Chapter 5
How was he here?
It made no sense. Was it a coincidence? Or was he following her?
Travis didn’t give off stalker vibes, though.
No, but he was giving off crazy caveman vibes. What was wrong with him? Why would he storm over and be so rude to River?
He didn’t even know the other man.
Although if he was crazy, then she’d completely lost her mind because now she was letting him drive her home.
Travis Andrews was going to know where she lived. A shiver ran through her.
Say it was a coincidence that they both happened to be in the same restaurant in Soho . . . why would he care who she was having dinner with?
And why had he been there?
She stared at his hands as he changed gears.
Who owned a stick shift vehicle anymore?
Especially in the city? It seemed like a lot of work.
She didn’t even know how to one. In fact, she could barely drive an automatic car.
Grammy had hired a number of instructors, but most of them quit after the first lesson.
Caren didn’t know why. A few accidents and near misses and they’d practically run off.
Wimps.
Damn, it was sexy the way he moved that stick shift around. See? She was definitely losing her mind. How could she think that was sexy?
It was something about the way he’d rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, to display his corded, strong forearms. Who had forearms that muscular?
Not her.
She was skinny all over. It was nearly impossible for her to put on weight. Which she knew sounded amazing, but it honestly wasn’t. The amount of people who judged her, even going so far as to ask her if she had an eating disorder . . . yeah, that wasn’t fun.
And there were times when she wasn’t able to eat regularly. Those times played havoc on her body. Like the last time she’d been overseas for work . . . she’d spent a week in the hospital when she’d gotten home for exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition.
The doctors said it was due to her childhood and the abuse she’d sustained.
Don’t think about that right now.
You’re in a car with Travis Andrews.
As angry as she was at him, she still felt a bit giddy over being so close to him.
Lord, even his scent was sexy. So freaking masculine. River had been wearing so much cologne that it had made her sneeze several times. She was pretty sure he thought she was ill and was going to infect him.
Anyway, she shouldn’t compare the two of them.
“I can’t believe you took public transportation,” Travis muttered. That wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned it.
She sighed. What was wrong with him tonight? She’d figured the odds of them seeing each other when she moved here were extremely low. And that even if they did, he’d pretend not to know her. Not that he’d storm over to where she was sitting and make outrageous demands.
“Everyone takes public transportation,” she pointed out.
Well, not him.
Then again, she couldn’t imagine Travis taking the subway. Or, Lord forbid, a bus.
The horror.
It actually made her smile.
“Why are you smiling?” he asked. “Your personal safety isn’t a joke.”
Jeez. Someone had taken their serious pill tonight. “I know it’s not a joke.”
“Do you? I’m not sure that you do. It’s not safe to take public transportation at night.”
“I was going to take an Uber home.”
“Uber? An Uber!” he yelled.
Dear Lord. What was wrong with an Uber?
“What is going on with you? Why were you at that restaurant?” she asked suspiciously. “You weren’t following me, were you?”
“Why would I follow you?” he asked.
Right. Why would someone like him follow someone like her?
That was ridiculous.
He didn’t even bloody well like her.
Although if he didn’t like her why was he driving her home? It had to be something to do with Lacey.
“Were you following me?” he asked her.
What the heck?
“Following you? I was there with another man.” Not quite how she’d meant to say that. She wasn’t there to see River romantically. It was a business interview. After hours. Because she’d really wanted to try that restaurant and hadn’t wanted to go alone.
Turns out, moving to New York when the only people you knew were your agent and some magazine acquaintances could be rather . . . lonely.
You’re only here temporarily.
Soon, you’ll be gone and you can . . . what? Chase your loneliness away by working every hour God gives you?
Shit. Was that what she’d been doing all this time? Trying not to notice how freaking lonely she was?
“I was there on a date, too,” he told her.
A date?
A stab of something hit her. What was that feeling?
Disappointment? Anger?
Ridiculous. She had no claim on him and she never would. She had to get over this childish crush.
Even if watching him drive was like her own personal aphrodisiac.
Dangerous. It was very dangerous to be this close to him. What she really needed was some space so she could think more clearly. And not breathe in his pheromones because they did something crazy to her brain.
“A date? Where was she?” she asked. Then she winced as she realized how accusatory she sounded.
His lips twitched as he turned to her. “Think I’m making her up?”
“Um, no. Of course not. You just don’t seem the type to let a woman leave on her own.”
Hence why she was now stuck in a Travis Andrews-filled pheromone trap. Otherwise known as his truck.
She swore she was starting to get light-headed.
“She drove.”
“She drove? You let her drive?”
“Let her?” he asked. “I can’t tell her what to do.”
What? Was he serious right now?
“Then why are you bloody well telling me what to do?” she exploded.
“Bloody well?”
“It’s British slang. Not bloody as in, you’re all bloody after murdering the guy that interrupted your dinner, practically kidnapped you, and is generally acting like a nutter.”
