Trish, Just Trish (16 page)

“You’re so much more than beautiful to me,
mi reina…
you’re perfect
,” he whispered against my ear and
the sincerity in his voice made me squeeze him tight. I was never
going to let him go.

“I love you,” I whispered, and I knew he
wouldn’t return the sentiment. And he didn’t, but he also didn’t
freeze up. He shifted, drew the blankets over our bodies and
caressed my back until I fell asleep.

What the fuck?

I jumped out of bed, threw on my sleep shirt
and stomped to the front door. Whoever the hell was banging on the
damn thing was about to get a piece of my mind. It’s been two weeks
since the window creeper incident and we still haven’t found who it
was, but right now, I yearned for it to be whoever was at the door;
I was ready to snap the jerk’s neck.

I didn’t know what time it was, but it was
easily too early for this crap. Tony was in the shower, but he’d
already woken me once.

“
Preciosa, I’m taking a shower. Be ready
for me when I get out
,” he’d said because for the past week,
I’d been out of commission.

Figures.

I finally lose my virginity, have the best
sex imaginable and then mother nature decides to pay me a
visit.

Stupid bitch.

But today, it was over. It was pretty much
over last night, but I wasn’t ready to go there yet... if at all. I
was adventurous, but that seemed… messy. So, I didn’t take the
chance.

The banging stopped, but just as I made it
to the door it started again. I wrenched it open and shouted,
“What!” before I saw who it was.

My whole body stiffened as rage infused
every muscle in my body.

“What are you doing here?” Destiny asked,
her voice like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. I cringed and
twisted my face up in disgust. I looked down at Tony’s t-shirt that
barely covered my body and then faced her again.

“Fucking your brother. What’s it look like
I’m doing?”

Her eyes grew wide and I narrowed mine.

Bring it
!

This bitch needed to be taught a lesson and
I was ready to take her ass to school. I mentally took off my
earing and kicked off my heels.

I crossed my arms over my chest and watched
her every move. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she was
Tony’s sister. They looked nothing alike; Tony with his jet black
hair and olive skin, and then Destiny with her platinum blonde hair
and pale skin. I guess the only thing they had in common were their
eyes, both caramel.

But with her, I didn’t picture vanilla ice
cream… more like white on rice because if this bitch said one thing
to piss me off I was going to be all over her ass.

“I can’t believe my brother would let you
step foot in our father’s house,” she hissed through her perfectly
straight white teeth.

“I can’t believe your brother had to grow up
with an STD infested skank as a sister,” I hissed right back.

“You bitch!” she screeched.

I shrugged.

“Where’s my brother?”

“I’m right here,” Tony’s deep voice answered
before I could even open my mouth and tell her it was none of her
fucking business. He also didn’t sound happy and when I twisted my
neck his narrowed eyes were directed right at me.

“What?” I snapped as my gaze traveled down
his body. He was wearing low-riding jeans, no shirt and his feet
were bare. His hair was wet and messy, and he obviously forgot to
dry off because water droplets glistened on his chest.

I contained the urge to jump him and decided
to give him a dirty look instead. Plus, he sounded ready for a
battle, and if I had to, I’d take him and his sister on at the same
time.

“Why’d you open the door?” he asked in a low
growl. I threw daggers at Destiny before I faced him again.

I pointed in the witch’s direction. “Because
she wouldn’t stop banging on it.”

He shook his head and when he grumbled,
“I’ll deal with your ass later,” my body grew solid.

“What are you doin’ here?” he asked his
sister in an angry tone and her face completely changed. She
suddenly went from evil bitch to little Miss Innocent.

“Why would you bring here after what she
did?” Destiny asked in the fakest “pity me” tone I’d ever
heard.

“Cut the shit, Dest. Brian has so much money
you don’t give two shits who he fucks. Now, what are you doin’
here?”

I would have preferred it if he’d backhanded
me.

The past two weeks we spent together had
been amazing. I wouldn’t say we were inseparable, we couldn’t
always be together, but that only made every bit of time we spent
together that much more special. He’d moved me into his room,
everything, there was no discussion. I’d just walked into the house
after having spent extra time with Starla when Tony was moving all
my stuff. He’d moved everything out of the hall bathroom and into
his.

