Damn his idiot brother. He’d do anything to know what else happened that night besides sex. No way did sex ruin people the way it ruined Jake and Kacey. Was she really telling him everything? Part of his heart clenched at the thought.
“I bought it,” he blurted, much like an eighth grader with no skills with the female sex, or communication for that matter.
“Pardon?”
“The restaurant. I bought it.”
“Today?” Kacey gave him a horrified look.
“No.” He felt suddenly embarrassed. “The day you signed the papers, you signed them over to my business partner. Three years ago I bought him out. It’s all mine.”
“Why?” Kacey’s lip trembled.
“Because I’m a good businessman?” And he got an enormous trust fund when he was eighteen.
Kacey rolled her eyes.
The inside of the truck fell silent except for Travis’s heavy breathing. The windows would be steamed any minute. He wondered if she could hear his heart hammering in his chest. “Because of you, Kace. Everything I do, everything I’ve done in my life, it’s all because of you.”
There, he said it. Now she could rip out his heart and stomp on it.
With a sob, she lunged across the console and into his lap, grabbing his lips between hers in such a forceful kiss he was breathless.
“You knew,” she said while kissing his jaw. “You knew how much this place meant to me, Travis.”
Adrenaline-mixed with lust slammed through him as she wrapped tighter and tighter around him. It was hard to think straight, let alone do anything but strategically plan for ways to remove her clothing in the fastest way possible.
“I knew.” He shuddered as she licked his ear.
“I think I l—”
“What the hell kind of place is this?” a man’s voice shouted outside the window.
Alarmed, Travis turned, then relaxed and grinned. Old man Casbon was smiling from ear to ear and already pulling open the truck door. So much for privacy.
“Mr. Casbon,” Kacey sputtered. “Didn’t know you’d, um, be here.”
“Yeah, well, the woman always sends me out for dessert. Got a phone call a bit ago saying she needed me to bring her some chocolate to her cottage. Hearty appetite that one. Besides, I know the owner.” He nudged Travis and continued. “She had an itch for some sort of chocolate soufflé, so I drove on out to grab her whatever her heart desires.”
“Sounds like love.” Sadly, Kacey hopped off Travis’s lap and leaned against the truck.
“Oh, girlie, it is. Though sometimes I wonder if I rate above that chocolate she likes. Say, Travis…” He turned to face him. “Got any more of that stuff left?”
“Sure thing, follow me.” Travis turned off the truck and led them into the restaurant. It was nearly closing time, meaning there were only a few people scattered about.
He hoped that Kacey wouldn’t be too alarmed with the changes he’d made. When her parents owned the place it’d had a sort of Italian café look. Nowadays, it looked more like an old world café. It boasted original wood floors, thick rugs, modernized furniture, old clocks and pictures, as well as a few hanging lanterns.
Kacey tightened her grip on his arm. “I really like it.”
Her eyes lit up as she broke away from him and began walking the perimeter. His favorite part of the restaurant had to be the outside. The balcony overlooking the water was beautiful. It was decorated as a plantation-style deck complete with ceiling fans. His personal favorite.
Kacey walked outside, so Travis turned to Mr. Casbon. “Soufflé? Right. I’m on it.” He ran to the back and nodded to the manager as he grabbed a to-go box and stuffed in a few treats for Grandma.
Mr. Casbon pulled out a fifty.
Travis shook his head. “Nah, you’ll need it for next time. It’s on the house. I know the owner.”
With a wink and a pat on the shoulder, Mr. Casbon shuffled out, and Travis went in search of Kacey.