The Wager tb-2

by Rachel Van Dyken

  It looked like Jake blushed. He bit his lip and sat down next to her. “And now for your story…”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder.

  “There was once a boy who met a girl. He offended her by staring so she punched him in the face.” Char laughed as he continued. “Then one day, she gave him a Twinkie. Apparently in elementary school food is considered a peace offering. The boy didn’t have the heart to tell the really pretty girl that he didn’t like Twinkies, so he saved them. Every time she gave him one, he ran home and hid it in his tree house.”

  Char’s eyes filled up with tears. “Like a squirrel?”

  “Like a damn squirrel.” Jake laughed. “Until one day, no more Twinkies. You see, sometimes little boys grow up to be complete and total idiots. They think that because they grow a hair on their chin, or discover a muscle in their arms, that suddenly, they don’t need girls with Twinkies anymore. They think that they should have lots of girls, not just one. So they mess up. I…” He turned to her and swallowed. “I messed up so many times with you. I had the biggest crush on you when we were in junior high and then all of a sudden it was as if neither of us tried anymore. It was the first time I walked away from you, my first mistake…”

  Char blinked back tears. “And your second mistake?”

  “Leaving you again, the night I selfishly used you in order to feel better about myself.” He sighed. “And the third and final mistake in my tragic story…”

  “What?”

  “Not kissing you the first time I saw you again, and not apologizing for leaving you… for abandoning you when I think, deep down in my heart, I knew it had always been you, Char.”

  She wiped away some of the tears as they streamed down her face.

  “But what about Kacey? I mean you and her were—”

  “It was never like this.” Jake shook his head. “Never.” His eyes turned serious as he tilted her chin toward his lips. “This is indescribable.”

  “Oh.”

  “Wow? After all of that, you say ‘oh’?”

  Char grinned and leaned her head on his shoulder again. “Yeah, well, I’m a little tired after Charades.”

  “Pity.” Jake snorted. “I had a few more games up my sleeve.”

  “Sure you did, Tiger.”

  Noise clattered from below the tree house. Motioning for her to be quiet, Jake looked over the edge and saw Grandma making her way across the lawn to the neighbor’s house.

  “What’s she doing?” Char whispered.

  “Looks like she’s going for a midnight… play date?” He offered.

  “With?”

  “Neighbor, crazy old man who only wears Hawaiian shirts and actually pinches Grandma’s ass during family dinner. He loves her. He’s obsessed. He plans his schedule around her morning walk routines.”

  “Wow, dedicated.”

  “Clearly she’s doing something right.”

  Char laughed. “She is a Titus.”

  “Well said.” Licking his lips, Jake pulled her in for another kiss. “I didn’t kiss her, you know. I didn’t want to. I never wanted to.”

  “Who?”

  “Amy.”

  “Oh, her.” Char snorted. “Junior high nemesis and all around mean girl. I know, let it go. I swear I had until I saw her acrylic talons piercing your chest.”

  “They hurt.” Jake laughed. “Like hell. And not a good hurt. A hurt that makes a man want to walk away slowly so he doesn’t get eaten.”

  The porch lights to Mr. Casbon’s house lit up, with a squeal of laughter Grandma was pulled inside.

  “Well.” Jake held out his hand. “You know what that means.”

  Char put her hand in his. “We can go back to bed?”

  With a growl he pulled her into his arms and kissed her roughly across the mouth. “Without having to worry about Grandma barging in.”

  Biting her lip Char tilted her head. “I think I saw some whipped cream in the fridge.”

  “Go. No!” Laughing, Jake helped her down the ladder as they ran back toward the house. Once they were in the kitchen Jake located the fruit and whipped cream and Char found the wine. They took the stairs two at a time but froze when they heard a low growl.

  “Ah, shit.”

  Chapter Fifty-three

  “It was only too easy,” Travis said from on top of the stairs. “You see, Jake here never learned French, thought it was too feminine for his tastes. Isn’t that right, brother?”

  “Travis…” Jake’s voice had taken on a warning edge. What the hell was his brother doing?

