Trenton's Terms (8 page)

Catching the towel with ease, he laughed. “Easy is the last word I would use to describe you, Sid. I think that's what makes you so special."

The appalled look on his face told her his words were as big a shock to himself as they were to her. This was the second comment he made today that insinuated she was different. She didn't know what he meant by them. No matter how easy it would be to go all girly on him she didn't plan to think they meant more than they did. Especially with the nauseous look that plastered to his face.

"Don't worry. I won't take that to mean anything more than the passing comment that I'm sure you meant it as. Like you told me in my boutique yesterday, I won't read more into any of this than what it really is.” Yesterday? Was it really just yesterday that they'd started spending time together? She felt as if she'd known him forever.

"If you know anything about me Sid, I want you to know I rarely say things I don't mean. If I do, I admit to it. I can't tell you what it means, but I meant what I just said."

Her heart almost stopped.
Don't do this. Don't let yourself be fooled. Live in the moment and take this night lightly.
“Well, okay. How about we wash up and get this dinner started?"

After they cleaned their hands, Sidney grabbed the chicken out of the fridge and put it on the counter. “Can you grab the flour out of the cabinet to your right?"

Reaching up he did what she asked. When he set the bag down a cloud of flour rose from the bag and splattering on her face.

"Hey,” she said wiping her face with her hand.

Trenton laughed loudly enjoying the mess he'd made.

"How do you like it?” she asked grabbing a small handful of flour from the bag and tossing it at him. She missed his face, but coated his left shoulder. His eyes spread wide with a look of shock. “What, big city boys never have food fights?” she asked grabbing another handful and tossing it at him. This time she got his neck and the side of his face.

"This means war, woman.” He filled his large hand with flour and threw it at her lightly. It landed in her hair and on her face. Knowing it was coming she closed her eyes so he didn't hurt. “Ouch,” lowering her face, one hand came up and covered her eye.

As planned, a quick second later Trenton was by her side. “Are you okay?” he asked cradling her face in his hands. Her body wanted to submit to him right then and there. His strength, honor, and pride could be felt in something as small as his hand on her face.

But this was a war.

Sidney slipped her free hand slowly and quietly to the bag of flour sitting on the counter. Grabbing the biggest handful she could she raised her hand to the back of his head smearing the flour in his hair. “Gotcha,” she pulled away laughing.

Standing there a minute, he stared at her, a look of confusion in his eyes. “You tricked me?"

Sidney ceased her laughter long enough to reply to him. “Is this the first time someone has got the best of Trenton Stone?” Her words were meant as a joke, but he had a serious spark in his ocean colored eyes.

"As a matter of fact it is."

Guilt swept over her. The whole food fight was meant to be a game, but Trenton looked like he'd just lost a big account at work. He seemed devastated. “Trenton—” the apology almost made it from her lips when she felt a massive handful of flour smashed into the back of her head.

Her own laughter earlier was nothing compared to the booming, joyful laugh that vibrated her kitchen. She could do nothing but join him. The sound was too contagious, infectious for her not to catch the bug.

"You aren't the only one who knows how to play the game, Sid,” he finally said when they stopped laughing long enough to talk. “When I play, I play to win."

Truer words had never been spoken. She knew that about him more than anything else. He'd already won her over he just didn't know it yet. The more time she spent with him the more she connected to him, she felt him deep within her soul like no other man she'd ever known. She'd feared falling in love with him and in the matter of a couple days she'd done exactly that.

She hoped she didn't come away with a broken heart.

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Standing here, cooking in Sidney's bright yellow, country kitchen felt like home. He couldn't believe it. He felt more comfortable, at home than he did at his condo in LA. He was happier than he ever remembered feeling. Sidney was fun, free, and lively. She made him feel the same way and he wanted her more than ever.
It's more than that and you know it,
his inner voice told him. Ignoring it, he flipped the frying chicken while Sid continued to make the salad.

After their fight with the flour they'd each washed the majority of the white powder from their body and started the meal. They worked well together, Trenton taking care of the chicken while Sidney did the potatoes and made the salad. They chatted as they cooked, reminiscing on their day and the impromptu food fight.

She smiled a lot and he couldn't help but wonder if she was always this happy or if he somehow brought it out in her. Her body moved around the kitchen gracefully, her ass looking tight in the black sweatpants she wore. The women he knew back home wouldn't be comfortable walking around the kitchen in the comfortable attire she wore. They'd have rushed to the room dressed the part and applied a fresh face of makeup before doing a chore like cooking dinner.

Not Sid. She was a breath of fresh air and he realized he never wanted to stop breathing her in. She gave new life to his lungs, his life, and he hated to admit it, but his heart.

"The chicken about done over there?” she asked breaking into his thoughts.

"Yeah. You ready for it?” He turned his head to see her shake hers yes. He plucked the chicken from the skillet putting a piece on each plate that she'd set by him. While he moved the pan to a cooler burner, Sidney put a pile of salad and a baked potato on each plate. When she was done she walked the plates to her small table to set them down.

"I'm starving,” he joined her at the table.

"Me too,” she admitted as they sat down to eat.

They were each silent a few minutes, eating their food, looking up every few seconds at one another. He could sense something was on her mind. He wanted her to let it out, to feel comfortable around him to ask whatever she wanted so he continued the silence until she finally spoke.

"Tell me something about yourself, Trenton."

"Like what, Sid? You know who I am, where I live, what I do for a living. What else is there?"

Men.
No matter how smart they were, how strong, or how confident they just didn't get it. “I want to know about
you.
” She really wanted to know more about him, everything about him, not just the basics.

"This is going to be a two way street, Sid. You get questions and so do I. Just like the first night we met, tit for tat."

