Even without touching him, Rio could feel the tension in his body as he paced Sadie’s kitchen.
“I shouldn’t let her go. This is ridiculous. Holidays away from home weren’t a part of the bargain,” he seethed.
“What made her change her mind?” Sadie asked.
Travis shrugged helplessly. “I’m not sure. She was against it. Now she says she wants to see where Laura is living. She said maybe she can find out why her mother abandoned us.”
Rio sat in the corner and let the two of them mull over the problem. It wasn’t her business, but she cared about the outcome. Travis’s disappointment was apparent on his face, the worry in his eyes; the downturn of his lips. She longed to wrap her arms around him, yet she didn’t dare.
The last thing she needed to do right now was to bridge the distance she was creating inch-by-inch, day-by-day.
Chapter 21
The day before Jessa was supposed to leave, Rio brought up the topic while they were saddling the horses up for their lesson with Sadie.
“Your dad is worried he’ll lose you to your mom,” Rio told her when the girl growled about the hassle Travis had been giving her.
Jessa glanced up over Barnaby’s back as she adjusted the saddle. “God, no.”
The contempt in Jessa’s voice surprised Rio, but she didn’t remark on it.
“I have no desire to live with her,” Jessa continued. “I hardly know what her life is all about. Believe me, my memory of her leaving is pretty solid.”
“Then why go?”
“Curiosity. I might find some kind of answers as to why she left us. Why we weren’t good enough for her.”
Rio sighed. “Why do you have to leave for Christmas?”
“I know it’s not the best time, but I can go with my grandma. She won’t be staying for more than a few days, then I’ll be home before New Year’s Eve.”
With a nod, Rio unclipped Fleur from the crossties. She glanced at Jessa. “All right. You see why your dad is upset, right?”
“I get it, Rio. And I’ve been horrible to him lately. I feel bad about everything. I’m going to try to explain it. And make sure my mom understands I’m staying put with my dad.” Jessa paused long enough to tighten the girth around Barnaby’s middle and detach him from the crossties as well.
As they started toward the indoor riding arena, Jessa added, “And this will give you and my dad some alone time.” There was a playfulness in her voice.
The heat of a blush raced up into Rio’s cheeks and lingered despite the chilly conditions inside the big arena. Alone time with Travis sounded like a dream, but maybe it would be too far out of her reach given the direction her thoughts had been taking her lately. One more time would have to see her through the rest of her life.
“Christmas with Sadie too,” she said, not confirming or denying she would be spending any “alone time” with Travis.
Rio let the conversation go as Sadie joined them. Dear Sadie wouldn’t be giving them any breaks because Christmas was right around the corner. She’d declared they could call her the Grinch when they were in the ring and, if anything, she’d make them work harder.
“My gift to you, ladies,” she said, with a touch of humor in her voice. “We are on a countdown now. Five months—no, less than five months until your first show. You both need to be stunning. I’ll accept no less.”
Sadie worked them until Rio’s butt ached. Then, after she had them walk their horses out at the end of the two-hour session, she made Rio saddle Dante up and head to the ring.
And that was how the day progressed. At least Sadie had been kind enough to give compliments when due. By the end of the session with Dante, Rio felt as if she’d run a triathlon.
“Five more months of this and you’ll be winning nothing but blues,” Sadie assured her when Dante and the other horses were in their stalls and enjoying their dinners.
“Unless I’m in traction.”
Sadie waved a hand. “Oh, a nice hot bath with Epsom salts, unless you like those fancy, smelly ones, and you’ll be fit to do this again tomorrow. Which I expect.”
Rio withheld a groan. Grateful for everything Sadie had given her, the last thing she’d do would start grumbling about some hard work. “I’ll be here with bells on.”
Sadie narrowed her eyes. “I’ve been seeing the flighty look again, Rio. Hope I’m all wrong about it. I don’t think I am.”
Coldness filled Rio’s belly, sending a shiver through her blood. “No,” she said. Her protest lacked any muscle. “I’m processing what happened down in Springfield with my brother and mother.”
That was true enough. She didn’t want to lie to Sadie. The woman would see right through it.
“Pretty awful from what Travis said. Listen, I understand it shook you up. You’re stronger than that. Let it go. Let them go, Rio, before they destroy you.”
“I have a feeling my mother would like nothing more than to see me destroyed.”
“People like her aren’t worth a damn. You’re safe from her. She can’t hurt you here. Even if she did figure out where you were, you’re safe.”
The ice in Rio’s stomach began to melt and the tension eased from her muscles, though she felt far from convinced. “You don’t know my mother,” she said in a low voice. Talking about her made Rio’s insides twist with an ugly zeal. “If there’s a way she’ll find it.”
Sadie gave Rio’s arm a squeeze. Days ago her mother had made a similar move, yet the two gestures couldn’t be compared. One touch had been cold and hateful, the other loving and supporting. “She won’t get close. You have my word. This is your life now, Rio. If you want it, it’s yours to take. And I think you want it.”
