She shivered, her lady parts jumping to attention. “Living room? You’re good with an Xbox?” she joked.
He put water in the pan and turned on the burner without a word, and then he sauntered toward her, his lips turned up just slightly, his eyes hooded, his gaze boring into her.
She didn’t breathe while he moved, and she didn’t want to blink, either. And then he was in her space. He set his hands on her thighs and stroked upward. He leaned in slowly until his lips met hers. When he angled his head to deepen the kiss, he slid his hands up her waist and didn’t hesitate a single second before he cupped her breasts and molded his palms to them.
She nearly dropped her wine glass.
The kiss was over all too quickly, and then he was backing up, leaving her bereft of his touch. She set the glass on the counter at her side with shaky hands. Suddenly, his expression changed as if a light bulb went off. He snapped his fingers, just remembering something. “Oh, that’s right. I already demonstrated that side of me. You shouldn’t need a reminder. It was only a week ago.” He wiggled his brows as he turned toward the counter next to the stove and grabbed an onion.
Destiny’s pulse had picked up considerably. Screw dinner. She wanted some more of that. “I’m not sure I remember every detail. Maybe you could show me again.”
He glanced at her, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Oh, I will. But not on our second date. You deserve better.”
She took a deep breath and picked the wine glass back up. She needed a good long drink. She did not need a second date that ended without sex. She also didn’t want him to think she was forward, so she would keep her mouth shut for now and let him set the pace.
For the next half hour, she mostly watched him work, mesmerized by how comfortable he was in the kitchen. He never looked at a recipe, and he had the chicken stir fry ready at the same time as the rice. She was impressed.
“Did you text your grandmother?” he asked as she slid off the counter to join him at the table.
“Yes. While you were texting your teammate.”
“Good.” He held out a chair for her. “I don’t want her to worry.”
“I’m sure she’s pleased with herself since I left there furious while she tried to convince me you surely had a good reason for being in town and not telling me.”
“She’s a wise woman.” Trent ladled too much food on her plate and then sat in front of his own. “Tell me about your parents.” He took a bite and then lifted his gaze. “I mean, I know your mom took off when she was eighteen and never came back. I remember my mother explaining to Sean and me that we should be extra kind to the new girl next door because she didn’t have a mother or a father and was living with her grandmother. I don’t think I ever asked you about it a single time growing up. It seemed taboo.”
Destiny shrugged. “I don’t know much.”
“I don’t mean to make you sad. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I was just curious.”
Destiny shook her head. “It doesn’t make me sad. Not anymore. I really can’t complain. I was so very lucky. My grandmother wanted me more than anything, and she’s never once acted like I was a burden to her. She loves me enough for ten parents.”
Trent smiled. “She does.”
“And so does your mother. I guess she felt sorry for me or whatever, but I’ll never forget her kindness when I was young and scared and living in a strange house with a grandmother I never knew existed.”
Trent nodded as he chewed another bite. “I always thought you filled something in my mom. She never had a daughter, and you gave her a piece of that.”
Destiny’s chest tightened. She loved Trent’s mom as much as any child could love their own mother. “I’m glad we had each other.”
“Do you remember your mom? You were five at the time.”
Destiny tipped her head to one side. “Honestly, not very well. I remember we lived in this trailer home and it was filthy. She slept a lot. She was too skinny and didn’t shower and rarely cooked. Most of the time, I think she forgot about me.”
Trent set his fork down. “Jesus, Des. I’m so sorry. That must have been hard.”
“I didn’t know any different.”
“What about your dad?”
“Never met him. Or I don’t remember it. I just remember that one day my mom left and never came back. I ate out of a box of cereal for an entire day before I went next door to the neighbor’s and asked the older woman who lived there if she knew where my mommy was. She called the police. I remember the squad car because it had flashing blue lights and I got to ride in it. I spent a few nights with a foster family, though I didn’t understand that at the time. And then the authorities located my grandmother and she came and got me.”
“Wow. I feel bad that I never asked you that story.”
“It’s no big deal. I mean, I’m a grown adult. I had a great life. I assume my mother got pregnant and never told my father or didn’t know who he was. Much later, when I was older, my grandmother told me the trailer had been filled with drug paraphernalia. I assume my mother OD’d somewhere without identification on her. Her purse was still in the trailer.”
“That sucks. The not knowing.”
“Yeah. For a few years, my grandma tried to find her, and my father, but it took a lot of time and money, and eventually she gave up. The police weren’t very interested in searching for a drug addict.”
Trent stared at her for a long time.
Finally, Destiny shook off the melancholy and smiled at him. “It’s done. It’s in the past. I’ve made peace with it. I had my grandma and your parents. I had two amazing friends next door. I wanted for nothing.”
“If you want, I could try to track her down. DNA is easier to trace nowadays. I could give a lock of your hair to a guy I know and see if it matches anything in the database. If she by chance died and was never identified, we might get a match. Who knows? We might even be able to find your father.”
