“You know this guy, Bella?”
Bella?This was Duke’s sister, the woman that hit on Travis.
The guy let go of Bella and advanced toward Travis. He immediately poked Travis on the chest while he said, “You fucking my woman, huh? Your bitch over there not enough?”
Caitlin wanted to cover her ears because his words burned through her brain. She gasped when Travis somehow managed to spin the guy around and shove him on the back of the Impala with the guy’s arms twisted behind his back. The angle of the limb was positioned in a way that discouraged resistance.
Travis leaned over the man and said, “Don’t you dare call my wife a bitch. You don’t even deserve to kiss her feet. And maybe if you were man enough to satisfy your woman here, she wouldn’t have to find someone else. I never touched Bella. I never will.”
He shoved away from the guy, releasing him. “Now get the fuck out of here.”
The man’s face mottled with rage. He stomped to the driver’s side of the Impala and glared at Travis. “This is not over! You’re lucky I don’t have my gun, or I would shoot you . . .” His eyes drifted to Caitlin. “But not before I slit the throat of your bitch in front of you.”
Travis moved to go after him, but the man scrambled into his car and burned rubber, skidding away from the side of the road.
Her husband stood there, hands clenched into fists. Not looking at Bella, he strode back to the Suburban. “Get in the car.”
The tension rolling off Travis was palpable as he got into the driver’s seat.
“Travis,” Caitlin began, but Bella got into the backseat and stopped whatever she was about to say. “Are you all right?” Caitlin forced herself to ask the other woman.
“I’m fine,” Bella replied. Travis made curt introductions after which the woman said in a sweeter, breathless voice, “Thanks for saving me.”
Caitlin was staring straight ahead, but she imagined Bella had said those words with an accompanying flutter of lashes.
“Thank Caitlin. She convinced me to stop.”
That shut the bitch up, Caitlin thought snidely. They rode in silence until they reached the outskirts of town.
“Where do you want me to drop you off?” Travis asked.
“The clubhouse. It’s ten minutes on the other side of Iron Ridge.”
“I have an appointment with a masseuse at the B&B in ten minutes,” Caitlin said in dismay.
Travis cursed. “Bella, do you have anyone who can pick you up from town?”
“Or”—Bella stuck her head between the space separating the two front seats—“we can drop Caitlin off for her appointment, and you can take me to the clubhouse. Unless,” her voice turned coy, “You’re afraid I’ll bite, Travis?”
Her husband’s knuckles turned white against the steering wheel. Caitlin didn’t know whether to feel sorry for or be pissed at Bella, because seriously, what woman just couldn’t take a hint?
Still, Caitlin found herself saying, “Bella’s right, Travis. It’s more logical for you to drop me off and take Bella back to the clubhouse.”
He should be back in half an hour tops.
It took several tense beats before Travis reluctantly agreed.
Travis dropped her off in front of the inn. Caitlin had not even shut the door of the Suburban when Bella squeezed her way through the space, intentionally rubbing herself on Travisbefore plopping down on the passenger’s seat. She smirked at Caitlin as she fastened her seatbelt.
As the Suburban pulled away, Caitlin wondered if she hadn’t just sent her husband off with the biker bitch version of Cleopatra.
Travis’s nosetwitched as Bella’s strong perfume permeated throughout the cabin of the SUV. He’d have to roll down the windows later to air out the vehicle. He already missed the scent of Caitlin—clean, flowery citrus, and kissed by the sun. The vehicle just reached the edge of town.
“Thanks for saving me from Marko,” Bella said. “We had broken up a while ago.” She shifted in her seat and trailed a nail down Travis’s shoulder.
Fuck!
“Bella.” Travis grabbed her hand and set it on her lap. “Stop this. I don’t know why you keep insisting on playing this game. I’m very much taken.”
