Destiny Disrupted (16 page)

On Friday night, Trent led me across the foyer of Craven Manor and into the dining room. He dimmed the lights to a romantic glow and took a seat across from me at the table. Arranged on its polished surface sat boxes of steaming Chinese food, everything from egg rolls to cashew chicken to wonton soup. My stomach grumbled and my mouth watered from the delicious aroma.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Starving.” I held out my plate and he dumped some rice and chicken onto it.

This was perfect. A quiet evening with my boyfriend was just what I needed. No demons to fight or bitchy Trendies to deal with. We ate in silence, passing the cartons around and trying everything.

I reached for another eggroll. “This was a great idea.”

He lifted his wineglass of grape juice. “A toast. To us!”

A little bubble of unexpected laughter escaped me. “To us.” I picked up my glass and clanked it with his. “Where’s Evans and your dad?”

“My stepfather is staying overnight in San Francisco at his condo with Darrah, and my uncle is off conducting some paranormal investigation in Winter Haven. We’ve got the manor to ourselves tonight.”

I lifted my glass again. “To lack of parental supervision!”

Trent laughed and clinked my glass with his own again. We talked and laughed, scarfing down most of the food.

Trent set down his fork and pushed his plate away. “I can’t eat another bite.”

“Me either.” I patted my stomach.

“I’ve got something for you.” He produced a small black box from his pocket and slid it across the table. I squealed, grabbed it, and pried open the lid. Nestled inside was a dazzling sapphire ring surrounded by tiny diamonds. Trent pushed back his chair and came around the table to take the jewelry. He slid it onto my left ring finger, sending my heart into unhealthy spasms.

“It’s not an engagement ring or anything,” he said.

This idiotic grin spread across my face. In that sweet, tender moment, I loved him more than I could have imagined possible.

“Oh, Trent. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever owned.”

“Well, now you own it
and
my heart, Shiloh Trudell.”

I smiled, still admiring my new piece of bling. “You’re so good to me. I’m a lucky girl.”

“Yes, you are,” he agreed with a heart-stopping smile.

I winked. “All a part of my master plan.”

“To what? Seduce me? Because I’m already yours.”

We gazed into each other’s eyes as we sipped our drinks, and my heart danced. When it came down to it, Craven Manor was the ideal spot for some alone time. All I could think about was kissing him in a way that almost certainly couldn’t be done in a public setting.

“You aren’t still pissed that I talked to Raze, are you?” I stopped moving. Stopped breathing at his impassive expression.

His eyes darkened. “No, but I was kind of jealous.”

“Kind of?” I sat back. “Trent, you know that you have nothing to worry about.” The instant the words left my mouth, they tasted like a lie.

He gave me a sideways glance. “I still don’t like him.”

They had at least one thing in common.

“What did Raze want to talk to you about?” he asked.

“Nothing much. Only that he might have some info on who’s killing off the BRC.”

His brows shot up. “And your new friend didn’t say who?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Raze heard a demonic rumor, which is kinda funny if you think about it. I have a hard time imagining demons sitting around and gossiping.”

Trent gave a short, dry laugh. “Yeah, me too.”

I took a deep breath and blew it out. Since we’d gotten through the awkward conversation without a fight, a sudden lightness struck my senses. Everything was going to be okay.

“Do you want to take this elsewhere?” Trent asked.

“You’re always reading my mind.”

We stood and Trent led me into an empty parlor. As my eyes adjusted to the dark paneled walls, I caught sight of logs burning in the fireplace surrounded by a brown leather couch and loveseat. The decor cast an impression of opulence with arched ceilings, oak bookshelves brushing the ceiling, and a Persian rug gracing the hardwood floor.

He kicked the door shut, then grabbed my waist, his lips on mine before I could even catch my breath. With my chin tilted upwards, I drank in his height. He was tall, but I liked that. He made me feel beautiful and girly and protected, and I liked that, too.

He guided us backwards onto the cushioned loveseat. I collapsed beside Trent, one hand hitting his solid chest, and feeling the rough fabric of his chambray shirt. We kissed and kissed and kissed. After a while, Trent sat up to tug off his shirt and I sat back to give him room. He flung it on the antique rug, and in the soft glow of the moonlight, I glimpsed a black tribal tattoo on Trent’s shoulder.

