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“N-No,” she said. “Never that.” She let out a breathy “uh” afterward, and Trenton realized the need for both of them had become more urgent.
“Wrap your legs around me,” he told her, but her eyes had gone blank, her head moving against the pillow.
He grabbed her legs himself, and they widened even as his rhythm changed. With only a few fast strokes, he was coming, and he buried his face into her neck, smothering his cry. She gasped as she felt him pulsing within her, and her own orgasm followed.
Trenton lay on top of her, breathing hard. He was terrified to let her see his face. She’d realize, and then he would be lost.
He’d gone and fallen in love with her.
Panic filled him at the thought. He couldn’t. Emily still needed him to remember. To be faithful, at least in his heart. That had been his promise.
Realizing he was likely too heavy, he rolled to the side, thankful when Celia pressed her face against him. Her body relaxed, and he realized she’d fallen asleep. That seemed to be the case after they had sex. At least he’d found one way to help with the anxiety she felt.
It was perfectly natural to care about her, he told himself. He always took care of people. It didn’t have to be love. He could still keep his promise to Emily.
Sleep didn’t claim him. Instead, he held Celia, feeling both content and panicked at the same time.
Chapter 29
CeliaglancedoveratTrenton, where he sat at the bar. He’d been acting weird since the night before. Ever since she had admitted to being crazy.
Directly after, when they’d had sex, it had felt different. She had liked it, but there had been something almost sweet about it. Which made sense. That was Trenton all over. And the way he’d made her feel had been wonderful. He’d taken charge again, but she’d actually been okay about that.
But when she’d woken up in his arms, his smile had seemed almost forced. Even when he cooked dinner with her, well, more chopped vegetables with her, he’d been quieter than usual. Not that he was a huge talker.
Malcolm had asked her how dinner had gone when she showed up for her shift. She’d said fine, but Malcolm hadn’t bought it.
Dinner really had been fine. Trenton assured her again that it wasn’t too much. Maybe that was part of what felt off. He was reassuring her a lot. That must have been annoying for him. Especially after he had called her strong.
She winced even thinking of the word. It just proved how little he knew her. Even Malcolm never called her that.
“Miss?” one of the customers called to her. Celia paused, blinking down at him. “The ketchup?”
“Of course!” she said. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten it. He’d already asked her twice. When she rushed toward the bar, where the extra bottles were kept, Malcolm was already holding one out to her. He didn’t release it when her hand closed on it.
“Is everything okay?” Malcolm asked.
Celia’s eyes slid to Trenton before she forced them down instead. “Yeah, everything is fine.” Malcolm let it go without pushing, and she hurried to exchange the bottle with the empty one on the customer’s table.
She forced herself to focus on the customers. She was overthinking things again. Most of the last hour passed quickly. Blake came down the metal stairs, nodding to her as he crossed to the bar. She had no intention of letting him figure out she’d taken his advice. The man would gloat. And likely blab.
It wasn’t until she was on the last call for rounds that it happened. Celia approached the bar to put in the drink request.
Trenton put his head in his hands as she drew up behind him. “I’m terrified,” he said to Blake. “Honestly, if we weren’t living together, I’d already have left.”
Celia froze. Her mind locked on what she’d been afraid of all day.
Blake’s eyes widened as he saw her behind Trenton, so she knew, but she had to ask. “Are you talking about me?” Heat built in her stomach as her legs trembled. Even Trenton was frightened of her crazy gene.
The back of Trenton’s neck tensed, and he turned toward her. He hopped off the bar chair, his hands held up. “I can explain.”
It was the way he held his hands. As if he was protecting himself, and also calming the crazy person. “There’s no need to.” The trembling had entered her voice, likely making it seem like she was going to cry. But that wasn’t what she was fighting. No, not at all.
“Celia, I don’t want you to—”
“Don’t say it!” She was desperate to cover what he would say next. He obviously didn’t want her to act crazy. He didn’t have to explain it out loud. “You, Trenton? Even you?”
“Wait,” he said, stepping toward her. “I don’t think you heard the whole conversation.”
