Dawn, Dakota - Catch and Release [Blessed 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Dakota Dawn

  Her whole body tightened. “Oh, Trent…”

  Convulsions of release rocked her body. He lightly stroked her clit to keep her there for a long time. As he pumped into her, the earring swung back and forth, sending pleasure straight to his groin. The combination of sensations mixed with the love-dazed look in her eyes had him following her to ecstasy. With a loud growl he came hard, filling her with his life-giving seed.

  Chapter Seven

  Rain looked around Gaven’s pub. She wondered what Trent was doing. They had been home for two weeks already. He’d called her twice, and she’d called him once. Keeping it friendly, they just talked about neutral subjects. For some unexplained reason, she always felt at peace when she talked to him. It was strange, but in this hectic world she’d take any peace she could get, especially from a hottie like him. Picking up her burger, she took a bite then glanced over at her sister, Tamrisk. She hoped her sister didn’t notice anything different about her. They hadn’t talked since she’d gone to Italy.

  “How did the wedding go?” Tamrisk asked.

  Nodding her head, Rain answered, “It was good. Branda looked beautiful, of course. I’m very happy for Branda, Troy, and Trey. They are happy together, so I’m happy for them.”

  “Wow, that was a lot of happys.” Tamrisk narrowed her eyes. “You look different. Did you meet someone while you were in Italy?”

  Why did Tamrisk always have to see through people? She should have known she couldn’t get away with not telling her.

  Rain shrugged her shoulder. “I did meet a man, but he is not for me. That’s why I didn’t bring it up. How did your trip go?”

  Tamrisk smiled. “I don’t think so. I want details, all the details.”

  “There’s not much to tell. I met a man, we went out a few times, and then I found out he is Branda’s brother-in-law. You know my rule about not dating friends’ kin.” Rain shrugged. “End of story.”

  “I’m sorry. If you like him enough, maybe you should break your rule.”

  “Oh no. Trent and I agreed we shouldn’t see each other anymore. Now tell me how the show went.” Rain quickly changed the subject. Talking about Trent was a little too painful.

  “It was great. Now back to this Trent guy, why do you think it would be bad to date him?”

  Dang, that diversion didn’t last long. “I don’t know. For one thing he doesn’t seriously date.”

  “If he is nice and hot enough, change his mind.” Tamrisk wiggled her eyebrows. “Use what you got.”

  Rain rolled her eyes and tried to hide her pain. “And what happens if I catch him and then he wants a houseful of babies?” Smiling sadly, she continued, “You know the doctors say I don’t have many eggs and that the chance of me having even one baby is a long shot. He comes from a large family. They would expect him to have kids. Why torture him and myself? My last two split shortly after finding out I’m not a baby maker. I just can’t do it again.”

  Tamrisk reached out and took Rain’s hand. “Not all men are like that, and to be honest, the second one left you for a hot guy. Hell, I would have left you for that juicy hunk of beef.”

  Rain tried to lighten the mood. “I guess I would have left me, too, for that piece of prime meat.” Squeezing her sister’s hand, she added, “Don’t worry about me. I might settle down one of these days, but the man will have to love me enough not to want children.” Rain’s heart constricted at that thought and nausea rolled through her stomach.

  Concern darkened Tamrisk’s eyes. “Are you okay? All of a sudden you looked kind of sick.”

  Rubbing her stomach, Rain took a deep breath. “I think I’m okay, my stomach feels a little bad. I’m sure it will feel better soon. Have you been dating anyone?”

  “No. One of these days I’ll find the right guy, but I’m not in a hurry.”

  A small cry caught Rain’s and Tamrisk’s attention. Scanning the room, they spotted a little boy of around five standing outside the men’s restroom. He was sniffling as he wrestled with the snap of his jeans. Poor little guy.

  Rain looked at Tamrisk. They bobbed their hands three times. Tamrisk’s hand was flat when she stopped. Rain’s hand had formed the shape of rock.

  Tamrisk smiled. “Paper covers rock. Looks like you are up.”

  Just when Rain was about to leave the table to go help the little boy, Marshall, the pub’s manager, walked up to the little guy and knelt in front of him.

