“Well—you’veseenhim. He’s hot, and charismatic…and I don’t know. I guess I thought I could use Travis to help me move on from…well.Him. And he did—does when we’re together, anyway. But things were easier when we were just…friends with benefits. When I had no expectations and he had no expectations. At the end of the day, we don’t make sense. At least not in the long run,” Iadmitted.
“And why the hell not? I think you guys would be greattogether.”
“He’s gone more often than he’s not, he’sfamous, and he could get any woman in the world. Why would he settle forme?”
“He wouldn’t be settling, you idiot.” She firmly slapped my shoulder, glaring atme.
“Hey! I’m driving,” I scowled, nodding toward the highway in front ofme.
“Sorry, but it ticks me off when you say stuff like that,” she frowned, affronted. “You’re gorgeous, and you’re the nicest person I know. You work hard and you’re loyal. You’re a catch, Becky Miller. When are you going to seeit?”
“Ugh, okay fine. I’m a catch, are you happy?” I said, exasperated. “It still doesn’t change the fact that we won’t work forever, and I don’t think I’m willing to put my heart in his hands. I could fall for him, but I don’t know if he’sreallyprepared to catchme.”
Katie shook her head venomously. “I don’t agree with that outlook. No relationship has a guarantee of forever. Look at Ben’s mom and dad; she died young. They didn’t get a whole lot of time together, but the years they did have were magical. You’ve just got to hope for the best and work atit.”
“That’s a morbid outlook,” I remarked, her words saddeningme.
“It’s the truth,” she insisted. “The regrets that haunt us the most are the things we never did, the risks we never took. For the record, I think you’re being a hugebaby.”
“Maybe I am,” I laughed, Katie’s candor easing the tightness in mychest.
* * *
There wassomething liberating about a night out with just the girls. Strangers—women and men alike—were buying our drinks and celebrating Tessa’s upcoming wedding almost as hard as we were. The inflatable penis Elle insisted Tessa carry around was pleasing everyone we encountered. At first, it was mortifying, but it quickly became more and more hilarious with each drink we tossedback.
The drinks helped ease my typically reserved nature, and soon I found myself out on the dance floor, moving my hips in time to themusic.
Katie and I were at the bar when I looked up and saw him. I was almost certain his likeness was summoned by alcohol and my inability to stop thinking abouthim.
Our eyes locked from across the crowded room, and I inhaled deeply. The pull was toomuch.
“What the hell is he doing here?” I asked Katie, gesturing to where he stood with a slight nod of myhead.
“I might have texted him…from your phone…when you were getting ready at the hotel, andmaybeI pretended to be you and asked him to come,” Katie cackled, pleased as punch with herself. She snapped her fingers at the bartender, summoning him. “Two shots of Peach Paradiseplease!”
Travis was situated in the middle of the dance floor, alone in a sea of people. Nobody was paying attention to him, he had a black baseball cap on that obscured most of his face and wore a long sleeved black Henley that covered the tattoos on his arms. He knew how to blend in with the crowd, and blended without notice from the other drunkpatrons.
His words from the other night fluttered around in my head, intoxicating me with allure, mixing with the many drinks, creating a cocktail of baddecisions.
I wanted him, even though I knew I shouldn’t. I trusted him, even though my brain cautioned me notto.
The bartender placed two shot glasses down in front of us and I tossed one back, needing the liquidcourage.
“I’ll cover for you,” Katie promised. “Go!” She gave me a gentle shove, coaxing my legs into moving. I walked to the dance floor, my heart pounding in mychest.
With this being the last stop of the night, the girls were so drunk they could scarcely stand. I wasn’t worried about them recognizing him, especially not with Katie helping to redirect theirattention.
His eyes were on me. As Luke Bryan’sGamesthrummed through the speakers, I swallowed hard and closed my eyes, moving my body to the beat, propelled by alcohol andneed.
I opened them a moment later, my eyes landing on his. I danced for him, the kind of dance I’ve only ever done in the privacy of my own home, when no one was around. I had the attention of those around me, but I didn’t even care about that. I didn’t even see them. My focus was locked onTravis.
His eyes were burning, the intensity of them arousing me, lighting every nerve ending on fire and driving me further into the rabbit hole we’d created forourselves.
He started to stalk toward me, his broad shoulders parting the sea of bodies. When he reached me, I turned and fell against him, the two of us moving together with perfect rhythm. My ass pressed against his groin, and he used his hand to move my hair off the nape of my neck. He kissed it, his cap brushing against my cheek as his lips brushed across myflesh.
My back was flush with his chest, and I could feel his heart racing. The frantic thudding matched my own speedingheart.
We danced together like that, our bodies melting into one another and grinding with the flow, until he pressed his erection firmly against my ass. I gasped as he brought his lips to kiss the shell of my ear. “Come with me,” he said, loud enough for me to hear him over themusic.
