Defying Desire (6 page)

That was his brother Linc speaking, so Trent ignored that thought. But what he didn’t plan to ignore was the fact that she’d begged him to stay with her, then she’d run out. It had only taken one phone call to Joshua Landy, his SEAL teammate, to trace Tia’s license tag. Fifteen minutes later he’d received a call with the address to where the car was located. Thank God her car had a built-in GPS locator. Technology was an amazing tool if utilized correctly.

After swinging past his condo to shower and change clothes he quickly made his way to the gym to confront Ms. St. Claire.

It took him less than ten minutes to find her even though the club was crowded on a Sunday morning. She was straddling a bench, her long muscled legs tensing as she worked her upper body on an arm-press weight machine. Instinctively his eyes roamed her body, from her legs to her thighs, to the center he now knew to be hot and wet, and upward to her slim waistline and full breasts. It was there his gaze stopped, hesitated, then went red.

She was using the cable crossover but whatever her weights were they must have been a test to her usual strength because standing entirely too close to her was a Mr. Universe wannabe with long dreadlocked hair and a face that looked all too happy to be touching Tia’s arms.

Each time she pulled her arms in, Mr. Universe’s hands slid along the length from her shoulder to her wrist. When she expanded outwardly Mr. Universe opened his arms to do the same. The man was straddling the bench, as well, standing so close to Tia that they could actually kiss…That probably wasn’t the best scenario to pop into Trent’s mind because in no time he was moving across the room to approach them.

“Mornin’,” he said in a less than happy tone once he was close enough to them.

Mr. Universe looked over his shoulder. “What’s up? You need a trainer for the day? Check the board to see who’s not already assigned.”

At his sides Trent’s fists clenched. Did he look like he needed a personal trainer? His body was in perfect shape courtesy of the U.S. Navy and his current regimen that he’d learned in basic training. Nobody at Madge’s Gym could do what he did to keep his body up and he didn’t want them to. He also didn’t want them doing anything to Tia’s body.

“Trent? What are you doing here?” she asked with an accusatory tone that Trent ignored.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied tartly.

“And the answer would be obvious.” She lifted a brow then nodded at Mr. Universe who again touched her arms as she pulled the weights inward.

This guy must have a death wish, Trent thought. That was perfectly fine with him, he hadn’t had good hand-to-hand combat in quite some time. Then it hit him that they were in a room full of other people trying to get their workout on. Trent, being one of the infamous Triple Threat Donovans, did not want any more attention than was absolutely necessary. So he reined in his temper as best as he could, and said, “I’d like to speak with you alone, Tia.”

Her arms jerked backward and the weights slammed down to the ground. Mr. Universe turned to him with a definite scowl.

“Look, man, she’s only got ten more reps to go then you can say whatever it is you need to say to her. But for right now you need to back off.”

Trent felt the tension and welcomed the rage, taking a step closer to Mr. Universe and grabbing him by the back of his muscled neck. “I’m not your man. And if anybody’s going to be backing off, for your sake and for the sake of
the other people in this gym trying to go about their business, it better be you.”

Tia was trying to stand but her legs were tangled between the bench, Mr. Universe and now Trent, who were standing so close they could probably smell her. Instead she reached out grabbing Trent’s wrist that was squeezing the pulse out of Mr. Universe. The man had tilted his head back to lessen the grip but was unsuccessful. Trent was trained to kill even though he was only trying to intimidate this go-around.

“Let him go, Trent. We can go someplace quiet and talk,” she said desperately.

“I don’t see your trainer backing off,” Trent spat.

“It’s okay, Carlo. I’m just going to go and talk to him. I’ll finish my workout later.”

So Mr. Universe’s name was Carlo. Well, Trent didn’t give a damn. His name needed to be Mr. Two-Step because that’s what he needed to do to get the hell away from Tia, now!

Tia applied pressure to Trent’s wrist, trying to pull him off the trainer’s neck. “Trent. Stop it. You’re making a scene.”

“I told him to back off.”

“And he will once you let him go.”

