AintNoAngel

by J L Taft

  Travis could tell that she was lost in her memories and didn’t push her. But he didn’t have to.

  “I’m not sure why but he was what I needed at the time. Cyrus put on a good show and by the time I realized it, it was too late. I think I was more in love with the idea of him than anything. What really scares me is that he was a police officer. Someone who was supposed to serve and protect, not beat up his wife,” she said, turning to him. “I guess the rest is history, as they say.”

  He smiled at her and felt something he hadn’t noticed before. It wasn’t just protectiveness, it was more than that. But he wasn’t going to look too closely at what it was.

  “So, Travis. I’ve told you know all about me and I don’t really know anything about you.”

  “What do you want to know?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. Anything. Everything,” she told him with a smile. “Tell me about your family.”

  He never talked about his family. But as he glanced at her face he couldn’t disappoint her.

  “I was adopted by a farming family when I was a few months old. They had four kids of their own who were all older than me and all girls.”

  “You have four sisters?” she questioned.

  “Yeah. But we aren’t close. My real parents died in a plane crash the summer I turned eighteen. They were rich and left everything to me.” He made it a point not to tell people about his past but he knew that Jessie wouldn’t think any differently about him.

  “Why did they do that after they had given you up for adoption?”

  “My adoptive parents explained that they didn’t live the kind of life to raise a child in. But they had kept in touch with my real parents over the years. My adoptive mother had even sent them pictures. But they never wanted to meet me.”

  “Wow. I bet that was a shock. Did you know you were adopted before your biological parents died?”

  “Yes, my mother told me when I turned eighteen. It threw me for a loop to find out my whole life was a lie.”

  “What do you mean it was a lie?” she said quietly.

  “My adoptive parents lied to me all those years and made me believe that my sisters were really my sisters. Then once the money came people looked at me differently. They were nicer and I just didn’t like it. I knew it was fake. So I left town to join the police academy as soon as I graduated and I haven’t gone back.”

  Jessie was silent for a second and Travis hoped that she would just leave it be. He wished he had never opened the door to her questions.

  “Is that why you aren’t close with your sisters anymore?”

  “Yes.” He hoped she would get the point.

  “Can I say one more thing and then I won’t ask any more questions?”

  “All right.” Travis knew what was coming. He didn’t know why he thought she was different. She would ask about the money. The money his parents had left him that he refused to touch. He hadn’t spent one red cent of it and he didn’t plan to either. If they hadn’t wanted him in life then he didn’t want anything from them either. He could take care of himself.

  Jessie reached over and took one of his hands, holding it with both of her own, and he was glad he had to keep his eyes on the road. He didn’t want her to know that nothing she could say would make him use that money.

  “Travis, I’m an only child and you have no idea how many times I have wished that I had a sister or a brother who would understand me. Sometimes family isn’t related by blood and I don’t think you should throw away a family just because of a little money.”

  It wasn’t what he expected at all. He glanced her way and the look on her face said it all. She was sorry for him.

  He didn’t know what to say so he squeezed her hand as they pulled into the parking lot of his apartment.

  He helped her from the truck and her body slid down his. He heard her suck in a breath and he could see her pulse pounding in her neck.

  She looked up at him and he got lost in her blue eyes. Her tongue came out to lick her bottom lip and before he could think twice about it he lowered his head and kissed her.

  He knew he shouldn’t be doing this but then she ran her tongue over his bottom lip and his thought process came to a screeching halt. Her lips parted and he tangled his tongue with hers, sliding around it and coaxing her mouth open wider.

  Her arms came up around his neck and she pressed her tits into his chest. Travis gripped her hips and pulled her closer. She moaned when he slid his hands back to cup her ass and her fingers trailed over his smooth head.

  His cock was as hard as steel and he broke his mouth away before he took her right there up against the truck. She was breathing heavy but then so was he.

  She was still trailing her fingertips over his head and neck and it was very distracting. He suddenly couldn’t remember why he had even come home.

  “Travis? What’s wrong?” She questioned him and he could hear the disappointment in her voice.

  “Come on, let’s go in.” He took her hand and led her into the building and up the elevator to his apartment.

  He flicked on lights as he went to the bedroom. Grabbing a duffel from the closet, he started shoving clean clothes in it.

  “Did I do something to upset you?” Jessie asked. She was standing in the doorway, staring at him, confusion written all over her face.

  “No, you didn’t. I’m just having a hard time keeping my word,” he said as he zipped the bag and dropped it on the floor.

  She came closer and asked, “What do you mean?”

  “I told you I could only offer you one night.”

  She turned away and sat heavily on his unmade bed.

  “So, you regret kissing me downstairs because of our agreement?”

  “Regret isn’t the right word, it’s more like guilt. Nothing has changed, Jessie. I still can’t give you more than just sex and you asked me to protect you and I will. But it’s dangerous for me to be distracted when Cyrus could show his face at any time,” Travis told her as he sat next to her on the foot of the bed.

  She nodded and he breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way he would be able to resist her if she took it in her mind to seduce him.

