by A. M. Myers
“Is he going to call the cops?” I ask, wondering if they made it look like a kidnapping and Travis shakes his head.
“Naw. She left him a note that tells him not to come looking for her.”
I purse my lips as he stands outside his vehicle, raking his hands through his hair. “But the kids… wouldn’t that make y’all accessories to kidnapping the kids?”
“They aren’t his kids. He married Anne eighteen months ago and immediately started beating her so she never let him adopt them. She said she had to get out before he turned on her kids.”
“What happened to their real dad?”
He shrugs. “He’s dead but I don’t know what happened to him.”
“That’s so sad.”
“Yeah,” he answers with a nod. “But you can go back to whatever you were doing over there. I’ll just be another few minutes with this.”
I hold my hands up in surrender and back away from him. “Kicking me out, huh?”
“Never.” His gaze flicks to mine and the sincerity shining in his eyes almost knocks me off my feet. I wouldn’t say that we’ve both been clingy lately but we have definitely been leaning on each other to get through all of the shit going on around us and honestly, I don’t know what I would do without him. Somehow, he keeps me sane despite the chaos and I think I do the same for him. Or, at least, I hope I do. “What are you working on over there?”
“I’m looking for a job,” I say as I crawl back into bed with a sigh and scoop up my newspaper, scanning the help wanted section again. There are quite a few jobs listed but none of them have really caught my eye yet. Although, I suppose it would help if I had any idea what I wanted to do but for so long, I’ve been just surviving instead of living so I don’t even know where to start. Hell, I don’t even know what I like.
“I don’t like it.”
I glance up at him. “You don’t like what?”
“The idea of you getting a job right now. Until we catch Warren, I don’t really want you leaving the clubhouse alone,” he says, his gaze flicking between me and the computer screen with the same concern on his face. Sighing, I shake my head and set the newspaper in my lap.
“Are you really trying to tell me I can’t work?”
He nods. “For now.”
“You know,” I muse, cocking my head to the side as I flash him a look of defiance. “I don’t think you get a say.”
“Sure I do,” he shoots back, standing up and stalking across the room to me before planting his fists on the bed and leaning in for a kiss. When I won’t give him one, he growls and grabs the paper, tossing it to the floor behind him. Before I can object, he grabs my leg and pulls me down to my back on the bed as he looms over me with a grin. “You’re so fucking cute when you’re mad.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Don’t give me that shit. I’m getting a job and you can’t stop me.”
“Whatever you want to believe, Princess,” he answers before sealing his lips over mine and I sigh. My biggest weakness is my need for him and it doesn’t matter how mad I am when he kisses me because I can’t resist him. Pulling back, he flashes me a triumphant grin. “Hey, what do you say we get out of here?”
“And go where?”
He shrugs, leaning down and stealing another kiss. “Anywhere. I’m fucking tired of being cooped up in this place.”
“Wasn’t it you who just said I shouldn’t leave the clubhouse until Warren is found?” I ask, arching a brow but he is unfazed, shooting me a cocky grin.
“I said you shouldn’t leave alone and you’re not. You’ll have me there to protect you.” That damn grin on his face only gets wider as he stares down at me with fire in his eyes and there is no way in hell I’m backing down from this challenge. Pasting a coy little smile on my face, I drag my fingertips down his arm as I sink my teeth into my bottom lip and meet his gaze again.
“Wow, baby,” I breathe, arching my back so my tits press up against his chest. “That really turns me on.”
His gaze searches mine, hungry and ready to pounce, and as he leans down to kiss me again, I press my hand against his face and shove it away from me.
“Not.”
“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that one, Princess,” he growls as my belly does a little flip as I wiggle out of his arms and slip off of the bed, evading his grasp. We square up on opposite sides of the room, Travis ready to close the distance between us and me ready to bolt in the other direction to get away from him, and he flashes me a predatory smile as he takes a small step forward. My belly flips and I fight back peals of giggles as I watch him stalk toward me. He springs into action and I shriek as I try to get away from him before he hooks his arm around my waist before I can get away and pulls me into his body. Breathing heavily, his eyes meet mine for just a moment before we slam together, kissing like we’re drowning in our desire and we stumble backward until we run into the wall.
