Handsome Flirt

by Lori Wilde

  “The place looks great,” she said.

  With a self-deprecating laugh, he said, “Well, left to my own limited devices, the apartment would have been a disaster, and I wasn't going to hire a decorator. So I came up with my own solution.”

  “I like your solution,” she said, taking a bite of her ice cream sandwich. “I paid a decorator a fortune to do my apartment, and it turned out white and beige and filled with glass. It was a misery with my dogs. You haven’t had a chance to meet them yet, but they’re little scallywags. Always into trouble. Delicate furniture did not work with them, so I have to section off the family room so they have a place to play. Truthfully, nothing is really comfortable in my apartment, and I’ve been selling off a lot of it over the years. Even though I'll miss a lot of things when I move, my apartment won't be one of them.”

  “Will you hire a decorator for your New York apartment?” he asked.

  “Probably,” she admitted, although she hadn't considered that far ahead yet. “But first I have to find a place to live. Someplace dog friendly.”

  “Didn't you go to New York for interviews? I would have thought you would have found a place then.”

  She finished her ice cream and neatly folded the wrapper into a small square. Then she looked at him. “Yes, but I never felt like searching for a place. When I was there, I was busy with meetings. And once the meetings ended, I had to get back home, so I figured I'd find a place after I moved.”

  “It doesn't bother you moving there without a place to live?”

  Dani opened her mouth to tell him the same story she always told everyone when they asked her questions like this, but then she changed her mind. She decided to tell Travis the truth.

  “The main reason I didn't find a place was because I thought that if I looked for an apartment, it would jinx the job offer.”

  The humor lurking in his eyes told her he found this amusing. “You believe in jinxes?”

  She started to stand, but he turned on his bar stool to block her. With a sigh, she said, “I know what you're thinking.”

  “You do, do you?”

  “Yes, you're thinking I'm as loony as my grandmother. She believes she can go around putting curses on people and I believe I can jinx events. We're both nuts.”

  He stood, which placed him directly in front of her. “You're not nuts,” he said. “The world is filled with many confusing and mysterious things.”

  Dani would have laughed at this, except he placed one hand on her waist and her mind became a little preoccupied.

  “Hmm,” was the best she could do as he slowly wrapped his arm around her, tugging her into a standing position.

  “Take cowlicks,” he said. “What's the point of them? Why do some people have them and others don't? And why didn't society come up with a better name for them?”

  He pulled her closer, and Dani gave him a knowing smile. “Travis Walker, are you trying to seduce me?”

  He grinned. “Who said anything about trying?”

  Dani leaned back against the counter. “In that case, continue.”

  Travis moved closer and nibbled lightly on her earlobe. She wanted so very much for him to satisfy the craving he was creating inside her.

  “You're not crazy at all,” he murmured as he dropped kisses down her neck. “Just confused. About life. Like the rest of us.”

  “Travis,” she breathed, turning her head so she could kiss him. The tension building within her was both sweet and tormenting. After a moment, she tipped her head and studied his face. He was so sexy and sweet and kind and funny...and wonderful. Travis had always been a great guy, but now she realized he was unlike any man she'd ever known. She felt cherished when she was with him, felt complete.

  Dani blinked. Then blinked again. This couldn't be happening. Not to her. Not now.

  But it was, and she now knew with absolute certainty that despite her best efforts, she was falling in love with Travis.

  The realization was so strong and so sudden that she literally jumped away from him.

  “What's wrong?” he asked, obviously surprised.

  She knew his concern was genuine. Of course, it was. Travis Walker was a great guy. A nice guy who cared about other people and who would naturally care that something had upset her.

  No wonder she'd fallen for him. She should have realized from the start that he was too nice a guy to get involved with.

  Needing space, Dani moved to the far side of the living room. She looked at him, knowing the smart thing to do would be to lie and not tell him what she'd discovered. Telling him would only upset them both, and there was nothing to be gained by that. She was moving in two days. Then it would be over.

  There was no reason for Travis to know what she was feeling.

  “Dani, what's wrong?” He took a step toward her but stopped when she held up one hand.

  “I...” She cleared her throat and tried again. “I can't do this.”

  Obviously confused, he asked, “Can't do what?”

  “I can't feel this way.” She hadn't meant to say that, so she slammed her mouth shut before she said any more. What was she supposed to do now? She ran one hand through her hair. Of all the stupid things to do, why would she fall for him? She had plans, plans that didn't and couldn't include him. She was a smart woman. Too smart to do something this dumb.

  “Dani, I don't understand. Talk to me.” Travis took another step toward her. “Whatever's wrong, we can sort it out together.”

  She looked at him, and again love rushed through her. She supposed most people would be thrilled to realize they were in love. Most people wouldn't act as though they'd just discovered a rattlesnake in their car.

  She knew Travis deserved an explanation, so Dani tried to come up with one. There had to be something she could say that he'd buy. Something that would keep him from realizing what had really happened.

