Taking a Chance

by April Zyon

  “You got out, though, Cass. I hate to tell you this, but everyone has at least one of those relationships. Doesn’t matter how long, or short for that matter, we beat ourselves up for not seeing the obvious. You need to let it go, sweetheart. You have me now after all.” Travis grinned at her, pressing a light kiss to her lips as he kept them afloat. “Be happy, damn it, or I’m going to think you don’t really like me.” He laid one of his patented puppy dog looks on her.

  “Thank you.” When he gave her that look, she laughed. Shaking her head, she moved closer to him. “I do have you, and yes, I’m pretty darn tootin’ happy that I do.” Her hands moved to his chest and then up and carved through his hair once again. “I happen to really love having you, Travis Carver. I do believe I’m keeping you.”

  “Yay,” he said. A grin curled his lips up as he spun them around in the water slowly. “I planned on keeping you, Cassidy Milner. This just makes it so much easier when I ask you the big one. You’ll be less likely to punch me in the nose. Well, I hope anyway.”

  Cassidy laughed. “I don’t believe in hitting people I care about, Travis.” She had a feeling she knew what the big one was, but she was terrified to ask. She cared about Travis and now knew, after only a month, that she loved him.

  “Uh-huh,” he hummed. He brushed his nose to her cheek, followed by his lips that headed for her ear to nuzzle at the soft skin there. “Aren’t you going to ask? I was pretty sure you would, even had an internal bet going on how long you would hold out for before asking.”

  “How long had you expected me to hold out?” She smirked and leaned against him. “What is the big question?” she asked with a whimper when he moved them through the water toward the bank and a more shallow part of the pond. “Tell me, Travis.” She arched her neck so that he had more room to access that place she loved just at the base of her neck. “What is it that you want to ask me?”

  He chuckled and nibbled on her skin lightly, scraping his teeth over the sweet spot. “I’m not asking you here, sweetheart. I don’t have everything in place. I would ask, but that would completely ruin my entire master plan. You don’t want to mess with the master plan, do you?”

  “No, who am I to mess with a master plan? So, instead, why don’t we get out and take advantage of the sun and the blanket that we have there on the bank? I think that would be a marvelous plan, personally.”

  “Almost as good as the master plan. Not quite as elaborate, but it works.” Travis pushed up from the shallow water, holding onto her as he stood. “I am glad that you’re not pushing, though it does make me highly suspicious given all I’ve come to learn about you, my darling girl.”

  “Well, you know, sometimes a girl does just want to be surprised. Sometimes she wants to have the big question popped to her in such a way that it will take her breath away.” She was teasing him mostly. “And I don’t want to ruin any plans you might have made for us.”

  He nodded and shrugged. “While I’m glad you see the wisdom of my plan, still mildly freaked out by how calm you seem to be.” Dropping a kiss on her lips, he set her on her feet atop a sun-warmed rock. Grabbing up the blanket, he took it to a spot of scraggly grass to lay it out before returning for her. While she watched, he pushed his shorts off and stood proudly before her as naked as the day he was born.

  Cassidy watched him and grinned. “Not much of a hardship when I have you at my side. It’s not that hard to be able to give in and give up control for a time when it’s you that I’m giving that to. I don’t think I would be this chill and calm with anyone else.” She, too, peeled out of her swimsuit and dropped it onto the grass along with his.

  Scooping her up in his arms, he gave her a squeeze as he carried her over the couple feet of ground to the blanket. “Told you I was something special,” he said. “Why don’t you get comfortable while I grab one of the towels for your pillow, my lady? That and see if I can’t figure out where in that bag you hid the condoms.”

  “They’re at the very bottom. Now, hurry up, mister.” She turned to her back, closed her eyes, and waited on his return.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said. Crouching by the bag, he dug around. Pulling his hand out, he walked toward her with the long strip. “I’m not sure if I should feel mildly paranoid, or perhaps overwhelmed by the fact you stuck in ten condoms. What the hell, woman? I definitely didn’t have enough Wheaties this morning for ten.”

