His to Love (Titans Quarter Book 2)

by Sierra Cartwright

  “You’d have figured it out. I have confidence.”

  “Ask him.”

  “What?”

  “Ask Lawton yourself. Now, even.” With a grin, David shrugged.

  “Hello, Shelby.”

  At the unmistakable sound of Trevor’s rich, sexy voice, her heart plunged into a freefall.

  “David’s right. You’re responsible for all of this.”

  “See?” David gloated.

  Her knees wobbled as she turned to face the man she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.

  His eyes were every bit as haunted as they’d been weeks ago. His face appeared more angular, as if he’d lost a few pounds. And he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

  “I’ll, er, go and greet some new arrivals?” David suggested.

  Trevor never took his gaze off her as he responded. “Yeah. You do that.”

  Suddenly they were alone. The noise around them receded, and the world seemed to right itself on its axis for the first time in week. But she didn’t know what to say. Why haven’t you called? I can’t live without you. All of that was too personal for a public place, but one of them needed to break the tension-filled silence. So she settled for something polite and inane. “David can’t stop talking about how much you’ve done for him.”

  “It’s a worthwhile project. I’m glad to be involved in it. Can I show you around?”

  “I’d like that.” And it would give her something to do, other than stand in front of him sorting through and discarding the millions of things she wanted to say.

  “Would you like a glass of wine?”

  “Yes. Thanks.”

  He cupped her elbow, jolting her with electricity. It was something he might have done when they were lovers. Even though she had no idea what they were to each other now, she didn’t attempt to pull away. This was as right and as natural as the turning of the tides.

  Fiona and Hannah were near the bar, and Trevor left her with them and excused himself to fetch her drink.

  “How’s it going?” Fiona asked. “Are you doing okay?”

  “It’s, uhm…” Wonderful. Awkward. “He’s going to give me a tour.”

  Fiona didn’t try to hide her grin. “Let me know whether you’ll need a ride home or not.”

  “I’m sure—”

  “Here’s your wine,” Trevor said.

  Shelby’s hand shook, and she almost spilled the drink as she accepted it.

  After everyone exchanged greetings, Trevor looked at her. “Shall we?” He then glanced at Fiona and Hannah. “If you’ll excuse us, ladies.” Though his words were polite, they weren’t really a question.

  In that instant, he sounded like a Dom. So much so that her insides became molten.

  Fiona grinned before taking a sip of her wine. “Have fun.”

  Trevor’s first stop was the kitchen.

  Shelby glanced around at the much smaller space. “What a difference.” The vast area was now only big enough to be a break room with a small refrigerator, a microwave, a sink, and a small round table.

  “It’s about a quarter of the original size, which gave David’s enough room for another office.”

  “Good choice.”

  She followed him to the conference room. “Wow.” The transformation was staggering. On many occasions, she’d met with clients in the dingy space. The last time she was in here, the paint had been an awful blend of tan and gray, and the carpet had been threadbare in spots. Once, she’d even caught the leg of a chair in one of the holes, nearly toppling over when she leaned forward to pick up her pen.

  Now the walls were a soft pastel, and the lighting was bright but not overpowering. The honey-colored hardwood floor gleamed. The old rickety table had been replaced with a long, polished one surrounded by chairs that swiveled. At the back of the room was a credenza with bottles of water and a coffeemaker that brewed a single cup at a time. There were mugs with pictures of the building on it. The door had been replaced, and a window had been added. Everything was trimmed out with period-correct woodwork. Artwork depicted the Mississippi River and New Orleans courtyards in spring. A side table had a bouquet of flowers on it, set in a vase made from a material she’d never seen before. “It’s not just professional; it’s a place that invites cooperation. That sounds strange, maybe?”

  “Not at all. Hannah was thinking in those terms when she designed it.”

  “The blues and greens in the color palette is soothing.”

  Upstairs, Mason was showing people a completed office that hadn’t yet been leased.

  Trevor invited her to the large window that overlooked the building’s backyard, complete with a beautiful fountain. “If I didn’t live so far away, I’d consider renting it myself,” she said.

  “John Thoroughgood, Mason’s real estate advisor, has had no trouble securing tenants.”

  “I can see why. The renovation is amazing.”

  Mason and his group moved from the room.

  “Have you ever seen the third floor?”

  She frowned. “As far as I knew, it was closed off.”

  “Originally, there were additional bedrooms up there. Presumably for the nanny or governess, whatever they had back then, along with an open area for the family’s kids to play.”

  “Where they could make as much noise as they wanted without disturbing the rest of the family?”

  “I’m sure that was part of the reasoning.”

  “I’d love to see it.” She followed him up the staircase at the rear of the house.

  At the top was a closed door with a brass knob.

  This was definitely a work in progress. There were plenty of pieces of antique furniture, along with some that appeared to be military or government surplus. Numerous cans of paint and construction supplies sat against one wall. “So this is where everything is stored?”

  “All the work is done at night and on the weekends so as not to impact David’s clients. So, yes. Storage is needed.” Trevor closed the door, cocooning them from the rest of the party. “I’ve missed you.”

