by Anne Rainey
She smiled at his analogy, but in all seriousness she said, “I’ve known ugly bruises before, Trent, and those on my thighs aren’t anything remotely close.”
Trent stilled visibly. Every muscle went rigid and hard. “What are you talking about, Crystal?” He had horrible visions of her being beaten. Who, though? Her father? Her ex? They’d pay dearly, no matter who it was.
Crystal wedged herself out of Trent’s crushing embrace and said, “Well, remember when you said you thought there was more to the divorce than what I told you?” As she spoke she got dressed. She watched Trent as she did, and he nodded his head. “You were right, there was more to it.”
“Go on.”
“Richard was very sweet in the beginning of the marriage really, but as time went on, he began drinking, began getting increasingly more jealous and possessive of me. Anytime I was late coming home from work, he’d be upset and toss things around, cursing and accusing me of messing around on him.”
Crystal walked to the couch and sat, and Trent did the same, sitting next to her. She continued, “One night I came home from work and he was especially drunk, worse than I’d ever seen him before. He shouted and was in a mad fit. His face frightened me, Trent. The way it turned so red, like he could simply explode at any given time. I knew this time was different. He’d had enough time to work himself up to an aggressive rage. So I stayed silent, listening to him rant, but then he started slinging accusations at me. Telling me that he knew I was ‘whoring around.’ I got angry myself then. I’d always been faithful to Richard. So I spoke up and told him I wasn’t messing around, there was only ever him.”
Crystal took a breath before finishing the rest, but she did need to finish, as much for herself as for Trent. “That seemed to be the final straw. Having me talking back was too much for his ego, I suppose. His fist came out of nowhere. It knocked me out cold. You’ve seen Richard—he’s not a huge guy—but still, his punch was enough to put me out for about an hour or so. When I came to, he was crying over me, and so sorry. I remember he kept saying he was sorry, over and over again.”
Oddly enough, she actually felt better, getting it out, telling someone the whole story. She felt immediate relief. Trent was so quiet, though, just staring at the floor, not saying a word. Finally Crystal couldn’t stand the silence so she broke it and said, “Trent?”
Trent looked up at Crystal, stared for a few more seconds, and then said, “I’ll kill him for this.”
There was something in Trent’s set expression, the look in his eyes that told her he meant every word he said. She pleaded with him, “Trent, please don’t take that attitude. Don’t make me regret I told you this. Richard is no longer a part of my life. The past is the past.”
“Were there other times that he hit you, Crystal? Other times when you were knocked unconscious?”
She thought about lying to him for a second, but decided she’d come this far. “Yes. Times when he pushed me down or grabbed at me really hard. Bruises and scrapes.”
“I should have killed him when he was here. I could see that it bothered you having him near. It wasn’t normal the way you seemed wary of him. Irritation over an ex, yes, but not fear. If I ever see him again, I’ll—”
Trent stopped in mid-sentence and got up to pace around the room. He seemed to be waging a private battle with himself. At last he grumbled, “Crystal, I can’t promise that I won’t put my fist in his face if I ever see him again, but I won’t go looking for him. For you, I’ll leave him be.”
She knew how much it cost him to give her this. She rose off the couch and slung her arms around him. “Thank you. Richard is history, and that’s the way I want him to stay.” Then she kissed him. He held her, kissing and touching her face, as if the bruises were still there, gently soothing away the long-forgotten pain. “You’d better go get ready for our shopping trip, baby. Because if we keep this up, I’m liable to skip the whole damn thing and take you again.”
Crystal did as she was told, leaving Trent alone while she got ready. Something in her gut was telling her that he needed a few moments to himself to work through his feelings about Richard and calm himself down. She reached her bedroom and went to her closet. The sleeveless yellow dress with the low-dipping back caught her eye. It was a gorgeous silk material, and when she’d tried it on at the store she’d loved the way it had molded perfectly to her curves. She hadn’t gotten a chance to wear it until now.
