His Every Desire (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

by Alexis Winter

  After everyone eats, we all agree on spending the day at the pool. We head back upstairs to get our suits. Trent and I walk back into the room, and he goes directly to his bag while I go to mine. He grabs a pair of trunks and moves toward the bathroom. Since he’s in there, I decide I’ll just change in the room. I’m stripped completely naked when the door opens, and he walks out. He freezes as his eyes take in my body. I see his jaw flex before he pushes forward, eyes glued to mine. I know exactly what he plans on doing, and I hold up my hand between the two of us, causing him to stop.

  “We have to get things back under control between us, Trent.” I pull on my hot pink bikini bottoms.

  His shoulders fall when he hears my words, but he doesn’t argue.

  “You said until we left this room. Well, we’ve left the room. Now it’s time to go back to being friends. Got it?” I ask, keeping my eyes on his even though his eyes seem to be glued to my boobs while I try pulling on my bikini top.

  “But—” he starts.

  “No. No but’s. It’s time to forget last night.”

  “And this morning,” he adds on.

  “And this morning,” I agree. “Now, we’re just two friends who know one another better than anyone else. That’s it.”

  “Fine,” he pouts, turning for the door.

  I slide my feet into my flip flops and grab a towel.

  We all meet up at the pool, and I sit down in the lounge chair to relax in the sun. A waiter comes over, and the girls and I order a round of drinks. Trent and the rest of the guys are in the hot tub, all of them sitting in a circle with their arms on the outside rim. Now that I’ve got some space from Trent, I feel like I can breathe.

  “So, those deets,” Dani says, looking over at me.

  I laugh. “You never give up, do you?”

  “Hell no. Not on a story like this.” She dips her head forward, looking at me from above her sunglasses. “You do realize that we heard it all, right? Last night, this morning. You guys were fucking loud!”

  I laugh and feel my face blush. “I know I am,” I agree.

  “Not just you. Him too. Jesus, I haven’t ever heard a man be so verbal in bed.” She fans herself. “It made me hot. I had to jump Levi.”

  We both giggle now.

  “I heard the things he said to you, Mia. There’s something more than just sex with that one.”

  I glance in his direction and find him watching me. His jaw is cocked, and his brows are drawn together like he’s studying me, trying to figure me out.

  I wet my lips that now suddenly feel too dry, and I pick up my fresh drink, taking a sip. “It doesn’t matter,” I tell her. “What happened between us is what always happens. We hook up, have an amazing time, and then we go back to being friends like it didn’t happen at all.”

  “This could be a turning point,” she says, hope drenching her voice.

  I shake my head. “I can’t allow myself to think that way. I’ve done it too many times already, and every time, I end up hurt.” I take another sip and tear my gaze away from his. “No, we’ll never be what you and Levi are. We’re just…” I shake my head. “We’re a fucking mess that can’t keep our hands to ourselves,” I say, making her giggle.

  “Well, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?”

  “Right,” I agree, resting my head back against the chair as I close my eyes against the bright sun.

  The drinks are cold and smooth and before I know it, hours pass. I didn’t even realize that the girls aren’t next to me until someone says something, causing me to open my eyes.

  “There you are,” the guy from last night, Jason, says.

  I sit up and smile. “Here I am,” I agree.

  “I thought I wouldn’t find you again.” He gives me a big smile on his perfect white teeth.

  “Must be destiny,” I laugh out.

  “It must be,” he replies, leaning closer.

  “Where are you from?”

  “Chicago. You?”

  He pushes his blond hair away from his face. “California. We’re here for a buddies bachelor party.”

  I nod. “I’m here with a group of friends too. They ran off and got married without us. I guess they felt guilty and brought us all here to make up for it.”

  “Is that the friend from last night?” he asks, lifting a brow.

  I laugh and nod. “Yeah, that was Trent. He’s a bit protective. I’m sorry for his rudeness last night.”

  He waves his hand through the air. “I don’t blame him. If I had a friend that looked like you, I’d be protective too.” His blue eyes lower to take in my body.