There was logic to that, Trent thought, but there was also logic to breaking this fool in half for daring to touch Tia. But that was going too far, he knew. So with a deep breath he loosened his grip and took a step back.

Mr. Universe almost tripped over the weight bench trying to get away from him.

“Call another trainer when you’re ready, Tia,” he said and made a hasty retreat.

Trent couldn’t help but smile inwardly. If anybody was going to shape and mold Tia’s body it was going to be him.

“Wipe that satisfied smirk off your face. Your performance was juvenile and unnecessary.” Tia headed out of the room.

He followed her. “And so was your little exit this morning.”

“I don’t owe you any explanations,” she said over her shoulder, then pushed through the door marked “Stairs.”

Trent followed through the door, then reached out grabbing her and pushing her back against the wall. “You owed me at least a goodbye or good riddance. Let’s not forget you were the one who set the ball in motion last night. So don’t play the wounded victim now.”

Even sweating she smelled sexy, like wild berries and musk. It was scintillating, the scent reaching his nostrils then floating through his body like an aphrodisiac. They were alone in this stairwell but the building was full of people. Still he wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and take her right here, right now.

“Nobody said I was a victim,” she said pushing against his chest futilely. “I just had things to do.”

“And you couldn’t wake me up to tell me that. Why sneak out of your own apartment? If you didn’t want me there all you had to do was tell me to leave.”

She stared at him a moment as if she were going to say something, then she looked away.

“So that’s it? You’re just going to run away now? I thought you were better than that,” Trent said.

“You don’t know me,” she spat, then took advantage of his shock and twisted out of his reach.

Trent sighed, staring at her as she turned away from him. This was the other side of Tia St. Claire, the side that kept poking its way to the surface only to be pushed back by the wall she’d created around herself. The side that he warned himself to steer clear of.

Trent had never been one to listen, not even to himself.

“I’d like to get to know you,” he heard himself saying.

She was shaking her head when he approached her
again. His hands instantly went around her waist because not touching her wasn’t an option. Pulling her back against him Trent nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck.

“We started backwards. I was supposed to take you to dinner and then seduce you.”

She chuckled and Trent felt a wave of relief wash over him.

“This isn’t a storybook romance,” she said finally.

“Who needs romance? I’m talking about eating. If you’re going to be the workout queen we have to keep you fed.”

She laughed again and Trent felt her relaxing in his arms. What was it that made her so tense and almost afraid at times?

“Look, Trent, we don’t have to do this. I’ll apologize for skipping out on you this morning. You can apologize for acting like a Neanderthal back there with Carlo and we can both go on about our business.”

She’d twisted in his embrace so that they now faced each other and Trent saw that the wall was back in place. She’d gathered her strength and was now facing him as she faced the rest of the world. Only, unlike the rest of the world, Trent knew it was an act. The question was why?

“I’m not apologizing to Mr. Universe. He should know where to put his hands. But I will accept your apology for this morning and offer dinner as a way of calling a truce. We always seem to be fighting each other when it’s obvious that’s not how we want to carry things.”

“What’s obvious is that you weren’t satisfied with one night,” she said with a hint of surprise. “I have to say that’s strange coming from one of the Triple Threat Brothers.”

Trent didn’t flinch at their name, nor did he try to deny the implications. He’d lived for years knowing that the name and reputation that went along with it had paved the way for him to steer clear of many emotional entanglements. Now he wondered if it would work to prevent him
from getting what he wanted most. And he could admit, now that he’d caught up with her and had touched her after making love to her, that he wanted Tia St. Claire like a drunk wanted liquor.

The moment she’d seen Trent her heart rate escalated. Tia tried to keep her breathing as neutral as possible as Carlo guided her movements and from the corner of her eye she saw Trent approaching.

Vegas wasn’t that big of a town that they couldn’t coincidentally like early Sunday morning workouts at the same gym. And Trent was in excellent condition. Of course he worked out. It had taken about five seconds for her to toss that theory right out the door. And another five seconds for Trent to approach looking like a tall, dark warrior with a purpose. To kill.