  Kacey sat across Travis’s lap. A look of pure contentment washed across their faces as the dog stood blocking Jake and Char’s path to their room.

  “Self-control is good for you,” Kacey said, kissing Travis’s neck. “I mean, really, we’re doing you guys a favor.”

  “How’d you get rid of Grandma?” Jake asked. “No way would she leave you alone.”

  Travis grinned. “Mr. Casbon. Seems he’s been feeling pretty lonely since Grandma’s taken up residence here in the hallway. One phone call and down the stairs she went.”

  Jake wanted to smack the smile off his brother’s face. “Fine, you win, you possess more intelligence than a flea. Let us up.”

  Kacey and Travis looked at one another as if to say, what do you think?

  Char groaned behind him.

  “Think of it as a team-building exercise.” Kacey finally said. “You work together to make it up the stairs and into your bedroom and we’ll ignore any cries of help in the process.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Jake asked.

  “We lost a wager,” Kacey said through clenched teeth. “It’s only fair that we get some satisfaction.”

  “Why can’t everyone get satisfaction?” Jake wondered aloud.

  “Because, it’s your fault Grandma’s singing at the wedding,” Kacey said. “Therefore, we get satisfaction, and you get…” She pointed to the white dog. “Charles Barkley.”

  Travis gave her a high five as they walked out of the hall, leaving Jake and Char alone with the small dog.

  “How dangerous can he be?” Jake reached his fingers out to the dog. It began to growl and then gnashed its teeth together. “He’s faking it, right? He’s not really a bad boy, are you, Charles!” He tried again. This time the dog almost took off his finger.

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t stand any closer.” Char pulled him back. “He may decide to bite something else off and I’m pretty sure that would put a damper on our evening.”

  Jake scratched his head. “What do we do? He’s guarding the way to our room, and the rest of the guest rooms are taken up by the wedding party.”

  “We can always scream fire next to Amy’s and then lock her out of her room?” Char suggested in a hopeful voice.

  “Char.” Jake grabbed her hand. “Be the bigger person.”

  “Do I have to?”

  “Try.” Jake chuckled and pulled her into his arms, placing a hungry kiss on her mouth. The dog, clearly agitated, began to bark.

  With a growl Jake pulled back. “Stop barking!”

  The dog barked louder, this time hopping on all four feet, as if he was trying to jump into the air.

  “Shh!” Char pointed at the dog. “No bark!”

  The dog stopped for two seconds before howling again.

  “I hate Grandma,” Jake cursed.

  Char stood behind him.

  “Gee, thanks. How’d I go from husband to human shield?”

  Char laughed behind him. “Well, we are married now.”

  “Good point.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  The dog wasn’t moving, that much was clear, and no way was Jake going to take the risk that the dog might bite off any bigger parts of his anatomy. Stuck, he looked back down the hallway. “I have an idea.”

  Ten minutes later, they were back in the tree house. Only this time they had blankets, more wine, and popcorn.

  Jake reached for Char’s finger
s, grasping them within his own as he looked out the window toward the river. “About your job—”

  “Screw my job.” Char wrapped her arms around his neck and straddled his lap. “A job’s a job.”

  “But you actually liked your job.” He peeled her arms from his neck and looked into her eyes, “You and Kacey used to do the morning news in the tree house when you were seven. Pretty sure it was your dream.”

  “I liked telling stories, I liked writing…” She shrugged. “I like you more. Sometimes in life, the things we really want are right in front of us.”

  Jake laughed. “Wow, am I blushing? That was a damn sexy compliment. I’m so glad you like me… Can we maybe date and then get married? Oh wait.” He slapped his hand to his forehead. “Did it kind of backward.”

  “Nah.” Char touched her head to his. “Sometimes what’s backward for some is forward for others.”

  Jake gazed into her eyes, promising to never let her go. “I think I like backward.”

  Char smiled, her blue eyes shining in the moonlight. “I do too.”

