I locked eyes with him as he continued increasing the pace, his strong hands grabbing my breasts. If it wasn’t so good, it would have been painful. Another wave of pleasure and tension built as he reached his climax and slowed his pace. I felt him bunch and twitch inside me as he came.
“Oh, fuck… Scarlett…” he moaned, his voice deep.
I leaned forward as his orgasm passed, grabbing his arms.
He slowed to a stop and I felt his knees weaken. He shuddered and gave a low moan. “That…That was amazing,” he gasped. “You’re amazing.”
The mystery man was finally showing some emotions. And I wouldn’t let him go that easy.
“Let’s get cleaned up. I happen to know there’s a shower close by.”
After showering, we went out to the balcony. Travis poured me some champagne and himself some whiskey.
He was a different man. I barely recognized him with his ice-cold façade lifted. I understood then that his hard-man demeanor had been for protection. A way of pushing people away for fear of being hurt, misunderstood, and unaccepted. He had been deeply troubled in the past. But now, his mask had finally lifted.
I still sighed with pleasure from time-to-time as we cuddled. Talking, laughing, and joking, we watched the sun set over the cityscape around us. Comfortable silences stretched between our small talk.
I felt a warmth in my chest, a deep and complex feeling. I knew right then that I was falling for Travis.
Or I had possibly fallen for him already…
Rather than feeling scared, however, I felt the safest I’d ever been in my whole life. Nothing could touch me now.
I squeezed Travis’s thigh through his bathrobe, which was comically too small for him. I heard a rip as he lifted his whiskey glass to his mouth, and we both burst out laughing.
“So,” I said after another long silence, “I’m bored of Paris, I think.”
The sun was almost out of sight, fast fading behind the skyline.
Travis looked down at me. “Flights to Prague are tomorrow. Or you want to go someplace else?”
“Prague will be nice.” I poked him in the rib, which hurt my finger more than it hurt him, I suspected. “It’s supposed to be very romantic.”
Travis almost choked on his whiskey. “Right. I’ve heard enough out of you now. Time to shut you up again for a while.”
He led me back to the bedroom by the hand, pushing me to sit on the bed in front of him. “Take your robe off,” he commanded.
I complied, slowly untying the bathrobe and letting it fall down my naked body.
He got down onto his knees, looking at me as he started kissing my inner thigh, the pleasure of his tongue and lips mixed with the sharpness of his stubble.
“If you want me to be quiet,” I said, voice quivering, “you’re going the wrong way about it.”
I gasped as his tongue entered me.
CHAPTER 19
Travis
I awoke to find Scarlett’s head resting on my chest, relieved to see that the previous night hadn’t all been just a dream.
It had been the best night of my life. The memory of her riding me, her breasts bouncing in my face, and the feel of her warm, wet skin on mine made me aroused all over again.
Shit. Ain’t got time for that now. There’ll be plenty of time in Prague though, I thought.
Struggling to control my rising erection, I swiftly rose out of bed to get a cold shower.
I looked down at my watch.
11:00? Shit.
How did I sleep in that long?
But then again, I supposed I had worn myself out. It had definitely been worth it though.
After showering, I paused in the living room, right before heading to make coffee. I looked towards the front entrance.
The door was open…
What the fuck? Did we leave it open all night? I wondered. I found that unlikely though.
A sick feeling formed in the pit of my stomach.
I ran to grab my revolver from my suit and then searched room-to-room, armed with nothing but my boxers and a fully loaded .357.
But I found nothing.
I went back to check on Scarlett. She was still sound asleep.
Deep disappointment came over me.
What had I done? I couldn’t keep the girl safe if my defenses were down. And if her dad found out, I was screwed.
At that moment, I decided that no one needed to know. The longer I stared at the door, the more convinced I became that in the heat of passion, I’d forgotten to close it behind us.
Regardless, I needed to get a grip. My feelings for Scarlett were causing me to lose my sharpness, which was something I simply couldn’t afford.
I went to make coffee and tried to clear my head. I suddenly remembered why I didn't do emotions; they confused the hell out of me.
After filling two mugs, I went back to Scarlett’s bedroom. She was stirring, rubbing her face as she rose from under the covers.
“Hey, handsome.” Her breasts hung down, swinging deliciously as she leaned forward to take a mug from me.
“Time to get ready. We got a plane to catch,” I said, a little too gruffly.
“Okay, grumpy. Give me half an hour,” she said with a frown before blowing on the hot coffee.
I stood in front of her for a second, inner turmoil threatening to overwhelm me. Taking a deep breath, I cleared my mind further. I then visualized the dark saloon I’d seen as we’d left the hotel and the obscured figures sitting within.
Had there been three of them in the car? Had there really been anyone in it at all?
My mind ran through the rest of the evening, focusing on the details. I couldn’t recall anything else that seemed important. All I could readily recall was the rage I’d felt, and the way Scarlett had effortlessly soothed it away.
She had disarmed me.
Vowing to myself I wouldn’t let my guard down again, I turned away from her. I couldn't even meet her gaze without a pang of guilt rising in my gut.
“Okay, Scar. I’ll be getting my stuff together.” I then left the room, barely feeling the burn of the coffee as I drained half the cup in one gulp.
