Travis (2 page)

Kylie
pivoted around, staring back at the man filling the doorway. She could’ve sworn
the relatively small space seemed somewhat larger before he walked in. As she stared
at the sexy, dark haired cowboy with the seductive brown eyes, she still found
it strange how he’d blown a mountain-size hole in her life in just a matter of
weeks with his unexpected arrival on her doorstep looking for her specifically.
The fact that he lived about an hour away according to him had made her
question why he’d seek her out to help him in this endeavor in the first place.

Although
she didn’t normally take such ambitious projects so far away from home, the
longer she stood there, the more interested she became, and she couldn’t help
but wonder whether the attractive cowboy cop played into her enthusiasm just as
much as the house did. And she was no longer wondering how he’d found out about
her or whether she would want to have to live out of a hotel for the
foreseeable future just to be close to the house she was working on.

Just
that morning, Gage had talked to her about a timeline and getting things
rolling. According to him, he was tired of living in his modest rental in town,
and was looking forward to moving into the house that had been in his family
for generations just as soon as the renovations were completed. The sooner the
better he’d told her. Kylie didn’t make him any promises as far as timing was
concerned because he hadn’t even allowed her to see what she was getting
herself into until now.

If
she did take on the project, she’d be able to work on a home that appealed to
her unlike any other since her own house, and she’d have the opportunity to
continue pursuing this relationship with Gage. Although he seemed genuinely
interested in hiring her to do the work on his house, he also seemed open to
the idea of them getting to know one another better.

Over
the course of two months, they had become quite relaxed with one another, hanging
out, going to dinner, movies, playing miniature golf. All of the things a
couple would do if they were dating. And although they hadn’t ventured down the
path that would lead them to what would likely be scorching hot sex, Kylie
didn’t doubt that it was in their future.

For
all of three seconds, back when she first met him, Kylie had worried whether
mixing business with pleasure would cause problems she didn’t want to have to
deal with. But the longer she was in Gage’s company and the more she got to
know him, the more she wanted to have her cake and eat it too.

Her
dating life had been dormant for quite some time – or maybe a better term would
be nonexistent. The reason? Well, she’d used one excuse after the other, most
of them pertaining to her being too engrossed in work to have time for anything
else. No way would she have entertained the idea of a relationship, but that
was before Gage walked into her life. Not that what she and Gage had could be
considered a relationship, but she knew for a fact that it was more than
friendship. Or she hoped so. After all, the couple of times he’d kissed her sure
didn’t feel like just friends to her.

“You
ok?”

Caught
a little off guard, but more than grateful for the distraction, Kylie turned away
briefly, trying to wipe the smile from her face. When it didn’t work, she gave
in and turned back.

Gage
truly was one of the most attractive men she had ever seen. Dark hair, dark
eyes, and a body that tempted her to sin like the devil. “Fine, why?”

The
smile he shot her direction made her tummy dance with a sweet tingle that she’d
been oblivious to for longer than she cared to admit. Or maybe she just hadn’t
had that tingle in a solid decade or so.

“You’ve
never heard of Coyote Ridge?” he asked, his attention directed to the chipped
plaster that clearly needed some attention.

The
way he asked the question made her feel as though she should have heard about
the tiny little town that this man called home. “Nope. Not until today,” she
said casually, trying to redirect her wayward thoughts back to the house and
the possibilities.

Kylie
had become somewhat accustomed to Gage’s random questions, most of them fairly personal
in nature. He’d certainly asked more than his fair share over the last two
months since she met him, especially considering how remarkably little he’d
been willing to share about himself. He was just naturally nosey – or so was
his answer after she scrounged up the courage to ask.

Rather
than squirm beneath the scrutiny of his gaze, Kylie slipped beneath his arm and
out into the hallway once again. As she admired the finer details, she found
that her thoughts about Gage weren’t ready to be wrangled in just yet.

For
the better part of two months, the two of them had been dancing around the
subject of sex, neither of them fully embracing what was bound to come sooner or
later. No pun intended. Considering they were acting very much like a
well-established couple – one that had subconsciously agreed to a no sex clause
– Kylie couldn’t help but wonder what the next step for them would be.

They’d
long since gotten past the
getting to know you phase
, which meant there
were only two directions they could go from here. Either down the path to fervent
sexual gratification, or they would turn around and head back the way they
came, sticking with a more professional association.

Kylie
wanted the sex, plain and simple.

Ever
since the first night Gage took her out to dinner, Kylie had been thinking some
rather heated thoughts about the man. They’d shared quite a few intimate meals
together, and some much more casual dates, most of them spent chatting it up
like long lost friends, with that very distinct buzz of sexual attraction in
the background.

Having
not been on many dates where jumping into bed within the first ten minutes
wasn’t on the guy’s agenda, Kylie was a little off kilter around Gage. She
spent most of her time wondering whether they would jump one another’s bones
the next time they saw each other or if he’d be content simply asking her
personal questions about her past.

With
her hormones beginning to overflow, Kylie wasn’t sure how much more she possibly
could store up before the lid blew off due to the pressure. If Gage kept up
this perfect gentleman routine, she was going to have to buy stock in Duracell
or Energizer just so she could function on a daily basis.

She
found herself wondering more and more why they hadn’t moved to the next phase
of what felt like a potential relationship either. They’d had make-out sessions
that were testing the limits of her smoke detectors, but never had they
ventured farther than second base.

