Where Trust Lies (Love vs. Loyalty Book 3)

by Nia Arthurs

  “But you don’t have to.”

  Breana rolled her eyes and smiled. “Look, let’s just accept that we handle finances differently and leave it at that? Hm? And why did you even ask about this weekend? Did you have something in mind?”

  “Actually I did,” Trenton said, getting excited. “How about going to Caye Caulker this weekend? I was thinking we could book a hotel room. Maybe visit the Goff’s Caye. Relax and soak in the sun.”

  “Really?” Breana brightened and he knew he was on the right track.

  “Yes, really.”

  “Wait…” Breana frowned. “The Lobster Fest is going to be in San Pedro.”

  “Why? Did you want to go to the Lobster Fest?”

  “It’s okay,” she said quickly. Too quickly.

  Trenton eyed her. “Why do you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Keep silent when you want something?”

  “I can’t afford to go on vacation, so if we go, you’ll have to shoulder most of the financial responsibility. If you’re the one paying for it, you should choose where we end up.”

  Trenton’s frustration built in his chest. Breana’s stubbornness could rival a mule’s. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy, and money was a simple means by which he could shower her with his love.

  Her calculating and careful behavior when it came to their finances was a stark contrast to his free and easygoing approach. It didn’t matter where the money flowed, as long as it made her smile when it did. If Breana could relax just a smidge, he’d be much happier.

  “You’re mad,” she said, turning to stare out the windshield.

  “I’m not mad.”

  “You are. I can see it all over your face.”

  He glanced at her, saw the set of her full lips and the determined tension in her jaw. “For the love of—are you upset now?”

  “I’m upset because you’re mad. Honestly, you have nothing to be angry about.”

  “I’m not angry!” he yelled.

  “Well, I’m not either!”

  This was ridiculous! Trenton took a deep breath and tried to get a handle on the conversation. If he followed Breana down the rabbit hole, they’d never find their way out.

  He parked in front of their home, but stopped her before she exited the car. Breana glanced down at the hand that gripped her wrist and then back up at him. He could cut himself on that laser gaze, but he shook his own annoyance to give up the battle for today.

  Breana’s frugal lifestyle was ingrained in her and, despite being married for almost six months, she still wasn’t ready to accept that his money was hers as well.

  For now, he decided to tackle the most pressing battle and leave the war until they were both in a better frame of mind.

  “Let’s go to the Lobster Festival.”

  She sank into her seat. “Do you want to go?”

  “You want to go.”

  “Because if you don’t want to go, I’m fine. I can go to the cayes or stay home—”

  “We’re going to the Lobster Fest. If you don’t have summer clothes and a proper bathing suit, I’m going to take you out to buy them, and yes, I’m going to pay for it. When we get there and you see something you want, I’m going to buy that for you too and you’re going to like it. Understood?”

  Breana nodded mutely. Her expression made him feel guilty so Trenton released her and exited the car. He shuffled in his pocket for the keys and fitted them into the front door when he felt someone come up behind him.

  Slim arms snaked around his waist, and he smelled the scent of the products in Breana’s hair before he recognized her voice. She spoke against his back, her nose buried in the fabric of his shirt.

  “I know you’re only trying to make me happy,” she said. “Being with you is enough for me. I don’t need your money.”

  “I know.”

  “I realize that I may have been sensitive. So I’d like to start over.” He ran his hand down her arm as she continued. “Trenton, thank you for wanting to take me away this weekend. I’ll try my best not to think too much about all the money we’re spending and I’ll have a nice time.”

  He turned around and ducked so that he could look into her eyes. “I know you feel that I’m being irresponsible with my money, but I’m not. My investments do well, and I have savings put away in the event of a rainy day. I won’t go bankrupt if I spend a little. Okay?”

  She nodded.

  Glad that their evening had been restored, Trenton suggested that they eat out before going shopping—to which Breana harshly protested with the claim that she could save the hundred dollars they’d spend at a restaurant making the only dish in her repertoire: eggs and bacon.

  In order to keep the peace, Trenton suggested they order Chinese food and go shopping after. Breana agreed to the proposition on the condition that she pay for the meal.

  Trenton sat back and agreed, grinning like an idiot as he watched her pleasure when the delivery guy rolled up to their house and she pulled out her purse. Breana’s quirks, as infuriating as they may be, made her unique. They made her frustrating beyond belief. They made her fragile. They made her strong.

  The woman was something else.

  She was also his.

  Trenton figured he could live with the quirks as long as they came with her.

  Chapter 17

  ₪₪₪₪₪₪

  Breana strolled down the sandy shores of San Pedro. Trenton was a public-displays-of-affection kind of guy and had found a way to keep his hand on her waist, her shoulder, or the small of her back, since they’d come out to the beach.

  Breana had always considered herself a shy person when it came to her conduct in public, but she didn’t mind as much as she thought she would. Not that her discomfort would have mattered as Trenton staked his claim with little awkwardness or hesitation.

  Breana figured that her newfound acceptance of PDA had a lot to do with how handsome Trenton looked in his T-shirt, trunks and open-toed sandals. That was another thing Breana never thought she’d find sexy, but the guy rocked the sandals like a boss.

