Binder Full of Women (5 page)

Damn, he needed to stop those thoughts.

When they turned back around to return to the house, they quickened their pace. It was clear to him that the alcohol was still influencing Rachel. She was still talking freely.

The ocean scent filled the air as he deeply inhaled.

“This is like heaven,” Rachel said in a smooth voice. “See that star up there. It’s the first star of the night. Let’s each make a wish.”

“Wishes don’t come true Rach,” he said squeezing her hand.

“In my world they do,” she said looking up into his eyes.

When they returned to the beach that was in front of the main house, Mitchell and Loretta said good night and walked back to the main house.

Trent and Rachel lingered on the beach. Her hand was still in his. She shivered and he moved his hands to rub her upper arms and then embrace her just to warm her up. It did more than warm her up. There was something incredibly wrong with the way his body was reacting to her. He was becoming incredible aroused.

This is Rachel he kept saying to himself trying to remind his body to behave like she was a friend and not someone he wanted to throw over his shoulder to take immediately to bed.

She inched closer looking up at him with her expectant green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. The waves echoed in the background as they lapped against the shore.

Their lips were just inches apart. They were so close yet so far away. Her breath warmed his face. He could smell the sweetness of it and the hint of wine remaining.  She ran her finger down his cheek. It sent something similar to lightening through his system. Whatever control he had up to then was completely gone.

“Please,” she whimpered pulling him even tighter.

Before he could stop himself his lips were caressing hers. They possessed her lips, her tongue, her mind, her heart. Trent has invaded all of her and it is such a good feeling.

Before she was ready to stop Trent pulled back. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry,” he said looking horrified.

“Sorry?” Hadn’t he felt a thing that she had?

“I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that. You have had too much to drink and you’re still vulnerable from what Bill did to you. We are friends.”

“Trust me, it’s not the alcohol and maybe I’m the one using you to get over Bill. You can be my rebound.” She stepped closer to him looking up.

“You know me though. No serious relationships. I can’t do that to you,” Trent said still holding her. His hand was gently circling on her back.

“I know. I know what you are about.”

He grabbed her hand and led her back to the guest house.

“Rachel we just can’t go there. You know what I am, what I stand for and I know who you are and what you stand for. They are not the same and neither is going to change. I can’t risk losing your friendship.”

With his hands holding both of hers Rachel felt trapped. She felt trapped by her feelings for Trent, trapped by her physical attraction to him and trapped by what she wanted out of life.

“Don’t you think we can just throw caution to the wind here and take a chance Trent? Just a chance while we are here away from the rest of the world? We’ll always be friends no matter what.”

Trent watched as she innocently ran her tongue around her lips. It wasn’t so innocent looking to him.

Trent knew that Rachel didn’t do one night stands.

She stepped even closer to him waiting for him to respond. She was pressed up against him and his body was giving his full attraction away. He was all but sure that she knew that he was growing for her. Growing in the need to completely possess her. To make her his – for the night anyway.

“Friends no matter what?” Trent said questioning Rachel just millimeters from her lips.

“Yes,” she said. Then she tugged at his lower lip with her teeth and did him in. He lost the little control that he had remaining. Their lips once again met and suckled and explored each other. She swore that his lips tasted of nothing but honey. Sweet honey nectar that she wanted to get every last drip of.

Her hands were pulling the back of his shirt up. She was reaching up, feeling his bare skin. The feeling of his back muscles beneath her hands sent tingles through her. It had never felt anything like this with another man.

Their bodies responded to each other like they had been made to fit together since the beginning of time. Trent picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Against his chest she could feel the hardness of him everywhere.

He gently laid her on the bed and they both quickly removed their clothes. Things were going too fast. This was a moment to savor. Sensing her need, he traced every inch of his body with his fingertip and then with his lips leaving trails of kisses and gentle wetness behind. Rachel could feel parts of her body coming alive that she never even knew she had.

There were chills and tingles and pleasure everywhere. She was completely melting and wanted him to possess her completely. She wanted to be his in all ways.

When he did enter her, he was gentle and concerned. “Ok?” He asked letting out a grunt.

There was such tenderness on his face. “Yes, please,” she begged.

They moved as one with their bodies making sweet music together. First it was slow and controlled, savoring every moment. Then it was fast and furious like they couldn’t get any more of each other. After completion there were no words. Trent wrapped his arms around her and they slept a deep satiated sleep. Rachel had never felt more secure or loved in her life.

When she woke in the morning Trent’s arm was still around her. The sunlight was streaming through the windows across to the white chair in the corner. She placed her hand on his forearm and felt him stir.

She rolled over and smiled at him. He looked dazed, haunted. He bolted out of the bed before saying anything and immediately pulled on his boxers.

“Rachel, I am so sorry. How could I have done that to you?”

“Trent, don’t you see. If it was anything it was me taking advantage of you. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the week. Treat me like you would any of the other women you date.”

For Trent that was hard. This was Rachel, his friend, and not his other women. They started the day with a temporary truce and a lot of confusion in their hearts.

That day Trent and Mitchell had meetings to discuss their future partnership while Loretta took Rachel out for an afternoon of snorkeling with a local guide. It was fabulous watching the angel fish, star fish and many colorful tropical species that she couldn’t identify. At one point a sea turtle even swam by them.

For dinner that night they went to a local favorite. Mitchell didn’t like to be too pretentious he said and it did have the best food on the island. While sitting at the small table for four, Rachel enjoyed the sounds of mariachi music and laughter that filled the room.

Trent seemed relaxed. When Rachel had talked with him earlier he said that his business deal was coming together even better than expected. Mitchell and Loretta loved her. Mitchell had told Trent that Rachel’s presence was making the deal come together.

