Chapter Five

Now…

You are missed…

The video text messages from Jess were killing her.

Sitting on the edge of her bed that Saturday evening, Whitney watched Trent on the dance floor at a friend’s wedding with a dozen kids ranging from toddler to teenagers. An up-tempo hip-hop song played, and her fiancé was busting out all his best moves. The kids were laughing as he attempted a break-dance maneuver and fell on his butt.

He was amazing with kids. He loved children. Being from a big family, with three siblings, he wanted lots of kids of his own. Two of his siblings were married already, with big families, and Trent visited them all in San Diego every chance he got. He was by far the cool, favorite uncle. On their first date, he’d mentioned wanting six children, a big, noisy house like the one he’d grown up in, and Whitney had since talked him down to three, secretly hoping once the babies started arriving, he’d settle for two.

You have to stop letting him go stag. Lots of single women here are ready to pounce, the caption from Jess read.

She knew her friend was kidding, but Whitney didn’t doubt it. If things ended between them, Trent wouldn’t be lonely long. The thought made her chest tighten, and she forced several deep breaths.

Grabbing a stack of marketing brochures for the town, needing artwork approval, she sat back against the pillows, refocusing her thoughts on work, and Trent entered only moments later.

“Hey, what are you doing still awake?” he asked, kicking off his shoes.

“Just waiting up for you.” The last few weeks had been tense, and she longed to feel close to him again. It was selfish, but the headaches and blurry vision, spontaneous pains in her chest and legs, were happening more and more frequently, and he was the only thing that made it all better. Even if only temporarily.

He removed the shirt and tossed it in the general vicinity of the hamper. It missed and dangled from the edge.

It was hard to care about Trent’s messy ways when he was built like The Rock. Muscles as far as the eyes could see dipped below the waistband of his jeans. Until Trent, she hadn’t known an eight-pack was possible, and the layers of muscle in his forearms made every steroid popper at the gym envious.

He removed his dress pants and socks and climbed into the bed next to her. Immediately, his big arms were around her, pulling her on top of him. “I assume this is why you waited up?” he said, his hands sliding up her exposed thighs beneath his college T-shirt. She always wore his shirts to bed.

Her body ached with longing as she leaned lower to kiss him. “You assumed right.” She needed to talk to him. She needed to tell him everything. But right now, she just needed him.

He seemed pleasantly surprised, as though he’d expected her to push him away to get back to work. How many nights had she done that? How many evenings had she been too tired, too busy, too distracted to give him the love and attention he deserved?

“You know how much I love you, right?” Trent asked, serious as he brushed her blond waves away from her face.

She swallowed hard. Those crystal-blue eyes so full of affection, she could see his love. Feel it in every part of her being. His gorgeous face was the one she wanted to wake up to every morning for the rest of her life. Seven years together, they’d been building toward forever…“Is that the problem?” he asked when she didn’t answer. “I haven’t been making it clear how much I adore you?” In one quick motion, he’d reversed them. Supporting his weight on his insanely sexy biceps, he lowered his face to her neck, leaving a trail of hungry kisses along her collarbone.

Desire for him eased her guilt over letting him believe her distant coolness was a result of lack of attention. She wasn’t the clingy, demanding type. She was independent and strong. She didn’t need Trent—she wanted him.

But it was unfair to him to let him marry her when she could never give him everything he wanted.

He lifted the edge of the T-shirt, sliding his strong hands along her stomach, inching higher to cup her breasts.

She closed her eyes as her body awakened.

How could she walk away from him? His love and devotion rivaled his passion for her. He was everything she’d ever wanted.

If only she could be that for him.

She clutched his shoulders as he leaned closer and captured her mouth with his. Desperate, searching kisses had her gasping.

“I want you, Whitney,” he murmured against her ear, his warm breath against her neck making her shiver.

“You can have me.”

At least for now.

