I sit upright and place my napkin in my lap, thinking I’ve gotten the last word, but of course, I didn’t. He leans back in.
“Keep telling yourself that, Mia. We both know the truth. Only I know that you bite your bottom lip when you’re lying or horny. And either way, this time, it works in my favor.” His hand lands on my thigh, and he gives it a firm but gentle squeeze before pulling it away.
The tingles in my thigh from where he touched me start traveling upward. They settle low in my belly. I cross my legs and tighten every muscle.
Can’t.
Let.
Him.
Win!
“So, Dani.” I turn my focus to her in order to keep my attention off of Trent and the things he’s doing to my body. “What are the plans for tonight?”
She shrugs one shoulder. “I figured I’d leave it up to the group. We could hit up the casinos, find a dance club and have a few drinks, or we could just hang out here tonight—keep our first night here low key.”
“Let’s take a vote,” Trent says. “Who’s up for casino?”
Bennet raises his hand, but Maddie pushes it back down into his lap.
“Dancing and drinking?” he asks.
Every girl at the table raises their hand—except for me—along with Trent.
“Dancing it is,” Trent says, picking up his glass and taking a sip. He nods at me, and that damn smile that’s just for me is on his face again.
I know what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to get me all revved up by dancing and grinding his body against mine. Well, it ain’t going to happen. I can keep myself in check. Who does he think he is? Does he really think he’ll be able to dance his way into bed with me?
I roll my eye and shake my head, mainly at myself. Why in the hell has Trent always been my biggest weakness? Why do I always give him his way? Why can’t he see how much I love him?
When everyone finishes with their dinner, we head in the direction of a night club. I’ve had several drinks by this point, and everything is sounding good. I’m all up for drinking, dancing, sex with Trent—no. No, I’m not. Not that. Never that again, I tell myself.
All I have to do is keep drinking in order to avoid my real feelings, find a new guy that I can dance with to keep my attention off of Trent, and then be too wasted to do anything by the time we get back to the room. That, I can do.
I’m led to a big corner booth in the back, and a waitress immediately pops over. The guys all order a beer, the girls—I included—order a fruity mixed drink, and then before the waitress can leave, Bennet is ordering a round of shots for everyone.
I listen in to what the girls are saying while the guys talk amongst themselves. Moments later, the waitress is back with a tray full of drinks. They all get passed out, and then Bennet holds up his tequila shot.
“Here’s to us having an unforgettable—or un-rememberable—weekend,” he says with a laugh.
We all toss the tequila back, and I shiver as it makes its way down. I quickly wash it down with a sip of my Long Island Iced Tea. The sweet and sour mixes with the leftover taste of tequila, and it mingles in my mouth in a delicious way.
By this point, my vision is already blurring, but I’m nowhere near drunk enough. The girls end up dragging me out onto the dance floor, and we spin around together with the guys watching us from their seats. It feels like every girl is up here dancing for her man—all but me because I don’t have a man. And it’s going to be hard enough to keep my distance from Trent. I don’t need to tease him on top of it all. One by one, the guys make their way to the dance floor. When Callan steps up and takes Val away into their own section to dance privately, I stop moving my hips and turn to walk off the floor.
I walk directly into Trent’s hard chest. “Where ya going, sweetheart?” he asks, lifting his hand and cupping my cheek. He tilts my head back, so our eyes meet in the darkened club. The music is loud, but the only thing I can hear when I look into those eyes is my own heartbeat.
“Dance with me, honey,” he whispers, placing his hands on my hips and pulling me against his chest.
“Trent, I…” I start, but the words fall short when I feel his massive length twitch between us.
“You what?” he asks, brushing my hair back.
“I don’t want to complicate things between us again.”
He’s grinding against me, but I’m stock still in fear—scared of what could happen if I allow us this one moment.
“Things have and always will be complicated between us, Mia. When are you going to see that? When are you going to quit fighting against it?” His tongue runs across his plump bottom lip, and his eyes intensify on mine. They seem to darken the longer they focus on me.