  She took a deep breath and tried to lie, but instead blurted, “This wasn't supposed to happen.”

  “What wasn't?”

  “I know we made certain promises to each other and to ourselves when we started this thing between us,” she said, unable to lie to him. She watched his reaction closely. So far, he just seemed confused.

  “Okay. So do you want to stop, is that what you're saying? Do you think we should stop now rather than wait until you move?” The tense tone of his voice told her what he was feeling. He didn't want things to end.

  “No. Yes.” She sighed. “I don't know. I just know I've done something so incredibly stupid I can't believe it.”

  Travis shook his head. “Not you. You would never do something stupid.”

  “But I did,” she said with a humorless laugh. “I know I promised I wouldn't, but I think I'm falling in love with you.”

  Travis stood perfectly still, his expression unreadable. Dani had no idea what he was thinking, no idea what he was feeling, and she found herself holding her breath while she waited for his reaction.

  “I know. I can't believe I've done this,” she said after a few seconds when he still hadn't said a word.

  She sat on his sofa, feeling like a complete idiot. She was a woman in control of her emotions. How had she let this happen?

  She glanced at Travis and said, “You know, actually this is your fault.”

  Travis walked over and sat next to her on the couch. With a soft chuckle, he said, “My fault? How is your falling for me my fault?”

  “You're the one who is so terrific that I can't resist you,” she said dryly. “You should work on that.”

  “Ah, well in that case, the fact that I'm falling for you is your fault,” he said softly. “You're so terrific I couldn't help myself.”

  Dani stared at him. Part of her was thrilled to hear him say he felt the same way, but the other part of her, the rational part, realized just how terrible this situation was.

  “Oh no,” she said. “We can't both have been that stupid. We promised. We agreed. We both understood the rules going in.”
<
br />   After draping one arm around her shoulders and giving her a hug, Travis said, “Well, at least we're stupid together.”

  “But we both agreed up front that we wouldn't fall for each other. We were clear about that. What went wrong?”

  He shrugged. “I don't know.”

  “I'm leaving in two days, and I can't change my plans. I've accepted that job, and they'll notice if I don't show up.” She leaned back against him, enjoying the warmth and comfort of being near him while at the same time knowing that moments like this only made things worse. “I can't just say thanks, but I've changed my mind. I can’t do that. I have my career to think of.”

  He nodded. “I know. And I wouldn't want you to give up this opportunity.”

  “This is terrible,” she said.

  “The only good thing is that at least we're admitting how we feel.” Travis dropped a kiss on her forehead. “And I do mean it. I've never felt this way about anyone. It's about more than just great sex—”

  Dani nodded solemnly. “Terrific sex.”

  “Fantastic sex.”

  With a laugh, Dani said, “Okay, fantastic sex. But it's more than that. It's about how comfortable I feel around you.”

  “Yeah, it is.” He gathered her closer. “I know it sounds stupid, but it feels right.”

  That was exactly how it felt to Dani, too. It felt right, like they were meant to be together. But she also knew that love often faded, and just because she and Travis had strong feelings for each other now, was it enough to risk what she'd worked her entire life for?

  “I don't know what to do,” she admitted.

  “Do you think there's any way we can make this work long-distance? I know it wouldn't be easy, with you in New York and me here, but we can try.”

  Dani wanted to say yes, that they should try. But in her heart she knew that wouldn't work. She was going to be so busy when she got to New York she'd be lucky if she had time to breathe, let alone continue a relationship.

  No, the smart thing to do was to make a clean break of things now to avoid the complications that would happen once she moved. But the thought of breaking things off with Travis made pain lodge deep and sharp within her chest.

  “How about we avoid any decisions at least for tonight,” she suggested, knowing she was being a coward by putting off the discussion, but unable to help herself. She wanted every moment she could have with him, and she really couldn't think straight just now. Realizing that she was falling for him—along with learning he was falling for her—was more than she could deal with.

  “Okay,” he said. “We'll think about it and see what we can come up with.”

  “Yes, and maybe in the morning things will look clearer.”

  Although she knew they probably wouldn't, she was happy when Travis agreed to sleep on it. And who knew? Maybe by morning they would be able to think of another solution.

  “Works for me.” He leaned over and gave her a long, lingering kiss. “But I can guarantee you, I won't feel any differently about you tomorrow than I do tonight.”

  “But maybe we'll come up with some better ideas on how to handle what we're feeling, “ she pointed out. “Maybe by morning, the solution will be right in front of us.”

  He gave her a dubious look, then said, “Maybe. In the meantime, why don't I feed you dinner? Then, after that we can—”

  “Top things off with that fantastic sex we discussed earlier?”

  Travis chuckled. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  TRAVIS ROLLED OVER and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. A little after three in the morning. Man, he needed to stop thinking about Dani and fall asleep. At this rate, he'd be dead on his feet in the morning.

  The problem was, he couldn't get his brain to shut off. All he could focus on was the knowledge that not only was he falling for Dani, but that she was falling for him, too.

