Defying Desire (12 page)

“Oh, I forgot. You’re only interested in sleeping with her, not making sure she’s safe.”

Where was this coming from? And why was Adam giving him this attitude? Trent knew the answer—he’d known that getting involved with Tia was going to be too personal for Adam because of Camille.

“Trent has a right to lead his own life, Adam. We can’t change the man he is,” Linc said.

“But is he a man? I mean, really? When are you going to grow up and start taking…”

Trent was in his face in seconds; the other Donovan men stepping either behind Adam or behind him, ready to pull
the two of them apart. “First off, you’re still wet behind your ears with your nose wide open for Camille. I don’t say anything about that because it’s your business. Just like what goes on between Tia and me is my business.”

Adam, while not a SEAL,
was
a Donovan, he didn’t back down. “The world doesn’t revolve solely around you, Trent. If you don’t want her then leave her alone. But don’t treat her like you treat the rest of your flings. If she gets hurt, Camille will not only want to castrate you, I’ll have to hear it every night for the rest of my life.”

“Tia’s a grown woman, Adam. I doubt she needs you or Camille worrying about her.” Trent didn’t have time for this. The last thing he wanted was to interrupt Linc’s day. Apparently his presence was doing just that. He turned to walk away but remembered something Adam said.

“What did you mean by ‘keeping her safe’? Was she there when her car was vandalized?”

“She had to have been. When I got there she said she hadn’t left the apartment since last night when she was with you,” Adam said in a clipped voice.

Trent’s mind whirled. After their walk they’d returned to her apartment, where she’d insisted he needed to go home. While a huge part of him wanted to stay, Trent wasn’t ready to acknowledge that urging and waited until she’d fallen asleep before leaving. He hadn’t checked her car before he pulled off, hadn’t thought there was a need to.

“What are you thinking?” Max asked, giving Trent a knowing look.

“Nothing,” Trent answered quickly.

Ben took another sip of his beer. “It was probably just some kids fooling around.”

“Yeah,” Trent said absently. “Probably just some kids.”

But the sudden alertness of his body and the tingling at the base of his neck said differently.

Tia had been enjoying herself for the half hour she’d been at the shower. During the ride with Adam she’d had thoughts of telling him to turn around and take her back home. But that was childish. She could do this. She would do this.

Arriving at the house of Linc and Jade Donovan, she’d been amazed by the beautiful grounds and expert décor throughout the house. The shower was mainly situated in the dining room, leading out to the wraparound deck. Streamers, balloons and yellow and green baby paraphernalia decorated the room throughout. Long tables covered in white linen cloths with tiny embroidered teddy bars along the edge held so much food that Tia thought she’d be sick. There was everything from deviled eggs to salmon and caviar. It was clear that no expense would be spared for these babies.

“So what’d you get her?” Noelle, Jade’s younger sister, asked as she took the seat next to Tia.

She’d come out onto the deck trying to get a moment of quiet. There were so many women in the house that she’d smiled and talked as much as if she were at a press conference.

But Noelle was extremely nice and very down to earth. Having been new to the Donovan family at one time she was trying to find her place, as well. So Tia felt they at least had that in common.

“Dual changing tables,” she answered.

“Huh, why didn’t I think of that?”

Tia grinned. “What did you get her?”

“I didn’t have a clue. What do you buy the woman who
has everything? Fantastic, rich husband who loves her to distraction. Gorgeous house. Successful business. And now she’s pregnant with twins and still as beautiful as ever.” Noelle sighed. “Can you tell I hate her?”

“No. But I can tell you really love your sister. You’ve been running around here making sure that everything is where it should be as well as making sure Jade’s comfortable. As much as you and Linc fuss over her I’m surprised she’s even allowed to walk by herself.”

Noelle laughed. “I know, complete overkill. But she’s my sister and she’s looked out for me for so long. I’m happy for her.”

Tia looked at Noelle with her burnt orange complexion and laughing gray eyes. She was a striking beauty with shoulder length hair and a gorgeous smile. When she’d first met her Tia wondered why she didn’t model. But then Camille had informed her that Noelle had just received her business degree and was working for Linc at the Gramercy Casino. Brains and beauty, she was a killer package that some smart man was quickly going to scoop up.

