Building on Love

by Kat Bellemore

  And yet, he didn’t feel vulnerable. Actually, he felt quite the opposite. Saying all that stuff aloud, he felt strengthened—empowered. All those things that had sat festering no longer held power over him. And what was the first thing he had done? Kissed the one woman he couldn’t have.

  And now they had to sleep together in the same bed.

  Great.

  Talk about the ultimate way to make things awkward.

  Chloe didn’t run like he’d expected her to, nor did she make an excuse about needing to use the bathroom.

  She didn’t smile either, though. She just stared, shocked at what he’d just done.

  Yeah, he knew it had been stupid. He didn’t need to be reminded.

  But then Chloe practically jumped at him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips against his.

  Davis was so surprised that he didn’t even kiss back for several seconds, his brain struggling to catch up with what was happening. And when it did, the floodgates opened.

  All those years feeling like no one understood, no one listening long enough to. All the times women would turn him down, saying, “It’s not you, it’s me.” The times he didn’t feel like he was good enough. Even with Bridgette, he had always questioned why she was with him—waiting for her to leave. And she had, just not in the way he had expected.

  All of those feelings faded as he lost himself in the moment, feeling for the first time in a long time that he was enough. And whatever happened, there was someone who saw him for what he was—who he was.

  Davis’s hand rested on the back of Chloe’s neck, and he pulled her in tighter, their kisses fast and frantic, like Chloe had needed this too. He lost balance and they fell backwards onto the bed, and Davis let out a low laugh. “I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but I’ve been wondering what it would be like. To kiss you.”

  Chloe leaned back, her fingers playing with his hair. It made his heart race even faster. “You were?”

  “Since the day we met. Though I have to admit that I fought hard against it.”

  “Looks like you lost the war,” she said with a smile. His lips traveled to her neck, and she released a soft groan.

  “I’m okay with that,” he whispered against her ear, and he felt her shudder. Not the bad kind, though, the kind that made her pull Davis in even tighter and not let go.

  And Davis responded in kind.

  He didn’t allow himself to think about what this meant and what would happen at the end of the week. Because for right now, everything was good, and he was going to just let it be.

  * * *

  A knock woke Davis the next morning. The sun was barely peeking through the blinds—much too early for the hotel’s cleaning service. It took a moment for Davis to orient himself. He was lying in bed, but not alone. He panicked for a moment, then remembered the previous evening. How he and Chloe had kissed, but he had stopped them from doing more. He was falling for Chloe—hard. But he wasn’t ready for that next step. Not yet. He’d spent the rest of the evening with her in his arms, talking, laughing. It had been a long time since he’d felt so free. So accepted. So…loved.

  No. He shouldn’t let his thoughts go in that direction.

  Just because he and Chloe had made out and talked into the night didn’t mean that she loved him. It meant they both had needed an escape from their lives, and they had found it in each other.

  But even as he thought it, it felt like a lie.

  Despite only knowing Chloe a week, he was falling for her. Hard.

  Davis glanced over at her sleeping figure, her hair draped over the pillow, her lips partially opened as she released a soft snore. She was perfect in every way. Panic settled in, and Davis shook his head. He wouldn’t think about it. He’d spent his whole life thinking too much. For right now, he would just enjoy it.

  Another knock at the door startled him out of his thoughts, and he padded over to the door. Davis looked through the peephole but didn’t see anyone. He hesitated for a moment, but then unlocked the door and opened it. Travis appeared in front of him, as if he’d purposely waited just out of view.

  “I’m sorry to come by so early, but I couldn’t wait—” Travis’s words died. “I’m sorry, I thought this was Chloe’s room.” His cheeks colored, but he didn’t move, not seeming to know what to say or do.

  “It is,” Davis said. “There was a mix-up with bus tickets, and we had to come up a few days ahead of my parents.”