Carlo was built and looked like he could possibly survive a round or two before Trent would eventually beat him down but Tia wasn’t willing to risk it. She’d defused the situation the best way she knew how. She agreed to talk to Trent alone. But the moment Carlo left, the familiar fear of Trent Donovan had risen, clogging her throat so that words were difficult to come. Her best defense was to run, in the most dignified way possible, of course.

Damn him, he’d followed her. A small part of her knew that he would. Trent was not a man to give up when he wanted something. That was a fact she’d already learned about him.

How foolish of her was it to go into the stairwell? The answer was resoundingly clear as she was now facing the wall, his hands around her waist, his lips on her neck. She could scream from wanting this man so badly. But it wouldn’t do her much good.

Logic and past heartache told her to run, to forget appearances and get the hell out of Dodge. Yet something else held her still. A small part of her wanted his touch, his admission to wanting her easing an ache that had occupied her heart for much too long. But Trent wasn’t looking to touch her heart. He wanted her body. Another fact made perfectly clear by the thick erection pressing into her bottom.

This she could do, Tia thought with relief. Unlike most women sex for her wasn’t a key to her heart. It was as natural and instinctive as breathing. She and Trent were attracted to each other and for once she’d agree that he was correct, there was no use in either of them trying to deny the obvious. So why not continue to sleep with him? As long as they kept it just sex. It would be nice to feel a warm body next to hers on the regular.

“I know you’re not afraid of me, Tia,” he was saying, his large palms splaying over the exposed skin of her stomach.

“No,” she whispered resting her forehead on the wall. “I’m not afraid of you, Trent.”

“Then stop trying to run from me.” His words were punctuated by one hand slipping beneath the rim of her shorts and the other headed north to cup her already aching breast. Again he’d pressed the thick bulge of his arousal into her bottom as if he would enter her right now if not for the barrier of their clothing.

That thought had Tia’s heart pounding, her mouth and center growing moist. She couldn’t run now even if she wanted to. As his palm moved farther south cupping her mound, she hissed and arched back into his arms.

“It’s like instant fire between us. From that day on the runway when I simply touched your hand I’ve been craving you.”

His voice was hoarse with desire, both his hands work
ing their magic on her until the mere thought of defying this desire between them was out of the question.

“I know,” she whispered, then licked her lips.

Trent had been running his tongue alluringly over the line of her neck, but the moment she moistened her lips seemed like his open invitation. With a nudge of his shoulder her head was turning so that claiming her mouth was inevitable.

And with lightning fast strokes his tongue entered her mouth, taking hers on an endless ride of passion, stoking this undeniable fire he’d mentioned between them.

No, denying it was useless, so instead she fell right in line with Trent’s intentions, lifting a hand to cup the back of his head, pulling him closer, deeper into the kiss. That action earned a deep growl from Trent as his fingers splayed over her mound, one devious digit parting her moist lips, finding her tightened bud. Over and over the pad of his finger worked the puckered flesh until Tia’s knees were growing weak, her breath coming in quick, hot pants.

“Trent,” she sighed when his mouth had moved from hers to nip at her chin.

“I know, baby. I know,” he said stepping back far enough to turn her around to face him.

It took ten seconds, maybe less for him to maneuver one of her legs out of her shorts. Simultaneously Tia’s hands were at the rim of the astoundingly sexy running pants he wore, pushing them down to his muscled thighs. Through the slit in his boxers she found what she needed so desperately, wrapping her greedy fingers around his erection instantly.

“Yes,” he moaned, then lifted her free leg to wrap around his waist.

His lips were on hers, hot and demanding as she fondled him, rubbing her fingers over the tight tip of his arousal then stroking downward.

“That’s right,” he mumbled, “take what you want.”

And that she did. When stroking him was no longer enough, her body so hot and eager to take him totally, Tia guided his rigid sex to her weeping center, flexing her hips to take him in. Trent followed her lead by pushing the thin wisp of her thong aside and thrusting so that he filled her in one quick movement.