by Hart, Lea
She patted his arm and drank her juice. “I don’t need anyone watching out for me. I’m not some dingbat with all the sense that God promised a rock. I’m a highly intelligent person with a successful career and a happy life.”
“Then why are you choosing such risky behavior?”
“I’m stretching my wings and trying new things. I’m in the process of creating something new. I’m not going to live some boring, safe life where I don’t take any risks. I’m going to have an interesting life, even if it kills me.”
“It just might, if you’re not careful.”
“It’s a risk that I’m willing to take. I don’t know why I’m explaining this to you. You’re probably the biggest risk taker around. What have you been doing for the past fifteen years? I’m guessing it’s not sitting in an office making safe and appropriate decisions. I wonder how many close calls you’ve had.”
“It’s different, because I’ve been trained to take those risks. I’m not doing it for some thrill. I’m doing it to protect my country.”
“That might be true, but I’m guessing that you chose your line of work because you knew it was going to be exciting and adventurous.”
“I did it mostly because I wanted to be in a fraternity of hard men and be able to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. I’m also not averse to taking a few risks.”
“I just want a little bit of adventure for the rest of my life. I’m making my decisions based on how much I’m going to grow from the experience and not what’s going to be the safe decision. I would think that you would understand that better than anyone.”
“I feel crazy protective of you, and I’m not sure why. I want to keep you in a bubble and make sure that nothing ever happens to you.”
“How awful. I’ve spent the last ten years of my life with nothing happening. I want the rest of my life to be filled with things happening.”
Their breakfast arrived, and they both looked down at their plates and were quiet for a moment. Cary looked over and studied the man sitting next to her. “Have you ever experienced these feelings with anyone else?”
“No, I haven’t, and if I could make them go away, I would. I don’t think that’s going to happen, though, so you’re stuck with me until I figure it out.” He studied her and tried to figure how freaked out she was but couldn’t tell, and that made him wonder if she was paying attention.
Cary grabbed the ketchup and poured a little on her eggs. She was about to put the bottle back when Travis took it from her hand. She watched him put ketchup on his eggs as well. “You know, most people think it’s disgusting to put ketchup on eggs.”
“Really? It’s the only way I can eat them. Do you want my hash browns?”
“Sure, I love hash browns. Do you want my sausage?”
“Sure.” They passed food to each other’s plate and started to eat. They sat in compatible silence as they worked on their meals. Marsha came up to refill their coffee cups, and Travis asked for an order of pancakes. “This was great, but I’m a growing boy, and I need some pancakes. Baby, do you want anything else?”
“No, thank you. This is more than I usually eat.”
Travis looped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer as he kissed her head. “If you want adventure-I’m your man. I have fifteen years of experience, and I want to share it with you. I could be your own personal adventure.”
“Maybe. What can you manage in the next couple of hours before you drop me off at the bus station?”
He looked at her and let his eyes run up and down her body and his gaze rest on her mouth. “I can manage a lot in a couple of hours. Would you like to go back to my room? Because I haven’t checked out yet.”
“We already did that. I meant something new.”
“Are you telling me that once was enough for you? Are you honestly saying that you’ve had your fill? There’s nothing else that you want to try together?”
“Is that all you’re offering me…adventure sex? I was hoping that you might have more up your sleeve than that.”
“I’m not just offering sex, it was the first thing that came to mind. Pick what you want to do and I’ll make it happen.”
“Well, now that you said sex….I may have an idea or two. I want to be in charge once and be the leader of the mission. I want you to do what I say.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and tried to determine if he was totally turned off.
A big smile spread across his face as his eyes sparkled with mischief. “So you want to have at me…is that what you’re asking?”
She looked down at her hands and nodded her head. She felt his hand on her chin as he lifted her face so that he could look into her eyes. “I want you to look me in the eye and tell me what you want.”
She felt embarrassed, which made her mad. “Fine. You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever met. I will probably never have another chance like this, and I want a shot at getting what I want. Are you happy? I’ve embarrassed myself completely.”
He leaned down, ran his mouth up her neck and let his lips rest against a spot behind her ear. He felt her shiver as he pressed his mouth against her skin. The smell of her shampoo enveloped him and played with his senses as he whispered in her ear, “I’ll follow every direction you give me and look forward to whatever you have in mind. I happily give you control and look forward to following your directions.” She turned her head, and he ran his mouth up to hers and pressed his lips against hers. This was going to be the best road trip of his life, and if he got lucky he would have a girlfriend at the end of it.
She placed her hand on his face and deepened the kiss for a moment. This was a man who was probably capable of a lot of adventure. By the end of their time together, she probably wouldn’t be the same person. That’s what she wanted most, to be completely different at the end of all of this. The kiss was interrupted when Marsha brought over the pancakes. She smiled at the two of them and walked away.
Travis plowed through his pancakes in record time, and Cary watched with faint amusement. A smile played at her lips as she sipped her coffee and watched him eat. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything so impressive in a long time.”
