Page 30 of Slide
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“Do you ever talk to your brother?”
Bella blinked up at the stars. For the second night in a row, Travis had asked a question that caught her off guard. Their arrangement was all about sex, but they’d had some great conversations outside it. She was going to be sorry to see it all come to an end. “I try to visit him at least once a month.”
Travis turned his head to look at her, but she kept her gaze on the sky. It looked different from out in the middle of the lake than it had on her deck last night. It was one of the great things about summer and living at the water’s edge. Everything seemed different, more peaceful, and in a strange way, more hopeful.
There’d been a small creek that ran across the back of her family’s property when she was growing up. She used to wade through it when things were bothering her. The water calmed her, soothed her.
She wouldn’t see the lake in quite the same way after skinny-dipping with Travis tonight.
“You do?”
“Yes. Why does that surprise you?”
“I'm not really sure.”
The breeze in the air kept the water lapping against the edges of the floating dock. It was lulling, the slight movement, and Bella’s hand grazed Travis’ arm. The touch wasn’t intentional but when he laced his fingers through hers … She was at once thrilled and dismayed at the emotions playing inside her.
She wanted Travis. A lot. She wanted him tonight, tomorrow night, and as many nights after as she could get. She didn’t want their affair to be over as soon as the sun rose.
From the first time he’d touched her on her porch, she’d known she was a goner. The boy from the wrong side of the tracks had turned into the man who belonged in her bed. No one had ever made her feel as fulfilled, as sexually powerful, as sexy as he did. No one had ever talked to her as casual and with such openness as he did either. She was comfortable with him. In and out of bed. She’d be willing to wager her next month’s rent that he was just as comfortable with her.
She didn’t feel shame when talking about her brother. She’d apologized to so many people for what he’d done until she was blue in the face, but with Travis, like this? She didn’t feel the need. “Wouldn’t you visit Miles?”
“Once he started talking to me again,” he said with a laugh. “I’d have to beat the shit out of him if he ever pulled that kind of crap.”
“Talking to me or not, Artie is my brother.”
“I get that. There’s a sibling between Miles and me, but he and I have always been close. He’s treated you unfair. I’m sorry for that.”
“It’s not only him, but I can’t blame people for feeling that way.” The situation made her stronger and had definitely opened her eyes to the fact that she’d been blind for a long time. “I should have asked more questions. I should have learned about the family business.” Bella mentally shook herself. She couldn’t go back and change the past and she didn’t want to. Every bit of it had changed her and brought her here, to this place, to this moment, with this man. She wasn’t about to regret that. “I wish he hadn’t taken so many hopes and dreams from so many people.”
Travis let go of her hand and shifted to his side, propping himself on his elbow much as he had the night before. She glanced at him without moving anything more than her head.
He was gorgeous, and Bella knew she could look at him every day for the rest of her life and not ever tire of it. Even in the darkness his eyes shone crystal clear. His tattoos were shadows across his body and the metal through his nipples and the tip of his cock caught the moonlight.
“I happen to think you’re very good at giving hopes and dreams to some people,” Travis said, drifting his free hand across her stomach. He gripped her waist and tugged her closer. He radiated warmth and while she wasn’t cold, she welcomed his heat. “Is it wrong to say I don’t remember your brother at all?”
“No. He and Miles are the same age or close.”
“I mean, I remember a vague image of him, but not when I look at you. I don’t see him or what he did.”
“Do I want to know what you do see?”
“You do. You know you do.” He gave her a peck on the tip of her nose, then brushed her lips. “I see a very sexy, very capable woman.”
She started to scoff at his statement, but he must have known she wasn’t in agreement because he pinched her side. “Hush now,” he instructed with no heat. “You are capable. You’ve been able to pick yourself up and move on. You’re confident enough to take what you want, especially when it’s offered to you on a silver platter. Money is different now than what you grew up thinking it was, but that’ll only make you stronger. It'll only make you more determined that nothing else will be taken away or be lost."
Travis pulled and Bella rolled until she was on top of him, straddling his thighs. His cock was hard, as it seemed to always be when they were together, and she slid easily along the length.
“Mmm. Nice pep talk.” And she was once again confronted by her conscience about the changes to her bank account balance, and the fact that she hadn’t told Travis yet. “But you don’t need to say all that to have sex with me.” She didn’t know why she was holding back. She liked that they were on more equal ground. She didn’t want to mess that up and was afraid if he knew about the money, it would. Then again, with their sexfest over tomorrow, did it matter?
God, she was so confused.
Travis smiled then stole a kiss. “You didn’t let me get to the sexy part.”
Bella lifted, dragged her pussy up his cock again. She moaned when he flexed his thighs under her bottom. “By all means …”
