Sweet on You (The Wilde Sisters #1) Page 7

  It did sound pretty arrogant when put that way, but she was the one who admitted to doing so. “Yeah, something like that.”

  “And that would be a bad thing…why?”

  Trent scowled. “I don’t do love. I’d break her heart before the end of dinner.”

  “It seems to me,” Brian said, taking Faith in his arms, “that you two have had dinner before. She in love with you already?”

  That stopped him in his tracks. Damn. What if she was? He couldn’t lead her on anymore. That wouldn’t be fair. He’d use his upcoming trip to LA to put some distance between them and hopefully diffuse any romantic ideas she had in her head.

  “Dude, stop the train. I can see the fear bubbling up inside you. Don’t dump her now because you’re afraid she may have feelings for you. Why don’t you hop on board and go for a ride? See how she feels.” Brian smirked.

  Trent snatched the spatula and took the burgers off the grill. “Food’s ready.” He needed time to figure out what to do. One part of him—his lower half—definitely wanted to take Rayne for a test drive. But his head said other things. And his heart—damn, his heart never got involved—seemed to have a mind of its own. He needed some time to himself to figure out exactly what that organ was trying to tell him. Damn if it ever talked to him before.

  ***

  Rayne

  It wasn’t like Trent was the first guy she ever introduced to her family, but the other two men had been fiancés at the time. After a dinner with surly Sage and her parents’ sickening lovey-dovey behavior, both fiancés had gone off running. Or maybe it was Rayne they ran from. If Kevin or Roger truly loved her, they would have gotten past her family’s idiosyncrasies.

  Granted, this time she wasn’t introducing a fiancé, just a friend.

  Unfortunately.

  Rayne sighed and took one final peek in the mirror. Her lavender sundress showed off her sun-kissed skin, accentuating her curves in a flirty, not sexy manner. Sage would pick up on any sudden wardrobe changes. Rayne wasn’t one for sexy dresses like Thyme.

  Normally she kept her hair pulled back in a ponytail; she figured her hair needed a day off, so she wore it down. She may have had two fiancés in her wake but she’d never spent so much time prepping or caring how she looked. Trent seemed more interested in his stupid frosting and filling than he was in her. She lathered on her new coconut raspberry lotion that she picked up this morning in hopes of luring Trent to her sweet spot.

  Tonight she’d wow him.

  Hopefully.

  ***

  Trent

  It was damn near impossible to keep his hands on the wheel and his tongue in his mouth. The woman smelled like she should be licked from head to toe. She was mouthwatering in her little, airy dress and tanned legs that stretched for miles. Thank God he was driving or he would have dived over the center console and taken her in the front seat.

  Rayne seemed oblivious to her sex appeal. Which made her even more alluring. Trent reached over and cranked the air conditioner.

  “Hot?”

  He gulped and nodded. “Too cold?” His gaze skimmed her arms, searching for goosebumps.

  “No. It feels good. The humidity is pretty gross today. I’m hoping I’ll stay somewhat cool in this dress. I should have warned you my parents don’t believe in air conditioning. The hotter the better, is their motto.” She blushed and chewed on her lips.

  Was she purposely trying to torture him? “Good to know.” Yeah, he sounded stupid. She did this to him all the time, got him tongue-tied and sounding like a fifteen-year-old on his first date. He tried to block out her scent, her presence, and tuned in to the country music filling the car. Trent didn’t want to think of running his hands through Rayne’s hair and getting a rockin’, so he pushed a button and changed to classic rock.

  Nothing like a little AC/DC to kill the mood. If she noticed the tension in his body she didn’t say anything. In fact, Rayne was unusually quiet. Nervous maybe? Had she brought any other men to meet her parents? Probably, considering she’d been engaged. Twice.

  “So your parents…they know you’re bringing…me?”

  Rayne nodded. “I told my sisters I baked the cake and they threatened not to come. So I told them you helped. Which you did. A lot.”

  Interesting. So did they know who he was already? How exactly did she describe their friendship? If Sage was as direct and surly as Rayne had described her, he figured she’d tell him exactly what Rayne thought of him.

  “And your parents?”

