Chapter 8
Eight
On the ride back to Portsmouth, Travis glanced over at her and saw her working on that poor lip. “Hey, are you mad?”
“What?” She seemed startled. “Why would I be mad?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you didn’t like what we did in the theater?”
Her cheeks turned red, and he had to remind himself to watch the road.
“I liked it,” she said softly.
He reached for her hand. “It’s okay if you didn’t.”
“I was terrified we were going to get caught,” she confessed.
“Why do you think I sat on the aisle?”
She looked at him, brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“So I could shield you in case anyone came in. From the aisle no one would have seen you—or anything.”
“You really thought of that?”
“Of course I did. I knew what I wanted to do when we went in there. I would’ve thrown myself over you before I would’ve let anyone else see what I was seeing. Okay?”
Her eyes filled.
“Now what?” he asked with exasperation he didn’t really feel.
“It’s just . . .” She fiddled with his fingers on her lap.
“What?”
“I don’t often feel safe . . . with men, but I do with you. In the movie theater I didn’t feel entirely safe, but that made it kind of more . . .”
“Exciting?”
She nodded.
“That was the idea.”
“Now that I know you had a plan, that you were thinking of me that way, it makes me feel safe. I know that must sound crazy, but it’s true.”
He kissed her hand. “You are safe with me, Liana. I’ll always have a plan.”
“That seems to suggest we’re going public again,” she said with a wary look.
He grinned. “You never know, sweetheart.”
“You’re determined to turn me into a nervous wreck, aren’t you?”
Abruptly, he pulled off the highway into a dirt parking lot and reached for her.
“I’m determined to make sure you have some fun.
” The kiss was gentle, but the punch of it spiraled through him.
Again the sensation of falling was almost overwhelming as her hand landed on his chest. Go easy, North.
You can’t fall for her. You can’t. Even as he wondered if it was already too late for such warnings, he leaned in to kiss her again. “Do you like salmon?”
Taken aback by the change of subject, Liana said, “I love it. Why?”
He pulled the car onto the road. “Let’s hit the grocery store, and I’ll make you some salmon.”
“I can’t go in the grocery store without underwear. I might . . . catch a cold.”
Travis laughed. “Think of it as another new adventure.”
“Come on,” she pleaded, reaching into the pocket of his shorts. “Give them back.”
The car swerved, and he grabbed her hand. “Watch out. You might get more than you bargained for in there.”
She sighed. “You’re impossible.”
He parked the car at the town’s only grocery store and adjusted her ball cap down over her face. “Ready?”
“Sure, my face is covered, but you couldn’t care less that I’m naked under my skirt.”
“Oh, I care.” He pulled her into a deep, searching kiss. “That’s all I’m thinking about.” Releasing her, he got out of the car and walked around to open her door.
Inside, Travis carried a basket as they walked to the back of the store where fresh seafood was sold.
Liana teased him about how picky he was about which cut of the pink fish they were going to buy. He spent an equal amount of time choosing the greens for a salad. “You’re a food snob.”
“What’s wrong with that?” he asked with mock offense as they approached the check out counter.
Liana froze. “Oh no,” she whispered. “No.”
“Liana? What is it?”
He followed her eyes to the rack of tabloids that lined the checkout.
Splashed across the front page was a picture of her in the hideous bridesmaid dress dancing with him.
The headline blared “Fashion Disaster: What Was She Thinking?” with a line below it asking, “Who’s Liana’s New Man?
” Travis put the basket on the conveyer belt, reached for the pile of papers, and walked along the row of checkout counters collecting them all.
Liana had gone mute with shock.
Travis dropped the papers on the belt along with their groceries.
The high school girl working the register looked up at him with wide eyes. “All of them?”
“All of them,” Travis replied, reaching for Liana’s hand. He paid and nudged her through the double doors ahead of him. Once they were outside, he jammed the papers into the trashcan next to the door.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said in a small voice.
He reached for his cell phone. “Yes, I did,” he said, pressing a number on his phone.
“Beck, I need another favor.” He told his security chief about the photo in the tabloid.
“Can you find out where they got it? I suspect it was the wedding photographer. If so, get his ass into my office at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.
Also, tighten security at the gate. I don’t want any reporters on the property.
” He paused to listen. “Okay, that would be great. Thanks, I appreciate it.” Travis returned the phone to his pocket and put his arm around her.
“They’ll descend on this town,” she said in a flat, lifeless tone. “They’re probably already digging into your life. You should let your family know.”
