Free Defying Desire by A. C. Arthur Page A

was cool until after…” Trent’s words trailed off and he cleared his throat. “Then she went fromsated to tense to needy all in the span of about fifteen minutes. She asked me not to leave so I didn’t.”
    “Good move,” Henry finally chimed in.
    The brothers looked his way in question.
    “She needed you that night and you were smart enough to realize that,” Henry said. “Had you left her, the pain of that anniversary would have been compounded for her. As carefree and unfeeling as you like to portray yourself, I know you wouldn’t have wanted that.”
    His father was right. Trent would have felt miserable if he’d found out later why she wanted him there. Although, in retrospect if he’d known all this about her a month ago, he doubted he would have pursued her this relentlessly.
    “So what are you going to do now that you know? You’re not going to duck her are you?” Adam asked cautiously.
    “I can’t duck her if she hasn’t called me,” he replied a little too quickly.
    “Wait a minute, the last time you saw her was Sunday afternoon? It’s now Tuesday evening and you haven’t heard from her?” Linc stated, a smile spreading across his face.
    “Don’t even go there,” Trent warned. “Adam just said she was working on a catalog shot for Camille. She’s not ducking me.” Although the thought had crossed his mind.
    Adam chuckled. “That would be something, wouldn’t it. Trent Donovan finally getting a dose of his own medicine.”
    Besides Trent, Henry was the only one not laughing. “My advice to you, son, is not to play games with this one. She’s had a traumatic time so if you’re not sure about where you’re heading with her, then steer clear. Some people don’t deal well with emotional issues. Your toying with her might lead to something catastrophic and I know you don’t want that on your shoulders.” Henry took another puff of his cigar, blew smoke into the air and noddedtoward Trent. “Think about what you want from her carefully before making another move. I’ve got a feeling she’s not the type you’re used to dealing with.”
     
    Tia looked at the cheerful yellow, green and white invitation once more and took a deep, steadying breath. She could do this, she told herself over and over again. She had to do this.
    About a month ago she’d received the invitation and after contemplating a day or two, she had responded that she would attend. Jade Donovan was a lovely woman who had invited Tia to her spa on more than one occasion to unwind. Her husband Linc was easy to look at and even easier to like. The fact that he was Adam’s brother and Camille’s future brother-in-law just made liking Linc and Jade all the more easy.
    But Trent…now he was another story.
    It had been three days since she’d seen or heard from Trent and she was beginning to feel like an addict going through withdrawal. Thinking about him now had her center throbbing. Squeezing her legs together tightly she scooted closer to the desk, focusing her eyes on the computer screen.
    The phone rang, interrupting Tia’s thoughts. Tia answered; it was her mother. Madeline St. Claire checked up on Tia with regularity. She was so glad Tia went to the party on the painful anniversary instead of sitting at home remembering.
    “So how was the party?” Madeline asked.
    “The party was fine. Lots of rich people drinking champagne in pretty clothes,” she responded in what she hoped was a sufficiently cheerful voice.
    “Did you meet anyone?”
    Her mother was dying for Tia to get into a new relationship. And no matter how many times Tia told her that wasn’t going to happen, Madeline kept on saying it.
    “I’m not looking to meet anyone, Mama.”
    “You are a beautiful woman, Tia. And you’re still young. There’s no reason why you can’t give love another chance.”
    No reason except for the severely fractured heart she still carried. “I don’t want another relationship.”
    “You can’t close