Fighting Chance (Misty Grove Book 1) (35 page)

He heard voices through the door.

Of course she’d called Millie, or, most likely, FaceTimed her since he’d spotted her iPad in there.

The older woman was cackling like a banshee, and he could hear Cassie trying to talk to her, exasperated.

“You’re not helping, Millie!”
Cassie whisper-yelled.

“Sweetie, please put Trent out of his misery.”

“Yes, babe. I’m really dying here.” Trent kept the chuckle out of his voice.

“Stop eavesdropping!”

“You’re on your own, Cassie. Training wheels are off.”

“Millie!”

“Bye. Good luck, Trent!”
Millie added before signing off.

Silence.

“Cassie, come out here now,” Trent ordered, starting to get impatient. “I’ve never taken you for a coward.”

That did it. The door swung open and Cassie stepped out wearing a hastily thrown on robe. Her hazel eyes blazed with challenge. Of what, Trent didn’t know, but what he did know was this evening wasn’t ending until his ring was on her finger.

“You caught me off guard.”

“That’s how a proposal’s supposed to work,” Trent shot back.

“You had me at a disadvantage. I was naked, and here you are—” Cassie looked at him from head to toe and somehow that made his dick jump because her eyes were openly undressing him; she bit her lower lip as if in regret “—not naked.”

Trent started unbuttoning his shirt. “Easily fixed.”

“Wait, what are you doing?” Cassie shrieked.

“Getting naked for this proposal.”

“I didn’t mean that.”

That was it. Trent couldn’t stand it a second longer. He lunged at her and grabbed her around the waist, ignoring her cry of outrage as he threw her on his shoulder. He clamped her legs down to avoid any injury to his private parts, but Cassie would never intentionally hurt him there. He threw her on the bed, watching her bounce, and then ripped the robe off her. He climbed on top of her, straddling her legs and setting the black box down on the bed beside them. She was breathing hard, glaring at him, her breasts rising and falling, begging to be sucked. The diamond he had given her earlier glinted between her tits. Perfect.

He removed his dress shirt and then deliberately dragged his undershirt up and over his head. Keeping their eyes locked, he lowered his zipper and then paused. Trent had an idea.
 

He switched their positions and hauled her on top of him, kicking off his shoes.

“What?” Cassie muttered in surprise.

“Undress me,” Trent ordered. She hesitated, but was clearly torn between her snit and her arousal.
 

He could smell her, that musky scent that drove him crazy. He couldn’t wait to have her again.
 

“You know you want to,” he added softly. “Come on, Cassie, the sooner you strip me, the sooner I’ll be filling you with cock.”

Her eyes widened as he punched his hips up to show her just how much he wanted her.

“How can you go again?”

“It’s all you, babe. Didn’t I tell you I could live embedded in you all fucking day?”

Trent grinned as Cassie pulled at his pants, divesting him of it. When her fingers latched onto the waistband of his boxer briefs, she looked at him before dipping her hand underneath. He groaned as she worked her hand up and down his dick. “Cassie, if you don’t stop that, I’m gonna come.”

“That’s the whole point. I wanna suck you off, Trent. Can I?”

Nice try, babe, trying to distract me.

“Take it off first,” he whispered. “Then you can have me.”

A pleased smile crossed her face as she pulled his boxer briefs down. When she was about to reach for his erection, he tipped her over and pinned her to the mattress with the full weight of his body.

“Trent!”

“Gotcha,” Trent said, giving her a quick kiss before reaching over to the box, flipping it open, and taking out the ring. “Now where were we? I believe I was asking you to marry me. I want an answer.”

“I need to think about it.”
 

“Wrong answer.”

“Then, no.”

Trent ignored the panic in his chest. This was Cassie, the most stubborn woman on the face of the planet. He needed to be twice as hardheaded as she was if there was any hope of getting her to the altar.

“Unacceptable,” Trent responded. And before she could say anything else, he said, “Answer this. Do you love me?”

“You know I do.”

“Do I make you happy?”

“Extremely so.

“Do you see yourself with any other man than me?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Yes or No.”

“No.” She frowned at him. “I can’t even imagine kissing someone else.” She shuddered, much to his satisfaction, because he felt exactly the same way.