“When did you get a tattoo?” I asked.

Trent wrapped me in his arms. “A while ago.”

“That’s hot,” I whispered.

My eyes took in the black swirls flowing over his skin. I glanced back up into those intense green eyes that never failed to get my heart pumping faster. Trent stared at my face as though he were searching for something. An answer to a question. Or confirmation of my feelings for him.

My hand traveled up his arm and stroked the intricate pattern on his muscular shoulder. I traced the lines and whorls with a fingertip, noting the imperceptible ridge where the black color ended around the ancient symbol. My fingers stilled on his warm skin. An odd chill went through me.

“Does the pattern have a meaning?” I asked carefully. “I read online that you shouldn’t get a tattoo unless it’s something symbolic or meaningful.”

His gaze skipped from mine. “Not really…I just think it looks cool.”

My nerves relaxed. My heart steadied. Just a plain tattoo. Nothing to stress over.

Trent laid back down, and I kissed his collarbone, up his neck to his ear, and then found his mouth again. He let out a little moan and kicked off his shoes. He shifted, moving me aside so we were lying facing each other, my butt against the back of the couch.

When the grandfather clock bonged, we paused in our slow, grinding, up-close-and-personal rubbing against each other’s bodies. His hand slid under my shirt to cup my breast. Pressing myself against him, the deep kisses intensified and got fiercer and hotter.

It seemed like we hadn’t been alone together in weeks, and from the frantic touch of Trent’s hands, I could tell he felt the same way. He acted like he wanted to possess every inch of me, all the while kissing my lips. His mouth moved to my neck, right into hickey-ville territory. He placed a tender kiss on my throat, suckling the skin, and that erogenous zone sent a slow, scorching shudder throughout my body. The gentle kisses he placed on my bare flesh left me aching for more.

Trent pulled back. “We need to slow down.”

“Hmmm…” My hand swept over his bare chest while I kissed his jaw.

“You’re making it very difficult for me to control myself.” He groaned softly and leaned away from me. “We’ve been through so much over the last few months and I feel like our relationship has become stronger, like
nothing
can come between us now.”

“Nothing ever will.”

My flesh tingled at the gentle brush of his fingers along my cheek. His skin felt unbelievably warm and his breath ragged on my face.

“I want to be the kind of man you deserve. My human half is trying like hell to suppress the
Darkness.
Each day, the temptation of evil gets stronger, and without your love, Shiloh, I’d be too weak to fight it. I need you now more than ever.”

A swell of emotion struck my heart. From the first moment I’d met Trent, we’d shared an instant connection, and over time, our friendship had transformed from mutual lust to real affection. Now we were profoundly in love, and the ring he’d given me was like a promise of a wonderful future we’d spend together.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said, trailing kisses along his jawline. “But is everything okay with you? You seem really distracted and distant lately.”

“I promise you’ll understand everything soon, maybe more than you’ll want to.” Trent kissed my cheek.

“Whatever it is, we’ll face it together,” I said hoarsely.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he said, and I nodded in agreement.

In a very romantic gesture, Trent lifted me up in his arms and carried me upstairs to his bedroom. He set me down gently on the edge of the bed and grabbed a lighter to light several candles placed about the room.

He rejoined me on the bed, and I coiled my arms around his neck and twined my fingers into his thick, wavy hair. His hands slipped under my shirt and caressed my bare back. His touch felt as if an electric current ran through my body. Trent’s fingers grazed along my spine to my waist, igniting a fire within me that burned more intense when he gripped my hips, rocking me onto my side and molding our bodies together.

“We won’t do anything you’re not ready to do,” he murmured, his voice deep and hypnotic.

“I’m ready,” I whispered.

He leaned forward and kissed me. My head was spinning and it was hard for me to think, let alone talk. His hands cupped my face and he brought his mouth to mine again. I drew him tighter to me, deepening the kiss. The smoldering fire that had been growing between us for months became a thundering inferno, threatening to consume us.

