1
“I’ll be okay.”
Fuck! Her voice sounded tentative and vulnerable, and Travis had all he could do not to find her ex and kill the son of a bitch. He’d screwed Ally over, and left her all alone, in a bad situation, after she’d given him everything. Didn’t the asshole know just how valuable that kind of devotion was from a woman? Did he even care? “I know you’ll be fine,”
Travis said gruffly. He planned on making damn sure she was from now on.
Ally seemed steadier as he helped her out of the car. She ran her hand lovingly over the hood of his Ferrari. “Well, at least I got to ride in one of your expensive cars,”
she said jokingly. “This one is beautiful.”
“It isn’t that expensive compared to some of my other ones at the track,”
he admitted. “But I like it for casual driving.”
Ally’s delighted laughter flowed over Travis like a balm to his soul.
“I’d kill to drive this F1, and you’re talking about it like it’s a cheap family car.”
Ally snorted.
Travis felt the edges of his mouth start to tug. “I just got a Hennessey today. I was testing it out before I came to see you.”
Travis actually did smile when he heard Ally gasp as she said, “A Venom GT?”
“Yes,”
he answered, surprised that Ally knew so much about cars. “You know your vehicles.”
“I grew up in Daytona Beach. I worked the concessions at the raceway in high school. It would have been hard not to learn something about fast cars,”
she answered, amused. “I still pay attention.”
“I’ve driven that track more than once,”
Travis told her as he walked her to the door.
“I know,”
Ally answered, digging her keys out of her purse. “Do you ever regret it, giving up a professional career as a driver?”
Travis shook his head. “No. I like running Harrison. I think if racing had become my full-time profession, it wouldn’t be fun anymore.”
Harrison Corporation was who he was, and he would never let it be put in the hands of someone else to manage it while he was out racing cars.
Travis took the keychain out of her hand when she had problems getting the key in the door. She might be less drunk, but she wasn’t completely sober either. He opened the door, handing her back her keys. She’d flipped on the lights, and Travis’s covetous gaze feasted on the sight of her. Her eyes were still bright, but she was looking at him intently, as though she’d never seen him before. Her gaze moved over his entire body boldly, landing on his lips with a look of longing.
“Would you kiss me?”
she asked him hesitantly, her stare still intent on his lips.
Travis stared right back at her, wanting to tell her she was the most kissable, fuckable woman on the planet. He wanted to devour her mouth more than he wanted anything else in the world right at that moment. But he made himself white-knuckle the doorframe to keep himself from touching her. “You’re not in your right mind, Alison. You don’t know what you want right now. Take a couple of aspirin and go to bed.”
Holy shit…that hurt. Travis had nearly gagged on the words, wanting something else completely, but he was unwilling to take advantage of Ally when she’d had a few drinks. This situation made him even harder than when she’d offered him a Blow Job, probably because she kind of knew what she was asking for this time. She was asking for him.
Her gaze left his mouth and she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I asked.”
He sure as fuck hoped it was because she wanted him, even if it was just a little. “Close the door and lock it.”
He wasn’t budging until he heard the deadbolt put in place. He needed to leave, get the hell away from her before he changed his mind.
She nodded, starting to swing the door closed, her eyes not meeting his.
“Alison?”
he said quickly before she closed the door.
She paused. “Yes?”
Don’t kiss her. Don’t take advantage of her. You’ll hate yourself later.
Travis gripped the wood a little harder. “I’ll pick you up around eight in the morning and send someone to get your car.”
He pushed himself away from the door frame so she could close the door. “And if you’re feeling okay, I’ll let you drive the F1 in the morning.”
“You will?”
she asked, sounding shocked.
Travis shrugged. It was just a car. And there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do if he could just get her to smile at him. “It’s your birthday,”
he used as an explanation for his actions, knowing he’d let her do it anyway just because she wanted to. “Now lock up,”
he demanded.
Ally closed the door obediently, and the tumbler on the deadbolt flipped immediately.
Good girl.
Travis’s heart was still racing as he walked back to his car, got in, and started the ignition. He leaned his head against the steering wheel for a moment, trying to catch his breath. Jesus! Not touching Ally tonight had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. He wanted her badly, but not that way. He needed her warm and willing, aware of everything that was happening. And maybe there was a small part of him that didn’t want her to have any regrets, didn’t want her to hate him because he took advantage. His instinct to protect her was just as strong as his desire to fuck her, and that was saying a hell of a lot, because that yearning was damn near killing him.
He already knew what his dreams would look like tonight. There was no way he wouldn’t be dreaming vividly about Ally asking him if he wanted a blow job, licking those luscious lips as she uttered the words every man in the world wanted to hear from a woman he wanted. And in his dreams, Travis would never refuse to kiss her. Hell, he’d probably have a damn heart attack and die in his sleep when he answered her differently, did exactly what he’d wanted to do earlier when she uttered those requests in his dreams tonight.
