Say You Will

by M. Malone

  She trailed her hand over one of the glass partitions. "When I woke up next to you, I couldn't remember how I got there. I was freaked out so I got up and went back to my room. You don't think we could have …"

  "No. I mean, I don't think so."

  "But you don't actually remember what happened either, do you?"

  Trent's heart rate sped up. The sound was loud in his own head. Feeling completely cornered and strangely defensive, he tried to make a joke. "Not exactly. But we were both hammered. I'm not sure I could have even performed under those conditions."

  Avery didn't laugh.

  "Haven't you ever wondered? About what things could have been like if you and I …" She gestured between them.

  His heart rate kicked up another notch. The way she was looking at him, he'd never seen that particular look on her face before. She was eyeing him, the way you sized up someone you were imagining naked. It was wrong and just one shade too close to incestuous for Trent's comfort. Before he could formulate a response, Avery leaned against him and then her lips were on his. Her hands wrapped around his neck so tight, they were strangling him.

  Trent backed up a step, breaking the contact. When she stepped forward as if to kiss him again, he moved back again, bumping into one of the glass panels in the exhibit.

  "Avery. Stop. Things were never like that with us. We were friends. We are friends."

  "But we could have been more. I've always cared about you, Trent. You were the only one who was always there for me."

  She reached out for him, latching on to his wrist. Trent gently pried her fingers open, trying not to be too rough. He wasn't sure what was going on. Maybe she'd had too much to drink?

  "Avery, of course I've always been there for you. We've always been there for each other. Ever since we were kids. That's what friends do."

  Her eyes never left his face. If she'd heard what he said, she gave no indication of it. Instead she just kept gazing at him with that lovesick expression that he'd never thought would be aimed at him instead of his brother.

  "I don't know how I would have gotten through the last few years without you. I love you. Travis loves you. You've been more of a father figure to him than your brother ever has. Doesn't that mean anything?"

  "It means I love my nephew." Trent looked away, at a complete loss as to what to say.

  "But what if he's not your nephew? What if he's your son? Our son."

  This conversation wasn't one he'd ever thought about having. All the memories that he had of his teenage years included Avery but she seemed to have recast them in a different light. One where he was the hero who saved her from all her problems.

  He hung his head. Mara had been right the whole time. She'd seen something in Avery that he hadn't been able to discern. And now he was going to have to try to explain this to her on top of everything else. How would he feel if one of her male friends had plastered his hands, and lips, all over her?

  The word homicidal came to mind.

  He wasn't rational when it came to Mara. Anything or anyone that threatened her or their life together affected him like a mortal threat. But he would have to hope that Mara had a better grip on her emotions than he did on his own.

  "Avery, I'm going to ask Sophia and her husband to take you home."

  She yanked her hand away, stumbling into one of the sculptures. He grabbed at her, trying to keep her from falling.

  "You're not sending me anywhere with that bitch. Sophia hates me. She always knew the way I felt about you. She never thought I was good enough. Bitch." She knocked his hand away when he reached for her again. "Just leave me alone."

  He watched as she walked across the garden to reenter the building. He pulled out his phone and texted his sister, asking her to keep an eye out for Avery. Sophia wouldn't be happy about it but she would do it. Despite her behavior tonight, he couldn't just let Avery wander off without knowing she had a way to get home safely. She'd obviously had a few drinks and said things that she would regret tomorrow. But he would have to deal with that later. First, he had to find Mara.

  He needed to get her out of there before anything else went wrong.

  * * * * *

  MARA HAD NEVER met so many fake people at once.

  She'd allowed Sophia to squire her from group to group until they eventually ended up with her friends, a bubbly group of women just as posh and perfect as Sophia. They had been nice enough but they'd quickly turned the conversation to people she didn't know and events she hadn't attended. As her mind wandered, she noticed a pretty, middle-aged brunette standing near Trent's father. Leaning over to Sophia she asked who it was.

