Now, as he came to her side and placed a hand on her lower back, her heart was aching for a second chance, but the questions still lingered. Would he ever really put her ahead of work? Would he resent her if he did? And could she be more understanding about his hours and the demands of being an attorney, especially now that he'd taken on so many responsibilities at the resort as well?
At the same time, she had to ask herself--did she really want to be his entire world? Because she loved the sharp-witted, practical, and methodical side of Trent, which earned him accolades in the legal world, as she'd seen documented over the years in articles in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. She had always been so proud of him and of all of his accomplishments.
So, no, she didn't want to change that part of him. At least not completely.
But she did want to know that his heart skipped a beat whenever he thought of her, the way hers always skipped when she thought of him. She wanted their love to be strong enough to withstand a few late nights, but also be important enough to him that he would want to come home to her in the evenings...and that when he left their bed each morning he would feel a pang of longing to stay.
Oh God. In the space of one outing, she'd already mentally inserted herself back into his life.
"Thank you so much for coming all the way here to see my work. You can't imagine how much it means to me." Tami embraced Reese.
"It was my pleasure. You're really talented. Keep painting, and you have my e-mail address and phone number. Contact me anytime. I'm always happy to share thoughts with another artist."
Tami's eyes widened. "I can't believe you just called me an artist. I'm hardly that good."
"Nonsense," Reese said with a smile. "Your work is excellent, and the great thing about art is that everyone's talent is different. The minute you created your first painting or sketch and said to yourself that this was what you wanted to do, you became an artist!" She hugged Tami again, then wrapped her arm around Trent's waist. "Have a great show."
It had taken no thought to wrap her arm around Trent and snuggle against his warm, familiar body like she belonged there. Right now she felt like she did belong there. Being with Trent felt the best kind of right, even if it should feel wrong based on the problems they'd never been able to resolve.
She knew they needed to deal with it, but did it have to be right this second, when her heart was full and her body ached for the closeness they'd shared? Right now all she wanted was for this feeling of goodness and wholeness to continue. She wanted to be with the only man who had ever made her feel truly alive.
She tried to distract herself from her burgeoning desires by telling Tami's mother, "Your daughter is very talented, and I'm sure with your encouragement she'll go far."
As they walked away, Trent said, "You just made her day." He kissed Reese's temple as his hand slid to her hip. A moment later his gentle touch felt even more intimate as his thumb stroked it. When his fingers slipped beneath the edge of her sweater and brushed against her skin, heat blazed through her.
Oh God, she didn't just want to dip her toes into the goodness of them--she wanted to jump in with both feet and submerge herself. To tangle together and drown in the desire swelling between them.
"You didn't have to buy one of her pieces, but I'm so glad you did."
"It's for you to have, Reese." His voice was low and as thick with restraint as her body felt. "One day she's going to come visit you, and when she sees this painting among your things, it will mean the world to her."
The sun was just beginning to set as she turned to face him, giving the chilly evening a romantic glow. "I love that you thought of that. That you even recognize how special something like that could be in the first place." She couldn't resist touching his chest, laying her palm over his beating heart the same way she had earlier that day.
Oh, how she'd missed touching him like this. Missed being able to look up into his blue eyes and see his smile. Missed lying safe and warm in the circle of his arms.
"I felt your joy every time someone admired one of your paintings. Even before we were married, when a tourist would stop to watch you paint or sketch on the beach, you would light up. How could I not understand something that was such a big part of my wife's life?"
Hearing Trent say my wife made her heart skip a beat, but it was the way he was looking at her, as if he still felt their deep connection just as strongly as she did, that had her breath hitching in her throat.
He drew her closer, and she went willingly into his arms as he told her, "I hurt you deeply, and I'm so very sorry. But I never stopped caring about you, and I want to make it up to you. I want to fix everything that I broke. Give me a chance, Reese. Let me show you how I've changed. Let me earn your trust again. Let me prove to you that I'm worthy of your love."
So long. She'd waited so long to hear him say that.
"Please, sweetheart. I never meant to hurt you. I was young and stupid, and not fighting for you ten years ago was the biggest mistake I've ever made."
His eyes were filled with so much sincerity, his voice laden with so much remorse, that suddenly she could barely think. Her fingers curled in his shirt as she closed her eyes and let her body take over. And boy did it ever take over.
There was nothing tender about their kiss as their mouths came together in a possessive, needful kiss. His mouth was hot and hungry, and her hands were greedy as they roved over his shoulders to the muscles on his back. She wanted to press her nails into his skin and mark him as her own.
God, how she'd missed him. But they weren't in the past anymore. All that mattered was right here. Right now. And oh how she needed him. How she wanted him. She sank deeper into him, into the kiss, against his hard, virile frame, desperately trying to get closer.
"Car." She barely got the word out before he took her in another demanding kiss. She'd always loved knowing the effect she had on him, and tonight was no different. Feeling the hard proof of how much he wanted her, too, pulled a moan from her lungs, and she wanted more. More of his emotions, more of his strength, more of everything he had to give her. She hadn't felt these animalistic urges since the last time she'd been with Trent. She'd almost forgotten his power to transport her to another dimension. To a place where only they existed.
