by Sherri Hayes
He thrust his hips harder, driving his point home. Abby held on tight, encouraging him with every moan, every touch. Trent never wanted it to end, but he knew it must. He could feel his orgasm beckoning. As much as he wanted to keep going, it was only a matter of time. He needed to make sure she got there first.
Shifting his weight a little, Trent reached between them. Abby sucked in a breath as he began rubbing slow circles over her swollen flesh. He felt her tense up as he added more pressure. That was all it took for her to fall over the edge. She squeezed him tight as her eyes rolled back into her head and her lips parted.
Feeling her climax around him, Trent let go. With only a few more thrusts, he found his own release. His heart rate began to slow and with it came the realization that he’d never felt more satisfied. Then again, he’d never been in love with any of the women he’d slept with. He’d never been in love with anyone but Abby, and in his heart he knew he never would be. Abby was it for him. All he had to do was show her that no matter what had happened in the past, they were each other’s future.
***
Trent started to move off her, but Abby stopped him. “Not yet.”
He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek with so much gentleness that it left an ache in her chest. “I don’t want to crush you.”
“You’re not. I like your weight on me.”
Smirking, he flexed his hips slightly. He was still inside her and, while he was no longer fully aroused, she doubted it would take much for him to be up for another round.
Abby was still considering the possibilities when Trent pulled out and rested his head on her chest. His nose brushed against one of her nipples, causing it to harden again. Her body was still humming from her orgasm.
He brushed his fingers over the curve of her hip and up her side until his hand rested along the side of her breast. “You have the most perfect breasts I’ve ever seen.”
Abby chuckled. “Thank you?”
“I mean it. They fit perfectly in my hands, my mouth. And they look absolutely amazing jiggling up and down when I’m inside you.” There was no apology in his tone, no shame or embarrassment. He was being honest.
He ran lazy circles over the edge of her breast while she combed her fingers through his hair. It felt natural to be with him like this . . . peaceful.
“Can I ask you something?”
“At this point, I think it’s safe to say you can ask me anything. You know all my secrets,” she said.
He propped himself up on one elbow and looked into her eyes. Her hand dropped onto the mattress as she waited to see what he wanted to know.
“Why did you change your major? You always wanted to be an interior designer.”
Out of all the things she thought he might ask her, that hadn’t even made her top ten. She gave him a half smile. “I guess you could say that Max made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
Trent waited.
“A close friend of his family was a senior partner in a prominent law firm in the city. Max’s dad arranged an internship for him there. He pulled a few more strings and got me an entry-level job in the administrative department. It was mostly gofer work—getting coffee and making copies—but the chances to move up and make good money were too good to pass up. I’d learned the hard way how quickly life can change.”
Trent pushed himself up so that his face was level with hers. He held her gaze for a long moment, and then placed a soft kiss on her lips.
She brought her hand up to cup the back of his neck. “I feel as if I’ve been hanging onto the edge of a cliff ever since I came back to Ohio and you’re the one who keeps me from falling off.”
“Glad to be of service.”
Abby grinned and smoothed a hand over the stubble along his jaw. “I know. You’ve always been my rock.”
“I hope you know I want to be much more than that,” he said.
She didn’t respond. In truth, she didn’t know how to. What she felt for him was complicated.
He rolled off her and the cold air hit her skin, making her shiver. She wanted to reach for him, but she didn’t.
When he turned on his side, he had a determined look on his face. She had the urge to reach up and smooth the lines from his forehead. He was inches away from her, yet it felt like much more.
After several moments had passed, he trailed his fingers up her arm, leaving a warm, tingly feeling everywhere he touched.
The ache in her chest grew. “What are we doing?”
“We’re lying in bed together.” He smiled. “And I’m contemplating how long I should wait before I try to jump you again.”
Abby snorted, which only made his smile grow bigger.
“I’m serious,” she said.
He didn’t stop caressing her as he spoke, which had heat pooling in the pit of her stomach despite her very real concerns. “Don’t you think we should have had this conversation before we peeled off our clothes and I had my way with you?”
“Had your way with me, huh?”
There was a sparkle in his eye and it was hard not to follow his mood. “Definitely.”
He closed the gap between them and glided his lips over hers.
Abby sighed.
Pulling her against his chest, Trent ran his nose along her jawline to the space right below her ear. “Tell me. What has you so worried?”
Abby closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. “You know what.”
“My family has absolutely nothing to do with you and me.” He grazed his teeth over her earlobe.
She sucked in a shaky breath. “How can you say that?”
“They’re not in this bed with us, are they?” he whispered in her ear.
A gentle shove to his shoulders resulted in little more than a soft chuckle from him.
“I’m serious.”
“So you said.”
He readjusted their positions again so she was on her back. With every kiss, every nip of his teeth, Abby was having trouble remembering her argument. Why did he have to be so good at distracting her?
