Becky
There’s something about having the man you love dive out of a moving vehicle to tackle the man that destroyed you—and yes, I said love, because in that moment, I realized that I was painstakingly in love with Travis Channing, and that I no longer feared that fact.
I saw the gun, and the terror that rolled through Travis’s eyes when he saw it too. But, he didn’t hesitate, he lunged for it. He put himself in harm’s way to try and protect us, and that was on top of hiring the private investigator and the bodyguard.
It had been three weeks since everything had happened. Richie was going to jail, and would be there for a very long time. The private investigator had dug up a lot of information that would bury him in court. He had an extensive debt with a biker gang, and he had a lot of drugs in his possession when they searched his car and motel room.
I used to think that I would forever be shattered by Richie, but Travis had picked up the broken pieces of me one by one, sliding them back into place. There was still cracks throughout me, some deeper than others, but the way he loved me filled the deep rivets and made me feel complete.
Aiden had nightmares following the incident, and after a few appointments with a play therapist, his nightmares had stopped and he seemed to be back to his happy-go-lucky self.
This entire experience had reminded me of a very important lesson: don’t waste time with your loved ones. I didn’t intend on wasting any more of my time.
We had spent as much time as we could with Travis over the past three weeks, out on his boat or at our lake. We’d had dinner a few times with his mother, and she was every bit as nice as I remembered. She’d been really great with Aiden, and he’d taken a liking to her too.
Travis slept over at the house more often than not. We had been careful to not let Aiden know about the adult sleepovers, but I’d grown accustomed to falling asleep in his arms, and I was going to miss it when he returned to Nashville.
I wasn’t worried about the distance anymore—not after I’d seen how far Travis would go to keep me safe. It was also hard to sulk when I was so excited for him. He was heading to Nashville to start recording the first track on his new album, and in October—he’d play his new single live at the Grand Ole Opry.
He’d played it for me many times before, and I knew his fans were going to love it as much as I did.
With summer coming to a close, the gang had naturally decided to throw one final hurrah. This time, the party was at Travis’s place.
I was a little nervous. Although all of our friends—and most of the world—knew about our relationship, this was our first official outing at a social gathering as a couple.
I’d chosen a deep blue lace dress that cost more than I’d usually spend. I liked how it hung off my shoulders, and the plunging neckline made me feel more glamorous than I’d ever felt before. I blew dry my hair and used a curling iron to make loose curls frame my face.
I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup when the doorbell rang. I finished up and dropped my mascara into my makeup bag.
Opening the front door, I greeted Kimberly with a warm smile. She had offered to babysit Aiden, and while I’d felt a little guilty, there wasn’t any reason for me not to trust her.
Kimberly was expressive and warm, and had wholeheartedly welcomed both Aiden and I into her life. Her kindness—and her active presence in Travis’s life—made me miss my own mom, but it also provided comfort, because she treated us like family already. It was easy to like her.
“Thanks so much for watching Aiden tonight,” I told her as she walked in.
“Oh it’s no problem at all!” she exclaimed, taking my hands in hers. “You look beautiful, Becky,” she added, her eyes shining.
“Thank you,” I said, my cheeks turning a little pink under her attention.
I kissed Aiden goodnight and drove to Lake Rosseau to help Travis set up for the party. I pulled up to the gate, leaning out to type in the code he had given me. The gates swung forward and I drove through. I parked near the garage and got out, my heels clicking against the stone pathway as I walked to the front door.
I rang the bell, and a moment later he answered. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a black t-shirt, a pile of twinkle lights in his arms.
“Whoa,” he breathed, his eyes trailing the length of my body fervently. I stepped closer to him, tilting my head so I could press a kiss to his lips. “We might have time for a quickie, if we hurry.”
Laughing, I pulled away, my eyes roving over his body with greed. “You’ll have plenty of time for me later. I’m spending the night,” I winked, taking the tangled lights and skirting around him.
After the party, Braden and Elle would be heading back to the house, and they’d offered to stay with Aiden so I could spent some alone time with Travis.
He groaned, watching my hips sway as I moved away from him, and followed behind me.
We spent the next forty-five minutes decorating for the party before the caterers showed up. We detangled the twinkle lights and strung them up along the railing on the deck.
Twenty minutes later, people started to arrive, let in by the security team Travis had hired. They checked licenses to make sure everybody trying to get in was on the guest list, and they even patted down people to make sure nobody was trying to bring in any weapons.
“You can’t be too careful,” he’d shrugged when Gordon started razzing him about it. “Especially not after everything that’s happened,” he added, drawing me closer to him.