I briefly broke the kiss to catch my breath. “Trent.” His name fell from my lips in a breathless whisper.

His hands roamed beneath my shirt, tracing the underwire on my bra, then drifting upward to my breast. His touch sent currents of sheer pleasure coursing through me. Trent leaned back and lifted me with him, grasping the hem of my shirt and tugging it over my head. He let it fall to the floor. My breathing sped up. Reaching behind me, he unfastened my bra. My body was quivering as it fell away and Trent gazed at my breasts.

“God, you are so incredibly beautiful,” he whispered.

Trent’s hands resumed their gentle exploration of my exposed skin. His thumb grazed the side of my breast and his mouth found mine again. His urgent kisses sent me tumbling over the edge. They left me craving more and I moved my hips against him. In that moment, everything was all heat and sensation and desire. His hands and mouth were everywhere and still I couldn’t get enough of him.

He pulled back slightly, lifting up on one elbow to gaze into my face. He had never looked at me so passionately before. “When we’re together, everything seems so perfect. Nothing else matters, Shiloh. This—this thing between us feels like the real deal to me. I want to experience everything with you, and
only
you.”

Without another word and his eyes never leaving mine, he slipped off his pants. His fingers reached for the waistband of my jeans, and a slight tremor shook his fingers. His gaze met mine as if silently asking permission.

Unable to speak, I was mesmerized by the beautiful boy who stared at me with his eyes full of yearning, adoration, and love. He unzipped my jeans and tugged them off. Trent tossed them in a heap on the floor, then lay down next to me again. Now he was only clad in boxer/briefs and I wore my pink panties.

A tiny part of me was super nervous. I’d never been
this
naked in front of a boy. Ever. But being with Trent had always seemed so natural, and it did now, even the way my body reacted instinctively to his touch.

He stroked my bare legs before he shifted to lie on top of me and covered my mouth with his. My heart pounded, as the kisses got longer, hotter. Swells of desire and passion crashed over me. All my previous hesitation was gone. A strange and wonderful sensation was building deep in my body, and warming the lower parts.

“What are you doing to me?” I whispered, glancing up at his face.

Trent merely smiled. Instead of reassuring me with words, he yanked me even closer and gave me a lingering kiss. Somehow, my panties came off and he’d shed his boxers. Taking a pause, he fiddled with a wrapper on his nightstand and turned on his side to slip on some protection before facing me again. His knees nudged my legs apart and he sank between them. Skin to skin we pressed, while he kissed me senseless.

I gasped at the sharp pain, and then his lips were on mine again and the soreness was replaced by waves of amazing pleasure so intense all I could do was moan.

“You’re mine now and forever.” A trace of possession rang deep in his voice. He kissed me deeply, as if sealing both our fates.

“Yes,” I said when the kiss ended. “I belong to only you.”

Afterward, we lay on the bed with the comforter covering our naked bodies. I snuggled closer to Trent. Things had changed forever. And I was unconditionally, completely, and irrevocably in love with him.

I lay next to Trent on his bed, our bodies entwined in a warm cocoon of peacefulness. A ridiculous grin spread across my face. His hand swept down my back, stroking my bare skin. I sighed happily and nuzzled against him. Turning my head, I kissed his neck. A thin film of sweat covered his naked chest and his skin glistened in the candlelight. Trent wore a slight smile on his full lips. He was so damn beautiful that I couldn’t believe he was mine.

And that I wasn’t a virgin anymore.

The fact hit me with a bizarre punch. I’d finally
done it
. Boy, I really needed to talk to Ariana. Would she be able to tell just by looking at me? No, that was lame. Still, I’d better take a good long look at myself in the mirror when I got home.

Trent gently smoothed back my hair. “How are you feeling? Any regrets?”

“No. It was magical. And you?”

“What do you think?” He kissed me and smiled. “It was awesome.”

We laughed softly, nervously.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” I said, relaxing in his arms. “This feels so right. So perfect.”

“It does,” he whispered. “We should’ve done it sooner.”

I giggled. “Such a guy thing to say.”

