His Every Need

by Terri L. Austin

  “I’ll not put up with your name calling, my dear.” Nigel crossed his arms, and his face took on the same cold, expressionless mask that Trevor assumed when he became angry.

  “I’m not your dear. How dare you invite that woman to my wedding?”

  “We’re mates now, love, that’s all.” Nigel held up his hands in a pleading gesture. “Please be reasonable about this.”

  All of the fire seeped out of her and her body, rigid with anger a moment before, became relaxed. “Reasonable?” She raised a brow. “How’s this for reasonable?” She picked up a small bronze statue of a goddess and hurled it at Nigel’s head.

  He shifted to the side, narrowly escaping the projectile. “Now, Mags, that was Aphrodite. Not the thing, ducks.”

  She gave him a scary smile. “You’re right, darling, I’m sorry.”

  “I should say so.” Nigel dusted his shoulder. “Don’t know what all the fuss is about.”

  “All the old jealousies are in the past,” she practically cooed.

  Nigel smiled. “Quite right.”

  “So if you invite Rebecca, I should invite Miguel. He and I are still on the best of terms. How very modern of you, darling.”

  “What did you say?” The smile turned to a scowl in the blink of an eye. “You will do absolutely no such thing. I forbid it.”

  “Oh no, we’re in for it now,” Frances whispered in Allie’s ear.

  Allie turned back and looked at the maid. “What do you mean?”

  “Mrs. Mags just brought up Miguel. That’s like waving a red flag at a bull, it is.”

  “You forbid me?”

  Allie turned back in time to see Mags lift her chin to the ceiling. “You don’t own me, Nigel Blake. I’ll do whatever I please.”

  He strode across the room and grabbed her by the shoulders. “You will not mention that man’s name in my presence, Margaret, do you understand?”

  She broke free of his hold. “Miguel, Miguel, Miguel.”

  “You are living very dangerously, woman.” Nigel’s face turned purple. Allie was afraid he might stroke out.

  “And while I’m at it, I may invite Francois. He asked me to move back to France just last month, you know.”

  “Fine,” Nigel ground out, “then I’ll ask Tanya. She got her boobs redone. She’d love to show them off at a wedding.”

  One of Mags’s eyes narrowed, making her look slightly cockeyed. She strolled across the room, picked up a bottle of gin, and threw it at him. “You are disgusting.” The bottle hit the wall. The strong-smelling liquor made a stain on the pale blue paint, and glass tinkled to the floor.

  “That was a new bottle.”

  “Well, this one’s not.” She chucked whiskey at his head. She wasn’t even in the ballpark.

  “You’re aim isn’t what it used to be, dear,” he said in a bored voice.

  “I guess I’m out of practice.” She picked up a white vase with hand-painted flowers and held it over her head with both hands.

  Allie felt hands on her hips and was lifted to one side. Trevor took two steps into the room and grabbed the vase from Mags’s hands before she could hurl it at Nigel. “If you’re going to give him a concussion, I must insist you destroy your own property to do so.”

  Mags’s lips thinned in a straight line. “Your father wants to invite his second wife to my wedding. What do you think about that, Trevor?” Her eyes never left Nigel and his red face.

  “I don’t care whom you invite. I don’t care if you get married at all. But if you break one more thing in this house, I’ll toss you both out on your asses.” He turned and left the room.

  Allie gave Nigel and Mags one last look before trailing after him. “Trevor.”

  He stopped and glared at her. “What do you want?”

  She flinched. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…”

  He rubbed his forehead. “Apologies, Allison, I didn’t mean to snap at you. Those two drive me barmy.” He thrust his hands in his pockets. “What can I do for you?”

  For some reason, his formal question hurt more than his harsh words. She shook her head. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  Bitterness tinged his laughter. “I’m brilliant.” He pivoted and went back toward his office.

  Allie stood in the hallway, feeling bereft. She loved him so much, she ached with it. She knew he was going to cut her loose. And she wasn’t sure how she was going to survive.