…

Then…

Spending the holidays with Trent’s family had only solidified Whitney’s feelings for him, and being accepted into the warm, caring family meant so much to her. Her own family consisted of her adoptive parents, who were a lot older. Their home was safe, secure, and loving, but it had never been the laughter- and fun-filled environment she’d experienced with the Connollys.

It had only made her fall harder and faster for him.

And that evening, sitting inside his apartment with a raging thunder-and-lightning storm outside that had cut the power, reducing them to battery-operated tea lights and board games for entertainment, Whitney knew it was time to take things to the next level.

“And I win again,” Trent said, raking in the pile of Hershey’s Kisses—their poker chips—in the middle of the coffee table as he won yet another hand.

“Where are you getting all the aces? And how are you so good at these games?” Monopoly, Clue, Scattergories, trivia…he’d won them all.

He laughed. “Family board game nights gave me lots of practice, I guess.” He unwrapped a Hershey’s Kiss, extended it toward her lips. She opened her mouth, but instead, he popped it into his own.

“Hey! Not nice.”

“If you want chocolate, you’re going to have to actually beat me at something,” he said with a grin.

Whitney got up off the floor. “I can kick your ass.” Maybe it was the whiskey talking or the false confidence she had in her two years of karate lessons. Either way, she was bouncing on the balls of her feet, fists clenched in front of her face and challenging the man who had 130 pounds on her to rumble.

Trent nearly choked on the chocolate as he laughed. He slowly set his own whiskey glass on the table and then got to his feet. “Remember, you asked for this.”

“Bring it,” she said, throwing a quick, light jab in his direction. It connected with his upper abs, and it didn’t escape her notice how solid they were.

Damn, dude was smokin’ hot.

How on earth had she managed to keep from having sex with him this long? Three months. Ninety days. That was her general rule. If a man could make it past the “probationary period” of their relationship, then she’d entertain the thought of physical intimacy. Very few guys made it. And she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been tempted to break her own rule and waive the waiting period this time with Trent. Their make-out sessions had gotten hot and heavy lately, and there were a few nights…

But no more waiting.

Trent moved around her slowly, as though calculating, stalking, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make a move in.

She rotated, adrenaline coursing through her as heat rose in her body. She threw several more punches toward him, which he blocked with ease.

“That all you got?” he asked.

When she went for the sidekick, he saw his advantage and took it. Grabbing the extended leg before it could make contact with his hip, he moved in close and dropped her until she was hovering just inches from the floor.

Caught unaware and slightly out of breath, she stared up at him. His face was so close to hers. Her breathing was labored as she clung to the front of his shirt.

“What was that about kicking my ass?” he asked.

“I went easy on you,” she murmured.

“I seriously doubt that,” he said, his gaze landing on her lips.

She licked hers, inviting the kiss she so desperately wanted. Passion flashed in his expression when his gaze met hers again.

He lowered his head, and his mouth captured hers.

They fell the rest of the way to the floor, his hand gently placing her head against the soft carpet. His body pressed against hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. Never wanting to let go.

Desire fueled through her as she deepened the kiss, savoring the taste of the whiskey on his lips. His hands rested on her hips and slid upward slowly. His fingers toyed with the base of her shirt, and she moaned her approval against his mouth.

His hands slipped inside, smoothing over her stomach and up higher over her rib cage. Her body trembled as she reached for the base of his shirt. This was it. This was the moment she’d torturously made them both wait for.

Trent broke contact with her mouth and sat them both up to remove the articles of clothing. Then he slowly laid her back down and buried his head in the crook of her exposed neck, placing kisses along her skin, her collarbone, her chest…his caress moving lower.

Whitney swallowed hard, her hands tracing the contours of the muscles on his back as his kisses left her wanting so much more. He was by far the hottest man she’d ever dated, and their time together was everything.

They’d only been together three months. Could these strong, overwhelming feelings be real? As much as she was lusting for him right now, they definitely felt like more. She was falling in love with him.

