Chapter Twenty-Three
When they left Trip’s office on Tuesday morning, Travis hovered next to Retta as she made her way back to his truck under her own steam. She smiled at him as he hurried past her to open the passenger door.
“Don’t look so worried! I do okay with the crutches, and this boot is all the protection I need.”
“I know. I’m doing my best, but I’ve already told you, you’re not going to be able to stop me from worrying.” He smiled as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “Want me to lift you in there?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Please.”
Once she was in the passenger seat, he put her crutches in the back. “I’ll run back and get the wheelchair.”
He smiled when he met Shelly, who was just coming out of the office pushing the wheelchair.
“Thanks, honey.”
“You’re welcome. She’s going to be fine, you know.”
He chuckled. “I do know – I’m going to make damn sure of it.”
“Just don’t forget that she needs to start getting around by herself, will you?”
“I’ll be good. I’ll probably annoy her by shadowing her every step, but I know I have to let her do things for herself. You’re coming out with us all on Saturday night, aren’t you?”
“I am. I’m looking forward to it.”
“It’ll be a good time. We’ll see you then.”
He loaded the wheelchair in the back of his truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. Retta waved at Shelly as they drove away.
“Is there anything you want to pick up while we’re in town?” he asked.
“Would it be okay if we stop at the pharmacy?”
He frowned. “Are you in pain?”
She laughed. “No. Stop worrying. I want to pick up some moisturizer. My skin’s so dry and flaky from being in the cast all that time.”
“I can run in and pick some up. Do you know what kind you want?”
“No. I don’t know what kind they’ll have, and more importantly I want to go in myself. I need to get used to being mobile again.”
He gave her a rueful smile. “Yeah, right, sorry.”
“It’s okay. I think this will take some getting used to for both of us.”
“You can say that again.”
He did his best to leave her to her own devices as they wandered around the pharmacy. She found the cream that she wanted but after that she insisted on going up and down the aisles.
He carried a basket for her, and she kept putting things in it. First was the skin cream, then she found some new lipstick, then she stood for what felt like ages, sniffing little bottles of perfume. When he couldn’t take it any longer, he suggested, “If you want some new smelly stuff, we can take a look online and I’ll order you something.”
She shook her head with a smile. “You don’t get it, do you? I feel like I’ve just been let out of prison. I haven’t been in a store since I arrived here. Well, I went shopping with the girls last week, but… You know what I mean. I’m just enjoying being out and about – being free.”
Travis’s heart sank. He hated to think that while he’d enjoyed the time that they’d spent together so much, she’d been feeling trapped.
“Aww, Trav. Don’t look like that. I didn’t mean anything bad by it. You have to know how much I’ve enjoyed spending all this time together.”
He swallowed. His heart was pounding. A ball of dread formed in his stomach. Was this the point where she was going to say that while she’d enjoyed it, she didn’t need him anymore?
Her smile faded. “Please don’t look so worried. I love spending time with you. I love that we spend most of our time at home alone together. It’s just that for the last several weeks, I haven’t had an option. I’m not saying that I don’t want to keep doing exactly what we’ve been doing, it’s just that I’m going to enjoy doing other things as well – not instead of , but as well. Can you understand that? I’m just enjoying being out in the world again, that’s all.”
He ran his hand over her hair. “Yeah, I get it, darlin’. I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. I just need you to understand.”
“I do. I’ll do better.”
“You’re doing great. It’ll be an adjustment for us both. But we’ll find our way.”
As they drove back down the valley, he reached for her hand and was grateful when she took his and gave it a squeeze.
“What do you want to do this afternoon?” he asked.
“Something I haven’t been able to do in what feels like forever.”
He glanced over at her and cocked an eyebrow. “Should I be worried?”
She laughed. “You already know the answer to that. But relax, this isn’t something where I might hurt myself or fall or anything.”
“What then?”
“I want to finally fill up that amazing bathtub of yours and take a soak. Do you have a problem with that?”
