by K. G. Reuss
“Do you like it?” I murmured, holding her tight.
“It’s perfect. Thank you,” she said pulling away. A tear slid out of her eye. Immediately, I thumbed it away and placed a kiss where it had been on her cheek.
“That’s not all,” I said, pulling away and taking her hand again. I led her to the bed where I proudly held up the teddy bear. “A gift for you, Mrs. Owens. A Travy Bear.”
She giggled, taking the bear from me and hugging it to her chest. “Travy Bear,” she mused.
I grinned, my heart thrumming in my chest. Fuck it. I’d feel for one night.
I pulled her in for a deep kiss, the bear between us. She tasted like freedom. And danger. My two favorite things.
Forty-Nine
Lexy
I drew in a deep breath and stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. The lacy, black lingerie I had on made me feel awkward, but I would own this shit like I was being paid for it. I fastened the garter belts to my stockings and pulled my hair out of the ponytail, letting it cascade around me in wild, red waves. I dotted on strawberry lip gloss and took one final look at myself.
If Travis didn’t like this, then there was no hope for anything.
Him taking the time to plan such a romantic evening, despite some of his dickish comments, made my heart flutter. I could ignore his words… mostly. I knew they came from the same place mine did. Or once had.
I shoved the thought out of my head. Travis and I would never work, even if there was a tiny part of me that held a hope that maybe…
Lexy, no! He’s not interested, and you’re being nuts.
Pulling open the bathroom door, I stepped into my bedroom and took in Travis sitting on the edge of my bed, staring down at his hands.
“Travis,” I called out softly, my voice shaking slightly. His head snapped up, and his eyes widened in the dim room, his mouth forming a small O of surprise.
He shifted to stand up, but I was already in front of him and pushed him back down onto the bed. A whoosh of air left him, and a smile tugged his lips up.
“Fuck, that’s hot,” he rasped out in a strangled voice.
“You like it?” I asked, giving a twirl.
“Fuck yeah, I do.” He rubbed his chest. I’d seen him do that already a few times tonight. “Damn, honey pot.”
My cheeks heated at his words as I moved to stand between his legs. His hands landed on my waist. They trembled against my skin. My heart thudded hard in my chest. He was just as nervous as I was. Something about that was almost a relief. At least it wasn’t just me.
His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed hard.
“You’re fucking beautiful, Alexis Owens. Never let anyone make you believe differently.”
“Owens,” I murmured, raking my fingers through his hair.
He closed his eyes and breathed out. When he opened them, they shined brightly at me, his hidden emotions shining through. My breath caught in my chest. I’d never seen anyone look at me like that before. It made my heart do a funny little dance in my chest.
“I’m a lucky man,” he whispered, placing a tender kiss on my stomach. “So fucking lucky.”
When Travis spoke like that, I didn’t know what to think. One moment he was Mr. Asshole-No-Commitment, the next he was this beautiful creature with words that made me feel alive inside.
I watched as he rose to his full height and towered over me.
“I’m going to do so many dirty things to you tonight you’ll never be able to replace me,” he growled, his gears shifting into the alpha he was.
“But I will replace you,” I answered thickly. “That’s the deal, right?”
He nipped at my bottom lip, sending heat sweeping through my core.
“You can try, honey pot, but I’m going to ruin you for other men.”
“Sounds like another challenge.”
He chuckled dangerously against my lips as his fingers dug into my waist. “It’s a promise, sweetheart.”
“Why would you want to ruin me for other men?” I dared.
“So you’ll always remember me,” he answered before kissing me deeply.
I raked my fingers through his hair, returning his affections. I tugged his shirt off as he removed his pants, both of us breathless as we touched one another.
“You’re so fucking delicious,” he praised, laying me on my back. I giggled as he hovered over me, his green eyes hooded. “I’m going to hate to peel this outfit off you.”
“Why?”
He planted a kiss on my neck that made me hum out my happiness.
“Because no one has ever dressed up for me before. I want to savor it.” Suddenly he was on his feet.
I sat up, confused, as he rifled through his clothes. “What are you doing?”
“Getting my phone,” he answered, turning toward me. “I want a picture of you like this.”
“Travis—”
“Shut your pretty mouth and pose for me, honey pot. When this is all over, I want to be able to look back at you just like this.”
I bit my bottom lip, his words a reminder once again that this wasn’t permanent. A forced smile graced my lips as I stared up at him. He snapped a few more photos before settling in next to me.
“Take a picture with me,” he murmured.
I nestled against him and smiled at the camera. When he leaned over and kissed me, I twisted my fingers in his hair, desperate to brand the memory of every moment in my mind. I knew he was taking photos of the kiss. Maybe he’d send them to me. Or maybe I’d rather never see them knowing this was just a passing thing.
He tossed his phone onto his pile of clothes before tucking me back beneath him.
“Now where were we?” he growled into my ear as he ground his hard length against my aching center.
“I think right about here,” I answered breathlessly.
“Sounds about right.” He kissed my collarbone before sitting me up to remove my lacy bra. He flung it to the floor and gave me a wolfish grin. I couldn’t help but let my smile spill onto my face as I returned to my back.
