Mr. Good Enough, page 23
He smelled like sweat and roof tar, and even though she knew he couldn’t give her the future she wanted, she rested her head on his shoulder and breathed him in. She couldn’t help herself.
He was all she’d ever wanted, and this was probably her last chance to be close to him. If she stayed here with him, she’d spend the rest of her life knowing exactly what she’d given up.
She wasn’t sure she was strong enough to handle that. “I’m not putting out just because we’re at prom.”
Trent lifted her chin so she was staring right into those sea green eyes. “I don’t want you to put out, and I’m not interested in getting laid. What I want is to make love with you, long and slow and deep, all afternoon.”
A heated rush of yearning prickled her nipples and made her thighs clench. “I have a date next week.”
“That’s next week. This is now. You wanna dance?”
Why did he have to know how to do everything right? She slunk back and crossed her arms over her chest. “No.”
He studied her for a minute. “Yes, you do.”
She started to argue, but found all that did was make her feel like a slug. Her lower lip trembled. “You deserve better than this.”
His thumb rubbed in a slow circle over her palm. “So give me a real chance.”
She thrust her hand through her hair. “Trent, I’m serious. Whatever this is between us, it can’t go anywhere. I want kids. I want a family. It’s not as if we’re debating getting a gerbil here.”
“Why?”
She gaped at him. “Are you serious?”
He gave her knee a gentle squeeze. “We can’t work this out if I don’t understand why.”
She sunk into the leather seat and regarded him curiously. How could he not understand that she just did? That it was a biological necessity, that the thought of not having children, of not leaving a mark on the world through the next generation, made her feel like a complete failure? “Wanting kids is a part of who I am. I may not look like the most maternal person in the world, but I know in my heart I was born to be a mother.”
“Do they have to be yours?”
Her fingers shook inside his. “I—I don’t know.” She could see green-eyed, blond-haired boys tramping around her backyard, sword-fighting with sticks in the summer, flinging snowballs at each other in the winter, weaseling their way out of chores and getting away with it when they grinned at her like their father. The thought of never having them, of denying them a chance at life, made her heart hurt. But to give a home to a kid who didn’t have anyone else, that was special. “Maybe not all of them.”
A corner of his lips hitched up. “How many are we talking here, Maddie?”
Four. Just like her parents had. “I don’t know. You’d be okay with adopting kids?”
His smile disappeared. “It’s not something I would’ve considered before.”
“But you would for me.”
His forehead creased. “Haven’t had much in the way of a good example,” he said softly. “Scares the piss out of me, to be honest. I’d probably screw it up more than I’d get it right. But I can’t ask to be part of your life if we both can’t find a way to be happy, and if that’s what it takes for you to give me a chance, then yeah, for you, I’d consider it.”
The pizza boxes slid to the floor as she reached up to cradle his cheek. He’d change his life for her. To be with her. How could she resist that? She released her seat belt and leaned into him, lips parted, eyes wide open, and kissed him like she’d wanted to for half of her life.
He lifted her off her seat and pulled her closer. His mouth closed over hers, pulling, pleading, giving. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, but she wrapped herself around him as much as the tight confines of the truck allowed, kissing him back and feeling his skin, his muscles, his heart pounding as fast as hers, his cheeks like fine sandpaper, all of him absolutely perfect.
His hands roamed over her back, down her thighs, lordy, up her shirt, in her hair. He pulled back and broke the kiss, but then he pressed his lips against her jaw, down her neck, pulled her closer to cradle her against him. She struggled to catch her breath, all the new sensations of his body, the rhythm of his breathing, everything mixing together like a wonderfully intoxicating dream.
He nuzzled her neck. “Now will you dance with me?”
They danced, they ate, they laughed, and they kissed. Then kissed some more. They kissed all the way to the bed of the truck, pulling each other along and shedding their shirts as if it were the height of August instead of a cool October afternoon.
