Drew chuckles and shifts around me. “Need anything?”
“Nah, man. I’m fine.”
Travis glances at me, giving me a look that makes me want to ask what he’s thinking, but with Drew around us, I know I have to act as I had pre hate-fuck.
“Would you like me to reserve your daily one-night stand before or after your dinner?” The words shoot out of my mouth before I can stop them, and the sly grin that spreads across Travis’s face isn’t missed. I swallow down my words. I don’t want to say crass things, but I’ve been on defense mode around Travis for so long that it comes out whether I mean it to or not.
He sinks his teeth into his bottom lip before releasing it and replacing his expression with a cocky grin. “That depends. Are you offering to be my appetizer or my dessert?” He leans against the wall with his arms crossed, both brows raised. It’s easy for him to throw words back at me—lots of practice.
My jaw drops at his audacity, especially in front of Drew. I know it’s a game I have to play, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let him make all the moves without a fight.
“Well, you know what they say. Save the best for last.”
“Then I’ll choose to eat dessert first.” His smug look burns into me, and it takes all the willpower in the world to walk away.
“You two shouldn’t be left in the same room together,” Drew interrupts our stare down. “And dude,” he says, turning to Travis, “you fracture your ribs, and you’re still hitting on my sister?”
He shrugs with a smirk.
“You’re lucky you’re already hurt, or I’d break the rest of your ribs.” I know he’s joking, but the way he says it sounds like a genuine threat. Travis may be his best friend, but he’s made it known he’d never approve of Travis making a move on me.
“I bet I could take you, broken ribs and all,” Travis teases, pushing him with his good shoulder.
Drew flashes him a look that says otherwise. “Oh, please.” He goes back to reorganizing the cupboards as Travis and I stand awkwardly. He’s looking intently at me like he wants to say something, but there’s nothing else to say—especially with Drew around.
“Well, I need to make sure I didn’t forget anything around the house before I go. I have 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 5
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.”
I can tell she’s fighting back a laugh.
“So does that mean you don’t hate me anymore, princess?”
She groans loudly and finally cracks a smile.
On cue, the door barely opens and Drew steps in. “What the hell?”
Viola turns and glares at him with her hands on her hips.
“What damage did he manage to do already?”
Without a beat, she responds, “He knocked my toothbrush off the counter, and it fell into the toilet.”