“With all my heart,” Rio whispered before the hot rush of tears coursed down her cheeks.
So she stayed through Christmas. Before Travis reluctantly delivered Jessa to his ex-mother-in-law, Rio gave her the present she purchased at the mall. Jessa was thrilled when she opened it. Her enthusiastic approval and hug flowed warmly through Rio. She glanced over at Travis from the circle of his daughter’s arms. The man was practically beaming.
Rio left father and daughter alone when it finally came to their goodbyes, opting to go to Cobble Creek to work while Travis drove Jessa to her grandmother’s.
Instead of returning home afterward, Travis showed up at Sadie’s. He had the day off, and claimed he didn’t feel like being alone. He grabbed a shovel and wheelbarrow and worked alongside Rio to clean stalls.
They worked in silence. Rio stole glances at him every few minutes, noting the tightness of his jaw, and the way he frowned over his work. She could tell his mind wasn’t on the job at hand. Too much trouble lurked in his eyes.
Rio rested her pitchfork against the wall and walked up to him. Silently she wrapped her arms around him.
For a moment he stood there, shovel in hand, body stiff. Slowly he melted into her. The shovel fell to the floor and his arms slid easily around her. He nestled his face in the crook of her shoulder and inhaled deeply, his breath warm against her skin and his hands, smoothing down her back, creating more flames.
The simple embrace she’d started turned into something else. Even through the layers of clothes, the sweaters and heavy jackets, she could feel the strong, quickening thud of his heart.
“Travis,” she sighed against his shoulder.
His hands slid under her jacket, under the hem of her shirt, finding her skin.
Rio moaned, leaning her body in closer as his lips pressed kisses into her hair.
“I love you,” Travis whispered between kisses. “Please let me bring you upstairs and show you. I’ve missed you so much.”
With another sigh, Rio sank, body and mind into his words and caresses. “Sadie. I don’t know when she’ll be home.”
“At ten-thirty? Oh God, Travis, that feels so damned good.”
His lips trekked down her cheek and took possession of her mouth in a languid kiss that made her want to push further into him.
“Fine,” she murmured against his lips. “I can’t say no to you.”
Travis swept her into his arms and carried her effortlessly up to her apartment, his mouth still insistent against hers.
He placed her on her bed and stood back, his eyes hooded and smoky. Want blazed wildly inside Rio with an aggression that surprised her. She needed him more than the air she breathed. No matter where their future lay. Whether she braved the threat of her mother’s reemergence into her life and stayed at Cobble Creek, which had become more of a home than any place she’d ever lived, or whether she ran away as far as she could to not only protect herself, but those she loved dearly. Right at this moment she needed to love Travis with all the flaming passion roaring through her veins.
Rising to her knees in the center of the mattress, Rio shed her jacket, tossing it to the floor. She kept her gaze on Travis as he began to strip too, loving his body with her eyes, every strong, muscular plane.
She unbuttoned her shirt, feeling his stare as physically as if he’d been touching her with those hands. Wordless, she slipped off her bra then unfastened her jeans, sliding them over her hips with an inviting wiggle, pulling her panties off with them, leaving her completely naked under his hot gaze.
Before he could remove his pants, Rio crawled to the end of the bed and gripped his waist. She gazed up at him silently, running the tips of her fingers across his bare flesh until they came in contact with the button of his pants.
“Let me,” she said roughly and released the button.
Travis’s breath grew rapid and coarse as she pulled the zipper down with brutal slowness. She kissed the center of his chest, flicking her tongue against his skin. Her fingers teased the bulge of his crotch before applying more pressure, tracing the erection that waited for her.
Reluctantly, she drew her hands away, shifting them instead around his back. With more force, she slid her hands down inside his jeans, underneath his briefs, and cupped his buttocks, relishing in the bare, muscular smoothness.
“Rio.”
She smiled against his stomach, dotting his skin with soft kisses and a flickering tongue. Slowly she eased his jeans down, letting the touch of her fingers explore his flesh more fully, stroking his inner thighs until she came in contact with his balls.
His strong erection pushed with rock-hard insistence against her breastbone. Dipping her head, she brushed her tongue against the tip of his penis, eliciting a long groan from Travis. The sound drove her on to encircle the head with her lips, pulling away, then returning for more. Deeper she drew him in, retreating slowly before sliding down.
Her heart beat relentlessly in her chest. She’d never done this before and fear swirled with erotic excitement. Travis’s hands gripped her shoulders and again he groaned low in his throat, gritting out her name over and over.
She would have seen this to the end, but Travis pulled away.
“Did I do it wrong?” she asked breathlessly, afraid of his answer.
“No, darling, you’re doing it too right, but I don’t want to finish that way. Damn, Rio, you look so innocent and scared. Don’t.”
“How should I look?” Rio pushed against him, sliding her breasts along his torso. Her anxiety over her performance dissipated, replaced with the bold sensuality that had enveloped her before. “What do you want, Travis? You tell me and you can have it.”