“I’ve spent the last fifteen years in the navy and the very first week in Coronado I learned to eat fast and eat a lot. If you didn’t do either of those things you were not going to be able to stay. The instructors could pull you if they thought you were not eating enough.”
She watched him wipe his mouth and take a sip of coffee. She found herself slightly mesmerized as she thought about what he’d done earlier with his mouth. Travis’s face looked like a piece of roughhewn wood. He was handsome but there was nothing soft about his features. Except his mouth. He had a soft full mouth, and looking at it messed with her brain-waves and left her confused. She shook her head and focused on the conversation. “Did you always know that you wanted to be a SEAL?”
“It was my first choice. I also thought about joining the Rangers or Delta, but I’m damn happy I made it through and I got my trident. It was the happiest day of my life. I felt like it was the beginning of everything….and it was.”
“Is that why this time is so hard for you, because it’s the end of everything?”
“Yeah, I’m not taking it well. I knew it would end, and I wasn’t as ready as I wanted to be. I thought I would have more time. I’ve been shot up plenty before, and I always made it back. On this the last op, I sustained damage to my ear from the blast and I can no longer dive. Also, my shoulder is pretty torn up. If you can’t dive and jump out of airplanes, then you can’t be an active SEAL.”
“What if you get to do a lot of the same stuff…only for the private sector?”
“I guess I’ll find out when I go to work in the fall. Max is one of the best men I know, and I’ve enjoyed working with him in the past, so I have high expectations. I know most of the guys already because they’re all retired from the Teams.”
“One of the teachers I work with has a sister
who married a SEAL. Catalina’s sister is named Rory, and I can’t seem to remember the name of the man she married.”
“Rory is married to Max, the man I’m going to work with. It’s a small world, after all.”
“I think I might have met some of the men from his company when I was visiting Cat. The security system at her house was going crazy, so there were a bunch of men working on it. I can’t remember their names, though. I think one of them had a crush on Cat, but she was totally immune.”
“That must be Frank. He’s had a crush on Catalina for a long time, and I don’t think it’s going away.”
Cary heard her phone buzz, and she pulled it out of her purse and looked at the message. As she read it, she felt tears gather in the corner of her eyes. This was turning out to be a horrible day. She responded to the message and looked out into the restaurant blindly as she tried to take the news in.
Travis watched her, put his arm around her shoulders and felt her start to crumple against him. “Baby, are you OK?”
He watched her take a quick swipe at her eyes as she tried to pull herself together. “I just got a message from my contractor, and he’s informed me that he’s quit. He got offered a bigger project, and he’s going to take it. How can he leave me in the middle of my renovation?”
“What can I do to help?”
“Can you give me a ride to the nearest big town? I’m going to rent a car and head home and sort out this mess. It will be much faster than taking the bus.”
“I’ll drive you home.”
“No, you have a road trip to go on. I just need to get to a town that has rental cars.”
“Absolutely not. I will drive you home.”
“Travis, I can’t ask you to do that. I’m used to being on my own, and I’m not comfortable with you doing all of this.”
“You’re not asking….I’m insisting. I’m not going to give you a choice.”
“How very bossy of you.”
“Tell me about what you’re having done at home.”
“I bought a small house, and I’m having it redone. The contractor had been working on it for about a month before I left, and it seemed to be going well. All my stuff is in a storage pod in my driveway, and I wasn’t planning on being home until the end of summer, when it would be mostly done.”
“One of the guys from the Teams has a brother who’s a contractor. I can call him and see if he has time for a new project. He worked on Birdie’s house and business and also redid Max and Rory’s house. Do you want me to see if he can go and take a look at it?”
“That would be great. Maybe he can give me an idea how long it would take to complete. Do you think he would be willing to take on the project?”
He pulled out his phone and texted Adam to see if he had the time to take a look at it. Marsha came over with the bill and Cary grabbed it before Travis could get his hands on it. “Why are you taking the bill? He asked.
“I’m not going to let you pay for breakfast. You’re going to drive me home. It’s the least I can do. I also want to pay for gas and any other expenses that we incur.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.”
“I’m not going to let you pay, so you can just forget it.”
Cary turned toward him and took his hand. “I can more than afford to pay my way and any expenses that come up.”
He ran his thumb over the top of her hand as he looked into her pretty tiger eyes. “Are you rich, Cary? I didn’t know that kindergarten teachers were pulling in the big bucks these days.”
“I inherited a fairly substantial estate from my parents, and I seem to be good at investing.”
“You’re rich and you drove your old wagon on a road trip?”
“Yes, we’ve already discussed it, and if you want to spend any more time with me then you’ll not bring it up again. I did and I learned my lesson and I’ve moved on. I suggest you do the same.”
“All right, I won’t talk about it. I just feel strangely protective of you and I worry about what could’ve happened to you.”
“Nothing happened. I want you to know that I have no tolerance for people who bring up every mistake you’ve made over and over again.”
“Can I ask you why?”
