04

Gwen woke up believing that she must have been dreaming all these last weeks about Trent, with all the confrontation the night before, with his kiss.

Oh no. Gwen pressed her fingertips to her mouth, and somehow they still looked bruised and swollen. Everything he imagined had actually happened. All of that, Gwen realized. The next moment she was crawling under the covers again with a groan.

She couldn't believe she'd let Trent get away with it after nearly seducing her and pinning her against the wall. Where the hell was the self-control she'd exercised all those years?

When Trent acted, Gwen was unable to lie to him or even to herself. She felt with him all the burning, stirring need between a man and a woman. Its effect on both seemed almost critical. Trent moaned as he pressed his hot lips over hers. Her moan as she melted against the wall and let him take her open, willing mouth...

It had been wild and there was no stopping it, that physical connection she had even forgotten her nerves could feel.

She wasn't yet thirty and already looked like she'd given up on the very prospect of passion and other carnal pursuits. Anyone wanted the warmth of another person's touch, but it had to be special, and there had to be true affinity. Suddenly, as she was about to admit, Gwen had been stunned by how right and incredibly perfect it had been to feel kissed and held by Trent.

Their physical contact ended too soon, as moments later Trent had pulled back. One glimpse of his face had told Gwen that he had been appeased by the unbridled response. He'd taken her arms from where they'd linked around her neck and pulled back, leaving her panting and unmistakable need.

"I don't think you're quite sure how far you're willing to go," he said. "I need you to think deeply about this. Because I already did. At first, I'll admit, I was numb and just felt attacked from all sides. Finding you, and then the boy—it seemed as if fate had finally stopped working. wrong and had given me a second chance."

"Sorry if I gave the wrong impression now," Gwen said as she ran a shaky hand through her hair. "But whatever you planned about me or Jonah, you must erase from your thoughts."

Trent's jaw tightened, and his eyes turned icy. "You're the one with the wrong impression if you think the decision is still entirely up to you."

"Trent..."

  "I'm not so heartless as to bombard you all at once with demands or conditions. This came as a shock to you as well. I had a thing or two I speculated about, but now I have the answers I need."

Gwen didn't like the sound of those words, nor had she liked the look on Trent's face. "Answers? Trent, don't get ahead of yourself. There's no way I can have you in my life. Or Jonah's. Why don't you understand that? We're not in school anymore. Whatever we shared is gone. buried a long time ago, and now I just want things to stay the way they were. Jonah believes his father is dead and I'd like to keep things that way."

"At the risk of repeating myself, Gwen — it's not up to you anymore, what you want or not. The moment I realized he's my son — my heir — everything changed."

He was close to her again, surprising Gwen by how quickly she could move without barely warning or making a sound. He had placed one hand on the small of Gwen's back, and had pulled her close to his solid, formidable torso. The feel of his arousal shocked her entire body, like a ticking time bomb in her abdomen, an almost menacing ridge of muscle that triggered an answering constriction inside her sex. She had to hold back a moan at the feel of his erection rubbing against her. It was so big, bigger than she remembered. Her nipples had hardened under her bra, leaving her breasts sensitive and full. How long has it been since she felt this way?

Gwen seemed mesmerized by his bright green eyes, wondering how a man could be so handsome. Pressed so tightly against him, she felt tense and trembling at the same time.

She had been alone for so many years, and now seeing Trent out of the blue was about to change her life in so many ways she wasn't prepared for.

"I just found her," he said. His lips once again slid over her ear as he leaned down. "I won't just let you out of sight. I'm leaving now, but I can promise you'll be safe with me. What I can't promise is that I won't get what I want when the time comes."

"By the time?" Gwen's voice sounded a lot more shrill than she'd intended.

He chuckled darkly. "The moment you surrender to me. Then I'll be over you, miss

Stanton."

The arm he had slung around her waist was slowly withdrawn. Gwen had stumbled back slightly when he released her, while the temperature had shown no sign of lowering even with her release from his grasp.

Gwen could remember, even now in the cold morning light, the emptiness she'd felt when Trent chose that moment to leave without another word.

Why was kissing him so good? It was a completely different level from when they were much younger. The taste of him invading her mouth, her lips even more delicious than ever... Gwen couldn't help but squirm, remembering how her hands had found their way around his neck, and how her fingers had run silky chocolate-colored hair as if they were his own. He had to remove her arms from around his neck, she remembered, and groaned into her pillow in embarrassment. Had she acted like this on the spur of the moment, he could probably tell that it had been a long time since she'd last had any kind of male interaction.

Argh!

***

She was glad to have a few days' respite before Trent decided to get in touch again. Gwen knew the deadline was coming to an end. There weren't that many donors wanting to contribute to the school. Just thinking about the funds Trent planned to pledge for the numerous school projects as well as new classrooms made her feel guilty for delaying the deal.

By the end of the phone call, she had agreed to meet him for dinner after work. Gwen had never been so nervous or reluctant about a date—until she realized that she couldn't even consider it a date.

