Taking a Chance

by April Zyon

  He smiled at her as his head lowered until their lips touched. It was a gentle kiss, his lips feathering over hers as he held her tight. Slowly, he deepened it, pulling her into the kiss until they were devouring one another, the fire between them sparking to a full roar once more.

  When they parted, Cassidy’s eyes were hazy. The kiss touched a deep part of her soul that no man had ever touched before. She seemed to feel that a lot with Travis. When he turned her around, she allowed it. She moved so that she could bend at the waist and looked back at him, watching as he encased his cock in the condom. “Damn, I love that sight,” she whispered honestly.

  He gave a laugh as his hand stroked over her spine to her ass. “You’d better. You’re going to be seeing a lot of it if I have anything to say about it. Now, brace yourself, Cass. No concussions tonight if you don’t mind.” He stepped in close enough that she could feel the hair on his thighs tickling the backs of her legs. His cock slid into her a moment later, filling her completely as he took hold of her hips.

  Cass had her hands braced on the shower wall and she pushed back against him when he filled her full. She cried out his name, her toes curled, and her fingers bent slightly. “God, that, right there.” She couldn’t seem to speak or even do much of anything, so instead, she just felt and gave. She pushed back against him over and over again and demanded he give her everything.

  Which he did. He gave her everything she wanted and more. His cock hit her deep each time he slammed it into her pussy. Their flesh slapped together with each thrust of his hips. His fingers were digging into her hips just enough she’d likely have bruises there the next day. All worth it, though.

  Cassidy moved with him, her pleasure seeping out of her pussy with each hard thrust that he gave her. She was braced against the wall of the shower so she didn’t get hurt, but also so that she could give back to him as good as he was giving to her. “Travis.” It was almost the sound of a prayer coming from her lips as she moaned.

  “Right here, Cass. I’ve got you, sweetheart. Just let go, take us both over the edge. Fuck, you’re so slick and so damn tight. I love the feeling of your pussy wrapped around my cock. It’s perfection to me,” he said with a groan.

  She couldn’t deny him. She had to agree that it felt perfect. It felt remarkable and she wanted more. She pushed back against him, her pussy clenching and releasing him as she did so. “Fuck.” She sobbed and felt her knees begin to shake. When his hands moved over her back and then clenched her hips tighter, she let go. Cassidy gave up the orgasm that she had been holding back and sobbed as she came hard and fast.

  “Cassidy!” He yelled out her name as he slammed his cock into her twice more before stilling, buried deep. He squeezed her hips before sliding his hands around her body to hold her tight. He collapsed against her back as he kept them both from falling to the floor.

  She was gasping for air, holding onto the shower wall as best she could while her knees knocked, and her whole body shook. Finally, she smiled. “Amazing.” She looked back at him. “I’m totally addicted to you, Travis.” She hoped that this feeling would never go away either.

  He slipped his cock from her body and straightened, turning her in his arms. Holding her close to him, he pressed a kiss to her lips. “Good,” he whispered. “I really don’t feel like being alone on this ride, Cass. For the record, I don’t think I’m ever going to let you go, not willingly. Figured I’d throw that out there now so you can get used to the idea.”

  “That’s a very good thing.” She shifted so that she could place her cheek to his chest and closed her eyes again. “You feel amazing, the way you are holding me. I don’t think that I will ever let you go either. Sorry, but I think that I’m going to keep you.”

  “So keep me,” he whispered. “I don’t mind. In fact, I encourage you.” After giving her a squeeze, he drew back and removed the condom, tossing it into the trash just outside the shower. “Let’s get cleaned up, Cass. It’s been a long day and I think we both need to get some actual sleep.”

  “Sounds good.” Cassidy needed a little down time to evaluate her feelings, thoughts, and emotions that he pulled from her without even trying. Ones she liked. “I will let you know tomorrow about keeping you.” She was teasing him, her lips curled in a smile as she looked up at him. “As long as you will keep me. For now, sleep, though, after getting out and dried off. Right?”