He’d kiss me awake every morning and we’d
never missed a breakfast together. Even though his days were full
of meetings, visits with owners and riders, working on the ranch or
working out finances in his office, he’d still made time to visit
Starla with me every day.

We might not have had lunch together every
day, but he’d made sure he didn’t miss dinner. Our evenings were
spent talking… a lot of talking, watching movies or just relaxing.
He’d tell me about his day and I’d do the same. Although, my days
really only consisted of Starla and Tony so there wasn’t much for
me to tell.

I’d started going a little stir crazy not
being able to leave the house. I’d want to go into town, go
sight-seeing, eat at the diner again, but Zacharias still hadn’t
been caught. I still thought Tony was taking things too far, but I
wouldn’t argue with him about it.

I liked it here… no, I loved it here. I
could see myself living my life on the ranch with Tony.

But his words were a major wake-up call. He
seemed happy. I was more than happy. I thought he was beginning to
trust me; that he believed me about the past, but I never would
have imagined he still thought I slept with his sister’s
fiancé.

“Can we talk somewhere without
her
around?” Destiny asked as she nodded her head in my direction, but
Tony shook his.

“You’re here for money. That’s the only
reason you ever come here. How much do you need and why?” Tony
asked.

Destiny froze.

“I can’t believe you just said that,” she
hissed at him and then glared at me.

“It’s the truth. How much?”

“Three thousand,” she snapped and I
gasped.

Tony ignored me and asked, “What for?”

“Ummm… it’s a retainer for my divorce
attorney.”

I couldn’t stop the half snort half laugh
that escaped.

“Trish,” Tony barked.

“You’re no better than me,” Destiny said
suddenly and I turned my attention toward her.

“Excuse me?”

“You had sex with my fiancé the night of my
engagement party!” she shouted.

I bristled.

“I didn’t have sex with him! I only took
those pictures to pay you back and you deserved it!” I shouted
back, over Tony’s shoulder because he’d just inserted himself
between me and his sister.

“Trish, calm down,” Tony ordered, but I
wasn’t in the mood to be ordered around.

“You know what? Fuck you both!” I shouted
and started to storm away only to freeze when I heard Destiny say,
“He said it was so bad he couldn’t even remember it.”

I whipped around and stormed up to her, only
to be blocked by Tony. He put his hands on my waist to keep me in
place.

I lifted and screamed over his shoulder, “He
couldn’t remember it because it didn’t happen you fucking
moron!”

She laughed at me. She actually had the
nerve to laugh at me! I struggled against Tony’s hold until he
twisted his neck. “Leave!” he roared her. “Get the fuck out of my
house, Dest! You want the money, I’ll send it to you, but get the
fuck out of here!”

She smirked.

“I’m going to kill her,” I said from
somewhere so deep in my throat I thought Tony was going to have to
call an exorcist when this was over. My head was going to start
spinning any minute. Destiny turned and I watched her hop down the
front steps.

“Calm down!” Tony gave me a little
shake.

“I hate her. I’m sorry. I know she’s your
sister, but I fucking hate her!”

“Trish, you have to get over this grudge you
have against her, you’re gonna have to let it go.”

“Oh yeah? Just like you’ve let go of the
grudge you have against me?”

He looked confused, like he had no idea what
I was talking about and his, “What?” only confirmed it.

“You still think I cheated on you. You could
have defended me when your dumbass sister started running her
mouth, but you didn’t.”

“I’m working on it,” he grumbled.

“You know what? You can keep working on it,
but I’m not staying here while you work it out.” I was about to
spin around, but something over his shoulder caught my
attention.

“Oh no… no, no, no,” I breathed. I pushed
Tony out of my way and ran out the door. Lex’s truck pulled up and
parked. Lex, Landyn and Adam all got out.

“Oh shit,” I breathed again.

Lex obviously hadn’t seen who was getting in
the SUV to her right because when Destiny called out, “Hey Lan!” my
best friend froze.