“Oh, darling,” he sighed and caressed her cheek. Smoothly, he swiveled her around so her back was to his chest, his erection pushing against her. One hand slid around and cupped her breast, his fingers pinching the already peaked nipple. “You tempt me to do all sorts of things to you,” he whispered in her ear.
The heat in his words thrilled her, along with the way his teeth nipped at her ear, then along her jaw. His other hand traveled downward and slipped between her thighs. “You’re already so wet.” A finger skimmed against her tender flesh, probing the depths, before swirling against her already engorged bud. “Are we safe? Should I get protection?”
Rio could barely register his words. She could only manage a nod. “Safe.” She didn’t want him to stop. To lose his touch would devastate her.
“Okay,” he rasped. “Lean over, sweetheart. Kneel on the bed.”
She did what he commanded and felt his hands on her hips, the tip of his swollen arousal against her.
“Please.” She was close to begging. “I want you inside me.”
In one hot instant he complied, driving into her with a single swift thrust that took her breath away. Unspeakable ecstasy filled her at every fluid plunge, shooting her higher and higher until she thought he’d send her into space.
Before she could reach that point, Travis slid out of her. He kissed her neck, then turned her, and eased her onto the mattress. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he filled her once again, surging powerfully within her body, his mouth taking hers with a passion that rendered her mindless.
His hands slid across her abdomen, traveling up to fondle her breasts, slipping down to dip between her thighs, creating a friction that drove her crazy. “Oh God, Travis,” she ground out, arching her body so he had more access to her hot center.
He absorbed her cries with another kiss as her first orgasm sent her into orbit. But he wasn’t finished, now thrusting with resurgent need. As the fluttering in her thighs subsided, Rio felt it building again. And wanted more.
His breath came fast and ragged as he frantically drove into her bucking body. Only moments passed until he exploded with pulsating waves, calling out her name.
Collapsing over her, he slid his arms around her and rolled over so they were curled on the mattress, holding each other tightly.
“That was incredible.” Rio fought to catch her breath. “Oh my God, Travis, what do you do to me? You make me crazy.”
Travis laughed and gathered her closer, kissing her hair. “Happy to oblige, darling. All too happy. Thank you for letting me talk you into this lunch break.”
“I guess we should find something to eat. Otherwise Sadie will wonder why we’re so ravenous after taking a lunch break.”
“Only if we can stay naked.”
His idea was a good one. While putting together sandwiches in the kitchen, their rekindled desires had them making love in the kitchen before they ate. And again, as they tried to dress. Both were quickies, and Rio discovered they were no less intense or fulfilling.
Timing was on their side. Not five minutes after returning to work, Sadie walked in, none the wiser, commanding Rio to ready Fleur for their daily lesson. Rio glanced at Travis and chuckled. Riding after the romp they’d enjoyed could prove to be a challenge. She couldn’t very well beg off and ask for a break.
She worked through, and very soon forgot all about possible discomfort in favor of the strenuous lesson Sadie had planned for her. They worked for over an hour before Sadie allowed her to cool Fleur off and lead her into the stall.
While she groomed the horse, Travis hauled hay bales into the feed room, the same smile on his face. He didn’t look sore or walk funny.
She’d make him pay for that.
“I’m fine out in the apartment,” Rio declared for the third time, no less adamantly. Sadie crossed her arms over her chest, giving Rio a hard stare. Stubborn woman.
“No, ma’am. This is a family tradition. We all gather here Christmas Eve for dinner and stay over. Carla, Todd and the kids will be here. Travis will be here, and da
mn it, so will you.”
Family tradition. Rio thought of those words with sour memory. There had been no family traditions in the Presley household. Whatever she managed to do for Storm when they were young couldn’t be called much of anything. Certainly he wouldn’t think so. Not now.
A cold sensation roiled in the pit of her stomach. Betrayal. Even after all this time. It was plain stupid to feel that way. He’d been out of her life longer than he’d been in it, but how could he stand to link up with their mother after the hell she’d put them through?
Irritably, she shoved the thoughts aside. Thinking about him did her no good and right now Sadie was staring at her, waiting for an answer.
“You’re staying,” the older woman declared, slapping her fists on her denim-clad hips.
Rio recognized the stance, the fierce set of Sadie’s jaw, the way her forehead crinkled. The same expression she had in the riding ring when she was pounding some point into Rio’s or Jessa’s head. Sadie’s fighting look.
The expression didn’t hold for more than a few seconds. Sadie dropped her hands from their perch and placed one on Rio’s shoulder. Her thin-lipped determination melted into a sympathetic smile.
“You’re a part of this family, whether you can handle it or not. And in this family we all stay here Christmas Eve. Big dinner, Christmas music, open one present each and then Carla and I, and any kid who wants to come along, attend midnight mass. You’d be a welcome addition.
“And Christmas morning, those kids wake us up before the sun does. They dig into their stockings while Carla and Todd make breakfast and Travis and I take care of the horses. Family tradition, my dear. It’s time you invited a little tradition into your life.”
The Staying Kind Page 23