  Nodding, he handed her the soap. He backed up a little, giving her some elbow room to wash up. When she was done, he took the soap from her, kissing her fingers with a smile, and stepped under the spray to wash up. Once he was done, he shut off the water and they got out, drying off and heading to bed together.

  Climbing into the bed, Cassidy moved to the middle and waited for Travis to join her. Holding her hand out with a grin, she watched him as he moved to the door and hit the switch there to plunge the room into darkness. With only the moon hinting light through the curtains, Cass jumped slightly when Travis touched her and then relaxed as his large hand closed around hers. Lying down, she rested her head against his chest when he pulled her close. “Have a good rest,” she whispered to him, pressing a kiss to his chest and then slipping off to sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  “Good morning, dears. Did you sleep well?”

  Travis and Cassidy both froze in their steps before turning, slowly, to find his mother sitting at the table. She had a cup of coffee in hand, the paper open before her, and was grinning at them.

  “Morning, Mama. Uh, yeah, slept really well, actually. You?” Travis asked.

  “Had a very peaceful slumber. Breakfast is on the stove if you’re interested. The coffee is fresh as well, just made the second pot after your brother and Ali got through devouring the first round. So, dish something up and come join me.”

  Cassidy looked at Travis and bit her lower lip. Crap, she was so out of her depth here. She had never met anyone’s parents before, at least not someone she was sleeping with. She waved at the woman and thought she said good morning, but she moved to the coffee pot automatically and poured herself and Travis both a cup while he began to dish them plates up. Funny, but she knew already how Travis took his coffee—plain black—from their early morning conversation that they had after a long and slow loving just after two a.m. She moved to his side and looked up. “Need any help?” she asked him with her hand on his back, needing to touch him almost as much as he had to touch her this morning.

  He shook his head and shot a look over his shoulder to the table. “Don’t know about you, but this feels horribly awkward,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I figured she’d be off harassing one of the others at the very least. Or busy with the wedding over at Victor’s place.”

  Cassidy shrugged and leaned into him. She pressed a kiss to his shirt-covered arm. “It’s okay. For now, let’s eat? I don’t know about you, but I’m actually quite hungry.” She wanted to reach out and hug him, wanted to hold him close, but she didn’t. Instead, she moved back so that they could both walk to the table together.

  “Famished,” he said. Holding up their plates, she saw his lopsided grin at how full they both were. She let him go first to set the plates down, not at all surprised when he held a chair out for her to sit down. The man had serious manners.

  Cassidy moved in closer to Travis when he settled at her side. She looked to his mom and smiled. “Thank you for having breakfast ready. I will do dishes since you were the one to cook for us.” She didn’t mind cleaning up, and felt she needed to do something so that she didn’t put too bad of an impression upon the woman.

  “Not at all, I’m used to cooking for everyone. I’ve been doing it for a good long time. It’s rather nice to have a few extra mouths to feed again under this roof. Now, I must head off. I have to get over to the Milners place and assist poor Genny. I fear the girl has bitten off more than she can chew for the time frame she’s set. We will be lucky to get this done in time.” Getting to her feet, Mrs. Carver leveled a
look on her son. “Travis, be a dear and try not to keep the girl inside all day. I know you will likely want to take advantage of the house being empty, but get her out in the sun for at least a while.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Travis muttered. His cheeks were pink, so obviously, he had been thinking along just those lines.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Carver,” Cassidy whispered, and looked at the plate before her. She knew her cheeks were pink as well because of how hot they felt in that moment. She had been thinking of keeping Travis in all day to herself, but she knew she couldn’t. “Please let Genny know that I will make sure the gown that she has for me is cleaned so that I can be part of the procession. And if you need another pair of hands, let me know?”

  “Oh, call me Theresa, my dear,” the older woman said. “I shall let her know, but I think you should save yourself at least a bit of stress and avoid that madhouse for the moment. The big day will be crazy enough, and one level head will be needed there. Have a good day, my darlings. I will see you very late tonight. Don’t hold dinner for me. Ta!” The front screen door slapped shut a few moments later and they were alone once more.