I’m lost in his eyes, his warmth, his strong arms, but I shake the confusion from my head. “It doesn’t have to be complicated between us. We’re just friends now. That’s it,” I try again, starting to move to the beat of the music.
He shakes his head as his jaw clenches. “Yes, sweetheart, it does. Your body calls to me just like mine calls to you. We can ignore it and push it away, but eventually, it catches up to us in our weakest moments.”
I’m speechless as I watch his head dip forward, his lips finding mine. His hot tongue slides along my bottom lip, demanding entrance. As if I didn’t have a worry in the world, I open to him, giving him the access he so desperately needs. When his tongue dances alongside mine, something between us cracks and breaks open, allowing all our pent-up desires and passions to overflow. His hands pull me closer by my hips, and my own wrap around his neck.
I should break this off, this very public display of affection, but I can’t. All I can do is hold on for dear life like I’m on a roller coaster that’s about to come off the tracks. I know there will be pain when it crashes, but I’ve never felt more alive than I do at this moment. Right now, we’re not talking or overanalyzing. We’re just feeling, living in the moment, and giving both our bodies what they want.
His hands aren’t shy as they move from my hips, up and down my back, and then down to my ass where they stop with a firm squeeze. I moan into his mouth, and that makes his length twitch against me once again.
“Fuck, Mia. I forgot how those soft whimpers of yours get me going,” he whispers against my lips.
Right now, I want him. I need him like I’ve never needed anything else. Caution has been thrown out the window. I no longer care about getting hurt or having my heart broken. I don’t care about the withdrawal symptoms I’ll go through when this trip ends, and we all go back to our normal lives. All I can care about is feeling him holding me, touching me, kissing me, and sweet-talking me the way he’s always been able to.
His hands move up to either side of my face, and he breaks our kiss, but he doesn’t pull away. He locks his chocolate brown eyes with mine. “Let me take you upstairs, Mia. I know you want me as badly as I want you,” he breathes out, need filling his deep, raspy voice while passion reflects in his dark eyes.
“I—” I start, fighting with myself about giving into him or trying to fight him off, but the decision is made for me when Valerie rushes over and grabs ahold of my hand, breaking our connection.
“Come on, Bennet ordered shots for everyone,” she loudly slurs as she tugs me back to the table.
I glance over my shoulder to find him watching me. His jaw is cocked, and his biceps are flexed. My eyes follow his arms down to find his hands drawn into tight fists. The intensity burning in his dark eyes is enough to light this room on fire. Looking at him this way, it only makes my body hotter.
I’m handed a shot glass, and I take a minute to cool off. I breathe deeply, hoping to exhale all the pent-up aggression and longing my body is feeling. Trent walks up behind me and picks up his shot glass. We all tip them back, and the moment I’ve swallowed mine down, his hands find my hips, and his lips are near my ear.
“I won’t let you get away that easily,” he says, allowing his lips to graze my ear. I suck in a sharp breath as my ey
es flutter closed. His hand comes up, and he runs his fingers up and down my arm, causing goosebumps to prickle my skin. “You’re so beautiful, honey,” he whispers in my ear. “I forgot how intoxicating you are.” He pushes his erection against my ass and turns my body to mush. I find myself breathless as I lean against the table in front of me for support.
“Trent, Mia, come over here,” Levi yells.
I quickly whip my head around to see everyone lining the bar. I force a smile and step back, causing Trent to step back to give me more room. “Come on,” I tell him, happy for the distraction.
I come to a stop at the bar, and I’m handed another shot. I talk with the girls and drink the liquid. When I turn around, Trent and Levi are back at the table. They’re sitting down across from one another, holding their beer bottles and talking. They seem to be having a serious conversation, so I decide to hang out at the bar so as not to interrupt them, and not to mention, put some space between us. The heat of the night, the alcohol, our emotions, it all seems to be mixing together. It’s hot, sticky, and confusing as hell. I know I should avoid Trent, but something keeps calling me to him. The way my body craves him is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. There’s never been anything that I haven’t been able to walk away from…until him.
