Suddenly Love (6 page)

Frantic to hold onto some semblance of self, to hold something back from him, she closed her eyes and—the delicious movement ceased.

He stopped moving completely.

Lissa cried out, digging her nails into his shoulders, urging him on.

“Not until you look at me,” he said, his tone harsh.

She forced her eyelids open and met his dark, sexy gaze. “I hate you,” she muttered.

“No, you just wish you did.” And then he began to make love to her once more.

He played her body as though he knew it intimately, taking her higher as he grew impossibly bigger and harder, powering into her with deep, heavy thrusts. She was wet, she was needy, and he satisfied every craving she had, the waves of desire rising higher in her body.

Yeah, she’d had self-induced orgasms over the years, but they paled in comparison to having this man in control. He slowed when she neared completion, letting her body wind down only to hammer home harder again, building her need and promising a spectacular climax he kept just out of reach.

She whimpered, raising her hips, clenching him tighter inside her, holding onto him until the slick moisture of their connection sounded in the room, an erotic accompaniment to the music they were already making together.

Warmth, heat, and a sweet bombardment of sensations swept through her at lightning speed, growing in intensity, the ultimate prize almost within reach.

“Come, sweetheart, because I sure as hell am.” With that, he thrust deep and up high, twisting his hips and taking her exactly where she wanted to be.

Lissa came right then, her body so in tune with him she exploded on command. She screamed, bucking against him as the most amazing sensations rocked her world. Suddenly, he tensed above her and shouted her name, his muscles clenching, his hips continuing a pump and grind that sent her body into another round of mini detonations that seemed never to end.

He collapsed on top of her, breathing hard, and she savored his weight and the warmth of his damp skin. “I may never recover,” she said, only half joking.

“Me neither.” With a grunt, he rolled over and she felt the loss of contact too keenly. He leaned over and pressed a quick kiss on her lips before rising and heading into the bathroom.

She rid herself of her sandals just as he returned, not giving her a chance to decide whether to dress and get out quickly or succumb to the urge to wrap herself in his arms and fall asleep.

Still naked, he climbed in beside her and pulled her into his embrace. That answered that question, she thought, and snuggled in. Neither spoke, and to her amazement, she didn’t feel the need or the absence of conversation. His actions spoke volumes and she wanted to enjoy the time she had left.

Not wanting to dwell on the inevitability of their parting, she forced herself to operate as she always did when falling asleep. She turned her mind to work and deadlines. As far as Trevor was concerned, her story was nearly complete. She had already researched his background beyond what she knew personally. And between watching him in the office, spending an evening with him at a fundraiser, and then being given a first-hand view of his apartment, she possessed a broad glimpse into other facets of Trevor as a man. A few more specific questions would fill out the missing pieces.

As she went through things in her mind, she was acutely aware of his breathing and knew the minute he fell asleep, his hold on her loosening only slightly, his breaths coming deeper and more evenly. She relaxed into his rhythm, letting exhaustion claim her.

Her body was sated, her eyelids were already growing heavy, and her last thought before drifting off was of how easily she could get used to falling asleep in his arms.

*     *     *

Trevor couldn’t bring himself to move. An early riser with no need for an alarm clock, he had never put in blackout shades, preferring to wake up on his own or, on the occasions he slept in, to the warm sun on his face.

This morning, his internal clock woke him and he immediately became aware of two things: Lissa was in his bed, her warm, naked body draped over his; and it was Saturday and there wasn’t any place he had to be. Nothing to interrupt something he’d dreamed about since he was sixteen.

Waking up with this woman in his arms.

He was hard and he couldn’t attribute it to a typical morning. Not when one female thigh was slung over his and the scent he now associated with her filled every breath.

He nuzzled beneath her jaw and licked the skin along her neck. She moaned softly, coming awake slowly, so he continued to nibble at her skin, taking his time as she became aware.

“Trev?” she asked in a sleepy voice.

He raised an eyebrow. “Expecting someone else?” he asked, laughing.

She didn’t lift her head or meet his gaze. “You feel good,” she murmured.

