What Might Have Been: Daniels Brother #4 (Daniels Brothers)

by Sherri Hayes

  The look he gave her spoke volumes. She’d seen it many times when they were younger. It was his ‘I’m not buying what you’re selling’ look.

  Laying the dirty napkin to the side, Abby met his gaze across the table. “What if it was? Would you be okay with that?”

  He studied her for a long minute. “Yes. I would.”

  “You would?” She stared at him with wide eyes.

  Chris leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I want my brother to find someone who can make him as happy as Elizabeth has made me. If you’re who he wants, then . . .”

  “Then?”

  He looked out the window again, and then back at her. “Then I’m okay with that.”

  Neither of them said anything more as they finished their coffee. For the first time, Abby allowed herself to really imagine a possible future with Trent. Could it work? If Chris was able to accept it, then maybe the rest of the family would as well. She felt as if a huge weight had been removed from her.

  When the server came by with their bill, Chris swiftly pulled out his card and handed it to her. Abby opened her mouth to tell him he didn’t have to do that, but Chris cut her off. “My treat.”

  She bit her tongue and accepted the gesture for what it was. “Thank you.”

  They took the subway back to the hotel. Some of the awkwardness had dissipated, but they had a long way to go before things between them were mended.

  He walked her up to her room like he’d done the night before.

  “Do you want to meet later for dinner?” she asked as she dug her keycard out of her purse.

  “No. I think I’m just going to order room service tonight.”

  She opened the door to her room and stepped inside. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

  He gave her one short nod. “Good night, Abby.”

  “Good night.”

  It was only two thirty in the afternoon, but Abby was exhausted. She secured the door, dropped her purse on the nightstand, and kicked off her shoes before falling onto the bed. Her eyelids felt heavy, as if she’d pulled an all-nighter. She closed her eyes. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

  Three hours later, her phone rang, waking her. Abby bolted up and scrambled to reach the phone before the call went to voice mail. She almost fell off the mattress and face-planted into the floor in the process. “Hello?”

  “Is this a bad time?”

  Abby smiled at the sound of Trent’s voice. “No, not at all. I just woke up from a nap, actually.”

  “Long day?” he asked.

  “Yeah. You could say that.” She strolled over to the desk and sat down.

  He knew she and Chris were visiting Kaylee’s grave today. “How’d it go?”

  Abby rubbed her forehead. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. W-we went to a café after and talked.”

  Trent didn’t respond right away. “A good talk?”

  “Yeah. I think so.” She picked up a pen and began doodling on the hotel stationery. “Tell me what’s going on in Ohio. How did you spend your day off?”

  “I didn’t.”

  “What do you mean you didn’t?”

  “I worked today. Had to help some of my crew remove a stubborn tree.” He proceeded to tell her how they’d tried everything to get this tree out of the ground. At first, they’d attempted to save it, but that proved to be impossible. In the end, they’d had to climb the tree, remove the larger limbs, and then cut the thing down. “And don’t even ask about the stump.”

  He was so animated telling the story—adjusting his voice, pretending to be members of his crew—that Trent had her giggling and completely forgetting about the stress of the morning.

  Eventually, her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. She called down for room service while Trent dialed for a pizza. They continued to talk until she started yawning.

  “I should let you get some sleep,” he said. “When do you get back tomorrow?”

  She knew he was right. “Our plane leaves at ten, so we should land in Cincinnati around eleven.”

  “Do you need me to pick you up?”

  After she’d finished eating, Abby had moved to the bed. She relaxed back against the pillows. “I don’t think so. Chris drove us, so I’m assuming he’ll drop me off back at my apartment.”

  “Call me if you need me, all right?”

  “I will.” She paused. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him she loved him, but it didn’t feel right to say something that monumental over the phone. “Good night.”

  “Good night, baby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  ***

  Trent dragged his butt out of bed and tried not to think of the hours he had to kill before Abby’s plane landed. He made breakfast, threw in a load of laundry, and even went for a run. Unfortunately, when he looked at the clock, it was still only ten forty-five.

  Throughout the morning, he kept thinking about their conversation the night before. It was in the tone of her voice as she’d told him about her day and her talk with Chris. She hadn’t sounded as though she were about to jump off a cliff like she had the night before.

  But more than that, the thing that kept replaying in his mind was a random comment she’d made regarding how it had felt strange being back in New York. She said it didn’t feel like home anymore. Trent knew he was probably reading too much into it, but he was hoping that meant Ohio was home to her now. That she was considering staying there with him. Having a future with him.

  He checked his phone, confirming she hadn’t called or sent him a text, and then went to shower. She would call him after she landed, or once Chris dropped her off at her apartment. Stalking his phone wasn’t going to make it happen any quicker.

  Irritated with himself, he stripped out of his clothes, and stepped into the shower. He’d pushed himself on his run, trying to get rid of some of his excess energy. The water felt good on his overworked muscles.

