The mere sight of him had tears forming in my eyes, and I tried my hardest to blink them away. For months, I’d been alone and miserable, trying to fill a hole in my heart that I couldn’t explain, a hole only he could fill.
“Can you forgive me?” I asked before I chickened out.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” he said. Even though he was wrong, hearing him say that was a relief.
“Still. I’m sorry.” I sniffled and wiped at a tear that managed to escape down my cheek.
“Don’t be.” He held out his hand.
I took it, allowing him to pull me inside. The sound of the door latching made me jump.
He titled his head, studying me. “Please don’t tell me we’re back to you being afraid of me, Chloe.”
“I’m not sure afraid is the word I’d use.” I fought to hide my smile, wondering if he’d recognize the words he’d said to me months ago.
“No?” He lifted a brow. “What word would you use, then?”
I grinned and let my bag fall to the floor. “Cautiously interested.”
Laughing, Trent tugged me closer. “Get over here.”
He nearly growled the words as he slipped his arm around my waist, and in that split second, everything I’d been missing, every emotion and thought clicked back into their rightful places.
In the blink of an eye, I was on the bed, and Trent was above me, his lips on my neck, showering me with heated kisses. My head spun, and I blinked to get my bearings. I forgot how dizzy I got when he moved me so fast. But I was much too distracted by his lips to worry about anything else.
I clutched his face and brought his mouth to mine, needing the physical reminder that all of this—that he—was real. His kiss seared my mind and body. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten about him, or that I’d ever wanted to. With each flick of his tongue over mine, the crater-sized hole in my heart began to heal.
I still didn’t know why he’d come looking for me, and I didn’t care. Not right now anyway. All that mattered was that he was here, and there wasn’t a force on earth that would keep me away from him ever again.
Pressing harder against his lips, demanding more, I eased my hand up his shirt, my fingers grazing the softest, most perfect skin I’d ever felt. Heated tingles raced up my arms as I moved my hand up his torso, tracing every well-defined line of his abs.
He let out a satisfied, throaty groan, and I was suddenly drowning in the words he’d said not so long ago.
“Every time I touch you or kiss you, it’s like every nerve in my body is electrified, every feeling magnified. It’s like my very skin is alive with energy. I crave you, Chloe, and that’s the best feeling in the world.”
Trent pulled away just long enough to reach behind his head, grab the collar of his shirt, and pull it off. Then his lips were on mine again, but my breath had already been stolen by the much too quick glimpse I’d gotten of his bare chest. It had to be some sort of crime against nature or humanity for him to look that good.
Sure, I had seen him shirtless once before, at Simon’s, but this time it was different. I trailed my fingers down his chest and around to his back. He trembled in response, but he didn’t stop kissing me until I turned my head away, gasping for a lungful of air.
“Chloe.” My name was a breathless whisper. “I’ve missed you so much.”
I wished I could say the same, but until two days ago, I literally had no idea he even existed.
He placed his hand on my waist, his fingers finding flesh, and it was like he’d struck a match and set me ablaze. He peered down at me, his eyes a shade of blue I’d never seen before. They’d always been crystal clear or black as night, but right now they were somewhere in between. Lustful yet seeking permission.
I squirmed beneath him—to get closer or farther away I had no idea—closed my eyes, and arched into him. I threaded my fingers through his hair, and he lowered his mouth to my collarbone, leaving lingering kisses that would forever brand me to him.
“Trent…”
“I want you, Chloe,” he whispered, nipping at my ear.
Framing my face with his hands and pushing the hair back from my forehead, he gently eased his body down onto me.
“Ahem.”
I yelped at the sound of someone other than me or Trent clearing their throat. Trent let his head fall to my shoulder, his body tense. I peeked around him to find Jax standing in the doorway that connected the two hotel rooms.
He leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed, gaze intense. Seeing him again brought back all the memories of the past few weeks—afternoons spent in the bookstore, talking, laughing. Confiding in him. Raw anger festered in my gut, threatening to erupt.
“You’re getting careless. You didn’t even hear me come in,” Jax said.
“I heard you,” Trent said, his voice ice cold. “I chose to ignore you, hoping you’d see I was busy and go away.” He climbed off me, intentionally using his body to shield me from Jax’s gaze.
Sitting up, I grabbed the pillow and hugged it to my chest. How long had Jax been there watching?
Trent gracefully scooped his shirt from the floor and put it back on. Then, he turned around to face Jax, arms crossed, once again shielding me. I quickly scrambled off the bed to stand beside Trent.
“Chloe.” Jax smirked. “Glad to see you’ve gotten your memories back.” Emotion flashed behind his eyes, but it was gone before I could figure out what it was.
“Jax,” I said, my tone poisonous.
There was so much I wanted to say to him, to scream at him about, but my fury was scorching hot, making it impossible to think clearly. My limbs shook with barely controlled rage.
“What are you