She tried one more time. “I don’t live here.”
Trent paused in his downward progression and met her gaze. “You’re here now.”
Before she could think of a response to that, he sucked her nipple into his mouth and began doing something amazing with his tongue. For some reason, whenever Trent got his mouth on her, or his hands for that matter, she couldn’t think straight. It had never been so easy for her to forget everything else but the person she was with.
He released her nipple and scraped his teeth along her side, tickling her. Abby pushed at his shoulders and wiggled, trying to get away, but he held on. In less than a minute, she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
“Stop. Please. I can’t.”
Trent’s chest vibrated as he stopped his antics and flipped them over so she was sprawled on top of him.
When she could breathe again, she smacked his chest. This, of course, did nothing but make him laugh harder.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“I needed to do something to get that brain of yours to shut off.”
Abby scowled at him.
He shrugged. “Worked, didn’t it?”
Without answering, she rested her head on his chest.
Trent ran his hands through her hair and down the length of her back. “Do you remember when we snuck into the kitchen and stole Ma’s chocolate chip cookies?”
She grinned at the memory. “Paul distracted your mom while you, me, and Chris stuffed as many cookies as we could hold into our shirts.”
“Yeah. Too bad we didn’t think about the chocolate getting on our shirts. Hard to deny when you have the evidence right there in front of you.”
“What about the time when you and your brothers convinced me to eat a worm?”
“I can’t believe you bought it when we told you that it would taste like chicken.” Even though she couldn’t see his face, Abby knew he was smiling.
&nbs
p; “Yeah, well, I trusted you.” She shivered at the memory. “One of the worst-tasting things ever.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’d never make you eat a worm now.”
“Mmm. I wouldn’t be stupid enough to fall for it.”
Trent tilted her chin up so he could see her face. “You were never stupid. Just too trusting.”
She narrowed her eyes.
His eyes sparkled with amusement. “You got your revenge, though.”
“I did.” A grin lit up her face. “And you boys deserved it.”
He cupped the side of her face. “Yes, we did.”
Before she could continue with her next thought, he brought her mouth to meet his. “It’s hard to have rational conversations when you’re lying naked on top of me.”
Trent moved his other hand lower to cup her ass and she felt him harden against her stomach.
Going purely on instinct, she parted her legs and placed her knees on either side of his hips. She wanted him again, and in this position it wouldn’t take much for him to slip inside.
Abby had never been one to take the initiative during sex, mainly because she’d never before felt comfortable taking control with her partner. As with so many other things, it was different with Trent. She trusted him completely and didn’t fear crossing some invisible line.
Staring down into his eyes, her pulse quickened. She wanted him. Wanted him more than she probably should. But for the moment he was here, with her. He was hers and she was his. That was all she was going to concentrate on for now.
She reached between them and brought his erection in line with her entrance. Abby closed her eyes as she sank down onto him and let the sensations overtake her. There would be time to worry about everything else later.
Chapter 16
Abby woke up with a smile on her face. Her body felt as if it had been through a good workout the night before, which wasn’t far from the truth. The first time they’d made love—and it didn’t feel right calling it anything else—there had almost been a desperation to it. As if the world would crumble around them if they didn’t come together. She’d needed him as much as he’d needed her.
The second time was slower, even though there’d been very little foreplay. She’d sat atop him for a long time, rocking her hips back and forth as he’d helped her move. There was no rush as they touched and kissed. With every brush of his hand, he’d gotten to know her body, figuring out what she liked.
She lifted her arms above her head and stretched. Her head fell to the side and she glanced at the pillow next to her. It was only then that she realized she was alone.
Sitting up, she surveyed the room and tried to calm the sudden panic flowing through her. He wouldn’t have just left. She knew he wouldn’t.
Throwing the covers off, she got out of bed and immediately felt the evidence of their previous evening’s activities running down the inside of her leg. Abby rushed toward the bathroom to clean herself up.
On her way, she noticed Trent’s shirt draped over a chair. Seeing confirmation that he was still there calmed her irrational fears.
When she finished in the bathroom, she headed back into the bedroom to get dressed. She was opening her drawer to get a long shirt and a pair of panties when she got a whiff of bacon. He was cooking?
Abby put the shirt over her head and stepped into a pair of midnight blue panties. No reason not to make a little extra effort this morning. Then she went in search of the source of the delicious smell.
Sure enough, when she strolled into the kitchen she found Trent standing at the stove. His back was to her, so she took a few moments to take him in. He was wearing his khaki shorts from the day before and nothing else. His chest was bare, as were his feet. She leaned against the doorjamb and grinned. This was a view she could get used to.
“Enjoying yourself?” he asked without turning around.
Abby blinked and pushed herself off the wall. She must not have been as stealthy as she’d thought.
“I’m enjoying the view,” she replied as she crossed the room.
