Chapter 10 Joey
TEN
JOEY
Love,
Trav
I’d woken at nearly noon which was absolutely ridiculous but also insanely glorious. I hadn’t slept so late in ages. Getting off with Travis had been fantastic, and I’d slept like a damn baby.
After finding the note from Travis, I’d been unable to stop grinning all damn day. We were going on our first date.
Maybe it was silly to be all fluttery about it, but I’d wanted this with Travis from before my heart really understood what love was. This was the first date of the rest of our lives together.
Once I’d showered, I changed the sheets and took our laundry to the facilities. I started two of the four machines while thinking about what I could give Travis for Valentine’s Day.
An idea struck me, but I’d need help to make it happen.
A trip into town to see Jack was in order.
At six o’clock sharp, I had the laundry folded and the bed made. Ward yowled and a knock sounded at the door. Travis stood on the other side of the door, looking cute as could be as he danced away from a hissing Ward as the cat ran out the door.
Travis held out a bouquet of flowers. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Taking the flowers, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you. Where are we going?”
Travis shrugged. “Well, I couldn’t find anywhere fancy in the city with any kind of reservation openings—I fucked up waiting this late.” He gripped the back of his neck. “But I was able to procure a nice corner table at the Roadhouse.”
I kissed him. “I say we have every Valentine’s Day at the Roadhouse from here on out. It will be our thing every year.”
“I wanted to do something nice—”
I shook my head. “Nope. This is nice. This is us. Haven Grove is our home. I didn’t need fancy all those years ago, and I don’t need fancy now. All I need is you.”
Travis nuzzled my neck. “That sounds absolutely perfect.”
Once the flowers were in water, we headed to the trucks.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” I said. “You can drive.”
Travis laughed as we climbed into his truck.
At the Roadhouse, Jack gave me a wink as we walked in.
Sam was manning the kitchen, and he knocked himself out with an absolutely amazing ribeye, veggie medley, and au gratin potatoes.
Henry delivered two gorgeous pink and purple cocktails decorated with tiny little fanged ghosts holding purple hearts.
“On the house,” he said as he placed them on the table.
Jack came over with a lava cake, a gift bag, and a small box.
He placed the cake in the middle with two spoons. “The cake is a dark chocolate with a salted caramel base and bittersweet chocolate lava to compliment the sweetness of the drinks.” He placed the box in front of Travis and the bag in front of me. “You guys are so cute. We’re glad you’re here.”
“Well, I know what that is.” He pointed at the bag. “But what’s this?” He held the box up and studied it.
I grinned. “Guess we both knew Jack would be willing to help us.” No wonder Jack had seemed extra giddy when I asked him to help me put a gift together at the last minute.
“You go first.”
I removed the tissue paper and peered into the bag. After pulling the item out, I placed it on the table. “A little tackle box. So cute.”
Travis smiled. “Jack thought a snackle box would be appropriate.”
A giggle escaped. So cheesy, but so adorable. Unlatching the small tackle box, I peeked inside, and my heart immediately turned to a pile of goo. “Oh my god, Trav.” I ran a finger over each little section filled with candy. “I haven’t had these since I was a kid. Where did you get them?”
He shrugged. “The Juicy Peach. Hudson carries a bunch of candy we liked as kids.”
The compartments of the box contained a variety of candy, but the ones Travis knew I liked best were the most delicious gummy bears in the world, double layered lollipops, and peach rings.
I popped a gummy bear into my mouth and turned my attention back to the gift bag. Also included was tiny picture frame. Inside was a lace border surrounding a slip of paper.
Give me a quiet life.
One where I can hear the
trees rustling in the wind,
raindrops on the windows,
pages of a book being turned,
coffee being brewed, and the
heartbeats of the ones I love.
“I love it,” I whispered.
Travis took my hand. “I saw it and immediately thought of you. I want that quiet life, and I want it with you.”
Tears stung my eyes and I nodded. “Me too.” I gestured at the box. “Open yours.”
Travis gently tore open the paper decorated with pink and purple hearts—I swear, Jack made the wrapping paper and drinks match.
When Travis removed the lid, he immediately barked out a laugh as he removed the item.
It was a bouquet consisting of a taillight bulb surrounded by five-dollar bills rolled into little paper flowers.
The cash added up to half the amount of the Travis’s speeding ticket.
“You didn’t have to do this,” he started.
I shook my head. “I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. That ticket was partly my fault.”
“You didn’t even know you’d done anything.”
Nodding toward the box, I said, “There’s something else.”
He picked up the frame Jack had helped me put together.
For a moment, I worried I’d overstepped or gotten things all wrong as Travis just stared at it.
“I know it’s not much—”
“It’s perfect,” Travis said, squeezing my hand.