  Rayne snorted. “I could have told them I was bringing the Portland Symphony Orchestra and they would have said, ‘Great, honey.’ They’re so wrapped up in each other it doesn’t really matter what my sisters and I do.”

  Instead of sounding angry like most daughters would, she sounded distant, sad. He reached out and patted her hand that rested on her thigh. She wrapped her fingers around his hand and squeezed.

  They kept their fingers interlocked for the rest of the ride, neither saying a word. Other than his sister and Brian, Trent had never met a couple completely devoted to each other. Rayne had a warped version of love thrown in her face from birth, but the Wilde version was just as unhealthy as the Kipson one. Somewhere there had to be a happy medium. Brian and Claire had it, but they were lucky, a rare breed.

  Trent had been able to shield Claire from most of the harsh realities of love, which was why she was a true believer now.

  And poor Rayne. Even though she faced rejection every day of her life from her parents and crappy boyfriends, she still believed in happily ever after. The compassionate woman was a glutton for punishment.

  “Their driveway is after the big maple tree.” She pointed to the left. “Ready or not, welcome to the crazy Wilde house.”

  Trent laughed and squeezed her hand before letting go to grip the steering wheel. “I’ll survive.” He seriously doubted it.

  Chapter Six

  Rayne

  “Nice job, Ray-Ray. He’s gorgeous!” Thyme came up behind her and kissed her cheek.

  Rayne rolled her eyes. “I told you. We’re just friends.”

  “Why?” Thyme eyed him over her glass of red wine.

  “Because he’s a nice guy. I can talk to him about anything and we have fun together. We run, kayak, hike, and—”

  “Have hot, sweaty monkey sex?”

  “Thyme! Lower your voice. No, it’s not like that. We’re just friends.”

  Sage quirked an eyebrow and glared knowingly at her sister. “As if. You’re hoping for the bended knee and ring tonight, aren’t you? I warned you…” Exasperated, Rayne sighed. She knew she’d get the third degree from her sister. “Friends, sis. Just friends, Rayne says,” Sage said sarcastically.

  Rayne allowed her gaze to drift to the main topic of discussion. He seemed at ease with her parents. They kept their arms wrapped around one another but actually paid attention to Trent. Her mother even laughed at something he said.

  The laugh carried over to the sisters, who were setting the table. “Wow. For a second there I thought Mom was going to let go of Dad. She must have fallen for your baker as well.”

  Rayne rolled her eyes at Sage and turned her back on her parents and her…friend. They had pulled two picnic tables together and draped them with white linen tablecloths. The bright colored Fiesta dishes and the bold flower arrangement Thyme made created a fun and romantic tablescape.

  The night was still warm but Sage lit the tiki torches to keep away the bugs. “Dinner in five,” Sage called out and sauntered—she never simply walked—into the house.

  Trent looked over at Rayne and winked. She couldn’t help but smile. And blush.

  “Oh, honey. You’re in love again, aren’t you?” Thyme asked sympathetically. Apparently it was obvious to everyone but Trent. He still viewed her as a pal. Friendly pokes, hair tugs, light punches. Not something you do to someone you think of sexually. Or at least romantically.

  Wishing she went for the slutty look and spent a l
ittle more time on hair and makeup, she sucked in her tummy and stuck out her chest a little more than necessary. Maybe she could work her assets to grab his attention. All she had to figure out was if he was a leg, butt, or chest guy.

  ***

  Trent

  Holy chest. He was getting hard while talking to Rayne’s parents. Not that they’d notice. They were stuck on each other like Saran wrap, only faintly aware of other people in their vicinity. Trent had spent hours ogling Rayne’s butt in the Zumba classes and couldn’t help noticing her mile long legs as well, but her chest had always been kept trapped underneath the Lycra constraints of a sports bra. Let them out to play and…damn. The crème of the crème.

  He wanted to lick her from…

  “Trent?”

  “Uh, yeah?”

  Suzie Wilde eyed him suspiciously. “The girls said dinner is ready.”

  “Oh, yeah. Um, after you.” He smiled and gestured for the happy couple to precede him. Hopefully they would shield their daughter’s eyes from the impressive bulge in his pants.

