Chapter Eight
Trent waited for Chloe by the fairground’s parking lot. She’d texted twenty minutes earlier, saying they’d be there shortly. He paced, nervously, as cars pulled onto the gravel. His family set up camp a couple blocks away and Austin was excited to meet Dayton and Mattie.
As the lot filled, cars moved systematically down the line, almost reaching the grass. The doors of a red SUV opened and he breathed a sigh of relief, grinning, as Chloe stepped out of the back seat.
In jeans and a white shirt with a gray cardigan over it, she looked sporty and cute. The front door opened and Adam climbed out. He wasn’t thrilled by the other man’s presence, but if her friends made her more comfortable, then he supposed they were welcome guests.
Tommy stepped out of the passenger side. He waited to see if the men brought dates, hoping to get a bead on their relationship with Chloe, but only saw the kids.
Trent waved as they approached. “You made it.”
Tommy smiled and waved back, but Chloe’s focus was on her sweater as she maneuvered her bag over her shoulder. She took Mattie by the hand and they moved in his direction. He met them halfway.
Once she made eye contact her cheeks darkened and he smiled. Sometimes he found himself holding his breath to see if she would blush, loving when her ivory skin flushed with heat and wondering where else the color spread.
He cleared his throat and played it cool. “Hey, Mattie, Dayton. How you boys doin’?”
Mattie smiled and said a shy hello. Dayton grumbled a greeting. Trent shook the men’s hands.
“We’re about a block down, but we have to go around the long way because they already barricaded the road.”
“You said your sisters are here?” Chloe asked as she kept her gaze straight ahead.
“Yeah, Georgia, Phoenix, and Bristol. My older sister couldn’t come.”
“You all have names after places.”
It was his turn to blush. Stupid tradition. “Yeah, even my nieces and nephews. Dumb, right?”
“No, I think it’s clever.”
He grinned as his heart kicked up a beat and they maneuvered through the crowd. When the throng grew overly dense he protectively placed his hand on her lower back, feeling her arch as she pulled her spine tight. Could be nerves or could be revulsion, he was hoping it was the first.
“You look pretty today.” He breathed in her sweet, berry fragrance.
“Th—thanks. Mattie, stay close.” She didn’t take the opportunity to step away from his touch when the crowd thinned so he smiled.
Once they reached his sisters, he introduced everyone. Phoenix took the liberty of introducing Mattie and Dayton to the kids. Georgia and her partner, Amanda, chatted with Tommy, Adam, while Chloe put herself at an angle that no longer allowed for him to touch her.
“So, Trent tells us this is your first Celt fest.” Bristol was always good at making people relax.
Chloe smiled. “Afraid so. We don’t do much for St. Paddy’s Day. Are you guys Irish?”
“No, we just like to drink and wait for the wind to blow up the men’s kilts.”
Chloe laughed and the soft sound went right to his cock. He watched as her eyes squinted with laughter, her fingers covering her mouth. Her nails were teal today.
Unable to resist being near her, he stepped to her side. “Don’t hide your smile.”
The laughter faded as she glanced up at him with questioning brown eyes and slowly dropped her hand from her mouth, but only a trace of a smile remained. It became a goal to make her smile again, and next time he intended to see it.
Vendor pushcarts weaved along the open street marked as the parade route. The kids pointed and begged for treats, but Chloe didn’t give in. He would have grabbed something for the little guys, but he didn’t want to overstep.
“I’ll be right back.” He slipped over to his sister Georgia.
“She’s cute, Trent.”
“Won’t get an argument from me. What do you think of Tommy and Adam? Can you tell if either of them is involved with her?”
Georgia laughed. “I’m not positive, but I’d be willing to bet neither of them is interested in her like that.”
“How come?” They seemed to share an open affection and comfort with her, one he was envious of.
She pressed her lips together and smiled.
The sound of bagpipes bleated in the distance as Adam returned with six green balloons, one for each kid. He grimaced, now wishing he’d gone and bought the kids something.
Tommy approached, wearing an Irish scally cap and smiled in the direction of Adam passing out the balloons. “He can’t help himself. Such a spoiler.”
“He seems very sweet, Tommy,” Georgia commented.