His skin was hot beneath her fingers, the muscles in his abdomen taut. She skimmed her fingers over the springy hair on his chest, over the tight nubs of his nipples, along the hard ridges of bone in his rib cage, then followed with her tongue, tasting, exploring him as he gasped her name.
He helped her up into the truck, then followed on his hands and knees. She reached for him, wanting to feel his skin against hers again, to rub herself all over his body and memorize every perfect inch of him. His hands grasped at her waist, then traveled higher as she pressed into him.
Trent unclasped her bra, then slid his fingers between her breasts and the cotton to pull the material off. His hands roamed over her, circling, cupping, rubbing, setting her skin on fire and sending a jolt of wet need straight between her thighs. Oh, God, don’t stop. She pushed up into his touch as she rocked against his erection. She’d done that. She’d turned him on, and she would make sure every cell in his body was satisfied this afternoon. Just as she found her rhythm, Trent shifted and pushed her onto her back, his mouth still clamped around hers as his tongue slid in her mouth, curling her toes and making her ache for more in the deepest parts of her body.
The truck bed was hard beneath her and her head bumped the toolbox, but as long as he was kissing her and touching her, as long as he kept making those rumbly noises in the back of his throat every time she dug her fingers into his flesh, she didn’t care where she was. She didn’t even care that she wasn’t on top.
Excitement rolled through her belly as Trent dipped his fingers beneath the waistband of her pants. She shifted her head, turning the angle of the kiss and raking her fingers down his back and copying his movements, giving him permission with her entire body to do anything he wanted, as long as she could do the same. But despite having one leg hooked over his hips while he balanced on top of her, she hadn’t found that spot she wanted yet, wasn’t close enough to him.
Trent let out a groan and surged his hips into hers as she struggled to push his cotton underwear out of the way. “Off,” she whispered. “Take them off.”
He produced a condom and she shimmied out of her own pants and underwear.
His eyes were dark as he gazed down on her, his focus sharp as his chest rose and fell faster than her own. “God, Maddie.”
His hands roamed her body, his fingers doing tricks that made her go cross-eyed. The thick need between her legs ached so much to take him into her body, she nearly cried out. Instead, she gripped two very fine butt cheeks and pulled him close. He kissed her, and she took the condom from him. While he balanced over her, she tore open the condom and rolled it down his erection, then hooked her legs around his hips and pulled.
He thrust into her hard and fast, meeting her eyes with an intensity that articulated his feelings without a single word.
“More,” she whimpered. She arched up to meet him, angled her hips to take him deeper. As long as he kept thrusting, kept driving deeper and deeper, faster and harder, matching the pitter-patter of her heart and the tempo of her breathing—while he dipped his head and kissed her, his tongue mimicking for her mouth what his erection was doing for her womanhood—as long as he never stopped, she could keep floating higher and higher, higher than God, higher than Cupid, higher than anything she’d ever dared dream.
Her inner muscles clenched and spasmed around him. She cried out, her voice thick and heavy as it reverberated around the small clearing. His own answering call was foreign but perfect in her ears as she drifted back to earth and he collapsed on top of her, his chest heaving as he nuzzled the crook of her neck. She wrapped her arms around him and didn’t care that he was heavy. She just wanted him.
She lay there with him, happy and peaceful and completely satisfied. He felt right, as though she’d finally been given what she’d waited for her whole life. As if everything that had ever happened to each of them had led up to this one perfect moment.
But then he started shaking.
She tensed up. “Trent?”
He snickered.
He was laughing? She tried to twist away, to see his face, but he gripped her tighter. “It’s okay,” he said between chuckles. “It’s okay, Mad. Everything’s perfect.”
Being laughed at didn’t feel perfect. She pushed at him. “Sure. Whatever.” Maybe for him. Maybe this was all he’d wanted all along. For her to be easy and pliable for once.
Jackass had promised her kids just so he could get laid.
