Read Online His to Claim #4: Wild Ones by Opal Carew - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Opal Carew
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do I owe?”
“Nothing. All food and expenses on the trip are covered.”
“There are a lot of perks traveling with a rock band,” she said with a smile, then tipped back her glass.
Travis entered the tip in the handheld device the waiter had handed him, then finished his transaction and retrieved his card. Even though the check had been paid, most of the guys still had full drinks in front of them, so would probably be staying a while yet, but Melanie was tired.
“Speaking of expenses, I was going to head back to the hotel. Should I just grab a cab?” she asked.
“I’m going, too. We’ll share one.” Travis stood up and pulled on his jacket, covering the snake tattoo curling down his bicep.
She followed him to the door.
Travis hailed a cab and they were at the hotel ten minutes later.
As they rode the elevator up, Travis leaned casually against the wall. She wasn’t immune to his sexy, masculine presence in the small space. His layered, sandy hair brushed his shoulders and she could see the three gold hoops in each ear glittering in the light. A part of her wanted to reach out and stroke his whisker-roughened jaw.
“I’m really glad you joined us, Melanie.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I think I’m going to enjoy it.”
The doors opened and she stepped out. He walked alongside her until they reached her door.
“Good night,” she said as she pulled her keycard from the pocket on her pack. But when she glanced up, he stood watching her.
“I really like you, Melanie. And you know I’m attracted to you.”
Tremors rippled through her. And Lord knew she was attracted to him.
If she pulled him into her room right now, he would make sweet love to her and that would drive away the thoughts of Storm haunting her. For a while.
He stepped closer. “I’d really like to get to know you better.”
From the gleam in his eye, she knew he was going to kiss her. Her stomach churned. As he leaned in close, she seemed frozen to the spot, but at the final moment her hand flattened on his chest.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Really?” He grinned. “I think this is the best idea I’ve ever had.”
He leaned close again, but she shook her head. “I know you like to steal women from Storm, but I don’t want to be part of it. I appreciate how supportive and kind you’ve been, but—”
He pressed his finger to her lips before she could continue. “Is that why you’re holding back, because you think I’m using you to get back at Storm? Because if that’s what you think, Melanie, you underestimate yourself. I’m interested in
you
. Got it?”
His hand dropped to his side but his big body still stood mere inches from hers.
“Thank you, Travis. But I still can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Is it Storm?”
She nodded.
“I thought it was over between you two.”
She bit her lip and his eyebrows arched.
She shrugged. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “We didn’t really sort it out.”
“The guy forbade you to come on tour with us. And then he let you go without so much as a good-bye. Are you really going to stay with him?”
She gazed into his blue-green eyes. “I thought you were his friend.”
“I am. But that doesn’t mean I think he’s perfect. Especially when it comes to women.”
“Are you mad at him for walking out on your sister?”
“No, of course not.” His gaze captured her. “But he did break her heart.” His finger stroked down the side of her face, his gentle touch sending shimmers of awareness through her. “I don’t want to see that happen to you.”
No matter what he said, she could see it in his eyes that he still harbored resentment toward Storm because he’d hurt his sister. Even though Jessica had found the man of her dreams. And yet the two of them had continued to play in the band together and socialize together. Men were funny creatures.
But now Melanie realized why Travis stole women from Storm. It was a form of payback.
The ding of the
“Nothing. All food and expenses on the trip are covered.”
“There are a lot of perks traveling with a rock band,” she said with a smile, then tipped back her glass.
Travis entered the tip in the handheld device the waiter had handed him, then finished his transaction and retrieved his card. Even though the check had been paid, most of the guys still had full drinks in front of them, so would probably be staying a while yet, but Melanie was tired.
“Speaking of expenses, I was going to head back to the hotel. Should I just grab a cab?” she asked.
“I’m going, too. We’ll share one.” Travis stood up and pulled on his jacket, covering the snake tattoo curling down his bicep.
She followed him to the door.
Travis hailed a cab and they were at the hotel ten minutes later.
As they rode the elevator up, Travis leaned casually against the wall. She wasn’t immune to his sexy, masculine presence in the small space. His layered, sandy hair brushed his shoulders and she could see the three gold hoops in each ear glittering in the light. A part of her wanted to reach out and stroke his whisker-roughened jaw.
“I’m really glad you joined us, Melanie.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I think I’m going to enjoy it.”
The doors opened and she stepped out. He walked alongside her until they reached her door.
“Good night,” she said as she pulled her keycard from the pocket on her pack. But when she glanced up, he stood watching her.
“I really like you, Melanie. And you know I’m attracted to you.”
Tremors rippled through her. And Lord knew she was attracted to him.
If she pulled him into her room right now, he would make sweet love to her and that would drive away the thoughts of Storm haunting her. For a while.
He stepped closer. “I’d really like to get to know you better.”
From the gleam in his eye, she knew he was going to kiss her. Her stomach churned. As he leaned in close, she seemed frozen to the spot, but at the final moment her hand flattened on his chest.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Really?” He grinned. “I think this is the best idea I’ve ever had.”
He leaned close again, but she shook her head. “I know you like to steal women from Storm, but I don’t want to be part of it. I appreciate how supportive and kind you’ve been, but—”
He pressed his finger to her lips before she could continue. “Is that why you’re holding back, because you think I’m using you to get back at Storm? Because if that’s what you think, Melanie, you underestimate yourself. I’m interested in
you
. Got it?”
His hand dropped to his side but his big body still stood mere inches from hers.
“Thank you, Travis. But I still can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Is it Storm?”
She nodded.
“I thought it was over between you two.”
She bit her lip and his eyebrows arched.
She shrugged. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “We didn’t really sort it out.”
“The guy forbade you to come on tour with us. And then he let you go without so much as a good-bye. Are you really going to stay with him?”
She gazed into his blue-green eyes. “I thought you were his friend.”
“I am. But that doesn’t mean I think he’s perfect. Especially when it comes to women.”
“Are you mad at him for walking out on your sister?”
“No, of course not.” His gaze captured her. “But he did break her heart.” His finger stroked down the side of her face, his gentle touch sending shimmers of awareness through her. “I don’t want to see that happen to you.”
No matter what he said, she could see it in his eyes that he still harbored resentment toward Storm because he’d hurt his sister. Even though Jessica had found the man of her dreams. And yet the two of them had continued to play in the band together and socialize together. Men were funny creatures.
But now Melanie realized why Travis stole women from Storm. It was a form of payback.
The ding of the
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