Travis waited until the lights went on upstairs before he backed out of the driveway and drove away, wondering when in the hell he’d actually developed a conscience, and hating himself because when it came to Ally…he actually had one.
Ally woke up late the next morning, with barely thirty minutes to get ready for work. She hadn’t wanted to drag her butt out of bed, and she wasn’t certain whether it was really the alcohol she’d consumed the night before, or the fact that she was going to have to face Travis.
Oh God, did I really ask him to kiss me?
She frowned at herself in the mirror as she hastily gathered her hair into a clip at the back of her head, in too much of a hurry to worry about braiding or a more intricate style. She’d only put on a minimal amount of makeup, just enough so she didn’t scare any of Harrison Corporation’s clients.
Running to her closet to grab a pair of shoes and a colorful belt to match the conservative gray dress she had thrown on earlier, she looked nervously at the clock.
Five minutes until eight o’clock.
Ally had no doubt that Travis would arrive at exactly eight, ready to leave for the office. He didn’t have any early morning appointments, but she could tell the time by Travis’s arrival in the morning. Travis Harrison was never late, and he arrived at exactly the same time every single day.
“Shit,”
Ally cursed as the closet door caught her nylons, starting a snag that turned into a very long run in her panty hose. She watched as she turned her leg to look at it, irritated as she watched it go from her knee to her ankle. Snatching her black heels, she dropped them on the floor and fastened the black, gray, and red belt around her waist, adding some color to the drab dress. At least she could breathe in the ugly dress. It had a fuller skirt to accommodate her curvy hips.
Rifling through her dresser drawer, desperate to find another pair of black hose, the only thing she came up with was an ultra-thin pair of stockings and a black garter belt. “Crap,”
she said, annoyed with herself for not stocking up again on panty hose. She eyed the sexy black ensemble warily, having dug to the bottom of her drawer to uncover it. She’d bought it on a whim a few years ago, and had only worn it once, when she and Rick were supposedly going out for a romantic evening to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, Rick had called her to cancel, claiming he had to study. She’d undressed and went to bed, washing the lingerie and never bothering to wear it again, feeling more than a little bit silly for trying to spice up their sex life. Rick had been too busy, too tired all the time. Now, Ally had to wonder if her ex-fiancé had been full of shit, even then. Just that thought made Ally want to trash the lingerie, but she was desperate, so she quickly put on the stockings, garter belt, and the sexy black panties that went with the set. It didn’t matter. They were black stockings, and nobody would ever know that they were attached to a fuck-me set of lingerie.
Ally cringed as she heard the doorbell ring, putting her heels on carefully so she didn’t snag the last pair of stockings she had. “How in the hell am I going to look him in the eye after asking him to kiss me? Maybe he won’t say anything. He knew I’d had a few drinks,”
she whispered to herself hopefully.
Actually, she hadn’t been drunk when she’d asked Travis to kiss her. The alcohol had lessened her inhibitions, but she’d desperately wanted to feel what it would be like to have that sinful mouth of his on hers. Asking him to kiss her was possibly the most impetuous thing she’d ever done. He was her boss, for God’s sake, and a man who could have any woman he wanted. Still, those important facts hadn’t stopped her longing to see what his kiss would feel like just once. Ever since Travis had told her how desirable she was, Ally had wanted to see if his kiss backed up his words. Knowing Travis, he’d probably act like he didn’t remember, or maybe it wouldn’t even be important enough for him to recall.
She raced down the stairs as fast as her heels would allow, breathless by the time she opened the door. Travis looked immaculate as usual, but his stance was casual, his hands in the pockets of his suit pants. Ally’s breath caught as she took in his black designer suit, the only relief from the darkness of the outfit some small navy and gray stripes on his tie.
“Good morning, Ms. Caldwell,”
Travis said huskily. “I trust you’re recovered?”
His dark eyes perused her thoroughly, as though looking for any signs of a hangover.
“I-I’m fine,”
Ally answered nervously, opening the door wider so he could enter, hating herself for being anxious. She couldn’t show any weaknesses to Travis. The man was like a shark that could scent blood in the water. If he knew he had her rattled, he’d swoop in for the kill. It was a trait that made him a good businessman, but a dangerous adversary. “Let me grab my purse and a cup of coffee to take with me. Would you like one?”
Travis sauntered into the living room, and Ally closed the door behind him.
“I’m not in any hurry,”
Travis said casually. “Take your time.”
