by Melody Anne
No. Get real. She was a racer. That was her destiny, what she was meant to do. Racing dwelled in her soul. She wouldn’t become a woman who wrapped herself so much around a man that when he disappeared from her life she no longer had a purpose. She’d watched too many of her acquaintances fall into that trap. When the relationship shattered, they were shattered, too.
Taylor looked around again—still no sign of anyone. She finally began peeling off her clothes. She’d wanted to go skinny-dipping since her second day at the cabin, when Travis had stripped down and dived in.
It was something she’d never tried before, and since she was on a new adventure, she was going to be brave and just do it, be the woman she’d been before the wreck. Her fingers shook as she took off her shorts and top, and stood there in only her bra and panties.
Then, taking a breath of courage, she unclasped her bra, letting it drop to the ground, and before she could lose her nerve, she slid her tiny panties down her legs and stood completely naked on the diving rock.
The sun shining down on her bare skin felt glorious, and she wanted to revel in it for a while, but she was still too afraid that eyes in the forest might be watching her, so she bent her knees and dived smoothly into the cold, breath-stealing water.
After swimming around the large pond several times, she adjusted to the temperature, then floated on her back and again worshipped the sun. She couldn’t help but smile.
Why hadn’t she ever done this before? She was a risk taker, or at least that’s what she’d been a few months ago. If everyone knew the fears that had been running through her now, they wouldn’t believe it was her. Slowly but surely, however, she was getting to be herself again. She hadn’t jumped once at a strange noise in the last two weeks. That was progress!
“Well, well, well. This is a nice surprise.”
The sound of Travis’s voice—he was almost yelling—made Taylor lose concentration, and she quickly sank beneath the surface of the water, then popped back up, sputtering as she coughed out the water she’d just inhaled.
“What are you doing here, Travis?” She was praying that the water covered her.
Her embarrassment grew by leaps and bounds when she saw that he was holding her panties, dangling the blue silk from his fingertip, and that his mouth was shaped into a huge grin.
“I got back and wanted to find you, Taylor.”
His eyes were focused on the water in front of her, as if he could see her nakedness. Not possible, she told herself.
“Well, you found me. Go ahead and go back to the cabin. I’ll be there shortly.” She was trying to stay afloat while looking at him. Not an easy task.
“I think I’ll join you instead.” He let her panties drop back onto the rock and began pulling his tight T-shirt above his head, giving her an excellent view of his beautifully sculpted chest.
“No. Really. You should head back,” she gasped when he unbuttoned his jeans and stuck his thumbs into the waistband.
The look he sent her before pushing those pants down had her heart leaping for joy. She tried to tamp down the excitement, but when the denim descended below his hips and his glorious erection sprang forward, she knew she was done for.
He was already hard, excited . . . ready, and just from knowing she was naked. Why should she even begin to fight this anymore? Her body knew what it wanted, and her heart did, too.
Travis didn’t say anything as he dived into the water, then glided easily toward her. She made no attempt to flee. Hell, her arms wouldn’t have cooperated right now even if she’d wanted them to.
So when he reached her, his eyes boring into hers as his body brushed against her now heated skin, there was only one thing to do.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Travis didn’t need any more confirmation than that. Hauling her against him, he locked his lips to hers as the two of them sank below the surface of the water in a passionate embrace.
When they both came back up, gasping for air, Taylor didn’t know what she wanted to do more, hold on tight or swim to the nearest shore.
Thankfully, Travis knew exactly what he wanted. Wrapping an arm around her, he led them to a ledge where he could stand about waist deep in the water. Lifting her, he sat her on a rock, positioning her perfectly for their faces to line up.
“I’ve wanted this for so long,” he whispered before connecting their mouths again, his tongue learning the contours of her mouth, discovering new secrets.
She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything except feel the sensations rushing through her body as his hands rubbed down her back and he pressed her breasts against his muscled chest, the sprinkling of hair stimulating her already hardened nipples.
“I want you, Travis,” she gasped when his mouth began trailing kisses down her neck and he tasted the tender skin where her pulse was hammering.
“Ah, baby, I can’t even describe how badly I need you.” He moved his mouth to the tops of her breasts, and then licked her nipples, making her arch against him.
When he sucked her peaks into his mouth, she cried out, her body pulsing with the need to be filled. As if reading her mind, he pressed closer to her, bringing her hips forward so she could feel his arousal against her hot core.
“Please, Travis, now,” she begged.
“Soon.” He kneeled down, now only his shoulders and head sticking above the rolling water. He lifted her bottom, then held her hips up and hooked her legs onto his shoulders. Her back resting on the rock, Taylor braced her hands on the rocks beneath her, the water lapping. She shuddered with pleasure when Travis’s mouth began to work magic on her core, his tongue stroking her aching flesh and leading her body closer and closer to an explosion.
Her head thrashed from side to side above the water as he sucked her swollen bud into his mouth and sent her spiraling out of control.
