White Knight

by Mari Carr

  “I’ve thought of both. When I want to learn about something, I research it. I’ve read everything I can find on this subject and I still have questions. Things that can only be answered through experience, not the written word.”

  “Sometimes there is safety in the distance a book provides. I don’t think you realize how very different the true physical act will be.”

  She scoffed. “I’m not a green girl, Travis. I’ve had some experience outside the pages of a book.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “What experience?”

  For a moment she thought she spied jealousy in his expression, but dismissed it. Travis had never entertained any feelings for her beyond friendship. His response was more likely that of an overprotective brother.

  “I’ve been kissed before.”

  Travis didn’t seem to like her response. “By whom?”

  She gave him a haughty glare. “None of your business.”

  “Stand up. I want to make sure we’re talking about the same thing.”

  She rose slowly, curious.

  “Were you kissed like this?” He lifted her hand and placed a light buss on the top of her hand.

  She let her insulted feelings show. “Hardly.”

  “Then perhaps like this?” He flipped her hand over, his lips descending to her palm. He pressed them against her sensitive skin longer and she was startled when his tongue made an appearance, stroking her flesh. She’d never known a simple kiss to her hand could be so sensual, so arousing.

  She fought to maintain control. It wouldn’t do for Travis to feel her hand shaking. She cleared her throat. “I’ve had better kisses,” she lied.

  Travis raised his face to hers. “Is that right? Then you must mean this type of kiss.”

  He closed the remaining distance between them, placing his lips to hers. Several gentlemen over the years had snuck a quick kiss here and there, but none of them compared to the sparks Travis’ kiss sent flaring in her body.

  His lips were soft and demanding at the same time. She struggled to keep up with him as he pressed closer. He urged her lips apart with his and she felt that scandalous tongue enter her mouth. She was fascinated, spellbound. She moved her tongue against his, anxious to taste him. He cupped her face between his calloused hands and deepened the union.

  She gasped when he nipped her lower lip, and Travis took advantage, dipping his tongue into her sweet mouth once more. He tasted of coffee and peppermint—a curiously satisfying combination.

  He lived up to all her expectations, her hopes. Travis would be a passionate, fiery lover. Her mind raced over all the things he could teach her. Would teach her if only she could convince him to do so. She refused to die an old maid. She may never marry, but she wouldn’t go to her grave without knowing the pleasure to be found with a man.

  Travis’ hand lowered, tracing a random pattern down her neck that nearly drove her insane with longing. She shivered slightly. Her reaction couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than desire. She wanted him badly.

  He cupped one of her breasts in his palm and she moaned softly when he squeezed. She wasn’t overly endowed, but she possessed enough to fill his hand. He deepened the kiss, and she realized he was as unwilling to give up the warmth of her lips as she was his.

  She reached up and grasped his hair, the change in position pressing her even closer to him. Their bodies connected at several points, and Shea felt his cock—firm beneath his breeches—brush against her stomach. He plunged his tongue in and out of her mouth faster, and she suspected this was her first lesson. Travis was showing her exactly how he could fill her body.

  She met him thrust for thrust. One hand left his hair and drifted to his face. Her fingertips lightly caressed his scar.

  She wasn’t certain what that simple touch triggered, perhaps the memory of the pain, but she knew instantly she’d made a mistake.

  Travis pulled away quickly.

  She fought to regain ground, hoping to catch him off guard while they were both still hazy from the effects of the kiss. “So you’ll teach me?”

  He shook his head.

  She felt like crying. Her emotions were on system overload and her body ached. “I’m leaving.”

  “Am I to understand you won’t be swayed from this path no matter what I say?”

  “No matter what.”

  Travis was silent for several moments and she suspected he was struggling for an excuse, a satisfactory reason to turn her from her course. In the end, all he said was, “I won’t do it. I won’t let you ruin yourself.”

  “Very well. I appreciate you taking the time to consider it.”

  Before she could leave, Travis stopped her, placing his hand on her arm. “What will you do next?”

  She eyed him sadly. “I told you.”

  “I won’t let you go to Lord Chattingly.”

  She raised her head, irritated and strangely aroused by his heavy-handedness. “You can’t stop me.”

  For the first time since she’d entered the room, Travis smiled, the expression reminding her of the man she’d known before war had altered him.

  “Watch me.”

  Chapter 4

  Shea put the drinks on the table and smiled at the young couple.

  “You two from out of town?” she asked.

  They nodded, and the woman added, “We’re from Nebraska and I can tell you now, they don’t have shows like this there.”

  Shea laughed. “Well, I think you’ll enjoy tonight’s show. It’s the last night of this particular fantasy.” Scoundrels typically put on the same show for one month, with different actors and actresses performing each night. Instead of a script, the performers were given a scenario and encouraged to put their own spin on the situation. As a result, it was never the same performance twice. Tonight, the naughty schoolgirl production would end and Shea was curious to see what Emma would come up with for next month.