  The Wilde parents sat ridiculously close to one another at the picnic table while Thyme lowered herself next to her mother and Sage sat across from them. Rayne put a hand on his shoulder for support as she picked up her leg to straddle the bench. He got another glimpse of toned quad muscle. Swallowing deeply, he lowered himself between Rayne and Sage.

  “Allow me, darling.” Neil picked up the plate of grilled salmon and served his wife, seeming to know just how much she would eat.

  “Oh, sweetie, thank you.” She kissed his cheek and made adoring noises to her husband, completely ignoring her daughters.

  Once the ladies served themselves, he dug in as well. “Wow, you girls can cook. This is delicious.” Thyme smiled sweetly at Trent’s compliment while Sage muttered, “Damn straight.” Their parents only complimented each other, not their daughters, who planned, organized and cooked this fine feast.

  “Thyme is amazing with herbs.” Go figure. “She makes the best rosemary potatoes, doesn’t she? Sage came up with the marinade for the salmon. She could give you some serious competition with your grill,” Rayne said.

  Trent smiled down at Rayne and whispered, “You never stayed to taste my grilling expertise, Ms. Wilde.”

  She stared into his eyes, blushed, and picked up her wine glass, drinking in a way that was very unladylike. He winked at Thyme, who stared back at him with amusement in her eyes before picking up her wine and hiding her grin in her glass.

  The only one not affected by his charm was the serious sister to his right. Rayne didn’t say too much about her older sister other than the fact that she liked to be in control of every situation. She seemed nice enough, but a bit too much like the Ice Queens he’d dated in the past. He supposed living with two parents who ceased to acknowledge your accomplishments or existence could do that to you. Somehow Rayne and Thyme escaped the negative, sour genes.

  They ate in near silence, with only Rayne and Thyme talking frivolously, obviously trying to fill the dead air. He did his best at trying to work Neil and Suzie into the conversation, asking them how they met, but they told the story to each other, ignoring their family. Lost in their own world.

  How could Rayne have such a high opinion of love and marriage after being emotionally rejected all her life?

  “Who’s ready for dessert?” Sage asked when she’d obviously had enough of her parents’ neglect.

  “Me!” Thyme cheered. “I can’t wait to see what Rayne made! I still can’t believe you baked. I’m assuming you had a pretty good teacher?”

  “Yeah, he was all right. I’ve had better,” she teased. Sage snorted and Rayne stilled. Blushing, she stammered, “I mean, I’m joking. I’ve never…um…well, it was my first time baking…I’ll get the cake.”

  Trent stood up first. “I’ll help. Your shoes aren’t really meant for walking across a field.”

  She glanced down at her strappy sandals and bit her lip. “Don’t trust me, Kipson?”

  “Hey, I’m just looking out for the cake.”

  Getting up from the picnic table proved to be a struggle. He couldn’t swing his leg over without knocking Sage with his back or kicking Rayne in the face. “Um, you may need to get up first.”

  Rayne swiveled around, putting her back to him—unfortunately—and swung her sexy legs over the bench. “Need a hand, big guy?” She held out her dainty hand and it was all he could do to not pull her down into his lap and show her exactly where he needed it.

  “I’m good.” He needed a little distance to tone down his libido. “You stay here. I’ll grab it.” He made his way to his SUV and opened the back to his built-in cooler, an essential when delivering cakes, pastries, and yeah, beer.

  “I am man. Hear me roar,” Sage said.

  “Oh, quiet. He’s just being gentlemanly,” he heard Rayne scold her sister.

  To say her sisters were impressed with the cake would be an understatement. Even Sage aww’d and rubbed Rayne’s arm. “That’s beautiful, Ray-Ray.”

  “You did that all by yourself?” Thyme asked.

  “Well, no. Trent helped. You know me. I’ve never even baked a batch of cookies before. Anyway, you should see Trent’s bakery. The cakes he decorates are gorgeous. Granted, I’ve only seen the three that were in the case that day…”

  “Oh, easy. This masterpiece was completely Rayne. I stood by and told her what to do, but she baked the cake, made the frosting, and piped the roses. She’s a natural.” He set the cake in the middle of the table and stepped back so everyone could admire Rayne’s masterpiece.