He grinned. “Nope. Although, I might have one condition.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that. You know damn well I’ve had my eye on that tub since the first time I saw it.”
He chuckled. “I do.”
“So, what’s this condition?
“That you don’t call it my tub anymore.”
“I don’t get it – what should I call it instead?”
He glanced over at her. “It’s your tub, darlin’. That’s what I want you to start calling it. See, I doubt I’ll ever use it – unless you invite me to join you. And the way I see it, the house isn’t just my house anymore, it’s our house. I mean, I never officially came out and asked you, but as far as I’m concerned, we live together, don’t we?”
He loved the way her eyes shone as she smiled back at him. “We do. I know that you never officially asked me, and there was no one particular moment when it happened. But honestly, I feel as though we’ve been living together for a while.”
“That’s because we have. So, that bathtub? It’s your tub. The house – it’s our house. The whole place – it’s ours. You’re it for me, darlin’. That’s how I want it to be from now on, if you’re interested.”
“I’m more than interested.”
He didn’t like the way she worried at her bottom lip. “But? It feels like there’s a but coming.”
“It’s not a but, more of an and.”
“Okay. And what?”
“And…” She blew out a sigh. “I don’t know how this works – any of it. What I mean is that I have money now – money that Callie gave me so that I could buy myself a place to live if I wanted to. I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to buy my way into your life, but at the same time, I do want to contribute to our life.”
He nodded slowly. “I understand what you mean. To be honest, I don’t know how it works, either. As you know, I’ve never been married. I’ve had a few relationships over the years, but not the kind where I shared a bank account or finances with someone.”
“And I’m the same. I haven’t exactly had much in the way of finances to share, but whatever I’ve had was always up to me.”
“We don’t have to figure it out right now.”
“No, we don’t. But Trav, it’s something I’d like for us to talk about at some point soon.”
“Do you want to talk to Callie about it?”
She frowned. “I can, but I don’t think she expects to dictate what I do with the money.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I figure that she’s probably had to get smart about finances and how to handle things – given that she’s made so much money. And she’s your daughter, she’s going to want to look out for you.”
“We’ll figure it out. Like you said, we don’t have to do it right now, I just wanted to bring it up. If we’re going to live together, be together…”
“Spend the rest of our lives together,” he interrupted with a smile.
She smiled back at him. “Yes, that. Then we need to talk openly about that side of things and make decisions that will work for both of us. One thing that I do want to mention – I’m not looking for you to answer me right away, I just want to put it out there – is that if you want a partner in your business, I’d love to be a part of it. Not just because I believe in you and I believe in us, but because I believe in what you’re doing.”
Travis gripped her hand a little tighter. “I like that idea, Retta, darlin’. That’d mean the world to me. I don’t know that we’ll ever make much of a profit; that’s not the reason I’m doing it.”
She squeezed his hand again. “I know. It’s about so much more than money. That’s why I want to be a part of it.”
~ ~ ~
Retta sat back in the armchair and watched Travis as he filled the tub.
“You know, before you finally invited me to come upstairs with you, I used to wonder what it was like up here. You told me that both the bedroom and the bathroom were enormous, but I never imagined it’d be like this.”
Travis chuckled. “Gotta tell you, darlin’, I never saw myself as the kind of guy who’d ever have an armchair in the bathroom.”
She laughed with him. “I’m sure you never would have if it weren’t for me – and I appreciate it.”
He’d brought the chair into the bathroom for her when she first started sleeping in his bed with him. She’d insisted that she was fine to lean on the vanity, but he’d said – and he was right – that he’d be happier, and she’d be more comfortable, if she were able to sit down when she needed to.
“I want to say that you’re my queen and you deserve a throne, but in the bathroom, that conjures up the wrong images in my mind.”
“Yeah. I prefer to think of it as my comfy place with a view.” Of course, Travis had positioned the chair so that whenever she sat here, she was able to look out at the view through the little porthole window.
He turned off the taps and swirled his hand in the water before coming to stand in front of her. “It’s ready. What do you want me to do?”