His tongue swept along the pulsing flesh as her body continued to vibrate with the power of her release, and her cries echoed off the trees surrounding them. When the last of her tremors stopped, Travis moved back, released her legs, and sat her back on the rock, his arousal now resting against her heat.
“You look radiant,” he said, his eyes filled with awe.
She could barely breathe because of the emotions rushing through her. This man was everything she could ever hope for and so much more. It was too late to turn back from this particular adventure—he owned her heart and soul.
“I want you, Travis. I’m all yours,” she murmured, and his lips caressed hers.
Then, slowly, inch by beautiful inch, he slid inside her until they were flush, her body full, her heart even more so.
“Ohh, Taylor . . .” he sighed, his face expressing pure passion.
And then he began moving in and out, and neither of them could speak. The pleasure built again, even higher this time, and when he released inside her, she let go and gave herself to him again.
When they caught their breath, Travis cradled her to his chest, carried her to the soft moss, and began making love to her all over again. They didn’t head back to the cabin until the sun began sinking in the sky.
For the next several days, the cabin might as well have had a constant Do Not Disturb sign on its front door.
Taylor was a nervous wreck on the ride into town. She twisted her fingers in her lap and stared at the road, thankful Travis was the one doing the driving. Today she’d find out if she was cleared to go back to the racing circuit.
Yes, she’d been in a fantasy world with Travis for the last month, but that didn’t mean the real world couldn’t come crashing back around them. It just meant that she’d had a long time-out. What would she do if the doctor told her that her career was finished?
Sure, she and Travis had spoken about this, talked about other options, but in reality she was too set in her ways to consider anything else, even if some of the ideas actually appealed to her.
She loved the chaos of the racing circuit, the hours she trained on various track
s. She loved the freedom of riding every day. It had been four months since she’d been on a bike, and sometimes she felt like she was going insane.
“You’ll be okay, Taylor.”
She jumped at the sound of Travis’s voice. Then she turned her head in time to see him glancing her way before he returned his attention to the road. He reached out a hand and took one of hers, preventing her from wringing her fingers anymore.
“I know,” she said, but her voice belied her words. She didn’t actually know anything.
The one-hour drive seemed to take ten, but finally they were in the small town of Sterling, the town she’d grown up in, the town she’d been determined to leave from the time she hit her teenage years.
It was a ranching community, with little to do for teenagers except for cow tipping or maybe having a tractor pull. There weren’t any malls there, or even a single movie theater. People either loved the town or hated it. Sure, she had some good memories from living in Sterling, but she’d also made good memories elsewhere.
What if she were destined to return here, destined to be nothing but a farmer? No. That was a terrible thought. Her parents had a beautiful ranch that had brought them great money and provided her with a good life. There was nothing wrong with the career they’d chosen.
But it just wasn’t for her. That didn’t make her an awful person, or at least she hoped it didn’t. Right now she wasn’t sure of anything.
When Travis came around the truck and opened her door, she was on the verge of tears. How frustrating—she’d sat there long enough for him to open her door. She couldn’t even open her own dang door. That showed how upset she was. It showed even more when she allowed him to help her down from the truck and when she let him pull her into his arms.
“No matter what the doc says, you’ll be fine, Taylor. You’re a fighter, and stronger than any woman I’ve ever known. This is only a temporary delay in your life. There’s nothing that can beat you.”
“How do you always know exactly the right words to say?” she asked with a sniffle. Strong? Not at the moment.
“You make me a man I’ve never been before.”
Taylor gripped his hand and walked by his side into the small doctor’s office. She’d been seeing the same doctor since she was born, except when she’d been on the road. He was a good man, and he wouldn’t take her career away lightly, she assured herself.
She just had to show a strong front—that was all. Pushing her shoulders back, she approached the receptionist and gave her brightest smile. “Good morning, Dora. I’m here for my appointment.”
“Hello, Taylor,” Dora said. “Doc Holo is waiting in the back for you.”
Another beautiful thing about living in a small community was the far shorter wait time to see a doctor. Rare emergencies were the only reason that he’d be running late.
Since Dr. Alfred Holo spent a couple of days a week at his home office, he was pretty much on call twenty-four-seven. He’d soon be retiring, and the town would mourn its loss. No one could easily replace the man. Heck, he’d delivered most of the people Taylor had grown up with.
Dora took her to the examination room, and it wasn’t until she found herself standing there with the door shut that she realized she was still clutching Travis’s hand.
“You don’t have to stay with me. I’m sorry for dragging you in here. You probably want to do some shopping or something.”
“I want to stay with you, Taylor, if you don’t mind?”
“Okay.” She didn’t exactly ask him to stay, but she wasn’t letting him go, either—the pressure she was putting on his fingers remained strong.
“Taylor, can you change into a gown?”
She looked to see Dora holding one of the ugly hospital gowns that opened in the front. She’d rather not, but if it got her answers sooner, she’d do what she had to.
“I’ll wait until you’re changed,” Travis said as he leaned down and gave her a brief kiss, then exited the room with Dora. After changing, she climbed up onto the table, then waited for Travis and the doctor to come in.