  As she lingered in the hallway, Mags pushed by her with a sob.

  ***

  That night, dinner was painful and the arctic atmosphere made Allie shiver. No one said much of anything. Trevor was withdrawn and quiet. Mags and Nigel were frigidly polite to one another.

  After dinner, Trevor retreated to his office. Allie knew he didn’t want to be disturbed, so she hit the media room, curling up on the couch beneath the cashmere blanket, and watched TV for a few hours. As she sat, her mind drifted. What would it have been like to hear her parents fight like that? Trevor must have been a confused little boy, new people entering his life and leaving it just as quickly.

  Finally, exhausted at nine-thirty, she hit the power button on the controller. But instead of going to her own room, she went to Trevor’s. The angels stood guard as she shimmied out of all her clothes and curled up under the sheets. She pulled Trevor’s pillow close, inhaling his scent. Despite the pain of his callous treatment earlier, she wanted to comfort him, soothe him. She knew he was hurting. The little boy in him never got over his parents’ abandonment or their manic relationship.

  She woke when the bed dipped and felt Trevor try to gently pry the pillow out of her hands. She rubbed at her eyes and looked at the clock on the bedside table. “It’s after midnight. Have you been working all this time?”

  He plumped the pillow and crawled into bed, curling himself around her. “Yes. And I’m sorry I was abrupt earlier.”

  “It’s okay.” She stroked the arm wrapped around her waist. “They still love each other, you know, even when they fight.”

  “Shhh,” he said against her hair. “Go back to sleep.”

  “Trevor?” She wasn’t even sure what she wanted to say, maybe she just wanted reassurance for herself.

  “Go to sleep, Allie.”

  She stroked his arm until she felt him breathe deep and rhythmically next to her. She was wide awake now. Her mother always fed her hot milk with vanilla and cinnamon when she couldn’t sleep.

  Allie crawled out from under Trevor’s embrace and scooted to the edge of the bed. She looked back to make sure she hadn’t awakened him, but when she saw he still slept, she quickly redressed and slipped quietly from the room.

  She made her way to the kitchen and discovered Mags sitting at the granite counter, toying with a mugful of something. Her eyes were sad. She looked older and a little haggard.

  “Hello, dearest. You couldn’t sleep either?”

  Allie rubbed her arms and shook her head. “No, I thought I’d make myself some warm milk. You?” She grabbed a sauce pan from the rack above the island and crossed the room to the fridge.

  “Hot tea with whiskey.” Mags took a whiff of her cup then sipped at it.

  “Do you know where the cinnamon is?” Allie opened the small cabinet next to the range. “Found it.”

  “Allison, I’m sorry you witnessed Nigel and me arguing this morning.”

  Allie shrugged and poured milk into the copper-bottom pan. She added a cinnamon stick and decided to forget about hunting down the vanilla. “Frankly, Mags, it upsets me that Trevor saw that growing up.”

  Mags winced. “Yes. We’ve been dreadful parents. And now that the wedding’s off, I suppose I’ll leave. Probably head back to England with Pix and Paolo.” She peered into her tea cup.

  “What do you mean the wedding’
s off? Because of one fight? What about Nigel being the one that got away?”

  “Yes, I thought so too.” She gave Allie a wistful smile.

  “So, that’s it?” Allie felt an irrational anger rise to the surface. “You’re not even going to fight to stay together?”

  “There’s been entirely too much fighting, Allie.” She sighed. “You don’t understand, darling. Pix was right. Nigel and I would never work.”

  Allie breathed out a laugh. “Trevor had you pegged from the start. The two of you are complete fuckups. Do you know how hard my mom fought for her life so that she could stay with us? Do you have any idea how painful it was to watch her die a little bit every day? You have a second chance at happiness, a second chance to show Trevor that you’re not a flake.”

  Mags looked stricken. “Allison.”

  “He’d have been better off if you hadn’t come back. But you guys had to turn the knife one more time. You couldn’t just leave him alone.” She grabbed the pan and poured the milk down the sink and tossed the pan in too.

