by Kim Loraine
“Last time I checked I wasn’t.”
“That’s exactly the kind of thing a serial killer might say.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, he stares hard at me. “Look, you want to fall over dead on the sidewalk, that’s your choice, but if I leave here without you in the truck with me, I’m calling this in.”
My head spins again, and all my banged up parts begin making themselves known. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I need to get a doctor to look me over. “Okay.”
He parks my Vespa in the grass before opening the passenger door of his pickup. Then, after I slide into the seat, the man closes the door for me and strides around to his side. He smells like clean air mixed with the slight hint of something spicy. It’s not at all a bad thing.
“Lark,” I say when he starts the truck up. “That’s my name.”
Tipping his hat, he says, “Travis.”
He pulls into traffic and every jostle of the truck’s cab makes me wince. Dammit, but he’s right. I do need to be seen. But with each mile that passes my anxiety blossoms in my chest. It takes hold and becomes a living thing by the time we’re in the parking lot.
“You okay? You’re clutching the door handle so hard your knuckles are white.”
I can’t talk. The last time I saw the inside of a hospital my mom died. The time before that…well…the scar on my right shoulder throbs with the memory.
“Lark, hey.” He touches me, his warm palm pulling me from the ice-cold adrenaline-fueled haze.
“I can’t. I can’t go in there.”
“You’re bleeding. You need to get that looked at.”
I glance down my arm and sure enough, my left elbow is a mess of blood. He gets out of the truck and opens my door, one hand held out for me to take. I don’t want to do this. I don’t think I can. But Travis coaxes me out of the cab and step by step, we make our way into the emergency room lobby.
“God love a small town,” he mutters under his breath.
There’s one other person in the lobby, an intake nurse who immediately pulls me to a chair, gets my birth date, vitals, and everything else she needs.
In minutes I’m in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines that take my pulse and blood pressure, and Travis is still here.
“You can go.” I fight the wave of discomfort that rises in my blood. I don’t want to be here. I need to get out of this place.
“No way. Your pulse is way too high and so’s your BP.” He takes my hand and sits next to the bed. “It’ll get worse if you’re alone. Besides, I got you into this. I need to make sure you get home okay.”
“I bet you were a boy scout, weren’t you?”
He chuckles. “Maybe.”
“Did you make it all the way to Eagle Scout?”
Shaking his head, he takes off his cowboy hat and places it on the chair next to him. I like his dark curls, but I also really like the way his eyes flash with interest when he looks at me. “Afraid not. But I learned a lot about tying knots.”
Is he flirting with me in the emergency room? I think so. The amusement in his voice has my cheeks heating and I have to drop my gaze from his. “So you use that in your master serial killer plans?”
“My knot-tying skills?”
“Yeah.”
He shrugs. “Nah, too much trouble. I save the rope for…other purposes.”
Flashes of what he could do with some rope and a four poster bed hit me before I can stop my mind from going there. Yes, please. I’m not all that experienced, but Travis can show me what he knows. I won’t mind him teaching me. Not one bit.
The doctor finally comes in, pushing the privacy curtain open and staring down at the chart in her hands.
She looks me up and down, her shrewd gaze taking in every inch of the sexy cowboy next to me. I’m surprised Travis doesn’t even give her an interested once over. Serena Talbot is one of the most beautiful and intelligent women in this town. I still can’t believe she’s single. She looks like Halle Berry’s long lost sister. “Lark, how are you?”
“I told him I’m fine, but he insists I need to be seen.”
Travis straightens in his seat. “I clipped her Vespa and she went flying. She was wearing a helmet, but she could have internal injuries.”
Doctor Talbot nods and smiles. “She could. And who are you?”
“Travis Ryker, ma’am.”
She cocks a brow. “Ma’am? Normally that would piss me right off, but the way you say it is…charming.”
“Is she gonna be okay?” His tone is serious, no hint of flirting to be found.
I sigh. “I’m fine. Except for this scrape on my elbow.”
But she shakes her head and trains her warm brown eyes on me. “You’re a terrible patient, Lark. Let me do my job before I call your dad.”
That shuts me up. The last thing I need is my father worrying. “Okay, okay. Check me out, patch me up, and get me out of here, will you?”
She checks my vitals, something the intake nurse already did, but Serena is thorough. “Do you want him to step outside while I examine you?”
Travis moves to stand but the idea of being here by myself for any length of time has my heart racing.
“No. I…I don’t want to be alone after you’re done.”
He takes my hand and squeezes. “I’m right here. It’s gonna be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I stare into his eyes and know he can’t actually guarantee that, but the comfort of being near him, the soothing sound of his deep voice, brings me back to the moment. Taking long, slow breaths, I focus on his irises, pools of blue I could fall into.
Serena gives me an exam, cleans and bandages my cut, and releases me with a prescription for some heavy-duty Ibuprofen and a warning I might be sore for a few days.
Travis and I head to the parking lot, his hand on the small of my back in a protective gesture. I don’t hate it. In fact, I want him to keep touching me. But, our time together is over. He’s got no reason to stay with me, and I can’t think of a way to keep him.