“He is.” The man’s gaze settled on Trent. “Hey, why aren’t you with our girl?”
The endearment threw him. “Our girl?”
Tommy smiled. “I mean Chloe. Why aren’t you with…?” He paused and laughed. “Oh, wait!” Placing his hand on his chest, he tipped his head back and had himself a good old chuckle. Georgia and Amanda seemed to be in on the joke as well. “Oh boy! Trent, I’m not gonna beat around the bush, because it’s just not my style—no offense Georgia and Amanda—but let’s get one thing straight—I’m not. Adam’s my husband. We love Chloe, but poodle, never in that way.”
Trent didn’t know if he should be relieved or concerned that a man just called him poodle. He figured he’d roll with it. “Gotchya.”
Tommy patted his arm. “Now you go over there and show our girl a nice time. It’s been years since she’s had a straight man dote on her.”
* * * *
Chloe’s attention snagged on Tommy’s laughter and she hoped they weren’t making fun of her in front of Trenton. As he walked toward her his tanned skin was a little flushed. Dear God, what had Tommy said? It was always risky when Adam left Tommy unsupervised for a few seconds. The man didn’t have a filter.
“That was nice of Adam to get the kids balloons,” Bristol said.
Trenton’s sister was sweet. She immediately made her feel welcome among their group. The entire family was striking, with thick black hair, olive skin, and the same piercing blue eyes.
“Adam loves to spoil children. I think that’s why Tommy’s perfect for him—he often acts like a spoiled child.”
Bristol laughed. “They’re cute together.”
Chloe’s neck prickled as the heat of Trenton’s palm returned to her lower back. She couldn’t think when he touched her, couldn’t stop her body from responding.
“You having a good time?” he whispered, mouth close enough to her ear that she had no trouble hearing his rumbled words.
She tried not to noticeably shiver as a chill raced down her spine and butterflies swirled in the pit of her stomach. She’d convinced herself this was just a social outing, but this was the second time he’d touched her like that. “Yes. Thank you for inviting us.” For once she wasn’t stuttering in front of him.
The parade got underway and the whining of the pipes transformed into music. The kids sat in front of the roadblocks along the curb, as men in various colored tartans marched down the thoroughfare.
Floats, done up in Kelly green and orange, preceded a batch of young Irish river dancers. Flutes and fiddles played as the girls stomped a rhythm into the pavement. Their little clacking feet pounded out a fast tempo and Chloe’s heart raced with the beat. She couldn’t help but smile at the talent.
“I made a bet with myself,” Trenton whispered into her ear, stealing her attention.
“Oh?”
His ice blue eyes watched her as he slowly nodded. “I bet your smile was going to be the prettiest thing I saw today.”
A tremor of uncertainty skittered through her chest. Men didn’t say things like that to her and she would hardly describe her smile as pretty.
He grinned like a well-satisfied man. “I won the bet.”
She blinked at him. “The day’s not over.”
“I’m not worried.” He turned his attention back to the performers. “It’s that pretty of a smile.”
She tensed as Trent’s fingers laced with hers then forced herself to relax. Good grief, he smelled delicious. He gave her hand a squeeze, and a bolt of nervous energy zipped through her insides.
“They’re pretty good, aren’t they?”
How did he do that? He flirted with her, saying all that about her smile, and then he acted like nothing beyond watching a parade was happening. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“My older niece danced with them for thirteen years. She’s in college now, but she’s who got us coming here every year. Next year Brielle will start taking lessons.”
She shut her eyes as his breath tickled across her neck. Her kids were only four feet away, but the way he held her gently in place by only her hand, so domineering yet temperate, she couldn’t find the will to pull free.
Unused to this sort of affection, she couldn’t help but fidget each time he leaned close to speak to her over the sound. With Trenton, there was something alluring, something that made her hold her breath each time she got his direct focus. She liked it even though she knew she shouldn’t.
She’d fallen into the compliant trap before and learned her lesson well. The moment she sought a man’s attention, craved it, she soon started to desire his approval, sometimes to a dangerous degree. She was better off single, identifying through her personal accomplishments and not relying on anyone else’s opinion of her.
She was her own person and in control of her own life. She didn’t need a man, let alone one who clearly enjoyed the alpha role.
