Chapter Fifteen
Travis
Travis stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, his eyes following the faint cracks in the textured drywall while his mind worked to find a discernable pattern and coming up blank.The lame attempt to distract himself from his constant thoughts of Parker and how he could go about expressing more of that gratitude they had the other day wasn’t working.Hardly anything took his mind off the woman lately, even work.Every time he smelled the sweetness coming off the trees, it reminded him of Parker and how lovely her scent was.The rough bark under his hand was always compared to the smoothness of her skin, and the peace that being in nature brought to him was so similar to how he’d felt when he held her in his arms that it scared him a little.
What had he done to be so blessed with her presence?Travis had hidden himself away on the farm and done little more than put in a hard day’s work over the last decade, yet somehow it had been enough to wiggle him into the good graces of whatever higher power led Parker and Kit to their farm.What had started as a way to help someone who was more than a little down on their luck had quickly spiraled into him trying to figure out how to keep her there for as long as possible.
That kind of attachment wasn’t one he’d felt in a long time, and even his affinity for any of the girls he’d crushed on hard back in high school paled in comparison to how he was feeling about Parker.The one thing Travis worried about was whether Parker would want to stay on the farm with him, hidden away from most of the world when she’d already had to give up so much of her life already.
Boots’s soft fur slipped through his fingers as he pet the tabby who was curled up next to him on his bed.Travis had been leaving his window open at night again and Boots took the open invitation to come in, grab a snack, and take a load off on Travis’s big bed.
“Want her to stay, not sure how I can make that happen.”The cat purred softly as Travis continued to run his hand over her back.Huffing a laugh, he scratched at her favorite spot near her neck.“No help from you, I see.”
A scuffling sound came from the window and Travis sat up to see a pair of hands appear on the sill before Parker’s head popped up just above it.“Are you really talking to a cat?”she whispered.
Travis stopped petting Boots, earning an irritated meow from the feline before she slinked off the bed and crawled under it.“Not anymore.”
When his eyes met Parker’s, he saw the deep brown shining a little lighter as a smile came over her face.Pulling herself up higher, she kicked her legs over and sat upon the windowsill.“Sorry to interrupt your conversation.”
Her mouth was opened to say more, but she seemed distracted as she took in Travis’s state of undress.When he was in his room for the night, he preferred to lay about in nothing but a pair of sweatpants.From the heated expression on her face, Parker was on board with his choice in loungewear.
Travis smirked.“Don’t seem very sorry.”He patted the spot next to him on the bed.“In fact, seem downright delighted.”
Parker shrugged, kicked off her tennis shoes, and joined him on the bed.She was out of her work clothes as well, wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts and a tank-top.“Can’t help feeling that way.”She looked up at him and smiled so brightly it hit him in the chest with the force of a sledgehammer.With that smile on her face, Parker wasn’t just beautiful, she was stunning.“The view is spectacular.”
Travis lifted his hand and ran it over the soft skin of her neck before plunging it into her curls.They were soft, yet solid, each spiral unique in its pattern, and he loved the feel of them as they slipped through his fingertips.
“Agreed.”He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers.“View is spectacular.”
Parker huffed a light laugh.“You calling me pretty?”
Travis huffed right back.“More than.”Cupping her face, he looked into her eyes, hoping that she would know how deeply he meant the words he was about to speak.“You’re the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen.”Parker turned her head slightly, but he held onto it firmly, making sure to keep his hands gentle at the same time.“Mean that.Every word.”
Parker’s eyes shone a little as she met his gaze.“You know, I think I actually believe you.”
Travis smiled and pressed their lips together lightly.“Good.”His hands ran down her shoulder and over her arms as he reveled in the feel of her soft skin underneath his.“Want to tell me why you’re sneaking into my room at ten o’clock at night?Like it, just curious.”
One delicate shoulder bobbed slightly.“This might sound a little high school, but I was kind of hoping we could make out for a little bit.”Travis opened his mouth, but Parker sealed it with one of her delicate fingers.“Before you ask, Kit is asleep, locked up tight in the apartment, and hasn’t woken up in the middle of the night since she was four.”