A man with blond hair and a wide smile steps up beside me at the bar.
What a nice distraction.
His eyes look me up and down slowly. “I’m Jason,” he says, holding out his hand.
I smile as I slide mine into his. “Mia,” I reply, feeling heat creep up my cheeks.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mia. Are you here with anyone?” He rubs his hand over his light, scruffy jaw.
“Just a group of friends.” I wave off his worry about a boyfriend.
His smile grows in size. “Can I buy you a drink?”
I’m about to accept when Trent steps up between us. “I’m buying her drinks tonight,” he says in a deep, gravelly tone that tells me he isn’t all that happy.
The blond guy holds up his hands, palms facing us, then backs away.
I smack Trent’s shoulder. “What did you do that for?”
He watches as the blond guy walks away, then finally, when he’s out of eyeshot, he turns to face me. “That guy was a loser that was up to no good.”
I snort and roll my eyes as I pick up my drink and take a sip.
“I’m just watching out for you, Mia. You know he was only looking for one thing.”
That makes me laugh. “Yeah, the same thing you’re looking for,” I point out, standing and walking away.
I walk back to the table and take a seat across from Levi.
“I’m sorry, Mia. I didn’t realize things between you two were so bad.”
My eyes jump up to his. “What do you mean?” I ask.
“It’s obvious that you two aren’t as good of friends as you used to be,” Levi says.
“No shit, Sherlock,” I say around a giggle.
Levi knows my sense of humor, and he rolls his eyes as he cracks a smile. “Look, I’m trying to be sincere here, and you’re making it really difficult. What happened between you two?”
I shrug, refusing to talk about the past. I pick up a mixed drink that belongs to one of the girls and start sucking it down.
“Mia, tell me. You know everything we talk about stays between us.” His eyes are fixated on mine, making me feel like I’m the only other person on the planet. I see how easy it was for Dani to fall for him. Levi has the ability to make you feel special. Even though nothing has ever happened between us, I always feel the most important to him when we have talks like this. He tunes everything out, only paying attention to our conversation.
I let out a deep breath. “Levi,” I breathe out, leaning forward and massaging my temples. “It’s nothing for you to worry about,” I assure him.
“When did this happen between us, huh? When did you start to feel like you can’t talk to me?”
I shake my head, tearing my gaze from his. “I won’t put you between us. It’s a tough position you’re in. Your friends with him and me, and I won’t make you choose.” Without saying another word, I stand and walk away.
With Levi at the table and Trent at the bar, I head for the bathroom. I need time alone. I need to be able to breathe, clear my head. It’s clouded by alcohol and this nagging feeling that doesn’t want to let Trent go. The addict deep inside of me that only craves him is still alive and strong within me.
Inside the bathroom is a waiting area with a love seat. I flop down onto the pink couch, holding my head in my hands. I take a deep breath and let the air out slowly. As I do so, I force all thoughts of Trent to go along with it. I need distance. When I didn’t see him, these feelings were easy to avoid. But seeing him and being drunk where my wants are intensified, and my will is weak, it feels like the pretend world—one without Trent and where his hold on me doesn’t exist— I’d built for myself is caving in around me. I don’t know how long I can hold out or if I even want to.
The bathroom door opens, and Valerie walks in. She stops dead in her tracks when she sees me sitting alone in an empty bathroom. Her face contorts in confusion. Then, she seems to put it all together. She looks over her shoulder—at the door and the noisy club—then back to me. Her shoulders fall as she comes to sit at my side.
“Hiding from Trent, are you?”
I laugh. “Am I that transparent?”
“No, but I’ve watched the way you’ve tried avoiding him since we met up this morning. Don’t you like him?” She cocks her head to the side to study me.
“Oh, I like him, alright. I’ve been fucking in love with that guy since college. The only problem is, he doesn’t love me. He just wants to hook-up and then leave me broken and hurting,” I confess for the first time since we started this trip.