  The wobble of emotion in his voice streaked through her, and she turned toward him.

  Raw pain was etched in his eyes. An echoing hurt squeezed her heart. “Oh Trevor.”

  “Have you missed me?”

  “Trevor, we… I…” She stopped herself from uttering an instinctive, protective lie. In showing his vulnerability, he was taking a huge risk. Could she be any less brave? “Yes.” She lowered her head.

  He closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders forward. “Do you miss me enough?”

  “Enough?”

  “To tell me why you ran?”

  Because her mouth was suddenly dry, Shelby worried her lower lip. In blocking his calls, she’d ensured that she didn’t have to answer his probing question. But if she wanted to move forward, escape the pain she’d been living in, she had to expose her innermost fears. The moment was every bit as harrowing as she’d imagined it would be, filled with fear-inducing anxiety. Blood pounded in her ears, making her dizzy.

  He pressed his shoulders against the door, keeping his distance. Giving her space?

  In confessing that he missed her, he’d taken the first emotional risk. And as she looked at him, the image of the anchor returned to her. From the first moment she was alone with him, Trevor had been nothing except calm and patient. He’d been there for her, sensing what she needed, even when she hadn’t been able to find the words to express her feelings.

  “Shelby?”

  She turned away to slide her untouched glass of wine on a table behind her. It was a tactic to buy a few extra seconds to sort through what she wanted to say. “I was scared. Then, as she turned, she corrected herself. “I am scared.”

  “Of…?”

  “The future.”

  He nodded, as if he understood, when in truth there was no way he actually could.

  Because he remained silent, she gathered a little more strength. “I was starting to count on you.”<
br />
  A frown burrowed its way between his eyebrows. “How is that a problem?”

  “After my divorce, I promised myself that I wouldn’t fall in love ever again.” Now she wished she hadn’t put down the wineglass. She needed something to distract herself from the force of his steely eyes.

  “And…?”

  “Divorce stinks.”

  “Which you see every day. Relationships that didn’t work out.”

  “Yes.”

  “Which one of us don’t you trust?”

  Shocked by his question, she pulled back a little.

  “Are you’re scared you can’t count on me? That I’ll never commit? Maybe I’ll let you down? Cheat, maybe?”

  She shook her head. “What? No.” All of his suggestions were absurd.

  “Do you trust yourself? When you make a promise, do you keep it?”

  “Of course.”

  “You’re capable of having long relationships, right? Your group of friends proves that.”

  He was addressing all of her fears and dismantling them in a gentle yet relentless way.

  “Do you have any reason to suspect we can’t communicate? Or that we aren’t compatible?”

  Their time together had been amazing. They’d negotiated scenes easily, and they’d enjoyed spending time in the same ways. “I… No.”

  “Then…? Help me out, Shelby. Tell me what I’m missing.”

  “I’m afraid of being hurt.” His honesty sparked the same inside her. “I told you I was counting on you, and then I realized I was falling—” She pushed a hand over her mouth, terrified that the truth she was trying to bury from both of them would spill out.

  “I’ll always be here for you, Shelby Maria Virginia Salazar.”

  How had he remembered her whole name?

  “Everything about you is important to me. And I love you.”

  Her knees buckled, and she reached behind herself to grab hold of the table to steady herself. “You…”

  “I love you.” He hooked a thumb through a belt loop. “Yeah, it shocked me too. From the moment I saw you, on your knees, unable to keep your gaze from wandering, I was intrigued. Then I got to know you. I saw how dedicated you were to your clients, especially the kids. Then there’s your loyalty to David and his law center. I wasn’t looking for a relationship, but there it is.”

  “You stopped calling.” She hated the hurt that softened her words.

  He gave a half grin. “I thought you had me blocked.”

  “Until I saw Madame.”

  “Ah. Did you? So did I.”

  She blinked. “Really?”

  “Agitation.”

  Shelby remembered the exchange they two had shared. “The distance between where we are and where we want to be?”

  “Yeah. It was worse this time.”

  “Because of me leaving?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. It showed me how much you meant to me. Helped me understand that I love you. As for calling and getting your voice mail?”

  She waited.

  His voice was gruff. “I spiked my fucking phone on the kitchen floor.”

  “You didn’t!”

  “Not proud of it. Pieces everywhere. Agitation? That’s an understatement. At Madame’s urging, I focused on my work with Mason and David, and I did my best to make sure I saw you again. I figured I’d be difficult to resist in person.”

  “You’re pretty confident of your powers, Trevor.”

  “Is it working?”

  How was it possible for him to make things so easy for her?

  “You don’t have to love me. I’m just asking you to give us a chance. Let me prove that not all men are like your ex. That relationships can work out. You don’t have to give me anything more than the moment we’re in.”

  He was brilliant. Each second they were together would lead to the next. And he’d offered her something she could agree to. Not forever, not even a year or a day.

  Without another word, he extended his hand toward her. So far, he’d taken all the steps, and he wanted her to take the next one.