  “Should we stop in here?” Trenton asked, pulling her from her thoughts. He pointed to a colorfully decorated bodega with a dancing lobster inviting customers inside.

  All along the beachfront, other vendors played music and shouted for the tourists and islanders to stop for a taste, but there was something about this particular lobster that was especially charming.

  The plush model noticed them watching and raced over. He silently waved his large, red claws and pointed to the caverns of the stall. Trenton’s eyes were shaded behind dark glasses, but she could feel his amusement.

  “I’m game,” she said. The lobster clapped and ushered them inside where they were afforded a bit of shade from the sun. They settled down and ordered their platters of Belize’s premium lobster.

  While they waited for their food to come, Breana listened to the steel pan music and tossed her head from side to side. When she glanced up, she found Trenton watching her with a smirk on his face.

  “What is it?”

  “You’re hot.” His eyes slowly roved her hair, tied up in a bun, to her makeup-free face, and colorful beachwear. The appreciative once-over let her know the compliment was sincere.

  A corner of her lip turned up. “Thanks?”

  “I’m not sure if you should wear that bathing suit out here. I don’t want to fight some pervert for making eyes at my wife.”

  “Do you see this weather? There’s no way I’m going into the water with my clothes on.”

  Trenton groaned and flung his chair back. “That’s it. I’m just going to beat up some guys today.”

  She grinned and reached out to keep him in place. Trenton tossed her a smile and pulled his chair back underneath the table. He was being unusually animated, and Breana sensed that it was his way of putting her mind at ease.

  With all her husband’s efforts and with the beauty of the island surrounding her, Breana sti
ll couldn’t fully escape the burden of her father’s appearance and the ramifications of his words.

  She’d spent most of last night denying the plausibility of William Stamp’s claims and had tried to call her mother before leaving for San Pedro that morning. The director of the rehab facility assured her that Merna would call when she was available and Breana had tried her best to be consoled by the promise.

  Now that several days had passed, she found her curiosity outgrowing her resentment. What was William Stamp really like? Could there be truth to his claims of ignorance about her birth? Was it possible that she could finally have a father?

  “That was fast,” Trenton said, his voice luring her from the depths of her thoughts. “The food looks good.”

  The waiter set their plates before them and the couple enjoyed a leisurely lunch before spending the next hour browsing the shops and learning more about the history of fishing in the Belizean islands.

  When Breana declared that she was ready to swim, Trenton hired a taxi to drive them to the most remote beach he could.

  “What if we get hurt out here? Who will rush us to the emergency room?” Breana teased.

  “There’s a resort right along that way,” the taxi driver said. “So you won’t be completely alone.”

  “See.” Trenton wiggled his eyebrows and leaned his head toward the view. “That’s spectacular.”

  She couldn’t help but agree. The water was so blue and clear that it seemed a near replica of the sky. White sand invited her to dip her toes into the ground, and beach chairs were set out for relaxing hours beneath the sun.

  Trenton paid the taxi fare, tipping the driver heavily when he noticed that only a handful of people played on the beach. The man drove off with a hearty smile, and Breana gazed at Trenton’s wallet before deciding to keep her thoughts on his spending habits to herself.

  “Let’s get changed,” Trenton said, gazing at the resort halls. “I’m sure there’s a bathroom somewhere—”

  His voice faded into oblivion as Breana easily untied the sarong at her waist and let the material drop to the sand. Trenton stared at her with his jaw hanging open and she glanced down to see what had captured his attention.

  The one-piece suit was fairly modest with thick straps at the top that covered most of her chest. It had a cutaway design at the back, but Trenton couldn’t even see that yet.

  “Hello?” She waved her hand in front of his face and he blinked to clear it. “You’re staring again.” She moved toward the water. “I’m so ready to go in.”

  Trenton followed her every step like a puppy marching after its master. When they reached the water’s edge, he stopped and hurled his shirt off. Breana whistled low under breath, admiring the ridges of his abs and chest.

  The sun turned up the heat until it felt like she’d burn up from the inside. Trenton noticed her checking him out and smiled confidently. Taking her hand, he pulled her along until they crashed into the depths of the sea.

  Together, husband and wife frolicked like little children—engaging in ‘splash wars’ (which Breana won), swimming into the waves that knocked them to and fro, and floating tensely on their back as they waited for the other to upend them.

  It was more fun than Breana remembered having in years. Trenton seemed far more approachable and normal than he did in his business suits and expensive watches. For the first time, she saw him without the status of his background—something that had always intimidated her.

  Here, in the bowels of the Caribbean Sea, he wasn’t Trenton Lorde, C.E.O. of Lorde Industries, son of prestige and luxury. Here, where the sand squished between her toes and the sky fell into the water, she wasn’t Breana Moore, daughter of Crazy Mary, victim of her past.

  She was a girl stripped of the broken pieces locked inside, and he was a boy with the bondage of his responsibilities washed away. Breana felt closer to him, now more than ever, and the idea of being his wife took firmer hold.