“I saw it in your truck and thought it must mean something to you.”
The frame had a replica of the little fortune cookie paper and the words Find love, luck, and pleasure in the simple life.
“I got that fortune at the airport coming here,” Travis said, one thumb brushing over the glass of the frame and the other caressing my knuckles.
“I had no idea you were going to be here, but I was so damn ready for the simple life. The moment I saw you, I knew exactly why that fortune was meant for me.”
Travis got up from the table, squeezed into my side of the booth, and pulled me in for a long, slow kiss. “I love you.”
“Do you think we can take the cake home?” Jack’s leftover cake was quickly becoming our thing.
Henry came over with a box. “Jack says he’ll text you the best way to reheat the cake, so the lava is almost perfect.” He rapped his knuckles against the table. “Settle the bill next time you’re in.”
Travis started to object, but Henry cut him off.
“Look, I want to take Jack home. The rest of the crew can handle the last of the customers here tonight.” Henry crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Don’t make me deal with the bill when we all know everyone just wants to get home.”
Travis smiled. “Deal.”
We made it home in record time, raced inside, popped the bag of leftovers into the fridge, and nearly knocked each other over as we stripped out of our clothes on our way to the bedroom.
Naked, hot and hard, wrapped in each other’s arms, we kissed and writhed together.
“As much as I want to go slow and savor it,” Travis said, nipping my ear, “I don’t know if I can this first time.”
I rocked against him, and he groaned. “We have the rest of our lives. I think a quickie this time is acceptable.”
“Fuck, get the lube.”
I rummaged in the tiny bedside table, tossed the lube on the bed, and tackled Travis to the mattress. “I want you inside me,” I gasped against his mouth, our teeth clashing as the hungry kiss spurred us on.
I’d had a million dreams of how sex with Travis might play out, but my brain was too hyped up on hormones to decide right then. Luckily, Travis took control, rolled me to my back, and settled himself between my spread legs.
“Fuck,” Travis panted as we rutted together. “I could get off just like this.”
I gripped his ass. “Me too, but I want to feel you in me.”
No doubt about it, this time was going to be firecracker fast.
Travis kissed down my neck, tongued over my nipples, and pressed kisses along my inner thighs before reaching for the lube.
“Shit, Trav.” I fisted my cock as he worked me open with slick fingers. “I’m not going to last. Please.”
He coated himself with more lube before moving back between my spread legs and shoving a pillow under my ass.
With his eyes never leaving mine, Travis pressed the head of his cock to my hole.
The sting and stretch took my breath, but the pleasure washing over me as he filled me, owned me, was worth every year we were apart.
When his balls pressed against my skin, Travis dropped to his elbows bringing his chest to mine. He cupped the sides of my face and nuzzled his nose to mine. “I fucking love you so much.” The kiss was slow and deep, each slow thrust of his tongue mimicking the long, slow strokes of his cock.
“Trav,” I begged. “Oh god, that’s good.” When the head of his cock brushed over my most sensitive spot, I groaned. “Shit, I’m so close.”
With my cock pressed between our bellies, the glorious friction smearing my pre-cum, and Travis’s dick lighting me up from the inside, I knew I was seconds away from losing anything resembling control.
Travis’s thrusts picked up speed, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. “Fuck, Joey. Fuck.” His arms engulfed me, his face buried in my neck, and his hips pistoning in hard, fast strokes.
With a final thrust of his hips, Travis stilled, growling into my neck as his cock throbbed his release deep inside.
The warm press of our bodies around my rock-hard cock had my own release erupting between us. My hot, wet load painted our skin, and my ass clenched around Travis’s pulsing shaft.
We stayed plastered together, breaths coming hard and fast, for several moments. When Travis’s spent cock slipped from my body, I shivered with the loss.
Travis grabbed the throw blanket from the end of the bed and spread it over our sweaty bodies. He pressed a kiss to my temple. “I love you.”
“Love you,” I murmured. “Best Valentine’s Day ever.”
Travis chuckled. “Yeah, was just thinking we set the bar kinda high to outdo this one.”
“Take me to the Roadhouse, fill me up with good food and drink, and then—”
“Fill you up when we get home?” Travis said, the breath of his laughter caressing my ear.
“Yes, that.” I snuggled into him. “Exactly that. It’s what I expect every single Valentine’s from now on.”
“I think it can be arranged.” Travis’s words were thick with sleep.
As my eyelids drooped and exhaustion threatened to overtake me, I brought Travis’s knuckles to my lips. “Those two kids who dreamed of running this place one day sure would be proud of us, huh?”
Travis made a noise of agreement. “We were always meant to come back home.”
“Home to each other.”