  Cassidy laughed and shrugged. “Well, I figured that it was better to have too many than not enough. I know you won’t use ten, but I could be hopeful, right?” She loved teasing him. “I simply put them into the bag and didn’t think of how many that there were on the strip.”

  “Uh-huh,” he grunted. Tearing one off, he dropped it into her hand. The remainder went onto the corner of the blanket. Next, he grabbed a towel and folded it a bit before rolling it. As he knelt next to her, he laid it down. “Your pillow.”

  “Thank you, kind sir.” Cassidy took the pillow and placed it under her head. Once she was comfortable, she shifted slightly and smiled up at him. “So, you have a condom, I have a pillow and blanket under me. What do you say about us getting a bit freaky together?”

  “Really? Freaky? What type of guy do you take me for, Ms. Milner?” He was grinning at her as he opened the condom wrapper. Settling down at her side, he set the condom on her stomach. His fingers trailed slowly up her torso to her breasts where he gently stroked his fingers to her nipple.

  “Well, I was taking you for Travis Carver, love of my life. Man of my dreams.” Cassidy felt the color drain from her face. Holy shit. Had she just told him she loved him? At the look on his face, yep, she had. No taking it back now, though. “I do, you know,” she whispered softly. “Love you, that is.”

  “Holy shit,” he whispered. Leaning over, her he kissed her hard and fast as he rolled her toward him. When he pulled back, Travis was breathing hard as he stared into her eyes. “I love you too, Cassidy Milner. I think I have since you kidnapped me. You definitely had a good hold on my heart at that moment.”

  “As you did mine.” She reached up and touched his cheek, smiling. “You are the first man I’ve ever said that to.” Her admission was spoken very quietly. “Even when I was engaged to Scott, I never told him I loved him. I should have known then that I was in the wrong relationship. I think that now, though, I’m in the right one.” With him, it was perfect. It was real, and it was right.

  “You think?” he asked. He rolled his eyes at her. “You know, if I didn’t have a healthy ego from years of shit and abuse from my siblings, I think I might be more than a little bent by that. You think,” he muttered.

  Cassidy was grinning and shrugged. “Hey, I can’t be sure until a big question is asked of me. That’s when I will be completely and one hundred percent certain.” She leaned up and kissed him. “I love you, Travis Carver. Now let’s make use of that condom?”

  Growling at her, he rolled her over to her back, his body sliding over hers. “How about you slide that condom on me? Might help me get over the fact that you have to think about anything in regards to me, sweetheart.”

  “Sounds good.” She grabbed the condom and winked at him. Putting it into her mouth, she wiggled down his body and before he could protest, slid the condom onto his waiting cock with her mouth, her tongue smoothing it down as well as her lips. She moved upon him for several minutes, lathing his sheathed cock with her tongue. When she pulled back, she licked her lips. “Cherry flavor, nice.”

  He was trying to laugh around a groan. It was pretty choked-sounding. “Glad you approve,” he said. Catching her lips, he kissed her gently, teasing her tongue with his as he settled over her, his latex-covered cock rubbing to her pussy lightly. He rolled them over and put her on top.

  Cassidy teased them both for a moment, shifting and moving on him as she did so. Her hands were braced on his shoulders, and she looked down at him when they came together. “God, I love the way that feels, every single time.” It was always like the first time an
d she loved it.

  Reaching up, he stroked her cheek gently with his rough fingertips. He let her take the lead, do as she wanted with him, stroking his fingers over her chest. Cupping her breasts, he pinched her nipples and rolled them slowly.

  Cassidy leaned back, her eyes closed. Her body undulated, hips rotating and all but dancing upon him. She moaned a slow and low sound in the back of her throat as she rocked upon his shaft.

  “Damn,” he groaned out. His hand slid down over her belly to her pussy, where he buried his thumb to rub at her clit. “Faster, sweetheart. Harder,” he encouraged her. His free hand landed on her hip and he squeezed gently.

