Page 34 of Distrustful

"Want me to show you around? The estate is huge and you don't need to bring Benjamin, you're safe here," Maria proposes and Trinidad looks at her narrowing her eyes.

The lawyer stops breathing for a moment, fearing that, again, the businesswoman will leave her hanging or reject her offer.

"Alright," Trinidad agrees and gestures to her trusted man not to follow them.

Surprised, Maria smiles and they both begin to move away from the pond and the children. Gradually, the noise fades behind them and they begin to relax.

"Wow, it really is big," Trinidad confirms pleased with what she sees.

"I told you."

"And that house?" the businesswoman asks as they approach the cabin.

"It's the guest house, and also the one Ursula offered Mildred when she separated from her husband and they started dating. She moved here with the child at the beginning of their relationship, but for a couple of months now they've been living together in the main house. Want to see it?" Maria points to the door and Trinidad, invaded by curiosity unusual for her, nods.

"I didn't know Mildred had been married too," she comments upon entering.

"Yes, to Lili's father, though she'd have been better off not doing it, he's an abusive bastard who, taking advantage of his good social position and Mildred's few resources atthe time, tried to take the child away when she asked for divorce."

Trinidad stops dead in her tracks and turns to Maria in the middle of the living room.

"Mildred was an abused woman?"

"Yes," Maria responds trying to guess Trinidad's thoughts, who has become absorbed. "Are you okay?"

The woman just nods affirmatively before leaving the cabin to get some air.

"It's pretty," she says on the porch and Maria realizes that whatever passed through her mind, she doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Yes, it is, and it's also a peaceful place."

"Shall we go back?" Trinidad asks, starting to feel vulnerable.

"No," Maria counters to her amazement and plants herself in front of her surprising the businesswoman, who smiles nervously, "I'm tired of things happening only when you order them."

Maria's narrowed gaze fixed on her eyes starts to provoke an unbearable heat in the engineer.

"And what do you want to do?" Trinidad provokes her with that half-smile of sufficiency that Maria is determined to wipe off her face.

"Kiss you, and I'm not asking for permission," Maria declares and after reducing the distance between them, she caresses her cheek and joins her lips with Trinidad's in a slow and scorching kiss that leaves the businesswoman off balance for the first time since they met.

Trinidad looks at her when Maria pulls away, with her mouth half-open and her heart racing and, after thinking about it for a moment, decides to stop controlling herself and says what she thinks.

"Would you like to come to dinner at my house?"

Maria arches her eyebrows and the air of her laugh comes out through her nose in an amusing gesture that manages to relax Trinidad a bit, who has become very nervous after the kiss.

"What happened to make you fuck me like a marsupial and now ask me on a date?" the lawyer asks teasingly.

"I won't respond to such a crude question, you have five seconds to accept or I withdraw the offer," Trinidad says and takes a step toward her until the air no longer flows between them.

Maria's entire body burns.

"I accept," she whispers and gives her another kiss.

"Good," Trinidad responds against her mouth. "Can we leave now or is it too early?"

Maria lets out a laugh.

"You came to a child's birthday party, Trinidad, we have to wait for the cake and gifts if you don't want to witness her lung capacity when she starts crying, then we'll go."

Trinidad makes a face and nods.

"I don't understand," Maria says while they return to the main house, "why do you want to leave so early when you're so good with kids? Lili loves you."

"It's not because of the kids, and less because of Lili, it's that I don't feel comfortable when there are lots of people."

Maria looks at her sideways. She would ask Trinidad a thousand questions, but feels that with her she must go very slowly, without overwhelming her, because the woman releases information in drops and quickly gets lost in her thoughts after doing so. Besides, she didn't react well at all when she and Ursula asked her about the little information there was about her and, although at that moment she wouldn't have cared if Trinidad disappeared, now she does care. She wants to keep getting to know her and, most worrying is that since she's been sleeping with her, she hasn't felt the need to see other women.