If
chemistry was all it took, they would have been horizontal for most of the time
they had known one another because what happened between them when they kissed
was explosive. But every time they got close to rounding the bases and heading
for a home run, Gage put the brakes on. A sudden, abrupt stop that sent Kylie
careening headfirst into the dashboard, her brain jarring from the impact.

And
of course, every time Gage halted their progress, Kylie managed to take a step
back, taking advantage of the opportunity to reflect on what was happening
between them. She genuinely liked him. They laughed, talked, and yes, he
knocked her socks off with his kisses, but as far as going any further, she
didn’t deny that taking things slowly was for the best. At least with them
moving at a snail’s pace, she wouldn’t risk the possibility of getting too
attached.

Kylie
Marie Prescott did not roll that way.

Not
after Travis Walker ruined her for all time.

Damn
it.

Kylie
instinctively closed her eyes, refusing to allow the image of Travis to come to
mind. As a rule, she avoided any and all memories that involved him because as
sure as the sun would rise in the morning, thoughts of him caused a painful
ache to return, and the echo of long ago love still had a devastating impact.

Even
all these years later, her body reacted in strange ways to those lingering
memories that hadn’t yet faded around the edges. Sort of like muscle memory,
the feel of his skin, his mouth, his hands, it was as though he hadn’t been
gone from her life for ten years. No, it felt more like yesterday. Considering
how he walked out on her after they’d been married only three weeks, it would make
more sense if she wanted to slap him, not jump him, but damn it if she didn’t
want to just…

Ok,
totally inappropriate.
Tune back in to reality, girl.

Kylie
knew that it didn’t help that they were still married, which was a painful
reminder each and every day. A mere technicality, she told herself repeatedly.
But one she hadn’t put much thought into rectifying until she’d started getting
closer to Gage.

In
truth, the only thing real about their nuptials was the paper they’d received
that validated it. It was easy to pretend otherwise because living with a man
for three weeks did not a marriage make. Especially when he turned the other
cheek and walked away as though she didn’t mean a thing to him.

If
only she thought she could emotionally survive seeing Travis again, she’d seek
a divorce. Every year she convinced herself that she’d be stronger
next
year. Since she still didn’t believe she could handle seeing him, and since he
hadn’t yet taken the initiative himself, Kylie was still married to Travis
Walker.

The
only benefit was that she didn’t have to relive Travis ripping her heart right
out of her chest and walking away with it still beating in his hands. Because sure
as she breathed, seeing him would blow another crater right in the center of
her chest.

Ok,
you’re cut off now, woman. No more thinking.

Her
inner monologue with herself was enough to set her straight as she headed down
the back staircase. She busied herself taking notes in the kitchen, jotting
down the ideas she’d come up with so far.

“Let
me know when you’re done. I’d like to take you to meet some folks.”

Kylie
was leaning over the island, her pen tapping steadily against the notepad as
she stared back at him. Dropping the pen because, quite frankly, she was
getting on her own nerves, she exhaled and smiled. She was suddenly eager to get
some fresh air. Whether it was the close proximity of this handsome man or
thoughts of the one from her past, she wasn’t sure, but the room was suddenly
getting a little warm.

“I’m
good for now. As long as you promise I’ll get to come back soon.”

“Darlin’,
you’ve got the job if you want it,” Gage said, grinning.

“You
don’t even know my price,” she informed him.

“Irrelevant.”

Money
had never been a subject they broached up to this point, but Gage’s nonchalant
attitude when anything even close came up made her believe he wasn’t
necessarily hurting financially. Which made her question other things because
she knew for a fact that a cop’s salary wasn’t going to give him money to burn.

No
doubt, this project wasn’t going to be cheap, but at least she could do the
work in stages. And she was extremely resourceful. She just needed some local
crews to help because those she normally worked with weren’t likely to venture
this far out. And if Gage was looking to save some money, he could add some
elbow grease of his own.

After
Gage locked up the house and helped her into his truck, Kylie allowed her mind
to relax as he drove. The familiar song on the radio made her want to tap her
foot on the floor, but she refrained. It was rare that she was in a good mood
after such pressing thoughts from her past, but for some reason, just being in
Gage’s company helped. That, and the prospect of the new job, made her smile.

For
once, she just wanted to enjoy what life threw her way. It was high time she stopped
trying to hide behind those events that had changed her life irreparably. Time
to move forward.

Still
smiling, Kylie pulled herself back to the present as Gage turned onto a long
dirt driveway. In the distance, she saw a lovely old farmhouse come into view,
the fresh paint and new roof gleamed radiantly in the bright Texas sunshine.
This one looked significantly different than the one they’d just left. This one
was sporting a recent facelift.

Refraining
from asking questions, Kylie paid attention to the details of the house in case
Gage was here to show her some ideas he had, her brain barely registering the
men moving furniture into the house. As she focused on what they were doing,
she noticed two more talking on one end of the beautiful wrap around porch.

Kylie
mentally cleared her throat because… Wow!
Did this place
only
breed hot,
sexy cowboys?

When
Gage pulled the truck to a stop, Kylie unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out.
She continued to stare up at the beautiful house, her eye for detail noting the
few things they’d done to stick with the house’s former glory, although there
were quite a few enhancements they’d made to modernize it as well. Either way,
she was impressed. Wouldn’t have been her choice, but then again, it wasn’t her
house.

Gage
surprised her when he walked around to her side of the truck, taking her hand
in his. That tingle that had been stirring in her belly erupted into a volcanic
explosion of activity, and she wondered if her palms were going to start
sweating. God, she hoped not. At least not while he was holding her hand.