  She began to move, taking more of his cock out of her body only to slam down again, all without hurting him. “Travis, damn, that feels good.” His thumb stroking her clit had her seeing stars. They just started and already she was close. It just wasn’t fair.

  His hand was clenching on her hip over and over. “Fuck, that feels good,” he said. He was already panting as he lifted his hips to meet her, slamming his cock up into her pussy. “Close, Cass, so fucking close.”

  “Thank God, because I am too. Fucking hell.” She cried out with a hoarse sob as she climaxed. Cassidy’s pussy clenched at Travis’s cock and she demanded his orgasm as well.

  He flipped their positions around, putting her on the bottom again, lifting one of her legs up high. “Another one,” he growled at her. His cock slid into her pussy as she quaked from her orgasm, another building before the first had even thought to subside. “Give me another one, Cassidy.”

  Cassidy looked up into his eyes and grinned. When he moved her leg so that one was on his shoulder and the other at his hips, she fisted her hands in the blanket below her. She moved along with him as best she could and then she couldn’t hold back another moment, couldn’t stop the building orgasm, and screamed as she tilted her head back and came.

  He grunted as he slammed into her one more time before his body stilled. His back was arched, his head thrown back as he yelled her name. After a moment, he collapsed over her, his body shaking as he fought for air.

  Cassidy blindly reached for Travis and wrapped her arms around him. She was gasping for air, but smiling like an idiot. “Mercy,” she whispered happily. “Loved that feeling, so much. Think we have to do that a lot. Often.”

  “Later,” he gasped. She could hear him swallow before levering up onto a shaky elbow. “Much later. Need to recover, just a little. Maybe some food,” he added. Slipping an arm around her, he rolled them over so she was lying on top of him.

  “Later,” she said right back to him, grinning as she did so. “Much later. For now, just being held by you is what I want and need.” She moved so she could rest her cheek to his chest and sighed. “Perfect,” she whispered before dropping off into a light doze.

  Chapter Ten

  After dinner later that night, Travis’s phone finally rang. Cassidy nearly came out of her skin since it was right next to her. He paused the movie they were watching to answer it. “It’s Rhys,” he said quietly to her. “Rhys, what do you have?” Travis met her gaze, staring at her as he grunted and gave the occasional “uh-huh” to the other man. She couldn’t get a read on what he was being told. His poker face was that good. “Right, thanks Rhys. We’ll expect them in the morning,” he said before saying his goodbye and hanging up.

  Cassidy looked at Travis and bit her lower lip. “Okay, who are we expecting in the morning?” She prayed it was Rhys’s friends and not trouble. She could live without trouble for the next, oh say, forever. “What’s going on?” She moved to touch Travis and wasn’t surprised when he pulled her closer and wrapped her in a tight hug.

  “Simon and Anthony will be coming to stay with us for a few days. Victor would have come too, but he was vetoed. He only protested once, though, so I doubt it was actually a big deal. As to the rest.” He heaved a big sigh and squeezed her closer to him. “Apparently, Scott is in a very, very deep, dark hole of trouble. Had you just left him, leaving everything behind and not taking half of everything like you did, he’d be okay. Not great, but okay. He’d still owe a shit load of money, but he wouldn’t be about two days from death row with his dealer, who—and this is all according to what they could find—does not take kindly to those that stiff him. He does like to make a person such as Scott a symbol to all his other clients as to why no one ever stiffs him when the bill comes due. The really bad news, and why the guys will be moving into casa Carver for a time, is that the word on the street has Scott selling you out to the dealer. Rhys isn’t sure, but he’s betting the dealer will be sending someone to collect. Overall, Scott is fucked, and we’re in some serious trouble too.”

  “Fabulous.” Cassidy just shook her head. “I just…wow.” She didn’t know what to say about that, at all. “Should your mom move in with Rhys and Gwen for a time? To ensure that she’s safe as well?” She felt even worse because she had brought this trouble to the Carver Ranch. “I’m so sorry, Travis. I never meant to cause you and your family trouble.”

