Absolution settles in my bones, and I rush to the bedroom, whipping clothes out of the drawers until I find what I’m looking for. Luckily, most of my closet has been moved to Travis’ in the past couple months, so the dress I’m now wearing was easy to find. I quickly braid my hair, apply a little makeup, and slide my feet into my favorite pair of cowboy boots.
I check myself in the mirror one more time and am shocked at the clarity shining through my eyes. Embarrassed I’m smiling at myself, I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear and nervously pace around the living room.
I’m on my millionth lap when the lock clicks. I turn and freeze. Travis steps in and sets a couple bags on the floor, yet to notice me. Hands on the kitchen counter, he closes his eyes for a moment. I’m sure taking care of me has been exhausting. And I haven’t exactly been welcoming. When he sees me, I wring my hands and lick my lips. Words die on my tongue, but what I want to say swirls through my brain.
“Hey, sweetheart.” He cautiously takes a step closer. “You okay?”
“You love me.”
“Yeah, I do.” No hesitation, no question. How did I miss this? Doubting him, not trusting him to stay.
“And you haven’t left me. You’ve stayed.” It’s me who steps closer this time.
The blue depths of his eyes become lighter, softer, and his dimple appears. “You’re right.”
“No, you’re right. You’re so perfectly right for me I didn’t want to believe it.” Closing the distance, my hands rest on his chest, and our eyes stay connected. “I’ve been so afraid you would be disgusted by me that I didn’t even give you the opportunity to show me. I was closed off, embarrassed, and so freaking horrified that I’d lose you—” I cut off his attempt at a rebuttal with a finger to his lips. He kisses it and intertwines our hands, nodding for me to continue.
“I have loved you for so long. I remember the moment you owned my heart.”
He squints his eyebrows in question, and I smile as the memory plays in my mind.
“When we were sitting on that hill, overlooking the lake. I was overwhelmed with my feelings for you. Up until that point, it was a crush, a fantasy almost. You wiped the tear off my cheek and kissed me. You ruined me.”
“Me, too. Looking into your eyes that day was like seeing my future, my life, reflecting back at me.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his. “There are so many things I want to say to you. I can’t thank you enough for staying.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I take care of the people I love. It’s ingrained in me to be a protector, and I happen to love you very much, so my services are all yours.” He smiles again. “Everything I have is yours, my heart, my home. I know I’m not a millionaire or anything, but I promise you, absolutely nobody will ever love you as much as I do. There is no object, no monetary amount, that signifies my love for you. There are no limits on the hell I’d walk through to make sure you were happy.”
“Stop talking.” I swat at his shoulder and wipe my eyes. “I didn’t want to cry again. I never used to cry.” Chuckling under my breath, I continue, “You saved me. Not only from Todd, but also from myself. I can’t promise I won’t have any more episodes or that sometimes memories won’t get the best of me.”
Making sure he sees me, I pull his head down a little so we’re face to face. “But I can promise that I love you. And I’ll never doubt how you feel ever again. Oh, and I’ll be honest with you… always.”
“That’s all I ask.”
In one fluid motion, he lifts me, and my legs wrap around his waist. Walking me backward, he presses me against the wall.
Urgency on top of everything else has me ripping his shirt off and pressing kisses down his neck. His groin pins me while his hands pull down the straps of my sundress.
“I like this dress,” he says between open mouth kisses on my shoulder. “I really like the boots, too. You were wearing this same outfit the first time I got you off.”
“Yeah,” I pant. “I thought it would be nostalgic if I wore it when we finally made love again.”
He pauses and sucks in a breath. “Sweetheart, we don’t have to. If you’re not ready, I don't want to push you.” The sincerity in his voice solidifies my decision.
“I want to. I want this, you. I’ve waited forever. I’m ready.”
“Are you sure?” His eyes pierce into mine.
“Yes.”
Grabbing my face in his hands, he slams his mouth to mine. This kiss is raw. It’s passionate, and it’s frantic. We bite, lick, and suck until I feel like I’m going to combust. He grinds into my core, and my legs are shaking from squeezing him so tight.
“Travis, please.” I pull away long enough to beg, then grab at the back of his head to put his mouth where it belongs.
Without words, he walks us to his bedroom and gently lays me down on the bed. One leg at a time, he kisses inside my knees, and pulls my boots off. I admire the hard muscles in his shoulders and chest. So strong, so damn sexy.
I take matters into my own hands and hop off the bed and drop onto my knees in front of him. But he reaches under my arms and throws me back on the bed. “Nope. It’s all you.” He crawls on the bed and runs his fingers from my ankles to the inside of my thighs. When they reach the hem of my dress, he pulls it over my head. While I’m sitting up, I remove my bra and lie back down.
His lips part and he leans over me, pressing kisses to my breasts then working his mouth all the way down my stomach. He gently nips at the swollen lips under my panties, and then licks his way back up again. He’s driving me crazy, and as much as I love his mouth all over me, I really want him to fuck me.
When his face comes into view, he smiles, and slowly traces my lips with his tongue. “I want to taste you almost as much as I want to be inside you again.”
“Okay, but for the love of all that’s holy, pick one and do it. I’m dying here.” I lift my hips, desperate for friction, but he smirks and backs away.
“Travis,” I whine. “Please.”
“Okay, sweetheart, all you have to do is ask.” He gives me a hard kiss and sits up.
I lift my hips when he pulls my underwear down and claw at the sheets in anticipation.
He spreads my legs open and teases me some more by kissing everywhere but the one place that’s on fire. When his wet tongue traces a path from my rear pucker to my clit, I nearly fly off the bed. His muscular arm presses on my belly, making me lie still. He draws lazy circles with his tongue, over and over. When he sucks on my clit, I lose all discretion, and scream his name. I’m still coming down when he slides into me in one easy thrust. My back arches, and the moan that exits my mouth is unintelligible.
“Jesus, you feel fucking amazing.”
His tongue finds mine, and after I taste myself on him, he leans his forehead on mine then starts to move in and out. Slow.
“Oh, my God.” I release the death grip I have on the sheets and wrap my arms around his waist, trying to pull him closer. Never, have I felt this whole before. Tears brim my eyes, and when he starts to increase his pace, I wrap my legs around his thighs and use what little strength I have to pull him deeper. “Harder,” I whisper.