“So do you.” He closed his eyes, wondering how to make this last longer than the course of the interview.

He didn’t bring women home often and when he did, they didn’t sleep over. It didn’t matter whether or not he had to drive them home, he never wanted to wake up with someone he’d have to politely get rid of the next day.

When it came to Lissa, he never wanted to let her go.

Before he could continue with that train of thought, a noise sounded from the other room, muted but still clear enough to be heard. “Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mummy. Mummy. Mum. Mum…”

“What the hell is that?” he asked as Lissa popped out of his arms.

“My cell,” she said. “It’s my daughter’s text message alert. It’s Stewie from
Family Guy
.”

Nude, she rose from the bed, distracting him from the obvious—the reminder of her daughter. But suddenly she glanced at the uncovered windows and then at him, her cheeks red.

Personally, he could look at her all day. “I have a T-shirt in the top drawer.” He gestured to a wooden chest and she shot him a grateful look.

A few seconds later, her gorgeous body was covered in an oversized white shirt that was sheer enough to allow him a thrill but made her more comfortable as she headed into the other room, returning with her small purse.

And that quickly, reality resurfaced. He was no longer in the solitary bubble he’d created for the two of them, and for the first time since laying eyes on her yesterday, the old wounds and sharp pain sliced him in the chest once more. But he was also able to remind himself that the pain was a decade old, and that was a first.

She pulled out her phone. “Olivia—I call her Livvy—is at her father’s for the weekend,” Lissa said as she hit some buttons, obviously looking at the text message. “Or not.” She let out a groan.

“What’s wrong?” Trevor asked.

“Her text says
Have a cold
. And
At grandma’s
. I need to call my mother.”

“How do you know she didn’t mean the Bankses?” Trevor must be growing up, because here he was, suddenly curious about her relationships and family dynamics.

“Because Livvy calls Lyla
Grandmother
Banks.” Lissa wrinkled her nose at the formal term.

Trevor agreed. “What a bunch of assholes,” he muttered, rising to his feet.

Before Lissa could react or reply, she gestured to the phone. “Hi, Mom. It’s me. Livvy’s with you?”

While Lissa was busy, Trevor escaped into the bathroom to wash up and regroup while he was at it. He splashed cold water on his face and brushed his teeth, stalling while he pulled himself together. Talk about being in complete denial for the last twenty-four hours. While he’d been losing himself in Lissa, thinking he’d found the missing pieces of his heart, he’d somehow managed to completely block out the thing that had broken them up to begin with.

Her daughter.

Brad’s daughter. He shoved that thought away before he could dwell on it too long.

The fact that she lived in Serendipity, and he lived here.

Hell, if he kept thinking, he was sure he’d come up with a whole lot more things that could keep them apart.

Trevor stepped out of the bathroom in time to hear, “Hey, baby.”

Lissa spoke into the phone, her tone warm, sweet, and filled with pure love. A tone Trevor had never heard from her before and despite himself, he was intrigued.

He grabbed a clean pair of underwear and jeans, dressing while she finished her call. “No, baby, I’m not coming home until tomorrow. You have a cold and grandma’s going to take good care of you, okay?” She grew silent, then said, “I love you, too. Bye.”

Clearly bracing herself, she straightened her shoulders and met his gaze. “Sorry about that.”

Trevor shook his head. “No need to apologize for reality,” he said. “Kids need their mothers.” And their fathers, which brought up another question nagging at him. “If she has a cold, why didn’t Brad just keep her with him?”

She frowned. “My guess? Sunny doesn’t want to catch it. That’s Brad’s fiancée. She’s twenty-two and more of a child than Livvy,” Lissa said with a roll of her eyes.

“Does Livvy look like you? Or her father?”

Lissa blinked, obviously startled at his question. So was he. But he wanted to know, even as he knew the answer might hurt.

“My mom thinks she looks exactly like me.”

The vise squeezing his chest eased. “Then she must be beautiful.”

“She is.” Despite the obvious awkwardness of the subject, her eyes glowed with pride and happiness over her daughter.