  I have to admit. If I hadn’t just been sexed-up by Trent for the last ten hours, I’d probably jump at the chance of being with Jason. But now, my hormones are under control. I can’t be swayed that easily.

  “Want to go grab a drink?” he asks with a grin.

  I nod. “Sure,” I agree.

  He holds out his hand, and I take it as he helps me up, then we walk over to the outdoor pool-side bar. We both sit on the barstools and order our drinks.

  “What’s your poison?” he asks, looking at me.

  I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve just been drinking what they’ve been bringing me. It’s pink and has fruit and an umbrella in it,” I tell the bartender.

  “Oh, the Maui Wowi,” the bartender says with a grin and a nod of his head.

  “I’ll take a Tom Collins,” Jason orders.

  The bartender walks off to make our drinks.

  I turn to face Jason, and he turns to face me.

  “So, how long are you staying?”

  “We’re leaving Monday morning. We flew in Friday, so we’re just taking a long weekend.”

  He nods. “Nice. We made it in on Friday night, and we’re leaving Sunday morning. We get a normal weekend.”

  “Well, I guess something is better than nothing,” I say, unsure what else to say. I realize that my small talk skills are lacking, but this is what I’ve always hated about dating: having to have mindless chitchat and get to know one another. That’s the one thing that has always comforted me about Trent. We just one know another. There’s no idle chitchat. We don’t have to learn what the other likes. We just know. There is never an awkward silence between us either, unlike the one I’m now sharing with Jason. All signs always point to Trent; however, those signs might as well say, heartbreak this way with a giant arrow.

  I want to roll my eyes and shake my head at myself, but I refrain.

  “I’m glad I ran into you today,” Jason says, shooting me a grin that would normally make my heart quicken its pace. But now, with Trent and heartbreak in the front of my mind, I get no reaction from my body. “I was a little unsure about your relationship status, though.” He lets out a nervous laugh.

  “I’m single,” I assure him. “Trent, he’s just…” What exactly is Trent? A friend, yes. A fuck buddy, yes. The love of my life, yes, though I doubt he knows that. “Things with Trent are complicated,” I finally get out.

  He nods. “Ahhh, I see.” A look of realization washes over his face.

  “What? What do you see?” I ask. I meant for it to sound carefree and playful, but it didn’t come out that way. It sounded more accusing than anything.

  “You and Trent,” he says, picking up his drink and taking a sip.

  I do the same, sucking down more than I probably need to.

  “I’ve been in your position before.”

  “And what position is that?” This time, I manage to keep the playful tone in my voice.

  “You were friends that developed feelings for one another. You may have even hooked up a couple of times, but then you quickly realized that it would never work between you. So, now you’re just stuck in this limbo… wanting one another, but knowing you can’t have the other person, not fully anyway. Not in the way you want to.”

  My mouth drops open. Can he really read me that well?

  He laughs when he takes in my expression. “Like I said,
I’ve been there.”

  “And how’d it work out for you?” I ask, stirring my drink.

  “Well, I’m here alone if that tells you anything.”

  I feel my shoulders slump. “How’d you get over her?” I ask, looking at him from beneath my lashes, almost afraid to make eye contact.

  “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure I have. But every day it gets easier. I try to keep my mind off her. I force myself to keep living, to keep moving. One day, I know I’ll pass her on the street, and my heart won’t even skip a beat. It’s just waiting it out that sucks.”

  I laugh. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

  “I’ll tell you one thing, though. This, what you two are doing, it’s not helping. Being around one another, dancing, touching; it’s only making those feelings set in stronger.”

  I reach over and place my hand in his. “Well, care to keep my mind off it?”

  He gives me a panty-dropping smile. “I’d love to.”

  I push Trent and all my feelings for him out of my head as I sit and talk with Jason. He’s smart, sexy, and sweet. The only bad thing is he lives clear across the country. I could see myself starting something up with him if he lived closer to Chicago, but as it stands, he’s nothing but a distraction for the moment. And as far gone as I am, that’s something I need badly.