  “It’s not that simple, darling.”

  Allie whirled around. “Nothing worth having is ever easy. God, don’t you get that?” She swept out of the room and ran back to Trevor’s room, craving his arms around her. He may not love her, but she loved him. And she wasn’t going to give up on him. She knew he cared about her. Maybe that could be enough.

  She entered his room and shucked her clothes, leaving them on the floor. As she pulled back the covers, Trevor stirred. “You all right?” he asked, his voice faint and sleepy.

  Allie lay on her side facing him, one hand resting on his hip. She rained light kisses down his chest, her tongue swirling around his nipple. Trevor groaned and dragged her on top of him.

  Allie straddled him and braced her hands on his wide shoulders as she leaned down to kiss him. She groaned when her lips met his. Trevor reached between them and held back the curtain of her hair. Her nipples hardened as they brushed his smooth chest and her lips clung to his.

  Pulling back, she fitted herself over his shaft and slowly lowered her body, taking him in as deeply as she could. He helped her by pistoning her hips up and down his cock. “Trevor,” she gasped. She reached down and rubbed her clit, and as she came she threw her head back and lost herself in the sensations.

  Trevor increased the pace. Allie’s breasts jiggled as he slammed up into her. “Yes, Allison. Oh God.” He clenched his eyes shut as he came, then his grasp on her hips slacked off.

  Allie collapsed on his chest, breathing hard. Her hair fell over him, and he smoothed it with one hand.

  “Why did you get out of bed?” He petted her hair, slowly brushing the strands back from her face.

  “Couldn’t sleep and I went to the kitchen for milk.” She turned her face and planted a kiss on his chest. “Trevor.” She raised her head. He looked so peaceful, so content in the afterglow, she didn’t want to tell him about his parents.

  “Yes, love?”

  She smiled. “Nothing.” He’d find out soon enough tomorrow. Allie rolled off his chest and laid her head in the crook of his arm.

  He kissed her temple. “Think you’ll be able to sleep now?”

  “Um hmm.” She closed her eyes and drifted off.

  ***

  The next morning she found Trevor in his office. She bypassed breakfast when she saw he wasn’t at the table. She stuck her head in the door, watched him for a moment tapping away on his computer.

  “Hey, sorry to interrupt.”

  He glanced up but continued fiddling with his keyboard. “What is it, Allison? I’m busy this morning.”

  If he thought that would put her off, he was fooling himself. She’d dealt with two teenage girls who had the leave-me-the-hell-alone-or-I’ll-cut-you vibe down pat. She walked into the room. “I take it you’ve heard about Mags and Nigel?”

  His fingers stilled. “I knew all about Mags and Nigel before they ever got here. I told you it wouldn’t last. Hope you’re not too disappointed.”

  She approached his side of the desk, leaning against it, and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Trevor.”

  “Huh.” He shook her off. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not a child, and I haven’t had any illusions about those two since I was a very young boy. I don’t need your sympathy.”

  Allie clasped her hands and took a deep breath. “I understand your skepticism and pain.”

  He threw his head back and laughed then—not a laugh filled with humor, but a hard laugh tinged with bitterness and anger. “Do you? Well, that’s such a relief. Am I meant to share all my angst over those two bloody morons?” He pushed back from the chair and stood. He moved over and wedged himself between her legs. “I never thought for an instant those two would remarry, and I believe I told you so on numerous occasions.” His voice was calm and pleasant, and he wore that blank mask she’d grown to hate.

  She placed her hands on his chest. “Trevor, marriage, love, it doesn’t have to be like that. My parents—”

  “Your parents were an anomaly and probably only stayed together because of you and your sisters. That and your dire economic straits. Don’t kid yourself that they had some kind of fairy tale, Allie. Fairy tales don’t exist, and you women think if you shag someone, it means you love him. You can’t bear the thought that you simply like fucking, so you make it romantic and put a name on it. It’s all bollocks.” He leaned down, placed a hand on the back of her head, and gave her a savage kiss. “That’s real. What we have when I’m inside you, that’s real. Don’t wrap it in a bow and think it’s anything more.”