  A flash of pain flitted across Travis’s face as his gaze took Davis in. Davis realized too late that he wasn’t wearing a shirt, as it had gotten hot in the middle of the night and he’d removed it. The situation looked really bad, and from the expression on Travis’s face, this wasn’t a work-related visit.

  “It seems there was a mix-up in hotel rooms as well.” Travis’s words were slow and measured.

  “There was,” Davis said. His gaze traveled from Travis to the elevator down the hall. How fast could Davis run nowadays? His gaze returned to Travis. “They wouldn’t let me check in because I wasn’t the one who reserved the rooms.”

  The shock seemed to be wearing off, and Travis was looking angrier by the moment. Davis was certain he’d have a black eye by the end of things. Why hadn’t Chloe told him that she had dated Travis? Maybe they weren’t anymore and had recently broken up or something, but this was definitely a jealous ex-boyfriend kind of situation.

  “And do you always sleep shirtless when you’re sharing a bed with a woman you barely know?” Travis asked through gritted teeth.

  “I haven’t actually had a lot of experience in that area,” Davis said, then realized that wasn’t the right thing to say when he saw Travis’s hands tighten into fists. “But whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong. We didn’t do what you think we did.”

  Travis stepped so close, their toes were nearly touching. He looked a lot taller from this angle. And stronger. Davis swallowed hard.

  “In that room is the most decent woman you’ll ever meet, and more than you deserve.” Travis paused, the flicker of pain returning. “More than I deserve,” he mumbled. And then his gaze refocused on Davis. “If you so much as lay a finger on her—”

  “You’ll beat him to a pulp?”

  Chloe walked up from behind Davis, and he couldn’t help feeling both relief and shame.

  She stepped past Davis into the hallway. “Violence isn’t usually your style,” she told Travis, her lips rising at the edges.

  Did she actually think this was funny?

  Travis’s glare immediately softened, and he took one of Chloe’s hands in his. She didn’t remove it. “You actually into this guy?” he asked, nodding toward Davis, who immediately stepped back. He really didn’t want to get in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel.

  Chloe’s smile dropped, and she released a long sigh. “What are you doing here, Travis?”

  “I came for you,” he said, then frowned. “It seems there was a reason you didn’t want to spend the break with me, though.” His gaze once again found Davis, who took another step back.

  She gave a quick shake of her head. “Let me grab something for my feet, and we can go out and talk about it—somewhere you won’t wake up the entire floor.”

  Chloe breezed past Davis, then returned a moment later with a robe and sandals. She tossed Davis an apologetic smile. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Let me take care of this and then we can go down to breakfast together.”

  Davis gave a numb nod, but considering the circumstances, breakfast seemed like a bad idea. At least together.

  He watched as Chloe stepped out with Travis and closed the door behind her.

  * * *

  Davis didn’t give Chloe a chance to return. After quickly changing his clothes, he walked down to the check-in counter, where a Thai man had replaced Sarina.

  Davis said, “Sawadii ka,” as he’d heard Chloe do. He put his hands together and bowed his head but saw that, even though the man had done the wai gesture in return, he was giving Davis an
amused smile.

  “Did I do it wrong?” Davis asked.

  The man hesitated, then said, “A woman says ‘Sawadii ka.’ A man says ‘Sawadii krub.’”

  Oh.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve been traveling with a woman and didn’t realize.”

  “No problem,” the man said. “I just thought you should know.”

  “And I appreciate it. Thank you.” Davis rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, I’m currently staying in room 204. My family is arriving soon and have two additional rooms they’ll be staying in. I know that your rooms are full, but I wondered if one of their rooms will be ready early. I’d like to reserve it, if so.”

  The man’s fingers clacked on the computer’s keyboard for a moment. “Your name?”

  “Davis Jones. The rooms would be reserved under either Rick or Kara Jones.”

  More clacking.

  “I’m sorry,” the man finally said. “Completely full for Songkran.”

  Yeah, he kept hearing that.

