Page 27 of A Shore Fling
“Pretty sure he does.”
She shakes her head, her lips curving knowingly. “He likes you. He’s like the annoying boy in grade school who’s mean to the girl he’s crushing on.”
“That’s quite a stretch,” I say.
“No, it’s not. I’ve known Travis most of my life, and he’s not good at expressing his feelings. Never has been, but it’s worse since his divorce.”
“How’d he get someone to marry him?” I mutter.Must be all that charm.
“They were high school sweethearts,” Ginger informs me.
Willow wildly waves her hand, as if that information isn’t essential. “Let’s discuss the sexual tension between you and Travis.”
A choking sound squeezes from my lungs. “Now that’s a ludicrous statement if I ever heard one.”
Ginger vehemently shakes her head. “No, it’s not. I also picked up on that vibe.”
“Sparks were flying between you two. I thought about taking cover so I wouldn’t get singed, but I didn’t want to miss out on a single word,” Willow adds.
“Oh, come on, you two. Is this some prank you pull on the out-of-towners?”
Willow looks deeply into my eyes, as if to prove her sincerity. “No. I’m being one hundred percent serious.”
Peering over my shoulder, I glance at Travis and find his attention on me. An unwanted flutter stirs in my stomach. I turn my head forward once more, fighting the urge to take another look. But it’s not like I need to. From the dark shadow that hides his chiseled jawline and frames his masculine lips to his deep-set brown eyes, every inch of his scowling, handsome face is already burned into my memory.
CHAPTER 9
TRAVIS
Slipping onto the stool, I join my brothers at the table.
Reed, the oldest after me, slides a bottle of beer toward me.
“Thanks. So what’s up?”
“Shouldn’t we be asking you that?” Drew questions. He’s the baby of the family and my mom’s favorite. Even though she denies it, we know it’s true.
I scratch my chin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jordan shakes his head. “Typical Travis.”
I glance around the table under lowered brows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that you act as though we’re crazy when we question you about anything,” Drew fills me in.
“That’s a bold statement. Care to back it up with some evidence?”
Drew shifts his position on the stool before answering. “When you and Jessica separated, you denied it for six months even though we knew she’d moved out.”
“Jesus. That was ten years ago. Can’t you give me a more recent example?”
“Believe it or not, we don’t keep track each time you shut us out.” Reed feels the need to throw in his two cents on the subject.
“Yeah, if we did, we’d be rolling out a mile-long scroll,” Jordan adds.
My lips quirking, I say, “Fuck off.” My hand lands on his shoulder, giving an unexpected and forceful shove. Drew catches him, preventing him from tumbling from the stool, and we all laugh.
After we’ve quieted down, Reed props his chin on his fist. “So, what’s the deal with you and the hot brunette?”