She wraps her arm around my shoulders and pulls me to her side. “Mia, in my experience, a guy doesn’t try that hard for a hook-up. If that’s all he wanted, he wouldn’t be working so hard on getting you. I mean, you could throw a quarter and hit twenty women in this club right now that would be up for a one-night stand. I don’t see him giving up on you and moving to another woman, do you?” She lifts one of her perfectly arched eyebrows.
Maybe she’s onto something. Maybe Trent has changed. Maybe there’s a reason he’s giving me so much attention instead of just moving on and finding a different woman to sleep with tonight. Maybe this is something we need to talk about.
4
Trent
“WHERE is Mia?” Dani asks as she comes to a stop next to me.
I pick up my drink and toss it back, finishing it off and motioning for another. “No idea. I think she’s hiding from me.”
She laughs. “I highly doubt that.”
I look over at her, lifting one of my brows. “If she isn’t avoiding me, why does she keep running off every time I get her alone?” I ask.
Dani bites down on her bottom lip as she thinks it over. It only reminds me of Mia and the way she worries her lip like that—but only if she’s lying and worried that she’s going to get caught, or when she’s horny, which is something not many people know.
“Maybe she’s just confused, Trent. I mean, you two haven’t seen one another in a while, and now here you are basically still in love with one another.”
I laugh. “I’m not in love with her,” I lie. “And she’s not in love with me. If anything, she’s in hate with me.”
She rolls her eyes. “Why are guys so stupid? I mean, seriously? Is there some secret class ya’ll take to get this stupid?” she walks away, and I’m not sure if I’ve angered her or not. I should probably warn Levi that he may not be getting any, but I brush it off, opting to let him figure it out for himself.
I sit at the bar alone and have a couple more beers. When I turn around, I find Mia at the table with the rest of the group. They’re laughing and talking, and she’s smiling brightly. It’s been a long time since I got to see her smile like that. At thi
s moment, she’s genially happy. Until that is, she looks up, and her eyes meet mine. Her smile falls away as her eyes seem to darken.
I wish I knew what I did to make her hate me. We’ve always had a fucked-up relationship, and she’s always been a little firecracker. She has a smart mouth, and she always used it against me, but seeing her now, it makes me wonder if everything she said today has been out of hate rather than our usual banter. I wish she’d open up to me, tell me what’s going on inside that head of hers.
I turn my back to the table and hang my head. The bartender asks if I’d like another drink, but I wave him off. I’m plenty drunk, and now that I’m confused over Mia, I find myself getting a little annoyed.
Someone slaps me on the shoulder, and I look over to see Levi standing at my side. “It’s getting late. I think we’re going to head back to the hotel. You coming?”
“Yeah,” I say with a nod.
I stand up and follow behind the group. I wish there was a way I could get closer to Mia, but she’s smashed herself between Valerie and Dani, so I just hang in the back, walking lazily. It’s a short walk to our hotel, and when we all walk into the lobby, everyone says their goodbyes, but I notice Mia walks to the hotel bar instead of the direction of our room. At this point in the night, I’m pretty sure she’s sick of me, but I follow her anyway.
I want to apologize if I offended her in any way. If she just wants to be friends, I’ll accept that. But I refuse to watch as she goes back and forth on the subject. She was into our kiss—I know she was—so why is she fighting against me so hard?
I sit at her side the moment she’s handed a drink, and I order a beer. She looks over, and her eyes meet mine. I was expecting angry eyes or maybe even a drunken haze reflected in them, but no. I was not prepared to see this much emotion and passion burning within them.
My mouth opens, but no words come out.
“Well, that’s a first,” she says, lips turning up into a grin. “I never thought I’d see you speechless.”
I take a drink of the beer that was just placed in front of me. “Tell me what’s happening between us, Mia.” I turn to look back at her. This time, her mouth is the one hanging open.
His Every Desire (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 58