  “I don’t know how the hell she does it, but I swear to God, she just made me feel like she’d caught me jerking off in the bathroom,” Travis muttered.

  “I know. I feel like we were just caught having sex on the table or something.” Cassidy grinned and looked at the table. “Although, this one really does look sturdy enough to do just that if we were so inclined.” She was teasing, mostly. Laying her hand over Travis’s, she gave him a squeeze. “Let’s eat and then we will clean up. After that we need to get more condoms and, if you want me to, my things?” She might be pushing things, but Cassidy was finding she didn’t want to go back to the B&B. She wanted to stay with Travis.

  He smiled back and nodded. “Damn straight I want you to get your things. God yes, we will need more condoms, a lot more. Crates more at the very least,” he said. His voice was rougher, deeper, and so full of deliciously wicked promise. He gave her a kiss before drawing back to dig into his food, his eyes on her while he ate.

  Cassidy just watched him. She couldn’t stop the smile that covered her lips as they ate. “Oh God,” She said after a few minutes. “Your mom’s cooking is heavenly.”

  “She taught each of her kids how to cook, a damn good thing too. It’s not always my favorite thing to do, but when you’re stuck out on the road, or in my case, different countries, it’s nice to cook something to remind you of home. She also taught us to clean, do our own laundry, and even do minor clothing fixes. I darn a mean sock,” he told her with a grin curling his lips up.

  Cassidy snickered. “You can darn a sock?” She had no idea what was even involved with that. “I have to admit, I can’t. I don’t even know what that is. If something is damaged on my clothes, I either take it to the cleaners to be fixed or I get new.” She shrugged. “But give me a radar and I can tell you just exactly what the weather will be for a week. Typically without error.”

  “It’s not all that complicated. I can even fix a button if needed, which it has been a few times over the years. Beyond that I’m hopeless when it comes to clothing. My sisters, though, all can sew a mean stitch and create wonderful outfits. Brandy actually turned it into a living, started to make clothing for the common woman with runway flair. At least that’s what she tells me it is.”

  “I can fix a button, but that’s about all that I can do. I’m not very good with needle and thread.” She bumped her shoulder to his and smiled. “That’s pretty terrific that she was able to turn something like that into a job and career she loves.” She took another bite of her food.

  Once they had finished their meal and cleaned up, Travis took her out to the yard. He told her that since his mother insisted she get out for a bit, he’d give her a bit of a tour. “I even promise you won’t have to go on a horse unless you want to. We won’t even go far,” he told her. They headed to the paddocks to see some of the horses that were brought to the Carver Ranch that they helped train for other ranchers in the area.

  She watched the hands as they moved around the ranch, and noted more than one man lifting his hand or tipping his hat to Travis. “I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve been on a horse,” Cassidy admitted. “I might not be the best person for a ride alone. How about you and I ride together, please?”

  “Can do,” he said. “Why don’t you wait here and I’ll go get Bailey saddled up? Won’t take but a few minutes and you can watch the workouts.” He waved to encompass what a couple of the hands were doing with specific horses in one of the paddocks. In the other, horses were roaming around, munching on grass and mostly ignoring everything around them.

  “Sounds good.” She shifted so that she could put a sneakered foot upon the lower rung of the fence and watched the men as they worked the horses out. She was fascinated by the way that the animals moved and while the men were handsome, none of them made her ache like Travis’s body did.

  She heard her name called, and turning around, she saw Travis leading out a large black and white horse. “Quit your ogling of the hands, woman, and come over and meet Bailey.” He was grinning at her. Likely he’d called her more than once given the look on his face. He’d caught her daydreaming and knew it.

  Cassidy smiled and moved in closer to him. Reaching out, she slipped her hand into his. “Hey, you. I wasn’t ogling them,” she teased. “I was actually thinking that even though they all are handsome and very muscular men that would make any woman ache with need, it hit me that none of them are you. None of them make my heart race. None of them make me ache with desire. Odd, don’t you think?”

