CHAPTER TWELVE
Addy watched realization flood Trent’s expression and fear replace desire. He leaned back and dropped his hands from her like she’d caught fire.
She chuckled. “What? Haven’t you ever been with a virgin before?” She leaned up on her elbows and cocked an eyebrow at him.
He swallowed a few times, then shook his head.
“I mean, um . . .”
She giggled and moved up until her almost-bare chest was against his warm skin and toned muscles. “I won’t break.”
“Yeah, but . . .”
“Trent.” She placed a finger over his lips. “This doesn’t change anything.”
“The hell it doesn’t,” he said and ran his hands through his hair.
“What?” she asked, trailing kisses along his collarbone.
“I’ll think of something in a minute,” he said, and she heard a small groan escape his lips.
“I’ve always thought it was an excuse men used to end things.”
“It’s no excuse.” His fingers wrapped around her wrists as he nudged her back onto the mattress and looked down at her. “Just a reason to go slow and make sure you enjoy yourself.”
“Oh?” she asked. “How would you do that?”
He smiled down at her. “There are many different ways to please a newbie. I can do this . . .” He bent down and started raining kisses down her neck. “This.” He dipped farther after a moment and trailed his lips just above the red bra, licking the soft material above her nipples until they poked through. “Or this,” he said, sliding his finger into the top of her panties.
“Yes, I remember this one.” Addy shifted, but instead of continuing with his finger, Trent nudged her legs wider as he settled his shoulders between her legs. When he pushed the silk aside and placed his tongue on her, she squealed and gripped his hair.
He took his time, using every move he’d learned over the years until he found the one she liked best, then enjoyed himself as he pleased her.
When her nails dug into his scalp and he felt her convulse under his tongue, he slid out of his jeans, donned the condom he always carried, and nudged her legs wider.
“That was a new one,” she said, softly.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” He leaned in and kissed her softly as he slid into her. When he reached the barrier, he held his breath and jerked his hips.
The same cry came from her lips as when he’d pleasured her. He held still, praying he would be able to last more than five seconds.
Then, when he finally had his breathing under control, he felt her legs wrap around him.
He looked down at her. “You okay?” he asked, hoping she’d say yes.
She nodded, then leaned up and took his mouth in a deep kiss as he started moving with her.
He’d never felt anything as wonderful as Addy. She did more than consume him; she took him body and soul.
By the time he felt her building again, he knew there was no holding himself back any longer.
When he felt her tense, he followed her and could have sworn he saw stars.
It took almost a full five minutes for him to regain any signs of intelligence. Then he realized he was probably crushing her and rolled to the side, taking her with him.
“That was . . .” Her words drifted off into a moan.
“What?” he said after a moment.
“Amazing just doesn’t fit.”
He chuckled. “Surprising? Stunning? Staggering? Astonishing?”
“Breathtaking.” She rolled over until she was on top of him. “Can we do that again?”
His eyebrows rose. “Now?”
She smirked. “Maybe after a quick nap.”
He nodded and pulled her closer. “Perfect.” He reached up and kissed her. Her lips felt so right against his. “Why is it that you’re still . . . um, were still a virgin?”
She glanced down at him. “I don’t know. I mean, I thought going into college that sex would be one of those things that just happened.” She shook her head slightly. “My mother had always been so protective of me. Never allowing me to date. But then I got out on my own and decided I didn’t want to rush into something just out of spite.” She sighed. “Then, before too long it just became, I don’t know, almost like a badge I wore.”
“There had to be plenty of guys asking you out,” he said, causing her to chuckle.
“No, not really. At least none that I wanted to be with.”
“I would have done something to get your attention.” He looked down at her; her hair was fanned out, his fingers tangled in the soft tresses. Her blue eyes shone in the dim light. Her lips pouted, swollen from kisses, and all he could think of was what more he could do to keep things just like this.
“You wouldn’t have had to do anything to get my attention,” she murmured.
They passed a little time in silence, then before he knew it, he was ready and rolling her once more to her back.
“What about that nap?” She kissed him between words.
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” he said as he slid into her heat again. This time, he watched her eyes and knew that he’d never get tired of that blue shimmer as he made love to her.
Light from the lamp over her bed hit her face and woke Addy the next morning. She blinked, then sat up. “What time is it?”