  On one hand, he was happy she felt what he did. They were good together, and they both knew it. But on the other hand, getting seriously involved was the last thing either of them wanted or needed to do at the moment. They had too many important things happening right now, things they couldn't risk on the chance that what they were feeling would last.

  He hadn't a clue what was the right thing to do, not only for himself, but also for Dani. He knew he couldn't ask her to stay here on the ranch with him any more than she could ask him to go to New York with her. Max depended on him. He couldn't leave.

  And if they tried to make things work long-distance, would they instead kill what was growing between them?

  He sighed and continued to stare at the ceiling. Maybe this was why he'd never fallen in love before—it was complicated and messy. Why would people want to put themselves through this?

  But deep inside, he knew that wasn't why he hadn't fallen in love before. The bottom line was, he'd never fallen because he was meant to be with Dani. She was truly one of a kind. He'd known it years ago when they'd been friends, and he knew it now.

  He also knew he'd never meet another woman like her.

  The faint ringing of a phone startled him. Out of habit, he grabbed his cell phone on the bedside table, but quickly realized the noise was coming from Dani's purse. It had to be her cell phone ringing.

  He turned on the light by the bed and then walked across the room to get her purse. When he returned to the bed, Travis lightly shook her. “Dani, your phone is ringing.”

  One thing he'd learned about Dani the last few nights was she didn't wake up easily. She slept so soundly that it took several seconds to get her even to acknowledge he'd spoken to her. When she finally opened her eyes, she groaned when Travis handed her the purse.

  “Who would call me in the middle of the night?” she asked as she dug for the phone. The ringing had stopped by the time she found it. After a couple of seconds, a short beep let her know there was a message.

  Still muttering, she checked to see the number of the caller.

  “It's from my parents' house,” she said, tension in her voice, obviously awake now.

  Travis had a bad feeling about this. People didn't call in the middle of the night for no reason, and in his experience, they only called when the news was urgent and usually not good.

  As Dani listened to the message that had been left, her face grew pale.

  “She's missing,” Dani told him.

  “Who's missing?”

  “My grandmother,” Dani replied. “My father said she's disappeared.”

  Travis stood and started getting dressed while Dani returned the phone call from her father. From what he could gather from Dani's side of the conversation, Freda had called a cab about six this evening and then left without telling anyone where she was going.

  By the time Dani hung up, Travis was completely dressed and ready to go when she was. When he looked at her, she had tears in her eyes.

  “I won't be able to stand it if something happens to her,” Dani said softly.

  Travis felt as if a sword had pierced his chest. He sat next to her on the bed and wrapped his arms around her. As he held her close, he said, “Nothing will happen to her. We'll find her.”

  “I hope so. Freda does crazy things. She doesn't understand that not everyone in the world is good,” Dani said, wiping her tears. “Where could she have gone that she's not home yet?”

  “I don't know,” Travis admitted. “But let's go over to her house and see what we can do to help find her. And we will find her. Don't worry.”

  Dani nodded, but as they headed toward his truck, he could tell she didn't really believe him. To make her feel better, he reached down and took one of her hands in his.

  “It will be okay,” he assured her. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  “I hope you're right,” she whispered.

  Yeah, so did he.

  Chapter Eleven

  On the way to her parents' house, Dani was so upset she could barely talk. Fortunately, Travis was being sweet, as always, but she knew her parents would be im
possible to deal with. Repeatedly, on the phone, her father had mentioned how Freda was messing up the good night's sleep he needed so he could function the next day.

  The man was amazing. His own mother was missing and all he could talk about was how it was going to impact his job.

  Unbelievable.

  “What exactly happened?” Travis asked as he exited the interstate. “Why did she leave?”

  “Apparently, my father and grandmother got into a fight about the potential lawsuit. My father thinks she should just pay Carl what he wants and then sweep the whole thing under the carpet.” Dani sighed, knowing her father would never understand his own mother. If he understood her, he would never have suggested such a thing.

  “Naturally she refused,” Travis said.

  “Exactly. She refused then went to her room. My father said he didn't see her for a couple of hours, and the next thing he noticed was a cab pulling up in front of the house. Before he could stop her, she left.”

  Even saying that made Dani's chest tighten. Her grandmother was a smart lady, but she was also way too trusting. What if something terrible had happened to her?

  “When she left, did she take anything with her?” Travis asked.

  “Like what?”

  “A suitcase, clothes, that sort of thing.”

  “I don't know. I didn't think to ask my father, and he didn't mention it,” she admitted. Then she asked, “Where do you think she went?”

  “Maybe to a friend's house,” he said. “Or to a hotel to get away for a while and let the air clear.”

  Dani considered his suggestions, but she couldn't think of any friends that Freda had who would be close enough to welcome her to stay over. A hotel seemed the most likely possibility.

  “I'm sorry about this,” Dani told Travis as he pulled into the driveway of her parents' house.

  “First, you have nothing to be sorry about. Second, all that matters is that Freda's okay,” he told her.