“Travis,” I breathe when he moves down my neck, pressing hot, needy kisses against my skin and he growls, moving back up to nip at my ear.
“I had a whole plan, you know,” he whispers as his hand slips under my t-shirt and he cups my breast, giving it a squeeze.
“What was it?”
He shakes his head, moving back to my lips before pulling back enough to meet my eyes. “I had a whole little… thing planned for us.”
“Like a date?” I ask, my heart skipping a beat and butterflies flapping around in my belly as I search his gaze. He looks away and nods, a look of nerves flicking across his face.
“I wanted to do something normal with you. Something that didn’t involve shit like stalkers in nightclubs and severed heads showing up at weddings.”
I can’t wipe the grin off of my face as I lean in and press a kiss to his lips. “Okay. Do I need to go change or will this work for what you have planned?”
“You look amazing, Rowan,” he replies, his gaze dropping down my body and I laugh. I’m just wearing jeans and a t-shirt but with the way he looks at me, it feels like it could be a ball gown. Meeting my eyes again, his teeth sink into his bottom lip. “You really want to go?”
I nod, my smile so wide it feels like it’s going to crack my face. “I do. Now, how do we sneak out of here?”
“You go downstairs like you’re going to your room and then sneak out of the back door. I’ll storm out of the front like I’m pissed about something and we’ll meet at the Impala.”
Leaning forward, I plant another quick kiss on his lips before pulling away. “Okay.”
“Go and I’ll meet you down there.” He smacks my ass as I turn to leave and I shoot him a look over my shoulder before slipping out of his room and practically running down the hallway to the stairs. A few people are milling around in the bar area but they barely give me a second glance as I walk down the hallway to my room. Stopping outside of the door, I grab the handle like I’m going to open it before peeking behind me. Everyone has moved onto something else so I release the handle and sneak over to the back door, squeezing my eyes shut as I press on the bar to open it. It makes a little squeak but I slip outside without glancing back to see if anyone else heard before softly closing the door and booking it across the parking lot to Travis’s Impala. My heart races and I can’t wipe the grin off of my face. I swear, it’s like I’m sixteen and sneaking out of the house to meet up with a boy all over again. Although, I’m not sure if Lincoln would be any less pissed this time around as he was when I was a kid.
Stopping next to the car, I turn toward the front door just in time to see Travis shove it open and stomp outside but as soon as he sees me, a big grin stretches across his face, breaking his cover. No one really seems to notice though and once he reaches the car, he jumps behind the wheel, while I wait for him to unlock my door. Instead, he rolls down the window, leaning across the seat to talk to me.
“Will you get the gate? The code is zero, five, two, zero.”
I glance up at the lock on the gate and nod before running over to the gate and punchin
g in the code. It unlocks with a click and as soon as it swings open, Travis drives the Impala out onto the street before stopping to wait for me. I close the gate behind me and double check that it’s locked. The last fucking thing we need is Warren getting into the clubhouse… not that it’s not already easy enough for him to get to us. Sighing, I walk over to the Impala and sink into the passenger seat before turning to Travis. He flashes me a blinding smile and grabs my hand as he takes off down the street.
“So, where are we headed to?”
He glances over at me and winks. “It’s a surprise.”
Shaking my head, I watch him as we drive, wondering what is going through his head right now. Maybe this is just what he said, an excuse for us to get out of the clubhouse and seize a little bit of normal but it feels an awful lot like more than the casual relationship we agreed to and I don’t know what to do with that.
“What are you thinking so hard about over there?” he asks, pulling me out of my thoughts and I blink at him before leaning my head back against the seat and flashing him a smile.
