by Susanna Carr
“I’m already having fun.” And it was true. He enjoyed being with Christine. He didn’t miss the rush of an extreme sport or fight the need to keep moving. Instead, he wanted to linger, stay in one place and gain Christine’s full attention.
“I know you said I don’t have to pay you, but I still—” Christine bumped into a tall, thin man. “Oh, excuse me.”
“I’m sorry. Are you all right?” The man had a faint accent that Travis couldn’t place. He frowned as he noticed the man’s baseball cap and sunglasses.
Travis immediately recognized him. It was Underwood, dressed casually and keeping his head down as he boldly made contact. Underwood expertly slid his hand across Christine while pretending to hold her steady. Underwood’s hand splayed against her wrist bag in a classic pickpocket move.
Travis grabbed her hand, blocking Underwood from completing the theft. Travis’s stealth move revealed his training, but he had no choice in the matter. His protective instincts had kicked in and he wasn’t going to allow this man anywhere near Christine.
He knew Pitts would be nearby. One glance in Underwood’s sunglasses and Travis saw the guy right behind them. He and Christine had to get out of there before Pitts and Underwood discovered the emerald in his shirt pocket.
“Let’s go,” Travis told Christine as he quickly pulled her away. He needed to find a spot that had heavy security.
“Sorry!” she called out to Underwood over her shoulder. “Wow, I swear that guy came out of nowhere.”
That was close. He should have predicted it, but he was taken by surprise that they had gone after Christine. Why did they think she had the emerald? Unless it was a move to distract him so Pitts could pick his pockets.
Travis’s hands shook as he escorted Christine to the entrance. He realized it wasn’t adrenaline flowing through his veins. It was fear. He had placed Christine in danger. What if Pitts or Underwood had a weapon? How would he have protected her?
This babysitting job was over. He was returning the emerald to Aaron immediately. “I have to make a call before we go,” he said to Christine.
“Sure,” she said as she headed directly to the slot machine by the entrance. “I’m going to give this one more try.”
“So much for quitting,” he said with a smile. He turned around and scoped out the casino. Dressed like the other weekend tourists, Pitts or Underwood couldn’t be spotted in the crowd. Travis reached for the phone in his jacket pocket and casually checked for the emerald in his shirt pocket. It was still there. He didn’t care if Aaron thought it brought good luck. He couldn’t wait to get rid of it.
As he dialed, Travis heard loud bells and whistles. Someone had hit the jackpot nearby. Someone whooped with sheer joy. It sounded a lot like Christine. Travis slowly turned and saw her jumping up and down.
“I won!” she shouted as he stared wordlessly at the flashing lights on the slot machine. “I finally won!”
* * *
“I WON!” CHRISTINE couldn’t stop smiling as she crammed the cash into her small purse. “I won. I won. I won.”
“I’m as stunned as you are,” Travis said as he pressed his hand against her back and guided her out of the casino.
“I can’t believe I won.” She was excited. Relieved. She’d completed a challenge and was ready to accept the reward. “I have no idea what to do with this money.”
“This is Vegas,” he reminded her. They stood on the sidewalk and inhaled the desert air. “Where do you want to go? You can get almost anything. Clothes. Jewelry. Or do you want to gamble some more?”
“No, none of that interests me.” It was only a few hundred dollars, but she knew she wasn’t going to put it away for a rainy day. She wanted to use it on something fun with Travis. “It doesn’t matter. I won!”
More important, she could cross entry number forty-three—win money—off her list. A satisfied sigh staggered from her throat. She was almost light-headed with relief. Tomorrow she could return home knowing she had accomplished what she had set out to do.
The sun was beginning to set and the golden lights reflected on the buildings. Her weekend was almost up, but she wasn’t ready to go home. Not when she could add Travis to her dream list.
She imagined the entry on her list. One hundred and one: Travis. Not a one-night stand. Not a fling. Simply Travis. She didn’t care how she got him as long as he wound up in her bed.
But she didn’t have that much time. How was she going to do it? The idea made her jittery and nervous. He thought she was a sophisticated and mysterious woman. She wasn’t that experienced. Her last boyfriend had dumped her because she wasn’t exciting enough for him.
“It’s your choice, Christine,” Travis said. “What do you want to do?”
She took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to talk herself out of this. She always did that and then regretted it.
But this time she needed to make the first move. That was completely out of her comfort zone. She never grabbed what she wanted. She always waited for permission. For her turn.
Forget that. This was her chance. It was time for her to take a risk. If she didn’t do this, she would regret missing the opportunity.
“Travis?” she said, her voice sounding high to her ears. He must have heard it, too. Travis went still and cast a quick glance at her.
She wasn’t sure what to say. Maybe this was one of those times when words weren’t necessary. Her chest rose and fell with each uneven breath as she took a step forward. Travis watched her intently, but he remained silent.
Christine slid her hands over his chest. He was warm and muscular. She frowned when her hand bumped against something solid in his shirt pocket. His fingers suddenly wrapped around her wrists. For a moment she couldn’t tell if he was going to reject her advances.
