by Cathryn Fox
“You what?” he asked, unsettled.
“I just thought…”
Flustered, he bit out, “What did you think, Katy? That we could resume our relationship for the summer? Then what? Then we’re right back where we were ten years ago, and I’m pretty sure I can’t go through you leaving again.”
“Trent, it’s not like that. If you just let me…” Suddenly her voice fell off, as if she didn’t know what to say, how to explain.
Completely rattled, he asked, “Do you know why I was going to fuck you tonight, Katy?”
She stared up at him with those big blue eyes of hers and whispered, “Because you wanted me?”
“Yes, of course because I wanted you.” Fuck, yeah. “But also to get you out of my system.” When he saw the confusion in her expression, he went on to explain, “Yeah, that’s right, Katy. I was going to fuck you tonight, hoping that once and for all it would help me get over you.” Jesus, he was being a prick again. “So I guess a lot has changed over the years and there really is a lot you don’t know about me anymore.”
Her eyes widened with his revelation, then she simply said, “I’ve never gotten over you either, Trent.”
Sweet Mother of God!
Of all the things she could have said, of all the things she could have called him— asshole topping the list—she chose to say that. The one thing that nearly drove him to his knees and had him begging her to stay.
To marry him.
But how could he possibly do that to either of them? He didn’t want her to stay only to have her resent him. And he didn’t want her to stay because he’d pleaded. He wanted her to stay because she wanted to. Because he was important to her. This life was important to her.
Trent pushed past the pain and dug deep, searching for an ounce of control before he followed a path that could very well shatter him. He took a step back. “I should go.”
A cool breeze blew her hair off her shoulder as she hugged herself. She shot a nervous glance over her shoulder and Trent felt her anxiety as if it were her own.
Weary despair crossed her face. “I’ve got some work to do anyway.”
Oh fuck, she looked so sweet, so innocent, and so damn vulnerable the gentleman in him didn’t want to leave her alone when he knew how much that noise had frightened her.
“Look, I’m heading on over to the Seaside pub for a game of pool. Why don’t you come along? You’ve been working hard since you arrived, and I think a night out and a few beers with old friends might be just what you need.”
Chapter Six
Laughter and music poured out of the window and spilled onto the quiet street as Katy and Trent made their way to the pub. The tang of salt mingled with the aroma of raw seafood and hung heavy in the still air. Trading and selling at the outdoor fisherman’s market had ceased hours ago and the vendors had returned to their homes to replenish and rest their voices until first light, when the boats returned with their fresh catches.
Both lost in their own thoughts, neither spoke as they listened to the seagulls squawk out over the water. A few cars passed, and horns sounded, but in the small town most folks simply walked to their destination.
When they reached the pub, Trent tossed her a warm, reassuring smile—one that reminded her of the sweet, caring boy from her childhood—and pulled open the door for her. Before they stepped inside, two black vans passed, vehicles similar to the ones used by the stations. Katy shrugged it off. Maybe the local news had come to town to cover the upcoming reunion.
Katy stepped into the pub, which was alive with activity. Almost her entire graduating class had overtaken the place. They were bustling about in the darkened room and getting reacquainted. Katy had already spoken to most of them as one by one they made their way to the Seafarer after their arrival, which once again had her wondering why her granddaddy thought business was down.
She redirected her thoughts as Trent slipped his arm around her waist and guided her through the throngs of people to the teak bar overlooking the water. Katy climbed onto a stool and rested her foot on the brass rail as Trent grabbed a drink for each of them.
Trent handed her a cool amber beer and looked past her shoulder. She turned to see him staring at Brody. He leaned in and whispered into her ear. “Wait here for me. I want to talk to Brody about the noises at your cabin.”
Katy took a sip of her beer, and swiveled on her stool. She smiled as she perused the room and took in all the familiar faces. She waved to a few girls she hadn’t seen in years, and was about to go talk to them when Adam slid onto the stool next to her.
“Hey, Katy,” he said, flashing a familiar, charming smile, one that undoubtedly still had the women around town shedding their panties. Dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, with his dark hair a little long and a whole lot wild—like him—Adam still looked as good as he did the day they all graduated. She’d seen him at the Seafarer the other day, but she’d been too busy to stop and chat.
“Adam,” she said, and leaned in to give him a big hug. “Sorry I didn’t get to speak with you the other day. How are you?”
Always the flirt, he winked and said, “Better now that you’re here.” He tipped his bottle and Katy clinked her glass with his before taking a drink.
Katy laughed. “So I take it you haven’t found anyone and settled down yet.”
“Nah, life’s too short for that. What about you?”
“Nope, still on the prowl too,” she teased.
Something in Adam’s expression changed and his eyes turned dark, serious. “So what’s going on with you and lover boy?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You two getting…reacquainted?”
She was intelligent enough to know what he meant by reacquainted, but she didn’t kiss and tell and Trent was a guy who liked his privacy. Katy respected that. She waved her hand about the room, not about to get into the logistics of her relationship with Trent—partly because it wasn’t any of Adam’s business, and partly because she didn’t understand it herself—and offered Adam a coy smile. “Isn’t everyone?”