“Just trying to figure out where we are going.”
He laughs. “You’re not good with surprises, are you?”
“I guess not,” I answer and his brows knit together as his gaze flicks between me and the road repeatedly.
“What do you mean, you guess not?”
I shrug. “I’ve never really had anyone do something like this for me.”
“Come on, you’ve had boyfriends before,” he replies. I arch a brow at the word boyfriend and he releases a nervous chuckle. “Not that we… I mean, I’m not…”
I scoff. “Don’t worry, Travis. I know what this is and even though I’ve had boyfriends before, none of them ever did anything like this. I’ve never even really been on a proper first date.”
“What’s a proper first date?” he asks and I have to laugh at how clueless and inexperienced we both are when it comes to relationships.
“You know, like when you meet someone and you like them so you ask them out. For me, it’s always just been I start hanging out with someone and we like each other so we become a couple before we ever even have a date.”
He shakes his head. “That’s a fucking shame. A gorgeous girl like you deserves shit like this.”
“Oh, how romantic.” I laugh, crinkling my nose at his statement as butterflies flutter around in my belly. When I’m with him, the rest of the damn world just fades away and here in this car, on our way to a date, nothing else exists but I wish I knew more about him. There is this glaring contradiction when I look into his eyes and I can tell he’s experienced real pain in his life. I want to hear about it and if possible, ease just a little bit of his suffering. Leaning on the arm rest between us, I flash him a smile. “Tell me something about yourself.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because,” I say, batting my lashes at him as he fights back a grin. “I asked you very, very nicely.”
He arches a brow. “Did you? It sounded more like a demand to me.”
“Will you, Travis Broussard, pretty please tell me something about yourself?” I ask, laying it on thick as I stare up at him and wait for his answer. He laughs, shaking his head.
“Jesus… like I could say no to you. What do you want to know?”
For fucks sake.
I wanna know everything but I need to ease him into this or he will shut down on me in a second. I run through a list of questions in my mind before landing on one and peeking up at him. This is the most softball question I’ve ever fucking heard in my life so there is no way he won’t answer it.
“Are you from Baton Rouge?”
He shakes his head. “No.”
“Where are you from?” I ask and he scowls as we pull to a stop at a light, searching my face. Jeez, I thought it was a softball question but I guess not. Or maybe he’s locked down so tightly that he finds any question at all probing.
“I thought it was just one question.”
I shrug. “I never said that. Come on, Travis. It’s an easy question.”
“Fine,” he sighs, his gaze locked on mine for a moment before he shakes his head and blows out a breath. “I’m from Texas.”
“What brought you here?”
He fidgets in his seat as he turns to look up at the stoplight. “My mom was from this area.”
“Was?” I ask, my heart sinking for him. Pain splashes across his face and he scrubs one hand down his thigh while the other grips mine tighter and he nods.
“She died.”
Looking up at the clear agony on his handsome face, my heart breaks for him but I don’t say the obligatory “I’m sorry” because it was one of the things I hated the most when my mom died. Instead, I raise his hand to my lips and press a kiss to it in a silent show of support. Something that tells him I know I can’t make it any better but I’m here for him and the look he shoots me almost makes me melt in my seat. It’s full of appreciation, relief, and something else I can’t quite name but it makes me feel all kind of gooey inside as I give him a soft smile.
“Thank you, Rowan,” he whispers, his voice cracking in a rare show of emotion and I nod because I know that more than anything, he just needs me to be here for him right now and that’s what I’m going to do for as long as he lets me.
Chapter Nineteen
Rowan
“Hey,” Travis whispers in my ear, sneaking up behind me and gripping my hips as I startle and my heart jumps into my throat. I peek over my shoulder at him and he flashes me a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows that has me fighting back a smile of my own. “Having fun?”
