Page 67 of Willow Vale
Lila
I’d been lyingin bed staring up at the ceiling of my bedroom for the past ten minutes.
When I turned over and found that Travis wasn’t sleeping beside me, I figured he must have gone off to work on the ranch. Still, my heart was overflowing with affection toward the man for staying with me last night. Every little thing he did for me only made my love for him grow further and I found myself smiling as I got out of bed this morning.
My white oversized t-shirt I’d changed into last night fell to my thighs, over my sleep shorts. I brushed my teeth and threw my hair up into a messy bun, not wanting to deal with the frizz and curls that looked wonky.
I walked out of the room and wandered down the hall with the intention of checking on River, until I froze. Travis was standing in my kitchen with his back to me, pouring himself a cup of steaming coffee he must have brewed. He was also shirtless, wearing only his jeans. And I was standing there dumbfounded like some deer caught in headlights. I shamelessly took him in from his broad shoulders tanned by the sun to the muscles along his back and arms.
Travis turned and startled when he noticed me standing there. “Morning,” he greeted as I blinked up and away from his rather impressive abs. Something crossed his face, and I knew he’d caught me staring. His blue eyes usually as bright as the clear Wyoming skies, looked to grow darker as they roamed my body. He didn’t seem to care that I was watching him rake his gaze over the t-shirt I was wearing and down my bare legs. A stark contrast to how he looked at me when he first saw me like this when I’d been sick. This time he seemed to like what he saw.
There was a possessiveness in the way he looked at me.
Telling us both exactly what he wanted.
I wanted it too.
“Coffee?” he rasped.
I nodded before making my way to River’s room where I found him sleeping soundly under the covers. He must have been more tired than I realized after last night’s excitement. When I came back to the kitchen, Travis was holding a mug of hot coffee for me.
“Thanks. Sleep well?”
“I did,” he drawled, making me shudder at the deep sound of his voice. I inhaled the rich scent of fresh coffee as he turned toward the fridge and pulled out a carton of creamer. I arched a brow as he placed it on the counter, pushing it toward me.
“You drink your coffee with cream and sugar, don’t you?”
I smiled. “You remembered.”
“There isn’t much I don’t remember about you, Delilah.”
My heart skipped a beat and, without hesitating, I left my mug on the counter and wrapped my arms around his middle, resting my head against his chest.
It was as if a tether of his self-restraint snapped, waiting for me to make the first step. He kissed my neck as he placedhis hands on my waist. My smile widened when he lifted me up onto the counter, pushing my legs apart to make room for him to walk into my space. My smile faltered when he kissed me, his tongue drawing a soft moan from my mouth.
“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” he murmured, kissing my neck as his hand slid up my shirt to rest against my stomach.
“You may have mentioned it a few times.” My hands ran up his arms and shoulders until they were buried in his soft locks of dark hair. It had grown out since I’d seen him standing in The Rusty Pint a month ago.
We sat there, me on the counter and him standing between my legs as we drank our coffees together. We talked about simple things. All the things we’d missed in the last four years. He told me what his time in Colorado was like. I showed him River’s baby pictures I’d put in a photo album. We talked about me reapplying for college.
Every now and then he’d place a kiss on my forehead or neck. As if he couldn’t go without me for longer than a few minutes. I melted into him every time, making me lose my train of thought completely when I tried to speak.
“I can’t get enough of you.” He kissed my lips again and again. “You really have wrecked me. I don’t think I’ll ever recover.”
“Good, because I want you all to myself,” I admitted.
He paused at the same time I registered what I said. He watched me as I leaned in to kiss him to show him just how much I meant those words.
“What are you doing?” A sleepy voice behind us interrupted and we both startled. I pushed Travis away to see River standing outside his room. He was rubbing one of his eyes from sleep, his dark curls pointing in different directions.
I felt my face flush and with Travis’s help I slid off the counter.
“Morning, buddy. Want breakfast?” I asked as I walked over, picking him up, and kissing his cheek. We headed back toward the kitchen, and I noticed my little brother eyeing Travis.
“Why were you kissing my sister?” River asked with a frown. Bless his heart and his innocent mind. I looked at Travis as he looked directly into River’s scrutinizing face, his button nose scrunched up in suspicion. I’d never seen him so serious before.
“Does it bother you if I kiss her?” Travis asked, the same way he always talked to him, like River’s opinion mattered even if he was four years old.