  6

  Trent

  “WHO is that guy Mia’s talking to?” I ask Levi as we lean against a table, drinking our beer.

  He shrugs. “Don’t know. But they look like they’re getting pretty close,” he says, eyes bouncing from me to them, and back.

  I nod and tip back my bottle. “It’s the same guy I chased off last night at the club.”

  “Really? What are the chances he’d be staying in the same hotel?” he laughs. “What in the hell is going on with you guys anyway? I mean, around us, you’re constantly bickering, but we heard all the noises you were making last night and this morning. Now, she’s over there talking to another guy.”

  I scoff. “I have no fucking idea what’s going through her head. But it’s pissing me off.”

  This only makes him laugh harder. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  My eyes jump to his. “No, I’m not kidding. I mean, she was just riding my dick for the last twelve hours, and now she’s over there, all over that guy?” I motion toward them with a wave of my hand.

  Levi shakes his head as it falls downward. He pinches the bridge of his nose before looking back up at me. “Look, from what I can tell, this is all your fault. I mean, in the past, when you were around her, she didn’t see anyone else. You were her world. But how many times have you used that against her, huh? You show up, use her, then leave her. It’s like you expect her to beg at your feet when you’re around. You’re just pissed off because she’s no longer playing that game.”

  “Fuck you. That’s not true at all,” I spit out.

  “Then what is it that has you really pissed off at this moment, Trent?” Levi asks, leveling his eyes on me.

  “I’m pissed off because I’m so fucking in love with her, I can’t see past her. And she’s over there, priming herself up for her next romp that unfortunately won’t be with me.” My breathing is labored from anger and that rant. I’m only now realizing that I’ve admitted my feelings for her out loud. When I look back up at Levi, his face is one of surprise, confusion, and downright shock.

  “If you love her, go fucking tell her,” he says, excitement painting his words.

  I shake my head and lower my eyes down to the table. “I can’t,” I mumble.

  “What? Why?”

  “I just fucking can’t, okay?”

  Levi shrugs as he finishes off his beer. “Well, you better figure something out. I don’t like this tension between any of us.” Without another word, he walks toward the bar for a refill.

  I let out a deep breath and finish off my beer, thinking about switching to something stronger, something that will allow myself to forget these feelings.

  I can’t do anything but sit back and watch them. A ping of jealousy hits every time she lets out a laugh—I want to be the one making her laugh. Anger fills my chest when his hand rests on her knee—that should be my hand. The acid bubbles up into my throat, burning and stinging, making it even harder to ignore.

  When Mia gets up, they hug, and then she walks back into the hotel. I know I shouldn’t, but I chase after her. I catch up to her in the elevator, and when she looks up at me walking in, she rolls her eyes.

  “Who was that?” I ask, my voice deep as I try to hold back my anger.

  “His name is Jason,” she tells me like it’s completely unimportant.

  “Jason, huh?” I grind out.

  Her head jerks in my direction. “Yes, Jason. What’s your problem?” Her brows draw together as she watches me.

  I clench my teeth so hard that a bout of pain surges through my jaw. I can’t speak. I just shake my head.

  “You’re acting like a jealous ex-boyfriend,” she spits out just as the doors open. She rushes out, with me hot on her heels.

  “Well, what do you expect? I thought we were together this weekend?”

  She laughs. “You did not! You were the one that said until we leave this room. News flash, we’ve left the room.” She slides the keycard into the door, and it opens. She walks in and tries slamming it in my face, but I catch it and walk in, slamming it behind me. Unfortunately, hotel doors don’t slam, so it closes softly.

  “How could you even look at another guy after what we did last night… and this morning?” I add on.

  She laughs again and shakes her head. “Are you kidding me right now? What’s gotten into you? Have you drank too much already?” She’s trying to gather up some clothes to go change out of her bikini, but she keeps stopping and looking at me with utter surprise.