Destiny chewed on her bottom lip. “Maybe. I don’t know. Sometimes I wish I knew, just so I can stop wondering. I bet my grandma would rest easier if she knew about her daughter, too. What if you don’t get a match? Would that mean she might still be alive?”
Trent shrugged. “It’s a possibility.”
“That might be worse. Knowing she’s dead could help me and my grandma have closure, but if there’s no match… That could just make us worry and wonder even more. I’m afraid I might actually feel angry with my mom if she’s alive out there and never once tried to find me.”
“I can understand that. Keep in mind, if your mom was a drug addict, chances are not good she’s still alive after all these years. That’s hard to swallow also.”
Destiny sighed. This subject was too heavy. They needed to talk about something else. “New topic. Let’s discuss something more uplifting.” She forced a smile.
Trent reached over and covered her hand with his. “Excellent plan. Let’s toss the dishes in the sink and move to the living room.”
She liked this idea. She liked everything about this second date of theirs. It was so…domestic. She had no idea Trent could cook. She wanted to know everything about him. He’d changed since high school. Not to say that his personality was different. It wasn’t. But he’d added experiences, likes and dislikes. She wanted to hear all of them and tell him hers.
And that’s exactly what they did. For the next three hours, they sat on his couch, laughing about memories from when they were kids and adding to the list of life experiences they’d had since high school.
Between the two of them, they had traveled all over the world, so they compared the places they’d been and discussed mutual places they wanted to visit. Trent never stopped touching her. He either held her hand, or when she needed both hands to tell an animated story, he set his palm on her shoulder or thigh or neck.
She noticed every touch, every stroke of his fingers, the way he held her gaze while she spoke, the way he licked his lips when he watch
ed hers, the way he leaned into her often. It was so comfortable. Like time hadn’t passed. They’d been like this when they were younger. Carefree and easygoing together.
Trent had been the more comical of the brothers. The relationship she’d had with him was filled with jokes and teasing and humor. In contrast, when she’d been alone with Sean, they’d discussed more serious things. Sean had been more introspective, wondering how things worked and why. He’d been more cautious. A rule follower.
When Destiny was a kid, she’d needed both influences. Both boys had shaped her and nurtured her differently. When she’d been sad, Sean would notice and hug her. Trent would notice too, but he would make her laugh. The balance between them was perfect until Sean ruptured it by asking her out.
Looking back, she recognized the signs. While she had thought Trent pushed her away, he’d really done so out of self-preservation. She should’ve known something wasn’t right when he stopped joking with her and grew more serious and withdrawn. Perhaps she’d been unable to focus on Trent’s reaction because she was so focused on her own mistakes and the fact that she was slowly sliding down a long embankment, feeling like there was no way to climb back out.
As she stared at Trent now, she forced herself not to dwell on lost time. They were adults now. Maybe they couldn’t have made things work before their maturity had shaped them. They would never know, but there was no going back. All she could do was be grateful she’d gotten drunk and dumped more than a decade of frustration at his feet.
They’d been silent for several moments now, talked out, simply enjoying each other’s company. She felt happier than she had in a long time, and that expression was reflected back to her on his face.
“Des…” His voice was deep, serious.
She licked her lips.
His gaze shifted to her mouth. “I’m going to kiss you, and then you’re going to go home.”
She sighed, nodding slowly. She didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want this to end. She wanted to stay all night, find out what it would be like to really be with him in every sense.
He groaned. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
“I didn’t ask you to be a gentleman,” she pointed out.
“I’m doing it anyway. I’ve had the best time tonight. I did on our last date, too. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted a woman before. That’s why you’re going to leave, and I’m going to keep my pants on.”
She scrunched up her face. “Does that make sense?”
“Yep. It’s respectful, and I want things between us to be perfect the first time we have sex. So, we’re going to wait. I don’t want to be in the middle of a mission that’s hanging over me. I want to be fully present. I want you to know that for whatever time we are together, you’re number one. Right now, I can’t do that. I need to get on the phone with my team and get updated on the last few hours.”
“I understand.” She did. Although he hadn’t mentioned his current strange local mission a single time in the last few hours, obviously it hadn’t gone away. She was grateful he’d taken the time to make sure she knew he was in this with her. “Thank you for tonight.”
He stood, took her hand, and tugged her to her feet. Next, he cupped her face and closed the distance. His kiss started tender and slow, nibbling, tasting, teasing. And then he pulled her more fully against him, threaded his fingers in her hair at the back of her head, and deepened the contact.
She moaned as his tongue swept against hers, her mind spinning. It felt so damn good when he held her like this, taking control. All rational thought left just as it had the other times he’d kissed her. It was as if he poured his soul into the kiss. She felt it deeply and craved more.
As far as Destiny was concerned, his unwillingness to have sex with her fueled her desire to be naked with him more than if he’d dragged her into his bedroom.
She ran her hands down his back and lower still until she cupped his ass, squeezing it and pulling him against her. His erection pressed into her belly.