CHAPTER 20
Scarlett
What was that all about?
I’d woken as Travis left the bed, rolling into the huge dent his body had left in the mattress. My body still ached in both pleasure and pain from the wonderful night before.
But as soon as he’d returned with coffee, his cold façade had returned. He looked troubled and conflicted, making me want nothing more than for him to talk to me. He had to know by now that he didn’t have to keep everything bottled up in that scarred handsome face of his.
My mind flashed back to the view of his face between my legs. I groaned audibly at the memory, reliving the way his tongue had teased me.
After finishing my coffee, I rose from the bed and headed for the shower. I was ready about twenty-five minutes later, having applied a little makeup and dressed casually.
Time to see where my bodyguard-turned-lover has disappeared to, I thought, hoping he hadn’t jumped off the balcony.
I found him sitting in the living room, staring at the desk with a blank expression.
“Guess they’ll charge us.” He gestured at the cracked vase, broken telephone, and other various items on the floor. He grunted. “It was worth it though.”
I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. With the amount we paid for these rooms, all I’ve got to do is kick up a stink and they’ll be offering us a discount.” I rubbed his shoulders through his black t-shirt.
He sighed, but then froze suddenly.
I looked down at him. He was staring at the phone that had been knocked off the desk during the heat of our passion. Abruptly, he lifted his finger to his lips and strode over to it, gingerly lifting the wrecked receiver with one huge hand.
My eyes widened as I saw a small circular black object that had been crudely taped to the inside of the mouthpiece.
Two wires led from it to a small device that had a watch battery attached.
Unfazed, Travis winked at me, causing my fear to dissipate.
“Guess this phone is busted, right?” He looked at me, blue eyes sparkling. “Shoulda been more careful.”
He spoke in a measured and steady tone, and I played along. “Looks like you broke it, you heavy handed oaf. There’s a trash can in the kitchen. We’ll tell housekeeping when we check out.”
He nodded and headed towards the kitchen, where I heard him stomping on something. Then he reappeared in the kitchen entrance. “Well played,” he said. “Probably broke when it hit the floor, but you never know.”
He looked so calm and nonchalant, I wondered what was going through his mind.
“You spoke to your dad before we left for dinner, right? Did you tell him anything important? Think, Scar,” he said, staring at me intently.
“I don’t know. I mean, yes…I called my dad when my cell was charging. The guy on the desk said we got free international calls.” I glanced worriedly at Travis, noting his frown of consternation. “We talked about Prague,” I continued, “and that the girls might be coming home early. I didn’t give away any…Oh, shit. We did talk about the flight. And where we were going. Shit…” I looked at him, worried. I had given my dad all the details of our impending trip to Prague over the phone. “I mean, it doesn’t matter, right?” My voice rose to a panicked pitch.
“Fuck,” Travis said.” They needed details. They didn’t know your next destination.” He walked towards me. His face was cold and calm. Professional. He placed a reassuring hand on my lower back. “Sit down. Tell me what you told your dad.”
CHAPTER 21
Travis
She recited the conversation as best as she could remember. As she imitated her dad, her voice deepened and took on a condescending tone. It was almost a struggle to brushed away my amusement and stay focused.
I took a few seconds to think after she finished recounting the conversation. “We need to go back,” I said. “We…You’re in danger.”
If these guys could sneak into a penthouse apartment and tap a phone without getting caught, they were good. Really good. So I needed to beat them at their own game somehow.
Scarlett looked up at me, her shoulders slumped and her eyes searching mine for reassurance.
Now ain’t the time to be a pussy. This girl needs you. Fuck, you need her. Time to show these guys what it means to mess with Travis James, I thought, my mind resolved.
I took a deep measured breath in and held it for a few seconds. Folding my arms over my chest, I exhaled slowly as my mind raced to formulate a plan.
Grimly, I looked off into the distance. Feeling Scarlett staring at me, I did my best to look tough, nonchalant, and in control. “Right. Ain’t no big deal, the way I see it. We still have a card to play.” I raised my hand to my chin, rubbing my sharp stubble thoughtfully.
Scarlett shifted in her seat, wiggling nervously. “Which is?”
I kept her waiting a little while longer, enjoying her rapt attention. “Thing is, they don’t know.” I paused and turned to look at her. “That we know they know. Get it?”
She frowned. “That’s it? That’s your genius master plan?”
“Think about it, Scar. We start running, they know we’re on to them. They pounce hard and fast. Guns blazing. I’m tough, but I ain’t bulletproof. Well, I nearly am. Could probably take a good few flesh wounds, but still, I’d rather not.” I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “Other option is to be as calm as fuck. Ice cold. Carry on to Prague. Hit them when they ain’t expecting nothing. Seriously fuck them up.”
I turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were red. She gaped at me, her mouth half open.
“I mean, fuck them up so bad they can’t operate. Get it?” I continued, trying to justify my plan. “Take out the fucking brains and most of the muscle.”
When she remained quiet, I worried I was being too brazen, possibly scaring her.
“Travis,” she said, her voice low, “right now, I’ll do anything you say. Anything.”