Ally looked at Travis, dumbfounded. Since when wasn’t he in a hurry? The man never wasted a single moment, working like a fiend every moment of the day. She turned, slightly confused, and walked into the kitchen, her heels clicking against the polished wood of the floor as she took down two mugs and poured the coffee that she’d set up to brew on a timer the night before. Quickly adding creamer to her coffee, she left Travis’s black the way he liked it, and headed quickly back to the living room. Travis had his back to her, looking at her bookshelves that lined an entire wall in her living room. She’d been planning on moving most of them into one of the spare rooms to use as a library, but she hadn’t bothered. She’d be moving soon anyway. “Here you go.”
Ally handed him his mug carefully.
Travis turned to her and raised a brow. “You do realize, Ms. Caldwell, that you actually brought me my coffee today.”
“Don’t get used to it,”
she mumbled over the rim of her coffee before taking a careful sip.
Travis smirked as he said, “You have eclectic reading tastes. I think you have everything from the classics to non-fiction to do-it-yourself books here.”
Ally shrugged uncomfortably. “I like to read.”
“What’s this?”
Travis asked curiously, pulling out a plain, bound manuscript.
She leaped forward, trying to pull the bound sheets from his fingers. “Nothing of interest,”
she told him adamantly. “Give it to me.”
“It has your name on it. Did you write it?”
There was no scorn in his voice, only curiosity, as he held the manuscript out of her reach.
“Yes,”
Ally answered irritably.
Setting his coffee down on one of the shelves, he flipped through the pages. “You’re a writer?”
“I’m an assistant and a secretary. And I’m a bartender. Writing was just a dream.”
“Why?”
Travis’s gaze locked with hers, his dark eyes questioning.
“Because I wasn’t good enough to be published. I have the rejection letters to prove it,”
she answered, annoyed. “Rick told me to quit dreaming and work harder at something that actually paid a wage. And he was right. We were tight on money. I needed an extra job where I actually got paid—”
“Is this a fantasy novel?”
Travis interrupted, his concentration on the manuscript.
“Yes,”
Ally admitted. “Young adult fantasy. It’s a series. I never quite finished the second book.”
Not that she wasn’t itching to write the story, but there was just never a moment where she had the time to write. Someday she would finish the series, even if she couldn’t get it published.
“I’d like to read it,”
Travis said thoughtfully, closing the manuscript gently and placing it next to his coffee. “So the bastard basically took everything away from you,”
Travis stated quietly, his voice low and dangerous.
“What do you mean?”
Ally asked, confused.
Travis crossed his arms in front of him and his brows narrowed, spearing Ally with a dark glare. “He made you quit school so he could finish. Then he made you give up your writing to work even more hours at a goddamn bar in a shitty neighborhood. He shamed you into doing exactly what he needed. Did he ever give a damn about you, what you wanted? Obviously not, or he wouldn’t have been hopping into another woman’s bed.”
Ally opened her mouth, wanting to tell him that Rick hadn’t technically hopped into another woman’s bed. He’d used theirs. But she wasn’t so sure her slimy ex hadn’t done some hopping, too. “It wasn’t all him,”
she admitted reluctantly. “I wanted security, too. That was the plan. To finally have a life that wasn’t chaos, a life where I didn’t have to worry about pinching every single penny I had.”
“And was your life always so chaotic?”
Travis asked as he stepped forward, stopping a few feet away from her.
“Yes. I grew up with one parent, and she was an alcoholic, drunk more often than she was sober. So yes, I wanted a normal life.”
Ally’s heart was racing, and she took a deep breath and let it out. It wasn’t that she didn’t know that she was a codependent mess sometimes, but it wasn’t a topic she really wanted to discuss with someone like Travis. Actually, she didn’t really discuss it with anyone.
“So you busted your ass to make the wrong guy happy, a man who didn’t give a shit about what actually made you happy,”
Travis stated flatly. “So when is it your turn, Ms. Caldwell?”
“I’ll have my chance as soon as I straighten everything out,”
Ally argued.
“Will you? I wonder?”
Travis said hoarsely.
“I can’t change the past. Yes…I was stupid. Yes…I was gullible. I need to learn from my mistakes and move on,”
Ally said hesitantly.
“You’re a pragmatic organizer on the surface, but a dreamer inside,”
Travis observed. “But one thing I don’t understand is why you took his shit for so long. You’re not the type of woman to put up with crap from anyone. I should know. He must have been one hell of a manipulator.”
Ally shifted uncomfortably. “He was.”
Rick was never openly hostile or angry. Ally could have dealt with that by kneeing him in the balls and walking away. But he had a way of making her feel guilty and responsible for everything, and he’d played on her vulnerabilities. “He was very good at it.”
Ally sighed. “I guess I wanted the dream, and I had everything planned out perfectly. It just didn’t work out exactly the way I had planned.”
She’d dealt with everything Rick threw at her just for the possibility that some day she might have a normal life, making excuses for him just like she’d made excuses for her alcoholic mother all her life. She told herself life would get better, that Rick would be a better man once he wasn’t under so much stress. It wasn’t until the moment she’d seen him screwing another woman that she realized that she’d been the one living a lie. He’d always been an asshole. Seeing him with another woman had finally shaken her into reality.
