The Unexpected Series (Unexpected #1-3) (47 page)

I return the smirk and take a sip of my drink, desperate for another one. More people have arrived and the temperature of the bar has risen. Erin’s quiet in the corner next to me, texting on her phone, while we all chatter about.

Ryder tries to chat up to a seriously annoyed Hadley while pushing his hand over to her. She shoves it away a few times.

“Hadley,” I call out hoping to save her from this very persistent man. “Is Braden coming?”

She eyes me skeptically before she realizes what I’m doing. “No, but I told him I’d meet him at home later.” She winks.

“Braden?” Ryder asks me.

I can see fumes of jealousy coming off of his body. “Her boyfriend,” I tell him.

The touches end there but I can tell from the familiarity of their body language that Hadley has some explaining to do for me later.

After that A.J. checks out women while Jace attempts to talk to me, but Erin’s silence makes me nervous.

“Why are you so quiet, Erin?” I whisper yell over the loud music. “You look guilty.”

Her brown eyes widen. “I had told...”

A large hand turns my shoulder and interrupts whatever confession she was about to tell me. “Do you want to dance, Noe?” Jace asks.

I glance back at her letting her know the conversation isn’t over and grab Jace’s hand. I’m not the best dancer but now that I’ve had a few drinks I should be good to go. Plus, it’s 80’s music...who couldn’t dance to this?

We both grab another drink at the bar, and I look back to our table finding Hadley and Ryder mere inches between each other’s bodies. A.J. has switched sides of the booth and is now talking to Erin. Her guilty eyes meet mine, and I know whatever she did earlier isn’t good.

Jace grabs my free hand and pulls me onto the floor just as
Jessie’s Girl
starts. His arms circle around me as much as they can while holding a beer and I lift mine around his neck, keeping my cold drink away from his skin. We move side to side, our foreheads touching, our eyes locked, and he leans in for a brief kiss. It’s sweet, sexy.

I turn around so that my back is leaning against his chest and throw my head onto his shoulder. His searching fingers find my hip and they hike all the way up my side until they reach my jaw. Pushing gently, he turns my head to meet his and his tongue pushes apart my closed lips. I open up, allowing him to take control.

“God, Noe. You’re so sexy,” he whispers against my mouth then claims it once again.

My body grows greedy, and I forget about what I said to Erin and Hadley. I forget where we are and grip his neck, pushing his mouth deeper into mine. We kiss until a sudden feeling of suffocation takes over. My heartbeat starts to quicken. My knees go weak, and I feel like I could drop to the floor at any moment. My palms grow sweaty and I shake, feeling as though something might be wrong. But when I open my eyes and look into the sea of people I find the reason for my body’s reaction.

Trent.

His chocolate brown irises are zoned in on the display in front of him. I don’t dare move an inch. Jace must not see him or just doesn’t care because he continues his assault of kisses on my neck and squeezes my body into him. I can feel his erection pressing into the back of my dress and it makes me feel dirty. On exhibit.

Trent doesn’t move from the bar he is leaning on, but as he takes a pull of his beer, he unapologetically takes in my body from head to toe. When his stare meets where Jace’s hands roam they grow angry. Dark.

“What’s the matter, baby?” Jace asks turning me around.

I know the instant he sees Trent because his body goes rigid. He mumbles a “fuck” and possessively wraps me up in his arms.

A slow song starts and Jace starts swaying with me again, acting as though we don’t have an audience. His nose nuzzles into my hair, into my neck and nips.

“Can I cut in?” Trent’s voice hits my body like lightning tensing up with the strike.

My eyes plead with Jace. I’m not sure for what. To say no. To say yes.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He pipes up continuing to hold me tighter swaying to the music.

I can’t see Trent but I can feel him. “And I don’t think it’s up to you.” His tone is terse.

Jace’s forehead meets mine again and whispers. “You want me to take care of this?”

