“Trevor?” She wasn’t even sure what she wanted to say, maybe she just wanted reassurance for herself.

“Go to sleep, Allie.”

She stroked his arm until she felt him breathe deep and rhythmically next to her. She was wide awake now. Her mother always fed her hot milk with vanilla and cinnamon when she couldn’t sleep.

Allie crawled out from under Trevor’s embrace and scooted to the edge of the bed. She looked back to make sure she hadn’t awakened him, but when she saw he still slept, she quickly redressed and slipped quietly from the room.

She made her way to the kitchen and discovered Mags sitting at the granite counter, toying with a mugful of something. Her eyes were sad. She looked older and a little haggard.

“Hello, dearest. You couldn’t sleep either?”

Allie rubbed her arms and shook her head. “No, I thought I’d make myself some warm milk. You?” She grabbed a sauce pan from the rack above the island and crossed the room to the fridge.

“Hot tea with whiskey.” Mags took a whiff of her cup then sipped at it.

“Do you know where the cinnamon is?” Allie opened the small cabinet next to the range. “Found it.”

“Allison, I’m sorry you witnessed Nigel and me arguing this morning.”

Allie shrugged and poured milk into the copper-bottom pan. She added a cinnamon stick and decided to forget about hunting down the vanilla. “Frankly, Mags, it upsets me that Trevor saw that growing up.”

Mags winced. “Yes. We’ve been dreadful parents. And now that the wedding’s off, I suppose I’ll leave. Probably head back to England with Pix and Paolo.” She peered into her tea cup.

“What do you mean the wedding’s off? Because of one fight? What about Nigel being the one that got away?”

“Yes, I thought so too.” She gave Allie a wistful smile.

“So, that’s it?” Allie felt an irrational anger rise to the surface. “You’re not even going to fight to stay together?”

“There’s been entirely too much fighting, Allie.” She sighed. “You don’t understand, darling. Pix was right. Nigel and I would never work.”

Allie breathed out a laugh. “Trevor had you pegged from the start. The two of you are complete fuckups. Do you know how hard my mom fought for her life so that she could stay with us? Do you have any idea how painful it was to watch her die a little bit every day? You have a second chance at happiness, a second chance to show Trevor that you’re not a flake.”

Mags looked stricken. “Allison.”

“He’d have been better off if you hadn’t come back. But you guys had to turn the knife one more time. You couldn’t just leave him alone.” She grabbed the pan and poured the milk down the sink and tossed the pan in too.

“It’s not that simple, darling.”

Allie whirled around. “Nothing worth having is ever easy. God, don’t you get that?” She swept out of the room and ran back to Trevor’s room, craving his arms around her. He may not love her, but she loved him. And she wasn’t going to give up on him. She knew he cared about her. Maybe that could be enough.

She entered his room and shucked her clothes, leaving them on the floor. As she pulled back the covers, Trevor stirred. “You all right?” he asked, his voice faint and sleepy.

Allie lay on her side facing him, one hand resting on his hip. She rained light kisses down his chest, her tongue swirling around his nipple. Trevor groaned and dragged her on top of him.

Allie straddled him and braced her hands on his wide shoulders as she leaned down to kiss him. She groaned when her lips met his. Trevor reached between them and held back the curtain of her hair. Her nipples hardened as they brushed his smooth chest and her lips clung to his.

Pulling back, she fitted herself over his shaft and slowly lowered her body, taking him in as deeply as she could. He helped her by pistoning her hips up and down his cock. “Trevor,” she gasped. She reached down and rubbed her clit, and as she came she threw her head back and lost herself in the sensations.

Trevor increased the pace. Allie’s breasts jiggled as he slammed up into her. “Yes, Allison. Oh God.” He clenched his eyes shut as he came, then his grasp on her hips slacked off.

Allie collapsed on his chest, breathing hard. Her hair fell over him, and he smoothed it with one hand.

“Why did you get out of bed?” He petted her hair, slowly brushing the strands back from her face.

“Couldn’t sleep and I went to the kitchen for milk.” She turned her face and planted a kiss on his chest. “Trevor.” She raised her head. He looked so peaceful, so content in the afterglow, she didn’t want to tell him about his parents.

“Yes, love?”

She smiled. “Nothing.” He’d find out soon enough tomorrow. Allie rolled off his chest and laid her head in the crook of his arm.

He kissed her temple. “Think you’ll be able to sleep now?”

“Um hmm.” She closed her eyes and drifted off.

***

The next morning she found Trevor in his office. She bypassed breakfast when she saw he wasn’t at the table. She stuck her head in the door, watched him for a moment tapping away on his computer.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt.”

He glanced up but continued fiddling with his keyboard. “What is it, Allison? I’m busy this morning.”

If he thought that would put her off, he was fooling himself. She’d dealt with two teenage girls who had the leave-me-the-hell-alone-or-I’ll-cut-you vibe down pat. She walked into the room. “I take it you’ve heard about Mags and Nigel?”

His fingers stilled. “I knew all about Mags and Nigel before they ever got here. I told you it wouldn’t last. Hope you’re not too disappointed.”

She approached his side of the desk, leaning against it, and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Trevor.”

“Huh.” He shook her off. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not a child, and I haven’t had any illusions about those two since I was a very young boy. I don’t need your sympathy.”

Allie clasped her hands and took a deep breath. “I understand your skepticism and pain.”

He threw his head back and laughed then—not a laugh filled with humor, but a hard laugh tinged with bitterness and anger. “Do you? Well, that’s such a relief. Am I meant to share all my angst over those two bloody morons?” He pushed back from the chair and stood. He moved over and wedged himself between her legs. “I never thought for an instant those two would remarry, and I believe I told you so on numerous occasions.” His voice was calm and pleasant, and he wore that blank mask she’d grown to hate.

She placed her hands on his chest. “Trevor, marriage, love, it doesn’t have to be like that. My parents—”

“Your parents were an anomaly and probably only stayed together because of you and your sisters. That and your dire economic straits. Don’t kid yourself that they had some kind of fairy tale, Allie. Fairy tales don’t exist, and you women think if you shag someone, it means you love him. You can’t bear the thought that you simply like fucking, so you make it romantic and put a name on it. It’s all bollocks.” He leaned down, placed a hand on the back of her head, and gave her a savage kiss. “That’s real. What we have when I’m inside you, that’s real. Don’t wrap it in a bow and think it’s anything more.”

She pushed his chest to try and force him away. He didn’t budge, but he let go of her head. “Don’t talk about my parents that way, Trevor. My mother lay there, dying, and my father was so broken up about it—”

“That he got himself a girlfriend six months later. Oh yes, darling, he was very committed.”

Allie wanted to lash out at him, hit him, hurt him like he’d just hurt her. “Believe what you want. But love does exist, Trevor, because I love you. Yeah, I know you don’t want to hear it and I know you won’t believe it, but there it is. I’m in love with you. And it’s not just fucking wrapped in a bow, it’s consuming and scary and wonderful.”