“My parents were highly accomplished professionals, and they were pretty tough on me while I was growing up. I worked really hard not to disappoint them by always doing the right thing. I loved them and I think they did the best that they could, but they were not people who should have been parents. They passed away when I was in college and it was devastating and horrible, but it also freed me from all of their unrealistic expectations. People make mistakes, screw up and make bad decisions, and yet the world goes on. The earth doesn’t stop spinning. Most of the time I think we learn from our mistakes, and if we don’t, the universe will give us several more opportunities to figure it out.”
“What about your siblings?” How did they take it?”
“I’m an only child, and my parents were only children. I have no family.”
“You can have some of mine. I have a lot of family, and half of them are crazy.”
“I have a family of friends and a lot of wonderful people in my life.”
He leaned forward and rested his head against hers. “You have me now.” He felt her small hand run up his cheek, and he lifted his head and looked into her eyes and fell hard. Just like that, she had his heart, and there was nothing that he could do to change it. He dipped his head, touched his mouth against hers and pressed his lips to hers as he let his heart fall against hers. “Let’s get on the road and get you home and get your house fixed up.”
“Thank you, Travis. You’re one of the kindest men I’ve ever met.”
It was a start. He had a long way to go, but at least it was a start. “Let’s go, sweetheart.” He grabbed the check out of her hand. “I’m still not going to let you pay for meals.” He watched her roll her eyes and smile.
“We’ll see about that.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was around three by the time they got in Travis’s truck and headed south toward San Diego. “Are you sure you don’t mind taking me home? I’m more than happy to rent a car.”
“I want to do this. You’ll be staying with me until your house is done. Adam said he would meet us at your house in the morning, and once he takes a look at the house, we’ll know what our next step will be.”
“You can drop me off at a hotel, and I can take a cab back to my house in the morning.”
“Why are you trying to get rid of me?”
“Our one-night stand has turned into you becoming a white knight and saving me. I don’t have a lot of experience in this area, but I’m guessing this isn’t the usual outcome. I doubt people expect breakfast, much less all of the things you’re doing.”
“Why do you keep calling this a one-night stand? I thought we were going to spend the summer together on a road trip. I never thought of this as a one-night stand.”
“I did.”
“You were mistaken. That was never what this was going to be. I think of this as a detour or side trip. We can go back out once we get your house situation organized.”
“You’re dictatorial, and I’m not sure I’m enjoying this part of your personality.”
“That’s OK. I have lots of other parts that you might enjoy more. I’m surprised that you’re not willing to take the opportunity to spend a night in bed together again. You said you wanted to be in charge, and this is your chance. Maybe it was all talk and you want to go back to your routine.”
“Travis Mathers that’s a very low form of persuasion, and I’m surprised that you’re willing to stoop that low.”
“You have no idea what I’m willing to do…”
“I think I may need to find out. Do you have any handcuffs at home?”
His head swiveled around, and he very slowly replied, “I don’t have a pair of handcuffs.”
“I guess we’ll have to improvise, then. I have
a feeling that I’m going to have to tie you down and subdue you before you’re going to let me be in charge of anything.”
“Is there anything that you want to tell me about your sexual preferences? Is this a regular occurrence with you?”
“Are you asking me if I’m going to go Fifty Shades on you and show you my red room?”
“I’ve no idea what you just said, but I feel like I should.”
“Another time. It would take me too long to explain. I want to be on top, and I think I’m going to have to tie you down to get there.”
“I want you to know that I gratefully and enthusiastically submit to your power. You can be on top and do whatever you want to me.”
She squinted and tried to determine how sincere he was. “I don’t really believe you, and I may still want to tie you up to make sure.”
“You do whatever you feel is necessary.”
She studied him a moment longer and nodded. She had a feeling that tying him up was going to be the only way he was going to follow directions. As she looked out the window and studied the flat brown landscape, she realized that having an opportunity with a man like Travis was going to be short-lived and she wanted to take advantage of it while she could. She tipped her head back against the seat, closed her eyes and felt his big hand cover hers. Prying one eye open, she studied him and noticed that he looked straight ahead with a very satisfied grin. She wondered what he had to feel so satisfied about, because she was going to be the one in charge.
Travis concentrated on the road as much as he could while the images of Cary on top ran through his mind. She had to be the most appealing woman he’d ever met. She had the sincerity of a nun, the body of a show-girl and apparently the appetite of a full-grown woman. If he had to draw up the perfect woman for himself, he couldn’t have come up with a more perfect combination. How was it that he found the woman of his dreams in a biker bar in Ripley, California? It looked like all of his good luck had returned in spades.
Somehow he’d met a girl who’d managed to make him smile and change his world. It was a simple as that…he’d met a girl. He flipped on the radio and turned it down low and wondered what kind of music she liked to listen to. If their tastes were opposite, they could just take turns when they were in the car. Or they could just compromise and pick something they both liked. Or they could just listen to whatever she liked-that was probably the best idea.