I pull my phone from my purse and start scrolling, searching for our local cab company.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling a cab.”
He chuckles. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to stay here all day.”
Grinning, he takes my phone and taps the screen a few times before he hands it back. “You have a ride.”
“Do I?” Amusement colors my tone.
“If you want one.”
“I don’t want to go home.”
Shrugging, he pulls his keys from his pocket. “We don’t have to. You’ve had a rough morning. You know what always helps fix a bad day?”
“Sex?”
He chokes on his laugh. “Well, yeah…sure.” Running a hand over the back of his neck, he stares down at his boots. “I was gonna suggest pie.”
“Pie first.”
Those blue eyes find mine, and I have to fight not to suck in a sharp breath at the heat in them. “Pie first.”
Lark
“So, what’s with the cowboy getup?” I stab a piece of apple and slide it through the melting vanilla ice cream on my plate before popping the perfect bite into my mouth.
Travis smirks. “I’m a cowboy.”
“Like, a real, honest to God, lasso-swinging, spur-wearing cowboy?”
“Yep.”
“We have those here?”
He laughs. “Well, you have me. I honestly didn’t think I’d stand out this much when I moved here.”
“Oh, you stand out. There’s no one in Silver Lake who looks like you.” I don’t mean the way he dresses either. He’s the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen in my life. Chiseled perfection with a rough edge.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No.”
He takes a bite of his peach pie and smiles. “My aunt makes pie like this. Every Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite.”
“You’re close to your family?”
“Not my
folks. But my aunt and cousins, yeah. I worked on their ranch in some form or another from the time I was twelve.”
“Where’d you move here from?”
“Little town called Sunrise, Montana.”
I swallow and frown. That name sounds familiar. “Wait. You said your last name is Ryker…as in, Ryker Ranch?”
Raising his mug of coffee to his lips, he takes a drink before acknowledging me. “Yep. They’re my cousins.”
“Were you on any episodes of Saddle Up?”
A low chuckle fills the air around us. “No. I wouldn’t sign the contract to be on camera.”
“Why’d you leave?”
Shrugging, he toys with the rim of his mug and I catch sight of the tattooed wedding band around his left ring finger. “Needed a fresh start. Too many bad things still hanging around the hometown.”
I understand that more than he can know.
“How ‘bout you? Close with your family?”
My chest constricts. “With my dad. My mom died last year.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that.”
“It’s been a rough couple of years. Life got derailed. I’m almost twenty-two and have no plan.”
His face blanches. “You’re younger than I thought.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Well, it’s just…I’m a lot older than you.”
“How old?”
“I’m thirty-six.”
“So?”
He sighs. “So, why aren’t you out with some guy your own age?”
Rolling my eyes, I spear a bite of pie with my fork. “Because none of them look like you. I’m a grown woman. Age doesn’t matter after a certain point.”
I can see him mulling over my statement. It’s not like I’m a kid or anything. Sure, he’s fifteen years older than me, but I’ve been through more than most people have in a lifetime. That should count for something.
We eat in silence, but there’s definite tension between us.
Shifting in his seat, he assesses me. “You gonna explain why you were so afraid of going to the hospital?”
Do I really want to go into it all here and now? Big crowds, large spaces, the unpredictable nature of people. Even now, I’m sitting near an exit, on alert, ready for anything. “No.”
“You were pretty shaken.”
“I don’t like hospitals.”
“You’re still tense.”
Damn, he’s intuitive. “I just…I’m vigilant about my surroundings. Is that a problem?”
“No. But it’s gotta be exhausting.”
It is. God, it is. And it’s one of the reasons I’m in therapy. “I’m working on it.”
The door opens, causing a bell to chime as a man walks inside the diner. I drop my fork, the metal clattering against the plate. My heart lurches and panic crashes over me when he reaches inside his jacket. But Travis is there, holding my hands. “Hey, where’d you go just now, sweetness?”
He squeezes my fingers and rubs his thumbs over my knuckles. I relax a fraction as the man at the counter removes his wallet and pays for a pie. Letting out the breath I’m holding, I give Travis a weak smile.
“I’ve been through some stuff.” My skin tingles where he’s touching me. “It’s…not something I want to talk about.”
“Fair enough. What do you want to talk about then?”
“How about this? A handsome cowboy comes to my rescue, takes me out for pie…”
“You mean nearly kills you?”
“I’m fine. Serena let me leave the hospital, didn’t she?”
“She did.”
“So, where do you do all your cowboying? There aren’t any ranches around here.”
“Out in Landry. My horse Ben is at the Lone Star Ranch. He’s being used as a therapy horse.”
Therapy? “That’s cool. I didn’t know horses were used that way.”
“Oh, yeah. They’re pretty amazing creatures. The right horse and human pairing is like two soul mates meeting.”
I love how his eyes light up when he talks about horses. “You and Ben are soul mates?”
“He’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember.” His cheeks turn pink. “That probably sounds stupid, but it’s true.”
My heart flutters. “No. Not stupid at all.”
“What do you have planned for the rest of the day?” he asks.