A few minutes later, there was a knock followed by the door opening. “Taylor, hello, dear. You are looking so much healthier. It seems you’ve been getting some sun,” Doc said.
Taylor felt her cheeks flush. Yeah, she’d been getting sun, and she had no tan lines. Hopefully a full-body exam wasn’t planned, or she’d be mortified.
“Thanks, Doc. I feel like my old self again,” she said, infusing her voice with enthusiasm.
“Wonderful, wonderful.” He continued looking at her chart for a few moments. Then he had her lie back on the table and he examined her ribs. “You’ve healed quite nicely, darling. Is there any tenderness when I push here?”
“No. It hasn’t hurt for a while,” she said, relieved.
“From the last MRI, it appears your head injury is as healed as it can get,” he began, and hope surged in Taylor’s heart until he spoke again. “I’m going to be blunt, Taylor. I don’t think you should race anymore. Sure, on the surface, your injuries are healing nicely, but the reality is that you had a very close call this last time. I’ve been reviewing all your medical files, and your body has been put through more than anyone your age—or any age—ever should be. If you don’t quit, you’re going to have a fatal injury soon, because you’re already weakened. Even minor concussions are no joke, and yours wasn’t minor.”
He paused, and Taylor looked at him with fear. If he didn’t sign her release, she couldn’t enter the circuit again. Sure, she could go from doctor to doctor, but none of them would sign the release without reviewing the files. It could take months, or even years, and the longer she was away, the less chance she’d ever return.
“I’m telling you this as a friend and a doctor, Taylor. I really think you should stop, but as your doctor, I have to also accept that your current injuries have healed. I will sign your release to return to the racing circuit in thirty more days, but I would take the next month to really think about if this is worth it any longer.”
“Thank you!” Taylor shouted. She jumped up from the table and threw her arms around the doctor. She heard nothing after he told her he was signing the release. She wasn’t trapped anymore. She could return to what she loved.
“Taylor, let me say this again—I’m not signing it for thirty days. You have to promise me you’ll seriously consider other options during that time,” he said sternly.
Taylor didn’t make a promise she didn’t intend to keep, so a little of her joy evaporated, but only a small bit. “I promise to look at other options,” she said, and she would. That didn’t mean she would seriously pursue any of them.
“That’s all I can ask for, then,” he said as he finally returned her hug and then left the room. Travis followed him without saying a word.
Taylor changed quickly and met Travis in the waiting room. She was so elated by the news that she was practically bouncing as they made their way through town, picking up more supplies and then stopping for lunch.
She didn’t notice Travis’s black mood.
Travis pulled up to the bike shop and went inside. His mood hadn’t improved in the last few days, because Taylor was already talking about the races she could enter.
She hoped they’d be able to see each other—she couldn’t imagine going for months at a time without seeing him—but she was so bubbly, so elated at the prospect of getting out there and risking her life, that Travis didn’t know what to say.
He didn’t want to interfere with her dreams, with the goals she’d set for herself, but the doctor had told her to consider other options. He’d told her, dammit, that it wasn’t a good idea to race. She’d promised to do what he suggested, but she hadn’t. Her only thoughts were on racing.
So here was Travis in Billings, about to buy his first dirt bike. Yes, he’d ridden off-road vehicles before, but he’d traveled so much that he’d never had the desire to own one. Now, however, he wanted to show Taylor that she could still ride,
still find pleasure in riding, without risking her life.
It didn’t take him long to pick out the bike he wanted, and soon he was driving back toward Sterling and beyond, back to their little cabin in the woods, to their paradise. He’d found what he wanted in Taylor, and he wasn’t going to let her go without a fight.
No, she wasn’t ready for him to drop to one knee and propose to her, but he was. He’d let this girl go once. He’d told himself it was because of his sense of honor, but really, it was more because the two of them just hadn’t been mature enough to build a real relationship, one that would last.
Now they were, and Travis knew what he wanted. He knew that Taylor wanted the same thing. But she was so set on one path in life she wasn’t opening her eyes wide enough to see there were other ways, ways that led to better places.
He parked the truck next to the cabin and took the bike out, rolling it in front of the steps and attaching the large red bow he’d grabbed on impulse. He felt a little silly about the whole gesture, but then again, go big or go home, as his lieutenant had always told him and the other men.
So he was going as big as he possibly could. His heart thudding, Travis walked to the door and opened it slowly. He’d gotten up at the crack of dawn and he hoped she was still in bed. The bike could wait.
They’d been making love daily and nightly and still he couldn’t get enough of this woman. Yes, he loved spending time with her away from the bedroom, on the ground in the forest, or the kitchen table, for that matter—he wasn’t a complete sex fiend, though damn near close to it. But he also couldn’t image that a time would come when he didn’t desire her, when he didn’t get excited at the thought of hauling her into his arms.
“Travis, where’d you go?”
She was sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee and nibbling on a bagel.
“I had an errand to run.” He came up to her, then bent down and took her lips in an almost desperate kiss.