I turn back to the main room where Emma, Ali, Storm, Tate, and Blaze are decorating the nine-foot Christmas tree Blaze hauled into the clubhouse an hour ago in an effort to lift everyone’s spirits. They were all excited to get a little piece of normal but for me, it only reminded me that this is the first Christmas without my mom so I run upstairs and started spying on them from the top landing. Sighing, I shrug. “I guess.”
“Feel like sneaking away for a bit? I have a surprise for you,” he says, pressing a kiss to my neck, just below my ear and a shiver runs down my spine as I struggle to keep my eyes open. My gaze flicks to the couches in the corner of the room where my brother, Chance, Carly, Smith, Henn, and Kady are all sitting around, talking and Lincoln glances up before leveling a glare at the man standing behind me. Travis’s grip on my hips tightens as he presses another kiss against my skin.
“What is it?” I ask, ignoring Lincoln’s murderous look as I turn to face Travis. His arms wrap around me as he flashes me a playful smile and presses his body to mine, his gaze heating. I arch a brow and twirl my arms around his neck, fighting back a smile at his terrible poker face. “Oh, it’s like that, is it?”
“Only one way to find out.”
“Lead the way, then,” I tell him and he takes my hand. His answering grin is so adorable that I would have done just about anything to see it but he doesn’t need to know that. As he drags me down the hallway, my mind drifts to our date last night. It was simple but also kind of perfect and exactly what we both needed after the stress of the last couple of days. Travis took me to this line of food trucks parked near a cute little park and we got something to eat before walking around for a bit. When we got back to the car, things got steamy and we ended up re-enacting what happened in the clubhouse parking lot the morning we got back from Tawny’s apartment except this time, I wasn’t just getting myself off. Smiling at the memory, I glance up as Travis opens the door to get up to the roof and looks back at me with a twinkle in his eye. If I didn’t already know he had a surprise planned for me, one look at his face would give it away in an instant but I kind of love how he can’t keep a secret to save his life. And the way he’s so excited to do something like this for me just melts my heart every single freaking time.
“Close your eyes, Princess,” he instructs when we get to the top of the stairs and I arch a brow as I shoot him a look but he doe
sn’t back down. Finally, I sigh and close my eyes. He gives my hand a squeeze and opens the door at the top of the stairs before leading me out onto the roof. A cool breeze caresses my skin and I shiver, prompting him to pull me into his arms as he presses his lips to the top of my head. “Okay, open.”
Opening my eyes, I blink a couple of times before taking in the scene in front of me. He has set up an air mattress with pillows and two large, fluffy comforters right in the middle of the roof and I turn to him with a scowl. “What’s this?”
“I was thinking about last night and you said one of your favorite things was to look at the stars so… ta-da.”
“Travis,” I breathe, smiling as I drop my head back to look up at the sky. Millions of stars stare back at me and warmth rushes through me at his thoughtfulness as my heart beats a little faster. Turning into him, I throw my arms around his neck and press up on my toes to seal my lips to his. As his arms wrap around my waist and pull me closer, he makes a noise somewhere between a sigh and groan before the tip of his tongue teases my lips, demanding more and I give it to him without a second thought. One hand slips into my hair, cradling the back of my head as his tongue explores and teases my mouth but my entire body begs for more contact. Just when I think he might give me what I want, he pulls away, breathing heavily, and meets my eyes before shaking his head.
“I really didn’t bring you up here for that…”
I shoot him a look and he chuckles.
“Well, not just for that.” He pulls away and takes my hand again. “Come on. Let’s look at some stars.”
Peeking over at him as he leads me to the air mattress, I can’t help but smile. “This is very cute.”
“I’m a cute guy,” he answers, shrugging, as he shoves me back onto the mattress and I laugh, bouncing a few times before settling into one spot in the middle of the bed. When I’m comfortable, he lies down next to me and pulls me closer, wrapping his arm around me as I lay my head on his chest. Silence descends over us but it’s comfortable as we both look up at the sky, dotted with millions of tiny little lights and as I stare up at them, I feel more at home here in Baton Rouge than I ever have before.