by Stacy Eaton
I sobbed for the second time that day, and as I began to get ahold of myself, I felt something on my head. Had he just kissed my forehead? What was he saying?
“It’s okay, Davina, I got you. I’m right here, sweetheart, for as long as you need me. Let it out, baby, let it out.”
A sob stuck in my throat, not because of my grief for Carol, but because he sounded like he meant the words he spoke, and I knew he didn’t really. I felt his lips on the top of my head again, realized that his arms were holding me so tightly that if I’d lifted my feet off the floor, I would have remained right where I was. One of his hands was holding my head to his chest, and the other curled around my rib cage. That hand was dangerously close to the underside of my breast, and it was as he flexed his hand the slightest bit that I felt it brush the sensitive flesh. Maybe it was because my hormones were all over the place from grief and weird sleeping habits, but my body began to respond to his soft words, his long fingers, the lips in my hair.
I began to move, and the hand holding my head cupped my cheek as I lifted my gaze to his. His blue eyes filled with understanding, and maybe some of his own pain. His thumb brushed away a tear, and then his gaze slowly moved over my face and stopped on my lips. His thumb touched my bottom one, and I felt them part. I was helpless to move, completely at his mercy. His face came closer, pausing less than an inch from my lips, and his eyes found mine. I saw the question in them and gave him my answer as I closed my eyes and leaned forward.
Chapter Eleven
Trevor
Davina took off a little faster than I had expected her to, and after Lexi set Devon down in his car seat, she turned to me and swatted my arm. “You men can be so dense sometimes.”
“What did I do?” I asked, completely baffled.
“You asked Davina to babysit Devon for our wedding.”
“Yeah, so? It’s a great idea. She knows him.”
“Trevor,” Lexi sighed, “I thought maybe you would ask her to be your date.”
“What?” I quickly shook my head. “No, Davina definitely would not want to go as my date. She barely tolerates me. She thinks I’m to blame for Carol’s death because I got her pregnant.”
Lexi blinked once, then twice, and cocked her head. “Did she say that?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what she said. Trust me; Davina is not the least bit interested in going out with me.”
“If you thought she was, would you ask her?” Lexi questioned.
I laughed. “She’s not my type, or maybe I should say, I’m totally not her type.”
“Types!” Lexi threw her hands in the air. “Who knows what type of person they should be with. Trust me; I never thought I would be his type.” She pointed at Alex. “But he is totally my type.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not going to happen, Lexi. Why would you even want me to bring a date? I’m quite happy to go alone. I’ve never needed a woman around to make me happy before, so why start now?”
“Whatever,” she muttered frustratedly. “Is the bag packed?”
“Yeah, but are you sure you want to do this? I can take him with me.”
Lexi smiled at me, and all signs of frustration immediately vanished. “I want to watch him. Come over when you’re done; we’ll order pizza before you head home.”
“Thanks, Lexi.” I kissed her cheek, then Alex removed the car seat base from my truck and put it in his. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, but it seemed like instinct to reach in when he was done and make sure it was tight. Of course, he’s the one that had taught me how to install the car seat base in the first place, so I shouldn’t have had to check, but I did. He chuckled softly behind me.
“Be careful with him and call me if there are any problems,” I said as I watched Alex put his car seat into the base.
Lexi put her hand on my chest and patted it. “He will be fine.” She chuckled. “And you thought you wouldn’t be a very good parent.”
I said goodbye and then headed to the apartment building where Davina lived. As I drove, I glanced out the window at some of the houses I passed. Maybe it was time to get a house. Devon would need a room of his own, and it would probably be a good idea to have a room for a nanny to sleep in while I was traveling. So, a three-bedroom house would be good. Plus it would be great to have a yard for us to throw a football around in or kick a soccer ball.
I tried to conjure up an image of an older Devon and picture what sport he might be into. Maybe baseball, or perhaps he’d be more into science and math than sports. Nah, sports. He was going to do sports.
Although being into science and math wasn’t a bad thing. Davina was big into those things, and she appeared to be doing well. Hell, she was working on her master’s degree, so I knew she was doing well. What job had Carol worked? Oh yeah, Davina mentioned marketing. I frowned as I realized there was so much that I didn’t know about his mother, and probably never would.
When I arrived, I found the apartment door and knocked, but there was no answer. I sent Davina a text, and she said she’d be there in a minute. While I waited, I leaned against the wall and tried to picture Carol opening it, smiling widely. Her image was bleary, marred by the time of not seeing her. As I tried to get the image to clear, it morphed into a different one, and Davina formed before my eyes. Her bright whiskey irises sparkled as she smiled up at me, and I could picture myself stepping up close and getting lost in her eyes.
A noise to my side caught my attention, and I quickly straightened when I saw it was Davina. She wore jeans that fit her like a second skin and a t-shirt that was tight in all the right places. Damn, the woman had gorgeous curves.
She went to open the door and paused. I knew exactly why. I’d had the same reaction to going to my friend’s house after he’d been killed overseas. I’d told his parents I would clean the place out for them, and that first time opening the door had been rough. I waited patiently, knowing that it was going to be even worse once she was inside.
