Body Shots (6 page)

A question that would soon be answered.

This time, when she reached the main floor, Crystal heard the arguing coming from the kitchen. It had increased in volume. She walked through the doors and was again face-to-face with the four of them. Crystal cleared her throat and was immediately the object of attention again. She'd never been a weak-willed woman, but with the four of them staring at her as if she'd suddenly grown three heads and sprouted wings, it was rather disconcerting. This time she was fully clothed, though, and she felt a bit more in control.

She gave Trent a look that said,
Who are these people?
He quickly stepped forward, taking her hand in his, and proceeded to introduce her.

“I'd like you to meet my parents, and the simpleton who cannot stop grinning is my brother, Josh.” Then Trent looked at his family and proudly announced, “This is Crystal Shaw.”

His mom, dad, and brother? Oh God, it couldn't be. That would be too cruel. She was beyond humiliated. Crystal felt like crawling under a rock and never resurfacing. Her face felt like it was glowing with mortification. Actually, she
knew
it was because she could feel the damn heat rising off it. She could cook an egg on it at that moment. All she could do was look at Trent with pleading eyes. Just so he'd lead her to the nearest hole and let it swallow her up.

Trent winked at her in that roguish way of his and continued with his introductions.

“I met Crystal in the club last night. She and I hit it off rather well.”

Crystal was like a woman being led to the guillotine. She turned and looked at Mrs. Dailey, and to her astonishment the woman held out her hand. Crystal shook it with a nervous quickness that only punctuated her humiliation. That's when Trent's mother spoke to her.

“What do you do for a living, Crystal?”

She stuttered and stammered out her answer. “I'm an application developer.”

“I'd think that would be quite a demanding job. Quite professional and respected, no doubt.” She aimed the last part of her comment toward Trent, who stood frowning and looking very much the unruly child. “Do you enjoy your work?”

“It can get stressful, but I love it. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I had a boring job that kept my creative juices from flowing freely. Even though at times it can all be very routine, it's still a great feeling when a project is completed, and knowing I had a hand in it is reward enough.” She was babbling. God, what must Trent's mother think of her? Crystal definitely hadn't given her a good first impression.

“Well, I can certainly hear the enthusiasm in your voice. We were just talking to Trent about rewarding jobs. Weren't we, Trent?”

“What my mother is trying to say, in her obscure and convoluted way, is that she does not approve of me owning a nightclub.”

“Oh, Mrs. Dailey, your son's nightclub isn't exactly a dive. It seems to me that it does pretty well.” Crystal wasn't sure if her opinion counted for much, but she couldn't stand there and let Mrs. Dailey berate Trent about his club. He was obviously a good businessman.

It wouldn't do anyone any good to get into an argument with Trent's mother, however, especially the first time out.
The first time? Who said anything about future visits?
Oh Lord, she was in so damn deep.

“I'm sure the nightclub is . . . fine. I just think that Trent's potential lies elsewhere. He belongs back at home and working with his father.”

“Mom, don't go into that again. I like this town, I like the nightclub, and I'm quite comfortable right where I am.” He looked at Crystal as he finished the rest of his statement, “Anyway, I'm rather addicted to the beautiful people here.”

Mrs. Dailey was staring in thoughtful silence at Trent; tension filled the air all at once. And it was Mr. Dailey who broke it by changing the subject.

“Crystal, I'm delighted to meet you.” He stuck his hand out for her to shake, and she took it with a smile. She found it warm and inviting, not like Mrs. Dailey's colder, thinner hands.

“It's good to meet you, too. I see Trent gets his good looks from the both of you.”

To her joy, his face lit up, and his eyes sparkled. The man was tall, probably over six feet, and had Trent's same broad shoulders. She could also see, even with his now graying hair, the dark raven color woven throughout. It would have been the same color as Trent's in his younger days. His face seemed chiseled right out of a stone block, but when he'd smiled his appearance altered. He looked more approachable, less like the stern father. Still, Trent's mom was going to be one tough nut to crack. The woman's expression had yet to change as she stared over at her son. His arms were crossed over his chest and he stared right back. Trent was definitely a chip off the stubborn block. Mrs. Dailey was clearly determined to have her way, and Trent was every bit as determined to not let her.

Crystal was about to change the subject, to move them onto safer ground, when another voice intruded on the silence.

“I have yet to meet Trent's friend.”

Crystal noticed Trent stiffen as if readying for battle when the brother stepped up to the plate and gave her his full attention.

“I'm the better-looking brother, by the way.”

“You wish,” Trent growled.

Josh didn't even blink; he simply stared at her. Like some old world duke he bent and kissed the back of her hand. Crystal couldn't prevent a smile at the ridiculous gesture.

“It's nice to meet you, Josh.”

“Trent asked me to come for a drink here last night, but I had a prior engagement. Now I'm sorely disappointed I didn't cancel.”

“Josh, don't start. I'm warning you,” Trent bit out.