“You trust me, right?”

“I trust you with my life, Trent.” Realization dawned on her features. “I’m such an idiot,” she whispered and then her luminous eyes stared straight at him. “Ask me to marry you again.”

Trent bit back a triumphant smile. “Will you marry me, Cassandra Reed?”
 

“Yes,” Cassie said without hesitation. “I’m sorry for freaking out. I guess I never imagined myself getting this far in a relationship, much less getting married.”

Trent put a finger to her lips. “Stop right there. I get you. You have no idea how much. But I really get you, babe.” He took hold of her hand and slipped the ring on her finger.

“I love you so much,” she said softly. “I know I’m not easy to be with. All the trouble that was attached to me made it hard to let someone in. I didn’t know how to be with someone.”

“And now?”

“And now there’s nowhere else I want to be except in your arms.” Cassie sighed in what sounded like contentment as she stared at the sparkling diamond on her hand. “You’re my home.”

Fuck, he loved this woman. She owned his soul and heart, and he didn’t want any of them back. “Do you have any idea how much I fucking love you?” he growled, overcome by a love so intense, and possessiveness so fierce, he could feel the fiery combination burning through his veins. “Making you mine was the fight of my life, but I would live through every blistering second of it again to be here with you. In this moment.”

“And what an unforgettable moment it already is.” Her lips curled in a suggestive smile.
 

“I’m going to make you so happy, you’re never going to regret being mine.”

“I know I won’t. I never will. Now. Are we going to waste all this foreplay?”

His body shook with laughter. His woman got him, too. He’d been hard since the time he got her to strip him, so he rocked his hips and teased her wet pussy with his cock head. Her head reared back as he kissed the base of her throat. “You want my mouth, babe?”

“Oh, God, yes,” she moaned, spreading her legs in response.

He lowered his head further paying homage to the tits he’d neglected earlier. His teeth fastened on her nipple and his cock grew more slippery at her entrance. She was fucking as turned on as he was.

“Trent...” A breathy whisper. “I want your cock too.”

His woman was greedy, but her wish was his every fucking command.
 

And as he worshiped every inch of skin on her body, he was driven by that one desire to satisfy her, to make her happy, and to love her like she’d never been loved before. Because he was the only man for her. And she was the only woman for him.
 

Forever.

*****

Five years later

Trent parked the Chevy Suburban in front of the Victorian house that had been their home for the past five years. He spied his wife’s vehicle in the large garage he’d built as part of the many improvements they had done to their house. The feeling of contentment and the subtle squeeze of his heart accompanying the knowledge that they were waiting for him inside never got old.
 

The storm door opened and a little boy ran out followed by his beautiful mother.

“Daddy!”

His family.

Cassie and their three-year-old son, Lincoln.

“Hey, bud,” Trent said as he scooped up his son and gave Cassie a lingering kiss on her lips.

“Perfect timing,” his wife murmured.

Their boy had his dark coloring and blue eyes, but definitely had the personality, including the stubbornness, of his mother. Cassie had muttered to him one time that it was payback for every time she’d given him a taste of her bullheadedness. Whereas motherhood had mellowed Cassie some, she had also found her calling.

Trent’s joint venture with Colt and Cassie’s brothers—Trident Asymmetrical Corp (TAC)—had taken off in a big way. Several high-profile terrorist attacks locally and abroad had spurred the need for training law enforcement, private security, and even military personnel for urban combat, defense, and active-shooter scenarios. They had even bought the land from Stratford.
 

Cassie had been having a blast teaching firearms and hand-to-hand combat classes that first year. What Trent didn’t expect was the green-eyed monster that reared its head when their clients flirted with her—or fell half in love with her. As many long, admiring glances had been cast her way, Trent had only beaten up one guy. He’d walked in on the son of a bitch actually propositioning Cassie. Of course his wife got pissed at Trent because she was handling it she said, but could she blame him for feeling protective?
 

Cassie had gotten pregnant a year after their marriage, and because he wasn’t allowing her anywhere around all that gun powder residue, this meant no more firearm training and definitely no sparring either. Fortunately, she agreed a 100 percent with his concerns, but put forth the question regarding her future plans.