“Sorry,” Trent mumbled as he moved around the trailer collecting things. “I’ve got . . . early meeting. Couldn’t see in the dark.” He searched around at the foot of the bed. “Stop by to see how my uncle is doing. Couldn’t find . . . shoe.” He held it up. Then looked up at her and smiled. “Morning.”
“Morning.” She rolled her shoulders slowly, stretching, and looked at the large numbers on her clock. “It’s only four.”
He nodded and she noticed his eyes were focused below her chin. Glancing down, she realized she was stark naked.
Instantly she reached to cover herself.
“No, don’t.” He grinned. “Leave me with the memory of those for the rest of the day.”
“You saw them last night.”
“Yeah, but that was last night.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips. “I really do have to go.” He sat down and pulled on his boots. “I was too preoccupied to take these off at the door, sorry.”
She shook her head and held in a yawn. “It’s okay, I’m not anal about it.”
He smiled guiltily. “Good, because I left a mess.” He glanced at her floor. “If I had time, I’d clean.”
“Go.” She waved him away, and her heart softened at the thought of him keeping her place tidy. “Let me sleep some more.” She lay back down as he turned off the light, sending the trailer back into darkness.
“We still good for dinner?”
“Sure,” she yawned. “See you. Text me and let me know how your uncle is doing.”
She felt him place another kiss on her lips, then was fast asleep before he shut the door to her trailer.
After she woke several hours later, Addy thought about her time with Trent as she cooked herself a simple breakfast of eggs and toast. What was she doing? Could she really pull off being with him and doing her job?
As she showered, she tried to come up with a plan of action, but her mind kept wandering back to how it felt when he touched her, how wonderful it felt to be with someone who cared so much.
When she finally stepped outside, she had a list of to-dos to complete that day—stocking her kitchen, filling up her propane tanks, and stopping by to talk to Rea to see if she could get more information from the woman herself. Rea knew everything there was to know about the McGowans personally and professionally. Maybe, just maybe Addy could work around Trent and find out what she needed to know.
After loading her empty tanks into the back of her Jeep, she dropped them off at the refueling station and was told it would take half an hour before they could be filled. She realized she missed the big cities where she could just swap them out with new ones. But she left her tanks there and headed into the McGowan offices to talk to Rea while she waited.
She was surprised to see Kristen sitting behind the counter instead of Rea. Addy thought about making an excuse and coming back later, but Kristen waved her in.
“I was hoping I’d run into you soon.” Kristen stood and hugged her. “Did you hear the news?”
“Yes, congratulations. When are you due?”
“Not soon enough, according to my husband-to-be,” she said. “We think December. We won’t know for sure until I go in next week.”
“Wow, only just pregnant.” Addy calculated quickly.
“Not even eight weeks yet.” Kristen sat back down. “Now you must have also heard about the early wedding.”
Addy nodded. “It’s coming up.”
“Yup. We haven’t gotten the printed ones yet, but I’m hoping you’ll accept a verbal invitation.”
Addy blinked. “Of course. I’d be honored.”
“Good.” Kristen’s smile was contagious. “Now.” She put her elbows on the desk. “What can I do for you?”
Addy chuckled. “Rea had given me some data. I was hoping she was around to answer some questions.”
“She has the day off, but I can help.” Kristen nodded to the chair across from her. “It’s always quiet here on Wednesdays, so we should be undisturbed. What kind of information do you need?”
Addy told her what she was looking for while keeping it as generic as possible. She didn’t want to come right out and say that she was looking for something to give her boss that could possibly break the company.
While there, she got a text from Trent saying his uncle was out of ICU and in recovery. They were thinking of moving him to a special facility near Helena that would be able to help him recover faster.
Over an hour later, Addy walked out with a small box of papers. Kristen had been completely open with her about everything except what they intended to do with the new land. Again, Addy hit a brick wall. A lot of what Kristen had told her fell in line with what she’d heard from the mayor. More rumors, such as they were planning on expanding their offices or they were going to use it as storage for heavy equipment. Addy’s conversation with Kristen had at least confirmed that, in her mind, there was no way the McGowans would start fracking. She knew Kristen had just gone through a traumatic event, so she hadn’t pushed her further. She’d heard all the issues Kristen and the McGowans were going through in their legal fight with Dennis Rodgers. Jumping through hoops to find enough evidence to prove that the man had almost killed her.