“Anything?” I raised my eyebrows and smirked. “Get your pretty butt back on that desk. We’ve got fifteen minutes.”
CHAPTER 22
Scarlett
I was glowing as we calmly checked out fourteen minutes later. Most of the staff had changed since our entrance last night, but some stared at us in fascination.
I could still taste Travis’s in my mouth as I spoke to the guy on the main desk. After all, I hadn’t wanted him to make a mess of me before catching a flight. It’s not as if we had time for a shower afterwards.
“Hey. I’m afraid we broke your phone,” I said to the receptionist. “And a few other items that were on the desk…”
“Yeah. Got a bit carried away,” Travis chimed in.
The guy stared incredulously at us. “No problem, mademoiselle,” he said after a moment. “We have, uh…spares. Thank you for staying with us. I hope you come again soon.”
We thanked the desk staff, and strode confidently through the front door, our arms locked. Two bell boys carried my suitcases and Travis’s pitiful duffle bag.
I made a mental note to get him a decent bag when we got back home. Something manly. Brown leather. Expensive.
When a valet had brought the Mercedes around to the front of the hotel, Travis gave him a hundred euro note. The valet’s eyes widened.
“For last night,” Travis said with a nod. “When we…were in a hurry.” He then handed the bell boys a fifty euro note each, and they thanked him profusely, shaking his hand and looking at him as if he was a movie star. I didn’t blame them though. He looked like he could have been some kind of action-movie hero. Meaner than Vanne Damme, and harder than Stallone. Not sure about Schwarzenegger in his prime—that would have been a fight to see.
“What’s brought about this sudden generous streak?” I asked as we got into the car.
“I’m always generous,” he grunted.
I remember his words earlier—to be cool because if they tapped the phone in a penthouse apartment, they could have bugs anywhere.
I grabbed his thigh. “Just get us to the airport, you handsome thug. We’ve got a plane to catch.”
And some bad guys to fuck up.
CHAPTER 23
Travis
I noticed the same black saloon with tinted windows as we left for the airport but made a show of pretending to ignore them as best as I could.
The drive to the airport was uneventful, other than glimpses of the cars following us. I counted at least two. I kept an eye on them, but drove normally, even slowing down at a set of lights so I wouldn’t lose them by accident.
I was amazed when my phone rang as we approached the airport. I answered hesitantly. “Yeah?” It was my French contact. He sounded nervous. “What’s up, bro? Talk to me,” I said.
He spoke rapidly in vague metaphors, but I got the gist of what he was saying, though just barely.
“It is said, my friend,” he muttered, accentuating his French accent, “that Prague, it is very hot this time of year. No? Be careful in the heat. It can be…dangerous.”
“Got it. Hot weather. Thanks for the tip.”
“One more thing, mon frere. Our mutual friend in Prague—he’s eager to return the favor, so I hear. I have persuaded him that it would be unwise for him to… avoid showing you hospitality, yes?” He continued, rushing the words out. “I will be going away for a while on vacation. I have some business to attend. If you…are able to stand the heat in Prague, I will be grateful. I will be taking care of something on my end that will...help you.” The phone clicked, the call dropped his end.
I turned my phone off and passed it to Scarlett. “Take the battery and SIM out,” I silently mouthed to her.
“Who was that on your phone. A friend?” she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
“Yeah. An old friend. He said it’s a bit hot in Prague. Says we gotta stay coo
l, okay?” I squeezed her thigh reassuringly.
A while later, we settled into our business-class seats. We sat next to each other this time, at the back of the central aisle because I wasn’t letting her out of my sight. I’d watch her piss if I had to.
I shook my head to clear the mental image, picking up the drinks menu in front of me.
Most of the passengers drank soft drinks and tea. I, on the other hand, ordered a large whiskey, pointing at what I’d guessed was the most expensive one.
I fought better after the first few whiskies.
Scarlett relaxed now that we were on the plane. She had been nervous in the lounge, pacing. I had eventually persuaded her to have something to eat, and then two glasses of champagne.
“It’s a shame we’re not in first-class. You ever joined the mile-high club?” she asked, grinning.
“Mile high what?”
She looked at me blankly. “Really? You’re going to make me explain?” She raised her eyebrows. “You join the mile-high club when you have sex on a plane, idiot.”
She threw a peanut at me, laughing as it bounced off my forehead.
I got a large chunk of ice from my glass and slipped it down her top and into her cleavage, poking it well into her bra.
She gasped, swearing at me as she frantically removed it. “You bastard,” she laughed.
I pointed a finger at her. “Don’t mess with me, doll. I got shitloads more ice.”
CHAPTER 24
Scarlett
The plane trip had been too short, the hour-and-a-half flying by as we chatted. Or, as I chatted, more accurately. Travis had returned to his gruff self for the most part. I still saw flashes of the man that I’d seen come out of his shell last night though.
As soon as the plane grounded, I saw a change come over him. He sat up straight, swallowing the last of his third whiskey in one gulp. Then he was on his feet as soon as the plane came to a stop. His eyes were cold, surveying the passengers around us.
Ruthless Hero: A Military Bodyguard Romance (Savage Soldiers Book 6) Page 8