“Nothing.” That isn’t true. I was supposed to have a therapy appointment and then I have to chain myself to the kitchen table for the rest of the day working on college applications.
“Spend the day with me?”
I should say no, but my mouth forms the word before my brain can keep up. “Sure. But…” I reach for him and run my forefinger across the tattoo. “What’s this? Are you married?”
All the light leaves his eyes. “No. Not anymore.”
Excitement curls in my belly, mixed with sadness for the pain in his expression. “Good. I’m not interested in married men.”
“And I’m no cheater.”
“I would have been really disappointed if you were. It’s not every day I get swept off my feet by a guy like you.”
His sexy smile is all the reassurance I need. I’m making the right choice. Travis Ryker is exactly what I need right now. Toying with a lock of my hair, I look up at him with a grin. “What are we going to do?”
Tension crackles between us as he stares at me. “Depends on what you’re in the mood for.”
I know exactly what I want. Him. I want to be wild and free for one day. I want to forget everything that’s weighing on me. I want to be something as simple as a woman who gives in to her desires.
“Well, we had our pie. Didn’t we agree on something else after?”
“Did we?” He cocks his head and narrows his eyes, and when I nod, everything changes. His jaw clenches and, at first, I think he’s going to reject me. Disappointment twists in my chest. “Can we get the check?” he asks as the waitress passes. “On second thought…” he pulls two bills from his wallet and drops them on the table. “Keep the change.”
Then he tugs me out of the booth and the two of us leave the diner, making a beeline for his pickup. Am I really doing this? Impulsive, life-affirming sex with a stranger? We stop in front of the truck, his thumb brushing a soft circle on the sensitive underside of my wrist. It sends tingles straight through me. I look at him, his gaze burning into mine with the same intense need I feel.
“You sure?” he asks, and I know he’s read between the lines. I don’t have to spell it out for him.
“If we’re going to spend the day together, I want it to be in your bed. In the quiet where all we have is each other. I don’t want outside noise, other people, other distractions.”
“Not yet. But we’ll get there. There’s no rush. First, I have something else in mind.”
Disappointment settles in my chest. Can’t I just have a single wild, impulsive one-night stand?
“You don’t want me?”
“Oh, sweetness, I want you. In fact, it’s gonna be real hard for me not to have you. But you deserve more than a meaningless fuck.”
“It doesn’t have to be meaningless.”
Running a hand over his jaw, he furrows his brow. “I’m not a forever guy. You know that, right? Forever doesn’t exist.”
Something twists in my chest, but I do know. I know because I’m the same. “I’m not looking for forever. The way I see it, we’re both running from things. We can make each other feel alive for a little while.”
“Do you need someone to make you feel alive, darlin’?”
He walks us forward until I’m against the truck. My heart thrums, pulse racing with anticipation. I want him to kiss me. God, I need it.
“Yes.” My voice is the barest whisper.
Catching my chin between his thumb and forefinger, he tilts my head up, that hat of his hiding the sunshine beaming through the trees. He smells so good. If I could bottle that scent and sell it, I’d be a millionaire. But ever
y thought in my mind vanishes because his lips are on mine and all I can focus on is Travis.
His fingers move from my face and back to thread in my hair, where he grabs hold and moans. It’s a raw, guttural sound that sends a pulse of pure anticipation through me. Ignoring the ache from my injury, I slide my arms around him, loving the warmth of his body close to mine.
If having him for more than this moment isn’t possible, I’ll survive. I can’t think about more than this anyway. He’s giving me the one thing that makes me feel real and normal. Connection.
Breaking the kiss, he stares into my eyes and, I swear he looks straight into my soul. “I’m not sleeping with you tonight, Lark. But I will give you a day to take your mind off whatever’s troubling you.”
I’m torn. Torn between wanting to prove to him I’m not a precious thing that’s going to break and needing him to do exactly what he just promised. “You can’t kiss me like that and expect me to believe you don’t want to take me to bed.”
He smirks. “Did I ask you to believe that?”
Heart fluttering, I have to take a deep breath to keep the arousal building in my blood from taking control. I don’t answer him, but he brushes my cheek with the pad of his thumb and says, “You ready?”
I bite my lower lip and nod. I’m ready for everything he’s going to give me. He opens the truck door and I slide into my seat, body humming with desire and aching from the loss of his touch all at once.
He gets in and starts the engine, his jaw tight, hands white-knuckling the steering wheel. Travis is as turned on as I am. Somehow, that comforts me. He’s older, more experienced, but this isn’t something he does all the time.
“How far away do you live?” I ask, forcing myself to sound calm through the rush of emotions running through me.
“Not far, but I’m not taking you home with me.” He flashes me a grin that could make a weaker woman swoon. In my case, all it serves to do is have me clenching my thighs together against the need begging to be sated.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
Travis
What the fuck am I doing? I should be taking this girl back to her house, leaving her alone, sending her off to find her happily ever after with a guy who isn’t carrying the weight of the world on his fucking shoulders. But that kiss. God, that kiss was a painful reminder that under all the bullshit from the last year, I’m still a man.