Page 48 of A Shore Fling
Reed grins. “It’s a good thing no one can see your tiny?—”
“Hey,” Travis cuts him off. “There are ladies here.”
Willow mutters, “Since when does that matter?”
Reed grins. “I was going to say brain.”
“Do you offer personal training sessions, Drew?” I ask. Maybe he can whip me into shape while I’m here. I’d probably hate every second of it, but I’d be proud of myself for trying something new.
Drew lifts his head from the back of his chair, glancing over. “Yes, I do. Are you interested?”
“No, she’s not,” Travis cuts in before I can answer, and the words are like a slap. I’ve had men speak for me my whole life, but not anymore. My time here is about making changes, and I intend to follow through.
I tap Travis’ arm, firm but calm. “Please don’t speak for me.”
He meets my gaze, noticing my scowl, and his expression softens, shame flickering across his face. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
“It’s okay. I’m a little sensitive about it. My family… Well, it’s complicated.”
“Don’t brush it off to make me feel better. I overstepped, and it won’t happen again.”
A small smile tugs at my lips. “Thank you for understanding.”
“And thank you for telling me. I’d rather know than keep getting it wrong.”
His quick apology and how seriously he accepted my boundary catch me off guard in the best of ways. There was no defensiveness or dismissal of my feelings. He showed me honest respect, and that impresses me more than I expected.
I take a sip from my bottle and then pop another onion ring in my mouth. I hold up the bag and give it a little shake. “You made my day with these.”
“I thought seeing me with my lips swollen like implants gone wrong would’ve done that,” he says.
“Well…” I pause for effect. “Just kidding. I was worried about you and pretty freaked out.”
“I wouldn’t have known. You held it together really well.”
“You didn’t seem concerned, so that helped keep me somewhat calm.”
“Let me see those beautiful lips, Travis,” Willow calls out.
Travis glances at me, his mouth forming a flat line. “You told them?”
I shrug. This must be what it feels like when someone gets caught cheating on an exam. “They knew you were coming over and asked how it went.”
“We forced the details out of her.” Ginger hurries to my defense.
His left eyebrow rises. “I bet.”
Willow throws a grape at Travis and it hits his chest. He tosses it in his mouth, chewing exaggeratedly. “Don’t be a jerk to Nina because you’re embarrassed.”
“I’m not being a jerk, and I can be upset she told you two.”
“It’s not a big deal. It’s not like she took pictures and showed us.” Willow’s gaze moves from Travis to me. “You didn’t happen to get pics, did you?”
Biting my lip, I hold back the rising laugh. “No.”
“Dammit.” Willow snaps her fingers. “You should be thankful I wasn’t there. Had I been, your brothers would already have future blackmail pictures.”
The group of us laughs, even Travis, though he tries to hide it behind a long pull of beer.