Addy shoved the box of papers, no doubt more invoices and spreadsheets that would lead to nowhere, into her back seat, then went to pick up her full tanks and head to the grocery store. She debated having lunch in town or making something back at her trailer, but the chance of running into someone she knew at the diner sent her to the freezer aisle for a precooked meal.
She’d been in the store less than ten minutes and was just placing another gallon of ice cream in her cart when someone screamed, “Fire!”
She rushed to the front of the store with several other people and looked out the front windows.
Her mind didn’t register at first what she was seeing. Then she gasped.
“My Jeep!” Her entire Jeep was engulfed.
She had just made it outside the glass doors when the fire hit the propane tanks. The blast threw her, and everyone else who had been watching, back several steps. Knocked on her ass, Addy landed on the ground as the glass from the front windows shattered and large shards fell around her. She threw her arms up and covered her face as pieces rained down on her. She felt the sting as glass sliced into her skin.
She’d just recovered and was on her hands and knees when the next blast hit. This time, it knocked her face-first into the cement that was now littered with glass. Pain shot up her arms from the glass piercing her hands just as her chin hit the ground and everything went black.
Trent rushed into the hospital for the second time in two days. Nothing about the first visit had prepared him for the second—Addy, sitting on a gurney, her chin covered in large white bandages that continued down over her arms, right to her fingertips.
The nurse was working on cleaning Addy’s knees, removing shards of glass from her skin with a pair of long tweezers. When the nurse saw him, she tried to shoo him out, but he just glared at her.
“He’s fine,” Addy said, smiling, which caused the tape on the bandage on her chin to pop loose. He rushed over and gently smoothed it back into place.
“What happened?” he asked her.
“I wish I knew.” She shook her head and he watched her wince.
“Have you given her anything for the pain?” he asked the nurse.
“Yes.” She did not seem pleased by this intrusion.
“I’m fine.” Addy reached for his hand but stopped short when the bandages got in the way. “Really. It was stupid of me to rush out there.”
“We’re treating several others from the store for cuts as well. She got the worse of it, but from the sound of it, even if she’d stayed inside she would have gotten hurt.”
“The entire storefront is destroyed,” Addy said. “I had just picked up my propane tanks. They were in the back of my Jeep.” Trent watched as sadness filled her eyes. “It’s gone.”
“It’s okay.” He wrapped his arm around her gently.
She nodded. “I’m just thankful no one was hurt too severely.”
His eyes moved over her. “This isn’t severe?”
She shook her head, and he watched her eyes cloud as the pain medicine finally took hold.
“No. You should see my Jeep.” Addy rested her head back with a sigh.
The nurse broke in. “She’ll rest for a while. Then we’ll discharge her after the doctor confirms she doesn’t have a concussion.”
Trent nodded, keeping his eyes on Addy. He wanted to touch her but was too afraid he’d hurt her. Her bandages ranged from the size of his hand to a butterfly bandage.
He sat with her until the doctor walked in and assured them that she didn’t have a concussion, just a nasty bump on her chin. He suggested Addy be watched for the night, then come in and get checked again and have the stitches removed in a few days.
Almost two hours later, Trent was wheeling her out when Mike stopped by. The man was covered in soot and looked like he’d fallen headfirst into a campfire.
“What happened to you?” he asked.
Mike looked at him, then wiped a hand over his forehead. “Damn it.” He pulled out a handkerchief. He shook his head and continued to clear his face. “Happened to sneeze when I was a few inches away from the pile that used to be Ms. Collins’s Jeep.”
Addy giggled and covered her mouth then rolled her eyes.
“Don’t mind her, she’s on some pretty good drugs.” Trent waited until Mike’s face was clear of soot.
“Well?” he asked finally.
“Addy, you don’t smoke, do you?” Mike looked down at her in the wheelchair.
“Nope. Why would I kill the ozone and myself?” She made a face that said she was disgusted at the thought of it. “Never even tried it.”
Mike sighed. “Found a cigarette butt in what appeared to be a box of papers in her back seat. It looks like the papers caught quickly, then spread to the two tanks, which caused the gas tank on the Jeep to take out the rest.”
