Page 48 of Challenged By You
And soon, it is. Jonas drops his head and murmurs next to my ear, “Give mes’more, sweetheart,” just before he reaches down and puts slight pressure against where our bodies are joined.
It’s too much. With a small scream, I arch off the bed, calling his name as I orgasm for the second time in that many years. I hear Jonas cry my name hoarsely in my ear as he pumps his hips a few more times before he collapses on top of me.
Lassitude is stealing over me when I feel him brush my hair away from my face, whispering, “I really like you alatte.”
Then there’s nothing but sweet darkness.
Chapter 18
Jonas
“Where are you going?” I growl.
Grabbing Trina around the waist, I pull her back down to my bed. She only managed to slip on my shirt, so there’s barely anything between us. “Did the phone ring? Did Elle call about the kids?”
Wordlessly, she shakes her head.
My heart thumping against my ribs, I reach up and rub my thumb against the apple of her cheek. “Then what is it, T? Where were you going?”
“I just needed a moment.”
“Away from me?” I can’t prevent the break in my voice. Even though we’ve been in each other’s pockets for the last few weeks, and the sex last night pushed me closer to saying words I’ve never said to another woman, it’s way too soon for declarations—no matter what my heart might be urging me to do.
“I—” She abruptly stops.
“Talk to me,” I encourage her.
“I didn’t want you to be disappointed,” she blurts out.
“What?” My arms tighten as her eyes go diamond bright.
Her hands flit between us until they land on my chest. I shudder a bit as her nails rake through the thatch of hair. Trina’s not meaning to arouse me. Then again, I think ruefully, she does that by breathing anywhere in my proximity.
“As far back as I can remember, my mother would remind me how much life changed for her when I came into it,” she begins, her voice sad.
“I imagine it would.”
“He left because you were too much of a burden,” she mimics.
Her words cause my body to jerk. “I’m sorry?”
A hiccuping sob escapes. “That’s my line, Jonas. From the time I was old enough to form the words until, oh, last week, I’ve spent my life apologizing for my father leaving, for being a burden, for leaving her alone, and then for coming back with her grandchildren.” A shudder racks through her. “And then there’s Annie and Chris’s father.”
“He gave the three of you up. How could he be so stupid?” I wonder.
Trina’s voice is quiet when she admits, “Beneath it all, I harbor a lot of anger at my ex-boyfriend—Will. In the beginning our relationship was everything I needed. It was like a perfect soufflé—light and fluffy, full of air and decadence. Neither of us was expecting for me to get pregnant. Looking back, the only thing I think I wanted was for him to continue being the kind of man I knew since culinary school, warm and caring.”
“Is that where you met him?”
She nods, fingers plucking away at an imaginary piece of lint on my shirt. “Overnight, Will changed. At first, I didn’t notice it. I was too busy with work and preparing for Annie and Chris to notice. Then, little things begin creep through until I realized he was flat out lying with every word he spoke.”
I don’t know this guy and I want to hunt him down and hurt him, and that’s before Trina continues. “ I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully understand that. Even if we were over, he helped create such beautiful children. We weren’t in love by any means, but for him to try to take them from me because his lover wanted children and it was convenient Will had a few?” Her laugh is sardonic.
“I fought him tooth and nail for the kids. And ultimately, it came down to nothing. Erik’s sister agreed to carry a child for them. It wasn’t so much aboutmychildren as much as havingachild. So, after almost a year of fighting, Will signed away his rights to my children.” A face filled with fierce determination lifts to mine. “And I’m glad. I don’t need anything from a man like that. In the end, it cost me everything I had. I sold my home, my car, anything the kids didn’t need to fight for sole custody—hell, I’d have sold myself if I had to. I even had to quit my job because I couldn’t make it there. Living in Connecticut you have to have a car, and I can’t afford that.”
“Why?” A simple question with a million answers.
Her face takes on a faraway look. “The lawyer fees were ridiculous. You asked me why I don’t live in a two-bedroom? I’m sure I could if I wasn’t still paying back the lawyers. I had to look for a job here in the city because opportunities are greater here. Plus, I need mass transit to get around. But everything I do for Chris and Annie is worth it,” she concludes.