“She and Linc are going to be great parents,” Tia said wistfully.

“Yeah.”

They sat in silence for all of two minutes before Noelle said what was really on her mind.

“So what’s up with you and Trent? I hear you’ve been kickin’ it lately.”

How had she heard that? Tia didn’t even have to ask. The Donovan brothers were extremely close. Trent probably told them and Adam told Camille. As an only child Tia never had to deal with her business being spread about the family.

“We’re just friends,” she answered and felt a thud in her chest at the proclamation.

Noelle apparently didn’t believe those words because she turned to stare at Tia with an “and I’m Queen Elizabeth” look.

“Trent does not have women ‘friends,’” she quipped.

“Oh really? Well, what does he have?”

“Lovers,” Noelle said without hesitation.

And that’s exactly what they were. “So why ask if you already knew?”

Noelle shrugged not remotely embarrassed by her prodding. “The female version of simply sexual relationships is always better than the male.”

They both laughed at that. “You’ve got that right,” Tia said. She liked Noelle Vincent. The woman was smart and fun and picked up on everything. She suspected that’s why Linc had been singing her praises at the casino.

“Come on, they’re about to open the gifts,” Noelle said, standing from her seat. “You don’t want to miss all the Gucci booties and Versace sleepers.”

Tia stood with her. “No, we definitely don’t want to miss that.”

Twenty minutes later Tia was sitting on the couch, matriarch Beverly Donovan on one side and Noelle on the other. Jade had begun opening the mountain of presents that had been bought for either her or the twins.

As Tia watched her open a box with a white velour Donna Karan robe she wondered why she hadn’t just brought Jade a present for herself, instead of putting herself through the trauma of picking out a baby gift.

“That was beautiful,” Beverly Donovan whispered to Tia.

Tia nodded. She and Beverly had spoken briefly on the
occasions they’d met at Camille’s parties or showings. But today, Tia noted the woman made an attempt to talk to her a little more. She wondered if it was because of the open knowledge that she and Trent were sleeping together.

Jade was now opening the box with the double stroller. Next followed a box full of sleepers and undershirts. Tia figured the room was filled with at least fifty women. More of the Donovan family, some of Jade’s employees, Camille and Noelle. Yet Tia felt as if the crowd were bigger. The room suddenly seemed smaller, tight.

From somewhere in the room a camera flashed. Women clapped and cooed, loving each gift that Jade opened. Tia’s vision blurred a bit as she felt her cheeks lifting in what she hoped was a smile. Jade was opening another box, it appeared heavy, too heavy for her to lift. Camille, who had been standing beside her, helped, pushing the box across the floor in front of Jade instead of picking it up. Jade leaned forward, her protruding stomach resting between her legs. With perfectly manicured nails she began tearing at the cheerfully wrapped box.

Tia felt as if a lead weight had been dropped on her chest. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, tried to inhale slowly, to ease the pain away. It didn’t work.

When she opened her eyes Jade was smiling, Linc had brought her a rocking chair that looked to be antique. She’d had a rocking chair similar to that in Jessica’s nursery. Sounds thundered in her head.

In a flash she was back in the car, buckled in the passenger seat. They were returning from a party where Jake had wanted her to meet with some folks at
Vogue
regarding another cover spot and pictures of the baby when she gave birth. They were in a great mood as the
Vogue
execs were ecstatic that she had agreed.

Tia thought about the many to-do items on her wedding-planning list. A couple of months after the baby’s birth she and Jake were going to be married. All was well in their lives. Then she saw the headlights. They seemed huge, their glare bursting through the front windshield like an explosion. She heard horns, glass crashing, felt the jolt of impact, Jake yelling, her screaming.

In the next moment a pain Tia had never felt before traveled over her stomach. She buckled over. Breathing had become laborious as she struggled to stand. She felt hands on her arm. Heard someone calling her name. But her focus was on getting up, getting out of here.