“Boom.” Addy looked up at Trent. “I stopped by your office first. Kristen printed out some stuff for me to look at.”
He glanced over at Mike. “Anyone see who?” The man shook his head. “Any idea what brand?”
“Gold Crest, but the fire inspector will want to double-check that it was the official cause of the blaze,” Mike said. Trent thought of a few people he knew who smoked the brand.
“We’ll narrow the list down,” Mike added. “They would have had to open her door to toss the butt in since she had a hard top on the Jeep. Is she going home with you?”
Trent nodded.
“If I find anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.” Trent started to walk Addy out, but she stopped him.
“No, I want to see how everyone else is.” She tried to turn the wheelchair around but almost fell out of it instead.
“I’ll go ask,” Mike said, then moved over to the desk.
He came back a few minutes later. “Mrs. Anderson had a cut under her left eye that was bandaged up with a few stitches, Mr. Thompson had cuts on his hands—he pulled Addy into the store after the Jeep blew. The store clerks both have minor cuts, no stitches, but other than that, everyone was just shaken up. They were all released and went home almost an hour ago.”
“Thank you.” Addy sighed. “I owe Mr. Thompson. He taught me how to play cello.” She looked up at Trent. “Did you know that I know how to play the cello?”
“No, but now I do.” He pushed his drifty angel out to his truck and helped her in. Instead of waiting as she tried to get her feet on the ground, he picked her up and set her on the seat, kissing her forehead before shutting the door.
She slept during the short trip to his mother’s house and was still asleep when he carried her inside.
His mother had prepared his room for her. He’d texted her when he heard that Addy’d been hurt and had filled everyone in on her progress.
Trent’s mother, Kristen, and Trisha had wanted to come to the hospital, but he stopped them since the place was too small. And he needed some time alone with Addy to ensure that she was okay.
Now everyone waited as he carried her straight to the living room sofa. He sat down, still holding her in his arms. She snuggled up against him and sighed.
“Well?” his mother whispered.
“She’s out. You can talk normally.” He shifted slightly, pulling Addy closer.
“What happened? Someone said the entire grocery store blew up.” His mother sat across from him. He nodded.
“We just drove by there on the way back. Her Jeep was nothing more than a pile of metal. The whole front of the store is gone, including the sign her Jeep was parked near.”
“What caused it?” Kristen asked.
“Someone flicked a cigarette into a box of paperwork she’d gotten from you, then the fire spread to the two full propane tanks she had in the back of her Jeep, which caused the gas tank on the Jeep to blow, taking out most of everything in the front of the store. Three other cars were charred beyond recognition.”
“Oh my,” his mother said, shaking her head. “Any idea who would have done such a thing?”
“A few,” he replied, looking at his brothers.
“Darla smokes,” Tyler said.
“Not Gold Crests.” Trent shook his head.
“Still, she could have bummed a cigarette off someone.”
Trent thought about it and nodded. “It wouldn’t hurt to see if she was working at the time.”
“I’ll swing by tomorrow.” Tyler leaned forward.
“Addy’s folks cut her out of their will.”
“What?” His mother almost gasped the word. “Why would they do such a terrible thing?”
Trent shook his head and looked down at Addy. “Apparently she’s a big disappointment to them.”
“Well, I never did like those two. Especially her mother. Victoria always acted like she was better than everyone else in town.”
The room was silent for a while. “Do you think she will be hungry when she wakes up?” Trisha finally asked.
Trent sighed. “I know I am.”
“What about a change of clothes?” Kristen added. “She can’t go around in the hospital gown.”
Trent looked down at the material she was wrapped in.
“Yeah, I have her keys to her place.” He shook the purse he’d carried in with her, knowing the sound meant they were inside the bag.
“I’ll swing by.” Trey stood.
“We’ll go.” Kristen tugged Tyler up. “She may want some other things. We can pick up some burgers in town too, so no one has to cook, and I’ll pack her a bag.”
“Thanks. I’m going to get her to bed.” Trent started to stand.
“Son.” His mother stopped him. “I know you know my rules, but I have no objection to you staying in your room with her tonight.”
He chuckled. “You couldn’t have stopped me if you tried.” His mother joined in his laughter as he stood up with Addy and carried her down the hallway.