That thought brought her mind spiraling back to the moment--to the fact that they were groping and kissing in the park--and not even behind a wall of boulders this time.
She drew back in a panic, her eyes searching the area. Luckily, they were far enough from the booths that no one was giving them a second glance.
"Come on." He took her hand and they half ran to the car, stopping every few feet to kiss some more.
Trent placed the painting on the roof of the car and pressed his body to hers. Her back hit the cold metal door, making the titillating friction between them even stronger as he slicked his tongue out against hers, claiming her in another passionate kiss.
She was this close to ripping off his shirt when she heard the door unlock. He helped her in, and instead of leaning down to kiss her again, he searched her eyes. Her heart swelled even bigger, knowing that he wouldn't just take unless she wanted him to. And unless she was ready to give herself to him, too.
"I need you, Trent." She'd been waiting ten years for this moment and didn't want to wait another second longer. She pushed him toward the driver's side door. "Hurry."
Chapter Fourteen
REESE LOST TRACK of the roads as the sun faded and the headlights of the oncoming cars came on. She lost track of everything but Trent, who had reached for her hand and was squeezing it tightly, like a lifeline. Which seemed fitting, considering that whenever they were together he--they--blocked out the rest of the world without even trying.
She'd expected him to take her home, or to his suite at the resort, but when he pulled over on a narrow dirt road and cut the engine, her pulse quickened. This was who they had always been at their best. Spontaneous. Ravenous for each other. Neither
one of them overthinking. Just wanting. Needing.
All of each other.
She scrambled over the console and straddled his hips, sealing her lips over his. Trent held her face, keeping her exactly where he wanted her. She loved the way he deepened the kiss, making her dizzy as he wound his fingers in her hair and angled her head, urging her mouth open wider as he kissed her more forcefully. Reese tore at his shirt, needing to see him, to feel his skin against hers. Their mouths parted just long enough for him to pull her sweater off and then tug his own over his head and toss it on the passenger seat.
He claimed her in another kiss that had her moaning with need as he unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. He groaned as he brushed his thumbs over the taut peaks, kissing her again, taking her higher, and higher still, as he fondled and teased her with his hands. And when he lowered his mouth to one peak and licked out over it, she gasped at the pleasure of having his hands and his mouth on her again. She felt feverish. Delirious.
And yet she couldn't get enough. There was hardly any room to move in the cramped car, but he still managed to slide off her jeans and panties between kisses. One sweet kiss on the sensitive skin at her inner thigh. And then another on her kneecap. And then one at her ankle, before he kissed his way back up her naked skin. She'd never felt so adored, never relished her sensuality the way she did as he finally found her with his mouth. The warm slick of his tongue over her had her crying out and arching against him.
She hadn't forgotten how good it was to be with him, but even in her memories it hadn't been this good. Maybe, she thought with the few brain cells she had left, ten years of anticipation had heightened every nerve, every fiber of her being, readying her for his touch in the most incredible way.
So close. She was already so close. But the first time she went over the edge of bliss, she wanted Trent with her. Wanted to be able to feel his heart beating against hers and see his eyes go dark with pleasure.
Her fingers were already threaded through his hair, and now she tugged at him. "Please," she begged. "I need you. Here. With me." Thankfully, he didn't need her to explain any further before he climbed back up her naked body and reclined the seat.
God, how she loved the weight of him, the way he gazed down at her like he wanted to climb beneath her skin. His hard length pressed against her belly, and she gripped his biceps as his mouth claimed hers again.
"Condom?" he asked hastily.
"I'm still on birth control. And it's been ages since I've been with anyone," she confessed.
"Me, too. And other than with you, I've always used protection."
She didn't have to think about it, didn't need them to go into any more separate history. "Love me, Trent. That's all I want. Just for you to love me."
He gazed into her eyes, the air around them pulsing with need, their hearts beating frantically with anticipation. The edges of his beautiful mouth curved up as he whispered, "I always have, Dandelion."
Her world stilled. She never imagined hearing him say that he loved her again...and she never dreamed he'd ever again use the nickname he'd given her the very first time they'd made love.
Dandelion.
Emotion and desire coalesced, and her desperate need to be close to him overwhelmed her ability to fully process the meaning of his confession.
He lowered his lips to hers and whispered, "You're so beautiful. So soft. So perfect," at the same blissful moment that he gripped her hips and sank into her.
"Trent." He filled her so completely, and when their bodies began to move, there was no caution, no hesitation.
His scent was intoxication. His power, his passion, sent waves of ecstasy through her. She took him as aggressively as he took her, meeting each of his powerful thrusts with a lift of her hips. She clutched his biceps, his shoulders, his muscular back, touching everywhere and anywhere she could reach.
I've missed you so much, she thought. I dreamed of you so many nights, wishing you were with me.
