What Might Have Been: Daniels Brother #4 (Daniels Brothers) (28 page)

“All right. Well, you know you’re always welcome if you change your mind. Both of you.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Trent hung up the phone and went to find some fresh clothes to put on. He’d managed to pull on a pair of shorts when there was a knock on his door.

Given it was a Sunday, he had no idea who it could be. He didn’t bother to look before wrenching it open. If it was someone selling something, he had no problem telling them to go away.

But it wasn’t a salesman standing on his front porch. It was Abby.

She glanced up at him with a shy smile, wringing her hands in front of her. “Hi—”

Before she was able to get anything else out, he scooped her up and dragged her inside. He kicked the door closed behind them and, in the next breath, his mouth was on hers.

She released a low moan and kissed him back as if they’d been apart for months rather than days.

“I missed you,” he whispered against her lips.

“Missed you, too.”

“Are you hungry?” he asked between kisses.

She tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. “Not for food.”

Trent met her gaze and saw the same need he felt staring back at him. He set her feet on the ground, took both her hands in his, and began walking backward down the hall toward his bedroom.

Abby followed him step for step until they were next to the bed. He pulled her roughly against him, holding the back of her head exactly where he wanted it before tasting her again.

Clothing was removed and kicked out of the way as they touched and kissed. He unhooked her bra while she impatiently worked his underwear over his hips. When his boxers got snagged against the edge of the bed, Abby huffed and pushed down so hard he lost his balance. They both went tumbling onto the mattress, her sprawled on top of him.

His chest vibrated with his amusement, but it died swiftly when Abby reached down and took hold of his erection.

Trent cupped the back of her head and brought her mouth to his so he could devour it. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, taking what he needed from her as she stroked him until he could barely stand it.

“Need you,” she moaned.

He flipped them over and kissed his way down her chest. When he reached the top edge of her panties, he looped his fingers into the sides and gradually slid them down her legs. He tossed them on the floor with the rest of the clothes and drank in the sight of her lying naked before him. “You are beautiful, baby.”

She reached for him and he went willingly.

With one hand, he made sure she was ready and then positioned himself at her entrance. The love he felt for her overwhelmed him as he pushed inside. Abby looked up at him with such openness he couldn’t hold it back any longer. He brushed his lips against hers and whispered, “I love you, Abby.”

Abby placed her palm over his heart. He knew she could feel it pounding in his chest. She held his gaze. “I love you, too.”

Trent swallowed. As much as he’d longed to hear her say those words to him, he had to be sure. “Do you?”

She nodded. “Yes. I’ve known for a while. I was just afraid to admit it.”

He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “You don’t ever have to be afraid with me.”

Her fingers tangled in his hair and she lifted her hips, causing him to sink deeper. The look in her eyes held all the raw emotion he felt.

Trent placed a hand on her waist to still her for a moment. He needed her to understand the depth of what he felt for her. This wasn’t casual for him. It never had been. “You know I’m never going to want to let you go.”

She smiled and scraped her nails along his scalp, sending delightful tingles coursing through his body. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

Forgetting about everything else, he took her face in both his hands and kissed her hard. He flexed his hips and thrilled when he heard her suck in a breath.

As he picked up his pace, he rested his forehead against hers. Her eyes glazed over as they both edged closer and closer toward the climax they were seeking together. He felt her muscles pulse, and snaked his hand between their bodies to help push her over that final peak.

Her orgasm triggered his own and he collapsed beside her on the bed, more contented than he could ever remember being in his life. Trent pulled her into his arms. She cuddled against his side.

Before he knew it, her soft breathing told him she’d drifted off to sleep. He kissed the top of her head and adjusted the blanket over them. When she woke up they’d talk more, but for the moment he was going to enjoy having her in his arms.

Chapter 22

They were lying in bed a while later, Abby with her head resting on Trent’s shoulder, tracing lazy patterns on his chest. When they’d woken up from their nap, they’d made love again. Trent made her feel as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, pressing his lips against her forehead in the lightest of kisses.