  “They’ve already talked to her about it. She’ll be coming home for a bag and then heading over to the Hollister Ranch.” Travis lifted her into his lap and hugged her close to him. “You have nothing to apologize for, Cassidy. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, you are not responsible for the actions of this weak and deceitful individual. We have warning that there might be something coming. Rhys is talking to a few other buddies from the Corps, those closer to Miami, to see if they can get word out that you have nothing to do with him or his dealings. It might work, it might not. If they are anything like Rhys, though, I’m sure they’ll reinforce the point, permanently. For now, I don’t want you to worry. We’re going to be just fine, okay?”

  Cassidy nodded and sighed. “Maybe we should send Joshua and Alison off as well? I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I knew something happened to them because of me and the trouble that is following me.” She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what the best solution to anything would be and it was driving her nuts.

  “Josh wouldn’t leave even if I hog-tied him and stuffed him into the truck. He’s just as stubborn as I am, likely more given he’s one of the youngest in this family. Ali won’t go without him, which I fully understand. I wouldn’t leave you any more than you’d leave me behind, right? For now, we’re okay. Later we will reevaluate.”

  “Okay.” Cassidy took a deep breath and nodded. “As long as you say so and as long as Josh is able to keep Ali close to him and safe.” She was worried about the young woman, a new friend to Cassidy who she adored. “Well, I guess all that we can do for now is just live life and be cautious, right?”

  “I’ll talk to Josh in the morning, tell him what may be coming this way. I need to anyway so he can update the hands as well. He’ll watch out for Ali, I’ll watch out for you, and Simon and Anthony will keep watch over us all.” Travis tipped her chin up gently, brushing a light kiss to her lips. “We won’t stop living just because this asshole his trying to cover his ass by sacrificing you. I dare those city slickers to venture into Texas.”

  “Good.” Cassidy smiled and leaned into Travis. “I’m so glad that I came home.” She rubbed her nose to his. “If I hadn’t, I don’t think I ever would have found love because I never would have found you.” She was happy—scared about what might or might not come their way, but she was happy all in all.

  “Love you too, sweetheart.” He smiled before tucking her head back under his chin. Leaning back on the sofa, he kept her wrapped up in his arms, stroking his fingers gently over her arm. “I hate to mention it, but this does put a minor crimp in my master plan. Nothing huge, but a small one.”

  “Maybe it is the universe’s way of telling you that you need to wait for that master plan and all?” She knew what he was going to ask her and knew she was going to shout yes, but with all that was going on, maybe it was best if he waited.

  “I personally don’t want to wait,” he said softly. “I’m not going
to stop living our life for this idiot. It’s a minor adjustment, but I plan on making it work because we both deserve it. Trust in me, Cass. This will work out, perhaps better than my original plan. A little happiness is needed, and even a little pleasure, to remind us why we’re living and breathing in this life.”

  “That sounds wonderful to me,” Cassidy said with a happy grin. “For now, why don’t you press play on the DVD so that we can finish off our movie? I really would like to finish it so that we can go upstairs and get a nice, lovely hot bath, just the two of us?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Chuckling softly, he hit the button on the remote. Dropping the remote to the side, he wrapped his arm back around her. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, sweetheart. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever.”

  “That’s good because I’m not going to let anything happen to you either. You are mine, Travis Carver, and I am waiting for that big question from you so we have to keep each other safe, right?”

  “Good point. Maybe I should wait, just so you keep me around for a while.” He was teasing her again. Shifting, he tucked her under him on the sofa, wrapping his arms around her as he settled over her. “Not that I’d make you wait. I don’t think I can wait to be perfectly honest. If I hadn’t come up with my awesome master plan, I’d totally just pop the question right here and now. Well, maybe not now, but when I had collected what I needed to make it all nice and official.”

  “Oh no, with the way that you have gone on about this master plan, I want you to wait. I want to know what all the hubbub is about so that I can look back on it and later in our lives tease you about how long you made me wait.” The question was one she couldn’t hardly wait for as well. It was one she had been aching for him to ask for some time now.