Trent moved until he stood directly in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “You’re shaking still.”
“Sorry about that little scene,” she said, enjoying the feel of his hands on her way too much. “Thank you for helping me with Richard. He can be a very stubborn man.”
“So can I,” Trent bit out as he leaned down and kissed her nape.
Her mouth quirked up into a half smile. “Yeah, I noticed.”
“Crystal?”
“Yes?” Uh-oh, here it comes. She braced herself for the onslaught of questions to come.
“What do you say we go somewhere and get some lunch?” As he spoke, he slung his arm around her waist and hugged her close.
“L-lunch?” Not the question she was expecting from him, but who was she to complain?
He turned her around, then spoke in her ear in a deep whisper. “Yeah, I’m starved and I thought maybe you’d have lunch with me. That’s why I stopped by.”
“Oh sure. That sounds lovely.”
At that, he left the drinks on the counter and began walking her toward the living room. When he sat down on the couch and pulled her down beside him, Crystal frowned. “I thought—”
“First, tell me about Richard,” he said. “How long were you married to that ass and why are you divorced?”
Shoot, she was beginning to think he wasn’t going to inquire about Richard. She supposed it was too much to hope for. After all, Trent didn’t seem the type of man to let matters like her being married simply go unexplained. She prepared herself to tell him all, every lousy, sordid detail. She wanted nothing to come between them, especially not her ex-husband.
“It’s not a very pleasant story. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
He nodded. “Hey, if it makes you feel any better, we’ve all made mistakes. I’ve made my fair share. Big mistakes, little mistakes. Even mistakes I’ll only share with the big guy upstairs.” He smiled then and said, “And I have all the time in the world for you, Crystal.” He looked over at her with honesty in his eyes, and it made Crystal feel immensely better.
“Well, he drank a lot, and he cheated on me,” she said, hoping Trent wouldn’t want details. “It was a wreck of a marriage from day one, and divorcing him was the best thing I’ve ever done.”
“What an ass. If he cheated on you, Crystal, he must be a complete fool. What man would need any other woman, if he already had you?”
Trent frowned as if he wanted to wring Richard’s neck. Lord, if Richard’s infidelity did this to Trent, Crystal didn’t think she could tell him about the abuse. It worried her a little, considering she tended to walk on eggshells around men and their tempers since her ex-husband’s abuse. Trent’s words warmed her heart somewhat, though.
He must have sensed she was too quiet, because at that moment he reached out and took her hand in his. He pulled her into a tight embrace, murmuring into her hair, “I’m sorry, baby. I just hate that he hurt you, but I promise you, no one else will, ever again.” She had a premonition that Trent could hurt her . . . if she allowed him to have her heart. However, she wasn’t foolish enough to let that happen. Not ever again.
“Finish telling me what happened. I know there’s more to it. I want to know everything, so don’t even consider holding back on me, because I will know if you are.”
“Isn’t that enough? He cheated on me, end of story. I divorced him and moved on with my life. This is the first I’ve heard from him in five months. I don’t know why he’s back. He says he wants us to get to know each other again, but I told him not a chance. There’s no more to it than that. I didn’t invite him over today—he came here unannounced, and unwanted.” She was talking too fast, but she was desperate for the conversation to come to an end.
He grasped her around the waist with both hands, spanning her waistline. She was so trim, his fingers almost touched together. She was perfect in every way. She fit his body, the way no other woman had. He watched her eyes heat up. He pulled her close to him, fitting her to him, and kissed her long and deep. With their lips locked together, Trent laid her down, then pulled away just long enough to ask, “Where’s your roommate?”
“She’s at work,” she answered, her voice a whisper. “She usually gets home around six.”
“Good,” he murmured, as he began to strip her naked. When her breasts were free, Trent groaned, dipped his head, and sucked one already erect nipple into his mouth. Sweet, soft, pink, and just right. He could feed on her for hours. He hadn’t had any breakfast yet, and she was a meal fit for a king.
He flicked his tongue over and around her nipple gently at first, then rougher, demanding her flesh to beg for him. He cupped the round globe and pulled it up higher, kneading the supple skin with skilled fingers. He heard her moan of delight, and felt her writhing beneath him. He took joy in her animated responses to him. He gave in to his primal cravings and bit down. She arched upward compliantly. His hand answered her unspoken pleas: letting go of her breast, he journeyed down until he found her precious mound, shoving aside her shorts. His fingers delved at once, and his nostrils flared to life as he picked up her succulent scent. Anxiously, he searched through her damp curls and found her budding desire. She was swollen and throbbing already. He fondled and toyed with the little nub until the teasing became too much for even him. He lifted off of her, tore at the button fly on his jeans, and freed his erection. In the red haze of his lust, her pleading reached his ears. He looked down and saw her hands outstretched, waiting to take him into her arms, even as her body welcomed him. He went inside both embraces willingly, gladly, plunging into her with a quick kind of force that had them both groaning.
He pumped at her with a furious need that went as far back as time itself, coupling and claiming his mate with a demand that spoke of his passion. She came back at him with her own brand of passion, scoring his back with her fingernails, marking her territory. He reached a hand between their bodies, and touched off the beginning of her orgasm. She screamed and wrapped her legs around him, sending him over the same blissful cliff. He pumped into her one last time and exploded into her eager body.
Only minutes passed, but he lifted off of her, not wanting to crush her beneath his weight, then did up the buttons on his pants. He stood there a moment, transfixed, staring down at her sated body. A pleasant smile was on her face, her hair a mess of waves. Trent thought she’d never looked more beautiful.
Her eyes popped open just then. She stared up at him in awe, that smile never leaving her face, and said, “That was wonderful.”
Trent couldn’t help the surge of pride that had him puffing up like a proud peacock. He smiled back at her and knelt down. With one arm under her legs and the other supporting her neck he picked her up and cradled her close to his chest. She beame
d up at him, her look of sheer pleasure spearing his heart. He shook off the notion and said, “Time to wash, baby, and I plan on taking my time cleaning every inch of you.” He felt her tremble and she whispered in his ear, “You wash mine, I’ll wash yours.” And it was Trent’s turn to tremble.