Page 48 of Miss Trust

Chance

Sitting in the dark, I listened to the metallic click of the door closing. What the fuck was that? Yes, we’d agreed this was a one-night stand. Yes, it was best not to promote any ideas this could ever become anything more than sex. But I was always the one who left. I was the one who made excuses. I wasn’t the one left behind to feel…well, left behind.

I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands.

Jesus, get it together, man.I’d never let a woman mess with my mind, and I wasn’t about to start now.

I reasoned Tory’s abrupt departure was for the best. Come tomorrow we’d return to normal. I wouldn’t be thinking about how amazing it had felt to be deep inside of her, how she’d been so unbelievably responsive, or how much I wanted to taste her, take her from behind, and have her lips wrapped around my dick.

God, the thought of being her first in four years. It was enough to awaken a primal side of me I hadn’t realized existed. Had she enjoyed it? Judging from the scratches on my shoulders, I’d say yes, but it hadn’t been my best work. She’d only come twice. There’d been no lights on so I could fully enjoy the visual and observe her face when she’d hit her climax. Son of a bitch. Since when had sex left me unsettled?

Deciding I wouldn’t get much resolution at this point, I walked into the shower attached to the bedroom we’d used and let the hot water glide over my skin. What I needed was a brutal workout and a good night’s sleep. By tomorrow morning, I’d have rid myself of any absurd thoughts like a repeat performance.

* * *

I’d just sippedmy first taste of coffee in the kitchen early the next morning when the text came in.

“Are you up? I’m outside of the house. Didn’t want to wake you.”

I smiled at my sister Kelsey’s message and strode to the front door to let her in. “Hi.”

She frowned. “Hi. You look like hell. Trouble sleeping?”

Siblings. Why did they have to be so damn intuitive? No, I hadn’t slept more than two hours after having sex with Tory. Instead, I’d had to relieve myself in the shower because I had gotten hard all over again thinking about her riding me.

“I was up late. About to have some coffee. Want some?” I went in for the hug. Some might say I wasn’t a hugger, but for the people I loved, I often showed a different side.

Her smile was immediate. “Absolutely. Lead the way.”

We walked into the kitchen where I got down another cup and poured her coffee, afterward adding cream and sugar, the way she liked it.

“How is New York?” I was always happy when Kelsey visited. Given her busy job as a forensic accountant and a needy fiancé, it wasn’t often.

“It’s okay,” she murmured, taking the cup and blowing over the rim. “I needed some time.”

I schooled my features so I wouldn’t appear too excited. To say I couldn’t stand her fiancé, Joel, was an understatement. The man was much too full of himself. And his over-the-top displays of affection toward my sister struck a nerve. It felt like he was putting on a show. But what could I say? They’d been an item since junior high and had over ten years of history together. Whenever I broached the subject of him, she assured me they were fine.

Despite my digging into her fiancé’s private affairs, I’d yet to find anything incriminating. It was a shame, as I’d have loved to have discovered something to convince her to break up with him. “Everything okay with Joel?”

She wouldn’t meet my eyes. “To be honest, I’m not sure. Whenever Joel mentions setting a wedding date, I find some excuse to put it off. Maybe it’s just cold feet. But you know my mother. She’s driving me crazy with her obsession to set a date and get the country club booked.”

Unfortunately, I did know her mother. She had been my father’s second wife. The woman for whom my father had ultimately left my mother. Her vanity made my mother seem like a decent human being. That was probably why I went out of my way to be there for Kelsey. Whereas Reid and I were able to brush off our parents’ selfishness, Kelsey felt it deeply. My father hadn’t bothered with his only daughter and had left her to be raised by a bitter mother who’d always gone out of her way to make Kelsey feel less than.

I proceeded carefully. “Some couples are engaged for a while.”

She shook her head. “Spoken like someone trying hard not to say the wrong thing. What’s happened to you? You normally don’t take this long to remind me how much you dislike Joel.”

My sigh was overexaggerated. “I already have one brother barely speaking to me. Maybe I need to learn to shut my mouth once in a while.”

“At least you’re not trying to seduce my fiancé, so there may be hope for you.”

“God, will the story ever change to how happy Reid is now?”

She grinned. “He is quite happy, isn’t he? I’m anxious to meet Teagan.”

“You’ll like her.” I wasn’t a believer in relationships, given how my father treated them like property acquisitions, but in recent months my mind had become more open. I’d come across some examples lately which showed they could work for some people. Not only had Reid found happiness, but my friend Liam had found it, too. Oh, and there was my childhood friend, Aiden, as well. Perhaps that life was for some people, but definitely not for me. I couldn’t imagine being tethered to one person for the rest of my life.

“High praise from you. Reid mentioned Teagan’s sister is working for you?”