TrentI was sitting in the breakfast nook, the sun streaming through the window as I sipped strong coffee. Leia was laying on my feet, softly snoring.She was not a morning dog. I had kept her up and out much later than I ever had before. The poor dog was beat. I had a feeling she would sleep all day while I was at work.I looked around the area and was impressed to see it was impeccable. Mira had hired extra housecleaners to clean up after the party. They’d already been in and gone, leaving the house completely spotless.I was impressed by their efficiency. There was almost no hint there had been a party in the house at all. Except for the three lovely ladies passed out in one of my guest rooms.Everyone else had declined my offer to stay the night. Sade had only agreed because her friends encouraged her, and I had a feeling her friends went along with it because they were hoping something would happen between Sade and me.I couldn’t say I didn’t share their hopes, but it wasn’t mean
Trent“Good morning, ladies,” I said in a cheery voice.“He’s perky,” Julia grumbled. “I forgot to mention that. He’s like a Khloe two point oh.”Khloe smiled. “Ignore them. They’re cranky first thing in the morning. Not me. I love the morning.”“And that’s why we hate you,” Sade mumbled.“I’ve got coffee,” I said. “Everyone have some coffee before you start clawing at each other.”They all laughed, telling me their squabbling was normal. Julia helped herself to more bacon, grabbing a maple bar and a banana as well. Khloe went after the fruit and a bagel. I noticed Sade only grabbed a banana and a few pieces of fruit and a small scoop of granola before taking a seat at the table.“Do you want to go back to the hotel before we head out on the boat?” I asked them.They looked at each other. “We’ve got our bathing suits. I don’t think we need anything else.”“Perfect. I’ll make a call and be right back.” I excused myself from the room.I returned a few minutes later to find Leia had move
SadeI stretched out on the chair, my sunglasses on as I absorbed the sun’s rays. I would normally be working on my tan, but I was not about to parade around in my bathing suit with him watching.I had caught him looking at me—a lot. Julia and Khloe were convinced it was because he was into me. I was worried he wanted to eat me and was trying to figure out what part of me to chop off first. He had a very hungry look in his eyes.I had moved my chair under the guise of wanting better sun, but in reality, it was so I could watch him without being obvious. I had slightly better manners than he did obviously. He had no qualms about openly staring and ogling, but my parents had taught me better than that.“What do you think he’s thinking?” I asked Julia, keeping my voice low.She shrugged. “Well, he’s a man. I would guess sex, sex, food, and sex.”I groaned. “Thanks.”“Relax,” Khloe said. “I’m not getting any bad vibes from him. He seems like a good guy. Maybe he’s lonely. I’m sure it woul
SadeI shook my head. “No way. You go.”“All right,” she said with a giggle before plugging her nose and jumping overboard. Her head popped up through the surface and she smiled. “Come on. How many times are you going to get the chance to go swimming off a yacht in Lake Tahoe?”Khloe pulled off her sunglasses and dropped them on a lounge chair. “I’m coming.”“I’ll be here, ready to toss in the floatie to save you,” I told her.She took a few steps back and ran. I stood on the edge of the boat, watching them frolic in the water. It looked too good. They were having a blast, and I was sitting on the deck, missing out on what was obviously a good time because I was too self-conscious of my figure.“Fuck it,” I muttered. I undid my shorts and stepped out of them before yanking off my shirt and jumping in without thinking twice about it.When I resurfaced, Trent was there, staring at me again. This time, I knew what I was seeing. It was pure lust. I stared at him, offering him a coy smile.
TrentI was running late. Not technically late, but later than my usual time to get to the office. I smiled and nodded at Ashley, who told me I had a call on hold. From the lawyer. That got a fire burning under me. I rushed inside, dropped my briefcase, and reached for my phone before even sitting down.“Trent here,” I answered, a little out of breath.“Trent, good news,” Lance announced.I was afraid to breathe. “What?”“It’s done. I’ve got some paperwork for you to sign, but other than that, it’s a done deal. He went for the offer, and it’s yours!”“No shit?” I breathed out.He chuckled. “No shit. I’ll get the paperwork together. You can come by later today or tomorrow, and we’ll take care of the details.”“Thank you, Lance,” I said, beyond excited. “Seriously, thank you. This is amazing.”We ended the call, and the first thing I did was go in search of Richie. I knew he was going to be excited. It was a huge deal for us. It was really going to put us on the map in the city. I was t
TrentSade laughed. “I like a party—from a distance.”“I can understand that. I’m guessing he’ll have the party starting around seven or so. I’ll meet you around then if that works?” “Sure. I’d like that. Where?”“How about seven at the main elevators?” I asked, firming up the plan.“I’ll be there,” she whispered.I hung up the phone, feeling pretty damn good about the day and everything else. There had been some dark days in my past. Days when I had been convinced I would never be truly happy. I had seen my brothers in arms suffering and struggling. I had thought that was my future. It had been a series of hard choices, but I pulled through. That wasn’t to say I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night in the grips of a horrible nightmare on occasion.With my plans for the evening set, I turned my focus to the acquisition. There was a lot of updating that would need to be done to bring the hotel up to the high standards I had a reputation for. At least, I was trying to have a reput
SadeI felt brave, like I was finally in the right place at the right time. I wasn’t shy. Well, I was shy, but not my normal shy. I could talk to him and be flirty with him and not feel like a complete dork. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was me trusting what Julia and Khloe had been saying—he was into me.“I’ll be right back,” Trent said, leaning down to speak close to my ear. His hot breath washed over me, sending shivers up and down my spine.“I’ll be right here,” I said with a smile.He walked away, moving to talk to a man who looked important. I watched him move, watched the way he swung his arms. He had an easy stride. One of confidence and power.“Well?” Khloe asked after walking over and bumping my hip with her own.“Well, what?” I asked.“How’s it going?” Julia asked. “He seriously only has eyes for you. I want a man who looks at me like that.”“He’s hot, isn’t he?” I asked with a grin.They both gave me dirty looks.“Yes, he is, and we are both incredibly jealous,” Kh
Sade“Want to dance again?” he asked.“I would, but can we wait a minute?” I asked.Before he could answer, someone shouted his name. He looked at me and grimaced. “Hold that thought. Give me five minutes, and I’ll be right back.”“Take your time,” I told him.“I’m not going to be gone long,” he said, his eyes holding mine. “Trust me. I want to be right here.” “I’ll be waiting,” I told him, hoping I sounded sexy and not desperate.He walked away and I watched. Again. I was seriously becoming addicted to the man. I snatched a glass of champagne off a tray and drank it way too fast. I felt the buzz. I felt good.I watched Trent work his way through the crowd. His eyes always came back to me. I found myself wanting to dance, and I didn’t give a shit that I was alone.I finished another glass of champagne and headed out to the dance floor, dancing and swaying to the music. I wasn’t dancing with anyone in particular, and I didn’t care. I was having a blast, and I felt completely free. Uni