Chapter 20
"Where are we?"
Trent beamed at me. "This is a marina."
"Uh huh, thanks smart alec." I rolled my eyes.
"That one is ours for the day." Trent pointed to a yacht. "Come on." Trent took my hand with one of his and had the bag from this morning in the other. We boarded and Trent steered us out of the marina.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere, come up here." Trent pulled me up to the bridge with him. "What do you think?"
"I think it's a beautiful day and I'm on the water."
Trent smiled. I couldn't even see the shore anymore. My favorite place in the world is on or in the water. There really is nothing better.
"Good." Trent let the boat slow to a stop then dropped anchor. "Come with me." Trent pulled me down into the cabin and unzipped his bag. "I don't know about you, but I wanted to enjoy the sun and the water." Trent pulled out a pair of swim trunks.
"I didn't bring anything."
Trent's grin turned mischievous. "I know, I did." Trent pulled out a black bikini. I shook my head no.
"Nope. Absolutely not. That is so not happening."
"Why not?"
"I don't wear bikinis."
"Why not?"
"I don't have the body for it for one." I snapped. "Trent, thanks for the effort, but I'm not wearing that."
"You won't even try it on?"
I shook my head. "I don't wear bikinis."
Trent gave me his puppy dog pout. I crossed my arms and shook my head. "The answer is still no."
"Even if I know you do have the body for a bikini?"
"I don't."
Trent put both hands on my waist and before I knew what was happening, he'd cornered me against a wall. "I disagree." His hands trailed up from my hips to my ribs then back down. I felt a strange heat seeping through my skin where his hands touched and I shuddered.
"Stop,"
Trent leaned in closer. "Come on, humor me."
I shuddered then shook my head. "Trent, no." I shook my head again. "I can't."
I froze when Trent started nuzzling my neck. I squirmed at the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. "You won't even try?"
"Trent, stop," I pushed him back. He kept his hands in place but pulled up to look me in the eye.
"Why don't you think you'd look good in a bikini?"
I sighed and looked away.
"Hey, look at me," Trent whispered as he hooked my chin with one finger.
"I thought you said I'd enjoy today." I grumbled.
Trent froze and looked pensive. "I did promise that, didn't I?"
"Yes,"
"Well then, I better make good on my word." Trent kissed me suddenly. I was caught off guard as his lips claimed mine. I felt my cheeks flush as a moan escaped without my permission. One of Trent's hands went up to the back of my head as the other went to the small of my back. He pulled back leaving us both breathless.
"You have to stop doing that," I panted.
Trent smiled. "Will you please just try it on?"
"What?"
"The bathing suit. Please, just try it on?"
I sighed. "I don't want to."
Trent sighed but smiled. "Fine, I'll just jump in the water with you like that."
"What?"
Trent raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Come on, "
I shook my head. "You're ridiculous."
Trent cocked his head to the side."Part of you likes it."
"Trent, move." I brushed past him and squeaked as he smacked my butt as I passed. "Hey!"
Trent shrugged. "I couldn't help myself."
"Couldn't help yourself my foot," I grumbled as I stomped back up to the deck. Trent joined me a few minutes later wearing the swim trunks and nothing else.
"Mikaela," Trent purred.
"What do you want?" I asked as I leaned on the deck railing.
"To see you having fun."
"Well, you're failing."
Trent's arms wrapped around my waist and he pressed himself against my back. "Because you won't cooperate." Trent pouted. "I really am trying." He whispered as he laid a kiss against my shoulder. I bit my lip and did my best to hold still. "For the record, I do think you'd look great in a bikini, but I didn't mean to upset you."
"Trent, if you haven't noticed, I'm not one of those starlets you're used to. I don't have a perfect body and I don't care about stuff like that."
Trent turned me in his arms. "Mikaela, you have a great body. I know, I've seen it." I felt my cheeks flush. "If I wanted one of those starlets, as you like to refer to them as, I would be there. More than that, most of them would have done anything I asked."
"Are you trying to make me feel better," I growled.
"Yes. Hear me out. I hate hearing you put yourself down. I want to know what makes you think you wouldn't look good in a bikini."
"The fact that I'm not a size three for starters."
I heard Trent growl. "So?"
"I don't work out. I don't have time. So, my stomach isn't flat, I never really cared about my appearance much before but now,"
"Now?"
I shook my head. "Trent, never mind."
"Would you just put the bathing suit on? Can I be the judge of if it looks good or not?"
I shook my head. "Trent can we just drop it."
Trent stared at me for a long moment before he moved away. "Sure," Trent sighed. "What do you want to do?"
I shrugged. "I don't know."
"Are you hungry?
I shrugged. "I could eat." Trent nodded.
"I'll go see what the kitchen has stocked. Do you want to join me?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I'll meet you down there. Give me a minute." I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. Wow Mikaela, way to throw it back in his face. I groaned as I realized how badly I'd screwed up. It had been going well until I let myself ruin it.
I went back down to the cabin and saw Trent already started cooking.
"What are you making?" I offered, trying to start a conversation but having no idea how.
