Wild Weekend (6 page)

More important, she could cross entry number forty-three—win money—off her list. A satisfied sigh staggered from her throat. She was almost light-headed with relief. Tomorrow she could return home knowing she had accomplished what she had set out to do.

The sun was beginning to set and the golden lights reflected on the buildings. Her weekend was almost up, but she wasn’t ready to go home. Not when she could add Travis to her dream list.

She imagined the entry on her list. One hundred and one: Travis. Not a one-night stand. Not a fling. Simply Travis. She didn’t care how she got him as long as he wound up in her bed.

But she didn’t have that much time. How was she going to do it? The idea made her jittery and nervous. He thought she was a sophisticated and mysterious woman. She wasn’t that experienced. Her last boyfriend had dumped her because she wasn’t exciting enough for him.

“It’s your choice, Christine,” Travis said. “What do you want to do?”

She took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to talk herself out of this. She always did that and then regretted it.

But this time she needed to make the first move. That was completely out of her comfort zone. She never grabbed what she wanted. She always waited for permission. For her turn.

Forget that. This was her chance. It was time for her to take a risk. If she didn’t do this, she would regret missing the opportunity.

“Travis?” she said, her voice sounding high to her ears. He must have heard it, too. Travis went still and cast a quick glance at her.

She wasn’t sure what to say. Maybe this was one of those times when words weren’t necessary. Her chest rose and fell with each uneven breath as she took a step forward. Travis watched her intently, but he remained silent.

Christine slid her hands over his chest. He was warm and muscular. She frowned when her hand bumped against something solid in his shirt pocket. His fingers suddenly wrapped around her wrists. For a moment she couldn’t tell if he was going to reject her advances.

This wasn’t going as well as she had hoped. She had expected him to meet her halfway. Sweep her up into his arms and kiss her. But did a worldly, mysterious woman allow the man to take charge? She doubted it. If she wanted Travis, she would have to act like her alter ego.

Christine’s heart was pounding ferociously as she leaned forward and kissed him. She meant for it to be bold and powerful, but the moment her lips touched his, she softened against him. Her mouth clung to him as she felt his surprise.

Travis dropped her wrists and held her face in his calloused hands. She tasted the urgency, the pulsating need as he gave her a hard, possessive kiss. She wanted to melt into him when he lifted his head.

“What were you saying, Christine?” he asked hoarsely as his eyes glittered with desire. She felt the throbbing response deep in her belly. No man had looked at her like that before.

She curled her hands against his shoulders. He felt strong and solid underneath her touch. “I don’t feel like sightseeing anymore.”

His mouth tilted up into a wicked smile. “What do you want to do?”

She suddenly felt shy. Christine looked away and paused. She was a brazen and sophisticated woman, she reminded herself. Christine slowly lifted her head and met Travis’s gaze. “I want to take you back to my room.”

“Lead the way.”

6

C
HRISTINE
DIDN
’
T
SPEAK
to Travis as she led him to
her room. Words were jumbled in her mind and her throat felt tight and thick.
She felt awkward and clumsy as she slid the key card into the lock. She
experienced a wave of relief as the green light flickered, and her hands
trembled as she wrenched the door open.

She stepped inside her dark hotel room and turned around.
Travis stood in the doorway, his hands bracing the frame. His eyes were
piercing. She felt the urgency ripple from his body, but he waited for her to
make the next move.

“Invite me in,” he said roughly.

He knew. He knew that she was nervous. She was afraid to reach
for the opportunity only to have it disappear—or, worse, confirm her fears that
she wasn’t exciting. That she wasn’t good in bed.

But she hadn’t felt like this with another man. And Travis was
hers for the taking. He had been since the moment they met next to the slot
machine. She’d only needed the courage to take the next step. Reach out and
claim him.

“I’ll wait.” His voice was a rasp. “It’s not going to be easy.
I want you now, but I will wait until you make the first move.”

Christine shivered. She didn’t realize how important it was for
her to hear those words. She needed to know that he wanted this as much as she
did. But she wanted it to be memorable for Travis. This one-night stand was
going to mean more to her than to him.

“Travis...”

“I know this could be from the adrenaline rush of winning.” He
reached out and cupped her cheek with his warm and large hand.

She didn’t want to move away. “It’s not. I’ve wanted this since
I first met you.”

“What is stopping you?” he asked as he brushed his thumb
against her cheekbone. His touch was as light as a feather. “Is there someone
back home?”

She wanted to live out this fantasy but she wasn’t very brave.
Not in Cedar Valley and not in bed. It was easier to act as if her fantasies
didn’t exist than to go after them. She wished it wasn’t so difficult to
surrender to the moment.

“There’s no one else,” she said.

Travis bent his head and gave her the gentlest of kisses. His
mouth grazed hers and color exploded inside her. She parted her lips as her
breath hitched in her throat.

If his kiss had been hard and demanding, she would have pulled
away. She would have told him she had changed her mind and asked him to leave.
It would have been her biggest regret, but this kiss proved that Travis could be
a tender and patient lover.

She slowly pulled away. Her heart pounded in her ears. She felt
as though she was letting go of something safe and solid. Taking a risk that
could have her soaring or falling. “Come inside,” she whispered.

