Beautiful Oblivion (The Maddox Brothers, #1)(45)

“You two have a good day.”

Trenton nodded once, and I shut the door.

“I knew he looked familiar. People look different outside of the Red.”

Trenton sneered. “I’ve hated that shit stain since high school.”

“You barely knew him in high school.”

“He was a country club brat. His parents own that Italian restaurant downtown.”

“So?”

“So, I don’t want him sniffing around here,” he said. “Guys like him think the rules don’t apply to them.”

“What rules?”

“Rules of respect.”

“Is that what that was about?” I said, gesturing to the door.

“What are you talking about?”

“That whole unnecessary scene you just made.”

Trenton shifted his weight, agitated. “He was getting ready to ask you out!”

“So?”

Trenton frowned. “He’s a bottom feeder!”

“So?”

“So I didn’t want him to!”

“I’m perfectly capable of turning someone down. You just wanted to intimidate him so he wouldn’t come around again.”

“He was watching you walk to the apartment this morning. I find that a little predatory. Excuse the f*ck out of me for wanting him to think you have a guy around.”

I crossed my arms. “Oh, is that what you were doing?”

“Yes. It was.”

“Had nothing to do with you wanting to eliminate the competition?”

He wrinkled his nose, insulted. “That is assuming I would ever have competition. Which I don’t. Definitely not from Parker f*cking Hayes.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re right, because we’re just friends.”

“Christ, Cami, I know. You don’t have to keep rubbing it in my face.”

My eyes widened. “Wow. Rubbing it in your face? Okay.”

Trenton laughed, frustrated. “How can you not know? Everyone else in the entire f*cking world knows but you!”

“I know. I’m just trying to keep things simple.”

Trenton took a step toward me. “This isn’t simple. Not even close.”

“It is simple. Black and white. Cut and dry.”

Trenton grabbed me by the shoulders and planted a kiss on my mouth. Sheer shock made my lips hard and unforgiving, but then they melted against his, along with the rest of my body. I relaxed, but my breathing picked up, and my heart beat so loud I was sure Trenton could hear it. His tongue slipped between my lips, and his hands slid down my arms to my hips, his fingers digging into my skin. He pulled my hips against his as he kissed me, and then sucked my bottom lip when he pulled away.

“Now it’s complicated.” He grabbed his keys and shut the door behind him.

I reached for the knob and leaned on my hand, trying not to fall over. I had never in my life been kissed like that, and something told me that wasn’t even the best Trenton Maddox could do. The way his tongue moved against mine would have caused the vertigo I was feeling even if I had expected him to kiss me. The way the muscles in his forearms moved when his hands pulled at me was like he couldn’t get close enough, but they were controlled, in the way only two experienced hands could be. My pulse was racing, throbbing throughout my entire body every time my heart crashed against my chest. I was speechless, and breathless, and defenseless.

Standing alone in my apartment felt strange, when thirty seconds before I had experienced the best kiss of my life. My thighs tensed just thinking about it.

Still breathing hard, I glanced at the clock in the kitchen. Trenton had come over early to hang out before work, and now he was on his way to Skin Deep. I should have been in the Smurf, heading over there, too, but I wasn’t sure if I could.

Not only would it be awkward, but I had just cheated on T.J. Why would any guy, especially Trenton, want a cheater? All this time we’d been spending together, and then the fact that I didn’t land a solid punch to his nose the second his mouth was on mine made me guilty. He was right. He’d just made this so complicated that we could never pretend we were just friends again. Not after that kiss, not after that touch, and definitely not after the way he made me feel.

I pulled my cell phone from my back pocket and speed-dialed.

“Skin Deep,” Hazel answered.

“Hey, it’s Cami. I’m not going to make it today.”

“Are you sick?”

“No . . . it’s . . . complicated. Really, really complicated.”

“I get it. No problem, but that sucks for me. Sundays are boring, and now it’s going to suck even worse.”

“Sorry, Hazel.”

“No worries. I’ll tell Cal.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Hopefully he won’t fire me for calling in so soon after starting the job.”

Hazel blew air through her lips. “Truthfully, we’re not busy enough on Sundays for a receptionist. He’s not going to say anything.”

“Okay. Later,” I said.

I put on my shoes, grabbed my purse, and drove the Smurf to the Red. Hank’s black Jaguar XKR sat alone in the parking lot. I parked next to it, allowing plenty of room between vehicles, and pulled my coat tightly around me as I walked across the parking lot.