He chuckled, his chest rumbling under my cheek. “I
am
half-human.” Trent’s hand lazily caressed my arm, one finger following the line of my almost nonexistent scar.

“All human, if you ask me,” I whispered.

There was a moment of silence.

Trent’s eyes watered and he feathered kisses on my forehead, nose, chin. “You have no idea how incredible you really are, Shiloh. You actually make me think that I deserve happiness.” He blinked rapidly, turning away as if to control his emotions.

I touched his cheek, running my fingertips along the stubble. Then gripping his chin, I forced him to look at me. “You
do
deserve it, silly.”

What we had together was special. More unique than whatever lustful feelings I’d experienced around Raze. The relationship I had with the immortal was platonic, only a safe zone for playful flirting. What I had with Trent was epic, the kind of stuff poets wrote about. And a sense of weightlessness and contentment struck my heart.

Trent’s arms tightened around me and he shifted his body so he could look into my eyes. “I love you, Shiloh. No matter what happens, please always remember that.” Holding me close, he murmured sweet words in French.

“What’s going to happen?”

Instead of answering me, his mouth found mine and I was lost. The kiss was passionate and sexy and wild. His kisses made me lightheaded. It felt different than kissing him while I was still a virgin. Before I’d known he was a cambion or I’d been cleansed of the
Darkness
. Now it was like he had this dark secret, and I was in on it.

I slid my arms around his broad shoulders, leaning into him even more. We fit together perfectly. Suddenly Raze flashed through my mind again and I pulled away from Trent, flipping onto my back. My whole body went rigid.

What had I been thinking the other day? I’d come
so close
to kissing Raze. Unwanted thoughts of hunky immortals while lying in my boyfriend’s arms after our swoon-inducing night of passion just felt like all kinds of wrong. I banished any images of immortals—even impossibly gorgeous ones—from my head.

“Is something wrong?”

Guilt settled in my stomach like a stack of bricks. “What makes you think that?” I said a little too quickly.

“You seem like you’re suddenly far away.” He leaned up on one elbow. “You’re not regretting that we,
you know
.”

“Had sex?” I said, sounding very grownup. “No…I just have a lot on my mind.”

With soft fingertips, he smoothed away the wrinkles in my forehead. “Was getting together tonight a bad idea? Are you worried about not patrolling?” he asked.

“That’s not what’s bothering me.” I shook my head and swallowed. “It’s just…I still get the feeling that there’s something you’re not telling me.”

He scooted away from me. “Don’t you think you have that backwards?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ve been keeping secrets.”

“Have I?” I pulled the comforter tighter around me and chewed my lip. “What did Evans tell you?”

“Everything. Why didn’t
you
just tell me about being cured?”

Heat licked my skin. “I was going to—I swear! I was just waiting for the right time.”

“That’s pretty big, Shiloh. You should’ve told me sooner.”

“I know. I just kept waiting for the right time. It was stupid. I’m sorry.”

“I kinda understand why you didn’t. But it doesn’t matter to me because it wasn’t the
Darkness
that attracted me to you.”

“How can you be so sure? We had that whole insta-lust thing going strong when we first met. And now…”

“What?”

“It’s so different.”

He nodded, staring at the poster of the bikini-clad girl on the wall. “I know how you feel.”

“Oh, I really, really doubt that.”

“I sense where you’re going with this, Shiloh, and I’m sorry if you don’t trust me or my intentions. But I’m not sorry about
us
, and I’ll never be sorry about tonight.”

“Me, either.” I turned away and my cheeks blazed with warmth. “It was amazing.”

“Best freakin’ night of my life.” Bending at the waist, he pressed his forehead against mine. “So, no regrets?”

“None. You?”

He leaned back and his brow puckered. Blackness flashed in his gaze. “Why would you even ask me something stupid like that?”

That cambion temper of his was quick to flare. His humanity seemed to be warring with his demon-side.

“You just asked me the same thing! So don’t go all black-eyed on me.” I pulled the comforter up to my neck, and got a whiff of Trent’s unique scent still lingering on the fabric. “I-I just wasn’t sure. You’ve been so guarded lately.”