The restaurant was filled with happy people she thought as she looked around and observed the brightly colored décor. Everyone was happy except for one table. In the corner she spotted Ann and the man with the wrinkled shirt. It looked like they were having a lover’s quarrel. Ann’s eye caught Rachel. Ann turned and looked toward the wrinkled shirt man. They both smiled and got up together.

Before Rachel could alert Trent the two were standing next to their table staring at Trent with mischievous looks.

“It looks like you found another candidate,” Ann said with a smirk on her face. “How is this wife for hire arrangement working?”

Rachel looked from Trent to Mitchell to Loretta. Each had a different expression all with a form of shock or confusion. Rachel’s heart sank. How was Trent going to make his way out of this one? All he had worked for could possibly end with Ann’s one remark.

“Excuse me?” Mitchell ordered.

“Oh, didn’t he tell you. This is at least the second wife he has tried to have in the last month. He needed one to make some business arrangement work” With that she winked, turned on her heel and walked out the door with the wrinkled shirt man’s arm around her.

“We need to leave now,” Mitchell commanded.

He was up and out of the restaurant before Rachel could even leave the table. On his way out he had ordered the manager to send the bill to his property manager.

“Explain,” Mitchell said when they were in the car driving back to the house.

Trent didn’t try to cover anything up. He explained how desperately he needed the partnership to hold his business together and that he was a man of commitment. This all failed to impress Mitchell.

“Out. You two are out of my house. I am dropping you off at the Haven since that’s where you said you normally stay Rachel and I will have your belongings sent over within the hour. We are through Pearson. There is to be no partnership.”

Trent almost felt a sense of relief. To build a partnership under such a pretense had been wrong. If this man couldn’t trust him it wouldn’t work anyway. There had to be another way to save his company. Now he needed to concentrate on saving Rachel and her reputation so she could have her dreams.

Better to end it with her before the pain of knowing he wouldn’t always have her got even worse.

At the hotel Trent ordered separate rooms and Rachel gave him a questioning look. She wanted nothing more than to comfort him and let him know that it would be ok. He didn’t need to let all his dreams lie in the hands of another company saving his. It would be better and she would help fix it. She needed to show him it would be ok tonight. After last night she knew they could communicate with their bodies in a way words could never suffice.

“Rachel don’t you see it’s through. We need to get back to Indy and stop any more damage from happening.”

“Through?” She asked with both hands on her hips. Rage was flowing through her. Didn’t he feel what she did last night? She wasn’t going to let him dismiss her that easily.

“We have to be just friends. It was a mistake.” He smoothed her hair. “I took advantage of you and will never do that again. Now I need to go back and stop the damage.”

“Damage?”

“Yes, who knows what else Ann might say. She probably already called the gossip columnists.”

“Trent, I told you that I don’t care about that. What about the damage here?” she asked pointing to her heart.

Trent pulled her into a gentle embrace. “We are friends still. I care about the damage to your reputation and won’t let it happen,” he whispered in a husky voice into her ear.

“We’ll talk about the rest later,” he said planting a kiss on top of her head.

“There’s no question we’ll talk later,” Rachel said sharply.

When she woke the next morning alone in her own room that Trent had never even set foot in, there was a note under the door. She picked it up and read.

Dear Rachel,

Please forgive me for all of my mistakes. I took us to a place that I never intended and your friendship is so dear. I left last night to get back and prevent any residual damage. Stay here and enjoy a few days pampering yourself. You deserve that and more. You deserve all of your dreams. I have made arrangements for a driver to pick you up and take you to the jet on Wednesday.

In Friendship,

Trent

The words mistake and friendship repeated over and over in her head. Was he running away from something more or was he really running back to repair their friendship? Obviously she was mistaken that she could handle a brief fling with him. Tears streaked her face and she was still sobbing when housekeeping knocked on her door.

While she tried to relax on the beach chair she thought about her future. Mostly she thought about how she was going to face Trent again. She had practically told him she loved him with her body. She didn’t know how she was going to turn back to a friendship.

It wasn’t her style to sit around and mope. She realized what she needed to do. She contacted Trent and had arrangements made to be brought back that afternoon. It was obvious he had feelings too and she wasn’t going to let him run from them. She was going back and going to talk some sense into him.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in Indianapolis, Trent was cursing himself for all of the mistakes he made with Rachel. She did deserve it all – the real thing. He was too broken to provide it. At the same time he couldn’t stop thinking about how right it had been.

After discretely calling in some favors to make sure that nothing was to be printed in the gossip columns about either Rachel or himself he set into working on a new way to revive Pearson Chemicals. With the revived energy and adrenaline that carried over from Cozumel he knew he could find a way.

After taking care of the gossip column issue he stopped at the cemetery. He walked back to the large headstones marking where his parents and grandparents were buried. Kneeling he started talking to his mom and dad, asking them what he should do. If only they were there to provide answers.

He needed to make the situation right for Rachel. That meant shutting the door on the fling they had and opening the door for her future. He had to do what was right for her.

Trent had planned on picking her up from the airport. He wanted to make things up to her and get their friendship back on track. He couldn’t live without Rachel’s friendship. A last minute safety incident with potentially serious implications happened at one of his plants and he wanted to be there in person to see that everyone was ok. In his place he sent a driver to pick her up. He also sent her a text letting her know he would stop by her place as soon as he could that night so they could talk.

After seeing that all was under control at the plant and that no one in fact was seriously injured Trent started towards Rachel’s house when his phone rang. The caller id showed it was Rachel’s parents so he pulled over and picked up immediately.