Crystal could see things quickly deteriorating into a chest-pounding brawl, and as she watched Trent's parents quietly staring in rebuke, it made her feel a bit sorry for Trent. He'd done so well for himself; clearly he could have had it all handed to him, if only he'd agreed to work for his father. Instead, he'd set out on his own.

“You know, I have an idea,” Trent said. “How about we all do dinner tonight? The five of us. There's a great place across town that serves a mean streak.” Just as Crystal was about to protest, Trent bulldozed right over her. “That way you can get to know Crystal better.”

She suddenly felt cornered. “I really don't want to intrude,” she replied.

Trent touched her cheek and said, “It's not an intrusion. We can meet at Todd's Steak House at six o'clock.”

His mother spoke up, her voice as imposing as any queen's. “That will do fine. Thank you for the invitation. In the meantime, your father and I plan to have Josh drop us off at our condominium. He brought us straight here from the airport, and we are quite exhausted.”

She turned at that and strode toward a back door, apparently expecting the four of them to follow along. The funny thing was, just like good little children, they all did follow silently along. Crystal wanted to laugh at the idea of Trent's father submissively trailing behind his wife. Crystal had a feeling Mrs. Dailey was the only person on the planet who would have ever expected Mr. Dailey to obey a command.

Trent's mother turned when she reached the door and kissed Trent's cheek. “We still have things to discuss, son.” Without giving Trent a chance to respond, Mrs. Dailey looked over at Crystal and said, “It was very nice to meet you, Crystal. I look forward to getting to know you better.”

After they left, Crystal turned toward Trent. “What did you get me into?”

He grinned, totally unrepentant. “Dinner. I'll take any chance I can get to see you again.”

“Oh,” she said, as her stomach fluttered. “I'd like that very much.”

“By the way, Mac says he's sorry he missed you, but he had to get home. He wants you to call him.”

Mac wanted to see her again, too? Could it be that both men wanted to continue . . . whatever it was they'd started last night? Trent stepped close and took her chin in his palm. “Last night was only a taste, baby.”

She sighed at the realization that she didn't know a single thing about relationships—except pain and lots of it. “I'm in uncharted water here.”

“All we want is time to get to know you. We'll let fate handle the rest, okay?”

“Yes, okay.” How could she refuse? Two amazing men wanted to spend time with her. It was unconventional, but if she'd learned anything by being married to a tyrant, it was that sometimes going the conventional route wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Might as well try playing outside the sandbox for a change.

4

L
ater that evening, Crystal arrived early for their dinner date and took advantage of the time to stare at Trent as he made his way around the main room of Kinks. It'd only been a few hours and she was already anxious to see the man. When a customer stepped in front of Trent, vying for his attention, Crystal's line of sight was slightly hindered.

She'd driven past the club several times trying to kill time. She hadn't wanted to arrive too early and appear desperate. As the quick-as-lightning bartender slammed a club soda down in front of her then proceeded to rattle off a price, Crystal was abruptly brought out of her drooling stupor. She grabbed some dollar bills from inside the dark confines of her messy purse and went back to her staring. Only now, Trent had moved a few steps closer to her, and he was staring at her. A slow, sexy smile curved his lips and Crystal knew she'd been made.

God, it should be a sin to have a body as masculine and perfect as Trent's. A deep longing rose from the pit of her stomach. She wanted him. Now. Here. It shocked her that she was responding to him in such an eager way. Then again, any sane woman would want a man like him. He was too gorgeous not to notice.

His black jeans molded to his muscular legs and lean hips as if custom-made. His ass was so solid a girl could bounce a quarter off of it. His simple white T-shirt wasn't anything special, but on him, it looked better than Armani. His wide, solid chest made Crystal want to reach out and touch. With the easy move of his hips and the naughty look in his eyes, Crystal couldn't stop her heart from pounding out of control.

His slate-blue gaze held Crystal captive. An involuntary tremor ran the length of her spine. She realized that he'd probably known all along that she'd been watching him.

Crystal brought the drink to her lips, saluting him, then tipped the contents down her throat. She looked back up and saw Trent's expression turn from teasing to hungry as he skimmed his gaze over her exposed throat. Her body tightened. Seemed all he had to do was look at her and she was ready and aching. She'd never had such a volatile reaction to a man before. She'd also never come across a man so powerful and intoxicating, either.

With no warning, a woman tromped up to Trent and fairly hung on to his shoulder. What the hell? The little tramp plastered her breasts against him in blatant invitation. He turned his head and spoke to her, and Crystal came to her senses. A man like him wouldn't really be interested in a woman like Crystal. He was all about excitement and risks. She was all about work. She was a huge disappointment—hadn't Richard told her that?

For fear of embarrassing them both, Crystal suddenly made the decision to leave. She rose off the hard, cold bar stool and yanked at the hem of her black skirt, wishing for the umpteenth time she hadn't bothered trying to look her best for Trent and his family. Her red, off-the-shoulder blouse, black skirt, and heels made her feel stupid now.

