This is Love by (Checkmate Duet 2)

“Well, I need to make sure I didn’t forget anything around the house before I go. I’ve got class bright and early.”

I begin walking away before Drew speaks up again. “Ten in the morning isn’t early. Join the Academy if you want to understand early.”

I scoff and glance at Travis, desperately needing to put distance between us before things look suspicious.

As I walk out of the kitchen, I hear footsteps behind me. Before I make it to Drew’s room, Travis grabs my elbow and turns me around.

“What are you doing?” I whisper, feeling the beat of my racing heart in my neck, knowing that Drew is in the next room and could round the corner at any second.

“You make me want to do really bad things to you.”

“Travis!” I hiss between gritted teeth. “We can’t do this. We have to keep up the act around Drew until he’s in the loop. He really will break your other ribs if he walks in on something.” I look into his eyes, and then past them, to make sure we’re still in the clear. My nerves are on edge, and my emotions are going haywire. As his mouth dips in close to my ear, a bolt of electricity forces its way through my veins. Travis is my drug, and when I’m getting my fix, it’s hard to concentrate on anything at all, but I know I have to.

“You know I don’t mean any of those bitchy things I say, right?”

He gives me a side grin. “I know it’s just an act. It always has been.”

His words bring me back to reality.

“Princess…I want to be the one to tell him. I owe him that.”

I swallow hard and nod in agreement. “What are you going to say exactly?”

“I’m going to say, ‘Oh, hey Drew. Your sister and I have been having dirty raw sex for the past week, and we want to keep doing it.’”

I smile and slap his arm. Travis winces.

“Shit, I’m sorry. It’s a reflex.”

“I’ll let you make it up to me later.”

CHAPTER FIVE

TRAVIS

Locking eyes with her, I find the strength to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her to my chest. It’s dangerous, and I know we have to keep our secret for now, but I have to touch her. Her breath hitches as she feels the warmth of our bodies, and it’s the first time I’ve had her this close since before the accident. If I didn’t feel like I’d just gotten hit by a truck, I wouldn’t be so gentle.

She lowers her eyes so I can’t look into them, and I squeeze her hip to grab her attention.

“Viola, I’m going to tell him the truth,” I whisper, and she looks up at me.

I know the risk of the game we’re playing. I know what we have to lose, but there’s so much more to win. Viola Fisher has always been mine, and finally being together is the endgame.

“I’m going to tell him I can’t live without you, and I’d like his blessing,” I whisper, brushing my thumb across her cheek. My touch forces her eyes to mine, and I don’t let her go. I’ll never let her go again. Fuck that.

“You mean that?”

“Yes.” I don’t miss a beat with my response.

She takes a deep breath and rests her head against my chest before breaking the electric current of our bodies being so close. A smile fills her face, and it’s everything I need to know. I want to kiss the fuck out of her, but I know it’s too risky.

She bites her lower lip and releases it before speaking. “Just know, if you break my heart again, Travis King, I’ll break your balls.”

“That’s my firecracker,” I smirk. Though my face is bruised and broken, it still causes her body to react. I press my lips against the softness of her neck, and she sighs.

Knowing it’ll drive her mad, I place a soft kiss on her cheek and release her. Stepping away, I walk toward my room, feeling her eyes burn holes in the back of my head. We’ve been standing in the hallway for way too long. Viola’s right, though; Drew can’t find out by walking in on us. I have to find the right time to tell him.

As I walk to my room, I focus on taking small, calculated steps. Before I can make it to my bed, Viola enters, and she’s all worked up. Slowly, I manage to climb into bed and lie down. With my hands behind my head, I smile at her. She’s so predictable. I love that about her.

I look at her nipples. Hard. As. A. Rock. As my eyes roam down the rest of her, she notices and crosses her arms and huffs.

“It’s going to be really hard pretending to hate you when you look at me like that.”