Her legs shook and she stumbled out of the room. There was someone behind her, a female. She was yelling for water or ice or something. Tia couldn’t really tell. All she knew was that there was a door somewhere, a door that would lead her outside and outside would lead her home, where she was safe.

Finding it she wrenched it open. Her chest burned with every bit of air she inhaled. Her stomach hurt and threatened to retrieve everything she’d eaten today. Cool air tapped at her face but did nothing to ease this turmoil. Looking up she thought she saw the sun then the sky instantly went black, just like that night. The night they’d crashed.

“Tia! Tia! Are you okay?”

She heard the female voice again but needed to get away from it. It was just the nurses. The doctor had told her that Jake was dead. Jessica was dead. The nurses tried to help, to comfort her, but it was no use.

Running, or at least she thought she was running. Her feet were moving, everything around her seemed to be in motion. Tears stung her eyes, she had no clue where she was going, only that she desperately needed to get away.

Abruptly all her movement was stopped. She’d run into a wall? She was falling, no she was floating. Had she died, as well? Oh God, please say it was finally over. Please say He decided to take her instead of Jake and Jessica. Please, please.

Chapter 11

H
e’d heard screaming and his military instincts had immediately kicked in.

From the group in which he’d stood and been talking, Trent turned. What he saw frightened him more than any battle he’d ever been in.

Tia was stumbling out the front door of the house. She’d taken one step and her legs had almost given out. She looked like she was about to faint. Right behind her was his mother, Noelle and Camille. They were all calling her name and reaching for her. But she pulled away, stumbling down the next step. How she managed to stand through the tears streaming down her face and the ruthless shaking of her head Trent had no idea. But in the next instant he was running to her, scooping her up into his arms the minute he was close enough.

Her breaths came in ragged spurts. She mumbled inco
herently, tears springing from her eyes as if someone had released a dam.

“Call an ambulance,” his mother was saying behind him.

“She was fine a moment ago,” Camille was at his side as he walked with Tia in his arms.

“Go back inside,” he told her tightly.

“No!” Camille yelled. “Where are you taking her? You should wait for the paramedics. Something’s wrong, Trent!”

“She’s going to be fine, Camille,” Trent heard Adam trying to console his fiancé.

“Slow down, man. Where are you taking her?” Adam asked.

“She’s going with me! I’ll take care of her,” Trent said, finally stopping when he was at the passenger side of his truck. He tried to reach into his pocket for his keys but Tia was still thrashing in his arms. He had to get her away from here, to calm her down and find out what had happened.

His heart pounded, tiny sharp jabs spearing his chest each time she whimpered, at each tear he watched stream from her eyes.

He felt a heavy hand on his back, then going into his jacket pocket. Turning slightly he saw that it was Linc. He was getting his keys and unlocking the door.

“Call if you need anything,” Linc told him when the door was open and he was slipping Tia onto the seat.

Pulling back Trent closed the door, stood and could only stare at Linc for what seemed like an endless second. In his brother’s eyes he saw trust.

Linc trusted that he would take care of Tia. He didn’t believe he was going to hurt her, a change from his reaction a couple of weeks ago. Trent couldn’t speak, but nodded and ran around to the driver’s side and jumped in.

He drove like a madman he knew, but the farther away
from the house he traveled, the calmer Tia seemed to get. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other touching her anywhere he could, rubbing her arms, wiping what tears he could away from her face, trying to hold her hand, he drove as best he could.

His house was closer so he turned off the interstate and headed towards his condo without another thought. Her chest heaved and she hugged her stomach as if the pain was unbearable. In less than fifteen minutes Trent was pulling into his complex, shaving twenty minutes off the usual driving distance between his and Linc’s homes.

He was out of the car with Tia in his hands in minutes, walking as fast as he could toward the building’s front doors. Once inside, he saw Lyle, the concierge, lifting a brow in his direction. Trent sent him a scathing glare and Lyle immediately came from behind the desk.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Donovan? Shall I call a doctor?” The tall thin man was walking beside Trent looking up at him, then down at Tia.