Trent turned and gave me a half hearted smile before turning back to the stove. "Just some chicken." Trent shrugged.
"Can, can I help with anything?"
Trent looked at me for a long moment. "Sure."
I helped with some of the basic prep work. It was a tiny kitchen area and we kept bumping into each other, but I think most of that may have been intentional on Trent's part. "Hey Trent,"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry,"
"For what?"
"Ruining whatever I did earlier."
Trent put down the spoon he was holding and leaned against the stove top. "You didn't do anything wrong. I assumed."
"Assumed what?"
Trent shrugged. "I guess I had this day all planned out in my head. I forgot to figure in that you're different from anyone else I've ever met. Even with Nikki's help, I probably should have asked you a few things first. I just wanted today to be perfect."
I felt guilty. "Trent, all of this, it's great, it really is. It just, it's more than I'm used to. More than I deserve."
"Why do you think that?"
"Think what?"
"That this is more than you deserve."
"Trent, girls like me, we don't win the guy, we aren't Miss Popular, we don't have happy endings. As long as I keep my eyes on what I have, I won't be disappointed. I know better than to want more than I have."
"So you've never tried to want anything else?"
I let out a bitter laugh. "Trent if you hadn't come and interrupted my life, I'd probably be in a tank right now cleaning or trying to find another grant because ours got stolen." I looked around. "I most certainly wouldn't be on a yacht right now with some guy who wanted to make me lunch."
"I want to do a whole lot more than that." Trent chuckled.
I felt my cheeks heat up.
Trent came over and cupped my cheek in his hand. "You deserve to be happy." Trent whispered. He kissed me then. It wasn't his usual hot, passionate, possessive kiss, it was sweet, gentle. After a long moment, he pulled away. "You deserve to be happy just like everyone else. Don't ever accept anything else, got it sweetheart?"
I found myself nodding.
Trent finished making lunch and I decided to do something I was pretty sure I would regret. I went over to Trent's bag and pulled out the swim suit. Shit, I was going try it on.
"Mikaela?" Trent called. I was hiding in the bathroom. I was wearing the black bikini and feeling incredibly self conscious.
"Yeah, be there in a minute."
"You okay?"
"Ye-yeah. I just need a minute."
"You feeling alright?"
"Yes."
"Okay, well lunch is ready, I'll be waiting when you're finished."
I took a deep breath and looked in the mirror one more time. I was really going to do this. Holy crap.
I opened the door a crack and Trent has his back to me. "Hey, um, hey Trent," I asked as I peeked out.
"Yeah?" Trent turned around. "What's up?"
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I took a nervous step out. After a moment of nervous silence I opened one eye and saw Trent staring open mouthed.
"Wow," he breathed as his eyes raked over me. My face felt like it was on fire.
"It - it looks okay?"
A lazy smile spread across his face. "You look great."
I crossed my arms and rubbed my upper arms. "It's cold in here."
"Let's go eat on the deck. You go, I'll grab the plates."
"Sure."
I went up and the warm sun felt great on my skin. I was still super self conscious, but Trent's reaction gave me a little more confidence. Trent followed me up a few minutes later. We ate and just talked. It was nice. When I actually relaxed it was easy to laugh around Trent. After we finished eating Trent looked like he was deliberating something for a long moment. The next thing I knew, I was in his arms and then we were in the water.
I surfaced and sputtered and looked around. "What in the world?" I shouted at Trent as he surfaced beside me.
"It was hot." He smiled. "I wanted to jump in."
"So you threw me in with you?"
"Aww, come on, don't act like it wasn't fun." Trent teased as he splashed me.
"How are we supposed to get back up on the boat?"
Trent looked up at the deck and shrugged. "Don't worry."
"You're insane." I shook my head.
Trent gave me a devilish smirk. "A little." Trent swam over and wrapped his arms around me. It felt strange to be pressed skin against skin to Trent and I tried to push away.
"Stop it,"
"Stop what?" Trent teased. "This?" Trent kissed me then and the nibbled on my ear. I squirmed in his arms.
"Careful with that."
"With what?"
Trent glanced down at my cleavage. "If you aren't too careful, I'll get lucky and get to see a whole lot more."
I smacked his arm. "Let me go, I want to get out."
"You're no fun," Trent teased. "Come on," Trent pulled me with him to a ladder I didn't see. "See, I have it all planned out." Trent promised as he helped me on the ladder. "Plus I get a great view."
I kicked down when I realized what Trent meant. He easily dodged but continued to follow me up the ladder. "Now I'm cold." I shivered from the deck.
"Hang on," Trent jogged off and came back with towels. Trent draped a towel over my shoulders and used it to pull me closer to him. "Thank you," he whispered before he gave me a tender kiss.
"For what?"
"For trying." Trent smiled. "It means a lot to me."
I found myself smiling like an idiot. "Trent, thanks for putting all of this together for me. No one's ever done something like this for me before."
"You're welcome ," With that Trent pulled me in for another kiss.
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Alright my lovelies, I hope you enjoyed it! What do you think? Let me know! Love you all! <3 Much love! Muah!!