  Rain and Tamrisk watched Marshall handle the situation.

  “What’s the matter, little guy?”

  “I’m supposed to be big.”

  “You are big,” Marshall stated.

  Watery eyes looked into Marshall’s face. “I’m not big enough to snap my pants, and I can’t go back to my maw-maw until I do. Her hands don’t work so good anymore.”

  Marshall patted the boy on the shoulder. “It’s all right, I’ll help you out. My hands still work fine.” Within a second Marshall had the boy snapped up. “Where is your maw-maw?”

  The boy pointed her out, and Marshall smiled. “Go on over to her. This will be our little secret. Keep trying and soon you’ll be able to snap your pants every time.” Marshall ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately then watched as he returned to his grandmother’s table.

  Rain and Tamrisk watched as Marshall surveyed the room then turned to go back to back to whatever task he’d been doing. When his eyes landed on Tamrisk, he stopped and stared. Passion flared in his eyes. He cleared his throat then nodded his head. Rain wasn’t about to let him leave. She had noted her sister’s response was as strong as his.

  Rain waved him over. “Hi, Marshall, this is my little sister, Tamrisk. Tamrisk, this is Marshall. He’s the manager here and a friend of Gaven, Troy, and Trey’s.”

  Marshall reached out to shake Tamrisk’s hand. Rain smiled when they both startled on first contact.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Tamrisk.” Marshall stared deeply into her eyes. “If you ever need anything, just let me know.” With effort he swung his eyes around to Rain. “I better go. If you need anything, I’ll be here.”

  He looked down at his hand and realized he hadn’t released Tamrisk’s hand. “Oh, um, sorry.” He released her hand reluctantly. “It was nice to meet you.”

  They both watched as he hurried upstairs.

  “I like him. His eyes twinkle. He seems like a good guy, and I know he can handle children.” Tamrisk’s blue eyes stared at the now-empty stairs.

  “He is a good man. A good unattached man.” Rain watched her sister blush at her words. Hmm. She’d have to remember to get these two together again real soon. The sparks were practically shooting off them. It was a wonder she hadn’t been burned.

  The ringing of her phone drew her attention to it. Tamrisk motioned toward the restroom, and Rain nodded her understanding as she answered the phone.

  Watching her sister walk away, she started plotting. “Hello.”

  “Rain, I’m having a party here at the house in two weeks. You can come, can’t you? It wouldn’t be as much fun without you.” Branda’s voice was full of hope.

  “Is Trent going to be there?” Rain asked.

  Branda hesitated. “Yes, but it’s a large house. You two never have to be in the same room unless you want to. You two don’t hate each other, do you?”

  Rain sighed. “No, we don’t hate each other. I’ll come if you’ll invite Marshall and Tamrisk.”

  “Marshall is on the guest list, and Tamrisk would have been if I’d known she was in town, and now that I know, she is on the list. What’s up between them? Are you matchmaking? I love matchmaking.”

  “Let’s just say I have a hunch that they will make a good couple. Oh, here she comes. I have to let you go. What day and time is the party?”

  “In two weeks on a Saturday night at seven o’clock. It’s a party-till-you-drop party. Once you have a drink, you have to give up your keys. We have plenty of room for everyone to sleep over. I can’t wait. It’s going to be so much fun,” B
randa responded in an excited voice.

  “Sounds perfect. I’ll tell Tamrisk, and we will see you soon.”

  “I know you can’t talk right now, so call me later with all the details,” Branda said in a giggly voice.

  “You bet,” Rain responded, then hung up and turned to Tamrisk. “Looks like we are going to a party in two weeks. I know you love a good party.”

  Tamrisk grinned. “Whose party is it?”

  “Branda’s.”

  Tamrisk clapped her hands. “I love Branda’s and Sienna’s parties, they are always fun. We should help her decorate. I need some fun before I hit the road again.”

  Rain agreed and smiled. While she talked to Tamrisk, she made plans. She would do whatever she could to make sure Tamrisk and Marshall had a chance to spark again.

  Thinking of sparks, she couldn’t help but wonder what Trent was doing.