  It had been almost a full week since she’d seen Travis. He’d gone back into hiding in his office. After Travis had secured her promise to stay—it hadn’t been hard to give since she had nowhere else to go—Shea’s life had returned to its relatively normal state. She’d continued working in the club, hiding in the restroom, emerging after Bill left to crawl into the bed onstage. Every night, she glanced toward Travis’ window and waved. She wasn’t sure if he saw her, but something told her that he was watching.

  She attempted to stifle a yawn. She’d stayed up far too late last night reading another one of her juicy romance novels.

  “There you are.” Emma came up next to her. “Do you have a minute?”

  Shea nodded and felt ice form in the pit of her stomach. She’d been living on pins and needles waiting for Travis to tell Emma about her sleepovers in the club, but so far he’d kept her secret. “Sure. What’s up?”

  Emma pulled her to a quiet corner. “That’s what I was hoping you could tell me.”

  Shea bit her lip. The jig was up. “Emma, I—”

  “Jessica is here to take over your tables for the rest of the night.”

  Oh God. She was fired. She became lightheaded from panic and her voice failed.

  “Travis has requested that you bring dinner for the two of you up to his office. When did you meet Travis?”

  Confused, Shea struggled to take a breath. “I’m not fired?”

  “Fired?” Emma’s surprised tone sent a wave of relief through her. “Why the hell would you be fired?”

  “I don’t know,” she hedged. “It was just the way you said Jessica would relieve me.”

  “God, Shea. You’ll have to get a clue sometime and realize I like you. You’re the hardest-working, most reliable waitress I have. You’d have to do something pretty terrible at this point for me to fire you. But don’t let that tempt you to try,” she finished with a wink.

  Shea smiled uneasily. How would Emma feel if she knew the truth?

  “That still doesn’t explain how you know Travis and why he’s arranged for you to have a ni
ght off so the two of you can have dinner. He never socializes with the staff and he never goes out on dates, so you’ve sort of floored me here. I’m dying of curiosity.”

  Shea tried to come up with an appropriate answer. She didn’t want to appear like one of those girls who slept with the boss to get promotions or raises or something. “We ran into each other at that diner across the street a few days ago. He recognized me and started a conversation.” She decided it was best to stick as closely to the truth as possible.

  “Must have been some conversation.”

  Shea shook her head. “I didn’t think so. Just normal, run-of-the-mill sort of talk.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.

  “Well, you obviously impressed Trav. He said dinner was your choice. Go on over there and give Bill your order. He’ll put it in for you. Travis said you were to sit at the bar and have a glass of wine while you waited.”

  “Controlling much,” Shea murmured.

  Emma laughed loudly. “You don’t know the half of it.” She studied Shea with appraising eyes. “But I think you may be good for him. I don’t see you as a pushover.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  Emma looped her arm through Shea’s and led her to the bar. “All I mean is, you need to keep that backbone of yours stiff. Don’t let him run roughshod over you, talk you into things you don’t want to do.”

  Shea paused, causing Emma to stop walking. “What sort of things?”

  Emma shrugged. “I don’t know specifically. I mean, despite the fact I consider Travis one of my best friends, there are parts of him he keeps hidden from me. He has lots of secrets, but I’ve heard gossip over the years. Ordinarily I dismiss it, but the stories all seem to travel along the same vein.”

  “What kind of stories?”

  Emma hesitated. “He’s a wonderful man. All I’ve ever wanted is for him to find someone who’ll make him happy. Unfortunately he seems determined to live the rest of his life sequestered in that damn office, playing Big Brother. He watches everyone else have lives while denying the same for himself.”

  Shea had discovered all that last weekend. Regardless, she knew Emma was trying to distract her from the real truth. “What stories, Em?”

  Emma grinned. “See what I mean? You’re too damn smart. I was trying to let that subject drop before I stuck my foot in my mouth any deeper. All I’m going to say is he seems fond of some rather unique sexual practices.”

  Shea gasped.

  “No,” Emma interjected quickly. “I don’t mean anything bad or painful. Just unusual.”

  “Unusual how?” Shea recalled Travis’ demand that she not touch him. She’d wondered constantly about that odd request, and his panicked reaction when she didn’t comply. Something was terribly broken inside Travis. She’d sensed it almost from the start. The caregiver in her wanted to fix it.

  Before Emma could respond, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the number and rolled her eyes. “Christ.”

  She clicked the answer button. “Yes, Travis?”

  Shea looked over her shoulder at the security camera. Big Brother indeed.

  Emma proceeded to answer Travis in a string of simple, annoyed answers. “I’m not. Fine. Whatever.”

  She hung up and gave Shea a guilty grin. “He told me to stop trying to scare you away.”

  “Can he hear what we’re saying?”

  Emma shook her head and pointed to the camera. “No, but unfortunately he’s very good at reading body language. If this place weren’t packed to the rafters, I’d flip him off. Let him read into that what he would.”

  Shea laughed and continued to the bar. “Maybe we should let this conversation lie. I’ll consider myself warned.”

  Emma sighed and waved to get Bill’s attention behind the bar. He lifted his hand and indicated he’d be over in a minute. “What I should have said is, I hope you and Travis have a wonderful time tonight. He can be a very fun companion and you’ve certainly earned the time off.”

  “I’ve only worked here two weeks, Em.”

