Wild Weekend (4 page)

“Travis? Is everything okay?”

Travis turned at the sound of Christine’s voice. He paused, his chest tightening as he watched her approach. Something had changed about her. She still wore the short blue dress and impractical heels, and her soft brown hair was windblown, but there was no significant alteration in her appearance.

Yet she now walked with a purposeful stride. Her shoulders were back, her head held high as if she was ready to take on the next challenge. A fire had been lit inside her. It was fragile and small. He wanted to see it flare wildly.

“You should be proud of yourself,” he said. He knew she had to dig deep and find the courage to take the plunge.

“I am,” she admitted with a wide smile. “But my heart is still racing. I don’t think my legs have stopped shaking. I thought I was going to throw up after I landed, but that was a false alarm. And my throat hurts.”

Travis smiled at how she spoke in quick bursts. He didn’t think she was going to be quiet and reserved anymore. The shy Christine had caught his attention, but this side of her was capturing his imagination. “Yeah, you screamed all the way down.”

“You would, too.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “I can’t stop smiling.”

He reached for her wrist and pulled her hand away. “Why hide it?”

“Right. Exactly. Why hide it? I just feel strange. Different. Powerful.” She gave a husky chuckle. “I’m not making sense, am I?”

“You’re making perfect sense,” he assured her as he guided her back onto the crowded sidewalk. He knew Christine was still enjoying the excitement of her jump. Her senses were heightened. This was the time when she would be bolder because she felt stronger.

Christine slid her arm through his and held him close. “Everything is so loud. Colorful. I feel like Alice in Wonderland.”

Travis looked down at her in surprise. The way she spoke it sounded as if she’d never had an adrenaline rush. How was that possible? People got a high from speeding, having sex and facing their fears. What had she been doing all her life?

He held her arm tighter and led her along the sidewalk. He felt very protective of Christine. She stared at the Las Vegas lights as if everything was becoming brighter. Clearer. Her smile widened. He knew he wanted to see that smile all night long.

“Where to next?” he asked.

She stumbled in her platform heels. “Oh, I shouldn’t decide.”

“Why not? I’m your guide.” He found it curious that she was reluctant to try something more when she seemed so excited about her jump. This was the time when most people would set a bigger challenge for themselves.

“You’re supposed to be showing me
your
Las Vegas,” she reminded him, her shoulder and hip bumping against him as they strolled down the sidewalk. “Where should we go next?”

He looked around the street, searching for Pitts and Underwood. Dread curled around his abdomen when he couldn’t spot them. They could be anywhere. Travis noticed an exotic car idling in the traffic jam and his mind grabbed on to an idea. “Have you ever driven a Ferrari?”

Christine laughed. “I haven’t even seen one up close. Why? Do you have one?”

“No, but I know where to borrow one.”

She tilted her head and looked at him with narrowed eyes. “When you mean
borrow...
”

“Don’t worry, Christine. I won’t let you get arrested,” he promised. “Not on your first night in Vegas.”

4

“T
HAT
WAS
INCREDIBLE
!” Christine said as they strolled along the sidewalk next to the Bellagio. The night air was cool, but Christine didn’t seem to notice as she waved her arms enthusiastically. “I had so much fun.”

Travis could tell and he was glad she enjoyed it as much as he did. When he took her to the Las Vegas Motor Raceway to drive exotic cars, he thought she would be careful. Cautious. Slow.

Instead, Christine was a speed demon. His heart had stopped when he watched her take a sharp turn in the Ferrari, but she handled the car beautifully. The woman tested the machine—and his nerves—to the limit. He was sure the tires would have burned from the friction if she’d been allowed to continue.

“Thanks so much for this night, Travis.” She wrapped her hands around his arm and leaned into him. “How did you manage to make that happen?” Christine asked.

“I know a guy,” he said gruffly as he inhaled her intoxicating scent and his chest clenched. He knew men and women all over the world with whom he bartered and traded favors. They weren’t close relationships, but his network of acquaintances and casual friends was an essential part of his nomadic life.

“I wish we could have raced each other,” she said.

“That would have been...”
Wild. Electric. Dangerous.
“Interesting.” Christine thought she was living on the edge, unaware that he was providing her a protected and safe place.

“I got you something.” Christine pulled away and Travis wanted to grasp her hand and draw her back. He watched as she opened her backpack and pulled out a sparkly and colorful keychain. It was the famous diamond-shaped sign that welcomed tourists to Las Vegas. The rhinestones glittered as the chain dangled from her finger.

“Thank you,” he said as he accepted it. He held it up and realized that he had no keys to place on the keychain. He didn’t own anything that required a key. “I’ll think of you every time I look at it.”

His statement seemed to please her. “Everyone could use a little more glitter in their lives,” she declared.

“I have to know,” he said as he slipped the keychain into his pocket. “Where did you learn how to drive like that?”

“I love driving,” she said with a sigh as she hooked her arm with his. “Not that you would know it if you saw my car. But whenever I have the chance, I leave town and drive through the mountains. It doesn’t take much to encourage me to leave the city limits.”

