Authors: Shannon Reckler
“What the hell was that? It looked like a cross between magic and sex on the dance floor.” Anna’s chest rose and fell quickly from the race out of the bar. “Hello! Daphne!” Anna snapped her fingers twice in front of her face.
“I don’t know, Anna. I don’t know what the hell happened. I was enjoying myself, dancing with everyone. Then I turned around and I was in Trent’s arms. And, damn him, he’s a good dancer. So it was just fun and flirty, that kind of thing. I tried to get away when the slow song came on, but he refused to let me go. Then all of a sudden we were waltzing.
Waltzing
, damn it, in a country bar.” Daphne gripped the steering wheel as she tried to reign in some of her emotions.
“That was a waltz?” Anna wrinkled her nose up in confusion.
“That’s not the point. But you were right. It definitely felt like some form of sex and magic. When he was twirling me around, everything else just faded away. It seemed like it was just me and him dancing, almost moving as one.” Daphne was almost caught up in the spell again when Anna let out a not so delicate snort.
“Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? I mean it sounds kind of awesome, but still ridiculous. I never pegged you for the fairy tale kind of woman.”
“I’m not. I know you found yours and trust me I envy your relationship. But I never believed in a fairy tale for me. Hell, this is Trent Bradshaw, the guy who crushed me in high school. I should be trying to distance myself from him. Not plastering myself against his body. His really hard, sculpted, warm body.” Daphne drifted off again and Anna snapped her fingers once more.
“Trent has changed a lot since high school. And I promise he would apologize if you gave him the chance.”
Daphne bit her lip. “I don’t want his apology. That was a completely different life. I want to move forward, not backward. But we were supposed to be moving toward a business relationship. He’s contracted to build my store.”
“Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?” Anna winked as they pulled up in front of her house. As her friend climbed out of the car, she replied.
“Now, Anna, I stopped eating cake a long time ago. I can’t weaken my resistance now.” Daphne smiled hoping she sounded sincere. Because she was. She was sure she was. Anna snorted once more.
Chapter 5
Daphne dreaded her meeting with Trent after their dance last night. She had woken up with a fine sheen of sweat dampening her skin and the evidence of a wet dream coating the insides her thighs. She had dreamed of Trent and his many extraordinary talents all night, and, go figure, she woke up with a hunger for cake.
Two hours later, she was driving to the store, torn between being anxious and nervous. When she pulled in next to his black truck, her attention shifted to the demolition of the store. The outside was the same, the red brick untouched by the construction inside.
There was now a large garbage dumpster outside for building materials and a thin coating of sawdust over most of the parking lot. She couldn’t wait to get inside and take a look at what they had accomplished.
Trent had told her they were making decent progress, she just hoped it would all turn out like she wanted. Today, she was reviewing the materials she picked out that had finally been delivered.
When she walked inside the building, she was surprised at how much had changed. The building had been gutted. The floor was ripped up to the concrete foundation. The walls were devoid of sheetrock so she could see the framework, electrical wires, and the pipes. It looked like everything that had been broken or damaged was getting fixed or had been already replaced.
There were four guys milling around the building, working on various projects. They all looked up and smiled at her entrance, but none of them were Trent. She continued to look around and after a moment Trent came out of the back office. He was looking at a piece of paper in his hand, oblivious to her presence.
This, however, gave Daphne plenty of time of time to look at him. Of course, because she needed to resist him, he was shirtless with a tool belt slung low on his hips. He had jeans encasing his legs and a pair of black, work boots on his feet.
It was spring time in Georgia, so it was relatively warm. Daphne had never been more grateful for the heat. Droplets of sweat were running down his muscular chest, lightly covered in chest hair, but not enough to distract from the very sculpted muscles. He had an incredible set of washboard abs and a light happy trail that disappeared into the waistband of his jeans.
She took a step toward him at the same time that one of the crew members cleared his throat. At the sounds Trent jerked his head up. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Then he smiled a shit-eating grin that spread across his face and made his eyes light up.
“Why Ms. Brooks, how are you today?” He placed his hands on his hips, which gave her a clear view of his chest.
Daphne glanced away, pretending to be interested in the new wiring in the wall closet to her. “I’d be better if you put a shirt on.”
“I seriously doubt that.” Trent started to step forward when the same crew member cleared his throat.
It was a younger gentleman with dark brown hair and a dark gaze. “Yo, boss, we’re gonna go to lunch. You going to go grab something later or should I bring you something back?” Unlike Trent, he had a black tank top on as well as similar jeans and boots. Daphne found him attractive but nothing compared to the shirtless man in front of her.
Trent turned to his crew member. “Yeah. Thanks Owen, if you could pick me up my usual Ruben sandwich and fries that would be great.” Trent handed Owen some cash and then waited for everyone to leave. Finally, it was just the two of them in the shop. Trent looked over at her and winked.
“Wanna dance?” He laughed and she wanted to punch him.
“No. I want to see the materials I ordered.” Daphne hoped that she could pass for calm, cool, and collected. She also hoped that her bra was thick enough that her hard nipples wouldn’t show through the thin material of her black vee neck t–shirt. She had dressed casually in a pair of Bermuda shorts that cut off right above her knee, her t-shirt, and a pair of black flip-flops.
Trent studied her for a moment and then gave a short nod. He led her into the back office where there were stacks of boxes lining the walls. He showed her the flooring, the paneling, the paint, and some of the display materials.