  * * * *

  Trent carefully placed the flowers on the freshly cut grass that covered Joelle’s grave. Kneeling in front of her marker, he let his finger trace then retrace her name. Tears slowly slid down his cheeks. Leaning forward, he kissed her name.

  “I miss you.” He took a shuddering breath. “I have a confession. I’ve done a bad thing. I let this girl get too close to me. I think about her too much.” A painful knot formed in his throat. “I wish you were here.”

  He raked his fingers through the grass that covered her grave. “Why did you have to die? Why couldn’t I die with you?” Trent laid down on her grave and stared up at the sky.

  “Today I had to look at your picture because I couldn’t remember the curve of your face. I feel like you are slipping away from me, and I can’t do anything about it. I can’t lose you.” He swallowed hard. “If I could go back in time, we wouldn’t go out that night and I’d have you back in my arms, where you belong.”

  His hands clenched into fists. “You don’t belong here. I’m so sorry I didn’t save you. Can you forgive me?” A sound to his right made him stop talking and look over at an old man placing flowers by a grave. He looked sad. Trent could relate.

  In a whisper, he continued, “I remember the first time I saw you. My heart stopped, I swear. Your smile lit my world.” A picture of Rain smiling popped into his head, and he guiltily pushed it away.

  “Today is your birthday. I bet you thought I would forget.” He sat up and dug in his pocket. “I brought you something.” He held up a small ring in a plastic ball then set it on the ground. Retrieving his knife from his pocket, he dug a hole over the spot where her hands would be and dropped the ring in then covered it up. After replacing his knife, he lay on his side with his head propped in his hand. “It’s purple with a pink heart. I knew you would love it. I got it from the gumball machine at the corner store near my house. I had to try eight times to get the right one. A little girl was standing there watching me closely. She smiled the prettiest smile as I handed her the other seven.”

  A tear trickled down his cheek, and he wiped it away. “At least it didn’t take twenty-six tries to get the right one. Twenty-six. If you were here, I’d give you twenty-six kisses. Remember I gave you twenty-two kisses when you turned twenty-two. We went to that restaurant, and the waiter and waitress sang ‘Happy Birthday to You.’ I thought they did a good job.” His hand moved to his chest. “I gave you that heart necklace and told you I’d never give my heart to another.” The lump in Trent’s throat grew agonizingly large and forced him to stop talking.

  Sitting up and glancing around, he watched the older man amble away. Several people were milling around the cemetery. Some just seemed to be looking at all the headstones, possibly looking for a relative that died a long time ago. Others were putting flowers in front of some of the graves. They were all pretty far away from him.

  Looking back at Joelle’s headstone, he stared at her name then the angel above it. “This girl I met recently, she tried to get my heart. She didn’t know I gave it to you a long time ago.” He paused and ran his hand through his hair. “I hope you’re not mad at me for going out with her. Something strange drew me to her. She’s different. I think you would have liked her. She’s funny and cute. I won’t see her again though because I don’t have anything inside to give her. She needs more.” Sorrow clawed at his chest, and he jumped to his feet. Breathing heavily, his body shuddered in agony.

  His eyes scanned her engraved name. “I need you, damn it. You can’t be gone.” With shaky hands, he grabbed his hair. “I can’t keep on going like I am. What should I do?” Pain gripped his heart like a vise. The wind picked up. “Kiss the girl.” Trent released his hair and snapped his head from left to right. A frown marred his brow. No one was there, but he had heard the words plainly.

  Kiss the girl. He looked at the headstone. Swallowing hard, he wished he could kiss the girl, Joelle. “If I could kiss you again, I would.”

  “Rain.”

  A scowl darkened Trent’s face. Someone was messing with him, and he didn’t like it. Glancing around, he tried to find the owner of the voice he kept hearing. “Go away. I don’t think you are funny at all,” Trent shouted with fisted hands. A crack of thunder answered him, and then rain poured down on him. He stood there for a few minutes letting his tears meld with the rain. The two liquids mingled. They sped down his agony-contorted face and dripped onto his shoes. A warm wind circled him and brought the cleansing scent of fresh rain.