She'd never been one to go to bars and nightclubs. She only came tonight because Trent had asked her to dinner. She should have done something with Mollie instead. Crystal grabbed her purse. Time to go. It was the only safe and smart thing to do. Unfortunately, that meant leaving Trent behind. A knot formed in her throat at the thought of never seeing him or Mac again.

As she passed the section of the bar where Trent was sitting, his hand snaked out and grabbed on to her arm. Crystal was brought up short. At first, she felt a rush of irritation at his audacity. Not two seconds ago, another woman had been flirting with him. She yanked away from his grasp as a nasty touch of envy crept into her consciousness. After all, the other woman had been daring enough to approach him, while she was all but running out the door.

Crystal jerked her head around to give him a good what-for, but she was left speechless by his narrow-eyed gaze. He had the look of a lion who'd just caught dinner.
Do I want to be dinner? Do I dare give in to him?
If her mind had an answer, it wasn't giving it up. Her body, on the other hand, was screaming at her to surrender.

He bent his head down and she could feel his hot breath against her ear as she inhaled his clean male scent. “Where are you going?” he asked. He got off his own stool and stood in front of her. He was so close she could practically feel the intense sexual heat coming off him. His body was so wide, so muscular, and so very intimidating.” I thought we had a dinner date.”

“You seem otherwise occupied,” she gritted out as she looked at the woman who still stood way too close to Trent.

“Come on,” he said, as he took hold of her hand and tugged her along behind him. He was chocolate to Crystal. She wanted him, even though she knew it was wrong. The small hint of amusement in his deep, gravely tone nearly had her purring.

Crystal narrowed her eyes. “Don't you have customers to get back to?”

He turned his head and his eyes darkened. “No. But before you say anything else, I think it'd be best if we continued this discussion in private.”

Still, she hesitated. Trent didn't give her a chance to protest. “You haven't taken your pretty eyes off me since you got here.”

Crystal caved. Fine, so she was weak. Trent seemed to recognize the instant she succumbed. No more words were uttered from either of them. He simply led her away, twisting his way through the sea of bumping and grinding bodies. People appeared to step aside for him. She was suitably impressed. He took her to the upstairs apartment, and Crystal's thoughts were obliterated as she watched him walk. He was so sexy. So much fluid grace. And he had the most edible ass she'd ever seen. A man's well-muscled tush did it for her every time. Crystal felt the apex of her thighs dampen with arousal.

When he closed the door to the apartment behind him, Crystal started right in. “Why did you bring me here?” she bit out, as anger started to rise.

Trent stepped forward then, taking her head in his large, skillful hands, and gritted out, “I brought you here to tell you that I was turning that woman down. Not taking her number.”

Crystal was afraid to believe him. She'd believed Richard's lies in the beginning, hadn't she? “It seemed to me she was getting pretty cozy with you.”

“I do own a nightclub,” he murmured. “One that caters to people interested in bondage and submission. That brings on a certain amount of flirtatious behavior. Still, since meeting you I'm not interested in other women. Only you, Crystal.”

And why did that send her heart fluttering? “You're interested in me?”

“Yes, and I've been dying to do this . . .” Then his mouth was suddenly crushed against hers, forcing her lips apart, not bothering to wait for her to open them in her own time. He took possession of the soft interior in a way that had her shaking body swaying forward against his rock-hard length, and her arms coming up to wrap around his neck.

Crystal sank against the kiss, giving in to the sweet demands her feminine core was suddenly making on her. Dear Lord, she didn't want to think about her next move. She wanted Trent to take the choice from her altogether. And he seemed all too happy to do so.

He sucked at her lower lip and probed her mouth with his insistent tongue. Apparently not content to leave it there, he deftly bent low and flung her high into his arms, carrying her over to the bed as if she were nothing more than a child. He laid her down on top of the soft, downy blankets with such gentle care that Crystal felt herself melting inside. That such a big man could be so tender was a major
oh my
in her book. He lay down next to her and propped his head up on his elbow, staring down at her with such reverence it shook her.

“Why are you looking at me that way?”

“How am I looking at you?”

She locked eyes with him, her jaw firming as she tried to put into words the way his eyes seemed to see right into her soul. “You stare at me and it's as if you can see my every thought. It's disconcerting.”

“I can't help but admire a beautiful creature when I see one.”

She squirmed, turning even redder. “See, there you go again, making me all nervous and jittery.”

He frowned down at her, as if truly bewildered by her words and actions. “Why don't you know your own worth? From the moment I saw you, I knew I'd not be able to deny my desire for you. You sat at the bar, so alluring and kissable, and my body spun out of control. When your sexy eyes landed on me, it was all I could do to bide my time until I could be alone with you.”

All at once, he was there again, taking his lips on a sensual journey over her own. Her cheeks were teased and tantalized by his clever mouth. He caressed his way down her neck, wringing a groan from her. Crystal happily surrendered.