by Jill Sanders
“Appendix?” he asked, fingering a small scar.
She nodded. They had both shed their jackets after sitting in the sun for over an hour. Now she leaned up and tugged his shirt over his head. Then ran her fingertips over all those sexy muscles.
Even though it was early spring in Montana, his skin was tan. A lot tanner than her own.
“You work with your shirt off?” She watched his dark hazel-brown eyes lighten as she touched him.
“When I’m clearing my land.” He closed his eyes, and she knew he was enjoying her touch. She leaned up and placed her lips where the warmth of her touch lingered. His fingers dug into her hair, holding her to his chest.
“My god,” Trent repeated, then tugged her head back, laying her on the soft blanket, until their lips met again. This time the kisses grew deeper, causing her entire body to respond.
Her legs wrapped around his jean-clad hips, pulling him closer until she felt his desire pressed up against her core. His hands moved, pulling her flannel off and tugging her tank top fully over her head until she lay underneath him clad only in her new pale-pink lace bra.
His mouth moved down to brush against a spot just above the light material. Addy groaned and tightened her grip in his hair. While his fingers brushed the top of her jeans, his tongue plunged under the lacy material and had her hips rising off the blanket.
It was a move designed to loosen the last strings of her hold. Trent had somehow undone the top button of her jeans without her knowing. His fingers dipped underneath and found her soft folds just as his mouth closed over one taut nipple and began a soft torture.
Her nails dug into his skin as he slowly loved her, giving her more pleasure than she’d ever experienced in her life. His mouth touched first one nipple then the other as his fingers worked, getting her closer to the edge.
When she cried out, he moved up and covered her lips with his own and kissed her until she felt her entire body vibrate under his touch.
“My god.” She sighed and wrapped her arms around him.
“Yeah.” She could tell he was smiling as he pulled her closer to his chest. “Definitely on the list.”
“List?” She chanced opening one eye and looking up at him.
He looked down at her with a grin. “Top ten moments of my life.”
“Oh?” She smiled and opened both eyes. “But we haven’t even . . .” She reached for him, only for him to grab her wrist and hold it down next to her hair on the blanket. She had never known it could feel like this, wanting someone so much.
“Next time.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “I’ll want a soft bed and an entire night to watch those blue eyes of yours darken.”
“Your eyes turn a lighter shade of hazel,” she blurted out and instantly felt stupid.
“They do?” He leaned down until they were eye to eye, nose to nose. “Yours are the same color as the South Pacific.”
“Really?” She smiled up at him. “That’s got to be better than most coasts I’ve protested.”
He chuckled. “I’ve only been to one place and”—he leaned down and placed another kiss on her lips—“it didn’t come close to your beauty.”
They both heard voices coming closer and moved at the same time. She felt and heard the smack as her head hit his chin.
“Damn,” she cursed and rubbed the spot, then looked over at him doing the same to his chin.
“I’ll get your shirt.” He gestured for her to stay put, then leaned over and deposited her tank over her head. She pulled her flannel shirt on the rest of the way as he tossed his T-shirt over his head.
She sighed as those sexy muscles disappeared from her view.
By the time the hiking group hit their spot, Trent and Addy had their picnic all packed up and were heading back down the trail as if nothing had happened.
She felt like they were in a stalemate on the issue of what his family had in store, but personally they had just taken a giant step forward.
Of course, her heart rate took until they reached the bottom of the hill to return to normal. Her mind kept flashing to what he’d done to her. How he’d made her feel.
By the time they reached her Jeep, she was pretty sure that she was falling for Trent McGowan.
She was screwed.
Trent sat in his mother’s living room and tried to act surprised when Tyler and Kristen sprang the news. It helped that his mind kept wandering to Addy.
They had parted without setting any further plans. She’d agreed to try and find out who had talked to Beau if Trent would ask his family if he could share their plans with her.
He’d hesitantly agreed but wanted to postpone asking the family for as long as he could. He knew where his loyalty lay, but it wasn’t as if his family was going to kick him out if he didn’t get the information that they wanted from Addy.
Not that he was trying to trick her, just keep her around town for a little longer. Hell, to be honest, he’d keep her here as long as he could.
She was different than any woman he’d dated before. Different in so many ways. It wasn’t just that she was smart—in being with her, he could be himself.
He’d never talked about his love for books with anyone else. Like his brothers, Trent had a reputation around town, and in the past he hadn’t wanted to do anything to shake himself from that because it had tended to benefit him with the ladies. Maybe that was changing.
Once congratulations had poured out for Tyler and Kristen and plans had been preliminarily discussed, the family gathered around another homemade dinner.
“So have you found a place of your own?” Kristen asked her mother.
“Well, Gail and I have been talking.”
“Once Trent moves out . . .” His mother’s eyes met his.
“Hopefully in three months,” he supplied.
“Once he moves into his own place, we were thinking she’d just remain here. It’s not like there isn’t enough room.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.” Kristen reached over and took her mother’s hand. “To have two grandmothers in one place and so close by.”