  “But you’ve worked every night from open to close and Bill tells me you even stay late to help clean the restrooms.”

  She flushed, saved from answering when Bill approached.

  “What’s up, boss?”

  “Shea needs to order two meals to go and she’ll have a glass of wine while she waits. What’s your preference?”

  Shea felt uncomfortable ordering a drink when she was supposed to be working. “Anything white will be fine.”

  Bill handed her a menu before grabbing a wineglass, filling it and placing it in front of her.

  “This feels strange.”

  Emma nodded. “It is strange. But nice. Just relax, have a good time and forget all about me making an ass of myself.”

  Emma returned to work while Shea sipped her wine. She hadn’t been sure what to order, so she’d taken the safe route and requested two chicken marsalas. She tried to follow Emma’s advice and relax but she was too keyed up—equal parts excitement and nervousness.

  Every night when she crawled into bed, she imagined what it would feel like for Travis to come down from his office and join her. Her sexual fantasies had grown more and more heated with each passing day. Was he feeling the same attraction? His kiss the previous week made her believe he was.

  “Here’s your food, and the boss called down. He wants you to bring this too.” Bill placed a full bottle of the wine she was drinking in front of her. He gave her a curious look but she ignored it. If Bill was looking for answers, he was barking up the wrong tree. She didn’t have a clue what was going on.

  She nodded, said thanks, and grabbed the bag of food and bottle of wine. She headed toward the theater. The show hadn’t started yet but it would soon. The tables and chairs were almost filled. She kept her head down, feeling conspicuous as she walked up the flight of stairs at the back of the stage. When she reached the top, she knocked.

  Travis opened the door almost immediately, ushering her in and relieving her of her load. “Smells good.”

  “Hope you like chicken.”

  He placed the food on a coffee table. She was amazed by the size of his office. She’d had no idea looking at it from the outside that it was so large. He’d arranged a living room area in front of the two-way glass, complete with a couch, coffee table, large chair and ottoman. While everything was set up theater-style facing the stage, there was one simple wooden chair that seemed oddly out of place, tucked off to the side with its back against the glass.

  One wall contained several security monitors, every corner of the club displayed. She fought back a wince as she realized how stupid she’d been. Travis had a bird’s-eye view of the hallway with the restrooms, as well as the stage. He hadn’t missed a single moment of her decision to move in and make herself at home.

  A large desk faced the monitors and was stacked high with papers and computer equipment. There was a mini-fridge, bookshelves piled with books and CDs and DVDs, as well as a clothes rack with several articles of clothing hanging on it. In the corner, she could see a bathroom through an open door.

  Apparently she wasn’t the only one living in the club.

  “What do you think?” he asked, after giving her time to finish her perusal.

  “Do you live here?”

  He shook his head. “I have an apartment, though I’ll admit I’ve been staying here more often than not lately.”

  Had he taken up residence in the office to keep an eye on her?

  “Sorry,” she said.

  Travis grinned. “You apologize a lot.”

  “Only to you. Seems like I fuck up more than normal whenever you’re concerned.”

  His smile faded. “You haven’t fucked up with me yet.”

  She gave him a look that proved they both knew that wasn’t exactly true. She’d touched him. She wasn’t sure why that was the error that seemed so prevalent, but she knew in his eyes, it was a major mistake. One that had taken him a week to recover from.

  “Shall we e
at?” he asked.

  She nodded and together they set up their little feast on the coffee table, Shea opening the takeout boxes while Travis poured them each a glass of wine in plastic cups.

  They sat together on the couch, looking out over the crowd gathering below for the show. Shea couldn’t believe how awesome his view was. From this spot in his office, Travis could see most of the stage and the entire audience.

  Travis lifted his cup and turned toward her for a toast. She lifted hers as well.

  “To the future,” he said. She tapped her cup to his and they drank.

  They began to eat and though neither of them spoke much, Shea didn’t feel uncomfortable. There was something about Travis that felt familiar, easy.

  “So what are your plans for the future?” he asked after a few minutes.

  “I want to go to college and study business.”

  Travis’ face betrayed his surprise and she grinned. “You didn’t think I wanted to be a waitress forever, did you?”

  He shook his head. “No. I just didn’t expect the college reply. How old are you?”

  “Twenty-three.”

  “You seem older than that.”

  She shrugged. “I feel older than that. I’ve always loved school. I graduated fifth in my class at high school, but the timing wasn’t right for me to go to college. First of all, we had no money, and while I’m sure I could have gotten financial aid and loans, my mom wasn’t in a place where I felt comfortable leaving her alone.”

  Travis put his food back on the coffee table and leaned back, turning to look more fully at her. “Were you living in a dangerous neighborhood?”

  “Oh no. Nothing like that. She had some issues with painkillers awhile back. I stuck around to try to help her kick the habit.”

  She didn’t expect Travis’ laughter in response to her revelation.

  “That’s funny?”

  “No,” he said. “It’s fucking tragic. You really are the product of a walking, talking cliché. A drug-addicted stripper mom and no dad. Wow.”

  She laughed, appreciating his humor. It matched hers. “Yep. Practically textbook.”

  “Except for you.”