  "Oh, that's just Gina. She works for my father."

  "Would you excuse me?"

  Sophia's mouth moved but Mara walked away before she could even answer. After ducking around a waiter, she made her way across the floor to where Mr. Townsend stood.

  "Hello again, Mara. Are you looking for Trent?" he asked pleasantly. "I think he's around here somewhere."

  She looked over at Gina. "Actually, I was hoping I could steal your assistant."

  James looked surprised but nodded affably. He glanced behind him at Gina. "Certainly."

  She held out her hand to Gina and then on the spur of the moment, pulled the other woman into a hug. "I wanted to thank you in person for everything you've done to help me. I would have been lost without you this past week."

  Her cheeks rosy with pleasure, Gina clapped her hands in front of her. "Of course. I was happy to do it. I'm so fond of Trent. Well, we all are."

  "I can tell. Well, I won't keep you. I just wanted to make sure I said hello." She let out a little sigh as Gina walked over to rejoin Mr. Townsend.

  Someone bumped into her elbow. She turned at the contact. A young woman about her age wearing an absolutely divine pale cream ball gown smiled brightly. "Oh hello. I saw you with the Townsends. We haven't met yet. I'm Nancy Callahan."

  Mara extended her hand to shake. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

  "So, you're the future Mrs. Trent. You're the hot topic tonight."

  "I am?" Mara glanced around warily.

  Nancy took a sip of her drink. "Don't worry about it. Before long someone else will be getting a divorce or going into rehab. Then people will have something else to talk about. So, what committees are you on?"

  Mara had to resist the urge to rub her temples. People here had a way of talking in circles. "Committees. What do you mean?"

  "Well, I work with the Garden Society and the Children's Hospital. I assume you've been working with Antonia on some of the Townsend charity initiatives."

  "No, I'm not. I'm not on any committees."

  The other woman looked at her strangely. "Really? None at all?"

  Mara finally started to lose her patience. "Well, I've never had time. Until recently I had a full-time job."

  At the other woman's blank look, Mara just shook her head. "A job. Where you work all week and then you get a paycheck at the end." While she was digesting that, Mara grabbed a champagne glass from the tray of a passing waiter. "It was lovely to have met you," she said before walking away.

  The drink cooled her off slightly but she didn't stop moving, fearful that she'd get pulled into another inane conversation. When she finally saw Trent walking toward her, she could have cried with relief. He headed straight for her, ignoring several people who tried to stop him on the way.

  When he reached her side, the first thing he said was, "You look upset. What did Sophia do?"

  She gulped down the rest of the champagne in her glass. "It wasn't Sophia. She was actually nice and introduced me to her friends. It's these people."

  Trent looked around them and then back at her. "I told you these parties were boring."

  "I just met a woman who asked me what committees I'm on. When I told her none, that I used to work a job, she looked at me like I was an alien. I guess she assumed that I should spend my days the way she apparently does, flitting from luncheon to luncheon
gossiping about people and writing checks instead of actually getting my hands dirty."

  Trent cupped her elbow and led her to the side of the room, angling his body to block out some of the crowd. She expelled a breath and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I'm complaining. I wanted to come, it's just so far from the world I'm used to. I think it's culture shock."

  "This was part of my fear," he admitted in a low voice.

  "What?"

  "Your ability to have a normal life will be curtailed if you're with me. If you’re my wife, it’ll be nearly impossible for you to work a normal job with people who actually need their paychecks. You saw the way your friend at work reacted. Imagine if everyone there knew. You could stay home but eventually it'll feel like I'm keeping you prisoner."

  She looked up to see Trent watching her with sad eyes. “Welcome to the gilded cage,” he whispered.

  Mara wanted to deny that what he said was true but then she tried to imagine going to work every day, having lunch with her coworkers while they complained about bills and how to make each paycheck last and just couldn’t envision it. She looked down at the gorgeous lavender evening gown that Sophia had chosen for her. Even though Trent’s sister hadn't given her the warmest reception when they'd first met, she hadn’t allowed that to prevent her from choosing well. The dress was perfection. It also cost almost as much as the new gutters she’d had installed on the townhouse last summer.