I took off and ran down the steps. I headed
straight for Destiny.

She saw me and she was obviously smarter
than I’d thought. She jumped inside her vehicle and slammed the
door shut just before I made it to her. An arm wrapped around my
waist so I used it to my advantage and kicked her door.

“Get out!” I shouted before being dragged
away. Destiny started her vehicle, reversed and sped away. I was
shaking with fury.

“Gotta say, that was pretty fuckin’ hot. You
wearin’ anything under that shirt?” I heard asked in a new, gruff
voice at my ear and I twisted my neck to see a still shirtless Tony
standing a few feet away. His death glare was locked on the person
at my back.

“Adam, let me go,” I hurried. He released me
instantly and I turned.

“That his shirt?” Adam did a chin lift in
Tony’s direction while he looked down at my scantily clad body.

“That’s none of your business,” I
hissed.

He grinned at me.

“Babe, I makin’ it my business.” I closed my
eyes. This wasn’t happening. Maybe when I opened my eyes, everyone
would just “poof, be gone”.

But that was too much to ask for, and I knew
that because an arm snaked over my shoulder and pulled me back.

“Excuse us,” Tony growled. He directed me
forward and as we passed a frozen Lex and Landyn, Tony said, “We’ll
just be a minute, feel free to come inside and make yourselves at
home.” At least he sounded nice to them.

But when we made it to his room, he let me
go to shut and lock the bedroom door. Then he stalked up to me,
picked me up and threw me on the bed.

“Oh my god!”

He climbed over me and his body pinned mine
to the bed before I even had time to move the hair out of my
face.

He did it for me though and cupped my face
with his hands when he was finished.

“Nobody touches you but me,” he growled,
just before his mouth hit mine. He lifted the hem of my shirt and
exposed my bareness to his touch. His fingers were wild.

“Tony,” I breathed against his lips to get
his attention, we had people in the other room, but he ignored me
and kissed me deeper. I vaguely heard the sound of unzipping and he
was inside me before I could stop him.

Not that I wanted to.

His movements commanded my body will to his;
his mouth was anxious; his grip on my thighs desperate. Everything
was frantic.

I was thankful he held out long enough for
me to finish, but it was close. He came immediately after.

“What was that about?” I asked quietly while
I caught my breath.

“I didn’t like him touch you. I don’t want
any other man touching what’s mine,” he whispered and I barely
heard him. He was crushing me, but I’d never ask him to move after
that admission.

“Tony, do you love me?” I asked softly, but
regretted the question the instant I asked it. I felt every muscle
in his body tighten.

It slipped. I shouldn’t have asked, but it
slipped. He made me feel loved, but maybe he didn’t feel that way.
I had my answer the minute he lifted his head and I saw his
remorseful expression.

I wanted to cry. I turned my face away and
closed my eyes.

“I care about you,” he said softly to the
side of my face and I knew he was only trying not to hurt my
feelings.

“I’m trying Trish, but it’s gonna take more
time.” All I could do was nod as the tears slid out of corners of
my eyes.

“I’m sorry I asked,” I whispered, gathered
my strength and pushed at his chest. He backed up right away.

“Mi reina--” he started when he stood, but I
cut him off.

“It’s okay. You’re right. I knew better. I
shouldn’t have even thought it was a possibility.” I pulled my
shirt back down and moved to stand up on the opposite side of the
bed.

“I’m afraid to love you. I’m not sure I can
let myself,” Tony admitted and even though his words sliced me open
wide, I said nothing in return. There was really nothing to say. I
couldn’t make him love me and I would never beg.

“I know. It’s okay,” I said through a small,
sad smile and he looked tormented as he looked back at me. I moved
to the dresser, pulled out some panties, moved to the closet,
grabbed an outfit and then headed to the bathroom.

He didn’t stop me.

He wasn’t in the bedroom when I came
out.

When I entered the living room, the air was
thick. The introduction between Adam and Tony obviously hadn’t gone
very well judging by all the scowling and glaring between them.
Tony still had on the same jeans from earlier, but now he was
wearing a black t-shirt and tennis shoes.