This brought his musings back to the present.

“What’s perfect timing?” Trent asked his wife at the same time noting a gaping absence. “Where’s the rest of the gang?”

“Thor and Loki are keeping Bruno company as Lincoln and I teach him to stay,” Cassie informed him.

Thor was their four-year-old German Shepherd, who’d been adopted a few months after Cassie and Trent got married. Loki was a two-year-old Belgian Malinois. Bruno, their newest addition, was a six-month-old German Shepherd puppy. At the time Cassie got pregnant, TAC decided to add a K9/military working dog (MWD) training program. Mac had been a MWD handler in the Marines and had been tapped to get the program started with Cassie learning the ropes from him. The dog trainees were kept at Montgomery Ranch for now until the new kennel and training yard could be built on TAC land. If his wife had her way, they’d probably have ten dogs in residence by now. Trent agreed to get Bruno seeing how Cassie had done such an amazing job with the other two. Add to that how Lincoln was responding to the young pup, Trent’s heart was so full. There was an epic relationship forming between a boy and his dog.
 

“Bruno is ‘staying,’” Lincoln said proudly.

“Good job, bud.”

“Come on, let’s free them,” Cassie told their son.
 

Lincoln wiggled out of his arms and dashed back to the house as soon as Trent had set him down. He drew Cassie to his side as they walked back indoors. Their living room had the requisite home theater system with comfortable leather couches and chairs. It also had three dog beds and all three canines were watching the entrance expectantly with their heads tilted. Trent chuckled. Bruno’s one ear was still on its way up and made a funny picture with one ear up and the other one down.
 

“Now, Mommy?” Lincoln looked at his mother for guidance.

Cassie lifted her chin. “Go ahead, Linc.”

“Free!” Lincoln said enthusiastically. The three dogs jumped off their beds. Thor and Loki went to greet Trent while Bruno circled around a happy Lincoln.

“He wants a cookie, Mommy,” Lincoln said, scrunching his face as Bruno gave him doggy kisses.

Cassie laughed. “He sure does.” She commanded the three dogs to sit. Again, the three dogs did as they were told, although Bruno’s hind legs fidgeted. The pup would soon learn patience, Trent thought.

As their three canine companions got their reward from Cassie, he crouched in front of his son.

“So what did you do today, champ?”

“Colored,” Lincoln replied. “Daddy, have you eaten green eggs and ham?”

Apparently, his boy also read Dr. Seuss today.
 

“No, I haven’t.”

“I don’t think they taste very good.”

“I don’t either, buddy.” Trent chuckled. “Speaking of food, what’s for dinner, babe?”

“Baked chicken, new potatoes, and a salad,” Cassie replied.
 

“That’s what smells so good. I’m starving,” Trent said. “Are you hungry, Linc?”

His little boy nodded.

“If you watch him, I’ll finish it up in the kitchen,” Cassie said.
 

“No problem.”

“Thor, clean up,” Cassie ordered. “Linc, my little man, can you help him?”

“Yes, Mommy.”
 

“I see now why you want more dogs,” Trent remarked, never ceasing to be amazed at how Cassie trained their dog to do some of the housework. Thor started picking up Lincoln’s toys and depositing them in the designated crate. “You’ve got a housekeeper and a babysitter.”

“Saves us some money, don’t you think?” Cassie said cheekily as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Trent shook his head in amusement. His wife was very resourceful, making the most of each situation. After he’d won his first election as sheriff, they’d gotten married two months later. Directly after that, a major terrorist incident happened in Atlanta. It became imperative for TAC to get off the ground. Though Cassie was actively involved in its inception, Trent had been more so. And between that and his job as a sheriff, he barely spent time at home for the following two months. But his new wife did not complain, and instead, showed him nothing but unconditional support and kept their home life peaceful. He loved coming home to her after almost working eighteen to twenty-hour days. It was around that time she suggested getting a dog, and Trent liked the added security that a German Shepherd provided. Cassie surprised Trent by training Thor to be more than just a guard dog. After displaying her affinity to dog training, she’d been a natural pick to be a part of the K9/MWD program when it came up a year later.