Taking a deep breath she attempted to untangle their hands, but his grip slid to her waist and pulled her closer. Anger that he’d disregarded her non-verbal request collided with the thrill his persistence brought. This wouldn’t be so difficult if his touch didn’t feel so good. While her scarred heart said no, her neglected libido screamed yes!
She had a thousand questions running through her mind, but one disappointing thought, the one anchor keeping her curiosity from taking flight, was that a damaged woman like her could never sustain a man like Trenton Cole.
She believed in love, more so since meeting Adam and Tommy, Jade and Jeremy, and Kat and Tyson. But Jade was adorable and Kat was sexy and Tommy had boundless charisma. Chloe was none of those things. Oh, she was bright, intelligent, and a respected therapist. But Trenton was romance novel hot. Way out of her league.
The older you get the uglier you are.
Do something with yourself.
You disgust me!
She shivered as Marcus’s cutting words echoed through her mind. Those flashbacks were coming more often since running into Trenton Cole.
His presence in her life seemed to stir up old doubts and maybe it was best to let sleeping demons lie. She was happy with her quiet life. She was secure. Dating might disturb that hard-earned peace.
His hand tightened on her side as he shifted behind her, his fingers flexing in slow, massaging patterns. Her back was on fire where his body pressed against hers. His size should knock some sense into her, yet she loved how his body felt against hers, loved the way his broad build made her feel proportionate and feminine. But where did it end? How much was he after?
Every man wasn’t Marcus. She knew that. But there was still a fragile part of her that worried the dysfunctional aspects of her marriage stemmed from something wrong with her.
With one final burst of sound, the music stopped and the passing dancers paraded on in a spectacular grand finale. The crowd went nuts, clapping and shouting their praise. As exciting as it was, her senses were overwhelmed to the point of short-circuiting, so she excused herself and broke all contact from Trenton.
She remained close to the children, a safe barrier between commonsense and the sensations Trenton stirred within her body. After the parade, they walked to the park for the festival and concert. Thankfully, there were enough people in their group to keep a buffer for most of the day.
* * * *
As the band played from the amphitheater in the center of the field, Trent waited in line with Phoenix for some green beer. “She’s cute, Trent.”
“I think so.”
“She says she from Virginia.” His sister sent him a pointed look.
“That’s right.”
“I vaguely remember you and Pete having a client with the name Chloe—who was also from Virginia. If I recall, that client caused some trouble for you.”
He looked his sister in the eye as they moved closer to the concession tent. “It’s her.”
If Phoenix was shocked she hid it well. “Does she know what you do?”
“She knows I work in security and sometimes teach self-defense.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but her husband—”
“Ex-husband.”
“Her ex-husband is a bit of a loose cannon.”
Guilt rode up his spine and he grimaced. “Well, he’s out of the picture now.”
“Perhaps your past association with him, no matter how short, is something Chloe should know before you get involved with her.”
Yeah, perhaps, but any discussion regarding her husband made her run. He didn’t want to risk it.
“He’s been out of the picture for years. It’s irrelevant.” The truth was, he didn’t want to tell her. He wasn’t a bad guy, but doing business with her ex made him feel like one.
But his sister was right. Chloe needed to know how he came to find her that day. In the end, he’d done the right thing, so she should realize he wasn’t the villain, but he wanted her to trust he was a good guy before giving her more reasons to doubt him.
“I’ll tell her when the time’s right.”
Adam approached as they neared the tent. “Hey, you guys planning on sticking around until the end?”
Phoenix let the subject drop. “I’m planning on enjoying some green beer. I guess it depends on how the kids hold up. I sent Pete to the car for more blankets.”
Adam looked at him. “And how about you?”
“I’d like to stay a while. Is Chloe okay?”
“She’s fine. Georgia and Amanda are about ready to pack it in. The boys are still playing ball, but Mattie’s getting tired. I was thinking of asking Chloe if she wanted us to take the boys home so she could stay. She’d need a ride though. Would you be able to do that?”
A wave of excitement churned his stomach at the thought of getting Chloe to himself. “Yeah, I can definitely do that.”
Adam gave him an appraising look. Seemed the verdict was still out as to what kind of man he thought Trent was, though it seemed like a good start that he trusted him to take Chloe home.