“I wanna ask you something.” The blackness in his eyes faded. “Is there anything going on between you and Raze?”

“What? No! We’re just…” I swallowed and my fingers worried the sheet.
What
were we? “Colleagues, I guess you could say. We’re in the same line of work.”

Trent met my stare, and his expression hardened. “I don’t want that guy anywhere near you. Or filling your head with lies about me.”

My stomach knotted up. I sat up and started putting my clothes back on. “About what? Why would he do that?”

There was a pinched, brooding pull to his features. He threw back the blankets to stand up, and tugged on his jeans. He ran a hand through his hair before facing me. “Nothing. Never mind.”

“Oh, no, you don’t! I’m not letting you get away with hiding in your man cave again.”

“Too bad. The subject’s closed,” he said, his voice sounding deeper than normal.

“Of course it is, because with you things are
never
that simple. At least Raze is honest with me.”

Trent took my hand—the one with the ring—and I flinched. “Because you think he cares about you?”

“What if he does?” I challenged, yanking my hand from his, but regretting the words the instant they left my lips. I sucked at keeping my mouth shut lately.

A muscle in his jaw ticked away, his pupils slowly but surely going from green to black again. “He’s a fallen angel. Out of God’s graces, so I think that says it all.”

My patience faded. “He wasn’t kicked out of Heaven, his father was. Why are you being so judgmental?”

“Why are you defending him?”

“I’m not! But if it wasn’t for Raze offering his blood to help make the potion that cured me of the
Darkness
, I’d still be struggling with it.”

“So that makes you indebted to him?”

“No. But he’s never lied to me. So please promise me that you haven’t made any deals with the Evil Triad. I mean, we’re in this together,” I said, glancing up at him. “We’re still going to find a way to seal the crack in the Sheol and stop the Triad, right?”

Trent moved closer to the bed and loomed over me. His eyes flared a startling onyx color. “Why don’t you just ask me what you really want to know, Shiloh? I promise not to lie to you.”

“Because demons never lie?” The second the words left my mouth, I cringed. A sense of shame curled low in my stomach. Then again, he wasn’t a full-fledged demon, which meant the rules didn’t apply to him. “Oh, god. I didn’t mean it. I don’t know why I said that.”

Trent grabbed a discarded shirt off the floor, tugging it on over his head. “Maybe you should get home, it’s late.” He closed his eyes and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Before we say anything else we’ll regret.”

I bit my lip. “I’m sorry.”

He wouldn’t look at me, his expression a mask of indifference. I’d ruined the most romantic night of my life. All because of me and my big mouth. And now Trent had become distant and cold. Knots tightened in my throat, closing off my airways.

His head tilted to the side. “Then tell me that you don’t have feelings for the immortal.”

“I-I…” I started to deny it, but the words shriveled like a dead flower on my tongue. Anything I said would just sound like a lame excuse for my lusty thoughts and no way could I explain the platonic flirting with my so-called immortal friend without pissing off Trent. “It’s hard to explain.”

Trent stared at the floor. “That’s what I thought.”

I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

“Why are you bringing all this up now?” I asked. “He’s just a friend.”

He didn’t answer. “I’ll walk you to the door,” he said in a strained voice and strode out of the room.

I yanked on my shoes and went downstairs. Trent stood in the foyer with the door already open and his muscled arms folded across his chest. His eyes were fixed on a spot above my head. In the doorway, I opened my mouth to say something, then shut it.

I stepped outside and slowly walked to the Jeep. The door slammed closed. Beyond the formal garden, I caught a glimpse of Raze at the edge of the property.

What was he doing here? Spying on me?

Raze stood near one of the oaks and the garden lights illuminated his body. His arms hung at his sides, all long, lean muscles, wearing a miserable expression. I glared at him, trying to ignore the irresistible pull between us. Our eyes met for a second, and he shook his head as if disappointed. Raze turned on his booted heel and walked into the woods with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

A strange urge struck my heart. I wanted to follow Raze, but that didn’t make sense. For that brief moment, he’d looked almost heartbroken. Sure, I had lusty feelings toward Raze, but it was Trent who had seeped into my heart.