by Nia Arthurs
As if to taunt him, thunder cracked the sky and a heavy rain burst from the clouds, chasing the heels of his thought. Trenton slapped his hand over his head and glared at the heavens.
“Come on!” he moaned. Preparing to make a run for it, he took a step forward when he heard his name. His foot slid back into place. That voice… it sounded very familiar.
“Trenton!”
“Breana?” he whispered, his heart ballooning in his chest. “Breana?”
Trenton spun and spotted his wife coming toward him, her luggage to the side, her hair billowing behind her like a curtain. He was barely able to brace himself before she jumped into his arms, knocking him backwards.
Still stunned by her appearance, Trenton’s arms hung limply at his sides. His brain scrambled to catch up with the sensations his body experienced. Was she real? Or was she a figment of his delirious brain?
Breana pulled back, the rain spattering against her beautiful face and turning her dark curls to thin, limp strands.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” Trenton croaked.
She laughed and reached out to wipe his cheeks. Her gentle fingers on his face brought Trenton to life. He took in his fill of her, inhaling her scent, her feel, her breath against his cheek.
Unable to compose himself, he gathered her to him in order to hide his turbulent emotions. Breana cupped her arms behind his neck and squeezed him tight. Trenton felt like he could breathe for the first time in months and was extremely disappointed when Breana pulled away again.
“You’re getting wet,” she said.
Completely unfazed by the rain, Trenton reached out and pressed his hand against her jaw. “You came.”
“You said you needed me.”
“If I’d known it was that easy, I would have told you long ago.”
Breana arched an eyebrow. “Don’t think you can order me around again. It’s just this time, when you summoned me, I wanted to come.”
He glanced around the mostly empty street, grabbed her luggage and then clasped her hand. “I parked the car all the way around the bend so I’ll go first.” He stepped away, trying to hold her for as long as he could.
To his surprise, Breana walked with him and meshed their fingers tightly together. “I’ll follow you now.”
He grinned and led the way as they dashed through the streets to his car. The rain pattered against the rooftops and fed the canal that sailed angrily beside the road. The coconut trees swayed and the scent of damp earth rose up, coating the city with a vibrant air.
Trenton stopped in front of the car and yanked the door open so that Breana could quickly take shelter. He rounded the hood and slipped into the other side, wiping the raindrops from his coat sleeves.
Breana turned to him and smiled.
“What?” he asked.
“I can’t believe you stayed all night. I thought for sure you wouldn’t. I guess Carlos was right.”
“Carlos?” He tilted his head. “Who’s Carlos?” Trenton pictured a beefy Latin man with bronzed skin and seductive brown eyes. Had he lived in Breana’s building? Had he made the moves on her?
“He was the nice conductor who allowed me to catch the bus.”
“Oh.” Trenton breathed a sigh of relief. “What did Carlos say?”
“He said you would wait. Even when I was freaking out, he was certain of it.”
“Carlos is a wise guy.”
“Yeah, he’s great,” Breana said, smiling into the distance.
Trenton frowned. He hoped her admiration for Carlos had a stopping point. “Okay, enough about the conductor. Are you hungry?”
Breana sent him a knowing look, but chose not to comment on his pettiness. “I’m starving, but I doubt anywhere will be open right now.”
“That’s okay.” He started the car. “I have pasta at home.”
“Home.” Breana sighed. “It feels good to hear that.”
“The house was empty without you.”
Breana closed her eyes and preened like a satisfied cat. “I know that eventually, my good mood is going to wear off and you’re going to start sounding cheesy again, but I won’t think about that.”
Trenton chuckled and turned the keys to start the car. Having her beside him felt right. He was a man enjoying his first drink of water after spending days in a desert. Breana was his lifeline and he was never letting go.
Chapter 13
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Breana sat on the stool in the kitchen, watching her man work. He’d definitely been paying attention to his physique as his muscled biceps looked more defined than she remembered.
The muscles, though captivating, weren’t the only changes in her husband. Trenton had allowed his hair to grow out and the look gave him a rugged appearance. She liked it short, but he made it work and she knew she could learn to love this too.
He hummed a tune beneath his breath, and she jerked her gaze away from his face to stare forlornly at the apron tied around his hips. Breana wondered how she’d sunk so low as to be jealous of a piece of cloth. Lucky piece of cloth…
“What is it?” Trenton asked and she jumped, gazing into his intelligent brown eyes.
“What?”
“Is there something there?” He glanced down and brushed the apron.
She shook her head. “Are you sure you don’t need my help?”
“I’ll be done in a minute. I just need to warm up the meat.” True to his word, Trenton slipped a pasta dish before her five minutes later.
She eyed the hearty plate and then glanced up at him. Did he really expect her to eat all of that? Since living in Guatemala and battling heartsickness, Breana’s appetite had lessened considerably. It would take her a while to work back up to the portions she used to enjoy.
“What is it?” Trenton asked when he saw her hesitating. “Aren’t you hungry?”
She picked up a fork and decided to tease him. “I feel like you’re always feeding me pasta. Don’t you know how to cook rice and beans or anything else?”
