The Beauty of Us (Fusion #4)

“Thanks.” Kat smiles. “He looks pretty sad too.”

I just shake my head and walk away. Mia calls out to me and hurries to catch me before I make it to the elevator.

“Don’t worry,” she says. “I’m going to kick his ass. But maybe you should listen to what he has to say.”

“Mia—”

“Drive safe.”

The doors close and I can’t wait to get to my car and speed away. I don’t want to speak to him. I don’t want to see him.

But when I pull into my driveway and walk up to my house, Trevor pulls in behind me.

“I need to talk to you,” he says. Every muscle in his body is tight, his eyes are narrowed. His hair is messy from his fingers.

God, he looks fantastic.

“Trevor, I said everything I needed to say the other night.”

“Yeah, well, you wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say, so I’m here to say it.”

“Fine.” I unlock the door and step inside, throw my keys in their bowl, and stomp toward the kitchen, knowing he’ll follow me. I turn to look at him from across the room. “Say it.”

“You look amazing in that dress.”

“I’m quite sure that’s not what you were going to say.”

And when you say things like that, you make me soft.

“Riley, I don’t want to break things off. I’m so sorry that Stephanie and Angie caused so much trouble. I had no idea it was happening until after the fact.”

“It’s not just them,” I say, resigned to having this out here and now. “Don’t get me wrong, they didn’t help at all. But it just felt like the whole situation was full of drama. These women are warning me off my own boyfriend, and when I try to call and talk to you about it, you ignore me.”

“I wasn’t ignoring you.”

“Not returning my calls or texts is ignoring me. I need attention, Trevor. I need to see you and talk to you every day. I need to feel like I’m at the top of your priority list. And you obviously can’t do that for me.”

“I’m such an idiot,” he says, pacing the room. “I wasn’t ignoring you, I promise. I wasn’t getting all of the calls or messages. My phone was fucked up, and I know that’s my own damn fault and I should have made it a priority to get a new one, but, Riley, I promise you, I’ve done nothing but spend the past few weeks doing everything in my power to figure out a way for us to be together full-time.”

“You weren’t backing away?”

“No, baby.” He takes a step toward me, but I step back and he growls in frustration. “Do you know how fucking hard it is to be in the same room with you for the first time in weeks and not have you in my arms?”

“Yes.” I cock a brow and wait for him to keep speaking.

“I love you,” he says. His chest is heaving, his green eyes on fire. “You’re the best thing that’s ever come into my life, Riley. Being without you was pure torture, so I put my head down and worked my ass off. If I was working, I couldn’t miss you.”

“I did that too.”

“And I have very good news.”

He smiles, and for the first time, hope takes up residence in my heart.

“Go on.”

He steps forward, and I don’t step away, making him smile wider.

“I came up with a way for me to be in Portland full-time, and for the restaurant to get more exposure and bring in a good chunk of money.”

“Okay.”

He takes my hand and kisses it, and I can’t stand it anymore. I rush into his arms and kiss him, my heart and soul pouring out in love and relief as we cling to each other.

“I missed you so much,” he whispers.

“I need you to finish what you were saying.”

“Right.” He clears his throat and lifts me in his arms. He sits on the couch and cradles me to him. “A new show on the network, featuring Seduction and, more specifically, Mia.”

“Is this just an idea, or has it already been approved?”

“You think so much like me,” he says, and brushes his fingertips down my face. “That was what I was working so hard on, and why I was unavailable so much. Chris, my boss, and I were coming up with a show proposal and a presentation to give the muckety-mucks who approve these things, and as of yesterday, it’s approved.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“It means that if you want me here, I can be here full-time, overseeing the new show. We can be together all the time, Riley. No more long distance, and miscommunication.”

“And no more crazy ex-wives or chicks who think they’re better for you?”

“No one is better for me, sweetheart. You are all I need. Always. What do you say?”

I link my fingers with his and frown as I think it all over. He wasn’t avoiding me, he was working hard to be with me, and life was just messy.

That’s not necessarily his fault. Sometimes, life is just a pain in the ass.

“Riley, you’re killing me here.”





Chapter Twenty





Trevor


She’s not saying anything, and I swear my heart has stopped beating. She’s frowning, thinking over everything that I just said, I’m sure.

Finally, she looks into my eyes and smiles.

“Of course I want you here.”

Holy shit, I can breathe again.

“That’s excellent news because I’ve already hired a moving company, put my house on the market, and my boss’s boss has approved the show.”

“Wow, this is fast. This morning I was working on getting over you, and now here you are.”

“Getting over me.” I stand with her in my arms and walk back to her bedroom. “Maybe I should remind you what you’d be getting over, exactly.”

Her lips twitch, but she keeps her face neutral. “I have an excellent memory.”

“Really.” I set her on her feet and get to work on freeing her from this dress. “This is sexy as fuck on you.”

“You’ve seen it before.”

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.” I stop undressing her and lean my forehead against hers. “I missed you, Riley.”

“I missed you too.” She cups my face in her hands and tips her chin up, offering herself to me, and it’s the sweetest offer anyone has ever given me. I kiss her thoroughly, greedily, as I make quick work of the rest of her clothing, and suddenly she’s standing before me naked, aside from her killer red heels.

“Leave those on.”

“I like it when you’re bossy.”

I grin and lean in to kiss her neck. “Lie on the bed.”

“Only if you’re getting naked too.”

“Well, I think this is a naked zone,” I reply as she arranges herself on the middle of the bed. She bites her finger, her blue eyes shining as she watches me shed my jeans and T-shirt and then climb onto the bed over her, kissing and licking my way up her amazing body.

“You taste fantastic.”

“I almost forgot how good you are with your mouth,” she says, and bites her lip. I’m taking my time. There’s no hurry, and I want to rediscover every inch of her. I lick the backside of her knee, making her gasp.

“Your knees are so sensitive.”

“I had no idea,” she mutters, and moans when I nibble the inside of her thigh. “Or maybe it’s just your mouth.”

“Both.” I lick both thighs now, all the way to the crease. “I can smell you.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”