CHAPTER NINETEEN
The following evening Addy walked through the middle of downtown Haven, her mind spinning with complete shock.
She had made plans to meet Trent after work at the Dancing Moose, but she couldn’t hold in her excitement about the new information she’d learned. She wanted to tell someone, and she’d thought of him first.
To be fair, telling him that she needed a break had loosened the load on her mind. Yet for some reason, her body wasn’t feeling that release. She felt wound up tight instead. And the lawyer’s news had only increased that tension.
She walked the three blocks across town to the McGowan Enterprises building. The low sun was shining, and the entire town looked like it had been washed clean after the early evening rain.
Even the row of strip clubs she passed didn’t bother her—that was until Darla stepped out in front of her. The woman lit a long cigarette and blew the smoke in her direction.
“I thought it’s been known for a few decades now that pregnant women shouldn’t smoke,” Addy said dryly as she started to pass Darla.
Darla’s eyes narrowed as she took another drag. “It’s my body. My baby. I noticed you going into that lawyer’s office.”
“Yes,” Addy sighed, knowing she couldn’t simply sidestep and get away. Darla would probably chase her down to have the conversation she wanted to have with her. Still, she didn’t have to give her any more information.
“So? Did your father leave anything for me and his kid?” Darla asked.
Addy’s eyebrows shot up. “Why would he?”
“He’s the daddy.” Darla rubbed her hand over her very flat belly. She was wearing a dark rain jacket that ended just above her knees. What kind of outfit was underneath the jacket, Addy didn’t even care.
She continued to rub her hand over her midsection. The fact that she held a cigarette in that hand caused Addy’s skin to crawl.
“So you say.” She tried to edge aside, but Darla reached out and wrapped her free hand around Addy’s upper arm.
“You know it’s the truth.” Darla’s grip tightened. “You could always tell when I was lying.”
“That was years ago,” Addy supplied calmly. She searched her ex–best friend’s eyes to see if there was any way to tell now if she was telling the truth. The funny thing was, she couldn’t.
“The baby is your daddy’s. He showed up one night at the bar, just as I was closing, then he forced himself on me.” Darla’s eyes narrowed as she took a step closer.
Addy saw her lie for what it was as she stepped back and her shoulders scraped against the brick wall. The fact that the woman was almost a foot taller than Addy and almost twenty pounds heavier caused a quick moment of fear to spike through her. Then again, most of that height was from the pair of spiky heels she was wearing.
“I’m owed something. He gave me some money.” Darla bared her teeth in a mean smile. “Ten grand. Told me he was going to give me the same amount every month.”
Addy held in her temper. She’d been prepared for a fight, but Darla had brought her A game.
The lawyer had discussed the ten grand missing from her father’s account. Knowing her father had given it to Darla made Addy’s skin crawl, but then she got an idea to turn the tables.
“Did you blackmail my father?” she asked loudly and stepped toward Darla. She couldn’t hide her smile when the woman took a step away from her. “Even after you blurted it out in the grocery store? Did you think he’d pay again after you spilled the beans to everyone in town?”
She took another step and watched Darla back away even farther.
“You know, if you really are pregnant, I and my lawyer will want proof. Even then, we’ll demand a paternity test to prove it was his.”
Darla had been looking worried, but now she smiled. “How? Your father is dead.”
“DNA.” Addy raised a brow. “I share his DNA. They should be able to match it to me, and if not, I’ll exhume my father’s body before I give you one more dime of his. Don’t bother me again until you have proof that kid, if there is one, is my blood.”
She turned and walked the rest of the block to Trent’s building, reveling in the psychic win.
When she entered, she took a deep breath and leaned back against the glass doors. Boy, that felt good.
“Running from the law?” Rea chuckled as she looked at her over her reading glasses.
“I wish it was the law.” Addy dropped her bag on a waiting room chair. “Just a former best friend turned stripper, turned . . . possible . . . what? Mother of my supposed half-sibling?” She got a headache just thinking about it.
“I heard about that mess.” Rea shook her head and pulled off her reading glasses. “I’m sure we will find out soon enough that Darla is lying.”
“I hope so. I can’t tell when she’s lying anymore.” Addy stopped at the end of Rea’s desk.
“She’s had years to practice since you left town,” Rea said. “Are you here to see Trent?”
Suddenly Addy remembered why she had come here in the first place and smiled.
“Yes, is he in?” She glanced down the hallway.
“No, but you can keep me company until he gets back.” Rea nodded at the wall clock. “Which should be in about fifteen minutes.”
“Sounds wonderful,” she said, taking the chair that Rea indicated.
“You look fancy today.” Rea motioned to Addy’s simple flowered summer dress. She’d found it in the back of her small closet and decided to wear it to the lawyer’s office. She’d tossed on her cream button-up sweater over it and had been impressed at how nice it felt to wear a dress again. She didn’t own a pair of heels, but her brown dress boots finished the look perfectly. She knew she would be dealing with a dark chapter in her life that morning and wanted a little sunshine to get her through it. So she had taken extra time with her outfit, makeup, and hair.
“I had a meeting with my father’s lawyer,” she said, taking a deep breath. Since she couldn’t tell Trent, Rea was the next best thing. The news was almost bursting from her chest.
Rea’s eyebrows shot up. “I heard about what your parents did.”
Addy nodded and played with one of the last Band-Aids on her fingers. The stitches had been taken out, leaving only bruises. She knew as much as anyone that Rea didn’t care too much for gossip because she’d been the subject of it for years. So her interest was surprising. Well, here comes a great tidbit.
“Turns out my dad left me everything he had. Apparently he’d kept his finances a secret from my mother.”
