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Rock ruffled her hair. “If you want to get rid of me, just say so.” He started down the hall. “Mind if I make some coffee?”
“Whatever,” she called, happy her brother had complied. “I’m sorry, Trent. I didn’t know he was coming.”
“Don’t worry about it. It gives me a chance to meet more of your family.” He started to walk toward the kitchen, but before he got far, Addie grabbed his arm. “What’s the matter?”
“Shouldn’t you put a shirt on? This is my brother. He might know what we were doing, but I don’t necessarily want to remind him.”
“If it’ll make you feel better.” Trent walked back toward the stairs. “Should I put my tie back on, too?” he asked with humor.
Addie threw him a dirty look. “It’s a good thing I love you because you’re impossible.” She heard Trent laugh as she continued on into the kitchen where her brother sat snacking away on the leftovers he found in the refrigerator while a pot of coffee brewed.
“So that’s the famous Trent Sherbrooke,” Rock said before Addie even sat down. “Looks like those magazine headlines were right. You and Trent Sherbrooke have been having fun together.”
“Rock,” she said, a clear warning in her voice. She didn’t want her brother giving either of them a hard time tonight.
“What? I didn’t say anything.” He gave her a wide-eyed innocent look. “You two have been on the cover of magazines at least two or three times this week. And as long as you don’t mind that and you’re happy, then I am happy for you.” He speared a piece of chicken with his fork.
“I don’t love the media attention, but I am happy,” she admitted. For the most part she tried to not think about the attention that went along with dating Trent. “Where are you staying while you’re here?”
Her brother paused, his fork raised. “I was going to ask if I could stay here, but I get the impression you might not want me.”
“Of course you can stay here.”
Rock polished off the
food on his plate and returned to the refrigerator for dessert, pausing at the coffee pot on his way back to the table. “I don’t want to be in the way. I can stay with Mom and Dad.”
The rich aroma of coffee had Addie following her brother’s lead. “Mom will drive you crazy. Stay here.”
“Addie, why don’t you stay with me and let your brother have your place?” Trent said as he joined them in the kitchen, this time fully dressed including his shoes. “That way he has some privacy, and I have you. What do you think, Rock?”
Across from her, Rock studied Trent, neither man breaking eye contact. After what felt like a lifetime, her brother nodded and looked over at her. “I like the idea.”
She didn’t know what secret message had just passed between the two men and she didn’t intend to find out either. In fact, she rather liked the idea, too. It would allow her not only to see Trent every day, but also fall asleep and wake up with him every day as well. “The place is yours. How long are you here for anyway?”
Rock swallowed the food in his mouth. “About two weeks.” He raised his zeppola towards his mouth again. “Are you sure? Mom and Dad have the room.”
“Positive. You’d go nuts there and it’ll put me closer to my office.”
The question of where her brother would stay settled, Addie stood. “I’m going to go pack. I’ll be right back. Be nice while I’m gone, Rock.” She jabbed her brother in the arm as she walked by him. “You too, Trent.”
Chapter 13
Late Friday night Addie unlocked Trent’s apartment door. For almost a week now, she’d lived at his downtown apartment and everyday it became more and more natural to come back there after work. In fact, she didn’t want to think about going back to living without him when her brother vacated her place.
Before walking any further in, she kicked off her sneakers. Tonight had been her final shift at the bakery. When she’d given her two-week notice, her mom had insisted it wasn’t necessary. Despite her mom’s claims otherwise, she’d promised that she’d work her scheduled hours that week. After much bickering back and forth, her mom conceded.
After depositing her shoes in a hall closet, she continued on into the well-lit but empty living room. Other than the lights there was no sign of Trent anywhere, which wasn’t unusual. She learned he didn’t leave his belongings around. Like her, he kept things neat and well ordered. His lack of presence in the living room meant he was more than likely in one of two places: his home gym or his office. Judging by the time, she guessed the office. He mentioned catching up on some extra work before the weekend.
“How’s she feeling?” she heard Trent say as she approached the office, the door ajar. “Are you sure she’ll be up for visitors this weekend?”
Addie stood in the open door as Trent spoke on his phone. With his back to the door, he’d yet to notice her. From his tone of voice and relaxed posture she assumed he spoke to a friend about a non-urgent matter. “Will Uncle Warren be there?”
Not a friend, a family member, maybe a sibling or one of his cousins. He had three brothers and a sister plus eight or nine cousins just on his father’s side of the family, and they’d all at one time or another popped up in the media.
“That sucks, he must have been disappointed.” Trent turned away from the windows toward the office door. The minute his eyes landed on her, he smiled and waved her in. “Listen I have to go, but we’ll see you tomorrow. Congratulations again.” Trent tossed his phone down as he strode toward her, closing the gap between them. Without so much as even a hello, he pulled her against him and kissed her as if ten months had passed since they’d last seen each other rather than ten hours. “I’ve missed you,” he said when he pulled back, leaving her breathing ragged and her heart beating double time.
He slipped his hand under her T-shirt, his hands skimming up her rib cage as he kissed the pulse pounding in her neck. “I’ve thought about this all day,” he whispered, his fingers undoing her bra.
