Page 26 of All for You

And the day after.

And every day after that with Rachel Anderson at my side.

Chapter 7

Rachel

Mere steps from my apartment building front door, I fish in my purse for my keys, but something stops me. My gaze drifts over my shoulder, back to Travis’s truck still idling at the curb, his silhouette visible through the windshield.

“Damn it.”

The keys jangle, forgotten as I drop them back into the depths of my bag. Turning, I head back, my steps quickening as warmth unfurls in my belly, spreading outward until even my fingertips tingle. I wrench open the passenger door, surprising him, and hop up into the seat beside him. His comforting scent immediately wraps around me.

“Rachel?” His voice sounds rough, and he’s obviously confused. “You forget something?”

“Nope. I just missed you. Now kiss me, cowboy.”

Even though I ordered him to do it, I can’t wait. I lean over the console and press my lips to his with a ferocity that makes us both groan. My fingers tangle in his graying hair, pulling him closer as our mouths move together. The contact is hot, desperate, filled with all the lust and hunger overwhelming me.

Travis uses his fingers to gently trace the curve of my spine through the thin fabric of my dress, and I cling to him, hungry for more than just the scorching contact of our lips or his hands on my back. I want him next to me, over me, inside of me.

“What are you doing to me?” he whispers.

“Hmmm…” With my eyes closed in bliss, I nip along his jawline.

A loud bang shatters the moment, the sound ricocheting through the truck’s cab like a gunshot. Screaming, I jerk back, my heart hammering against my ribs. Panic claws at my throat. Somebody is pounding their fist against the passenger-side window, and it’s attached to a large figure looming outside. Squinting, my eyes narrow as they focus on the man behind the intrusion.

Matt?

He looks bigger in the dark. Meaner. His normally pressed shirt is wrinkled, his tie is missing. His dark hair, always so meticulously styled, is standing at all angles, a mess. His dull grey eyes, as he peers through the window, are like chips of ice, devoid of warmth, making calculations that send a shudder down my spine as he stares at me.

“Who the fuck is that?” Travis growls next to me, his arm instinctively pulling me closer.

“My ex-boyfriend.” The words taste like acid on my tongue. “But I have no idea what he’s doing here. Or how he found me.”

Matt’s presence feels alien against the backdrop of rustic buildings, and the comfortable silene of neighborhood now that dusk as passed. Businesses here shut down in the evening. People are at home with their families having dinner and settling in for the night. He looks deranged and out of place, invading my safe space.

My chest tightens as I stare back, reminded of everything that we went wrong when he was in my life.

“What does he want?” Travis’s voice cuts through my swirling thoughts with its low timbre.

Shaking my head, I try to dislodge the dread that has settled there. “I don’t know, but it can’t be good.” We didn’t split on good terms. I told him I was leaving. He said I couldn’t. I left knowing he’d be pissed. I just never imagined he’d come after me.

Travis’s hand finds mine, squeezing it with a firmness that promises protection. His calmness is a balm to my fraying nerves but also hints at something possessive, something territorial, but not in a menacing way like it was with Matt.

Taking a shaky breath, I steel myself for what’s coming.

“Stay in the truck,” he orders.

“This is my mess to deal with.”

“Rachel…”

“Please, Travis.” Knowing he’ll be at my side if I need him is enough to bolster my courage. Before he can stop me, I hop out of the truck and shut the door.

I step onto the sidewalk, my heart pounding as I face Matt. The burden of our history presses down on me, but I refuse to let it crush me. I can’t stop my legs from wobbling a bit, though. Refusing to allow him to sense weakness, I lock my knees. I’ve spent too long letting him dictate my emotions and reactions. This time will be different.

I clench my fists. “Why are you here, Matt? What do you want? How did you even find me?” I keep my voice level, working hard to keep it strong, fighting to maintain composure.

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