I shake my head no and revolve around to tell Trent ‘no’, and I really try, but I can’t. I blame not denying his request on the fact that we’ve known each other for years, but in fact, it’s because I’m drawn to him, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.

Trent tilts his head to the side and a slow smile appears. “I’ll be good, Noe. I promise.”

“One song.” I agree and Jace drops my hand and stalks away. I can’t care about that now. All I care about is Trent’s hands that are reaching out for me. His arms wrapping around my waist and his soft, aggressive lips that are within licking distance.

A fast song filters throughout the bar but he’s taking it slow, breathing in the air I breathe out. Stroking my lower back and creating a pool of desire in me. His fingers are like Heaven. I’m in pure bliss whenever he touches me.

I risk looking up at him, finding a look of adoration and affection. Not like Jace, who looks at me like he wants to rip my clothes off. I smile back at him, and his body physically relaxes. Tugging me tighter into him, I can only lay my head on his chest as we move around the dance floor. Drunks jump, shake and grind all around us but we’re turning in slow circles. I inhale his scent, and it’s intoxicating. Tears start to well up in my eyes because this feels like home. Like I belong right here, in his embrace.

But I can’t.

Hoping to break the spell he is putting me under I pull back a fraction.

“Why are you here?” My voice is trembling as he continues rubbing circles into my back.

He doesn’t say a word but looks to the right. I follow his gaze and find Erin watching us.

Erin. That’s what she did.

“Sneaky Decker’s.” I laugh, but I’m confused.

“Who’s the other guy, Noelle?” He asks puzzling me even more but clarifies. “You said there was someone else besides Jace. I want to know who the other guy is.”

I don’t get why he cares. He’s with Alex. He let her back into his house after she abandoned him. He spends every waking moment with her. He sleeps with her at night. He allows her to spend time with a child that his family and I helped raise when he was desperate and needed help.

Me.

Us.

Not her.

“You. You’re the other guy.” Tears threaten again, and I push on his chest. “I can’t do this right now, Trent. I’m sorry.”

I leave him on the dance floor and find Jace with A.J. at the bar.

He turns away as I approach but still speaks to me. “Did you have fun?”

“Jace. Come on.” I try to calm the situation. He should be pissed. I shouldn’t have given Trent that dance.

A.J. clears his throat and awkwardly starts to walk away. “I’m going to head back to the table.”

“Jace.” I pull on his bicep to get him to face me but when he does turn around I see hurt and disappointment.

“You don’t look at me like that, Noelle,” he says looking past me pointing in Trent’s direction. “I can’t compete with that.”

I push a loud breath out of my lungs and my shoulders slump. “There’s no competition.”

He looks to the side for a second before finding my eyes again. With defeat written all over him he says, “I know and unfortunately it seems he is the one without competition.”

“Jace.”

“Him or me, Noe?” He raises his voice looking past me.

I answer him as honestly as I can. “I guess I still don’t know.”

We’re silent for a moment before he says, “Let’s just take a break. Seems like you need to figure some things out.”

He places his unfinished beer on the bar and walks away.

I
’m seriously doubting the validity of this Sunday dinner that Erin’s mom requested for me to join. I love to see Mama Decker but she took my Trent buffer away and told me that Jace could not come. Not that he would since we’re on a break. Only family. So, why the hell is Alex here?

My back aches from being slumped in the dining room chair as the Decker clan chatters about. Neither Alex nor I have touched our food and unlike last time when my foot could reach Trent’s crotch, this time I want to kick him in his balls. He won’t stop smirking and he has his arm draped over the back of Alex’s chair.

Asshole with a capital “A”.

Jace and I have been on difficult terms. I don’t know why I’m fighting the inevitable except that I want to be sure it won’t work out before I cut all ties with him.

But Trent doesn’t have to know that. All he needs to know is that it’s in his best interest to stay the hell away from me. My body, unfortunately, hasn’t gotten the memo because it’s turned the hell on. Anytime his lips wrap around his fork my mind spins, and if his tongue darts out I have to squeeze my legs together.