  “I haven’t seen many tourists around the hotel,” Davis ventured. He didn’t think they would purposely keep him from reserving another room. But still, it was strange he hadn’t seen many foreigners around. Or the other name Chloe had mentioned for white people—farang.

  “Most travelers are from Thailand,” the man said. “Songkran is much more fun in Chiang Rai. You go outside, you wear rain jacket, no?”

  Maybe Songkran was a rain festival where they’d do a dance, or something like that. Some cultures did that, right?

  “Thanks for the advice,” Davis said, and pushed away from the counter. Now what? It was still early. He could have breakfast. Explore the city. But he didn’t want to, not while Chloe was out there somewhere with Travis. Did she have any idea what it had taken last night for him to let his walls down enough to lose himself in that moment—to open up to her? To kiss her? And to enjoy it?

  It had been a mistake, obviously.

  Even if Travis hadn’t shown up, it had always been destined to be a short fling, his home at one end of the world with hers on the other. Davis did wish that Travis hadn’t cut it as short as he had, though. He remembered the first time he’d seen Chloe on top of one of the huts with another volunteer, placing bamboo down.

  That may have been the moment he’d really started falling for Chloe Rodgers. It was her contagious laugh and her unfailing optimism that had sealed the deal.

  Didn’t matter now, though.

  Davis began the long trek back up to the hotel room, his feet feeling like they were stuck in tar, not wanting to move. But what was he going to do, wander around the hotel grounds all morning? Hope that he found Chloe and Travis so he could spy?

  The idea was tempting, and Davis nearly gave in and tested out his James Bond skills, but he found there had been no need. As he stepped off the elevator, he saw that Chloe and Travis were back, standing in front of their room.

  That had been fast.

  They were too far apart for things to have gone as well as Travis had probably hoped, but close enough that the conversation was obviously not over, and Travis was hoping to turn the trajectory.

  “We’ve been through too much together over the years, and you know me too well to believe what you’re saying.” His voice carried down the hall, every word so loud and clear that he could probably be heard throughout the entire hotel, including the lobby.

  “I’m sorry, Travis.” Chloe sounded less sorry and more exasperated. “But we’ve had this conversation before. A hundred times. You are fantastic at what you do with the organization, and a wonderful friend. You’re right, we’ve been through a lot together. And I do need you. But not in the way you are asking. I can’t.”

  Relief coursed through Davis, but he then realized that he did not want to be caught standing there, listening to their not-so-private conversation. Davis was strong, but Travis looked like he was a lot stronger. And not in a good mood.

  Davis jammed his finger into the down button on the elevator, wishing it would hurry. As he waited, he heard Travis making one more plea for his case, telling Chloe that he knew she cared for him. Reminding her of a kiss they’d shared several years earlier.

  Davis’s relief turned to disappointment.

  He could see himself standing in Travis’s shoes, reminding Chloe of the kisses they’d shared in Chiang Rai that time they’d been stuck in a hotel room together.

  And she would do as she was doing now, telling Travis that it had been one time and that was in the past—something that shouldn’t be brought up every time he asked her out on a date.

  The elevator door finally opened, and Davis stepped in and leaned against the wall, waiting for the doors to close.

  Just as they did, a hand shot in, preventing the doors from completely shutting. When they reopened, there stood Travis. His eyes were red around the edges, like he hadn’t cried yet but was about to. Like he was holding it back.

  And Davis suddenly wasn’t afraid of Travis, or envious of him. He felt sorry for him. And for himself.

  “She’s a lone wolf, that one,” Travis said, his words thick. He slouched against the opposite wall. “She weakens the strongest men without even realizing she’s doing it. But she’ll never be tied down. Her work is too important, her compassion for others too strong. Chloe is too good for the likes of us. Better you realize that now.”

  And then he fell silent. And they rode the elevator down to the lobby.

  Davis realized that Travis was probably right. She was too good.

