Page 141 of Defenders of Jawhara

She gasped. “Trent…please…”

He straightened. “Please what, Chloe?”

“Touch me.” She pressed against him. “It’s been so long. It’s never been this good.”

“Where do you want me to touch you?”

“Everywhere!”

Trent kissed her once more, hard, and backed away, pulling her with him to the bedroom. He pulled her dress over her head and gave her a little push toward the bed. There were nice things about small houses.

He dragged off his shirt, kicked off his sandals, and slipped off his jeans. He stroked a hand over himself. She was watching him with curious and hungry eyes.

Chloe licked her lips. Trent had a sudden image of her mouth on him, taking him, licking and sucking. He’d like that—he’d love having her on her knees in front of him, but he needed her bonded to him, not him begging for more from her.

Trent snagged a condom from his nightstand and knelt on the bed. “Lay back.”

She did, reaching up and spreading her arms and legs. She looked abandoned like that—a siren from the ocean sent to torment him.

He rolled the condom on and stroked himself again before he settled himself between her spread thighs. “Are you sure? Don’t want you to say I took advantage of you.”

She smiled. “What if I want to be taken advantage of?” Reaching up, she pushed her fingers through his hair. “I like the way you feel. I want more. It’s been too long, Trent.”

“Been a while for me, too.” He reached down and slipped a finger into her—she was warm and wet and wide open.

Her only response was a moan of satisfaction and the lifting of her legs to wrap around his waist, urging him on. “Don’t stop,” she urged.

“I didn’t plan to. Open your eyes and watch me,” he told her as he increased the tempo of his thrusts, feeling her body tighten around his with each flex of his pelvis. Her eyes were huge, her pupils blown and desire evident. If he had been a better man, he’d have slowed things down, but the look on her face and the feel of her body surrounding him were dragging him down like a riptide. He didn’t want to fight it.

He knew she was close, and he wanted to see that look on her face when her orgasm overtook her. Reaching between them, he rubbed her clit, drawing her focus to where it mattered. Her eyes started to drift closed but before he could say anything, they snapped open, and he was almost undone.

Throwing her arms back, she arched her back as she exploded into ecstasy, her body trembling from the intensity. She clenched down hard around him, and he groaned as he followed her over the top. He was definitely in trouble.

8

Chloe lay in a tangle with Trent. He was breathing hard, but his weight felt anchoring, as if he could keep her from shattering. She kept on ignoring the voice in her head, warning her that she didn’t know enough about this man to be sleeping with him. She wanted and enjoyed what he had to give her, and any consequences to follow—well…she’d just have to deal with them later. She knew how to do that. Closing her eyes, sleep quickly claimed her.

She woke with her heart pounding, uncertain where she was. Not the ranch. She knew that in a heartbeat. She could hear the humming of cars—the more distant sound of the ocean. Light filtered into the bedroom from streetlights. Trent rolled over, threw an arm over her, and that settled her pounding pulse and she snuggled into him.

She should slip out, gather up her things, and go back to her place—what would Mrs. Wilson think? But it was warm here—and his bed was so comfortable, especially with him in it. Closing her eyes, she went back to sleep. She’d deal with everything in the morning.

She woke to sunshine and heat, and Trent was gone. The warm smell of coffee lured her out of bed. It wasn’t bitter yet, so he couldn’t have been gone that long. She padded into the kitchen, Trent’s shirt over her shoulders, and found a note propped up on the coffee maker.

Gone surfing. See you for lunch?

She smiled and headed to her place to shower and change, taking a few extra minutes to tidy her meager belongings and make a list of a few things she wanted to buy that she could now afford. She planned to drop off her key and make sure her old property manager knew she wouldn’t be returning before going to visit her dad. Sundays were her only full day off with Guardians of the Earth, and she intended to make it count.

Grabbing her things, she headed out. It was still early, so she managed to catch the property manager before he finished drinking his breakfast. She quickly gave him her key and signed the necessary paperwork. Normally, the older man didn’t pay much attention to her, but today, he’d looked her up and down as if she’d somehow changed, and she had to wonder if maybe she had. She definitely wondered if that was down to Trent. Even though they’d only just met, she somehow felt lighter with him around, as if her personal struggles weren’t quite so bad.

Extricating herself from her thankfully former landlord’s attentions, she caught a bus to go visit her dad. There was a bakery near her stop, and the smell of baked sugary goods was making her mouth water. Going inside, she ordered two hot cocoas and some of their blueberry scones, thinking she would enjoy them with her dad. Arriving at the rehab hospital, she smiled at the receptionist as she signed in. Walking down the hall to her dad’s room, she paused when she heard shouting. Her father’s voice, raised in anger. Picking up the pace, she arrived at his room to see him struggling with two CNAs who were attempting to help him settle.

“Mr. Baker, please calm down before you hurt yourself worse,” the younger woman Chloe knew as Melanie begged.

“Stop telling me what to do!” her father shouted back and continued to struggle.

Stepping into the room before things got worse, Chloe said, “Dad, stop it!”

Three pairs of eyes looked up, startled, and Chloe was shocked to see a red mark on Melanie’s face. “Did he…?” she started to say, unsure if she wanted to know that her father had become violent with the staff here.

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