  The first time she met Madame, the woman had spoken about the beauty that lay beyond pain. At the time, Shelby assumed the reference was to BDSM. Now she knew it was greater than that. If she wanted to experience love, she had to be willing to transcend her emotional fears.

  Even though she was afraid her legs wouldn’t support her, she released her hold on the table and took the first tentative step toward him.

  “Come to me, precious Shelby.”

  Within seconds she was wrapped in his reassuring embrace. He didn’t hold too tightly, but enough to let her know how much he cared. Gently he kissed the top of her head.

  “I love you, Shelby.”

  She rested her head on his strong chest, surrendering to him. To trust. “I love you, Trevor.”

  “And I will cherish that.”

  Long minutes later, the sounds of the celebration way off in the distance, she pulled back a little to look at him. “Kiss me?”

  A slow, sensual smile lit his face, making his eyes brighter than they had been. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  He released her long enough to lock the door.

  A tremor lanced her spine. Not from fear but from anticipation.

  Catching her off guard, he swept her from her feet and carried her to the desk where she’d left her wine. He moved the glass to one side, then sat her on the top.

  “Put your legs around my waist.”

  This wasn’t what she expected. Then again, nothing with him ever was.

  “Shelby.”

  The growl of command in her shot straight to her submissive responses. “Yes, Sir.” Immediately she parted her legs and scooted forward.

  He hiked up her skirt and slipped a finger inside the gusset of her panties to find her clit; then he pressed against it, hard.

  She squirmed. “Sir!”

  “How long since you came?”

  In his terrible, usual way, he didn’t stop playing with her. “I can’t think.”

  “How long, sub?”

  “Weeks.” She caught her breath. “I haven’t at all since I left.”

  With a long, triumphant growl, he sank to his knees and closed his mouth on her. As he teased her with his tongue, she whimpered. When she asked for a kiss, she hadn’t expected this. Maybe because she’d denied herself any sexual satisfaction, this was overwhelming. “Oh. Fuck. God. I need…”

  “You can come. Now. Then again as often as you want. I’ve been fantasizing about getting you off up here.”

  “You haven’t.”

  “I assure you I have.”

  Trevor was all things at once—relentless, demanding, seeking, giving, taking. She arched her back and lifted her bottom, giving him everything she had to offer. He plunged two fingers inside her wet pussy and unerringly found her G-spot. The exquisite pressure shoved her headlong into a stunning climax. Mindless of their surroundings, she screamed his name.

  Instantly he was there, lifting her upright, digging a hand into her hair and tugging her head back so he could claim her mouth in a hungry kiss. She tasted herself on him, sex and satisfaction.

  Against her, his cock was hard. “Should I fuck you here or at home?”

  She was ready for him, but she didn’t dare take a chance that they’d be interrupted. “Let’s leave.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that. Did you drive?”

  “No. Fiona picked me up.”

  “Excellent. Do you need to stop by your house?” His eyes blazed with promise. “You won’t need clothes. In fact, we get started by having you remove your panties.”

  Delicious hunger danced through her. There was no doubt he meant what he said.

  He took a step back, then reached beneath her skirt. “Lift your hips.”

  The idea was easier in theory than execution. For leverage, she placed her palms flat on the desk while he worked the silky material over her buttocks. He took far longer than necessary, and he pur
posefully abraded her clit with his thumbnail. Wildly she wondered how she’d manage to make it home before she came.

  When her pussy was nude, he slipped her underwear into his pocket.

  “That feels…” A little strange. Very naughty. Perfect.

  He kissed her forehead, then wrapped his arms around her. “That will have to hold both of us.”

  “Maybe we should get a hotel?” she suggested.

  “We’ll go to my place. After dinner.”

  “Dinner?” She didn’t want to wait.

  “You’ll need nourishment for the night ahead.” His eyes darkened. Against her, his dick throbbed. “I promise you that.”

  “I’ll hold you to that, Master Trevor.” Turned on, she wiggled suggestively.

  He growled as his cock jumped. “You’ll pay for that, precious sub.”

  “Oh Sir.” Then she succumbed to her joy. “Bring it on.”

  “You’re being bold, Shelby. Reckless, even.”

  Yes. She wanted him to know how much she wanted to share her life with him. Once again she thought back to the tea leaves and the storm clouds she’d seen all around her. And now… They were gone. For the first time, the idea of a future with him didn’t frighten her. Peace seeped through her, and she couldn’t hide a grin. “I’m in love.” Her confession was pure and straight from her heart. “So in love.”

  “You have no idea how happy that makes me.” He traced her jawline in a way that was reassuring as well as possessive.

  As always, his reaction to what she said made her feel safe.

  “I will warn you, however. I have a detailed ledger in my head. Pretty little words won’t get you out of the debt you owe for your teasing.”

  “I certainly hope not, Sir.”

  “My precious, precious sub.” He helped her from the desk, then smoothed her skirt. “We’ll sneak out the back and make our apologies later. I’m not waiting one minute longer than I have to.”

  Trevor wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her toward the door and their new life together—one she was suddenly very much looking forward to.

  Epilogue

  Trevor pulled open the door to the restaurant that had been rented out for the television debut of Mason and Hannah’s show.