She unzipped the dress and stepped into it. She put on a pair of strappy sandals and made quick work of her hair and makeup. She bunched and brushed her tangle of curls and squeezed them into a quick bun. When she was through, she stepped back and stared at herself in the mirror above the dresser. Well, it wasn’t movie-star quality, but it would do.
As ready as she would ever be, Crystal left the room and made her way back to the living room where Trent waited. When his eyes caught sight of her, he groaned. “Damn, you look good.”
The dress showed off her amazing figure to perfection. Damn. He didn’t need that picture in his head right now. If he was going to walk around a shopping mall filled with people, he would need a clear head and not a freaking boner. That wasn’t about to happen if he kept watching her ass twitch back and forth in the sunshine-yellow dress.
Great, now he was hard as iron and it would be hours before he would get a chance to have her again.
“Trent?”
His voice was hoarse when he answered, “Yeah?”
“I feel like I’ve revealed all my skeletons, but you’ve barely shared your life with me.”
Oh boy, now it was his turn to be questioned. It was only fair, after all, but he hated the trip down memory lane. It wasn’t exactly the good old days. “Her name was Jill, and we were married for a year and a half.”
Crystal was quiet for a moment, then she said, “What does she look like?”
Trent went to the couch and sat down. Crystal sat down next to him, then quietly waited for him to continue.
He sighed and gave in to the inevitable. “When I first saw her, I thought there could never be anyone more beautiful. Long pale-blond hair, eyes as blue as the sky, and a body that was just made for sex. God, I was so wrong. I only saw what I wanted to see, her surface beauty. Inside was a selfish and spoiled little girl.” He paused before saying, “Right after she got the shiny ring on her finger, she cut her hair and slept in a separate room. She was determined to have a baby, so if she was ovulating I was welcome in her bed. I finally realized that was the only reason she’d married me. That and my family’s money.”
“She sounds very materialistic.”
He nodded. “She was only nice when it benefited her future plans. She had wanted to be Mrs. Dailey, the socialite. She was so different, so cold and callous. And I was a blind idiot.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft and full of kindness.
“It wasn’t long before I was filing for a divorce.” He rolled his eyes. “You can imagine how well that went over with my parents.”
“They weren’t supportive?”
He snorted. “Mother had a fit. She’d hit it off with Jill right off. I should have known right then that Jill was the wrong woman for me.”
“How did Jill react?”
“I don’t think she’d ever been tossed over before. She was devastated, more because it damaged her pristine reputation, not to mention her gigantic ego. She fought damn hard, but when it was all said and done, the judge decided in favor of the divorce and split everything right down the middle. Hell, I think he felt sorry for me.”
Trent stopped and thought about it all over again. Funny, it didn’t hurt like it used to. Then he thought of Crystal and knew she was the reason. She was so different from his mother, from Jill. She was kind and compassionate, sensual and loving, filled with life. She’d give as much as she got in any relationship. If he wasn’t careful, this woman was going to sneak into his heart. It shook him for a minute, but he couldn’t stop the smile that cross
ed his face as he thought of how much he enjoyed being with her. It hit him then that he’d forgotten to wear a condom earlier. Shit. “Crystal, I know this is not the time to ask, but are you on birth control pills?”
Crystal looked anxious at the change in conversation. “Actually, yes, I am. I started taking them when I was very young to control the flow of my monthly.”
Trent digested that news. “That’s good news. Still, I should have been taking better care with you. I think I let my emotions rule my actions.” Crystal worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Trent touched her there with his finger, effectively stopping her actions. “Ready?”
Crystal appeared to search his face; what she was looking for he didn’t know. Finally she said, “Whenever you are.”
He kissed her, keeping it light on purpose. They’d never leave the apartment if he let it get too hot. He rose from the couch and held out his hand. She took it easily, sending a shock of heat clear to his core.
“You are without a doubt the most handsome, caring man. Jill was an idiot. That’s all I can think about a woman who would let you get away.”