  The doors opened, and Travis pushed himself off the wall and lumbered out.

  “Where are you going?” Davis called after Travis. He knew the hotel was full, and Travis wouldn’t have a place to stay.

  “Managed to grab me a place in a hostel not too far from here,” Travis said, his words as slow as his gait. “Why, you need a place to crash? It’s not much, but it sits right alongside the river and is surrounded by street vendors. The best food your Thai baht can buy.”

  Davis paused. He wasn’t actually considering this, was he? He glanced back at the elevator that had taken him away from Chloe. Her laughing eyes and bright smile. Who had made him feel special—like he was one of a kind.

  He turned back to Travis. “They sell any chicken satay down there?”

  “Yup. And so much more.”

  What would have been a ridiculous suggestion an hour ago actually sounded nice now. He couldn’t imagine staying with Chloe, not when he knew that he’d end up on the streets, just as Travis had. Not literally, of course. But Chloe knew he hadn’t dated anyone—kissed anyone—in the past couple of years. She knew about Bridgette. And she’d also known that this—whatever this was—couldn’t last. And yet she’d kissed him anyway.

  Davis’s heart would be thrown to the curb, then left to hitchhike back where it belonged.

  The two men walked outside, no other words needing to be spoken. Davis didn’t even care that it was a tuk-tuk that picked them up and drove them into town. In fact, he relished the speed and the calculated carelessness of the driver. He closed his eyes as he held on, the wind stinging his skin.

  This moment, this had been exactly what Davis needed. And he understood now what had been so appealing about motorcycles and why Bridgette had refused to get rid of hers, in spite of Davis’s objections.

  This feeling.

  18

  Chloe paced the hotel room. She glanced at her phone.

  2:00 a.m.

  Where was Davis?

  When Kara’s and Rick’s phones had gone straight to voicemail, she’d pulled Davis’s number from the liability waiver he’d had to sign before working on-site. Except, he’d used the number of his hardware store.

  Who even had a landline anymore?

  Chloe resumed her pacing, cursing Travis for showing up when he had. He’d asked to spend their breaks together many times in the past, but she’d known it would only lead to no good. He’d use it against her, just as he still used the kiss they’
d shared four years ago.

  Someone had placed mistletoe over the entrance of the tent, and they’d happened to walk in at the same time.

  Now she wondered if it had been Travis himself who had hung it. Nothing would surprise her at this point.

  But following her across the country, that was a new one.

  Chloe slumped onto the bed and buried her head in her hands. She tried telling herself that she was only worried because she had been entrusted to take care of Davis until his parents arrived. But saying it that way made it sound like she’d been assigned babysitting duty, and she was embarrassed to admit that was how she’d viewed it when she’d first found out that she’d be Davis’s personal tour guide for a few days.

  As Chloe had gotten to know him, though, she’d realized it couldn’t be further from the truth.

  Sure, he got motion sick at the drop of a hat and couldn’t handle loud noises or crowds. But he was also compassionate and strong-willed, and would do anything for the people he loved. Even if it meant getting onto an airplane and flying halfway across the world to a foreign country he had no desire to visit.

  Now he was gone. Because Travis had shown up like a jealous ex-boyfriend. Davis didn’t know Travis well enough to know that beyond his tough exterior, the man was all talk. She was sure he’d never thrown a punch in his life.

  Chloe had searched every corner of the hotel grounds, and she doubted there was a hotel in Chiang Rai that had a room available.

  So, where would he go?

  Chloe tried thinking as Davis would. It had to be somewhere he could get to on foot—the motorcycle taxis and tuk-tuks freaked him out. Except, this resort was pretty secluded and there weren’t any other hotels within walking distance.

  Davis didn’t know that, though. Maybe he’d tried.

  She grabbed her jacket, determined to find him, when she heard the sound of a card sliding into the door. Chloe froze. It was the middle of the night, and no one, not even housekeeping, should be entering.