She approved everything easily, but was continually distracted by the smell radiating off of Trent. In the small office, he was continually standing closer to her. She noticed his arm brushed hers, and his front stayed close to her back as she inspected everything. By the time they were done, Daphne was sweating but not from the heat.
They walked out of the office and back into the front of the store. Daphne turned around to say something, but this time Trent held up his hand.
“Don’t play games with me, Daphne. I know something happened between us last night and I think it’s worth exploring.” He took a few steps toward her, bringing them only about a foot apart. “But don’t try to lie to me and pretend like nothing happened.”
“I never said nothing happened. I just said that it might be best if—” Daphne was stopped when Trent gripped her biceps and covered her lips with his own. She was stunned for a moment and stood still as he worked his lips over hers and teased until she relaxed.
Damn, but the man could kiss. He moved his hands to her waist and she brought her hands up to his neck and buried her hands in his sweaty hair.
As soon as she parted her lips, his tongue swept inside and demanded she give him more. Their tongues dueled and Trent groaned deep in his throat. He playfully bit the edge of her lip and it was her turn to moan into his mouth and grasp his hair.
When his hand slid down to her butt and melded his lower half with hers, she almost melted into the floor. His hard erection pushed against her stomach and she moaned even louder into his mouth. She would definitely be lying if she said she didn’t want to explore this man.
He pulled back and she almost whimpered. He leaned his head down and whispered next to her ear. “Don’t you dare try to tell me this is nothing or that we would be best as business partners. I can promise you, we could have so much more fun exploring whatever this thing is.”
He pushed his hips harder against hers, his cock insistent. She rested her forehead against his pecs and her glance down provided her with a view of his cock–head. It was sticking out over the rim of his low slung pants. Before she could stop herself, she brushed her finger over the tip that was showing. At his sharp intake of breath, she jerked her hand away.
“Sorry,” she quietly whispered.
“Don’t be sorry. I want you to touch. Just not here. My crew should be back soon, and I could definitely use a shower.”
She shook her head slightly, he smelled amazing to her.
“This is crazy Trent. I, we...can’t.” Daphne took a step back.
“Damn it, Daphne. Don’t give me that shit. At least give me a chance. Let me cook dinner for you tonight.” He pulled up his pants, readjusting himself. He was still hard, but she was no longer getting a good view. She hesitated for a moment and she saw the anger in his eyes.
“Fine. When?” Daphne knew it might be a bad decision, but with the way her body was humming, she couldn't find the strength to resist him.
“Tonight. Can you come by my place at seven–thirty?” He looked surprised she had given in. When she nodded, he pulled her back in for another hard kiss. His tongue was much more demanding this time, demanding she give him everything. He wrapped one hand around the back of her neck and the other clenched on her waist, pulling her back in. She was melting all over again when he jerked himself away.
She wanted to stomp her foot, she was getting very sexually frustrated in a very short period of time.
Trent rubbed his thumb down the side of her face before putting a few feet between them. “Tonight. I’ll see you later tonight.”
Daphne gave his body one last look before she jerked her gaze away and ran away for the second time in twenty-four hours, but for two very different reasons.
****
Trent was stirring the sauce when he heard a tentative knock on his front door. He had texted her the directions to his apartment soon after she had left the store. However, he got the feeling that she had already known where he lived. In this town, it wasn’t a shock though.
After she had left, they had gotten a lot done on the shop. All the walls were back in place, covered by sheet rock, and they cleared the floor. With any luck they would be painting the walls and installing the hardwood floor tomorrow. He was excited to tell her of the progress they made. And to possible continue from where they left off.
When he opened the door and his breath hitched. Daphne stood in front of him, looking hesitant. She also looked amazing. She was in a simple red dress that hugged her curves and flared out around her knees. He legs were tan, toned and bare. Her feet were in a pair of simple wedge sandals. The deep vee of the dress drew his attention momentarily to the ample cleavage it revealed. Her blonde hair was in soft curls that feel down do her mid-back. Then he was caught in the fire in her eyes.
He bent down and placed a kiss on her cheek, before he waved her inside. The apartment wasn’t much but she stopped to take it all in. The living room was open and airy, with a couch and recliner that sat in front of an entertainment center. The kitchen melded with the living room, transitioning from carpet to hardwood. All the appliances were new and it was clean.
He wasn’t ashamed of anything and let her walk around, getting used to being alone with him. He headed back into the kitchen while she explored. He stirred the sauce once more, before he started the pasta. Once he had everything cooking he put the garlic bread in the oven. He wasn’t the best cook but he could make a few simple things. Spaghetti was his favorite and he thought it was his best dish as well.
Daphne came into the kitchen and set her purse down on the small bar. Her hesitation reminded him of the shy girl from high school and it was adorable. He walked over and kissed her forehead. She smiled quizzically at him but didn’t say anything. He had the feeling she didn’t know what to say.
“We got a lot accomplished today after lunch. We should be able to paint and finish the floors tomorrow.” He was hoping to ease her into a conversation.
“That’s fantastic. Do you think you are back on schedule?”
“Yes. I think we can finish up in the next few days.” Trent smiled at her. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
“Do you have any beer?” She looked up at him sheepishly and he had to laugh.
“Ah, a woman after my own heart. Of course I have beer. I just thought I would offer you something a little nicer.” He handed her a cold Budlight from the fridge and smiled when she took a large sip.
Daphne winked, “I don’t need anything fancy. I enjoy beer, just fine.”
“Whatever you say darlin’.”
They talked a little bit more about the shop and he noticed she steered the conversation away from what she was selling, keeping the conversation purely on the construction side of things.