As thrust after thrust took her higher, closer to the edge, her head tipped back and his mouth found her neck. Oh yes. He remembered exactly what she liked. He nibbled and sucked, driving her out of her mind. And when he slid a hand between them, teasing and taunting, she instantly shattered around him.
Still shuddering from her incredibly intense climax, she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling the thrill of his arousal in the tightening of his muscles. He circled her body with his arms, bringing her so close against his chest, as if he couldn't bear to have air between them. And then he was taking her right back to the edge again, each thrust slower now, stroking over her sensitive nerves.
She dug her nails into his skin. "More...Harder...Please..."
"Beautiful. You're so damn beautiful, Reese." He clutched her tight and reared up, thrusting harder. "I've waited so long to be with you again."
"Too long," she managed in a breathless voice, holding his arms for dear life as another climax tore through her.
He buried his face in her neck and breathed her name seconds before surrendering to his own release. She wrapped her arms around his back, loving the feel of his throbbing heat inside her.
"Reese." Nothing had ever sounded sweeter than her name, spoken in the deep voice that she'd never been able to forget, no matter how many lonely nights she'd spent without him.
Only now, though his slow, sensuous kisses told her he hadn't been lying when he'd said he'd always loved her, reality was already rushing back in. The reality of having slept with Trent on yet another first date, even though she'd vowed up and down not to do just that. She never slept with a guy on their first date!
But this wasn't just any guy. This was Trent. The man she'd once adored.
Love me, Trent. Her own words from just minutes ago hit her like a brick. That's all I want. Just for you to love me.
Oh no! Not only had she said it in the heat of the moment, but she'd meant it--wanted him, needed him--from the very tip of her head to the soles of her feet.
She sighed as she realized that she was more confused than ever.
As if he could read her mind, he slowly raised his body from hers, took her hand to help her up, and silently gave her her clothes to put back on. After they were both dressed again, they sat on the hood of the car beneath the stars, and she wondered if he'd needed the chance to cool off as much as she had.
"I should have asked if you were sure," he said softly.
"You know how much I wanted you," she assured him. "More than I wanted to breathe."
"And now?" He touched her chin, bringing her eyes to his.
From the tightening of his jaw and the furrowing of his brow, she knew he could see her uncertainty about where to go from here. Her heart raced again as she tried to figure out what to say, how to explain that the desperation to be in his arms again was colliding head-on with the fear of repeating their past. Her skin became clammy as she tried to fight the terrifying fear of racing forward at breakneck speed, the way they had the first time. She wanted him--God, how she wanted him--but the knowledge that what they'd done before hadn't worked and the realization that she was practically powerless to resist the white-hot desire between them coiled into a knot and drove her to her feet.
"And now...I want to kiss you and run from you at the same time."
Though hurt flickered in his eyes at her honest answer, he didn't lash out. Instead, he slid from the hood of the car and reached for her hand, gathering her in his arms and holding her close. But with every stroke of his hand down her back, more and more unanswered questions simmered up from deep inside her--and finally bubbled over.
"Why?" she needed to know. "Why did you wait ten years?"
He hesitated for only a second or two, but it was more than enough time for anger and hurt to wind together and spew from Reese's mouth.
"Ten years, Trent." She pushed away from him and paced. "Do you have any idea how many nights I prayed you'd make time for me?" She spun around and faced him again. "Any idea how many years I
longed to be with you?" Tears of anger welled in her eyes, and she pushed at his chest. "Talk to me, damn it. I deserve to know why."
"I can't answer you any better than to say that I was an idiot. I don't know the whys of it all. I only know that I screwed up. But I never, ever, stopped loving you."
She turned away again, trying to walk off the dark emotions that swamped her, but it was impossible, and when she looked at him again, she needed him to hear her--and to know that how he'd treated her was not okay. "Damn right you screwed up. Ten years, Trent. Ten years!"
"I tried, Reese. I came after you when you first left me. I really thought we could make it work."
"You didn't try!" Her limbs shook. "You rationalized."
"You're right. That's exactly what I did." He ran a hand through his hair, working his jaw in frustration. "But at the time I had no idea just how badly I was screwing up. You have to know that. You know me. You're the only person who has ever really known me."
He reached for her again, but she turned out of his grasp.
"I thought I knew you when we were here on the island, but that guy I met and fell in love with was a world away from the man I ended up with in New York."
"Reese, you were everything to me. You still are." His voice was filled with so much sorrow. "Everything about us was so right, so real, and so easy, that I knew it was true love. But what I didn't know, and never slowed down enough to realize until it was too late, was that the move had thrust us both into a completely different world. You left everything you knew and everyone you loved for us. For me."
She clenched her eyes shut, remembering the anguish of leaving her parents and friends. "I did give up everything to be with you, and I was sad about it. But then I realized..." She stopped to catch her breath and wipe her angry tears away. "I realized I had you, and that was all that mattered. But then it turned out I didn't actually have you at all. I also realized after it was all over that I was relying too much on you." Realizing the apologies needed to go both ways, she said, "And you need to know how sorry I am that I didn't do a better job of standing on my own two feet."