“You’re a smart woman, smart enough to get anything you want,”
Travis said huskily, stepping close enough to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Did you love him?”
Ally glanced up at Travis, their gazes locking together, and she was unable to look away. His expression was stoic, but his eyes were heated with a mesmerizing stare that made every thought except him fly out her brain. “I-I don’t think I ever knew him. I think I loved the idea of a plan and a normal life.”
Travis was close enough to smell now, and Ally stepped back for her own self-protection, her back hitting the living room wall. She’d already made an ass of herself the night before. Travis was her boss, the billionaire boss from Hell, and she needed to remember exactly who he was. For some reason, she had memory problems when he got this close, like everything in her body overheated and short-circuited.
Travis moved forward and braced one hand against the wall beside her head, the index finger of his other hand moving in a pattern from her ear to her cheek. “Ask me to kiss you again, Alison,”
he demanded, his finger tracing her lips.
Ally wanted to break eye contact, wanted to run as fast and far away from Travis as she could possibly get. The grim expression on his face was at odds with the torridity of his dark, liquid eyes: a look that both frightened and enthralled her.
She didn’t want to think about his rejection the night before, or why he wanted her to ask again. Finally, she simply asked, “Why?”
Travis took the coffee from her hand and set it on a small table next to him, his eyes never leaving her as he tipped her chin up, his thumb stroking over her skin as he answered, “Because I’ve been waiting all night for you to ask me again, this time when you’re sober. Ask me,”
he rasped demandingly, his breath moving in and out of his lungs as though he’d just finished a long, hard run.
Oh, how Ally wanted to heed this one command from Travis. She wanted to feel those hard, demanding lips on hers more than she wanted her next breath. But she whispered, “I can’t. You’re my boss. I’m your employee. We can’t do this.”
“The hell we can’t. You’re fired,”
he grumbled.
Maybe this was the one time that Ally appreciated the fact that Travis canned her on a daily basis. “Fine,”
she answered, grasping his dark, immaculate tie and yanking his mouth down to hers, unable to overcome the temptation to touch him, have him touch her. Her eyes slid closed, her senses immediately intoxicated by the feel of his hot, demanding mouth covering hers, his insistent tongue overcoming any resistance or hesitance she may have had earlier. She opened to him, and he plundered, taking what he wanted, and at the same time giving her exactly what she needed.
Ally moaned into his kiss, her hands spearing into his coarse, dark hair, shivering at the feel of the strands sifting between her fingers. He palmed her ass with one hand, brought her up hard against his muscular, heated body. His fingers grasped the clip in her hair and pulled, releasing a cascade of blonde locks down her back. Fisting her hair, he tilted her head back further, allowing him complete access to her mouth.
Sweet Jesus, I’m in trouble!
Travis kissed like a man possessed, and Ally responded, giving back exactly what he gave to her, lust crashing over her body like a tidal wave. Her core flooded with liquid heat, and she rubbed her body against him in frustrated passion, irritated because she needed to feel his heated skin against hers. His heavy suit jacket kept her hands from touching his bare skin, and she wanted it gone. She wanted everything gone.
Travis tore his mouth from hers, panting. Another tug on her hair bared the sensitive skin of her neck, and his mouth explored, as though savoring every exposed surface of her body. “If you don’t stop rubbing that luscious body against me, I’ll have you naked and on your back within seconds,”
he warned her ominously, his low voice muffled against her temple. “Or naked up against the wall,”
he added harshly.
For one crazy, wild moment, Ally wanted to call Travis’s bluff, press herself against the large erection she could already feel against her lower abdomen. But she felt too raw, too exposed. And leaving herself open to Travis would be just another stupid mistake. He was too dark, too tempting, and far too unpredictable. The last thing she needed was to have a fling with her boss and lose her job. As much as she wanted him—and she definitely did—she was terrified of what the outcome of an affair with Travis would be. He was a heartless prick. Maybe he felt like playing with her now, but he’d find another toy soon enough. And she’d be out of a job.
“We’ll be late for work.”
Ally tried not to whimper.
“I own the company. I don’t think we’ll get in trouble,”
Travis answered lazily, nipping at her earlobe.
Dear Lord, if she didn’t get away from him now, she would tear his clothes off. He pulled his head back to give her a scorching look, one that almost had her stripping him right there. His hair was mussed, like he’d just rolled out of bed—or gotten screwed—and his clothing was askew. It was a whole new look on her boss, and damn, it looked really good on him. It made him seem more approachable, and even sexier than he normally looked. “I forgot. I don’t have a job. You fired me.”
She tugged playfully on his hair.