Abby tilted her head up to meet his gaze and felt her cheeks heat. “I was thinking about before.”

He raised one eyebrow in question.

“I can’t believe you were inside me when I told you I love you.”

Trent kissed the palm of her hand before placing it over his heart. “I thought it was pretty perfect myself.”

She giggled and shoved against his wall of solid muscle. “Of course you do.”

The next thing Abby knew, Trent had flipped them over, pinning her to the mattress with his weight. “Are you saying you disagree?”

As he spoke, she could feel him pressing against her thigh. Surely he wasn’t ready to go again so soon? They’d already made love twice. Not that she was complaining or anything, but weren’t guys supposed to need recovery time?

Trent ran the tip of his nose along her neck, down to her shoulder. She sucked in a breath as heat began blooming anew in the pit of her stomach. He placed a kiss to her collarbone and gazed up, his eyes full of desire. “You need to stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” she asked.

He pushed himself up on his elbows until he was hovering above her. “Like you’d be perfectly fine with me spreading your legs and pounding you into the mattress.”

His statement was so blunt and unexpected she threw her head back and laughed. “So romantic.”

“Just being honest, baby.”

Abby sighed. “I love it when you call me that.”

“Good,” he said, pressing his lips to hers.

She threaded her fingers through his hair, trying to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away and climbed off the bed. Sitting up, she watched as he bent to pick up his pants from the floor. He was facing away from her, so she got a nice view of his fine backside.

“I can take a picture for you if you’d like.”

She blushed. “Sorry.”

Placing his hands on the mattress, he brought his face level with hers and smiled. “Don’t be embarrassed. You can look at me all you want.”

He gave her a quick kiss, and then walked toward the door.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

Instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own. “Have you eaten lunch?”

“No. Chris and I ate a big breakfast at the hotel before we left.” It felt a little weird to be mentioning Chris when she was in Trent’s bed.

“Are you hungry?”

Right on cue, her stomach growled.

He chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Abby shook her head, stood, and stretched. “Do you mind if I grab a shower?”

His gaze traveled down her naked body and back up. “Want some company?”

Walking backward toward the bathroom, she sent him a flirtatious grin. “Sure. I can always use someone to wash my back.”

Trent got an evil smirk on his face and rushed toward her. She squealed when he knelt down and tossed her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

He landed a sharp smack on her ass and laughed. “Making sure you don’t have a dirty back.”

Forty minutes later, they were clean and dressed. Well, sort of dressed. Abby had thrown on one of Trent’s T-shirts and he’d slipped on a clean pair of loose-fitting shorts. He kept sending her looks that made her wonder just how long they’d be keeping them on.

She leaned against the counter while he dug some leftovers out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter. There was everything from green bean casserole to Chinese food. “Quite the assortment.”

Trent licked some sauce off his thumb and she tried not to think about what his tongue had done to her in the shower. “Sorry. I know it’s not all that impressive.”

“It’s fine.” She placed a spoonful of macaroni and cheese on the plate he handed her. “I don’t need anything fancy.”

“That’s good, ’cause I’m a pretty simple guy.”

By the way he was looking at her, Abby knew he was talking about more than food. “I like simple.”

He cupped the back of her head and rubbed his thumb back and forth along the skin behind her ear.

A shiver rippled through her and she leaned into his touch. She knew she needed to do something fast or the food would be forgotten, so she said the first thing that came to her mind. “I’m surprised you didn’t want to go to your parents’.”

“Dad called earlier. He wanted to know if we were coming today.”

“Oh.” She guessed the cat was out of the bag that she and Trent were seeing each other, then. “What did you tell him?”

He dropped his hand and went to put her plate into the microwave. “I told him I didn’t know, but not to count on us.”

“We could’ve gone,” Abby said. “If you wanted to.”