This wasn’t going as well as she had hoped. She had expected him to meet her halfway. Sweep her up into his arms and kiss her. But did a worldly, mysterious woman allow the man to take charge? She doubted it. If she wanted Travis, she would have to act like her alter ego.
Christine’s heart was pounding ferociously as she leaned forward and kissed him. She meant for it to be bold and powerful, but the moment her lips touched his, she softened against him. Her mouth clung to him as she felt his surprise.
Travis dropped her wrists and held her face in his calloused hands. She tasted the urgency, the pulsating need as he gave her a hard, possessive kiss. She wanted to melt into him when he lifted his head.
“What were you saying, Christine?” he asked hoarsely as his eyes glittered with desire. She felt the throbbing response deep in her belly. No man had looked at her like that before.
She curled her hands against his shoulders. He felt strong and solid underneath her touch. “I don’t feel like sightseeing anymore.”
His mouth tilted up into a wicked smile. “What do you want to do?”
She suddenly felt shy. Christine looked away and paused. She was a brazen and sophisticated woman, she reminded herself. Christine slowly lifted her head and met Travis’s gaze. “I want to take you back to my room.”
“Lead the way.”
6
CHRISTINE DIDN’T SPEAK to Travis as she led him to her room. Words were jumbled in her mind and her throat felt tight and thick. She felt awkward and clumsy as she slid the key card into the lock. She experienced a wave of relief as the green light flickered, and her hands trembled as she wrenched the door open.
She stepped inside her dark hotel room and turned around. Travis stood in the doorway, his hands bracing the frame. His eyes were piercing. She felt the urgency ripple from his body, but he waited for her to make the next move.
“Invite me in,” he said roughly.
He knew. He knew that she was nervous. She was afraid to reach for the opportun
ity only to have it disappear—or, worse, confirm her fears that she wasn’t exciting. That she wasn’t good in bed.
But she hadn’t felt like this with another man. And Travis was hers for the taking. He had been since the moment they met next to the slot machine. She’d only needed the courage to take the next step. Reach out and claim him.
“I’ll wait.” His voice was a rasp. “It’s not going to be easy. I want you now, but I will wait until you make the first move.”
Christine shivered. She didn’t realize how important it was for her to hear those words. She needed to know that he wanted this as much as she did. But she wanted it to be memorable for Travis. This one-night stand was going to mean more to her than to him.
“Travis...”
“I know this could be from the adrenaline rush of winning.” He reached out and cupped her cheek with his warm and large hand.
She didn’t want to move away. “It’s not. I’ve wanted this since I first met you.”
“What is stopping you?” he asked as he brushed his thumb against her cheekbone. His touch was as light as a feather. “Is there someone back home?”
She wanted to live out this fantasy but she wasn’t very brave. Not in Cedar Valley and not in bed. It was easier to act as if her fantasies didn’t exist than to go after them. She wished it wasn’t so difficult to surrender to the moment.
“There’s no one else,” she said.
Travis bent his head and gave her the gentlest of kisses. His mouth grazed hers and color exploded inside her. She parted her lips as her breath hitched in her throat.
If his kiss had been hard and demanding, she would have pulled away. She would have told him she had changed her mind and asked him to leave. It would have been her biggest regret, but this kiss proved that Travis could be a tender and patient lover.
She slowly pulled away. Her heart pounded in her ears. She felt as though she was letting go of something safe and solid. Taking a risk that could have her soaring or falling. “Come inside,” she whispered.
Her pulse skipped a beat as she reached for his hand. Christine entwined their fingers, hers looking small and pale next to his. The sight made her heart twist. She wanted to hold on to him. Become one with him.
Christine looked into Travis’s eyes. She saw the desire and the hope. She led him across the threshold and welcomed him by curling her arms around his strong shoulders. He kissed with great care as he gathered her close. Her kisses grew bolder. Christine pushed his jacket off his broad shoulders and unbuttoned his shirt as he kicked off his shoes. She stripped him quickly before she lost her nerve. She felt the strength of his muscular chest and his hard arousal. She rocked her hips with anticipation, and Travis groaned against her mouth.
She didn’t speak as he slowly peeled her clothes from her body. It was as if he was unwrapping a gift. By the time she was naked, she was trembling and craving his touch. She was desperate for his mouth. For him.
Travis led her to the bed and lowered her gently as if she was a delicate treasure. Her spine sank into the soft mattress and she drew him down with her. Travis lay at her side, watching her intently as she explored his body with her hands and mouth. She learned what made him sigh with pleasure and what made him clench with barely leashed restraint. Most of all, she discovered Travis’s patience matched her insatiable curiosity.
When Travis couldn’t take it anymore, he covered her body with his. Christine wrapped her hands around his penis and couldn’t suppress the ripple of excitement. She loved the feel of him, enjoyed the pulsating heat and strength under her fingertips.
“Tell me what you want,” Christine said as she arched against him. She pressed her mouth against his throat and felt his fast pulse under her lips.