He moaned into her mouth and let one hand slide down to cup her breast. The moment he squeezed, she arched into him, her body on fire. Her nipple stabbed at the lace of her bra as he flicked his thumb over it.
“Des…” he murmured against her lips.
She whimpered. “Please. Trent…” She wasn’t too proud not to beg. She wanted this man. She’d wanted him half her life. Now that she’d had a taste of him, she had no interest in waiting. Life was short.
His hand roamed down her belly and two seconds later, he popped the button and lowered the zipper. Thank God.
Eager to take things to the next level, she reached between them to cup his cock.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand behind her back.
While she blinked at him, he wrestled her other hand to join the first and then clasped one of his hands around both wrists.
She gasped, her body even more alert than it had been a moment ago. Something about the way he restrained her made her even hornier. And then he met and held her gaze as he backed her up until her butt hit the padded arm of a chair.
“Don’t move.” His voice was deep, gravelly.
She sucked in a breath.
When he flattened his hand on her belly and slid it down into her panties, she whimpered. “If you stay perfectly still, I’ll make you come, Des. Can you do that?”
Can I do that? Fuck yes. Who would turn down an offer like that? Besides, the dirty talk alone drove her to the edge. She’d rather reciprocate, but she wouldn’t complain. If the man had some reason why he didn’t want to have sex with her tonight, fine. But he could at least accept a blowjob.
That thought fled her mind the moment his fingers found her clit. Two seconds later, her knees were shaking, and she was glad for the armchair behind her butt to keep her upright.
She gasped, her mouth falling open when he thrust two fingers into her. His palm ground against her clit. Before she could wrap her mind around what was happening, he added a third finger, and she stopped thinking altogether.
He thrust them in and out of her, his palm repeatedly grinding against her swollen nub. When he leaned in closer and set his lips on her ear, she shivered.
And then he whispered, “Come, Des. Come on my fingers. I want to feel your pussy pulsing around my hand.”
That was all it took. She crashed over the edge, shuddering as her body obeyed him. Her orgasm took her by surprise and left her panting as it slowly subsided.
When Trent finally eased his hand out of her pants and lifted it to his mouth to suck her arousal from his fingers, she moaned. “Jesus, Trent.”
He still held her wrists behind her.
“Can I at least reciprocate?” she whimpered.
“Nope.” He smiled at her. “Not tonight. Another time.”
She took several deep breaths while she marveled at how damn lucky she was to have found Trent again after all these years. He was back in her life. He might be dragging his feet over some concerns about his current mission, but after that orgasm, she felt confident he wasn’t humoring her. At least she wouldn’t go to bed at night wondering if he cared.
When he finally released her wrists, he cupped her face again and kissed her deeply. He was breathing heavily by the time he broke free. “You have no idea how badly I want to take you to bed instead of sending you back to your grandmother’s.”
“Trent…” Would it do any good to point out she was a willing participant in this plan?
He shook his head. “I need to concentrate on my job right now, Des. I swear, when this is over…”
“Okay.” She definitely didn’t want to mess with his mojo while he was on an assignment.
He reached down to tug her jeans back into place, and she batted his hands away to zip and button them.
Without another word, he grabbed her hand and led her toward the door.
She snagged her purse off his coffee table on the way.
At the door,
he faced her again, his hands cupping her neck, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. “I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t come here again. Not while I’m on this mission. Please trust me, Des. My hands are tied. I’ll make every effort to see you as often as I can, but you need to wait for me to contact you. I know that’s a lot to ask, but I have no choice. When I can break free, I’ll tell you where to meet me. I’ll pick someplace between Dallas and Killeen on a day you’re off. Okay?”
She chuckled. “It seems like the tables have turned. I should be elated. After all, I told you I didn’t want anyone to know we were dating. If we sneak around in another town, no one will find out about us. I’m getting what I wanted, aren’t I?” Why does it feel so…off…so wrong?
He didn’t smile back. Instead, his brows drew together. His lips parted and closed a few times as if he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. Finally, he cleared his throat. “Des… When I’m done with this mission, if you’re still willing to date someone like me, then we’ll readdress this arrangement. In the meantime, I guess you’re getting what you wanted. I promise no one will find out we’re dating.” His fingers stiffened on her neck as if his words didn’t quite match his thoughts.
She stared into his eyes, deciding to hold her tongue. She couldn’t imagine what he wasn’t telling her, but she had only two choices—trust that he had his reasons for being so evasive, probably job-related, or walk away and never look back. Option two wasn’t an option at all, so for now, she was going to have to trust him. “Okay.”
He gave her a slight smile and kissed her one last time. “Be careful driving, and tell your grandmother I said hello.”
“I will.” Her heart beat rapidly as he opened the door and slowly released her hand.
She held her breath, fighting an emotional avalanche as she made her way to her car. She held it together until she was inside with the door shut, and then she blew out a breath. A tear escaped and she wiped it away. There was no reason for her to feel so damn unnerved. Trent hadn’t said anything that should alarm her.
Destiny's Delta (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Delta Team Three Book 2) Page 10