“I’m just playing,” Gordon said apologetically. He looked at me. “I’m glad you guys are okay, Becs.”
“Me too,” I smiled.
Tommy brought Sam, who hugged me tightly when she saw me. “Congratulations on your budding relationship!” she grinned, the smile on her face organic and happy.
“Thanks,” I blushed. I still wasn’t entirely comfortable with the attention Travis and I garnered.
Brock and Tessa were the last to arrive, and they were happily surprised by the bon voyage banner dedicated to them. Not only was it the last hurrah of summer, but Travis had wanted to acknowledge Brock and Tessa’s new chapter, and he even had a cake made for Tessa, wishing her good luck in her ventures.
The cake itself was meant to be a joke; it was a cow giving birth. It was rather morbid looking, with the baby calf head sticking out of the cow’s rear end, but Tessa was delighted by it. “Look at the detail!” she laughed, crouching down to get a closer look at it. “Who wants the head?” she joked with a grin.
Four hours later, we watched the last of the guests leave as we stood in the open doorway. Travis’s arms were wrapped around my waist and his lips were close to my ear. As soon as the gate swung shut and their taillights faded from view, he started kissing the side of my neck.
I turned my head to look at him. His right hand raised to cradle my chin as he kissed me, moving his hips against me, pressing hard enough that I could feel the outline of his erection.
“You are stunning, Becs, but this dress has to come off,” he said lowly.
“So what are you waiting for?” I asked.
“I plan on taking my time…all night,” he murmured, tugging me the rest of the way inside before closing the door.
“Isn’t your mom going to be home soon?” Braden and Elle had texted me when they arrived back at the house and sent Kimberley on her way.
“Not tonight, she’s staying with a friend in town this weekend,” Travis shrugged. “She wanted to give us the house to ourselves I guess.”
“She didn’t have to do that,” I argued, feeling guilty for displacing her.
“She knows that, but she wanted to. She knows I’m leaving on Monday,” Travis explained. “Now, enough talking…more stripping. I want you naked in my bed, your legs spread wide open—mine for the taking.”
Somehow, we made it to his bedroom—despite the multiple times we paused so he could push me against the wall and kiss me like he never wanted to stop.
Finally, he had me right where he wanted me—and right where I wanted to be. Naked across his sheets, panting with anticipation and need.
He stood at the foot of his bed and pulled his shirt off, his abs on full display. Every muscle in his body was coiled, and judging by the impassioned look in his eyes, he was displaying a lot of restraint.
“In a heartbeat, Becs. I’d give it all up for you,” he said, unable to tear his eyes off of me. He crawled up toward me, his hand running up my leg and pausing on the curve of my hip. I knew he was talking about Nashville, about leaving on Monday, about his career.
“I don’t want you too,” I told him as I smiled. “You’re too talented to walk away, and I believe in us.”
“I’m going to cut down on tours, and being gone,” he promised, shifting so that he could kiss the hollow part of my collarbone. Goose bumps erupted across my flesh, and I sighed when his lips continued their quest to the peak of my nipple.
He tugged it into his mouth with his teeth, his lips and tongue soothing the ache they caused. He lifted his head again, moving forward to capture my lips with his. His kiss seared through me, and I moaned, my centre ripe with anticipation as his hand crept lower and lower down the middle of my body. Between my breasts, down my abdomen, and between my legs, where his fingers danced across my glistening core.
“I’ll come back for Christmas, for a week…maybe two,” he continued, the picture he painted as erotic as the feel of his index and middle fingers toying with me, gentle caresses and flicks that made me throb.
He looked down, watching his fingers glide across my opening, and his eyes darkened with desire. His cock jumped against my thigh, and he ground it against me. I could feel his precum against my flesh, and I whimpered with need.
“And I’ll fly you guys out to see me,” he added, his voice an octave deeper.
“When?”
“Whenever you want,” he whispered, kissing where my throat met my collarbone, his fingers still working me over. He dipped his middle finger in, and I gripped the bedsheet as he massaged my clit with a slow intensity. It was a miracle that I was able to focus even a little bit on what he was saying, especially with his fingers moving the way they were.
He kicked off his pants and climbed on top of me, pushing my legs apart with his knee. He held himself up with one hand while he guided his thick cock to my entrance. He pushed in slowly, spreading me, and paused once his crown was in to look at me. I could see how much I meant to him in the emotion that swirled in his hazel eyes.
I gasped when his crown brushed against my clit. He pushed forward, sinking into me, until he was buried as deep as he could go, until I couldn’t tell where he ended and I began.
THE END