Setting the timer, he hit the start button and the microwave hummed to life. “What I have in mind for this afternoon might be a little difficult with an audience.”

“Is that so?”

The only response she got from him was a boyish grin. It was full of promises that Abby had no doubt he could fulfill.

Trent reached around her to get a plate of his own and began piling it full of the assorted leftovers, acting like the sexual tension she’d just felt had been all in her imagination.

They curled up on the couch and flipped through the channels until they found a movie to watch. It was just starting to get good when her phone rang. She’d left it in her purse, which was still on the floor by the door.

When she saw Max’s name on her caller ID, all the euphoria she’d been feeling drained from her body. “Hey.”

Max didn’t speak immediately, and she was filled with dread. He wouldn’t have been calling if it wasn’t important. “I’m sorry to bother you. I know you just got back.”

“Don’t be silly. You know you can call me anytime.” Trent had abandoned his food and had come to stand next to her.

“It’s just . . .”

“What, Max? Did something happen with your dad?”

She heard Max release a shaky breath. “Yeah. Mom went to wake him up this morning and he wouldn’t respond. She called the nurse. She’s still here. She said he probably won’t wake up.”

“I’m sorry.” She felt Trent’s hand press against her lower back. Knowing he was there warmed her heart and caused her pulse to race at the same time. “Do you need me to come to the house?”

“I can’t ask you to do that. You’re probably with Daniels and I mean—”

“You didn’t ask. I offered.” Before Max could come up with another excuse, she continued. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Abby hung up the phone and turned to face Trent. Before she could say anything, he framed her face with his hands and pressed his forehead against hers. “Do you want me to come with you, or would you rather go alone?”

“You’d come with me?”

He held her gaze for a long moment. His eyes said it all.

She grinned and traced the outline of his lips with her fingertips. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Not for at least the last half hour or so.” He placed a kiss on her forehead and lowered his hands to her arms.

Abby sighed. “I need to go home and change into clean clothes. Everything in my suitcase is dirty.”

He hummed his agreement, but he didn’t release her.

Another minute passed, and she was starting to forget why they couldn’t continue. “Trent?”

“When we stop by your apartment, go ahead and pack an overnight bag.”

Abby raised an eyebrow. “Good to know you think I’m easy.”

“Ah, baby. Easy is not the word that comes to mind when I think of you.”

“And what word does come to mind?” she asked.

Trent gazed into her eyes and with one of the most serious expressions she’d ever seen from him, he said, “Mine.”

Maybe she should have bristled at the intense feeling of possession she felt rolling off him, but it had the opposite effect. She wanted to be his. Now, and for as long as he would have her.

***

Trent held Abby’s hand as they climbed the steps leading to the Collinses’ door. She’d been solemn looking out the window as they drove to the Collins family’s estate east of the city. It was a drastic difference from the laughing woman he’d thrown over his shoulder a few hours ago.

She rang the doorbell and a few moments later Max opened the door. There were bags under his eyes and his hair looked as if he’d been running his fingers through it. To put it bluntly, the man looked a mess.

As soon as she saw him, Abby released Trent’s hand and wrapped her arms around Max. Trent tried to tamp down the jealousy he felt seeing her in another man’s embrace. Logically, he knew they were only friends—Abby had made that clear over and over and he’d not seen anything to make him think any differently. That didn’t, however, change his natural male response to watching another man put his hands on her.

Taking a deep breath, Trent moved closer.

Max noticed they weren’t alone and let his arms drop to his sides.

“How’s your dad doing?” Abby asked.

“He started moaning about a half hour ago, so the nurse gave him morphine for the pain. That’s all she can really do at this point. Make him comfortable.”

“Is your mom with him?” she asked.

“Yeah. So are Uncle Frank and Aunt Lillian.” Max glanced in Trent’s direction, and then turned his attention back to Abby. “Come on in. Mom will want to see you.”