  “Nope, not at all,” he said. Shaking his head, he grinned at her and put an arm around her. “You are under my spell. There are no other men in the world for you now or ever. Since I don’t plan on letting you out from under my hypnotic suggestion, you’d better resign yourself to never seeing another man as anything but just a dude.”

  Cassidy grinned. “Would that really be such a bad thing? I don’t think that it would.” She was serious now. “How could that have happened so fast? How could I already be as hooked on you as I am?” How could her emotions already be so entwined in the man before her?

  “Don’t honestly know,” he said. “I’ll share a secret, I’m in the same boat as you are, sweetheart. I, for one, intend to enjoy the ride because you will be with me there, at my side. Now, try not to worry so much. Let’s go for a short ride so I can show you some of the Carver Ranch.” Pressing a kiss to her lips, he turned her to face the horse and instructed her to reach up and grab the pommel.

  She did as he instructed and then squeaked when he lifted her and put her into the saddle. Moving slightly, she adjusted herself so that he could get into the saddle behind her. When he got onto the horse with her, she finally spoke. “I look forward to that future. Look forward to figuring out what this is between us.”

  “Well then, get ready for the ride of your life,” he told her. A kiss to her cheek and he turned the horse around to start moving from the yard. His one arm was around her waist, the other held the reins in a loose grip as they moved at a nice, easy, and rolling pace.

  Cassidy closed her eyes. She loved every single touch that he gave her, and laughed at the jokes that he made as they rode along on Carver Ranch.

  Chapter Eight

  Cassidy had been living with Travis on the Carver Ranch for just under a month. She’d gotten over her awkwardness around Theresa, for the most part. She still couldn’t stop the blushing when his mother gave her those knowing looks over the breakfast table. Maybe she never would. Life was going great, honestly. She still wasn’t completely sure what she intended to do for a job yet, but she didn’t feel rushed to make a decision.

  “Cass!” she heard Travis yelling her name through the house. “Babe, your phone is driving me insane. Where the fuck are you, you little shit?” she heard him mutter. “Seriously, woman, come find this damn thing and an
swer it. For the love of God, why can’t I find it? It’s ringing incessantly, I should be able to locate it.”

  Cassidy walked into the room and laughed when she saw Travis on his knees looking under the bed. “Seriously?” She grabbed his jeans from the day before. Reaching into the back pocket, she pulled out her phone. “See, you took it yesterday when we were by the pond, remember? Right before we got naked and swam?” The phone had been buzzing with emails and texts from various offers of employment for her and he had taken it from her, claiming to need his Cass fix.

  Sliding the phone, she answered it with a giggle, Travis moving and growling at her. “Hello,” she said happily into the receiver. “This is Cassidy Milner, can I help you?”

  “Where the fuck is my money?” The voice on the other end was shouting in her ear. Travis frowned at her. Obviously, he’d heard some of that. He got off the floor to come to her. “You fucking bitch, I want my money. Where is it?”

  “Who the hell is this?” Cassidy pulled the phone away so she could see the screen and all she saw was Private Number. “I don’t know what money you are talking about, and I suggest that before you call another person and call them a bitch, you get your facts straight.” She hung up. “Douche,” she grumbled, and looked to Travis. Shrugging, she said, “No clue who that was. Private number and all that fun stuff.”

  The phone rang again and Travis took it from her. “Private number again,” he said. This time, he answered, putting it on speaker. “What?” he snarled into the phone.

  “Put the bitch on the phone. I want my fucking money she stole from me when she left here. She didn’t earn it, though she definitely tried even if she was never my type. So you tell that whore to give back what’s mine or I’m fucking coming for it.”

  Cassidy frowned. “Scott?” she said while still on speaker phone. “Look you ass, you knew what you were doing when you got into the relationship with Miles. I only took what was my share of everything. Talk to my attorney if you don’t like it. Period.”