Her pleasure was contagious, sparking a flame to life inside him. One he wanted to squelch and fan at the same time. But he’d come this far. He’d made love to her. If he turned back now, he’d never know what could be.

“Do you have a picture?”

She nodded. Reaching for her purse once more, she pulled out her phone and showed him the background photo. A beautiful girl with Lissa’s green eyes, black hair, and olive complexion stared back at him with her mother’s wide smile, squeezing something inside his chest.

“She’s gorgeous,” he said, his voice thick.

“Thanks. I think so, but I’m biased.” She closed her phone and slid it back into her bag.

“Lissa?”

“Hmm?” She looked up, a curious expression on her face.

“Do you remember what we argued about that last time?” he asked, bringing up the subject they’d been avoiding. The breakup that had led to the end.

Lissa’s eyes filled with tears and she turned away. “I remember you being in a foul mood and I was just so tired of it. I knew school was hard for you, what with football practice and games, and you working at the gas station when you had free time. Still, we had a fight and agreed to take a break.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and walked to the window. “Actually, I suggested the break, hoping you’d tell me I was crazy. Instead, you told me it was a good idea.”

Trevor closed his eyes, remembering that argument clearly. As usual, her ex-boyfriend Bradley Banks had gotten under Trevor’s skin. The captain of the football team and supposedly all-around good guy from the right side of the tracks, Banks was really a bastard beneath his moneyed looks. He’d always played on Trevor’s insecurities, doing things like deliberately spilling a drink, then laughing and telling the rest of the team that Trevor’s dad, who was the high school janitor, would clean up his mess.

“I’d bought you a necklace for your birthday.” He vividly recalled the gold-plated heart with rhinestones around the edge.

“I still have it, tucked away in the back of a drawer,” she admitted.

He’d wondered if she’d forgotten all about him over the years. Now he had his answer and his heart pounded harder in his chest.

Trevor looked over her shoulder and out the window, the glorious view a complete one-eighty from the small house he’d grown up in. The side of his house practically butted another home. When Trevor looked out his bedroom window, he could see the O’Reillys’ back porch, so he’d had to keep his shades shut tight. Maybe that explained why he’d been drawn to this view, he realized now.

Lissa remained quiet, obviously waiting for him to continue. She stood alone, wearing his big shirt, as lovely and vulnerable as he’d ever seen her. But she still wasn’t looking at him.

Well, this wasn’t any easier for him, but it had to be done before they could ever move forward. If they could ever move forward.

“Do you remember what was bothering you that day?” she asked him.

He’d never told her.

He expelled a harsh breath. “Brad was giving me shit in the locker room, telling the guys I bought you a piece of junk at Sears and it was just a matter of time until you’d be sick of my poverty and back with him.”

Though Lissa also lived on the “wrong” side of Serendipity, with her gorgeous face and luscious body, Brad had always seen her first as a prize, then as a challenge.

She turned around, eyes wide and angry. “That son of a bitch. Why didn’t you tell me?”

He rolled his stiff shoulders, managing a shrug. “Because it was the same song, different refrain. The guy was a broken record and I have to admit that after a while, it got to me.”

The man Trevor was now knew how stupid he’d been, but back then, he’d been humiliated and overwhelmed. “I guess I just needed to get away from the pressure for a little while.” He stepped up beside her and pulled her into his arms. “I never meant I needed to get away from you, but I let it happen.” She tipped her head back, leaning against his chest. “I figured out what an ass I’d been and tried to call you all weekend.”

“But I didn’t take your calls because I’d already…” Her voice trailed off, both of them knowing the end of that sentence.

“Melissa Mayhue’s parents were away and she had a party. I was upset and Brad and his friends were there. He passed me drinks and I took them. Can’t blame him for that,” she said, too much self-hatred in her voice. “And when I went to get my things to go home, he offered to drive me.”

He stiffened, drawing on everything in him not to get angry and pull away so he could smash something and pretend it was her ex. The bastard had preyed on her vulnerability and taken advantage of her being upset that night. Then she’d gotten pregnant. Neither of them had been old enough or mature enough to understand it back then. It was still hard enough to accept now.