being around them was a new drug in itself.