Leave it to Trenton to turn this around, but at least she was getting her wish. This just might be her last opportunity to find out as much about him as she could, the big and the small. “Alright. Who goes first?"

He didn't answer, but asked his first question instead. “Tell me about Mandy the mouth. What was she talking about last night when she mentioned another out of town guy?"

Of all the questions he could ask she didn't expect that one. For all she knew, he'd completely forgotten about the incident. Why would he care about that? Unless for some reason he was the type of man who got jealous over past affairs. No, not Trenton. He was too secure to be jealous over someone in the past.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
His first question was a painful one, one that stood between them and what they both wanted. But man, she wanted to know more about him and this was the only way. She had to play his game to get her own rewards no matter how foolish it made her feel.

"You really want to know this? It's not that big a deal.”
Yeah right.

"Yeah right,” he echoed the words she spoke in her head. How were they so in tuned to each other? She couldn't understand it.

Here goes nothing.
“There was this guy who came into town on business. I know it sounds crazy that someone would come to River City on business, but it does happen. Anyway, he was here for a few months and during that time we got ... close.” From across the table she saw his jaw tighten and flex.
Surprise, surprise.

"I did the typical girl thing and fell for him. I thought I meant something to him when I didn't. When it was time for him to leave he didn't even think twice about me. Not that I expected him to stay here just for me, but I thought maybe we'd try to make it work. He told me I wasn't the type of woman he could bring home to the family. Apparently the whole Mystic Boutique thing was a problem for him. Not a big enough problem so that he couldn't sleep with me though."

A deep, shaky breath escaped her lungs when she finished. She looked across the table, over their half eaten food at Trenton. He didn't look down at her or with pity. He looked like he cared and that made it a whole lot easier. It actually felt good to share it with him. Like he somehow understood her better, like their bond was strengthening.

"What a dick. You deserve better than that.” The anger she heard in his voice shocked her to the core. “If he ever comes back into town I want you to show me who he is. I'll show him what's good for him."

Her heart soared with the protective tone in his voice.
Get your butt back down to earth, girl. He'll be leaving soon too.
Changing the subject she asked her question. “What's the real reason you ran away from your hometown when you were eighteen?"

Trenton cut a piece of chicken and popped it into his mouth. He chewed for a minute, swallowed and then looked her in the eye. He looked apprehensive but spoke anyway. “You sure you want to hear this?"

"Yes,” her voice sounded shaky. Like she was the one telling some big secret from her past.

"I grew up with money. We were high respected citizens in town. Unfortunately, no one knew our little secret. My dad was a drug addict. He not only did drugs, but he sold them as well. He hid it well. Hell, my mom hid it for him. It used to piss me off that she let him get away with it. She wanted everyone to look up to us and she never once pushed him to get help because he was her paycheck.

"I hated them both for it. Hated that they cared so much what other people thought they'd live a lie. I know it was an addiction. I don't look down at people for that, but I can't handle the fact that he never tried to get help. She never cared about him or me enough to make him. All she cared about was what everyone else thought."

Trenton stopped and took a couple deep breaths before continuing. “A couple weeks before I turned eighteen my dad won a citizenship award in town. I remember watching him except the award, looking at all the people who held adoration in their eyes and I was sick. I couldn't handle it anymore. To make a long story short, I turned eighteen and left to find something better. I swore I'd never care what other people thought about me. I'd never make that the most important thing in my life."

Wow. She didn't know what she expected, but that wasn't it. Her heart went out to him she respected him and understood him much better now. “I'm so sorry, Trenton."

He looked at her. His eyes were soft, caring. “Don't be. I didn't tell you so you would feel bad for me. It wasn't so bad and I've had a great life in LA. I told you because I trust you."

If she doubted it before right now she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she loved him. Loved everything about him. The fact that he honored her with his trust, with memories that had to be painful for him almost brought her to tears. But he wouldn't want that so she would hold back. “What's your next question?"

"It's a tough one. You sure you're ready for it?"

Not really.
“Throw it at me. I didn't expect you to go easy on me, Stone."

"Why do you really keep turning me down?"

Sidney stalled returning his earlier tactic by taking a bite of her food. His question didn't surprise her. Trenton was blunt. She expected nothing less than that and she actually respected that quality about him. Honesty was important to her so she'd be truthful with him but she wondered if he was ready to hear what she had to say.

"You sure you want to know, Stone?"

"I think I can handle anything you throw at me, Sid."

"Well I'm sure you know part of it comes from Ivan, the guy I told you about. But the real truth of the matter is I know you can hurt me ten times as much as he ever did. I can't explain it, but from the second I saw you I knew you were different. I knew you could break my heart."

The words passed through her lips with authority. She was tired of running. Trenton meant something to her. Exactly what, she didn't know, but it was big. Luckily, he didn't flinch at her words. He just nodded his head and waited for her next question.

Here goes nothing.
“Did you find what you were looking for when you left?"

The silence that coated the air sat thicker than the silences before. She wondered if she made a mistake by asking the question, but no matter what, she wouldn't take it back. This was the only way to find out all she could about Trenton. Somehow she already felt as though she knew him better than anyone else, but she wanted to know him completely.

"No,” his blunt honesty didn't surprise her. “I was happy, sure, but I don't think I realized I hadn't found what I was looking for until now."

He didn't plan to say the words but they'd drifted from his mouth nonetheless. They were true, he knew it as he said them, but he hadn't planned it. No matter what the truth was he still didn't know what he planned to do about it. Talking with Sidney felt different than anything he'd ever known. She was smart, strong, funny, special ... his. His primitive, possessive nature emerged from him with a force.

But still, could he stay in River City to be with her? He wasn't sure and no matter what, he didn't know if he was capable of putting someone else before himself.
Selfish bastard.