“Remind me…which way?”
“To the left,” she says as she tugs at my earlobe with her teeth.
I kick her door open and stumble my way into her room. Her legs hitch over my hips, grinding her core against me. I had hoped to be smooth and set her down gently, but nothing ever goes as planned and I end up falling on her.
Saylor starts to laugh, and while that action could devastate a man, I find myself laughing right along with her. I stay centered between her legs and gaze into her eyes. If she has any doubts, I don’t see them.
My eyes close as she tickles the scruff that I’ve been letting grow the past few days. Normally I grow a winter beard but have been shaving in anticipation of kissing her more. Looking at her swollen lips, I can see where I’ve roughed her up a little bit. Truth be told, I like it—a lot.
Lowering my head, I kiss her again, but her response isn’t as enthusiastic as I would like. “We can’t do this, can we?” I ask, without leaving the comfortable spot that I’ve created.
She shakes her head, and I roll off of her. “Please,” she says, reaching for me.
I turn and look at her. “Please what?”
Saylor sits up and attempts to straighten her hair. It’s wild, and perfect. “I like you, Travis, but if Jeffrey found out, I’d lose my job.”
“What if we kept us a secret?” Even as I make the suggestion, I know I wouldn’t be able to. I would want to parade her around, be there for her and Lucy. I would want them at my house and in the stands wearing my number. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I scrub my hands over my face and groan. Saylor snuggles into me, and it feels damn good. I roll slightly and pull her into my arms.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“Don’t, Saylor. I’m going to find a way to make this work.”
She pulls back and looks at me. “You can’t fire Jeffrey. If we started dating, he’d know. He’d fire me anyway.”
She’s right, and I hate it. I want to think that there’s a way around our situation. Never mind the fact that in order for her to get me out of my mess, she’d have to face jail time. I could never do that to her or Lucy.
We stay like this, with her head on my chest and
my fingers playing with her hair. I could fall asleep, and no doubt it would be the best sleep I’ve had since the night before I walked into that bar and everything changed. It’s funny to think that my life has been vastly different since that moment. A false claim that could end my career has been eye-opening and made me take a serious look at the lifestyle I’ve been living. I’ve made changes, not only for me but also to try and prove that I can be the man Saylor needs me to be. Right now, I can’t imagine being anywhere else, other than where I am now, except maybe between Saylor’s legs and making her scream my name.
She sits up and smiles before leaving me in her bedroom. When she returns, my shirt is in her hand, and all I can do is picture her wearing it to bed.
“Thanks, babe,” I say, letting the term of affection slip out. I can tell by the blush in her cheeks that she likes it, and I make a note to say it more when we’re in private, because yes, I will be doing everything I can to show her that I’m interested. I just have to find a way to make a relationship with her work where she doesn’t have to risk anything but her heart. Something tells me that she’s worth it, and I will prove to her that I’m worth every risk she’s willing to take.
We’ve just barely stepped back into the living room when the door opens and Lucy comes barreling in with her grandmother on her heels.
“Travis!” Lucy squeals as she launches into my arms.
“Hey, pretty girl.”
“Are you staying for dinner?”
I glance over at Saylor, who nods.
“Yeah, I am. Should we order something?” The last thing I want is for Saylor to have to cook, although having a home-cooked meal would be very nice.
“No, Mommy will make ’ghetti.” Yes! Now I want to squeal like a five-year-old.
“Lucy Lou, come give Grammy a kiss.”
I let Lucy down, and she runs over to her grandmother.
“Mom, do you remember Travis Kidd? We’ve been working on his publicity events.” Saylor trails off…as if she’s trying to find an excuse as to why I’m here, instead of telling her mother the truth, although I’m not sure what that is. For me, I’m here because I want to be with her. For her, I want it to be the same, and maybe it is or could be, if the circumstances were different.
I go over and shake her hand. “It’s very nice to see you again under better circumstances,” I tell her.
“You too. Lucy hasn’t stopped talking about you since you played dress-up with her.”