Chapter Nineteen
What’s your idea of a great first date?
Anything, as long as I’m with him.
Dating is so old-fashioned. Let’s skip straight to the sex.
Beaches, candlelight, and a nice good-night kiss.
Presents, dinner, then bring on the fireworks.
TRENT KNEW laughing wasn’t a good idea, but he couldn’t help himself. Maddie was so damn perfect. Her crazy hair, her bright clothes, the way she threw herself into everything, everything, with her whole heart. Would’ve scared the shit out of him a few weeks ago, but now he couldn’t imagine anything better.
He shifted off her, not entirely certain how to explain it to her or where to start. First thing he wanted to do was kiss that pissed indignation right off her face, to tell her how earth-shatteringly magnificent she was, and then show her all over again how much he meant it, but he knew her well enough to know now wasn’t the time to try.
And even though she was Maddie, he figured he was smart enough to leave a few key things out when he finally managed to put his amusement into words. Like the part about how funny it was that a few weeks ago he’d thought he had everything he wanted in Ella, but Maddie had shown him, once and for all, that their entire relationship had been fake. Everything. Right down to their time in bed together.
He’d been an utter moron for six years, yet somehow, God or the universe or something had seen fit to give him this little spitfire to make it okay to be himself and to brighten his entire world.
It was funny how life worked.
Maddie huffed beside him as he tried to choke back a laugh. She curled up into herself, and he sat up to grab a blanket out of the toolbox.
Behind him, she let out a small gasp.
Suddenly, it wasn’t so funny.
His shoulders stiffened. He couldn’t find a shirt or a blanket, and he considered bolting. When Maddie’s fingers danced lightly across his back, he knew what she was seeing. It’d been so long since he’d taken his shirt off in front of anyone but Ella, he’d forgotten about the scars. He’d told Ella they were from a car accident. She’d believed it.
Maddie would’ve called bullshit on him before he got the words out. It was good to not hide anymore. She made it okay for him to be him, good and bad.
“But you were always smiling,” she whispered. “How did you keep smiling?”
He finally found the blanket. He draped them both with it, then took her fingers and pressed them to his lips. “I was just glad to be away from here.”
Uncertainty still danced through her eyes. He pulled her closer, traced her ear with his finger. “I never knew I could be this happy,” he whispered.
Her forehead wrinkled. “That’s funny?”
“Oh, yeah.” He grinned at her, relieved when she started to relax next to him. “Joke’s on me. Do you know how many years I’ve wasted because I didn’t take you to prom?”
She rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched up. “I wasn’t good for you back then.”
“No? Think of all the things we could’ve done with all these wasted years.”
That ornery spark was back. “You’re just wishing I were as impressionable now as I was then.”
“Yeah, and a little less mouthy too.”
She poked him in the ribs. He retaliated with a kiss, but it wasn’t long before she was in control of that too. He could get used to this. “Never mind. I like your mouth the way it is.”
“That all you like?”
He slid his hand around her curvy waistline and pulled her against him. “Not even close.”
A FEW hours later, Maddie was pretty sure she didn’t have any parts Trent didn’t like. And learning how much he liked those parts had given her an appetite. They sprawled out in the back of the truck and feasted on cold pizza and easy banter, but Maddie’s focus kept drifting toward the house.
A couple of windows were missing and the outside needed a good cleaning and some fresh paint. She couldn’t see far into the house, but it looked bleak and sad. She couldn’t imagine that he had many good memories from here. But he seemed perfectly at ease. She gestured to it with her last slice of pizza. “What’re you going to do with it?”
“Probably tear it down.”
He didn’t sound sad. No bitterness, no anger. Just matter-of-fact.
Or maybe that was the afterglow.
“It’s a mess on the inside,” he said. “Lot of junk, the walls all smell like smoke, ceiling does too. So far, looks like the frame’s okay, but the subfloor needs to be replaced. Don’t think this one’s worth salvaging.”