“That was what we thought too,” Trisha said. “That is, the plan will work until either of us finds a new man.”
“What?” Trent and his brothers all sat up a little. “Who’s finding a new man?”
“No one is,” their mother said. “For now. But your father and I always talked about what would happen if one of us passed on before the other. Your father wouldn’t want me to be lonely.”
“You’re not,” Tyler said. “You have Trisha. Besides, the two of you walk around here as if you are half of the Golden Girls quartet.”
Gail rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me remind you that even women our age need another kind of companionship.”
“Gross,” Trey said and plugged his ears. “I don’t want to hear any more.” He turned to Trent. “Make her stop.”
Trent laughed. “So what about all your things?” he asked Trisha.
“I’ve sold most of it. The rest we figured we could go through and decide what we can incorporate here.”
“God knows I have enough stuff I could toss out,” Gail added.
“Like the chipped egg bowl?” Trent took a sip of his tea.
“Some things I’ll hold on to.” She smiled.
“How did your lunch with Addy go?” Trisha asked. Suddenly every eye was on him, waiting.
“Fine.” Trent set his drink down and made a point to push the last pea across the plate as if he were playing hockey.
“Just fine?” his mother asked.
“Yeah.” He avoided eye contact.
“Did you ask her?” she prodded.
Trent shrugged. “She is going to look into who told Beau about the purchase.”
He watched his mother’s gaze sharpen. He could tell she was thinking. “How are our plans going?” She turned to Tyler.
“Fine,” he said. “We’ve got the lawyers’ go-ahead. That is, after May first. We’l
l be legally free then to do what we want with Dad’s methods.”
“What about your Uncle Carl?” Kristen asked.
“He signed away his rights long ago,” Trent said. He felt something roil in the bottom of his gut. His father’s brother was a sore subject in their family.
“I mean, does he know? Shouldn’t you tell him?”
Trent didn’t really care what the old man thought about their deal, but he did know the guy didn’t deserve to be blindsided.
Everyone looked at each other in silence.
“Should we take a vote?” their mother said.
Suddenly four fists were in the air, and at the count of three, four thumbs rose up.
“Okay,” Kristen laughed. “What the heck was that?”
“How we McGowans vote.” Tyler smiled and took her hand.
“What does it mean?”
“If the thumbs had turned down, the answer was no. But when the thumbs are up, it’s a yes. Which means we tell my uncle ahead of time.” He winked at her. “Want to see how we decide who gets to tell him?”
Trey and Trent groaned at the same time.
An hour later and sporting a bruised ego, Trent made his way into his room. Now, on top of his very long list of things to do, he also had to make time to tell his uncle of their plans for the Lenzes’ property and the future of McGowan Enterprises.
When he crawled into bed, he pulled out his cell phone and called Addy.
“So you’re a caller, not a texter,” she said, answering the phone.
“I can’t hit those tiny buttons fast enough.” He smiled and settled into the pillow. “Are you in bed?” he asked.
“Just about to get there. I was reading.”
“What?” he asked, glancing over at his own stack of books he’d borrowed from the library earlier in the week. He’d been too busy to even crack one open yet.
“You wouldn’t know this one,” she said, and he could hear her shift around.
“Is it a romance book?” he asked, chuckling at the memory of the ending to their earlier conversation.
“So?” He heard the defiance in her voice. “What if it is? People read all kinds of things.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” he said. “I’ve read a few of those myself.”
“Oh?” she said slowly. “Which ones?”
For the next forty minutes, they compared book lists and talked about good plots and characters versus bad ones. The only thing they disagreed on was horror books. Addy loved scary books, while he stayed clear of them.
“I love a book that keeps me up at night.” She sighed, and he could tell she was growing tired.
“I could keep you up all night,” he said softly and smiled when he heard her breath hitch. “Addy . . .” He waited a beat.
“Hmm?” she said.
“Dream of me,” he whispered.
“I already am.”
CHAPTER TEN
Addy did dream of Trent that night, and the next. With each night, the dreams grew more detailed and her desire for him stronger.
She kept busy, even as the numbers of her group dwindled. Most had moved on to North Dakota and only about a dozen people remained. Even Helen and Minnie had gone on.
Since Estelle had decided to stay in town, Addy had put her in charge of as much as she could to allow herself time to continue her research.
She’d finally had a quick meeting with the mayor and Tyler, Trent, and Trey. They had discussed current oil drilling plans and future ones, but nothing concerning the new land or their plans for it. Basically the meeting had been less productive than just talking to Trent. He’d hurried out of the meeting, claiming the brothers were late for another meeting, and she hadn’t even gotten a few minutes alone with him.
She had ended up talking to Martha for another half hour, learning about rumors that had been floating around. Addy told the woman more about the dangers of fracking and other issues with dangerous drilling methods, which was all more concrete information than anything Martha told her.
She’d spent another few hours scouring the web for anything about Trent’s family’s business and the land purchase, but she was beginning to feel like there was nothing real she could discover. Not without the help of the McGowans.