Every time he thought he’d figured out Christine Pearson, she did something that blew apart his theory. She wanted to break free from her comfort zone, but she stayed in her contained world. Something was holding her back. Or was it someone?

There was probably a man back home. Christine was smart, beautiful and joyful. No man would be able to resist her charm. She could have her pick of men and demand everything she wanted. Commitment. Family. A comfortable life.

Everything he avoided. Travis frowned as envy and bitterness churned inside him. He didn’t want to think about it. He could give Christine something the men back home could never offer—the thrill of a lifetime and some wild memories. “If I need a driver on my next trip, I’m calling you.”

“You’re on,” Christine said with a wistful smile. She turned her head and her hand tightened on his arm. “Look! The Bellagio fountain! I see this in the movies all the time!”

Travis indulgently followed Christine as she pulled him to view the fountain up close. He had never stopped to watch the performance. To him, it was simply water moving to music, but he could understand why Christine would be fascinated. He enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes.

Everything was beautiful to Christine. She found pleasure in the stores that sold kitschy souvenirs and in the fries she ate at a retro diner. And yet, she wasn’t ready to live hard and fast, making up for lost time. She wanted to savor every moment.

They stood with the crowd and watched the water-and-lights display. After a few moments, Travis found himself watching Christine. Her expressions fascinated him.

Her brown eyes widened as the water sprayed to unbelievable heights. Her face softened at the cheesy romantic song. Her satisfied sigh pierced his heart. Travis wanted to hear that sound again. He wanted to make her sigh like that just for him.

The breeze pulled at her dark hair. Without thinking, Travis reached out and grasped the long tresses that buffeted her face. Her hair was as soft as he had expected.

His heart started to pound as he tucked her hair back. He dragged his finger along the curve of her ear and felt her shiver of delight. Christine slowly turned toward him as the song continued to play. Her eyes darkened as she shyly met his gaze.

Travis didn’t say anything as he slid his fingers along her jaw and cradled her face with his hands. Her lips parted as his mouth grazed hers.

He had meant for it to be a brush of lips, a whisper of a kiss. He didn’t expect the crackle of fire between them. It promised something wild and uncontrollable.

Christine tasted of innocence and mystery. Heat and softness. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. His skin tingled and he felt that kick of excitement as she yielded and drew him past her lips.

He deepened the kiss as the lust licked through his veins. He dimly heard the flourishing end of the song and the crash of water. All he noticed was how Christine melted into him. The crowd dispersed, jostling them. He instinctively held her close to protect her as someone bumped into him. She clutched his jacket lapel as she hungrily returned his kiss. Travis wasn’t ready to end this. He gathered her against him until her soft curves were flush with his rock-hard body.

Travis knew they were too far from the hotel. He wanted somewhere quiet and private where he could explore Christine inch by inch. Shed their clothes and...

Tension gripped his muscles as he realized he missed something. Something important. He suddenly recalled that someone had bumped right up against him.

The crowd hadn’t been that packed. Dread settled deep in his gut. Was it one of the guys who had followed them earlier? Did they know he had the emerald in his breast pocket?

Travis abruptly pulled away from Christine. He had to stop himself from checking the emerald. Alarm scorched through him and it must have shown as he saw Christine’s guarded expression.

“I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely as he watched Christine press her fingertips against her swollen lips. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” she said as desire shimmered in her eyes. “You did that very well.”

He tilted his head as hope leaped into his chest. He wanted to pursue what was happening between them right now. Travis was about to reach for Christine when his cell phone buzzed. He gritted his teeth and swallowed back a growl of frustration. “I have to get this.”

Christine lowered her gaze. “Not a problem.”

He surreptitiously checked for the emerald as he retrieved his cell phone from his pocket, and wanted to sag with relief when he felt the stone. He glanced at the phone and saw Aaron’s number. He wasn’t surprised. It was a shock that his friend hadn’t contacted him until now.

Travis answered his phone. “Hello?” he asked curtly. He didn’t want any more interruptions.

“Travis? How’s it going?” Aaron asked.

“Good. Why?” Travis heard the underlying tension in his friend’s voice. He glanced around the sidewalk. Pitts and Underwood were nowhere to be seen.

“Okay.” Aaron’s voice dropped to a confiding whisper. “You know how I said you were paranoid because you thought those two guys were watching us.”

“Yeah?” He did another quick survey of the area. Nothing.

“Well, I think someone was in my hotel room.”

Travis’s head came up like an animal scenting danger. It must have been obvious as Christine looked at him with concern. He flashed her a lopsided smile as if nothing was wrong. “How do you know?”

“I did the toothpick trick you showed me,” Aaron said in a rush. “You know, put the toothpick on the top of the door and close it.”

“Found it on the floor, huh?” He didn’t need confirmation. He knew the room had been searched.

“Yes! I also did it for the bathroom door and the closet. They’re all on the floor. I got out of there as fast as I could and called you.”