  Chapter Fifty-four

  “I may die,” Travis swore. “Just so you know, I may actually die right now. It will be on the news, people will laugh; it could get ugly, Kace. I’m just saying that right now.”

  “Just in case?” Kacey threw off her shirt.

  Travis’s eyes went black. “Right, just in case.”

  “I see.” She stepped out of her shorts and dropped them to the ground.

  “Holy shit, it’s like I’m a kid.”

  “Are you trying to kill the mood?” Kacey glared, putting her hands on her hips.

  Travis looked away. “Yeah, so not what I meant.”

  “Care explaining?”

  “A youth.” Travis grinned. “Like the first time I saw you in your bathing suit.”

  “Ah, the stories of your perverted teen years. Tell me, Satan—”

  “Oohhh, dirty talk. I like it.”

  Kacey rolled her eyes. “What was the color of my bathing suit?”

  Travis licked his lips and stalked toward her. “Pink, it was hot pink, and it was a bikini.” He pulled her into his arms and licked her ear. “It was hot.”

  “Oh yeah?” Kacey whispered pulling back. “Is that why you pushed me into the pool?”

  “I did say hot.” Travis nipped at her lips. “You needed to cool off… I was being a gentleman.”

  “You were being an ass.” Kacey said.

  “That too.” Travis ran his hands through her hair. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”

  Feeling her cheeks heat, Kacey looked down. He hadn’t said that to her for a week or so, which was totally understandable since they had been all but separated by Grandma. It felt good to hear it.

  “Don’t.” Travis chuckled. “Don’t get shy on me all of a sudden.”

  “Not shy.” Kacey met his gaze. “Just happy to hear you say it.”

  Travis’s brow furrowed. “Do I not say it enough?”

  “You do.” Kacey didn’t even sound convincing to herself. “Holy crap, I’m turning high maintenance. It’s because you spoiled me!” She pinched his arm and found satisfaction in his cry of pain.

  “Brat.” Travis threw her onto the bed and straddled her, holding her wrists down so she couldn’t move.

  Kacey thrashed against him. Damn the man, he was strong.

  A muscle ticked in his jaw as he clenched his teeth together and closed his eyes. His dark wavy hair hung over his forehead as he leaned close enough to kiss her. Instead he inhaled and did nothing.

  “Um, Travis.” Kacey whispered.

  “Hmm?”

  “What are you doing? I thought you were dying? I thought you said you were going to go crazy without any sort of physical contact, and you’re…” She laughed breathlessly. “You’re smelling me?”

  “Yup.” He continued inhaling, his nose tickling the sides of her face as he moved all the way down her neck.

  Crap, he felt good; she’d forgotten how right they felt together, how just being near him made everything suddenly seem okay. The world faded into the distance; it was just them.

  “I love your neck.” He murmured, his lips burning against her skin as he continued to talk. “It smells like flowers. It always has, but I don’t know if it’s your perfume or just you. It’s incredible.”

  His tongue slipped beyond his lips, tasting her skin, slowly and then he kissed once, twice, pausing between each kiss as if to memorize the exact taste of each individual spot he was touching.

  Travis’s lips left her neck and moved to her shoulder. “I was obsessed with this shoulder for an entire year.”

  “Shut up!” Kacey laughed. “What is wrong with you?”

  He held her right shoulder in his hand, moving his thumb over her delicate skin causing goose bumps to erupt down her body. “It’s true. You wore a shirt that fell just over this shoulder, your right one. I tripped walking down the hall because I was so focused on that little piece of skin. I swore to myself that one day I’d reach out and touch your shoulder, of course in my teenage years, it went beyond that. I wanted—”

  “To kiss me? Have sex?”

  Travis laughed, his smile doing crazy things to her stomach. He had no idea how devastating he was. “Nah, sweetheart. I just wanted to hold your hand. And that’s the truth.”

  “Hold my hand? Kind of tame, don’t you think?”

  “Not to me.” He swallowed, his eyes taking on a sensitive look as he licked his lips and brushed the hair from her face. “I knew you’d never kiss me, not then, so I told myself if I could just hold your hand…”

  “What?” Kacey asked, breathless.