On Tuesday morning, she dressed in her newest black slacks and added a silk top and low heels. She took extra time fixing her hair and applying the slightest makeup to finish the look.
When she parked near the building that housed McGowan Enterprises, Addy’s palms felt damp, and she wished she’d worn her hair up since it had rained that morning. Now her well-placed hair would become a rat’s nest. She tied it up in the Jeep before making a dash to the front door, her small, broken umbrella over her head.
She shook the umbrella off and sat it just inside the doorway.
Rea, sitting behind a massive wood desk, watched her as she walked across the glossy wood floor.
“Hello, dear. I hope your Jeep tire got all fixed up.”
“Yes, thank you. My insurance paid for everything.”
“Oh, good.” Rea shifted. “Trent mentioned that you might be stopping by. I’ve got a few things ready for you.” She stood up and moved over to a file cabinet. “Here.” She pulled out a thick folder.
“You didn’t have to . . .”
“Nonsense.” Rea smiled and handed the folder to her. “If I could, I’d be camped out there with your group.” She walked back over to her desk. “You have a look through that and if you still have questions, let me know.” She winked at Addy. “Now I was given strict orders, if Trent was in the office when you stopped by, to show you in.”
Addy swallowed and wished she’d spent a few more minutes fixing her hair.
“But since he’s not here . . .” Rea trailed off as the door opened.
“I’m here.” Trent walked in and almost tripped on Addy’s umbrella.
“Sorry.” She watched him move her umbrella aside. Their picnic encounter surfaced in her mind, causing her face to flush.
“Hmm.” He smiled. “Don’t know what I did to deserve the blush, but I’ll take it.” He walked toward them. “Thanks, Rea.” He took Addy’s free hand, and she followed him back down a long hallway. She hadn’t registered Trent holding her hand until she glanced back at Rea and noticed the woman’s smile. When she tried to tug her hand free, Trent shifted, bringing her closer to him.
They walked past two impressive conference rooms until they came to a tall door with his name etched in the smoked glass.
She wondered just what she had gotten herself into. Could she really spy on Trent’s family’s business while trying to have a relationship with him? Because that’s what it was. Spying. Or was it the idea of the relationship that bothered her the most?
When he shut the door behind her, he pulled her close. The folder Rea had given her crumpled between them as his mouth covered her lips.
“There.” He pulled his mouth away. “Much better.”
“Speak for yourself. Now I can’t walk,” she joked.
His arms remained wrapped around her and he nuzzled her neck. “I could always carry . . .”
“No.” She took a step back and shook her head, causing him to chuckle.
“I’m glad you stopped by,” he said, moving to his desk. But instead of sitting behind it, he motioned for her to sit in one of the brown leather chairs.
She did as he suggested, thankful to be off her feet.
“I like this.” He touched the shiny material of her silk shirt. The shirt hung low over her chest, showing off more cleavage than she was used to but not enough to make it inappropriate business attire.
“Thanks,” she said, then bit her bottom lip. She could still taste him and smell his aftershave. She had to admit, part of her wished he’d carried her to his desk and . . . her face flushed again.
“There it is again.” He leaned closer. “Did you miss me?”
“No.” She raised her chin. “Did you miss me?” she asked after a
moment of silence. She wanted to hear him say it first.
“Very much.” His gaze moved back to her lips. “The feel, the smell, the taste of you.” A low growl radiated from his chest.
She swallowed slowly, and he watched her chest rise and fall.
This time, the growl came from deeper.
“Addy, you’re killing me.” He shifted slightly and she couldn’t help it. Her eyes tracked his motion. Her mouth went dry when she noticed he was hard, very hard.
Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths and licked her lips. Which didn’t end up helping, since she could still taste him on them.
Just then, his office phone chimed and Rea’s voice came over the intercom in a soft whisper. “Trent, your uncle just walked in. Shall I have him wait?”
Addy’s eyes had flown open and were glued to his as Rea spoke. Without breaking eye contact, he reached back and pressed a button on his phone.
“Yes, thank you.” He stood and walked over to the large windows behind his desk.
Addy remained still, unsure of what to say or do.
“How about dinner tonight?” Trent asked, looking out the window.
“I . . .” She shook her head and took another deep breath. “I can’t tonight.” She held in a groan when she thought about why she couldn’t be with him. She’d rather spend the evening anywhere than with her parents.
He turned around and finally met her eyes. “Tomorrow?”
She thought about it for a moment.
“Don’t make me beg.” She heard his voice crack slightly.
“Okay, tomorrow.” She took a step toward the door. “My place,” she said without thinking. “I mean, I’ll cook.” She turned and left before he could respond. His instant smile had given her the answer she needed.
She walked down the long hallway, past Rea and Trent’s uncle, Carl. The man looked a lot like Trent’s late father, just with a large beer belly.
Once outside, she dashed to her Jeep, avoiding several puddles as she went. The folder Rea had given her remained tucked tight against her chest to keep it from getting wet.
Addy sat in her car for several minutes before she felt she was under control enough to drive back to her trailer.