“You know, Tommy and I have only been in our house for four years, but we know about her past. That day you offered her a ride you did a good thing. Not a lot of strangers would help a stranded woman for nothing in return. Chloe’s special. She trusted you and it worked out. We are trusting you, under the assumption that you’re still that kind of man. Please don’t prove us wrong.”
He respected Adam for showing his hand. It was decent of him to step in and look out for Chloe’s best interest. That’s what good men did for the women they loved when another man came sniffing around. It’s what he did with each of his sisters.
“I’d never hurt Chloe or the people she cares about.”
“Good. I’m going to start cleaning up. Do me a favor. Get Chloe a beer. She’ll be stressed if we leave. That girl needs to loosen up, but only one. She doesn’t drink a lot and, believe me, this is not the place you want to see her drunk.”
When Trent and Phoenix returned to the blanket with a caddy of green beer, Georgia and Amanda were saying goodbye. Mattie was sound asleep with his shamrock painted cheek resting on Chloe’s lap. It was getting too dark to play ball, so Pete packed up the game. Dayton seemed disappointed he was leaving before Austin, but he also seemed tired so he didn’t argue too much.
“I’ll walk you guys to the car,” Chloe told Adam and the boys.
Adam scooped Mattie into his arms and carried him toward the lot with Dayton by his side. Trent wanted to walk with her but figured he better give her this moment with her sons.
* * * *
Chloe waited until they were a safe distance from Trent and his relatives to lay into Tommy. “What’s going on?”
“We’re taking the boys home for you so you can enjoy some grown-up time.”
She glared at both of them, mindful of her sons’ presence. Once they reached the car, she shut the kids inside and turned on them. “We came together so we should leave together.”
“Love, this is a good thing. Stop making it seem like a punishment,” Adam told her as he shook the dirt and grass off the folding chairs.
“I don’t like having decisions made for me. You set this up without even asking.”
Both men sighed, but Tommy was the one to speak first. “Chloe, what’s the worst that can happen? His sisters are here, his nieces and nephews are here. You’re in a public place. The man wants to spend time with you and… I think you want to spend time with him, too.”
She snapped her mouth shut, unable to deny the accusation. “I don’t want to give him the wrong impression.”
“Which is what?” Adam asked.
“That I’m … interested.”
“Oh, but honey, you are.”
“You can’t know that if I don’t know that.”
“So stick around and find out.” Adam opened the tailgate of the SUV and loaded up the chairs. “We’re not far from home. You’ll have maybe thirty minutes tops with him alone. Just go with the flow and see where things lead. No one’s asking you to sign over your free will.”
She gritted her teeth. “If anything goes wrong I’m calling one of you to come pick me up.”
“Nothing’s going to go wrong.” Tommy kissed her cheek and she followed him to the passenger door.
Mattie was still asleep and Dayton looked like he was about to pass out. “I shouldn’t be home too late.”
Adam leaned over from the driver side. “Love, it’s fine. Enjoy yourself. I’ll send you a text once we get the boys settled. They can spend the night. This is good. You go get to know your lumberjack.”
She laughed nervously. “The way he makes me feel… What if I’m reading too much into this?”
Tommy tilted his head, smiling and somehow letting her know he saw the real her. “I don’t think so, sweet. I think he’s into you. Those eyes, the way he watches you, you're not imagining it.”
Her palms were clammy. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You can.”
Sending them each a pleading look, she whispered, “I don’t remember how.”
“You will. It’s like riding a bike. You just climb on and it all comes back. Now, enough of this worrying. No more excuses.”
She watched them pull away and took a deep breath, which her nerves promptly stole. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself. But mostly, she didn’t want to get hurt. She’d grown accustomed to a life that didn’t come with pain, and putting herself out there meant possibly letting some of those old aches back in—possibly experiencing some new ones as well.
She wandered back toward the music and slowed as a shadow caught her eye. Trenton waited under a tree on the other side of the lot, his silhouette unmistakable.
Her mouth curved into a gentle grin as she crossed the field toward the tree. By the time she was two feet away from him her heart was thundering. The sun had set and the air carried a chill.