  Maybe I have had too much to drink, but it’s Vegas! “I don’t want you with anyone else this weekend. I want you with me,” I tell her, stepping toward her. “I want you on my dick, nobody else’s,” I say quietly but in my deep, demanding tone that always gets her. “I want to be able to look at you and make you wet. I want us to be sneaking away from the group to go fuck in a goddamn closet, Mia. I don’t want you lining up your next romp with a guy that isn’t me.” With the last word, I grab her by her hips and pick her up against me. Our mouths crash together, her tooth poking into my lower lip, hard, but I like it. I need it. I will take every ounce of pain this woman can dish out to me because it’s a pain like I’ve never felt before.

  With her legs around my hips and her arms around my neck, I stumble forward, smashing her back against the wall. Our kiss deepens, and my hips start grinding against her core, causing her to let out a soft whimper. I spin us around and walk her over to the bed.

  “You’re mine, Mia,” I tell her as I crawl up her body.

  I step out of the shower and pull on my clothes for dinner. When I walk back out into the room, Mia is nowhere to be found. I’m pretty sure I scared her with my intensity earlier. She’s confused, I mean, how could she not be? I won’t tell her I love her, I won’t ask her to be mine and only mine, I can’t even promise I’ll always be here for her, but I make it known that I only want her, and I only want her to want me. I shake my head at the mess I’ve made of things.

  I leave the room and go back down to the restaurant, finding the group waiting just outside the doors for me.

  “Bout time you showed up,” Levi says.

  My eyes quickly flash over to Mia before landing on his. “Sorry, I needed a shower. I crashed out after the pool earlier,” I lie. The truth is, I spent the rest of the afternoon buried balls deep in Mia.

  “Let’s go get something to eat so we can continue this party, shall we?” Dani says, hooking her arm around Levi’s and leading everyone into the restaurant.

  Mia waits for me and then walks at my side. “We’re talking tonight,” is all she says before pushing forward faster and leaving me to walk alone.

  When
we are seated at a table, I order a glass of scotch on the rocks with a splash of club soda. Something tells me I’m going to need to be drunk for this talk. When the drinks are brought over, everyone places their orders for dinner, but I find my glass already empty. I look up, and Mia’s is empty too. We must’ve had the same idea about being drunk to confront these feelings.

  “I’ll take a steak, medium-rare, a loaded baked potato, with some steamed vegetables. And another one of these,” I say, lifting my empty glass and shaking it slightly so the ice jingles off the glass.

  “Damn, you mean business tonight, huh?” Levi says with a grin.

  I nod. “Yeah, something tells me I’m going to need to be drunk, and the sooner, the better,” I say, glancing at Mia, who’s waving down a waiter for another refill.

  By the time my plate is put in front of me, I’m three sheets to the wind. My vision is doubling, I have to focus on the words I say just to keep them from slurring together, and my hand wanders over to Mia’s thigh, tucking itself snugly between them. Her cheeks flush when she feels my touch, but she doesn’t stop me or push me away. Maybe we’re gaining ground here. Maybe she’s going to give in to her desires for me and not fight against everything I do.

  After dinner, everyone decides to head to the casino, but Mia takes my hand and leads me to the bar instead. We order two drinks and sit in the quiet corner in the back.

  “So… er, what do you want to talk about?” I ask, only slurring slightly.

  Her glassy, bloodshot eyes meet mine. “Trent, we have to figure out what it is we’re doing. You can’t keep demanding my time if you’re completely unwilling to give me any of yours,” she says, sounding much more in control than I am.

  I laugh. “I’m pretty sure I gave you most of my time today, correct?”

  She rolls her eyes. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it. How do you feel about me, Trent?”

  I let out a long, deep breath and close my eyes while my finger and thumb pinch the bridge of my nose. “Mia, I—”

  “No, Trent. Just fucking tell me. Tell me the truth, or I will get up right now and walk away. End everything between us for good. I need to know how you feel.”