  It didn’t take long before the frolicking turned to flirting, and the innocent fun dissolved like foam beneath the Caribbean sun. A heated awareness lingered between the two, and Breana realized that she was intentionally hovering around Trenton, just to be touched by him.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked, his arms threading the water beside her.

  A wave bobbed them closer together. Breana glanced up at him, her eyes catching every detail. Trenton’s hair lay in wet clumps along his head. The hairstyle fashioned by the sea was quickly corrected when he pulled his fingers through the strands.

  Bright brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and her gaze followed the journey of one stubborn drop of water that made a trail from his cheek to his chiseled jaw. She reached out and let the drop fall on her finger instead of returning to its home in the sea.

  “I… I think you won,” she whispered.

  Trenton bobbed his head, waiting for her to clarify. Breana was just realizing it herself and took a few moments to grapple with her composure. Her heart beat out of time and she pressed a hand to her chest.

  “Trenton,” she said with urgency, “you won the challenge.”

  Chuckling lightly, he grasped her arms. “What challenge? Bree, what are you talking about?”

  “Right after we were married, we had an argument about love and loyalty.”

  “We were at your place,” he said. “You promised to teach me about loyalty.”

  “And you,” Breana took a deep breath, “you said you’d teach me about love.”

  Trenton’s eyes lit with understanding. His fingers around her arms tightened and she treaded the water to be closer to him. Feeling oddly vulnerable, Breana looked at the crystal blue waves and strained to fill in the tense silence with her ramblings.

  “How long have we been in here? My fingers are turning to prunes. We should probably get out of the sun now. We don’t want to catch sunstroke. I actually have a story about that—”

  “Breana?”

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  “Well, I didn’t actually say that I—”

  Trenton clutched her waist and pressed her against him as he kissed her deeply. Breana did not waste time struggling against the embrace and simply melted into the quiet passion of his love.

  Chapter 18

  ₪₪₪₪₪₪

  Breana’s lips usually tasted like honey, but this time the salt from the ocean tempered the sweetness, creating a unique blend that quickened his pulse and left him stunned. Trenton quickly adjusted to the tang and savored the salt as much as the sweet.

  Repositioning his hand so that one remained on her waist while the other cupped her jaw, he deepened the kiss. Breana’s hand came up around the back of his neck, and she closed her eyes, inviting his advances.

  Trenton didn’t want to stop, but when he noticed her trembling and determined that most of it was not from their kiss, he pulled back. Breana shook her head and quickly ducked under the waves to hide from the cold. He scooped water into his hands and poured it on her head to help.

  “Ready to head back to the hotel?” he asked, his voice husky. Breana nodded and waded toward the beach.

  Trenton followed along, grabbing her hand when they made it to the sand. Reclaiming his T-shirt, he reached out to put it on when he saw Breana’s hand trembling as she tried in vain to tie her skirt back around her waist.

  Walking up to her, he snatched the cloth from her hands. She glanced up at him in surprise, her eyes diving to the family playing on the sand a few feet away from them.

  “There are children here, Trenton,” she said beneath her breath.

  He grinned mischievously, finding her concern amusing. “They’ll have to learn about the birds and the bees sometime.”

  She pressed a hand to her chest and arched an eyebrow. He could imagine her thoughts as she silently scolded him for his scandalous behavior.

  Breana extended her arm and looked away. “Hand back the sarong.”

  “Here,” he said. Leaning towa
rd her, he positioned the slinky material around her waist and tied it tightly, patting her bum as reward when he was done.

  “You do exactly what you want no matter what I say, don’t you?”

  Ignoring the slight scolding in her tone, he handed her the T-shirt and slipped his hands into his pockets.

  “What’s this for?”

  “Put it on. You look like you’re freezing.”

  She watched the shirt and he knew she was debating rejecting it on principle. Her dislike for the cold seemed to win out for Breana eventually snapped the shirt up and pulled it on, rubbing her arms against the sleeves for added warmth.

  Trenton really like the sight of her in his T-shirt, but knew instinctively that he’d like the sight of her out of it as well. He heard a drizzling sound and found Breana leaning over and wringing her hair out. She looked so effortlessly alluring.

  They needed to get back to the hotel. Pronto.

  After a few minutes, Trenton succeeded in flagging down a golf-cart and directed the man to their hotel. As they drove, Breana stuck her hand out of the car, inviting the sun’s rays to further dry her off.

  “Aren’t you cold?” she asked him as they passed by the festival that was still in full swing.

  “You make me warm,” he said honestly.

  Breana rolled her eyes. “You’re so cheesy.”

  “What about this?” He sidled closer to her. “When we get back to the hotel, why don’t we shower off and then cuddle on the bed to watch a movie?”

  “Watch a movie?” she arched an eyebrow. “Is that what they call it now?”

  Trenton shrugged. “We can do something else—”

  “No,” Breana said. “We’ll… watch a movie.”

  Trenton could barely wait for the cart to stop in front of the Perrington Resort.

  Breana seemed to be moving past any memories or doubts she held toward him, at least when it came to his faithfulness to her, and for that Trenton was grateful. She was making a choice to trust him, and it was not one he would take advantage of.

  “Do you want your shirt back?” Breana asked as he finished paying the fare. “This looks like a swanky place.”