  That bill had made her cry and now look at her. Walking around with several thousand dollars on her back like it was nothing.

  As much as she would like to tell herself that money wouldn’t change her, it was impossible. She’d already changed and there was no pretending.

  Trent entwined their fingers, rubbing a slow circle over the back of her hand. “Do you regret coming here?”

  She put her other arm around his waist, pulling him closer. “No. I don’t regret anything. I love you. All this other stuff will take some adjusting to but I can do it." She looked up at him, feeling like her heart was in her throat.

  "I can live in a cage if you’re in there with me.”

  III.

  “But we loved with a love

  that was more than love—”

  - - Annabel Lee, Edgar Allan Poe

  Chapter Sixteen

  NOTHING IN TRENT’S life to date could compare to hearing Mara say that she was in it for the long haul.

  She leaned up and whispered in his ear, "I remember some rash promises about being debauched in the limo."

  Her arm around his waist moved slightly lower and she stepped closer, sliding up against him in one sinuous movement. Just like that, with one move, he was hard. His breath hissed out between his teeth as she rubbed against the length of his now painfully throbbing cock. Only she had ever had the power to do this to him, turn him into a barely civilized caveman who thought of nothing but getting her naked.

  "Can you call the car?" she whispered.

  "I don't think I can wait that long." Grabbing her hand, he pulled her along. She stumbled after him, trying to keep up with his long strides in her ridiculously high heels. It had been a while since he'd been in the museum so he just headed for the first roped off area that he saw. A guard stepped in front of them. Behind him, Mara let out a small squeak of surprise as she bumped into his back.

  "Sir, this area is off-limits."

  Trent reached into his pocket. "Can I convince you to develop a case of temporary amnesia for the next thirty minutes?" He handed over several hundred dollars. The guard pocketed the money and then turned in the other direction, deliberately not looking their way. Trent tugged Mara's hand, pulling her along the corridor and then turning out of sight.

  "Where are we?"

  "One of the Medieval exhibits."

  "Really?" She looked around excitedly.

  "Yes, I plan to have you naked while the Knights of the Round Table watch." He kissed the skin on the back of her neck, peeking out from beneath the loose tendrils of her hair. "You are so beautiful. And all night I've had to watch other men drooling over you. Coveting you."

  She spun in his arms, her hands resting on his chest. "They can covet all they want because I'm with you."

  "I know." He said the words and meant them.

  No matter what else was happening in his life, the one thing he had for absolute certain was Mara's loyalty. There was no amount of money or prestige that would entice her to betray him. It wouldn't matter if the man hitting on her was a CEO or the sheik of some small country, she was with him in every sense of the word.

  He cupped the base of her neck, wishing that her hair was loose and free so he could tangle his hands in it. It was an action borne of desperation. He wanted to erase the memory of Avery's kiss and her touch. At the thought, he lifted Mara and put one hand behind her on the wall to steady them. She had to hike up her dress to get her legs around him. Just the sound of the material sliding over her skin was erotic as hell. He reached between them, searching for the damp cotton between her legs.

  "You should never even bother with panties," he grumbled, as he pulled the flimsy material to the side.

  Mara panted as his finger slid deep. "Well, normally I'm not flashing my naughty bits around."

  "You'd better not be flashing anyone but me."

  She whimpered as he bit her neck playfully. Her ears and neck had always been sensitive and he loved teasing her that way, making her so hot for it that she sometimes came before he even got inside her. Their connection had been explosive since the first time they'd been together. He'd stayed away from her for years, knowing that their chemistry was potent. Dangerous. He'd tried to do the right thing and leave her alone but he was far too selfish for that.

  He needed her.