He chuckled. “Pretty much how I feel about your ex.”
“Good riddance to them both,” Crystal declared.
“Exactly,” he groaned. “Now, let’s go before I change my mind, woman.”
As they left the apartment, Trent thought back over their conversation. Richard had a lot to answer for. If he ever saw that son of a bitch again, he’d beat the shit out of him. Trent thought about Mac and wondered if he should fill him in, then quickly nixed the idea. It seemed like that should be for Crystal to do. Whether she felt comfortable sharing that part of her life or not, it was her choice to make, not his.
8
On Wednesday afternoon, Crystal sat across the table at a little bistro with Mollie and her friends. She was beginning to wish she hadn’t agreed to meet with them, though, because they all kept asking her about the mysterious men of Kinks that she was currently dating. Darn Mollie for letting that particular cat out of the bag. They pumped her for information about Trent, then Mac. She’d been very good at keeping the questions at bay, so far. She felt cornered, and there was no escape.
“Okay, spill the goods, sister,” Trina prodded.
Mollie worked with Trina. The heavyset woman with the blond bob seemed nice, but Crystal didn’t know her well enough to go into details about her sex life. “I don’t know what you mean,” she hedged.
“Just what’s happened between you and those two hotties?” she pushed a little more. “And what’s with the rosy glow you’ve got?”
Crystal choked on her ice water and laughed. “Rosy glow?”
“Pfft, we know you got laid, but we still want details,” Mollie’s other friend Sherry said, adding her own two cents. Her usually stern expression was lit up now with a curious gleam in her eye.
Crystal had only hung out with these ladies a handful of times, but Mollie knew the bunch from the administrative office where she worked. Still, two things were clear. First, the candid discussion was obviously one they were used to engaging in, because none of the ladies had even the slightest hint of a blush. Second, she wasn’t getting out of the restaurant without telling them at least a little of her private life. Crystal knew they would never give up on her. Not until she gave them all something to gossip about.
Crystal took a long drink of her water and said, “Well, I went to a club with Mollie and I ended up meeting the owners. Since that night I’ve gone out with them a few times. End of story.”
“Them? As in plural?” Sherry probed.
Crystal rolled her eyes. “You guys are way too curious about my sex life. Really, there’s not that much to tell.” For some reason she didn’t want to share Trent and Mac with them. What she had with the two guys was no one else’s business.
“Hey, I’ve seen those two,” Trina said as she wagged her eyebrows. “They’re delish. If you’re taking them for test drives, you are one lucky lady.”
“Fine, you want the truth? Their names are Trent and Mac, and they’re absolutely the hottest, sexiest, nicest, most caring men I’ve ever met.” Crystal let out a frustrated breath. “I swear, you ladies are nosy.”
Everyone went quiet for a moment, then Mollie spoke up finally. “They are seriously amazing. And if anyone deserves amazing, you do.”
“You know, once Richard was out of the picture for good, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to date again. Much less date two guys at the same time. Finding Mr. Right didn’t seem like something that was ever going to happen to me.” She pushed her plate away and leaned back in her chair. “I guess I didn’t know if I was ready to take that next step until I met Trent and Mac.”
“Then why do you seem sad?”
“It feels like I just got away from one mess and now I’m riding this emotional roller coaster. Still, with them . . .” Crystal hesitated, attempting to put into words how she felt about two men she’d known only a few days. “I don’t know. They’re different. Other men pale in comparison.” Crystal shook her head. “Still, I’m not the naïve girl I once was. I’m a big girl now, and I’m not going to let a man dictate my life.”
“What about two men?” Sherry asked as she attempted to stifle a laugh behind her napkin.
Mollie reached across the table and patted the back of Crystal’s hand. “You need to have a little faith. Not all guys are like Richard.”
Sherry and Trina were both silent. Finally Trina spoke up and added her weight to Mollie’s. “Don’t give up on finding Mr. Right. Hell, sometimes it’s necessary to run across a few Mr. Wrongs, just so you’ll know the difference.”
