Or maybe that was just his paranoia because she had been pretty damn confident so far.
Not to mention, she kind of got it right, but did it really matter at this point?
Nope.
He downed the last of his beer and flipped his card. “Country Inn, king-sized bed, no cell phones.”
Davidson gave him a narrow-eyed stare.
Trevor figured Davidson didn’t like his tone.
“I need to grab some air. If you’ll excuse me,” Trevor said and headed for the front door.
8
the truth
PIPER GAVE TREVOR A FEW minutes to cool off. She contemplated trying to smooth over the events of the game, but considering the looks shot her way, especially from Rachel, she opted to keep her mouth shut.
She thought she could explain the prom thing. She could say they weren’t an item then, so she didn’t really consider it their first date. A weak attempt at best, and maybe they would let it slide, unless Rachel decided to ask a bunch of questions that Piper was unprepared to answer.
Everyone milled about the kitchen, cleaning up what was left of their drinks. Mike and Christina whispered to one another and then said goodnight to the group. Deanne followed Kent onto the deck with a lame attempt at a smile. Rachel swirled her wine in her hand and leveled a shrewd stare at Piper.
No one addressed Piper directly, whether that was because they had suspicions, or because of Trevor’s awkward exit, she had no idea.
She could handle the uncomfortable stares, she’d had years of practice. Scrutiny came with the pains of childhood, years of dancing, and later being a woman at the helm of a successfully growing business.
What she couldn’t accept was him ditching her to do damage control on her own. She was here to be his partner, not to clean up his messes.
And she damn well would make sure he knew it.
“I’m going to go find Trevor,” Piper said.
She headed out the front door and scanned the immediate area. The moon illuminated the night with a white glow, and what the moon couldn’t do, the intricate placement of the outdoor lighting managed to. She checked the wide front porch in case he decided to sit in dark silence, but saw no sign of him.
She didn’t know if the game had really done damage, and even if it did, it was too late to do anything about it now. At least, if nothing else, they could breathe a sigh of relief that it was over.
She sure as hell had no intention of playing any version of the Newlywed Game again. Ever.
Without a flashlight, she didn’t dare venture to the few trails that wound through the woods and away from the house. Instead, she headed down the stone walkway, lit up by the warm glow of solar lights lining the edges of the rocks. The serene quiet of the night settled over her, soothing the worry and splash of anger churning in her gut. The air hadn’t dropped in temperature that night as it had the night before, a stubborn remnant of summer that for once, she welcomed.
The sound of the lake water gently lapping the shore reminded her of those late summer nights her brother and his friends went off swimming, always leaving her behind no matter how much she begged. One time she had even offered to clean her brother’s room for the next year if he would take her along.
She never did manage to find his price.
But she followed him one night.
Because without a doubt, Trevor would be there with him.
Piper popped out from behind the last of the low hanging trees and searched the dock and water. Trevor’s clothes, or what she assumed were his clothes, lay in a pile at the end of the dock near the ladder.
Searching the water, she found him swimming in a steady pace parallel to the shore. Careful to stay as quiet as can be, she took measured steps and eased herself onto the dock and dropped down to sit next to Trevor’s discarded clothes.
His long, muscled arms arced out of the water with clean, consistent strokes. His head broke the surface for air with every extension of his left arm. She had seen him do this before and watching the beauty, the timing, and strength emanating from him never failed to set her nerve endings on fire.
He flipped down under the water, popped up, and headed the other direction. He may have been a football player to his core, but clearly, when he set his mind to learn something, he put his all into it. He could have easily been on the swim team.
She admired his dedication, she just wished he’d found a way to find success without sacrificing the man he had been. The cost had been far too high.
But maybe she could help bring that guy back.
Maybe he even felt the urge to resurrect that man, even if he had to do it on his own. When this was all over and they returned to their normal lives.
Except, she had a feeling nothing would ever be normal for her again after this time with him.
He glided to a stop and shook his head free of the water. She didn’t make a sound, but he found her sitting there anyway, admiring him.
“Spying on me?” he called as he sluiced his hands through the water in her direction sending an arc of spray toward her, a few of the cool droplets crashing against her fevered skin.
“Checking on you.”
“And I’m still breathing. I guess you’re work here is done,” he said, his mouth tightened.
She bit back the words she burned to say. About how this was all his fault. Had he not compromised who he was as a man to become this money-making machine at the expense of everything, including his soul, he wouldn’t be in this mess. The man treading water in the lake wouldn’t hear those words.
The sheer frustration and anger rolling off him filled the charged air surrounding them, pacing like a jaguar waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
And if they were going down in flames, if this whole ruse wasn’t going to work in his favor, she wanted to tap into that energy of his now, and turn it into passion and heat. She wanted to draw out that desire until neither one of them had a choice, but to let it consume them. Their time was now, even if only for a night.
“I’m not the enemy, Trevor.”
His shoulders relaxed a fraction with the words. “No, not the enemy. I’m not sure what the hell you are.”
Liar.
He felt it just as she did. That pull demanded recognition. He faced life, balls-to-the-wall, she would settle for no less when it came to this.
To them.
She unfolded her legs and dangled them in the water. With her palms resting on the cool wood of the dock, she kicked her feet back and forth in a smooth rhythm. “You know, I’ve seen you skinny-dipping before. I used to watch you when you’d all get together and leave me behind. There was this boulder tucked into the trees and I’d sit there for hours just to watch you.” The confession slid from her lungs before she had a chance to really think about what her admission revealed.
Just by the way he watched her, she could tell Trevor’s sharp mind didn’t miss a word. His eyes narrowed, but not in anger. Nope. She’d seen that look before. Well, not necessarily aimed at her, she didn’t get that close to men who exuded so much…everything. Trevor’s swoon-worthy eye caress, until that moment, had been reserved for heroines in the movies.
He reached out and wrapped his strong fingers around her ankle pulling himself up to her, then did the same to her other ankle, holding himself there, holding her there.