surprise.
Travis dropped her wrists and held her face in his calloused hands. She tasted the urgency, the pulsating need as he gave her a hard, possessive kiss. She wanted to melt into him when he lifted his head.
“What were you saying, Christine?” he asked hoarsely as his eyes glittered with desire. She felt the throbbing response deep in her belly. No man had looked at her like that before.
She curled her hands against his shoulders. He felt strong and solid underneath her touch. “I don’t feel like sightseeing anymore.”
His mouth tilted up into a wicked smile. “What do you want to do?”
She suddenly felt shy. Christine looked away and paused. She was a brazen and sophisticated woman, she reminded herself. Christine slowly lifted her head and met Travis’s gaze. “I want to take you back to my room.”
“Lead the way.”
6
C HRISTINE DIDN ’ T SPEAK to Travis as she led him to
her room. Words were jumbled in her mind and her throat felt tight and thick.
She felt awkward and clumsy as she slid the key card into the lock. She
experienced a wave of relief as the green light flickered, and her hands
trembled as she wrenched the door open.
She stepped inside her dark hotel room and turned around.
Travis stood in the doorway, his hands bracing the frame. His eyes were
piercing. She felt the urgency ripple from his body, but he waited for her to
make the next move.
“Invite me in,” he said roughly.
He knew. He knew that she was nervous. She was afraid to reach
for the opportunity only to have it disappear—or, worse, confirm her fears that
she wasn’t exciting. That she wasn’t good in bed.
But she hadn’t felt like this with another man. And Travis was
hers for the taking. He had been since the moment they met next to the slot
machine. She’d only needed the courage to take the next step. Reach out and
claim him.
“I’ll wait.” His voice was a rasp. “It’s not going to be easy.
I want you now, but I will wait until you make the first move.”
Christine shivered. She didn’t realize how important it was for
her to hear those words. She needed to know that he wanted this as much as she
did. But she wanted it to be memorable for Travis. This one-night stand was
going to mean more to her than to him.
“Travis...”
“I know this could be from the adrenaline rush of winning.” He
reached out and cupped her cheek with his warm and large hand.
She didn’t want to move away. “It’s not. I’ve wanted this since
I first met you.”
“What is stopping you?” he asked as he brushed his thumb
against her cheekbone. His touch was as light as a feather. “Is there someone
back home?”
She wanted to live out this fantasy but she wasn’t very brave.
Not in Cedar Valley and not in bed. It was easier to act as if her fantasies
didn’t exist than to go after them. She wished it wasn’t so difficult to
surrender to the moment.
“There’s no one else,” she said.
Travis bent his head and gave her the gentlest of kisses. His
mouth grazed hers and color exploded inside her. She parted her lips as her
breath hitched in her throat.
If his kiss had been hard and demanding, she would have pulled
away. She would have told him she had changed her mind and asked him to leave.
It would have been her biggest regret, but this kiss proved that Travis could be
a tender and patient lover.
She slowly pulled away. Her heart pounded in her ears. She felt
as though she was letting go of something safe and solid. Taking a risk that
could have her soaring or falling. “Come inside,” she whispered.
Her pulse skipped a beat as she reached for his hand. Christine
entwined their fingers, hers looking small and pale next to his. The sight made
her heart twist. She wanted to hold on to him. Become one with him.
Christine looked into Travis’s eyes. She saw the desire and the
hope. She led him across the threshold and welcomed him by curling her arms
around his strong shoulders. He kissed with great
Travis dropped her wrists and held her face in his calloused hands. She tasted the urgency, the pulsating need as he gave her a hard, possessive kiss. She wanted to melt into him when he lifted his head.
“What were you saying, Christine?” he asked hoarsely as his eyes glittered with desire. She felt the throbbing response deep in her belly. No man had looked at her like that before.
She curled her hands against his shoulders. He felt strong and solid underneath her touch. “I don’t feel like sightseeing anymore.”
His mouth tilted up into a wicked smile. “What do you want to do?”
She suddenly felt shy. Christine looked away and paused. She was a brazen and sophisticated woman, she reminded herself. Christine slowly lifted her head and met Travis’s gaze. “I want to take you back to my room.”
“Lead the way.”
6
C HRISTINE DIDN ’ T SPEAK to Travis as she led him to
her room. Words were jumbled in her mind and her throat felt tight and thick.
She felt awkward and clumsy as she slid the key card into the lock. She
experienced a wave of relief as the green light flickered, and her hands
trembled as she wrenched the door open.
She stepped inside her dark hotel room and turned around.
Travis stood in the doorway, his hands bracing the frame. His eyes were
piercing. She felt the urgency ripple from his body, but he waited for her to
make the next move.
“Invite me in,” he said roughly.
He knew. He knew that she was nervous. She was afraid to reach
for the opportunity only to have it disappear—or, worse, confirm her fears that
she wasn’t exciting. That she wasn’t good in bed.
But she hadn’t felt like this with another man. And Travis was
hers for the taking. He had been since the moment they met next to the slot
machine. She’d only needed the courage to take the next step. Reach out and
claim him.
“I’ll wait.” His voice was a rasp. “It’s not going to be easy.
I want you now, but I will wait until you make the first move.”
Christine shivered. She didn’t realize how important it was for
her to hear those words. She needed to know that he wanted this as much as she
did. But she wanted it to be memorable for Travis. This one-night stand was
going to mean more to her than to him.
“Travis...”
“I know this could be from the adrenaline rush of winning.” He
reached out and cupped her cheek with his warm and large hand.
She didn’t want to move away. “It’s not. I’ve wanted this since
I first met you.”
“What is stopping you?” he asked as he brushed his thumb
against her cheekbone. His touch was as light as a feather. “Is there someone
back home?”
She wanted to live out this fantasy but she wasn’t very brave.
Not in Cedar Valley and not in bed. It was easier to act as if her fantasies
didn’t exist than to go after them. She wished it wasn’t so difficult to
surrender to the moment.
“There’s no one else,” she said.
Travis bent his head and gave her the gentlest of kisses. His
mouth grazed hers and color exploded inside her. She parted her lips as her
breath hitched in her throat.
If his kiss had been hard and demanding, she would have pulled
away. She would have told him she had changed her mind and asked him to leave.
It would have been her biggest regret, but this kiss proved that Travis could be
a tender and patient lover.
She slowly pulled away. Her heart pounded in her ears. She felt
as though she was letting go of something safe and solid. Taking a risk that
could have her soaring or falling. “Come inside,” she whispered.
Her pulse skipped a beat as she reached for his hand. Christine
entwined their fingers, hers looking small and pale next to his. The sight made
her heart twist. She wanted to hold on to him. Become one with him.
Christine looked into Travis’s eyes. She saw the desire and the
hope. She led him across the threshold and welcomed him by curling her arms
around his strong shoulders. He kissed with great
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