Page 42 of Cherishing Happily Ever After

“I can think of a few things.” He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed.

Stephanie got up and carried their dishes to the sink, where she dropped them into some soapy water to deal with later. “And what are those things?” She turned around. “Besides the obvious, I mean.”

It was his turn to laugh.

It was so unexpected that Steph froze and let the sound fill her.

“What?” he asked. “Why are you looking at me that way?”

“Your laugh.”

He instantly looked self-conscious. “What about it?”

She shook her head and smiled softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever really heard you laugh before. Not…not like that.”

Travis got up from the table and moved toward her.

Her whole body vibrated in anticipation the way it always did when he got close. She loved it.

He ran a finger up her arm.

She shivered.

“You make me smile,” he said softly as his finger moved up to her shoulder. “You make me laugh.” He traced her clavicle. “You make me…a lot of things.” His hand cupped her cheek and he drew her close.

His lips on hers, his body pressed to hers, and she was once again completely lost in him.

“What was that you said about how we’re going to spend the next few weeks?”

“You mean besides the obvious?” He threw her choice of words back at him, and she giggled.

“I changed my mind. I want the obvious. I want so much of the obvious.”

He laughed again.

It truly was quickly becoming one of her favorite sounds.She did that to him? She let him loosen up that way?The idea filled her with warmth. She should still have so many questions about what exactly was going on between them, but somehow those questions had all dissolved and faded away. It felt right. It felt more than right, and wasn’t that enough?

Travis kissed her neck and nibbled his way up to the sensitive spot behind her ear.

Yes.It was enough.

They made out like teenagers in the kitchen for a few more minutes until it was clear to both of them that they needed more.

“Bedroom.” Stephanie managed to slip away and tug on his hand to lead him back to bed, but the ringing of her cell phone stopped her.

“Leave it,” Travis said gruffly and tried to move between her and the counter where she’d left her phone.

It was tempting. Very tempting when she let her gaze travel down Travis’s body and the hard bulge in his jeans. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment but ultimately shook her head and let out a breath. “Sorry. It’s my mom’s ringtone. I need to get it.”

He didn’t pout, but simply nodded and stepped aside as she grabbed her phone.

“Mom,” Stephanie said into the phone. “Hi. How are—”

“Oh my God, Stephanie!” Her mother’s voice was shrill. She was worked up about something. “Are you okay? Do you have everything you need out there? We’re getting—”

“Whoa.” Stephanie held up her hand even though her mother couldn’t see her. “Slow down, Mom. I’m fine. Everything is fine.”

“But you said something about the bridge and so your father called—”

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