  “But Cyrus doesn’t know we are here, right?”

  “It’s doubtful. Why?” he answered cautiously. He wasn’t sure where she was going with this.

  “Look, I like you, Travis, and I enjoyed the night we spent together. I’m not looking for a relationship.”

  She raised her baby blues and he suddenly knew what she wanted.

  “Let’s stay here tonight and tomorrow you can go back to being my non-distracted bodyguard slash bounty hunter.”

  Travis took all of five seconds to think it over. She was right. No way would Cyrus know to look for her here. The door was locked and there were condoms in the drawer by the bed.

  He answered her by kneeling in front of her and pulling off her sneakers and socks. He spread her jean-clad legs and wedged himself between them.

  She was so small compared to him, even on his knees she was still only a couple inches higher than him as she sat on the bed.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked her one last time.

  “Yes, I’m sure.” She reached for him and put her slender arms around his shoulders, pulling his face to her chest as she trailed kisses along his head.

  His cock immediately rose to attention and he reached out to pull her shirt over her head and toss it behind him.

  Her skin was soft and silky and he couldn’t resist rubbing his nose along the lace that held her tits. He felt her nipples go hard and she moaned low and deep.

  Flicking her bra clasp open, Travis gazed at her tiny pink nipples before sucking one into his mouth and then lapping at it with his tongue. He licked his way to the other side as his hands went to the button on her jeans.

  He pulled Jessie to her feet and slid her jeans and panties down her legs and off.

  He stood then and picked her up, setting her down on t
he tangle of blankets in the center of his bed. Her hair spread out around her like a golden-red halo and he couldn’t take his eyes off her as he quickly got rid of his clothes.

  When he was naked he joined her on the bed and kicked the sheet and blanket out of their way.

  He ran his hands up and down her sides, repeatedly going past her puckered nipples without touching them. She squirmed on the mattress, waiting for him to give her what she wanted. Finally he relented and gave them both a quick pinch between his fingers.

  She responded by rolling to her side and hooking a leg over his hip as she pulled him with her arms, effectively dragging him on top of her.

  Travis snaked a hand between their bodies, over her stomach and lower. When he reached her pussy he found her little nub and rubbed back and forth several times before sinking a finger in her heat.

  She groaned and her nails dug into his biceps. She was wet and ready for him and he couldn’t wait any longer to feel her wrapped around him.

  Jessie opened her eyes when he moved away to get a condom. It was then that she noticed the mirrors over the bed. Travis came back down on top of her but her eyes refused to move from the image of his strong back and tight ass.

  Travis lifted up on his arms and moved his face into her line of vision.

  “Like that, huh?” He chuckled and leaned down to suck on her shoulder. Lowering down on his elbows, he nudged her legs farther apart and plunged his hard cock deep within her body.

  All as she watched in the mirrors overhead.

  Jessie clung to him as they both cried out together. He left his hips firmly locked against her as she adjusted to his large size and her eyes closed as she sighed.

  When she had relaxed somewhat, he started with a slow and steady pace.

  “Watch us in the mirror, Jessie girl.” His low voice rumbled against her ear.

  Jessie reopened her eyes and felt a whole new wave of wetness release between her legs at the sight. Her belly flip-flopped and she watched, mesmerized, as her hands slid, almost on their own, down his sides and across his back.

  She was so much paler than his tanned, golden skin. He picked up the pace and she watched his ass move up and down on her. She could see her legs splayed out under him and his muscles bunch as he moved.

  It was the most erotic image she had ever seen.

  Unexpectedly her legs quivered and her back arched on one long wave of exquisite pleasure. A scream ripped from her throat and her nails dug deep in his back. Her hips bucked, meeting his furious thrusts, their skin slapping together.

  She could feel the second that Travis started coming. He growled loud in her ear and stopped his thrusts to rock his hips hard against her.

  After a few seconds he collapsed on top of her and Jessie closed her eyes, her arms and legs wrapped around him as their bodies cooled and their hearts slowed.

  Hours later they lay in his bed, the light shining in dimly from the street lamps outside. Jessie was sprawled on his chest as Travis ran his fingers up and down her back.

  Before long, curiosity got the better of her. “When did you get your tattoo?”

  He was quiet for a long moment and she wondered if he wasn’t going to answer her.

  “I was eighteen and I had just found out that I had been adopted.”

  She traced her fingers over it. “Do you regret it?”

  “No, it’s a symbol of my youth. I grew up the day that my adopted parents told me about my real parents.”

  “Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps.”

  He was quiet and Jessie hoped that she hadn’t pushed too hard. She didn’t want to make him upset but she wanted to know more about him.

  “I went to see them that day,” he began. “My real parents. They had a big office in the city. I just took off and didn’t say where I was going. It took me a couple days to get there. Plenty of time for me to think about what would happen.”

  He paused and Jessie knew it was painful for him to talk about. “What happened?” she gently prodded.

  He sighed. “You aren’t going to leave this alone, are you?”

  She smiled at him. “Probably not.”