She had recruited her cousin Tricia, who had just graduated as a nurse, to babysit while she was away. Gwen hated the idea of leaving Jonah, especially now that Trent knew about him. What if Trent's family came in and tried something? Gwen had all kinds of preposterous ideas and worst-case scenarios popping into her mind and making her even more uncomfortable about meeting Trent.

She was surprised to find a black limousine waiting at her door. Men in dark suits using communicators stood by the tinted windows, waiting to show her inside. One would think she was going to meet the President, Gwen thought as she huffed. She slipped into the limo's plush interior and found herself sitting next to Trent.

The door closed and Gwen settled into the plush seat that felt as soft and comfortable as a feather. She felt like a modern Cinderella, stepping into a limousine for the first time. All that was missing was Bruce Wayne to accompany her on her way. Oh, wait, look at that—she had a version of herself right there beside her, looking like she'd stepped out of a dream with that suit and tie, brushed-back hair, and that absurdly handsome face. Gwen sighed and folded her arms in her lap, deciding that she wasn't going to be distracted by any of this.

"It's good to see you, Gwen. You look great," he said.

Gwen felt like a commoner, next to that man who looked more like a Tom Ford model. Did he always have to look fresh off a New York Fashion Week runway?

"Thanks, and you're fine too. But you could have warned me. I didn't expect you to do all this to impress me." She indicated the elegant surroundings with a wave of her hand. It felt like they were gliding down the road, and even the upbeat music she played was incredible. The soft lights, fabulous air-conditioning, and overall voluptuous luxury left Gwen speechless.

"That's how I walk, Gwen." Trent said dryly, and smiled when she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

Yes, she wished she could tell him to stop playing the billionaire so much right now. She knew he was worth more money than he was capable of spending.

She also knew that it would never interfere with whatever decision she had to make. Money wasn't everything, even after the choice she'd made all those years ago. She hated having to accept all that money from Trent's parents. At the time, it seemed like the best thing for her and her unplanned pregnancy rather than the risk of being left with nothing to support the baby and herself.

Deciding to abandon any dark thoughts, Gwen graciously accepted the glass of champagne Trent poured. She wasn't in a celebratory mood, but she needed some alcohol in her system to help her get through the ordeal she was about to come.

There wasn't much conversation on the way, and Gwen was grateful. She found some time to study Trent and try to figure out what had changed in him. In terms of personality, he had changed the most. He seemed tougher, but then she read about him and found out that he had been married and lost his wife to cancer.

It made her feel bad for him. Gwen had never married, and although she had taken many chances with relationships that had come and gone over the past eight years, she couldn't imagine what it was like to lose someone like that.

Not that Gwen believed Trent needed her pity. Nor did she need his. They both had their scars and hidden demons from the last eight years they'd been away from each other, she could bet on that.

They arrived at their destination, which was located in a very inconspicuous location. Gwen noted the amount of security that accompanied them in other vehicles, but didn't comment on it. She could imagine what it would mean to have to live like that, someone who needed to be watched over her every move. Wasn't that the reason why she had to keep Jonah away from such a lifestyle? Now, he could just be a normal boy, like children are supposed to be. Gwen couldn't offer him the kinds of treats her billionaire father could, but she had made sure he had a stable childhood and that was the most important thing.

Another part of Gwen berated herself to stop trying to assuage her hidden guilt over keeping father and son apart for so long.

When they were seated inside the restaurant, it took Gwen a minute to realize that they were the only ones present. "Looks like we won't have any distractions," she said lightly, trying to lighten the atmosphere between them. She looked around the empty dining room.

"I hope you don't mind. I felt you would be more comfortable that way."

"That's very thoughtful of you. I'm sure you wouldn't want our names or pictures linked to some tabloid either," she murmured. "Then I can understand the need for more privacy."

"You're right, of course. No care is too much," Trent said. "You may have noticed all the security, the seclusion — I've had to deal with some nasty media attention, along with the fact that sometimes my position makes me have powerful enemies. But you don't have to worry — it's here. safe."

Gwen wondered how she could be safe around a man as fatally attractive as Trent.

Matthews.

And to think that, for a few moments in her distant past, he had been hers. But he could never be hers again. Gwen felt a sudden pang of jealousy for the woman he had married, who had been deemed perfect for him. It was unfortunate that she had died, but at least the woman had had a taste of what Gwen could never have. And it made her chest ache with a tightness she couldn't explain.

She was glad for the distraction of trying to decide on her order, and simply nodded in assent when Trent made suggestions about food and wine. Why did she agree to dinner? She just felt those old wounds open again.

When Gwen looked up, she went to find Trent watching her with an expression she couldn't place.

A slow smile slipped across his lips. "I can't help but notice what a beautiful woman you've become. I've always wondered what it would be like to pass you on the street, or catch a glimpse of you in a crowd somewhere. It turned out even better than I thought."

Gwen's eyes darted, her silly shyness suddenly breaking through. "Let's face it...", she said with a laugh, "...under normal circumstances, there would be no reason for us to cross paths with each other anywhere. We don't belong in the same social circles."

"True. And yet I've always hoped for this."