Page 49 of Bride Games

49

P aige dried her tears and took a sip of water. Be calm. Be calm. Squaring her shoulders, she opened the bathroom door and gasped. Trent stood stark naked holding two glasses of wine.

“What the hell are you doing, Trent? Put on some damn clothes!”

“Oh, come on. It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked a hundred times. Here, have a glass of wine. It’ll calm you.”

Paige shook her head avoiding his naked body. Forcing herself to only look in Trent’s eyes, she said, “I’ve already had too much to drink tonight.”

“Nah, the alcohol wore off with the coffee and cake. Just drink half a glass. You’ll feel better.” Trent thrust a wineglass toward her. She noticed he had drained the wine bottle he had confiscated and had poured a healthy amount in each of their glasses.

“I might as well. What the hell.” Paige reached for the glass and took a big sip.

“That’s better. You’ll forget about Marie and Zach in no time.” Trent patted the edge of the bed.

“Will you put some clothes on? Honestly, Trent. Don’t be an ass. I’m not sleeping with you.”

He fake pouted. “How about for old time’s sake. Just this once.” When she gave him a sideways look, Trent said, “Okay, okay,” and pulled a sheet over his privates as he patted the bed again.

For whatever reason—exhaustion or disappointment—Paige sat beside Trent but avoided his gaze. She focused on a red string on the carpet, took a few more sips, and felt her shoulders relax. “No touching.”

Trent clinked her glass. “Our glasses can touch, right?”

“You’re impossible.” Paige stared at the thermostat on the wall. Suddenly sweating, she hopped up and turned the temperature down to sixty-nine degrees. Trent watched her every move. He chuckled when he saw the digital temp. “I like that number.”

“Don’t get any ideas. Will you put some PJs on? I’m getting sleepy.”

“You know I don’t wear pajamas, Paige. Does Zachy-boy wear PJs?”

“Shut up.”

Trent put both hands in the air as if he were being held up. “Sorry. I’ll stay covered up. It’s getting late. We’re going to have to go to the airport in five hours.”

“I forgot about that.” Paige yawned. “I’m really sleepy now. I guess the wine did relax me.” She went into the bathroom and reached for two oversized towels to put between them. When she returned, Trent was covered up but half sitting against the pillows.

“What are you doing with the towels?”

“Making a barrier.” Paige began rolling them up lengthwise.

“I’m not going to attack you in your sleep. Give me some credit.”

She stopped rolling the towels and stared at him. “Promise?”

“Scouts honor.” Trent made an “X” across his chest.

Paige returned the towels to the bathroom, charged her phone, and crawled into bed, wondering what the hell was wrong with her. But she knew she didn’t have any choice. The flights were all canceled. The hotel was booked. Sure, she could sleep on the floor and have an aching back the next day or she could go to the lobby and sleep in a chair, but exhaustion overcame her. She slid between the covers and scooted toward the edge of her side.

Trent patted the bed. “I won’t bite. You used to sleep in the middle. We cuddled, remember?”

“We aren’t a ‘we’ anymore. You need to get that through your head.” Paige tugged at the comforter and pulled it up to her chin, wishing her former fiancé weren’t naked and also wishing she didn’t have doubts about Zach and Marie.

Unable to sleep, she laid awake until she heard soft snoring coming from Trent. Thank goodness. She checked the time on her phone and doublechecked that she had set the alarm. In the middle of the night, she felt something heavy on her and realized it was an arm. Half asleep, she backed into the comfortable position she had been accustomed to for a few years. She drifted back to sleep only to be awakened by fingertips caressing her face and neck. Dreaming that she and Zach were in one of their hiding places at the station and making out like two teenagers, she turned, moaned, and woke up as a tongue flicked inside her mouth.

He was a good kisser. She wanted—needed—to be kissed. Paige leaned into his warm body and kissed him back while in her dreamy state. As his hands began roaming where they shouldn’t and especially when she felt his erection, she awoke fully. “Oh, my God. Trent, what the hell are you doing?”

“Kissing you. And by the way you kissed me back, I think you rather enjoyed it.” He laid her back on the bed and kissed her softly and then more urgently. “I’ve missed you, Paige. I want you, Paige.” Trent’s voice was husky. “Give me another ch?—”

“No. I can’t.” Paige bolted for the restroom. “It’s too late for us. We had a good ride until you screwed another woman. Or was it women?” She held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know. I’m getting dressed and going to the airport.”

Trent rubbed his eyes and glanced at a clock on the nightstand. “We can get two more hours’ sleep.” He sighed. “I’ll leave you alone. Promise.”

“Yeah, right. You promised earlier. See where that got you—me—us.” Paige reached for the clothes she had worn the previous day. There was no way in hell she was going to wear a sexy red dress and zebra-striped heels.

Trent’s eyebrows shot up. “Paige, you have an image. You can’t be seen in the same wrinkled clothes from yesterday.”

“There’s more to life than images and fans, Trent. I know you haven’t yet realized that, but I have. No one gives a shit if I’m in wrinkled clothes. I’m leaving. Nice chat.”

“You’re being ridiculous. It’s not like you’re a virgin and not like we weren’t getting married. Are you and Zach a”—he made air quotes—“thing now? Because from the game last night it sure doesn’t look like it.”

“It’s none of your business,” Paige snapped, as she grabbed her purse and belongings. She let the door slam, but in the hallway, she realized she had left her cellphone and charger on the nightstand. “Dammit.”

She used her hotel key to open the door and a smiling, still naked Trent, stood a foot from the door holding her items. “Miss me already? Because I miss you.”

She reached for her phone. “If I forgot something else, I’ll have someone from the station retrieve it. Bye, Trent.” With that, Paige rushed toward the elevator and called an Uber from the lobby. She didn’t have time to wait for the hotel shuttle. She had to get home.