“Sounds like you’re okay with that.”
“Couple of weeks ago, I was pissed I had to do anything with it.”
She absently stroked his back. “You don’t say.”
“Hush, you.” He brushed a thumb over her lips. “Don’t mind it so much now. Feels pretty good to tear down what the old man built. It’s like working him out of my system.”
“Can’t hurt that the whole town’s conspiring to keep you busy elsewhere.”
“I’ve spent the last eight years fixing up old mansions for people with too much money, and then I come back here and find the whole town needs fixin’.”
She set her pizza down. “Is that why you’re still running for mayor? You want to fix this place?”
He grinned at her. “Nah, that’s mostly pride. And your mother. She thinks Simon’s had it too easy.” The grin slipped away. “But I think I could do some good here too.”
Her heart beat out a painful rhythm in her chest. He was serious about staying. Serious about staying, and serious about her.
What if she was a rebound?
But what if it worked? What if they worked? “What about Atlanta?”
“All these years I thought I’d moved up in the world. Turns out I just moved somewhere else. Lots of stuff here I can’t find down there.”
The way he was looking at her left no room to doubt exactly what, or rather who, he’d found here. She was in over her head. “Like Louie’s pizza.”
He sighed and shook his head. “Crazy woman.”
He had no idea. “So how’d you get into fixing houses?”
There was that old grin again. “On a bet.”
“Seriously?”
He tucked her against him and pressed a kiss into her hair. “After I got out of college, I went to work for Coke. There was this guy always spouting off about something or other. He got on my nerves. One day he came in bragging about how he and his buddies bought this old house, and they were gonna fix it up themselves and sell it for a huge profit. So I told him anybody could fix a house, but not everybody could make it look good. He told me to put my money where my mouth was.” Trent shrugged. “Looking back, I guess he reminded me of my old man. But I wasn’t gonna walk away.”
“Of course not.” Men and their egos. It was sort of endearing.
He grinned sheepishly. “I had about $500 to my name, but I found a guy who’d buy into it with me.”
“Charmed him, I’m sure,” Maddie teased.
“Damn straight. I had something to prove.”
“So you won.”
“Course we won. Only house we could afford was this run-down old pile of sticks in a sketchy part of town. Terms were a year to fix it, winners took home a thousand bucks.”
Maddie groaned. “That’s it. I refuse to believe you got a higher grade than me in math because you earned it.”
Trent chuckled. “Wasn’t about the money. It was about the house. I didn’t realize how old it was until a few months later when a big developer came through looking to revitalize the whole neighborhood. They offered to buy it off us, but we wouldn’t sell. Had too much invested to let them tear the place down and put up a parking lot, but they had lawyers. So we started looking into our options, put up a little fight. Got us some attention in the city, and before we knew it, we were up to our ears in historic landmark documents and studying preservation instead of plain renovation. When the year was up, the guy at work handed over the bet money, and I quit the corporate world to save history.”
“Looks like it paid off.”
“Depends on how you measure success.” He picked his pizza back up. “So why aren’t you painting for a living?”
“Can’t afford to. I tried when I got out of school, but I was living with my parents until I convinced Gina to sign on to Mad Designs with me. Trust me, it wasn’t pretty.”
“It’s a testament to how much I like you that I asked you out for pizza instead of her. I really like her house.”
And Maddie really liked him. Question was, did she like him enough to shift course on her kid plan?
He nuzzled her neck again. She tossed her pizza back in the box, then pushed him onto his back. She’d think about the kid thing later. For now, she’s simply enjoy herself.
DESPITE THE pile of work on her desk, Maddie couldn’t concentrate. Trent had dropped her off at home shortly after nine last night. If he hadn’t been living with her parents, she wouldn’t have let him leave. But he’d promised to come over after work tonight, so she muddled through the day, halfheartedly tackling bits and pieces of her projects between pauses to research adoption.