She reached her arms up, and he helped her to her feet. “I think I’ll need you to help me get in.”
He smiled. “I think I’ll need to help you get undressed first.”
She shook her head slowly. “I can do that myself, if you help me to stay on my feet.”
He rested his hands on her hips, and she pulled her T-shirt over her head and then unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor.
He tightened his grip on her as he murmured, “Hang on a second,” before he lowered his head.
She closed her eyes and let her head fall back as he teased her nipples with his lips and tongue.
“Trav,” she breathed.
His eyes shone as he looked up at her. “I’ll let you carry on in a second. I couldn’t resist saying hello to these ladies first.”
She tangled her fingers in his hair. “Carry on, I wasn’t trying to hurry you – just letting you know how good it feels.”
“Everything about being with you feels good to me.”
She closed her eyes and gave herself up to the feeling of his mouth on her skin. When he finally straightened up, she noticed just how much taller than her he was.
He winked as he looked down into her eyes. “You’re just now realizing what a big ogre I am, aren’t you?”
She laughed. “You’re not an ogre. You’re … gorgeous.”
“Why, thank you, ma’am.”
“I don’t think I noticed the difference in our heights so much before, that’s all. I mean, of course I knew, but I was so used to you carrying me around that it didn’t register, you know?”
He grinned. “I do. How about we finish getting you undressed, and we can get back to normal?”
“What do you mean?”
He reached for the zipper on her skirt and unfastened it. “I mean this.”
She laughed as he stripped out of his clothes in record time while keeping one hand on her hip to steady her. When he stood naked before her, he shrugged happily before picking her up.
“See, we’re at eye level again now. Can you get rid of your panties?”
She wriggled around and managed to take them off – it wasn’t the easiest thing to do while he was holding her, but she wasn’t afraid in the least. There was no way that Travis would drop her; she knew that without a shadow of a doubt.
“What are you …?” She didn’t get to finish the question. She didn’t need to; the answer was clear as he stepped into the tub with her. She clung tighter to him and laughed as he turned her so that her back was to his chest.
“You okay? You ready for this?”
“I am.”
He sat down, and she managed to get her legs out in front of her. He closed his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. “I think I might come around to this tub idea if this is how we do it.”
She laughed and wriggled her ass against him. “Seems to me that you already like the idea – a lot.”
He laughed with her and shifted his hips. “I do. My buddy there is definitely up for it.”
She looked up at him over her shoulder. “I am, too – if you think we can figure out how.”
“I don’t know that it’s the best idea. I can wait till we get out if you can.” He kissed the back of her neck again, sending shivers down her spine. “I just wanted to be in here with you.” He pumped some soap into his hands and caressed her breasts. “Thought you might need a hand, and I’m volunteering to soap every inch of you.”
She rested her head back against his shoulder. “Be my guest.”
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his hands on her, and his big, hard body underneath her. He cupped her breast with one hand and teased her nipple with his fingertip, while his other hand made its way between her legs.
“Trav,” she breathed as he circled her clit with his thumb.
“Just lay back and relax, darlin’.”
She did as he said, rocking her hips gently in time with him as the pressure started to build low in her belly.
Just as she was relaxing into the gentle waves of pleasure that were washing through her, he squeezed her nipple tight and thrust two fingers inside her, making her gasp. Her whole body quivered when he nibbled her ear and started working her body like a musical instrument. His fingers set the rhythm, moving in and out relentlessly, and when he added the pressure of his thumb against her clit, she knew she wasn’t going to last long. The way he pinched her nipple sent ripples racing through her veins straight to the place between her legs where he now had her on the edge.
He nibbled his way down her neck and just before he caught her earlobe between his teeth again, he murmured, “Come for me, darlin’.”
As if his words flipped a switch, her orgasm washed over her. Her inner muscles pulsated around him, and she gasped his name as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her veins. His hand fell from her breast, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. His fingers still pumped faster and faster, carrying her higher and higher, just when she thought she was done.