“Nutter?” he repeated.
“Stop repeating what I say and answer me.”
“Bossy little thing, aren’t you?”
“Me? I’m bossy?” Her head was about to explode. She was certain of it.
Boom! Brain matter everywhere.
Now that would be bloody.
“Uh, Caren, you okay?”
“Just imagining what your truck would look like with brain matter splattered all over it,” she muttered.
“Right. That sounds . . . normal.”
“Nothing about this night is normal!” she cried as he pulled into a parking space outside her apartment building.
It was a gorgeous building made of red brick with large steps leading up to the door.
It didn’t have a doorman like the one in Dallas, but the door was locked all the time and people had to be buzzed in.
Her apartment was on the top floor but there was an elevator.
“Nice building,” he said, sounding almost disappointed.
Why? What was happening right now?
“Travis, what is going on? Why did you interrupt my dinner? I mean, I figured we weren’t likely to see each other and if we did that you would likely just pretend not to see me.”
He undid his seatbelt and turned to her. “Why would you think that?”
“Um, because you don’t like me!” she said in a bewildered voice.
“I like you,” he said gruffly.
“Really? Now you’re lying to me! I didn’t think you would be a liar. It’s okay, you can admit it. It won’t hurt my feelings. I know that I used to annoy you. I was the weird, silent kid who followed you guys around. You tolerated me for Lacey’s sake.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“Yes, and you spent most of the wedding glaring at me. So I don’t think much has changed.”
That hurt if she was honest. She knew she hadn’t been likeable as a kid. And he hadn’t known everything she’d been going through. Plus, boys’ brains tended to develop slower than girls. So, really, they’d likely been the same age emotionally.
But she had hoped he’d have gotten over his dislike of her. Then again, Travis was the kind of guy that stayed true to his convictions.
“Yeah, well, I feel bad about that.”
Now she turned to him, undoing her belt. “What? You do?”
He ran his hand over his face. “Shouldn’t still be holding onto feelings I had toward you years ago. You were just a kid. I was just . . . annoyed that you upset Lacey when you left without a word.”
Caren let out a deep breath. How much to tell him? “I apologized to Lacey about that. It’s really between her and me. But I did send her a letter and try to call, but I never managed to get hold of her.”
“What?” He frowned. “My fucking uncle?”
“I’m not sure but that’s what we suspect.”
“Fucking bastard.”
“Total douchebag,” she said with a nod. “I should have tried again, but Grammy thought it would be better to cut ties. I got very upset when I spoke about Lacey.”
“Grammy?” he asked.
She forced herself to stay relaxed. “My grandma. I went to England to live with her after I left Albany. Thanks for the ride home.” She reached for the door handle.
“Freeze,” he barked.
To her shock, she did as ordered. Then she sighed. He was out of control. He couldn’t just bark orders at her and expect her obedience.
“What is it now?” she asked as patiently as she could.
“Guessing from the way things ended with you paying the bill tonight that you’re not used to being treated properly by a man, but I am a man.”
This was confusing. “Yes, I know.”
“That means that when you’re with me, you don’t pay the bill, you don’t carry shit, you don’t drive, and you don’t open doors.”
“Are you sure you’re all right, Travis?”
“Why? Because I have rules for you to follow?”
“One, I don’t need anyone to give me rules. Two, you do remember that you don’t like me, right?”
“That was before. I was stupid. I apologized.”
He had?
“We’re moving on,” he told her.
They were? Why did she feel like a hamster on a wheel? Getting dizzier by the moment, but unwilling to get off.
“Although I do need to make reparations.”
Reparations? Huh? Oh, for disliking her when she was a kid? He really didn’t.
“You really don’t. That was a long time ago. You were a kid too.” Mostly.
“Not exactly. I had to have been in my twenties when you left.”
“Twenty-one and seventeen days. I mean, I think . . .”
Wow. Way to pretend you aren’t a loon, Caren. And that you didn’t have a wildly inappropriate crush on an older man.
To her surprise, he didn’t call her out for knowing exactly how old he was when she left. Instead, his face actually seemed to soften slightly.
“I didn’t treat you nicely when I saw you again. Not even politely. I haven’t ever been that kind or patient with you. I owe you an apology and I always pay my debts.”
“You’ve already apologized.” Well, she didn’t think he’d actually said the words, I’m sorry, but she’d take the apology anyway.
It was something she never thought she’d get.
“It’s fine, like I said. I wasn’t a likeable kid and you were surprised to see me at Lacey’s wedding after the way I left.
You didn’t know I tried to contact her.” Or the circumstances under which she’d left.
He waved a hand through the air. “Still got to balance the scales, which is why you’ll be under my protection while you’re in the city.”
“Um, I’m sorry, what did you say?” she asked, gaping at him.
“While you’re living in New York, you’re mine to take care of, Goldie. No. Arguments.”