Wood (A True Lover's Story #2) - A.E. Via Page 0,20

eyes. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” she pressed.

“Because he…” Trent stalled as he tried to tell Summer a legitimate reason why he’d pushed Wood so hard last night.

“You can be honest with me, Trent,” Summer said gently, reaching over and touching his tense forearm.

“I know,” Trent sighed, but he’d yet to be honest with himself. How could he tell Summer that he’d given his best first impression and Wood still couldn’t wait to get out of there the very next night.

Summer smiled softly and nodded. His foreman didn’t show her kind-hearted side often, only to him every now and then when he needed it. Summer worked in the male-dominated field of building construction, and her title hadn’t been earned easily. If she showed any signs of weakness, it was quickly used against her. But she had an ally in Trent, and most of the guys knew to watch their mouths now. Besides Bishop, Summer was the only other friend Trent had. They didn’t hang outside of work often since Summer’s girlfriend was quite possessive of her free time, but they’d worked well together every winter before he’d gotten locked up.

“So, come on, what is it?”

“I don’t trust him.”

Summer nodded understandably as she pulled out her garden salad. “Trent. It’s day three. Y’all just met. You don’t trust him because you don’t know him.”

“Exactly!” Trent snapped.

“But it’s not like you’re giving the guy a chance either. Why’s he have to open up and spill his life story within forty-eight hours of meeting a stranger. Remember he knows Bishop… not you.” Summer crunched noisily on a strip of bell pepper as Trent glared at the side of her face. “What’s he look like, by the way?”

“I don’t know,” Trent said.

Summer glanced up slowly. “What do you mean you don’t know? You don’t have eyes?”

“Yes, I have eyes,” Trent huffed.

“Okay. Has he been wearing a veil since he moved in?”

“Summer.”

“How can you not know what he looks—”

“He’s tall, okay!” Trent blurted.

“Tall,” Summer droned. “I’m five four, Trent. Eighty percent of the people in the world are tall to me. What else?”

Trent exhaled an annoyed breath. “And built. He has lots of fucking tattoos. Amazing ones. Full beard, and his hair…” Trent’s mind flashed back to last night when Wood had him pinned to the wall and the light gray strands of his hair had fallen across his forehead. “It’s um, gray… He has a lot of gray hair with like… black too. Okay! Is that enough of a damn description for you?”

“Oh yeah. He sounds like a fox.” Summer grinned.

Trent tried to stop Summer’s heart with the fierceness of his glower, but all she did was laugh in his face. His boss had long ago grown immune to his attitude and puffing. All he could do was sit there and take the ridicule. “Trent, you know I love you like a little brother, right?”

“You’re not that much older than me, Summer.” Trent leaned his head back against the headrest. He’d had the same throb behind his left eye all night, and no amount of Motrin had relieved it.

“I got you by five years. That’s enough. So, let me give you some good advice.”

Trent closed his eyes. “I’m sure I’m gonna get it whether I want it or not.”

“That’s what she said!” Summer laughed loudly, eventually making him have to hide his own smile.

“You’re an idiot.”

“But for real. Here’s my advice. First. Be true to yourself, Trent. Please.”

“What the hell is that supposed to—”

She put her hand up, effectively cutting him off. “Just what I said. Then second. Go out and get laid, man. You and Sil broke up months ago, and now you’ve got cobwebs growing on your balls and it’s making you unbearable.”

Trent did laugh that time because it felt true. It had been a long time. Probably way longer for Wood though. Trent dropped his head into his hands, because for the millionth time today, his thoughts went back to his roommate. Was this part of that game he’d mentioned? Trent really hadn’t been playing at anything, but now Wood was messing with his mind. He squeezed his eyes closed and tried to relieve some of the pressure building there, but all that did was make the headache worse. His body… his senses were all going haywire.

Wood’s smell, the feel of those silver strands on Trent’s cheek, those damn lips so close to his mouth… Fuck! Trent grabbed his hard hat, jumped down from the dump truck, and headed back toward the worksite without another