Page 77 of Willow Vale

“Even if you did, she doesn’t deserve that from you, Delilah.”

“I know that.” I shook my head, playing with one of the buttons of his shirt. “My mother has never been perfect. But there were rare days when she was sober that I remember in bits and pieces. She used to be kind and funny, shewantedto spend time with me when I was kid. Back then, she was healthier. Now, she’s just…someone else. I wish things were different.”

“I know.” And then he said, “Promise me that if she shows up again, you won’t get involved in whatever trouble she’s gotten herself into. If you run into her in town or at the bar, you tell me. You tell Desi. Anyone. Don’t even think about going somewhere alone with her.”

I nodded again, already dreading if it were to happen. What would I do if she started another scene, or worse, did something crazy out of desperation?

Travis gripped my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look up at him. His blue eyes were sharp with determination as he said again, “Promise me, Delilah.”

“I promise,” I finally said. “Thank you for always being so good to me.”

“Why does that sound like it’s a bad thing?” He chuckled, clearly teasing me.

“It’s not. I just can’t seem to get used to it. For some reason, it always takes me by surprise.”

He stared at me for a long moment before leaningforward, putting his hands on my waist to keep me in place as he rested his forehead against mine. “I guess I’ll just have to make you get used to it.”

“Travis…”

“Woman, I’m saying this in the nicest way possible,” he groaned, “just shut up and kiss me.”

Hearing the desperation in his voice had me doing as he asked. I shifted on his lap, straddling his lap so I could face him. I placed my hand on his cheek before I leaned in and pressed my lips against his. It was slow at first. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer as I deepened the kiss, licking his lips until he parted them. His hands guided my hips forward until I was slowly rocking against him on my own.

When I nipped at his bottom lip, Travis groaned. I gasped when he suddenly picked me up and carried me into the house.

I laughed. “Where are we…”

I lost my words when he carried me upstairs like I weighed nothing and kicked open his bedroom door before closing it behind him.

“I want you, Delilah.” He dropped me onto his bed, leaving me panting with my heart beating a hundred miles an hour as I watched him pull his shirt open, revealing his broad chest and abs that made me want to run my hands all over them. “If you don’t want this, tell me now and we’ll stop.” My blood felt like it was on fire under his darkened gaze, and I shivered. My chest rose and fell as I took him in greedily, not caring that he could see my shameless ogling. I could tell he was fighting with his need to touch me and his desire to respect what I wanted, how far I wanted this to go.

“I don’t want to stop,” I said as I got onto my knees, forcing myself not to tear my eyes away from his as I pulledmy hair out of its ponytail, letting it fall around my shoulders in thick waves. I was finally ready to give in to what I wanted for once, finally allowing myself to be with the one man who had ruled my every thought for so long. “I want you, Travis.”

“Then get over here,” he commanded, drawing out a shudder at his words that left no room for argument. I crawled over to him before standing. He was towering over me now, staring at my dress like it had personally insulted him.

He ran the back of his finger over my shoulder and down my arm, making goose bumps invade my skin.

“Did you wear this dress for me tonight?”

“N-no. I wore it for me.”

“Liar.” He grinned, pulling the strap down before kissing my shoulder. “Turn around.”

I did as he said, feeling like I was a live wire—aware of every touch and whisper between us. I felt his hand tug on the string tied around my back until the fabric of my dress loosened. His teeth nipped my shoulder, and I gasped. He ran his tongue over the spot to soothe the sting before he finally tugged my dress down until it was on the floor. He unclasped my bra, and I tossed it to the side before his hands were on me. I arched into his touch in time to feel his lips on my neck. We moved against each other in a constant push and pull full of want that filled the air with heaviness I felt within every fiber of my being. We were so close I could feel Travis’s heart beating against his chest, and yet it didn’t feel like we were close enough.

Travis kissed me like it was the last thing he’d ever do on this earth.

He kissed me like a man starved.

A man who desperately needed oxygen to take another breath.

He was greedy and restless, the same way I was but worked so hard not to be. Until now.

I whispered his name as he placed kisses on my neck and chest, slowly making his way down my body. I dug my hands into his hair before moving down to his back, holding him to me until I was intoxicated by his scent. I shivered when his hands explored me, moving down my chest until I felt a thrill spiral around in my belly, turning into a sharp sting like a needle pricking a finger when he rasped into my ear, “I want to go down on you.”

“I...I’d like that.”

He laughed at my clumsy words which only made me release a breathless one of my own.

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