“I know. Really I do. But what if they’re both just more Mr. Wrongs?”
“Then you move on,” Sherry said. “From what I hear, that nightclub has plenty to choose from.”
The women were right. Mac and Trent might not be perfect. Being with the two of them might be wrong on every level, but they definitely weren’t like Richard. She had to have a little faith.
Several hours later, Crystal called Trent to see if he wanted to have dinner. She’d missed him and when he’d invited her over to his apartment, Crystal hadn’t hesitated to say yes. As she arrived and knocked on the door, her hands shook. The anticipation of seeing Trent sent her head spinning.
Mac answered the door instead and Crystal’s entire body heated up. When she caught sight of his sexy, sideways smile, she lost her ability to breathe for second. He was dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a plain navy T-shirt. His dark hair was a mess, as if he’d been combing his fingers through it, and he had on a pair of black boots. Staring at the man sent her temperature into the danger zone.
“Hi,” Mac said as he reached for her hand.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“A good surprise, I hope,” he said with a wink.
Crystal looked around him to find Trent leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. Mac pulled her into the apartment, then kicked the door shut behind her. Crystal started to say something, but Mac merely dragged her into his arms and kissed her witless. Crystal’s mind went blank, and she melted against him as every nerve ending fired to life.
When he pulled back, they were both breathing heavily, and the predatory gleam in his eyes sent a pool of heat to the apex of her thighs. “H-hi,” she stuttered out.
“Mm, I needed that,” he murmured.
“Me too,” she admitted, wishing she was bold enough to lean in and kiss him harder and longer.
Trent moved around Mac and said, “Hey, I didn’t get to say hello.” He groaned as he swooped in and took her mouth in a heated mating of lips. Crystal’s arms went around his neck as she sank into the kiss. Trent tasted and teased until she was utterly breathless by the time he pulled back.
“I made pizza and margaritas. Hungry?”
“Starved,” she said, but it wasn’t her stomach she wanted satisfied.
“Trent makes the best pizza,” Mac said, ru
bbing his stomach. “You’ll love it.”
“I thought maybe later we could watch a movie,” Trent said.
“He rented a chick flick,” Mac muttered as he plopped onto one end of the couch. After Trent retrieved their pizza, he sat at the other end, putting her smack in the center. Not a bad place to be, all in all.
After a few slices of pizza, Crystal took a fortifying sip of her margarita, then leaned back to enjoy the movie. She felt Mac pull her in close to his side. He wrapped an arm around her while Trent pushed PLAY on the remote. As the movie started, Trent flipped off the table lamp and they all fell silent.
Partway into the movie, Crystal knew it was futile. She hadn’t paid a bit of attention to the screen. All she wanted to concentrate on were the men at her sides. Mac kept touching her thigh and rubbing her through her jeans, while Trent massaged her nape. She looked over at Trent and realized he wasn’t watching the movie any more than she was. He was watching her. Mac’s fingers inched higher, nearly grazing her mound.
“Mac,” she moaned.
Trent stood. “Come on. We need more room than what this couch provides.”
Within minutes they were in Trent’s bedroom, and the three of them were nude. Trent got up on his knees on the bed. “Here, baby,” he urged, as he helped her into the center of the bed. He moved behind her, then stroked the seam between her ass cheeks. She quivered and he let his finger drift back and forth over her puckered opening. She wanted him there and she knew he wanted to be there just as bad. He leaned over her and kissed the base of her spine. “I want to fuck this tight ass.”
“Yes, Trent. Oh God, yes.” Her voice had gone hoarse with need long ago.
“Would you like me there now? While Mac fucks your wet pussy? Do you think you can handle the two of us fucking you?”
“Trent, please . . . you know I want it.”
“Yes, you do,” Trent encouraged, and then he let his finger penetrate her, little by little, until he was buried deep inside her ass. She shuddered and pushed against him. His finger came in and out, fucking her.