“I fucking love these stockings,” he murmured, snapping a belt against my thigh. I let out a hiss that darkened his eyes with promises of things to come. “It’s a shame I’m going to have to take them off you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“If I don’t, I’ll hate myself forever.” He chuckled, placing a kiss between my breasts.
“Mm,” I murmured.
He kissed his way to a nipple and drew it into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it. His hand massaged my other breast. When he’d given sufficient attention to my hardened peak, he switched sides, lavishing it with his hot mouth before he trailed kisses down my abdomen.
He made quick work of taking off my garter belts and panties, settling himself between my legs.
“Alexis Owens,” he called out softly.
My heart gave a little start. “Hm?”
“I’m about to rock your world. You ready?”
“If you think you can,” I answered, butterflies taking flight in my belly.
In answer, he buried his face between my legs, his tongue sweeping up my folds before it delved into my wet slit and found the hot button that sent a current of bliss through my body.
“Oh god,” I whispered, fisting my bedsheets as he licked and sucked.
My words only encouraged him. He inserted a finger into my aching channel, hooking it to hit me in a spot that made me writhe. I twisted my fingers in his hair and tugged him closer, desperate for release.
He slid another finger inside me, causing my breath to catch as he plundered my heat. The tingles built low in my core as my breathing hitched.
Travis removed his fingers and gripped my hips with both hands, pulling me closer as I clung to his hair, shamelessly thrusting up to meet his mouth.
One final sweep of his tongue had my eyes rolling back as I moaned out my release, my body like Jell-O from his onslaught. When I finally calmed down enough
to catch my breath, he moved up and kissed my lips after wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“How was that?” he asked, kissing my neck.
“So good,” I breathed out. “So good.”
He chuckled softly, his dick threatening my entrance. “Are you sure you want me?”
The question made my heart skip a beat. Did I want him?
Yes! I silently screamed it. I nearly said it out loud when he spoke again.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He paused as he stared down at me, so much concern on his face it made my stomach twist.
“Yes,” I answered. “I-I want you. This. I want this.”
He crinkled his brows as he studied me. “Tell me if you want me to stop, OK?”
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.
“Try not to scream my name,” Travis whispered as he took his dick in his hand and rubbed it against my slit. “Don’t want to scare the neighbors.”
“I doubt you could make me,” I whispered back, my heart thudding so loudly I was afraid he could hear it.
He let out a chuckle and pushed forward. I hissed at the pinch of pain he brought as he slid into me in one fluid motion.
“Ah,” I whimpered, wincing.
“Are you OK?” he asked tenderly, buried to the hilt inside me. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have been gentler.” He kissed my eyelids as I squeezed them closed, trying to adjust to how full he made me feel. The ache from the intrusion left my eyes watering.
“Oh, baby. I’m sorry,” he murmured, planting a series of quick kisses over my face, concern so thick in his voice that it didn’t even sound like him. “Don’t cry. Damnit, Lexy. I’m sorry. I was just so excited.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine. I-I just need a minute to adjust. Go slow.”
He kissed me softly once more.
I deepened the kiss as he slowly began rocking against me.
“Mm,” I moaned against his lips.
“Like this?” he asked, breathless as he held me.
“Yeah.”
He continued his slow, measured movements as I adjusted to his size. I raked my nails down his back, and he threw his head back and groaned quietly.
“God, you feel amazing,” he breathed out, rocking against me.
I let out a soft moan at his words, bringing my hips up to meet his gentle thrusts.
“More,” I whispered.
He didn’t hesitate in picking up his pace, rocking in and out of me faster. He ran his fingers through my hair, his eyes locked on mine as he made love to me. So tenderly. Gently. Sweetly. It’s exactly what I dreamed it would be. The look in his eyes made the butterflies roar to life deep within me.
This was the part where in my fantasies I’d whisper I love you to him if I knew he wanted me back. This was the part where we’d make promises to one another. The only promise we had though was less than a month together before everything went back to how it used to be between us.
The only difference was I’d be his ex-wife. He’d meet other girls and make love to them instead. In that moment, my heart broke, thinking about him doing this with someone else.
“Lexy,” he murmured, kissing the corner of my lips. “Where’d you go?”
“I’m right here,” I answered back softly, shoving the ugly thoughts out of my head and focusing back on the pleasure he was tormenting my body with.
“Do you want me to stop?” He slowed his movements.
“No. I was just wondering if this is how you are with other girls.”
He paused, buried inside of me. “You want to know if I’m gentle with them, if I look into their eyes, if I savor their kisses on my lips?”
“Yeah. Do you?” I asked quietly.
“No. I most definitely am not with them like this. You’re my wife.”
“Fuck me like you would them.”
He crinkled his eyebrows at me, a frown on his lips. “What? Why? You don’t like this?” he asked confused.
I forced the lump down in my throat. “You’re making love to me, Travis.”
He brushed his fingers across my cheek, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “Of course, I am, honey pot.” His hips rocked into me again as he resumed his torturous, sweet pace.