After she’d opened the door, she walked straight to the living room and stood there, her head slowly shifting as she took in the room. I entered slower, taking a moment to notice the notes pinned to the bulletin board in the entryway, the neat row of shoes, the two coats on the hooks.
I stepped farther in, glancing into the kitchen. A lone glass sat beside the sink, a thin coat of dust covering it now. A brown dishtowel hung from the oven door. Beside the cordless phone was an array of medication bottles. I walked a little farther in and saw a huge pile of baby stuff in the corner. All boxed up, waiting to be moved.
Scattered around the room were pictures and pieces of Carol’s life, and then my eyes fell on Davina, and I noticed her entire body shake as she began to crumble. I went to her, knowing how much this must have hurt her. I hadn’t known Carol very well, but I was feeling the loss myself.
I pulled Davina into my arms, resting my cheek on the top of her head, inhaling the fresh scent of her shampoo. I closed my eyes and let her cry, hoping that the little bit I was able to do for her was enough. I didn’t think it was, but it was all I had for her.
I spoke softly to her once in a while, letting her get her grief out, and I allowed my gaze to drift around. There were several pictures of her and Davina on the walls, a few more of landscapes and other friends, and unsurprisingly, several of lightning. Words from her letter drifted into my mind: the storm from the sky. Davina continued to cry softly, and I held her as tightly as I could without smothering her, part of me needing the solace myself.
She felt good in my arms, and I kissed her forehead, then brushed my lips over the top of her hair. A few minutes later, Davina calmed and lifted her face, and I cupped her check, meaning to show her I was there for her, but I got trapped in her whiskey gaze. I felt drawn to her, and I leaned forward.
I suddenly wanted to kiss her, to feel her respond to me. It was like death was around us, and I needed to feel alive. She brought her lips to mine, and the kiss was tentative, soft lips briefly brushing one another before pu
lling back momentarily. It wasn’t enough, not nearly enough.
One of her hands drifted to the back of my head as our lips touched again, opening slightly as if consenting to me, and our tongues touched exploratorily. I curled my hand around the back of her neck, holding her face in place as I deepened the kiss. Our bodies had already been close together, but we both shifted as if to line them up properly.
The kiss began to consume me, drawing me in as her eyes had done just a moment before. I shifted my other hand, my fingers brushing the underside of her breast, wanting to cover it completely. I wanted to touch every inch of her body, explore what was under her clothing, but I didn’t.
I slowly ended the kiss, reining in the need to have her and forcing myself to calm down. I wasn’t here for this. It wasn’t the right time or place for this. Who knew if it ever would be, but I knew for sure it was not now or here.
I kissed her forehead, held her close, and inhaled deeply. My heart was pounding in my chest, aching for a reason it didn’t quite understand. She sniffed as her arms wrapped around my waist.
“You okay?” I asked her, and she nodded against my chest. I stepped back, taking her face in my hands. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t mean to take advantage of you like that.”
She seemed confused, and I smiled tenderly at her. “I only meant to give you support, Davina, not take advantage of your raw emotions. I know it’s easy to get lost in them when you are upset. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
She stepped back and frowned. “It’s no big deal. You’re right. It’s easy to get caught up in the emotions.”
I dropped my hands to my sides, already missing the feel of her body against mine as she turned away and took a few steps toward the pile of baby stuff.
“This is all for Devon. Once it’s gone, I guess I can start piling the boxes for charity there.” Her voice was off as if she was flustered.
“Do you want help packing her things?”
“What?” She turned to me, and then shook her head. “No. I don’t think that would be wise.”
“Why not?”
“Because of what just happened,” she said gruffly.
I chuckled. “We kissed. It’s not like we slept together.”
She turned toward me, her eyes sparking. “You’re right, and we won’t be sleeping together either.”
I put my hand up. “I get it, Davina. I know you aren’t interested in me. I’m not your type. You already said that.” Suddenly a thought occurred to me, and I took a step forward. “If I had asked you to be my date to Alex and Lexi’s wedding, would you have said yes?”
For just a second, I saw the surprise in her gaze, but it vanished a moment later. “No, of course not. You’re right; I’m not your type, Trevor.”
“You wouldn’t have wanted to come with me, even as friends?”
She glanced away. “No.”
I didn’t think she was being very honest, and I drew closer to her. “What if I wanted you to come with me?”
Her face snapped back to mine. “You want me to watch Devon. That’s what you want.”
“I can find someone else to watch Devon. I want you to be my date.”
“Why?”
Why? I had no fucking clue why, but something in me wanted to see her again, and not just because of Devon. I was starting to think that after I left here today, I might never see her again, and after the kiss we’d just shared, I knew that I didn’t want that. “Because I would like to get to know you better, Davina.”
Her brows jumped. “Is it one or two dates, then a weekend away before it’s over? Sorry, Trevor, but that’s not my style.”