“Smart man,” Rea said, and at Addy’s look, shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean . . .”
“It’s okay. It was smart of him. My mother would have consumed it all like she consumed him.” A wave of sadness washed over her.
“Even though she’s blood, it doesn’t make her family. Take a look at me. I love my son, but . . .” Rea leaned back in her chair. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish he had turned out like my other boys.” She smiled over at the picture of the McGowans. It was an oil painting done several years back of the entire family.
Trent must have been around seventeen then. He was just as handsome as she remembered. He’d been her fantasy. Sure, all the boys were handsome, but Trent . . . he made her heart melt just looking at him.
“Does he know how you feel about him?” Rea smiled over at her.
“What?” Addy blinked a few times.
“Honey, I’m not blind. I’ve been in love a few times in my life.”
“Love?” Addy shook her head. “I’m not . . .”
Rea’s laughter stopped her just as the door opened.
Addy felt her heart skip as she watched Trent walk in.
He was wearing a pair of gray slacks and a white button-up shirt with a dark-gray jacket. His hair was neatly combed; however, the scruff on his jaw contradicted the businesslike look. He was so damn sexy she felt her mouth water.
“Damn meeting ran over . . .” he said before looking up from his phone. When he did, his eyes locked with hers almost instantly.
She couldn’t be in love with Trent. Nothing good could ever come from it.
“Well,” Rea said, breaking the silence, causing both of them to glance over at her. “That’s it for me tonight. I’ve got a hot date.” She winked at Addy. Then turned to Trent. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She flipped off her computer and grabbed her purse. “You’ll make sure to lock up when you leave?”
Trent didn’t even blink as Rea closed the front door behind her, laughter leaking back through.
“I thought we had dinner plans,” he said.
“We do.” Addy stood up and tucked her hands together.
His eyes moved over her dress and he smiled, causing his dimple to flash. “You look . . . wow,” he said, setting down a circular black case on Rea’s desk.
“Thank you.” She tried to think of a different subject, anything to change the way he was looking at her now. She knew she had to be strong if she was going to remain on course. She looked down at the case. “Is this for the school?” He’d talked with her about the project, and she’d been very interested in his plans.
“Yeah, they finally approved these.” He patted the case, not taking his eyes from her. “It only took them half a dozen versions to finally agree.” He shook his head as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Have I mentioned that you look amazing?”
Addy felt her entire body react to his touch and knew that she couldn’t fight her desire to be with him much longer. She was so used to not having happiness, not having someone close to her, that she was losing a hold on her own life. Why couldn’t she finally take her pleasures and enjoy life? She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “No, I believe the word you used was . . . wow.”
“I can be smoother,” he said, pulling her closer.
“Show me,” she said just before his lips met hers.
Trent pulled them toward the hallway, thinking of nothing other than getting her to the sofa that sat in the corner of his office.
They moved down the long hallway and his back bumped into a door. The sofa forgotten, he pulled on the handle and spun them around, pushing her up against the back of the door as his mouth took hers in a greedy dance.
Her hands were removing his jacket, pulling and tugging at his shirt until he heard buttons pop. When her fingers touched his bare skin, they both moaned.
Her kisses grew more demanding as his hands lifted the sweater off her shoulders. Underneath, he was pleasantly surprised to see her shoulders were bare. The sundress was strapless, which he knew could mean . . . he nudged the dress down slightly and realized that he was the luckiest man alive when he found her bare underneath.
His fingers pinched her nipples slightly, causing her head to fall back to the door, eyes closed. She was more beautiful than he could have imagined.
When he dipped his head and covered one breast, his hands moved down, taking her cotton panties with them until they disappeared from the silkiness of her legs. His hands traveled slowly up her legs as his mouth trailed over her skin.
When he found her, she was hot and ready, which caused his dick to jump. She reached for him at the same time and moaned when she pulled his pants open and wrapped her fingers around him.
“My god,” he groaned as she stroked him. “I can’t . . .” He thought of how to get this to last longer, but nothing sprang to mind.
Instead, he dipped his fingers into her and a cry escaped her lips as pleasure racked her. Her body responded so fast, she instantly wanted more and doubted she would ever get enough. Damn, she was hot. Too hot.
“Hurry,” she moaned after she’d come back to him. “I can’t wait.” She’d already built back up.
He nudged her skirt up with one hand while rolling a condom on with the other, then stepped between her legs. He entered her in one quick jerk and had them both crying out in pleasure.
Her nails dug into his shoulders and her legs wrapped around his waist. He held her body between his and the hard door.
A bead of sweat rolled down his back as he pumped his hips faster. His mouth took hers, consuming the sexy sounds she was making.
His fingers found her hair and tugged until she leaned back, exposing her neck for him to nibble on.
He’d never had so much passion build up before. When he felt her tense, his own release caused his knees to shake.
“Are we in a closet?” Addy asked as their breathing leveled after a few minutes of silence. He was still holding her up against the door, her legs still wrapped around his hips.
He opened his eyes and glanced around. “Damn it.”
She chuckled. “You can be so smooth.”
He leaned his forehead against the door with a laugh. “You made me crazy with this outfit.”
“Hmm,” she purred. “I’ll have to get more dresses, then.”
His fingers ran over her bare shoulders gently. He felt and heard her breath hitch. Instantly he grew hard again. In one quick move, he hoisted her up in his arms and opened the door to his office.
When he laid her down on the soft sofa in his office, she smiled up at him.
“You get high points for that move,” she said.
“Are you keeping score?” he joked, as he came back down to her, losing himself in pleasure once again.