They both looked up and caught Trent’s glance from across the room, and a scowl slid across his face when his gaze went from Katy to Adam. He said something to Brody then started back toward the bar.
“Listen, Katy,” Adam said, humor long gone from his expression. “Trent is my best friend. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for him and I don’t want to see him hurt.”
“What are you getting at, Adam?”
His eyes locked on hers. “Don’t start something you can’t finish this time. Okay?”
She nodded, but before she could answer, a strong arm slipped around her waist and lifted her from her seat. In a possessive move, Trent pulled her to him, anchoring her body to his.
His glance locked with Adam’s and Adam offered them both a wide grin that could melt the butter cream paint off the walls.
“Come on, Katy. I’ve got us a table,” Trent said, and gestured toward the pool hall in the other room.
Adam gave them a wink. “Want to play three ways?”
“No,” Trent burst out, his hand fisting on her back. He turned to Katy. “Stay away from this guy. He’s trouble.”
The sound of Adam’s laughter echoed behind them as Trent led her to the pool table.
As Adam’s warning words echoed in her brain, her stomach tightened. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Trent. In fact, she wanted to love him, and not just in the bedroom. She wanted to put things right between them, wanted to find her way back home to him.
When they reached the table, Trent was mumbling something about Adam under his breath. Katy grabbed a stick. “Adam’s a good guy, Trent.”
“He’s a pain in my ass,” Trent responded, but Katy heard the love and respect in his words. Those two were best friends, firefighters, part of a brotherhood, and she loved that Adam worried about Trent. That’s how it was in her small town. You grew up together and had each other’s back. Katy mi
ssed that.
Trent racked the balls and said, “You break.”
The rest of the night flew by and Katy couldn’t believe how much she was enjoying herself. Trent stayed close to her, his body practically leaning over hers as she took her shots, and for awhile it felt like old times. As they played, the tension between them slipped away and they laughed, joked and teased one another. Before she knew it, she spotted people staring and most likely whispering about them.
“Looks like we’re drawing a bit of attention,” she said.
Trent glanced up and his jaw clenched. “Want to get out of here?”
“Yeah, it’s getting late and I have an early morning anyway.”
“Come on. I’ll walk you home.”
At the thought of going home, and remembering those strange noises, she frowned. Trent, as if knowing exactly what she was thinking, said, “Don’t worry. Brody was going to swing by your place and check it out. He said the kids around town have been playing a lot of pranks lately and it’s probably nothing to worry about.”
“Thanks.” Before she realized what she was doing, her hand found his. Their eyes met and she watched his throat work as he swallowed. Keeping their locked hands hidden between their bodies, they walked to the door, but when Trent pushed it open and a camera was thrust into their faces, he stumbled backward.
“What the hell?”
Overhead lights flicked on and blinded them. Katy blinked and shaded her eyes. “What’s going on?” she asked.
A microphone was shoved into her face. “So, Kathleen. Is this Trent Parker? The boy from your past? The reason you returned to your childhood home of Whispering Cove?”
“What are you doing here?” Katy demanded.
“A story on you, of course.”
“Of course?” Trent asked, his tone accusatory as he stared at Katy. “What does she mean by of course? Did you arrange this?”
“No,” Katy hurried out, but she saw the seed of doubt before he quickly blinked it away. “I had nothing to do with this.”
“Come on.” Trent grabbed her hand and hustled her back into the pub, closing the door on the commotion outside. Once inside he called Brody, who’d left the pub shortly after they’d arrived. Katy listened in. A moment later he hung up and informed her that Brody was sending Deputy Peter Veinotte to get things under control but that it might take awhile.
“I guess we’ll have to wait it out, since they’re blocking the only street leading to my cottage.”
When she yawned, the two beers making her tired, Trent said, “I have an idea.” He grabbed her hand, made his way to the back of the pub and spoke to Hauk Michaelsen, his old buddy and owner of the establishment.
Hauk ushered them through the kitchen and upstairs to his apartment. Without turning on any lights, he herded them outside and pointed to the long set of wooden stairs leading off his back deck. He tossed Trent a blanket. “Use this to disguise yourselves,” he advised in a rich, European dialect, even though he’d grown up in Whispering Cove.
Once outside, they rushed down the back street and Katy followed, not sure where he was guiding her until they reached the foot of Dresden bluff.
He rolled his shoulder. “If we’re going to wait it out, I’d rather do it here than in an overcrowded pub.”
They climbed the bluff, and when they reached the top, Katy slapped her hand to her chest and drew in air. Waves lapped against the rocks and light glistened on the rolling waves. As old memories came rushing back, Trent stepped up behind her and pressed his chest to her back.
“Is it as beautiful as you remember?” he asked, his voice soft, warm, filled with desire.
His heat reached out to her and she clamped her thighs together as sensations bombarded her body. “More so,” she answered honestly.
He positioned his mouth close to her ear and his fingers curled around hers. “I miss coming here with you, Katy.”
Her heart twisted and tears threatened. Oh God, she missed it too, so much so that it hurt deep in her core. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you brought me here on purpose.”