Alarmed by the shattered look on her face, he helped her into the car. He got in and reached for her. “Hey, don’t worry. Beck’s not going to let them into North Point, and he’s sending a couple of guys over to keep an eye on your mother’s house, too. If they come, they won’t bother you.”
She looked up at him with tearful eyes. “With the vandalism at North Point, you don’t need to be diverting security away from your place.”
“Let me take care of it, Liana. You can’t expect me to do nothing.”
“My agent told me this morning they want me back in Milan to do a re-shoot. Maybe I should just go. You don’t need this right now.”
“What about what you need?” With his index finger on her chin he turned her to him. “What about our fling?”
She shrugged. “Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.” He ran his hand over her thigh and was gratified by the hitch in her breathing. “You promised me two weeks, and it’s only been two days. We haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet.”
She rewarded him with a weak smile.
He kissed her and then started the car to drive to North Point.
Beck was at the gate when they arrived. He leaned into the window Travis opened. “I sent a couple of guys to buy and trash the rest of the copies in town. Don’t worry, Ms. McDermott, we’ll find out who sold them the photo.”
“Thank you, Beck. And please, call me Liana. I really appreciate you helping out with Jessie, too.”
“It’s a terrible burden, but somehow I’ll manage.”
Liana laughed at his goofy expression.
“Any sign of reporters here?” Travis asked.
“Not yet. We’re on the lookout, though.”
“Good, thanks. No one speaks to them about me. Understood?”
“I’ve already put out the word.”
“Are you always one step ahead of me?”
Beck smiled. “Seems that way, doesn’t it? They’re sending Jessica in a limo from New York. I expect her around two a.m., so I’ll hang out until she gets settled.”
“Great,” Travis said. “Thank you very much.”
“You guys have a nice evening.”
They parked in the garage under the tower and took the elevator to his apartment. Liana stepped off ahead of him, and after Travis had stashed the groceries in the kitchen, he went to find her.
On the patio, she looked out at the bay. The rain had stopped, and the sky had cleared in time for a brilliant sunset.
Travis put his hands on her shoulders. “How you doing?” When she didn’t answer him, he turned her around and brought her into his arms. “It’s okay, honey. They’re not going to bother you here. You’re safe with me, remember?”
She hooked her fingers through the belt loops on his shorts and leaned her head against his chest. “I’m sorry. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. I just really wanted this time to myself at home without the intrusion.”
He kissed her forehead. “And you’re going to have that. I promise.”
“I’d feel much better if you would warn your family they might be harassed.”
“Okay,” he said with a kiss to the end of her nose.
He reached into his pocket for his cell phone, pressed a button on his speed dial, and held her close to him while he waited for someone to answer.
“Hi, Mom. It’s Travis. How’s it going?” He listened to his mother’s news for a minute.
“Listen, Mom, I wanted to tell you that you may be hearing from some reporters. I want you to do me a favor and not talk to them, okay?”
“Are you in some sort of trouble, Travis?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I’ve been seeing someone famous, and the media has caught wind of it.”
“Who do you know that’s famous?”
“The very beautiful Liana McDermott.”
Liana blushed, and he pressed his lips to her cheek.
“The model?”
“The one and only.”
“How did you meet her?”
“At a wedding at North Point.” Travis rolled his eyes at the barrage of questions. “So, Mom, don’t talk to the press, okay? Tell everyone else to just ignore them. Will you do that for me?”
“Would we be on T.V. if we talked to them?”
Travis stiffened. “I’m asking you not to, Mom,” he said quietly but firmly.
“Oh, all right, don’t get huffy with me. So when are you bringing your model girlfriend home to meet us?”
Unprepared to answer such a question, Travis glanced down at Liana. “She’s really busy. She’s only in town for a couple of weeks and is going back to work right after that.”
“It’s not like you ever come home anyway.”
“Mom—”
“Well, I have to go. Maybe you could call once in a while, huh?”
“Okay,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ll talk to you soon. Tell Dad I said hi.”
“Goodbye, Travis.”
Travis stashed the phone in his pocket. “Could you hear every word of that?”
Liana looked up at him with sad eyes. “I’m sorry to be causing you grief with her.”
“It’s got nothing to do with you. It’s her. She’s miserable and has been my whole life. It’s all too much for her—too many kids, not enough money. Complain, complain.”
“That must’ve been hard to live with. You’re such a positive person.”