He seemed to sense a hesitation as he broke away slowly and stared down at her. “This doesn’t need to happen right now,” he said. “I can wait. However long you need.”

But he wanted it, too. She could feel just how badly pressed against her leg. She swallowed hard as she stared up at him. Only they could know when was the right time. For them.

And right now, her body and her heart were saying she was ready. “Make love to me, Trent,” she said.

His gaze was loving as he lowered his head back toward hers. His hands slid lower, unbuttoning her jeans and tugging the fabric. She lifted her hips to allow him to slide them down over her ass, hips, and thighs. He followed the fabric down the length of her body, removing them and tossing them aside before removing his own jeans.

His cock strained against the front of his underwear, and a mild panic took hold. While she’d obviously thought about this moment with Trent, fantasized about it, she hadn’t really contemplated what it meant to be with a man as large as he was.

He was large everywhere.

His gaze took in the direction of hers, and he laughed gently. “It’s not as big as it looks,” he said with a teasing grin as he lay back between her legs.

She wasn’t so sure about that.

What she was feeling pressed against her body certainly wasn’t small.

“And don’t worry, I plan to make sure your body is perfectly ready for me,” he whispered against her mouth.

Damn, she was practically there already. She could feel the wetness on the inside of her underwear and tingling between her legs.

Trent lowered his mouth to her neck and kissed and sucked gently, making her entire body come alive. He removed her bra and placed a trail of kisses along her chest, over her breasts…down her stomach.

Whitney closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his mouth on her body. His kisses were intoxicating. She wanted to wrap her entire body around him and hold tight. She craved to be as close to him as possible.

He reached for the waistband of her underwear and slid them off over her legs, his fingers gently caressing her flesh. A prickling sensation flowed over her skin, and she shivered slightly.

“Cold?” he asked.

“Just the opposite,” she said as she lay there completely naked and exposed, but without any feeling of vulnerability. She was safe with Trent in this intimate space. She already knew she could completely trust this man. That she could rely on him and give herself to him without fear of getting hurt.

He removed his own underwear, and, reaching for a condom from his jeans pocket, she watched as he rolled it on over the large shaft before rejoining her. When he did, he repositioned them to put her on top.

“This way, it’s all at your pace. You’re in control,” he said, his hands gripping her thighs as she slowly positioned herself over him.

She pressed her hands down onto his chest as she felt the tip of his cock at her wet opening. She wanted him inside her so badly, it was hard not to hurry. But she slowly lowered herself down farther, taking him inside her carefully, gently.

Trent’s grip on her tightened, and he moaned at the pleasurable sensation. It felt so amazing to have him filling her so completely. So thick, so hard, so long. Every inch of him hitting all the right spots inside her.

His gaze took her in as she moved slowly up and down, riding him.

“I could stare at you all day,” he said when his gaze met hers.

“You’re not too bad on the eyes, either,” she said, quickening her pace a little.

Weeks of foreplay, flirting, kissing, and touching had her desperate for a release. Whenever they were together, she couldn’t stop touching him, kissing him, just wanting to be near him.

He was all-consuming, and she hadn’t realized just how intense the attraction between them was until that moment, when their bodies were connecting and it felt as though their hearts and souls were also one.

Trent grabbed her waist and lifted her up and down. “I know I said you’re in control, but I’m going out of my mind.”

She smiled as she lowered her upper body toward him and kissed him. She continued to ride him, now harder and faster, grinding her hips into him, pushing her pelvis as close as possible while deepening the kiss. They were both panting and desperate for air, but neither broke the contact between their lips.

“Whitney, I’m close,” Trent murmured.

She was, too. Dangerously close. Close to orgasm…and more incredibly, close to falling in love. She held tight to him as she brought them over the edge.

And seconds later, she let herself go…

Surrounded by the romantic flickering tea lights and the sound of the storm raging outside, Whitney free-fell into complete ecstasy and love.