“Do you need me to drop by?” Travis asked. He saw Christine’s chin dip with disappointment.

“Actually...” Aaron’s tone changed. “I need my emerald now before the game starts.”

Travis rubbed his forehead as he tried to understand his friend’s insistence on playing the game with the questionable group. Did he think this emerald had some protective spell? “You’re still going through with it?”

“Yes, of course,” Aaron replied. “And then I’ll give the stone right back to you. What could go wrong?”

Travis groaned. “Famous last words.”

“You sound different,” Aaron said.

He probably did. He hadn’t felt this frustrated in a long time. He was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it. But now he couldn’t follow up on this attraction that flared between him and Christine. “No,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’m good.”

“Wait a second,” Aaron said slyly. “Are you still with that hot chick?”

He glanced at Christine and their gazes held. “Yes.”

“Seriously?” his friend said in a high-pitched squawk. “How the hell did you get her to go with you?”

He couldn’t answer that because he had no idea. “I’ll be right there,” he promised with great reluctance before he disconnected the call.

“You have to leave?” Christine asked.

“I have to drop by the casino,” he said as he placed the cell phone into his pocket. “It won’t take long.”

“No, that’s fine.” She took a step back and crossed her arms. “I’ve already taken up enough of your time.”

“I’m not ready to call it a night,” he said. Especially after that kiss. “I have to do something for a friend and then I’ll take you dancing.”

Her eyes widened. “Dancing? Like at a nightclub?”

He nodded. She looked as nervous as she had when she suited up for the sky jump. He couldn’t imagine why. “I know, I know, you’ve seen one nightclub, you’ve seen them all. But I promise, this one is different.”

“Dancing?” she repeated. She snapped her mouth shut and flipped back her hair. “Eh, sounds a little tame, Travis.”

He gave her a slow, wicked smile. “Then you’re not doing it right.”

* * *

N
OT
DOING
IT
RIGHT
.
Christine nervously thought about Travis’s words as they stepped into the nightclub an hour later. It was more like not doing it at all.

She looked around the nightclub. It wasn’t like anything she had expected, but then she had never been to a club. They didn’t have any around Cedar Valley.

The place was obviously popular, but she wasn’t sure why. The white walls, pink lights and sheer curtains didn’t look exotic or mysterious. The live band was good but she didn’t recognize any of the music. The dance floor was filled with men and women her age, their hands up in the air as they swayed to the beat. Christine’s shoulders tightened as she surveyed the unfamiliar setting. She didn’t know the latest dance moves or what drink to order.

She glanced at Travis, who stood by her side. He had changed into a dark suit and a gray shirt. Christine bit her bottom lip as she looked at her blue dress. It was limp and tired. She hadn’t considered changing. Should she have? This was really the only dress she had to go clubbing.

She frowned. Was she even using the correct verb? Did they use the term
clubbing
anymore? She just didn’t know.

Christine knew she shouldn’t be this nervous, but it had been so long since she had danced. Dancing meant losing control and surrendering to the music. It revealed what was going on inside her. She couldn’t show that, not back at home.

She always had to be on her best behavior in Cedar Valley. She had discovered that when she first started working at the bank. Her community wanted to know that she was a reliable and serious person. That they could trust her. People had no sense of humor when it came to their money and valuables. And for good reason. But now it had gone too far and for too long. She’d lost a piece of her identity in the process. A sense of her true self.

Christine had yielded to the town’s expectations because she needed the job. She thought it was going to be temporary, but she had stayed and didn’t recognize the gradual shift in herself during the years. The flirty clothes she used to wear were replaced with appropriate work attire in dull colors. She never did anything “out there” or that caused a scene, no matter how much she wanted to. But did any of it pay off? No. Instead of being rewarded for her efforts, her life was in a rut.

That needed to change, even if it meant continuing to take wild weekends away from Cedar Valley. It was going to be a balancing act to keep everything she’d worked hard for and still fulfill her dreams. As fascinating as Travis’s life sounded, she knew it wasn’t for her. She needed a safety net and a place to call home.

“What do you think?” Travis asked, his mouth close to her ear.

Christine shivered with anticipation as his warm breath caressed her skin. She couldn’t wait for him to kiss her again. She didn’t know if that was going to happen, but she couldn’t make the next move. Old habits died hard.

“It’s great.” Christine looked around and saw quite a few bachelorette parties on the floor. She looked at the bar and noticed two men staring at her. It wasn’t a flirtatious look or even one of interest. They were watchful as they zeroed in on her among all the other women in the club.

They looked familiar but she wasn’t sure why. “Do you know those guys?” she asked Travis, gesturing with a nod of her head. “They keep looking at us.”

Travis gave a quick glance. “No, never met them,” he said tightly. “Come on, let’s dance.”

Travis grasped her elbow and led her onto the dance floor. There was barely any room, yet he managed to cut through the crowd with ease. She envied that skill. She imagined he didn’t have any trouble finding a path through a maze or a jungle.