  Trent rested his hands on the tile wall and stretched out his back. He closed his eyes as the water beat out a rhythm on his back and shoulders. Memories of the shower he’d shared with Abby that first morning they’d made love filled his mind—the feel of her soft, wet skin as he rubbed soap up her torso to cup her breasts.

  His body began to react to his erotic musings and he reached down to take care of his growing problem when his phone rang.

  The sound made him jerk and he bumped the top of his head on the tile. “Ouch.”

  He rubbed the spot on his head he’d hit and bent to turn off the water. The phone rang again as he snatched a towel off the counter. He did a quick swipe over his body and rushed to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Good morning, son.” His father paused, and then chuckled. “Yep. It’s still morning. Time seems to be getting away from me today.”

  Trent glanced over at the clock. It was eleven thirty-five. Still no call from Abby. “You still have a few minutes of morning left.”

  His father laughed again. “Your mother has had me working on her honey-do list. Sometimes I think she stays up late at night just to dream up stuff for me to do.”

  Trent grinned when he heard his mother’s voice in the background. He imagined her standing there with her hands on her hips, chastising her husband for his comment. It was a familiar sight.

  “All right, all right,” his father mumbled.

  Trent couldn’t help but smile at his parents’ antics.

  “Anyway,” his father said, talking to Trent once more, “your mother wanted me to call and see if you would be coming over for dinner today.” He paused. “Abby’s welcome as well.”

  Trent glanced at his cell phone, which was still deathly silent. “I don’t know.”

  “You know your mother is going to want a better answer than that.”

  Yeah, he could see his mother’s reaction if his dad came back with a response like that. Next thing Trent knew, his phone would be ringing again and this time it would be h
is mom.

  “Tell her not to plan on us being there.” If Trent hadn’t heard from Abby in the next hour, he was going to head over to her place and wait there until she got home. There was no way he’d be able to have lunch with his family without Abby there with him. He also knew that chances were the moment he saw her he wasn’t going to be able to keep his hands off her. It had been three and a half days since he’d seen her.

  “All right. Well, you know you’re always welcome if you change your mind. Both of you.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  Trent hung up the phone and went to find some fresh clothes to put on. He’d managed to pull on a pair of shorts when there was a knock on his door.

  Given it was a Sunday, he had no idea who it could be. He didn’t bother to look before wrenching it open. If it was someone selling something, he had no problem telling them to go away.

  But it wasn’t a salesman standing on his front porch. It was Abby.

  She glanced up at him with a shy smile, wringing her hands in front of her. “Hi—”

  Before she was able to get anything else out, he scooped her up and dragged her inside. He kicked the door closed behind them and, in the next breath, his mouth was on hers.

  She released a low moan and kissed him back as if they’d been apart for months rather than days.

  “I missed you,” he whispered against her lips.

  “Missed you, too.”

  “Are you hungry?” he asked between kisses.

  She tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. “Not for food.”

  Trent met her gaze and saw the same need he felt staring back at him. He set her feet on the ground, took both her hands in his, and began walking backward down the hall toward his bedroom.

  Abby followed him step for step until they were next to the bed. He pulled her roughly against him, holding the back of her head exactly where he wanted it before tasting her again.

  Clothing was removed and kicked out of the way as they touched and kissed. He unhooked her bra while she impatiently worked his underwear over his hips. When his boxers got snagged against the edge of the bed, Abby huffed and pushed down so hard he lost his balance. They both went tumbling onto the mattress, her sprawled on top of him.

  His chest vibrated with his amusement, but it died swiftly when Abby reached down and took hold of his erection.

  Trent cupped the back of her head and brought her mouth to his so he could devour it. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, taking what he needed from her as she stroked him until he could barely stand it.

  “Need you,” she moaned.

  He flipped them over and kissed his way down her chest. When he reached the top edge of her panties, he looped his fingers into the sides and gradually slid them down her legs. He tossed them on the floor with the rest of the clothes and drank in the sight of her lying naked before him. “You are beautiful, baby.”

  She reached for him and he went willingly.

  With one hand, he made sure she was ready and then positioned himself at her entrance. The love he felt for her overwhelmed him as he pushed inside. Abby looked up at him with such openness he couldn’t hold it back any longer. He brushed his lips against hers and whispered, “I love you, Abby.”

  Abby placed her palm over his heart. He knew she could feel it pounding in his chest. She held his gaze. “I love you, too.”

  Trent swallowed. As much as he’d longed to hear her say those words to him, he had to be sure. “Do you?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I’ve known for a while. I was just afraid to admit it.”

  He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “You don’t ever have to be afraid with me.”

  Her fingers tangled in his hair and she lifted her hips, causing him to sink deeper. The look in her eyes held all the raw emotion he felt.

  Trent placed a hand on her waist to still her for a moment. He needed her to understand the depth of what he felt for her. This wasn’t casual for him. It never had been. “You know I’m never going to want to let you go.”