“Rice and beans takes hours to cook,” Trenton said good-naturedly. “When I have a wife with the patience of a hyperactive child, how can I spend that much time before feeding her?”
“Ha, ha.” Breana scrunched her nose in his direction. “So, what’s happened since I’ve been away?”
Trenton got that strange look again. It was the expression she’d recognized from their video calls. Her curiosity piqued immediately. He was keeping secrets. What on earth was he hiding?
“Nothing’s new,” Trenton said. “Jovanah, Mr. Ellis’s wife, has been calling every so often to see when you’d be back. You should probably give her a call.”
“I will,” Breana said. “Is that all?”
Trenton lifted his fork thoughtfully. “Jamison’s passive aggressiveness is getting worse.”
“And…?”
“My dad’s still here.”
“He is?” Breana’s eyebrows flew up. “Does that mean your mom’s treatments were successful?”
“Yeah,” Trenton said quietly. “She’s returning to Belize soon.”
“That’s great!” Breana thundered. “I can’t wait to see Lorraine again.”
“What about your mom?” Trenton asked, eager to turn the topic to something else. “How’s she doing?”
Breana gave him an update about her mother’s condition and forwarded the greeting Merna had insisted she give when they met. Trenton laughed and shed the heaviness that he’d had when he talked about his parents.
Breana chose not to push for more information since this was only their first night together. After they meal, the freshly reunited couple washed the dishes and put the kitchen back to rights.
Breana enjoyed her husband’s company but, as the night wore on, an important question lingered in the back of her mind.
Should she sleep in her own room or reclaim her place in Trenton’s bed?
Her husband answered that question for her by suggesting they watch a movie and then conking out w
ith his head on the sofa as soon as the opening credits rolled on the screen.
She watched him sleep, marveling at the fact that she was here and rejoicing in their proximity. Two months had felt like a lifetime and Breana enjoyed taking her sweet slow time to appreciate the artwork that was Trenton Lorde uninterrupted. How on earth had she snagged such a handsome specimen?
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined meeting and falling in love with someone like Trenton. Sure, she appreciated his kindness, his pure heart, and his devotion to her. But damn! The man belonged on a magazine somewhere, and here he was in her arms.
Gently, to keep from disturbing his sleep, Breana curled up in Trenton’s side and eventually nodded away.
The next morning, she woke up with a crick in her neck and invisible ants crawling up her leg. Stretching to shake the kinks and chase the little critters, she yawned and glanced around.
Morning light tiptoed into the living room, illuminating her still slumbering husband. Breana winced when she saw the angle of Trenton’s neck. That would not be fun to deal with.
She sat still for a minute and debated waking him up, but decided to let him sleep in for a bit. Instead, she slipped her feet into slippers and walked to the kitchen to put together breakfast.
Trenton always hated on her cooking, but she’d improved since moving to Guatemala. Sabrina had showed her a thing or two, and Breana was certain she could handle a simple meal of eggs and bacon now.
Fifteen minutes later, the scent of her efforts wafted into the living room and Trenton appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. He looked adorably disheveled and rubbed the back of his neck in pain.
“That couch is not meant for sleeping.”
“I’m sorry,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
Trenton glanced at the eggs in the pan and the bacon already set out on the counter. He forced a smile and said in a strained voice. “You made breakfast.”
“Don’t look so scared. I guarantee I’m better now.”
“Let’s see about that,” Trenton said, taking a seat and eyeing the plates suspiciously.
Breana dished out his portion and sat staring at him as he took the first bite. “Well… what do you think?”
“It’s edible.”
“Huzzah!” She threw her hands in the air. “I’ll consider that a victory.” Breana turned the stove off and sat next to him.
“So,” Trenton asked with his mouth full of food, “what are you going to do today? Does Cady know you’re back?”
“Nope. I figured I’d tell her later. I’m not sure what I want to do today. I kind of don’t want to let you out of my sight.”
He sent her an amused glance. “Why don’t you come to work with me?”
“Are you serious? Is that even a thing?”
“I’m the boss. I’ll make it a thing.”
“What about your dad?”
“What about him?”
“Since he’s back, isn’t he technically the boss?”
“Dad’s in San Pedro playing golf,” Trenton said with a hardness to his tone that she was unaccustomed to. He cleared his throat and beamed a smile. “Anyway, I think you should come to work with me.”
“You do?”
He slung his arm over her chair and nuzzled his nose in her hair. “I don’t want you out of my sight either.”
“Then won’t I be distracting?”
“Even when you weren’t here, you were distracting. I like this idea more and more. How about it?”
“Alright,” she said. “Just let me get dressed.”
With little shyness, Breana directed Trenton to take her suitcase to ‘their’ room and laid claim to the master bath. The couple managed to get dressed in under an hour and cruised through the Belize morning traffic to Lorde Industries.
Trenton parked in his designated spot and Breana looked up at the structure. The sun seemed to hide behind the building’s towering might, and coconut trees bowed in reverence.