He pushed his weight off the tree. “You okay, doll?”
She nodded. Each inch he crossed, her stomach flipped in a way that made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.
“If you want to go, you just say the word and I’ll drive you home.”
“I… I’m okay. Just nervous I guess.”
His thumb moved slowly over her knuckles as his eyes studied her. “Nervous about what?”
Nervous about looking stupid, nervous about coming on too strong, nervous about accidentally tripping or slobbering while talking, nervous he would kiss her, nervous he wouldn’t. So many possibilities, yet she failed to verbalize a single one.
He smiled. Perhaps he understood. “Hmm.” He tilted his head and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Her breath held as his face moved closer.
“Well, let’s get this out of the way so you have one less thing to be nervous about.”
He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, a rush of energy spiking from her heels to her heart. Her eyes fluttered shut, as chills crested her shoulders. His hands slid from her wrists to her hands, where he entwined their fingers.
At first, he didn’t so much kiss her as caress her with his mouth, leisurely dragging his soft lips over hers. She inhaled his delicious scent, pulling it into her lungs, afraid to exhale and let it go.
“You’ve been haunting my dreams, Chloe.”
His lips tickled the corner of her mouth, traveling to her jaw. His touch was the gentlest breeze and she was a trembling leaf, one strong pass of his hand and she’d fall. Her head tilted and he nibbled the sensitive space below her ear, sending her breath out in a rush. Her nipples beaded against the lace of her bra and she feared her knees would give out.
His mouth worked in little bites, ghosting back to hers. When his hands gently squeezed hers she opened her eyes. Those piercing blue eyes stared at her with an intensity that overwhelmed every defense she had. She looked at his mouth, mere inches from hers and dropped her gaze.
The back of his knuckles feathered over her jaw, drawing her stare back to him. “Where’d you go, doll? Stay with me.”
Shaken by her attraction to this man and fearful she’d built him up to unreachable standards because he’d saved her life on one of her worst days, she shyly lifted her lashes. Unhidden, yet tucked away in this little space and time where it was only the two of them, she was overwhelmed with an unfamiliar sense of intimacy.
Trent’s lips closed over hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth, warm and profound, and for once she hushed her worries and gave in to her desires. His palm cupped the back of her head, angling her for deeper access. Unable to stop herself, she lifted to her toes.
Instinctively, her hand pulled from his and rested it on his shoulders. His hand curled around her waist and pulled her body flush against his. He kissed her deeply, more deeply than she ever remembered being kissed before. His mouth was insistent and strong, but not forceful. She believed if she hinted at escape he would release her. However, she had no intention of stepping away this time.
His palm rested on her side, torturously close to her breast, and drifted lower, cresting over the swell of her hip. She tilted her head and he groaned into her mouth, a sound of satisfaction.
That large, straying hand passed over her curves, landing intimately over the back pocket of her jeans. Although she was fully clothed, the heat of his touch seared through the denim. She gasped as he clutched a slice of covered flesh.
“You feel so good in my arms.”
Her heart catapulted against her ribs as she pushed to deepen the kiss. His words were her undoing. How was it possible this beautiful man was kissing her? She threaded her fingers through his dark mane and pulled closer.
The stubble on his chin chafed her face and an erotic tingle filled her at the idea of him leaving traces of their kiss on her skin. This is not a dream. This is real. This is real.
“I could kiss you for hours,” he rasped against her mouth.
Drugged by his wicked mouth, she whispered against his lips, “That would be great.”
He moaned and gave her ass a squeeze. Groaning as if it pained him to let her go, he carefully shifted back a step.
But she didn’t want to stop. The sound of Celtic folk music drummed in the distance, the cold March air forgotten. She wondered if he would think her desperate if she asked him to take her to his car, her inhibitions suddenly a vague memory. The nearby tick-tock of a car alarm, the kind produced by a key fob unlocking a vehicle, squelched all impulses to throw herself back into his arms.
“We better get back, doll.”
Chloe took a few seconds to find her bearings and slow her heart. When she met his gaze he stole her breath again. Those bright irises shifted to a smoky blue as his pupils dilated, the black consuming the sea of sapphire flecks. He kissed the tip of her nose and took her hand, leading them back to the festival.