  Travis reached for the hand that was still pinned above her head and entwined his fingers with hers. “That it would be enough.”

  Kacey’s throat was thick with emotion. She couldn’t even respond. What do you say to that?

  “I would have been satisfied,” Travis continued. “I would have been happy even… living my life, continuing to live, to move on, away from my first love, if I could have just held your hand. At least that’s what I believed.”

  Kacey squeezed his hand and brought it to her cheek. “And now, now what do you believe?”

  “Never.” His voice was hoarse. “Ever.” He released her hand and braced her face. “Would it have been enough? One graze of your fingertip.” He dipped his thumb into her mouth. “Damn, but it would have killed me. And now, I just want you all the time, every second of every day. I can’t get it out of my head. I won’t ever be satisfied of you. And I hope this, this burning, this fever, that you cause in me, never recedes” He took her mouth with his, sucking her lips before retreating back again. “Just in case there were any doubts, you know, before now, you are more than pretty.”

  Kacey’s eyes welled with tears.

  “I told you once, a few months ago that you should be told every day… Clearly I’ve been too selfish to think to say it. Hell, I haven’t thought past the fact that your hand is missing its best friend: me.” He winked. “But Kace, thank God that you’re mine, because you are beautiful. I love your eyelashes—”

  “—Travis.” She interrupted him with a kiss.

  He pulled back. “Let me finish. I love your eyelashes; they smile with the rest of your eyes. And your hands, God made them to hold mine, seriously, Grandma even asked, he said yes, by the way…”

  “Oh yeah, what else did he say?” Kacey joked.

  “That you were mine, from day one, from the first desire to see your shoulder, to hold your hand, to kiss that perfect mouth. It was you and me against the world, and it always will be.” He sighed. “Marriage is just the beginning of our story, and I hope to God that when he writes The End, it’s us, on that last page, still holding hands.”

  Kacey didn’t trust herself to speak; she could only nod as she watched the love Travis had for her wash over his features, from his eyes to the protective stance of his body as he hovered over her. “I love you.”
/>   He sighed against her lips. “Sweetheart, I love you so much. I can’t wait to marry you. And just know I’m sorry in advance.”

  Already in a stupor, Kacey shook her head. “For what? What are you going to do?”

  Winking, Travis pulled away from her and put on his shirt.

  “Travis, wait—”

  “I love you… and I know I’m going to regret this in about five seconds, which means I have to lock the door to my room…” He sighed. “But sweetheart, I’m going to take Grandma’s advice, considering she’s the reason for us getting together in the first place. I’m going to walk out that door and wait another twelve hours.”

  “Hmm.” Kacey played with the strap on her bra “Really? Twelve whole hours?”

  “Damn you.” Travis closed his eyes and sighed. “Yes. Now keep your lingerie on while I try to make it by that dog without getting killed.”

  He made his way to the door slowly, as if he was already doubting his decision.

  With a sigh, Kacey got up from the bed and walked toward him; she wrapped her arms around him from behind and leaned her chin against his back. “I love you, Travis Titus.”

  “You,” Travis paused, his muscles tensed beneath her arms, “are my life, future Kacey Titus.”

  She released him as he turned the knob to the door and walked out.

  The man had the self-control of a saint, and instead of making her angry, it made her love him all the more. In twelve hours he’d be hers, all hers.

  Chapter Fifty-five

  Char moaned as an arm pulled her close to something warm. She sighed happily when eager lips met hers. Chuckling, Jake moved on top of her and pulled his shirt off. The man was insatiable—which was fine with her. He crooked his finger at her as he moved away. She lifted up her top halfway and stopped.

  With a hungry pounce, he ripped it off her body and jerked down the straps of her bra. His mouth was on her in seconds. Hands moved to her hips as he moved her against him and made a sound in the back of his throat that sounded like a desperate plea.

  “I can’t get enough,” he said, stealing another rough kiss. “Please don’t hate me for wanting you again.”