  The tender smile she gave him made him sweat around the collar. Hell, what am I getting myself into? It was like he was trying to woo her instead of scare her off. His mouth kept firing off boyfriendish crap.

  “I take back all the nasty things I said about you, baker boy. Anyone who can convince my sister to step foot into sugar land and turn out a product like this, deserves a…kiss.”

  Before he could stop her, Sage placed her hands on either side of his cheeks and planted a loud kiss square on his lips. He stood frozen, arms stiff at his side. Shit. Had he sent signals to the wrong sister? Sage pinched his cheek before slapping it lightly. “Don’t worry, baker boy, I know you only have eyes for Ray-Ray. If you get bored with her, give me a call,” she whispered in his ear.

  “I’m going to cut the cake,” Rayne said loudly, making her annoyance with her sister clear.

  “Yes, cut the cake. It looks delicious.” That was the nicest compliment Rayne’s mother said all night. Trent wanted to sample Rayne’s cake—and her mouth—and get the hell out of here. Fast.

  ***

  Rayne

  “I’m sorry. So, so sorry. I’m devoted to my family but we’re pretty dysfunctional,” Rayne said as soon as Trent slid behind the wheel.

  “No apology necessary. What family isn’t a little dysfunctional?”

  “Oh, God, Trent. I didn’t mean…I mean…your mom—”

  “Rayne. Seriously. I’m fine. Don’t even think about it.”

  She wanted to curl up and die. So much for seducing him. So much for convincing him to throw caution to the wind and give her a chance. Give a relationship a chance. Oh, and her sister. Boy, was she going to give Sage a piece of her mind in the morning. How dare she humiliate Rayne in front of Trent? Rayne sucked at seduction, but Sage sure knew how to work it.

  And she was so Trent’s type. Just like Katrina. Crap. Katrina. Who the heck did Rayne think she was, trying to seduce—ha! If she could call wearing a simple sundress seducing—a man who was incredibly out of her league and into women more like her older sister? Maybe she should hook them up.

  No, Sage would eat him alive. Trent seemed like the kind of guy who liked that, or could at least handle it. Sweet was so not his style. He made that clear from day one. And day forty-two. His kiss was simply to prove a point. Not gay. But not interested.

  Rayne stared out her window into the black night. At least tr
aveling lightless, windy back roads would keep her face hidden from Trent.

  “You’re awfully quiet.”

  “Just tired. Thanks for coming tonight. Sorry it was so…awkward.”

  He didn’t say anything, which was worse than trying to sound nonchalant. It was the first time they sat in uncomfortable silence. Normally they chatted freely and the few times they were quiet, it was still comfortable. Not tonight.

  Forty minutes later, he pulled into her lot. As he got out and rounded the hood to her front door, she thought about what to say to him. There really was no way to make the night less awkward, so being forthcoming was her best bet. Biting her lip as he placed his hand on her lower back and escorted her to her apartment door, she breathed in and out slowly.

  “You seem tense. Sure you’re all right?” he asked as she got out her key to open her front door.

  Now or never, baby.

  Turning in the doorway, keeping Trent in the hall, she stared at his chest and blurted it out quickly. “No, I’m not all right. I like you. Like you a lot. You don’t do relationships and I do. I’m willing to bypass my usual pattern, which hasn’t been working for me anyway, and give your method a try. That is, if you’re interested. Unless you’re busy with your neighbor. Then never mind. I’m not looking for a relationship, just meaningless sex. Well, no, sex with you wouldn’t be meaningless, but I promise not to fall in love with you. Sex doesn’t make me fall in love, anyway. It’s the relationship part and we won’t do that. We’ll just be friends. And we’ll…you know. Or not. If not, we can still be friends and do fun stuff. Just not...that kind of fun stuff. ” She gestured with her hands, let out a big breath and finally made eye contact. “Think about it. Get back to me. Good night.” Rayne closed the door and locked it, then slithered down to the floor and burst into tears.

  Chapter Seven