By the time she came back down she was gasping for air, her whole body trembling. The trembles turned to a shudder when an aftershock hit her as he spoke into her ear.
“I love you.”
She closed her eyes and gripped his arm tightly. “I love you, Trav. I love you so much.”
As she looked down at the way his muscular, tattooed arm held her close, tears sprang to her eyes.
“I’m going to love you till the day I die, little lady. You good with that?”
She turned her head and did her best to kiss him over her shoulder. “I am – and I hope you know that I’m going to love you right back.”
He nodded happily. “I do. This is the first day of the rest of our lives.”
She cupped his cheek in her hand. “And we started it off with a bang.”
He chuckled. “Not yet we didn’t, I just couldn’t resist getting in here with you. I think I should probably get out now and let you do your thing. I know you wanted a soak.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I thought we were going to …”
“We are – after you take your bath. I can wait. And then you’ll probably need a shower again afterward – I can help you in there, too, if you like.”
She had to laugh. “I’m up for all of it – if you are.”
He laughed with her. “If I’m not, I’ll die trying.”
He managed to slide out from under her and get out of the tub. She couldn’t help smiling at the sight of his naked body – his cock still stood proud and erect as he reached for a towel.
“Do you want to try that shower now?”
He gave her a puzzled look. “I thought you wanted your soak.”
“I do, but it looks to me like your need is greater than mine.”
The way he wrapped his hand around his cock and gave her a pained smile made her laugh.
“I can wait.”
“Maybe, but I don’t want to.”
He went into the shower and turned on all the different showerheads before coming back to her. “Is it okay if I just lift you out? I don’t want you to try …”
She held her arms up to him. “I wasn’t going to argue about it.”
Even with both of them naked and soaking wet, she trusted him completely to lift her out of the tub and carry her to the shower. When he stepped inside, he raised his eyebrows at her.
“I think I might have had more enthusiasm than common sense.”
“I don’t think so.”
“No? I don’t want you to try to stand and …”
“We can use the wall.”
He grinned. “We can.” He backed her against it, and all she could do was cling to him as he claimed her mouth in one of his deep, intoxicating kisses.
She wrapped her good leg around his waist, and he hooked his arms behind her thighs, holding her open to receive him. His hot, hard head pushed at her entrance, and he lifted her slightly before lowering her onto him.
“Fuck yeah,” he breathed when he was buried to the hilt inside her.
She tightened her arms around him. “Yes, please. I don’t think I can do much from here but …”
“That’s alright, darlin’. I’ve got this,” he said as he pulled back and then slowly eased in again.
“Not like that, you don’t. I need more, harder, faster.”
His eyes seemed to smolder when they met hers. “You sure?”
“Yes!” she gasped as he drove deep and hard. “Oh god, Trav! Yes!”
He set up a pounding rhythm, filling her, stretching her. The rest of the world faded away. Her awareness narrowed down until all she could feel was the place where they joined and the way he felt.
“I’m not going to last,” he grunted.
“Come for me,” she gasped. “I … I … Trav!”
Every nerve ending in her body felt like it went off like a firework when he tensed and drove harder two, three more times. Then they were flying away together, panting and gasping in each other’s arms as their bodies became one.
When they finally regained their senses, he pressed a kiss to her lips. “Damn!”
She nodded; words were beyond her.
He held her tight with one arm while he turned off the water with his other hand.
“Do you want to grab some towels on the way past? I need to get us to the bed before my knees give out.”
She did as he asked and managed to throw a towel onto the bed before he sat down on it.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He nodded happily. “Best I’ve ever been. You?”
“The same.”
He took the other towel from her and soon had them set up in bed, one towel under them and another over them.
As they lay back, she rested her head on his shoulder, and he kissed her temple. “I’ll run you another bath in a little while, darlin’. I want to cuddle you for a little while first. That okay?”
She tightened her arm around his waist. “It’s so much more than okay. There’s nowhere else in the world I want to be right now. Just here, in your arms.”
He winked at her. “In our bed, in our home.”
She nodded happily. “Exactly.”