  She smiled and scraped her nails along his scalp, sending delightful tingles coursing through his body. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

  Forgetting about everything else, he took her face in both his hands and kissed her hard. He flexed his hips and thrilled when he heard her suck in a breath.

  As he picked up his pace, he rested his forehead against hers. Her eyes glazed over as they both edged closer and closer toward the climax they were seeking together. He felt her muscles pulse, and snaked his hand between their bodies to help push her over that final peak.

  Her orgasm triggered his own and he collapsed beside her on the bed, more contented than he could ever remember being in his life. Trent pulled her into his arms. She cuddled against his side.

  Before he knew it, her soft breathing told him she’d drifted off to sleep. He kissed the top of her head and adjusted the blanket over them. When she woke up they’d talk more, but for the moment he was going to enjoy having her in his arms.

  Chapter 22

  They were lying in bed a while later, Abby with her head resting on Trent’s shoulder, tracing lazy patterns on his chest. When they’d woken up from their nap, they’d made love again. Trent made her feel as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked, pressing his lips against her forehead in the lightest of kisses.

  Abby tilted her head up to meet his gaze and felt her cheeks heat. “I was thinking about before.”

  He raised one eyebrow in question.

  “I can’t believe you were inside me when I told you I love you.”

  Trent kissed the palm of her hand before placing it over his heart. “I thought it was pretty perfect myself.”

  She giggled and shoved against his wall of solid muscle. “Of course you do.”

  The next thing Abby knew, Trent had flipped them over, pinning her to the mattress with his weight. “Are you saying you disagree?”

  As he spoke, she could feel him pressing against her thigh. Surely he wasn’t ready to go again so soon? They’d already made love twice. Not that she was complaining or anything, but weren’t guys supposed to need recovery time?

  Trent ran the tip of his nose along her neck, down to her shoulder. She sucked in a breath as heat began blooming anew in the pit of her stomach. He placed a kiss to her collarbone and gazed up, his eyes full of desire. “You need to stop looking at me like that.”

  “Like what?” she asked.

  He pushed himself up on his elbows until he was hovering above her. “Like you’d be perfectly fine with me spreading your legs and pounding you into the mattress.”

  His statement was so blunt and unexpected she threw her head back and laughed. “So romantic.”

  “Just being honest, baby.”

  Abby sighed. “I love it when you call me that.”

  “Good,” he said, pressing his lips to hers.

  She threaded her fingers through his hair, trying to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away and climbed off the bed. Sitting up, she watched as he bent to pick up his pants from the floor. He was facing away from her, so she got a nice view of his fine backside.

  “I can take a picture for you if you’d like.”

  She blushed. “Sorry.”

  Placing his hands on the mattress, he brought his face level with hers and smiled. “Don’t be embarrassed. You can look at me all you want.”

  He gave her a quick kiss, and then walked toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  Instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own. “Have you eaten lunch?”

  “No. Chris and I ate a big breakfast at the hotel before we left.” It felt a little weird to be mentioning Chris when she was in Trent’s bed.

  “Are you hungry?”

  Right on cue, her stomach growled.

  He chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Abby shook her head, sto
od, and stretched. “Do you mind if I grab a shower?”

  His gaze traveled down her naked body and back up. “Want some company?”

  Walking backward toward the bathroom, she sent him a flirtatious grin. “Sure. I can always use someone to wash my back.”

  Trent got an evil smirk on his face and rushed toward her. She squealed when he knelt down and tossed her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  He landed a sharp smack on her ass and laughed. “Making sure you don’t have a dirty back.”

  Forty minutes later, they were clean and dressed. Well, sort of dressed. Abby had thrown on one of Trent’s T-shirts and he’d slipped on a clean pair of loose-fitting shorts. He kept sending her looks that made her wonder just how long they’d be keeping them on.

  She leaned against the counter while he dug some leftovers out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter. There was everything from green bean casserole to Chinese food. “Quite the assortment.”

  Trent licked some sauce off his thumb and she tried not to think about what his tongue had done to her in the shower. “Sorry. I know it’s not all that impressive.”

  “It’s fine.” She placed a spoonful of macaroni and cheese on the plate he handed her. “I don’t need anything fancy.”

  “That’s good, ’cause I’m a pretty simple guy.”

  By the way he was looking at her, Abby knew he was talking about more than food. “I like simple.”

  He cupped the back of her head and rubbed his thumb back and forth along the skin behind her ear.

  A shiver rippled through her and she leaned into his touch. She knew she needed to do something fast or the food would be forgotten, so she said the first thing that came to her mind. “I’m surprised you didn’t want to go to your parents’.”

  “Dad called earlier. He wanted to know if we were coming today.”

  “Oh.” She guessed the cat was out of the bag that she and Trent were seeing each other, then. “What did you tell him?”