“Show me how you feel,” Travis said huskily. “Don’t hold back.”
Christine reached for his hands, which were flattened on the bed next to her head. She laced her fingers with his and held on tight. She tilted her head and sought his mouth. Christine gave him the sweetest kiss.
She didn’t want to hold back but she was scared. The sensations swirling inside her felt stronger than her. The coiling desire held such promise but she fought it. She knew if she allowed it to take over, she would never be the same.
Travis ended the kiss and looked into her eyes. His eyes glittered with an intensity that made her pause. He seemed mesmerized by the emotions chasing across her face.
Christine didn’t want to be the same person she had been before this trip. She wanted to feel, to know. She knew he would guide her to the height of pleasure and hold her when she fell. Travis would take care of her and not let go.
* * *
TRAVIS WAS INSTANTLY aware of the moment she yielded. She whispered and sighed as he caressed her. She encouraged him with incomplete sentences when he explored her with his mouth. Soon she guided him with her hands. He knew what she wanted with the roll of her hips and the arch of her spine.
His body strained for completion as he stared into Christine’s eyes. He couldn’t get enough of her untamed reactions. He wanted to capture this rare moment.
Travis quickly slipped on protection and settled between her legs as the lust kicked hard. Victory and gratitude rushed through his veins, but when he held Christine’s gaze, he was humbled by her trust. He was going to do everything he could to be worthy of it. Worthy of her.
Travis grasped her hips and sank into her welcoming body. He tilted his head back as the primitive instincts stormed through him. Christine’s eyes glimmered with stark need as she bucked beneath him.
The fascination he felt for this woman almost scared him. He thrust into her and shuddered at the sound of her earthy groan. He knew once she submitted to him that she would reach a new level of pleasure. He thrust again and watched in awe as Christine climaxed in his arms.
She hid nothing. He saw the reckless spirit in her eyes as she went wild beneath him. She was fire—primal, uninhibited beauty.
He couldn’t hold on for much longer, but he wanted more. He needed more time to explore this connection and this woman. As the scorching pleasure ripped through him, Travis knew he had to convince Christine to stay.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING, Christine stared at the alarm clock on the bedside table and swallowed back a groan. I’m late. This is a disaster. I can’t be late.
The words rushed through her mind as she hurriedly buttoned up her white long-sleeved shirt and shoved the long hem in her navy blue pants. How could this have happened? She was never late. She always woke up at dawn and had everything prepared ahead of time to ensure an easygoing morning.
But last night wasn’t routine. If she took a man like Travis to her bed every night, she wouldn’t seek adventure elsewhere. Her skin tingled and her stomach clenched as she remembered how he had touched her. She had never slept with a man as sexual, as tender or as knowledgeable as Travis Cain.
She hadn’t been able to keep her hands off him. He didn’t seem to mind that she woke him up several times throughout the night to make love. It was almost as if she needed to be certain it hadn’t been a dream.
And this morning, she had woken up as the sun streaked through the gap in the curtains. This time she didn’t awaken Travis. Instead she’d lain next to him, cherishing the moment, holding on to the fantasy until she had to get up and get back to reality.
Christine reached up and gathered her hair in a tight topknot as she studied Travis in her bed. The bedsheets wer
e startlingly white against his golden-brown skin. He was sprawled across the mattress, his arms outstretched and his feet dangling off the corner.
The blanket was a tangled mess and barely covered his hips. She couldn’t stop staring at his powerful thighs and tapered waist. Her fingers itched, eager to caress his well-defined abdominal muscles.
He was gloriously male and naked. She missed seeing his body last night. They hadn’t taken the time to turn on the lights. Christine had felt the crisp curls on his broad chest and heard the strong beat of his heart when she curled up against him. She hadn’t seen the dark stubble on his jaw, but her lips were still red from the friction.
Christine paused. She rubbed her hand against her collarbone and her fingers brushed against her neckline. She was tempted to shed her clothes and crawl back in bed. Why shouldn’t she miss her flight? No one was waiting for her at home. The bank could survive a day without her.
What was she thinking? She had allowed a man to distract her from her plan before. She wasn’t going to let it happen again. Christine pulled at her collar and realized she had released the top button. She quickly fixed her top and marched to the bathroom. She scooped her toiletries into her arm and hurried back to her suitcase.
After all, this was a one-night stand. Nothing more. She’d never had one before and didn’t know the rules, but Travis wasn’t looking for a relationship. He knew she was returning home today.
And if she extended her vacation, she would only find disappointment. At the moment Travis found her interesting. Anyone could pretend to be for a couple of days, but she couldn’t maintain her sophisticated persona for much longer. She had already slipped up multiple times and it was only by incredible luck that he hadn’t noticed. It wouldn’t take him long to realize what kind of person she truly was—an average woman who dreamed big but lived small.
Christine slipped her feet into her loafers and looked around the hotel room. It was small, plain and beige, but she didn’t think she would remember that. She would remember the kaleidoscope of colors and emotions she’d experienced here. She’d cherish the memory of how alive and daring she felt in Travis’s arms.