“Do you have any meetings or anything like that today?”
“I have a few,” Trenton said, unbuckling his seatbelt. “But you’re welcome to join me.”
“No thanks,” Breana replied, realizing that she hadn’t thought this through. What would she do while Trenton was otherwise engaged? As entertaining as staring at his face had sounded this morning, she’d need a little more than that to keep her satisfied.
“Aren’t you coming?” Trenton asked. She jumped when she noticed that he was opening her door.
“Yeah.”
Breana got out and followed him into the elevator. He looked over and grinned at her. She returned the smile as the elevator doors opened, admitting them into his office.
“Good morning, sir,” Jamison greeted when they stepped off. “Mrs. Lorde, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
“Hello, Jamison. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well. Thank you for asking.”
“Jamison, Breana will be in the office with me today so please knock before you barge in.” Trenton leveled his assistant a knowing stare and Breana nudged him in the side.
Turning to Jamison, she assured. “Feel free to barge in at any time, Jamison. That won’t be an issue.”
“Yes, ma’am. And sir… have you mentioned our visitor as yet?”
“What visitor?” Breana asked, observing the secret looks the men exchanged. “Did something happen?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Trenton said, slinging his arm over her shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“But it sounds important,” Breana said, dragging her heels as Trenton pulled her into his office.
“I’m locking the door, Jamison!” Trenton yelled.
“Yes, sir.”
True to his word, Trenton Lorde tugged her into his office and turned the knob securely behind him.
Chapter 14
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Trenton turned around to face a rather nervous Breana. She held her arms out and backed up until her behind hit the rim of his desk. Swallowing audibly, she glanced about for exits as if afraid that he would jump her with little warning.
The thought was appealing, but Trenton had no intentions of starting anything without his wife’s consent. And he could tell that Breana was not in that vein right now.
Still, she looked so scared that he couldn’t resist having a little fun.
Trenton walked determinedly forward, keeping his gaze on Breana’s beautiful eyes. She looked at a point just beyond his head and worried her bottom lip while leaning back as far as she could go with the desk behind her.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this office,” she said, her voice trembling.
“Not much has changed.”
“Jamison was really nice to me when you were in the hospital. Did I tell you about that?”
“You did.”
“We should get some pictures in here,” Breana said, looking at the bare walls. “It feels… impersonal.”
“I’ll have a picture of you blown up and sent down here tomorrow.”
She threw her hand against her chest. “Don’t do that.”
“Why? I like looking at you.”
“That’s so unprofessional.”
He stopped just in front of her, his shoes basically on top of her leather sandals. Her breath came in short, abrupt spurts and she raised her hand to keep him back. He brushed her fingers away and set his hand on her waist.
“You want to do something really unprofessional?” he asked quietly.
Breana finally looked up at him, her desire battling her decorum. He grinned, glad to see that the distance had not dampened her attraction to him.
Her fingers climbed around his forearms and dug tight. “Trenton…” she said, her voice a mere whisper.
The urge to pull her in and kiss her wired down to his fingers, but he pushed the impulse away. Instead, he lifted Breana up and set her on the desk so that she faced the windows.
“What are y
ou doing?” she asked.
He tapped the table and kept his eyes on her. “Stay right there.”
Breana stared at him in astonishment as he rounded the desk, dragged his chair in next to her jean-clad legs and booted up his computer.
“You’re serious?” she asked, squirming on the desk. “This is where you want me?”
Trenton reached out and set his hand on her thigh to keep her from moving around too much. Now that was distracting.
Breana huffed and lifted her chin so that it almost pointed to the ceiling. “My back is going to kill me.”
“You can grab a chair if you want,” he said. “Do you want me to get one?” He started to rise from his seat, but Breana stopped him.
“It’s okay,” she said, pulling out her phone and hiding her face behind a curtain of curly hair. “I’ll stay right here for a while.”
Hiding his grin of pleasure, Trenton reclaimed his seat. It took a while to focus on paperwork, but with Breana fiddling quietly with her phone and the office settling quietly, he got into the swing of things.
When he glanced up next, Trenton noticed Breana stretching uncomfortably. Standing so quickly his chair skidded toward the wall, he got one of the wingback chairs facing his desk.
“It’s okay,” Breana said when he plunked the chair on the floor and offered his hand for her to climb down. “I just have to work out the kinks.”
“Come on,” he said, his eyes flitting to his hand.
“Trenton, really, it’s fine.”
He sighed and reached out for her. “Woman, why must you make everything so difficult?”
“Why do you always have to have your way? Wait! Trenton!”
She laughed as he gathered her into his arms and plunked her unceremoniously into his plush office chair. When Breana noticed what he’d chosen to place her in, she shook her head and tried to get up.
“This is your chair. I’ll take the other one.”
Trenton swung her around and slapped his arms over the chair handles so that he bracketed her in with his body. His eyes dipped to her plump lips, but he pulled his attention back to her eyes.
“Sit here. It’s more comfortable.”
Breana squirmed to slide out of the chair and get around him. “I didn’t come here to put you out.”