“That’s not what I was saying, Davina. I was saying that I want to get to know you, like really get to know you.”
“Why?”
I shuffled forward so we were standing only a few inches apart. “I honestly don’t know. I know you’re not my type; you already said I’m not yours, but what if our types have been all wrong all these years, and we are exactly what the other one needs.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “You’re kidding?”
I took hold of her face again, her eyes enlarging as I did so. “Does this feel like I’m joking?” Before she could open her mouth to speak, I brought my lips back to hers. She fought it for all of two seconds before she fisted my shirt and curled her body against my chest, tilting her head a little further to the side so we could connect better.
Unlike the first tentative kiss, this one was consuming, possibly to the point of branding. I wanted Davina to know that I did want to get to know her more. She might think it was only physical, but it wasn’t. I had a sudden need to know everything about Davina Daniels, starting with the sounds she made as I devoured her body.
Chapter Twelve
Davina
This was a bad idea, like a really, really bad idea. Sadly, I couldn’t help myself as I kissed Trevor back. It had been way too long since I’d been with a man, and this man was driving me wild. His mouth was pure heaven, and the feel of his arms around me made me almost delirious.
Trevor slowly ended the kiss, and yes, he ended it. I would have been happy to keep on kissing for hours, days—maybe forever. I stepped back from him and forced myself not to look at him. “That doesn’t change anything.”
He laughed. “You just kissed me back. Don’t tell me that you don’t feel anything when I kiss you. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have jumped all in.”
I spun away. “I did not jump all in.”
He grabbed my arm as I tried to walk away. “Do I need to do it again to prove to you that you were all in? I’m pretty sure that if I did kiss you again, I wouldn’t stop at just kissing you, Davina. I’d have you on that couch and be tearing your clothes off of you while you helped me.”
My cheeks began to burn, not because what he said embarrassed me, but because he was so damn right, and I hated that. “Fine,” I hissed. “I kissed you back.”
“Yeah, and you want more, just like I do.”
I stared at him. “Maybe it’s been a while since I have had sex, and anyone that kissed me that way would cause such a reaction.”
“Bullshit!” he growled. “You want me, Davina. Admit it.”
I did want him, but I damn sure wasn’t going to admit it. “What I want is to get this stuff done and for you to go.”
“Davina—”
I put my hand up. “Trevor, stop! I kissed you back. I told you it’s been a while. It didn’t mean anything. I’m an emotional mess right now. Just let it go.”
He nodded slowly as if he thought I was full of shit. Man, he read me better than I wanted him to. “Okay, fine. If that’s how you want to play this, fine.” His nose flared as he inhaled sharply and put his hands on his hips. “But I want you to prove it to me.”
“What?”
“Be my date to the wedding.”
“No.”
“If you aren’t interested in me, I get it, but be my date. Lexi is right, and I should have a date. Let’s get to know one another—as friends.” He stepped a little closer to me, and I wanted to run away, but I held my ground. “You were Carol’s best friend, and I would like for you to be part of Devon’s life. I think it would be good for him to have you around. You could share with him about his mom.”
“We could be friends without me going as your date.”
“Yes, we could, but let’s just say that it will help cement our friendship. You’ll be helping me out.”
“I helped you out last night.” I laughed. “I helped you out by watching him for almost two weeks while you were jet-setting around the world.”
He frowned. “I was working, Davina. I was not out having fun.”
True, he had been working. “No, Trevor. I’ll watch him while you attend the wedding, but I’m not going as your date.”
“Why? Give me one good reason why you can’t come as my plus one?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
“That�
��s not a good reason.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my reason. I don’t want to get to know you, Trevor.”
He looked confused by my statement. “You don’t? Not at all?”
It took everything in me to look him in the eye and lie. “No, not at all. We have two very different lives. We are two very different people. I don’t want to be another woman you wine and dine, sleep with, and then walk away from. That’s not my style.”
He sighed. “That’s what I’m trying to say, Davina. I don’t want to do that. I want to build a friendship with you. We don’t have to sleep together. Hell, I won’t ever kiss you again if that’s what you want, but I do want your friendship. I want you to be part of Devon’s life. Come to the wedding with me, as friends. Nothing else. I promise I’ll behave.”
Could we be friends? Could I resist his charms and the urge to kiss him again? I did want to be part of Devon’s life. The thought of never seeing him again or being around the last part of Carol was like a knife in my stomach. Trevor’s blue eyes stared down at me, begging me to take the step.
My shoulders fell forward as I released the tense breath I had been holding, “Fine. I’ll be your damn plus one to the stupid wedding, but we are only going as friends, Trevor. I will not sleep with you, and you are not allowed to kiss me again. Got that?”
He put his hand up, grinning boyishly. “I promise, no more kissing. Friends, only friends.”
I grumbled under my breath as I turned away from him. What had I just done? I think I just made a deal with the devil. Not that he was the devil, but the thought of being friends with him was going to be like walking on the edge of hell.
“Well, now that we got that settled, I need to find someone to watch Devon.”
“I have a friend who helped me out with him last week.”