Trent let loose a long sigh and replied soberly, “Maybe on some level I did.”
“I guess Freud would have a field day with you too.”
He spun her around to face him. “What?” he asked.
The second she glimpsed the raw need on his rugged face, her heart began pounding and they both knew there’d be no running away for either of them this time. “Nothing. It’s nothing,” she assured him.
She breathed in his scent, and as the air charged, he lightly brushed her hair from her shoulder. His fingers scorched her flesh and she shivered in response to his touch.
His gaze panned her. “Cold?”
“Not really.”
For a long time, quiet fell over them, and when haunted eyes locked with hers, she could see his struggle. Then she saw something in him give and heard the ache of longing in his voice when he said, “Katy, are we really going to do this?”
“Maybe we should, Trent. Maybe it will help get me out of your system,” she said, hoping for just the opposite, hoping shared intimacies would help them move beyond the pain of the past and put them back on the path they were meant to travel.
He dropped a soft kiss onto her forehead, and exhaled. “Baby, there is nothing I can do to get you out of my system.”
She smiled, his words like a healing balm to her soul. She’d come home to see if Trent could ever forgive her, and as she stared up at him, she felt the shift inside him. Everything in his words and the way he was looking back at her told her they were on the road to recovery, moving on to the future. “Trent.”
“Yeah, baby.”
“I think you should kiss me.”
And kiss her he did.
He dipped his head and pressed his mouth to hers, parting her lips with his tongue. His kiss was soft, gentle and so achingly familiar and tender that it became her undoing. A tremble moved through her and her entire body shook from head to toe. When he felt her quake, the kiss grew more feverish, more demanding.
Katy moaned and pushed harder against him, savoring every second, every touch. He adjusted his body and a low growl sounded deep in his throat as his cock pushed into her belly. The sudden rush of sexual energy boiled her blood and she too moaned without censure.
Trent broke the kiss, pulled her T-shirt out from her jeans and ran his warm hands over her flesh. She palmed his muscles and ripped at his clothes, desperately needing to see him naked. He peeled off her top and bra, then stepped back to remove his own shirt.
As he exposed his upper body, her glance raced over him, registering every detail of his broad shoulders, hard abdominal muscles and tight, lean waist. “You’re beautiful…” she whispered, taking pleasure in the hard man before her.
Trent’s mouth curved as he pulled her back to him, and the feel of skin on skin, flesh on flesh, made her hunger for so much more. Desperately needing to touch every inch of him, she released the button on his pants and slid down his zipper. Trent sucked in air when she slipped her hand inside and wrapped her fingers around his cock.
“Oh Jesus,” he moaned, and pushed against her.
“Speaking of hoses,” she teased as she gave him a light squeeze.
Trent laughed and gripped her ass hard. “What’s the matter, Katy? You have another fire you need me to tend to?”
She grinned and stroked him harder. “As a matter of fact…”
“Let me see what I can do about that.” His lips crashed down on hers as he backed her up, closer to the edge to use the ocean as a romantic backdrop. He briefly pulled away, grabbed the blanket and laid it out. Then he dropped to his knees and dragged Katy down with him.
“As a professional, my first course of action is to assess the situation.” He slipped his hand into her jeans and stroked her cunt.
“Oh God,” she murmured.
“Oh yes, I can see how this kind of fire can blaze out of control if I don’t give it my ful
l attention right away. Now lie down for me.”
Body quivering with need, Katy did just that. She writhed on the ground, aching, needing, as she crooked her finger and gestured him closer. Moonlight spilled over them as Trent slowly pulled her jeans off and tossed them aside.
With a wicked grin on his face, and lust flashing in his eyes, he sat back on his heels, and lightly stroked her pussy. Widen for me, baby.”
She spread her legs and impatience thrummed through her. “T,” she murmured. “Please.” God, if she didn’t have him inside her soon she was going to go up in a burst of flames. “I need you inside me.”
His eyes darkened and emotion fractured his voice when he said, “There’s something I need to do first. Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”
With that, Trent bent forward and brushed his tongue over her cunt, the heat of his mouth searing her clit and fueling her need. She tossed her head from side to side then glanced up at the stars as white hot desire claimed her.
Oh Lord, she needed this, needed him in ways he couldn’t possibly understand, ways that went well beyond the physical. No matter what Trent thought, she’d never stopped wanting him. Never stopped loving him.
“Please,” she begged.
“Is this what you want, baby?”
Trent pressed his lips hungrily into her sex, and their moans of pleasure mingled as he parted her folds and kissed her long and hard. Her flesh began tingling and blood flowed hot and heavy through her veins.
Katy gripped the blanket and arched into him. A whimper escaped her lips. Good God, no one knew how to touch her body quite like he did.
“Jesus, I’ve missed the taste of you,” he murmured from between her legs. She slid her fingers into his hair and held him to her. His hands gripped her hips, his fingers biting into her flesh as the desire in his eyes turned her inside out.
His tongue ignited her blood to near boiling, and she could feel pleasure building in her body. His mouth moved faster, his tongue scraping her clit as he trailed one hand lower and inserted a finger.