  He reached out for her hand and laced their fingers together.

  “When I got there they wouldn’t see me.”

  Jessie sucked in a breath. She didn’t understand how some people could be so cruel.

  “But as I was leaving my father caught me at the door. He said that he was sorry but they just couldn’t deal with a kid. I think he was surprised to see that I was practically an adult. But it didn’t change anything.”

  “I’m sorry, Travis.”

  “Don’t be sorry. It was a long time ago.” He closed his eyes and Jessie leaned up to kiss his cheek before settling back on his shoulder.

  “I look just like him,” he whispered.

  Jessie lay awake for a long time, thinking about what he had told her. He may say that it was in the past but he still wasn’t over it. He was stubborn and she wondered if he would ever be able to leave it behind and reconnect with the parents who raised him.

  She would give anything to have her own parents back.

  Chapter Seven

  Wednesday dawned bright and clear. It was going to be another scorcher. Jessie made several phone calls and did some paperwork while the guys loaded the last of the supplies they needed for the day into the trucks.

  Travis had been adamant when they had gotten back from his apartment Tuesday morning that they sleep separately. Needless to say it had put a strain on their relationship.

  He had made himself scarce all day Tuesday and then had avoided her all day today too. He kept himself busy, first with setting up the call-trace equipment on her phones and then taking it upon himself to be the resident handyman.

  He had fixed a window in the little-used dining room, rehung the hinges on the greenhouse door, realigned a drawer in the kitchen and lord knew what else.

  But he certainly hadn’t been coming to her to ask what needed to be done so that only left one person—Betty.

  He insisted on sleeping on the old, lumpy couch in the downstairs den. She had tried her best to get him to sleep in the spare room next to hers. He said he wanted to be down there if she needed him but she would have felt much better if he was right next to her. Either in the spare room or in her bed.

  It should have shocked her that she let herself rely on him this fast. After all, she had already learned this lesson.

  But Travis was different.

  Cyrus had viewed her as a possession, a pretty thing that gave him a challenge. But Travis on the other hand looked at her like a real man looked at a woman.

  Oh, she had no delusions that he would suddenly change his mind and want something more. But if sex was all he wanted then she would be happy with that.

  Sex with Travis was something that she had never before experienced and she wanted more of it. The only problem was he insisted they didn’t do it again.

  But maybe that was the point. They had no pretenses between them. They both knew what the situation was and there were no expectations. It offered her a chance to just do it.

  Without the usual doubts that crept in when she was looking for a prospective partner.

  She understood his reasons for not wanting to be distracted and honestly it was flattering to think that she did that to him. But she didn’t want to regret not taking advantage. It was a double-edged sword.

  But she was in a constant state of arousal. She couldn’t concentrate on anything. All that was going through her mind were the images of Travis on top of her, reflected in his mirrors.

  She dreamed of him all night long, dark, deep dreams that left her breathing heavy and unsatisfied. She had taken a few extra minutes to decide what to wear that morning.

  A stroke of luck had produced a slim blue tank top that wasn’t too over-the-top obvious and she had put on her most comfy jeans that rode low on her hips. But if Travis had given her a second glance at breakfast, sh
e hadn’t noticed it.

  Leaning back in her desk chair, she knew she should be doing paperwork.

  Brad came into her office and dropped a stack of mail on her desk.

  “We are all loaded up, boss. Marc and I will head over and Travis can ride with you if that’s okay?”

  “Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll take a quick look at the mail and we will be right behind you.”

  Brad left and Jessie turned to the mail. The usual junk and bills. But her heart stuttered when she saw another battered envelope addressed to Jessica Parker.

  Might as well get it over with, she told herself, and grabbed it to go on the back porch to read it.

  * * * * *

  Travis finished helping the guys load the supplies and waved as they drove off. He was to ride with the boss. Glancing around and not seeing her, he decided to take a quick look around. He headed to the house first and checked for access points and exits. No harm in being prepared. He had already looked once as he was fixing little things but he hadn’t really looked around the outside of the house yet.

  Following a small path, he stopped cold next to the back porch when he heard the soft sobbing. He stayed frozen for a moment, trying to place the voice, but it was too muffled to tell for sure. Coming around the corner, he saw Jessie with her knees drawn up and her arms wrapped around them.

  She was still sobbing and in her hand was a piece of paper. Another threat from Cyrus he was sure. He reminded himself that this was just a job as he walked up the stairs. Her head lifted and the despair in her eyes tugged at something inside his chest. He didn’t like to see this strong woman brought to tears by an asshole who wasn’t worth her time.

  Before he realized what he was doing he scooped her up and sat in her chair with her in his lap. Her body stiffened and she drew in a sharp breath but after a minute she relaxed and laid her head on his shoulder. He tried not to dwell too much on the fact that it fit perfectly there.

  She stopped crying after a few minutes and his hand reached around to rub her gently on the back, soft, soothing strokes. She released a sigh and shifted so her head was tucked under his chin. It felt right, and he could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo and his fingers came up to play with the ends of her hair.