Trent glanced over his shoulder and sent her a killer smile, one that had her pulse racing again, and then went back to flipping bacon.
She leaned on the counter beside him and nodded at the skillet. “Hungry?”
He had found her largest skillet and filled every inch of it with bacon. Behind it was another slightly smaller skillet with hash browns.
Trent held a large spatula in one hand and reached for her with the other. He pulled her in for a brief but lingering kiss. “I worked up an appetite last night.”
Abby sighed when he released her and went back to the food. If there was nothing else going on in their lives, what was happening between them would be pretty close to perfection.
Needing a distraction, she padded over to the refrigerator. “Do you want milk, orange juice, or do you just want to stick to coffee?”
“Orange juice would be great.”
She nodded and poured them each a glass of orange juice. Then she went to make some coffee. She needed her caffeine in the mornings.
Ten minutes later, they sat down at her small kitchen table. While she was making the coffee, he’d fried up eggs to go with the hash browns and bacon. It was a breakfast feast, as far as Abby was concerned. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten so much to start her day. But, in all honesty, she also couldn’t remember the last time she’d burned so many calories in bed. Trent was right. They had both worked up an appetite.
“When do you have to be at work?” Trent asked after reaching for yet another slice of bacon.
Abby looked at the clock above the stove. Until he’d mentioned it, work had been the last thing on her mind. “Most days I try to get there around seven thirty, but as long as I’m there before Max gets in I’m okay.”
“And when is that?”
His tone was lighthearted, but she was curious as to why he suddenly wanted to know. “It varies. But he has an offsite meeting this morning, so he won’t be in until after nine. Why?”
The smile that crossed his face was downright wicked. “Just wanting to make sure we have enough time.”
She swallowed. “Enough time for what?”
He chuckled and went back to his food.
Abby nudged him with her foot. “Enough time for what?”
When he looked up this time, his eyes had that heated look to them that had caused her to melt the night before. “I want to make sure we have enough time to clean ourselves up.”
All the moisture left her mouth.
“Finish your breakfast,” he encouraged, tucking into his own food with gusto.
“I’m not sure I’m hungry anymore.”
“Eat. Trust me. You’re going to need your energy.” He winked.
Abby shook her head and picked up her fork. “You can’t say stuff like that to me and leave me hanging.”
He laughed. “Why not?”
Against her will, a small smile pulled at her lips. “You know why not.”
Trent placed his hand on her knee and skimmed it up the inside of her leg. A shiver ran through her. “Eat your breakfast, baby, and I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
Right before he reached the edge of her panties, he removed his hand from her leg and reached for his orange juice. Was it his goal to drive her mad? Well, two could play at that game.
She scooped some food into her mouth and chewed. Sitting up ramrod straight, Abby pulled the T-shirt as tight around her front as she could get it, so it stretched over her breasts. Then, spreading her legs, she edged the hem of the shirt up enough so he could see a hint of the midnight blue panties she wore. Once she was satisfied with her position, she went back to eating, making sure to draw attention to her mouth with every bite.
Trent didn’t say anything, but Abby didn’t miss how he started eating a little faster. She smiled around her fork and reveled in the knowledge that she could push his buttons as easily as he could push hers.
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As soon as he’d finished his food, he was on his feet and taking his plate over to the sink. When he turned around, he marched across the room and came to a stop hovering over her.
“I’m not done yet.” While she was going for nonchalance, Abby didn’t think she pulled it off.
Instead of speaking, Trent shifted her hair out of his way and stroked his fingers ever so gently along the back of her neck. It was both relaxing and stimulating at the same time. She leaned into his touch and forgot about the food.
“I thought you weren’t done yet?” he asked when several minutes had passed and she hadn’t taken a bite. There was a hint of teasing in his voice.
“I changed my mind,” she whispered.
He grazed his palm over her shoulder and down the length of her arm until he covered her hand with his. Abby dropped her fork and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. Within a matter of seconds, he was hoisting her into his arms and kissing her.
Abby moaned as he lifted her. She figured they were going back to the bed, but she was wrong. He carried her into the bathroom and set her down on her feet next to the bathtub.
When she glanced at him with a curious expression, he shot her that wicked grin again. “Are you opposed to taking a shower with me?”
“No. I just thought . . .”
He tilted his head to the side. “You thought . . .”
She blushed and looked away.
Trent, of course, wasn’t having that. He stepped forward and brought her body in line with his. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, Abby. You can tell me anything.” He ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “Although, I do love it when you blush.”
Abby met his gaze. “I thought we were going to make love again.”
“Oh, we are.”
Her eyes widened. She looked over at the shower and then back at him. “In the shower?”
Trent’s only response was a huge smile.
“I’ve never done it in a shower before. Is that even possible? I mean, won’t we slip and fall or something?”
He laughed. “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t let you fall. I promise.”
Then words left her mind altogether as he removed their clothing and showed her how good sex in the shower could be.