  She pushed his chest to try and force him away. He didn’t budge, but he let go of her head. “Don’t talk about my parents that way, Trevor. My mother lay there, dying, and my father was so broken up about it—”

  “That he got himself a girlfriend six months later. Oh yes, darling, he was very committed.”

  Allie wanted to lash out at him, hit him, hurt him like he’d just hurt her. “Believe what you want. But love does exist, Trevor, because I love you. Yeah, I know you don’t want to hear it and I know you won’t believe it, but there it is. I’m in love with you. And it’s not just fucking wrapped in a bow, it’s consuming and scary and wonderful.”

  He dismissed her with a look, his lips pressed together in a straight line. “I told you, I don’t need your sympathy, so take your declarations of love and get out. I’ve got work to do.” He stepped away from her and sat down in his chair, shutting her out.

  She should have expected his reaction, especially given his mood. Nevertheless, she felt bruised, wounded. Dazed, she moved from the desk and, with heavy feet, walked out of the room.

  She stood at the end of the hallway, her fingers rubbing her still-tender lips, unsure what to do next. Should she pack up and leave? Everything in her wanted to stay, despite Trevor’s harsh treatment of her just now. She knew he was hurting—probably even more than she was—knew it in her gut. Everyone in his life had left him. Was she going to do the same? That’s why he pushed people away, so they would leave on his terms and not blindside him, like his parents had done time and time again.

  She left the office and went to Mags’s room, where she found her fluttering like a moth around a light, darting between the closet and the bed with armfuls of clothes. “Oh, Allie dear, I’ve shopped so much, I think I need a new suitcase.”

  Allie turned to Frances. The normally cheerful, talkative maid was quiet and her forehead wrinkled into a V shape. “Good morning.”

  “Frances, do you think I could have a word with Mags?”

  “Yes, of course.” She laid a dress on the bed and squeezed Allie’s shoulder as she walked by.

  Allie waited until the other woman left then she watched Mags, who was still in perpetual motion. “Mags, where’s Nigel?”

  Mags h
eld up two dresses, one blue, one green. “Gone, dear. Which do you think I should wear on the plane?”

  “Neither.”

  “Well, I can’t very well go naked, now can I? Although, with those perverts at security, I might as well be.”

  “Where did he go?”

  She dropped both dresses on the bed and flitted to the dresser. “I need to send my jewels back by courier. I don’t like to travel with them. Go call Frances, dear.”

  “No.”

  Mags did glance up at her then. “Sorry?”

  Allie shoved all the dresses to one side and sat down on the blue silk bedcover, curling one leg under her. “So that’s it? You’re just going to leave him again?”

  “Well…” Mags swallowed, her eyes shifting to the floor. “Nigel and I are over, Allie. I’m sure Trevor wants me out of his hair.”

  “So all that talk about staying in Vegas to make amends, all that was just bullshit?”

  Mags tilted her head and gave Allie a disapproving glance.

  “You’re leaving him again.”

  With a sigh, Mags gathered up the dresses and moved them to a chair. Half of them slid to the floor, but she didn’t bend to pick them up. She sank down on the bed next to Allie. “He doesn’t want me here, darling. He told me so this morning.”

  “He’s been telling you to leave for weeks, Mags. And you’ve decided to listen to him now?”

  “Well…” She waved her hands helplessly.

  “You’re afraid he’s going to give you a hard time for breaking the engagement?”

  “My son hates me, Allison. It’s time I faced that. Why keep butting my head against a wall, darling? It’s painful, and it dulls the senses.”

  Allie took one of Mags’s hands in both of hers. “He doesn’t hate you. But if you keep abandoning him, he will. And yes, he’s going to give you hell, I mean, have you met Trevor?”

  Sniffing, Mags gave a little laugh.

  “He needs you in his life. He’s always needed you. Maybe this time, you can be there for him.”

  “I don’t know.” Mags’s gaze drifted toward the door.