“Fuck me instead because you don’t love me. We’re playing pretend, right?” My bottom lip trembled as I stared up at him. He stilled his movements, his gaze sweeping over my face.
“Yes. We’re playing pretend. And I’m making love to my wife, so unless you want me to turn you over onto your knees and fuck you from behind and then never call you back, this is what you get, wife.”
“Is this what you want?” I pressed. “To make love to me? You hate me, Travis.”
“I’ve never hated you a day in my life, Alexis. Don’t you dare ever think that,” he growled. He kissed me fiercely, making my toes curl. His movements started again.
“Stop overthinking. For once, just let me win. Please, baby,” he whispered, kissing along my jaw.
“OK,” I whimpered, bringing my hips up to meet his measured, deep movements.
“Say it,” he breathed out. “Say I win.”
“Never.”
He growled and moved faster.
I kissed him hard, our lips and bodies connected in tangles of passion. The heat from my impending pleasure crept slowly over me, making me breathe harder.
My bed creaked with our movements, the headboard thumping against the wall. He took me harder and faster, our lips never breaking the seal we had on one another. Our hands were everywhere on each other’s bodies. I bucked my hips to meet his deep thrusts, my fingers moving to tangle in his dark locks.
He let out a growl of approval against my lips as the heat expanded in my core. I arched my back beneath him as he pistoned into me, hitting a spot that sent me moaning and fisting the bedsheets.
My pussy clamped around his throbbing dick, milking every drop from him as his breath hitched. He let out a low moan as he filled me with his release, every muscle in his body corded and tense.
“Fuck,” he hissed as his dick gave a final twitch inside me. He lay on me, balancing his weight, both of us breathing hard.
“So incredible.” He kissed me gently. “You’re amazing, honey pot. I’m lucky. So fucking lucky.” His lips met mine in a sweet kiss before he rested his forehead against me.
I ran my fingers through his hair as he nuzzled into my neck.
“Why are you lucky?” I asked softly.
“Because I have you. No matter how long. I had you. A part of you will always be mine. That makes me the luckiest man in this world.” He rolled off me and pulled me into his arms, holding me tight. “No one can take that from me. Ever.”
His words made me ache. Even through all that, he didn’t want to keep me.
Less than a month. That was all we had left.
He laced his fingers through mine and hummed softly. It took me a minute to place it. It was the song we’d danced to at prom. “A Thousand Years”. I couldn’t believe he remembered it. “I can’t believe you remember that song.”
He chuckled softly. “How could I forget? It was our first dance.” And then he resumed his humming, his fingers raking gently through my hair until I fell asleep in his arms.
Fifty
Travis
I untangled myself from Lexy as the sun peeked through her windows. She snuggled up to the pillow and blanket I stuffed next to her. I didn’t want her to wake up. As quietly as I could, I went to her bathroom and quickly showered. Then I slipped on the clean clothes I’d brought over. Going back to her bed, I planted a tender kiss on her forehead before stepping back.
Smiling, I left her apartment and made my way to her favorite coffee shop, knowing they were only open for a few hours because of the holiday. There I got her a blueberry muffin and myself an orange cranberry one and two large lattes. I felt so good I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. Last night had been incredible. If that was what real romance was, I’d been mi
ssing out. Lexy was amazing. Any guy would be lucky to have her. Intelligent, feisty, funny, beautiful. My smile widened as I thought about her in my arms.
Then reality set it. It wasn’t real. I couldn’t love her. I’d told myself no. This was just really fucking good sex. I’d never been with a woman like that before. Never connected to someone on that level.
“Hey, handsome,” a female voice called out.
I looked up from the lattes and saw Stephanie smiling at me, dressed in a sports bra and track pants.
“Hey, Steph. Happy Thanksgiving. What are you doing in town?” I said, nodding my head at her.
Her eyes flicked to the items in my hands. “Happy Thanksgiving. I decided to go for a run so I wouldn’t have to help my mom cook this morning. So… morning after a really good night?” She tipped her head toward the items in my hands.
“Yeah,” I laughed.
“Why didn’t I ever get muffins and lattes?” She jutted her bottom lip out at me and ran her hand up my arm.
Only weeks ago I’d have grinned, flirted, and asked her back to my place, time be damned. Now? It felt awkward to have her touch me.
“Wife,” I said as an explanation, shrugging my shoulders and trying to dislodge her touch.
She raised a brow at me. “You mean your project you tried to pass off as real in that interview the other night?”
“Uh, yeah. That would be the one.”
She rolled her eyes. “Does Alex know you’re fucking her?”
I ground my teeth. “No, and we’re not. We’re just friends.”
“Uh huh.” She laughed. “So were we.”
I shrugged helplessly again. “We’re just friends. Nothing there that’ll stick.”
“Good.” She smiled at me and leaned in, her breasts brushing against my arm. “Because you keep dodging my calls. I thought we were good.”
“We are, Steph. I gotta go though. Lexy doesn’t like to wait.”
“And I don’t like not getting to see you,” she pouted. “When can we hang out again?”