  Angling his palm, he rubbed circles directly on her clit. As he worked her, she bucked her hips. Her eagerness just spurred him on. It was an honor to know her body so intimately, to know exactly how much pressure would get her off and have her screaming his name. He watched, loving the play of emotions on her face as she succumbed to it. Finally her mouth fell open and he kissed her, swallowing her cry.

  “Always so wet for me,” he mumbled against her neck.

  He thrust two fingers in, testing her readiness and they both moaned. She reached down and unzipped him herself, carefully pulling his cock out. Mara apparently was tired of waiting. He jerked into her hold, cursing at the intense pleasure as she gripped him, rubbing her thumb over the tip.

  "I want you now." She didn't give him the option of waiting. With a firm hold on him, she was in the driver's seat and she knew it. The situation wasn't unlike every other area of their lives. Although he could be arrogant and demanding at times, he knew that truly Mara was the one in control. Because if she ever left him, he would be shattered. She held the key to his entire existence in the palm of her hand. He wondered if she even knew.

  "Don't you know I'd give you anything? Anything at all."

  "You don't have to give me anything other than you." She guided him in position and her eyes closed as he pressed forward. “I love the way you feel. You're the only one who's ever made me feel this way. Like I can't even wait to take my clothes off.”

  A primal rush of satisfaction flowed through him at being the only man who could give her this. Who could satisfy her.

  Trent lost all sense of time and place as his instincts took over. There was only her arms around his neck and the rolling motion of his hips. Mara kept her eyes on his as he thrust into her wildly, unable to slow himself down. Looking down at where their bodies connected just made every sensation more intense.

  She squeezed her eyes shut as her muscles clamped down on him, the flutters of her orgasm throwing him headfirst into his own release. He kissed her again, his tongue invading her mouth and all thought fled. His legs locked, trying to keep them upright as he came.

  "Oh my god, that was intense," she whispered. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders as she struggled to stand up.

&
nbsp; As his reason returned, shame washed over him. Mara deserved so much better than being fucked in a random corner. Like it was some illicit encounter. It only made what had happened with Avery earlier seem even worse. Mara should be spread on a bed of roses, pampered and protected. Not stealing embraces in a public place where only one morally ambiguous security guard stood between her and being publicly humiliated.

  "We have to leave now. I'm taking you home."

  If she was shocked at his sudden change in demeanor, she didn't say anything. She just did a sexy little wiggle to get her dress to fall back into place and then ran her hands over her hair.

  "I need to stop by the bathroom. You know, to clean up." She gave him a meaningful look.

  Trent nodded. He led them past the security guard at the entrance and down another corridor to the restrooms. She pushed the door open but before she entered, looked back at him. "I'll be just a minute. Hold these for me."

  After she was gone, Trent looked down at what she'd pressed into his hand.

  Her panties.

  * * * * *

  TRENT CHECKED HIS watch for the second time. Mara was taking a long time and he was starting to get some strange looks just hanging out in the hallway outside a women’s restroom. He was ready to get the hell out of there. The more time he had to think about the situation with Avery, the more he realized that he had to come clean with Mara immediately. He couldn’t predict what Avery would do. She wasn’t herself lately and the knowledge made him nervous. He definitely needed to get them home, away from prying eyes.

  He was still not ready to think about the implications of whether his memory was faulty. Just because he didn’t remember if anything had happened that night didn’t mean it was impossible. He groaned. What if he was Travis’ father? He’d have lost years of time with his son that they could never get back. Not to mention how it would affect his relationship with Mara going forward.

  It wasn’t that he thought she couldn’t accept and care for a child that wasn’t her own. But in light of the things she’d told him about Avery, he knew the situation had the potential to go nuclear. His thoughts turned to Mara’s accusations about Avery tricking her, deliberately trying to sabotage their family dinner. It brought up some truly troubling possibilities because if that was true than Avery’s behavior tonight wasn’t borne of insecurity and alcohol.