  Rain. The thought of the blue-eyed beauty brought on a fresh wave of guilt. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to the grave, then turned and slowly walked away. Rain washed over him, but he paid it no mind. His heart hurt too much to feel anything except for chest-piercing pain.

  He stumbled, and a strong hand reached out to steady him. Trent looked up to see his older brothers standing in front of him. They each gave him a hug then silently guided him through the pouring rain to their trucks. When he fished his keys out of his pocket, Trey took them from him.

  “Not today, little bro. Troy is going to take you home. I’ll drive your truck,” Trey stated then headed for Trent’s truck.

  Trent and Troy climbed into Troy’s truck.

  Staring straight forward, Trent said softly, “I miss her, you know.”

  “She was a nice girl. I hate it that she died.” Troy paused for a moment. “I’m begging you to move on, Trent. You can’t keep doing this to yourself year after year. Joelle wouldn’t want you to do this to yourself. She loved life, and she would want you to live yours to the fullest. There is another girl out there waiting for you. It’s time you started looking for her.” Troy’s voice was compassionate but firm.

  Trent clenched his jaw. “You want me to forget Joelle?” He knew he was being unreasonable, but right now he hurt too damned bad to care.

  “No, I don’t want you to forget her. I want you to remember the good times you had together, but I also want you to start living again. I want you to start looking for your vero amore. She’s still out there waiting for you. The family blessing is real. One of these days you’ll know I’m telling you the truth.” Troy sighed. “Let’s go have a drink. We could all use some loosening up. Branda made a batch of cookies just for you. She knows how much you like them.”

  Trent sat in brooding silence as Troy drove home. Was Troy right? Was his true love still out there waiting for him? What about Joelle? He had thought she was the one for him. He had never given her the licking kiss required to find out for sure. What if she hadn’t been the one? His head started to hurt. Rubbing his temples, he tried to figure it all out.

  Troy pulled up to the large family home they all shared. Trent headed straight to his room to change out of his wet clothes. A warm smile tugged at his lips when he saw the tray on his bed. It had cookies and a White Russian on it. Leave it to Branda to leave him cookies and adult flavored milk. With a lighter heart, he changed then went to the bed and sampled the drink and a cookie, perfect as always. Too bad life was rarely perfect.

  Guilt had been eating at him for years, and he didn’t know h
ow to stop it. Swallowing hard, he let his eyes drift to the tray. For his family he’d try to move on, try to overcome the guilt—of being alive.

  Chapter Eight

  Trent surveyed the room. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. The house was pretty full. People were milling around in the back living room and by the pool for the most part. He could see through the back door that his cousins, Cason and Carlo, were making drinks at the bar close to the pool. Those two loved to make drinks. He was sure everyone was going to have a headache in the morning. Everyone’s keys had been taken when they had arrived, and the party was in full swing.

  He looked at his watch. It was midnight already. Time really does fly when you’re having a good time. Troy walked by, and a drop of water fell from his beer bottle onto Trent’s arm. That had him glancing outside again. Ever since he’d come back from Italy, a rain cloud seemed to be targeting him. The sun would be shining, and the second he’d walk outside rain would fall on his head. That was strange, but today the strange factor had increased. When he’d been rained on today, the scent of Rain’s sweet body had filled his nostrils.

  Marshall walked around a chair and up to him. “Have you seen Tamrisk?”

  A knowing grin curled his lips. “She’s in the kitchen with Rain and Branda. They are making up some minisandwiches to soak up some of the alcohol Cason and Carlo are pouring.”

  After a quick glance at the sky, Trent walked outside and sat at the patio table. Marshall followed suit. “Spit it out, man. I know you want to ask me something. We are all friends here.” Trent stared straight at Marshall.

  Marshall looked up as Gaven and his friend, Lunn, took a seat at the table.

  Trent glanced at the other men then looked back at Marshall. “It’s okay. Lunn is a good friend of ours, and now that he’s back, you will be seeing a lot of him. He can keep a secret.”

  Lunn smiled. “That I can.”

  “Spill. You are starting to look white as a ghost,” Gaven said.