Page 46 of Loving Trent (Love in the Bootheel #5)
She nods and squeezes my hands. She looks back toward the small cottage and smiles for the first time since she spoke about April. “Shawn seems like an amazing guy. We didn’t get to talk a lot, but the fact that he is willing to confront me speaks loudly to the type of person he is.”
I return her smile once she looks back at me. “He is pretty amazing. I’m lucky that he is willing to give me a shot.”
Just as I’m about to ask more about April, the front door opens, and Harley’s voice filters over the yard. “Trent, is everything okay?”
Looking over my shoulder, I wave her to come closer. “Everything is good. There is someone I’d like you to meet.” When Harley gets closer, I let go of Betty and scoot back, giving Harley enough room to sit down. “Harley, this is my little sister Betty. Betty, this is?—”
Harley holds out her hand and cuts me off with her reply.
“I’m his daughter.” Betty chokes on air as her pupils dilate, and her eyes fill with what I assume is shock.
I hide my reaction to Harley calling herself my daughter, but inside, I’m jumping around like a kid on Christmas morning.
Harley wastes no time explaining how she came into my life and what I’ve come to mean to her.
Halfway through, Betty wraps her arms around Harley and gives me a look full of rage and murder on Harley’s behalf.
To turn a weighty atmosphere into something light and bright, I look at both of them and say, “Now that you’re both here, do you want to help me plan my very first date?”
Harley squeals as tears still roll down her face, and Betty throws her head back in laughter, and all I can think is what a beautiful sound that is.
“Where are we going?” Shawn asks from the passenger seat.
The plan was to take my bike for the night, but it started to rain when I asked Shawn if he wanted to go on a date.
Even though I’m a hundred percent sure that Shawn likes me and everything is going to go according to plan, my insides are still jittery.
There is a slight tremble to my hands. Going on your first date at twenty-five is embarrassing and sad, but I refuse to allow myself to see it like that.
I’m looking at it as if I chose to wait for the perfect guy.
Reaching over, I lace my fingers with Shawns and bring his hand to my lips. “It’s a surprise,” I say, then ghost my lips across his knuckles. The sound of his sharp inhale of air and the tiny wiggle he does in his seat has my dick thickening.
Shawn lays his head back on the headrest and turns to look at me.
I force myself to tear my eyes away from his handsome face to focus on the road.
“We didn’t have enough time to talk at home about how you’re feeling since seeing Betty again.
” The quick change in subject matter takes care of my little problem instantly.
It was a mad rush for both of us to get ready for tonight.
More so him than me because Betty and Harley took care of everything from picking out my clothes to making sure we had reservations at a nice restaurant, plus tickets to the new movie, Shawn apparently talked Harley’s ear off about.
All I had to do was shower, put on the only nice, collared shirt I owned, and a pair of dark wash jeans, and let Betty style my hair.
When Shawn’s eyes turned dark with lust the moment he saw me, I knew I had made the right decision to let her pick my clothes.
“I’m doing surprisingly okay. I never allowed myself to think about trying to contact Betty because it caused me so much heartache. I assumed she would be a carbon copy of Josiah and Eve.”
Shawn’s deep, rich laugh fills the truck’s cab, turning my blood into lava.
My dick twitches in my jeans like his laugh was a physical touch, and it just stroked my shaft.
Honestly, the rush of blood leaving my head leaves me lightheaded.
Does this man know what he does to my body?
“I wasn’t sure what to expect when we pulled up at her house, but it was never that.
” He waves his hand in the air as if to conjure an image of my sister.
“I know, but it suits her, and as long as she’s happy,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “I’m good.”
Shawn squeezes my hand, and I briefly glance at him. His eyes shine bright in the glow of the radio lights and the fading sun. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”
A lump forms in my throat, and I have to blink multiple times to keep the tears away. I’m not going to cry tonight. “Thank you, Baby Boy.”
The song changes, and Shawn gasps, leaning forward to increase the volume.
He connected his phone the second he got inside and has been playing his music the entire time, which I don’t mind because he has good taste.
A drum starts, and I swear I feel Shawn vibrating in his seat.
As soon as the singer starts singing, Shawn’s voice accompanies it, and chills race up my spine and spread all over my body.
Keeping my eyes on the road becomes the hardest thing I’ve ever done as Shawn sings about this being the start of something good.
Shawn puts his whole being into the song, gripping my hand and singing at the top of his lungs.
The words sink deep into my soul and erase the last bit of loneliness that was holding on.
As the song fades, I hurriedly say, “Who was that?”
Shawn turns the radio down and settles back in his seat. “That was 'Start of Something Good' by Daughtry, and it’s our song.”
I turn on my blinker, pull into the parking lot of the Italian restaurant Betty found, shut the truck off, and turn toward Shawn.
His smile is blinding and sends a warming sensation through me.
Without saying anything, my hand grips his neck, and my lips attack his.
Shawn opens up for me and strokes his tongue against mine.
His arms go around my neck as he pulls me closer.
We both are bent forward over the console, and while I want to push it up and pull him into my lap, I hold off.
There will be plenty of time for this later.
With one more bite of Shawn’s bottom lip, I break the heated kiss.
It takes Shawn a second to open his eyes, but I never push him.
I don’t care if we are late for the reservation.
Once we have composed ourselves enough, I kiss Shawn’s nose and say, “Come on, Baby Boy, it’s time to start this date.”