I should have known things wouldn’t work out with Jace because he can’t turn me on as instantly as Trent can.

I fucking hate my body.

“Aunt Noe,” Hannah, Erin’s oldest niece, grabs my attention. “My mom said one day you will be my real aunt.”

A fork is dropped; I think it’s mine or maybe Erin’s. Walker starts laughing as Nicole shushes Hannah. She doesn’t get the hint.

“What, Mom? You said if they both pull their heads out of their asses Uncle Trent would marry her. I want her to be my real aunt.”

“Hannah!” Nicole screams as Walker’s laugh gets louder. “Language.”

Yea, that’s what she should get yelled at for. Not the fact that she is trying to marry Trent and me off.

And marriage? Seriously?

“I’m not getting married,” I tell her trying to lighten the mood. “All of this can’t be tamed.” I bring my glass of wine to my lips risking a glance at Trent, who still has his arm around Alex, but whose smirk has been wiped clean off his face.

Awkward.

Hannah’s lip juts out in a pout. “You don’t want to be my aunt?”

Is this kid for real?

“I am your aunt, baby. I’m Aunt Noe.” Another sip of my wine. With no food in my stomach I’m sure to be blissfully drunk very soon.

“So, you just don’t want to marry Uncle Trent.” She states with a shrug like this conversation isn’t a big deal. Why is no one stopping this interrogation? I’m about to muzzle this chick. Pre-teen or not.

I risk another glance at Trent. His eyes are soft and questioning. My chest starts to tighten because never in my life would I deny that I would want him as my husband. Despite the fact that Jace and my weird relationship could be terminated on the spot, he is still with Alex.

“Excuse me.” I pardon myself before the tears spill over.

My feet feel heavy as I walk through the hallway.

“Go after her, Trent,” Alex commands.

Why does she even care?

Another chair scrapes the floor and heavy footsteps follow after me. I quicken my pace and run out the front door, sprinting to the lake across the street. Moments later, Trent joins me on the bench, but says nothing.

“Why did she tell you to come after me?” I finally break the silence and face him, tears kept back.

He stays quiet, his lips pressed firmly together before he looks out towards the water.

“Okay, since that seems to be a tough question for you, why don’t you tell me why she is living with you?”

His head shakes from side to side confirming that is another question he won’t answer.

“Can you tell me anything?” I stand and pace in front of him. “Anything, Trent? I’ll take anything.”

“We’re not together,” he whispers peering up at me. I lose track of thought when he stares directly at me. It’s like the sun...you know it’s bad to look directly at it but you can’t help it.

“I know we’re not together, Trent, but you still owe me an explanation. Your family wasn’t the only people who held you up when she left! I don’t understand how you could just let her back in after all she did.” I can’t take it anymore. I have to walk away.

“It’s not my story to tell and I meant that Alex and I aren’t together.” I hear from behind me and whip around.

He’s standing now, and I finally notice what he’s wearing. I wish I hadn’t. Trent is sexy in anything but when he wears a polo shirt I lose it. The way it hugs his pecs just so that you can see the outline makes him look like a man. Nothing like the teenager I met all those years ago. And the fists he clenches at his side. Yea, I’ve had those fingers all over me.

“Push it up, Noe.” His legs bring him closer to me and I crank my neck to look up at him.

“What are you talking about?” I question as my body sways into his. I swear it has a mind of its own because if it was listening to me I would be running far far away from him.

“Your jaw, it seems in need of being pushed up since you are gawking at me.” One lone finger comes up and presses on my chin until my teeth meet.

I shove myself away from him and stomp back across the street. I wanted to be alone. I’m going home. I need to be away from him. Even an hour has clouded my judgment. When his finger touched me I almost came. He has way too much of an effect on me.

Before I reach the path to the door I remember what he said. He isn’t with Alex. Well, he’s going to answer at least one of my questions today. When I stop mid-step he runs into the back of me and I launch forward and practically hit the garage door.