Her pulse skipped a beat as she reached for his hand. Christine
entwined their fingers, hers looking small and pale next to his. The sight made
her heart twist. She wanted to hold on to him. Become one with him.

Christine looked into Travis’s eyes. She saw the desire and the
hope. She led him across the threshold and welcomed him by curling her arms
around his strong shoulders. He kissed with great care as he gathered her close.
Her kisses grew bolder. Christine pushed his jacket off his broad shoulders and
unbuttoned his shirt as he kicked off his shoes. She stripped him quickly before
she lost her nerve. She felt the strength of his muscular chest and his hard
arousal. She rocked her hips with anticipation, and Travis groaned against her
mouth.

She didn’t speak as he slowly peeled her clothes from her body.
It was as if he was unwrapping a gift. By the time she was naked, she was
trembling and craving his touch. She was desperate for his mouth. For him.

Travis led her to the bed and lowered her gently as if she was
a delicate treasure. Her spine sank into the soft mattress and she drew him down
with her. Travis lay at her side, watching her intently as she explored his body
with her hands and mouth. She learned what made him sigh with pleasure and what
made him clench with barely leashed restraint. Most of all, she discovered
Travis’s patience matched her insatiable curiosity.

When Travis couldn’t take it anymore, he covered her body with
his. Christine wrapped her hands around his penis and couldn’t suppress the
ripple of excitement. She loved the feel of him, enjoyed the pulsating heat and
strength under her fingertips.

“Tell me what you want,” Christine said as she arched against
him. She pressed her mouth against his throat and felt his fast pulse under her
lips.

“Show me how you feel,” Travis said huskily. “Don’t hold
back.”

Christine reached for his hands, which were flattened on the
bed next to her head. She laced her fingers with his and held on tight. She
tilted her head and sought his mouth. Christine gave him the sweetest kiss.

She didn’t want to hold back but she was scared. The sensations
swirling inside her felt stronger than her. The coiling desire held such promise
but she fought it. She knew if she allowed it to take over, she would never be
the same.

Travis ended the kiss and looked into her eyes. His eyes
glittered with an intensity that made her pause. He seemed mesmerized by the
emotions chasing across her face.

Christine didn’t want to be the same person she had been before
this trip. She wanted to feel, to know. She knew he would guide her to the
height of pleasure and hold her when she fell. Travis would take care of her and
not let go.

* * *

T
RAVIS
WAS
INSTANTLY
aware of the moment she yielded. She
whispered and sighed as he caressed her. She encouraged him with incomplete
sentences when he explored her with his mouth. Soon she guided him with her
hands. He knew what she wanted with the roll of her hips and the arch of her
spine.

His body strained for completion as he stared into Christine’s
eyes. He couldn’t get enough of her untamed reactions. He wanted to capture this
rare moment.

Travis quickly slipped on protection and settled between her
legs as the lust kicked hard. Victory and gratitude rushed through his veins,
but when he held Christine’s gaze, he was humbled by her trust. He was going to
do everything he could to be worthy of it. Worthy of her.

Travis grasped her hips and sank into her welcoming body. He
tilted his head back as the primitive instincts stormed through him. Christine’s
eyes glimmered with stark need as she bucked beneath him.

The fascination he felt for this woman almost scared him. He
thrust into her and shuddered at the sound of her earthy groan. He knew once she
submitted to him that she would reach a new level of pleasure. He thrust again
and watched in awe as Christine climaxed in his arms.

She hid nothing. He saw the reckless spirit in her eyes as she
went wild beneath him. She was fire—primal, uninhibited beauty.

He couldn’t hold on for much longer, but he wanted more. He
needed more time to explore this connection and this woman. As the scorching
pleasure ripped through him, Travis knew he had to convince Christine to
stay.

* * *

T
HE
NEXT
MORNING
, Christine stared at the alarm clock on the bedside table
and swallowed back a groan.
I’m late. This is a disaster. I
can’t be late.

The words rushed through her mind as she hurriedly buttoned up
her white long-sleeved shirt and shoved the long hem in her navy blue pants. How
could this have happened? She was never late. She always woke up at dawn and had
everything prepared ahead of time to ensure an easygoing morning.

But last night wasn’t routine. If she took a man like Travis to
her bed every night, she wouldn’t seek adventure elsewhere. Her skin tingled and
her stomach clenched as she remembered how he had touched her. She had never
slept with a man as sexual, as tender or as knowledgeable as Travis Cain.

She hadn’t been able to keep her hands off him. He didn’t seem
to mind that she woke him up several times throughout the night to make love. It
was almost as if she needed to be certain it hadn’t been a dream.

And this morning, she had woken up as the sun streaked through
the gap in the curtains. This time she didn’t awaken Travis. Instead she’d lain
next to him, cherishing the moment, holding on to the fantasy until she had to
get up and get back to reality.

Christine reached up and gathered her hair in a tight topknot
as she studied Travis in her bed. The bedsheets were startlingly white against
his golden-brown skin. He was sprawled across the mattress, his arms
outstretched and his feet dangling off the corner.

The blanket was a tangled mess and barely covered his hips. She
couldn’t stop staring at his powerful thighs and tapered waist. Her fingers
itched, eager to caress his well-defined abdominal muscles.

He was gloriously male and naked. She missed seeing his body
last night. They hadn’t taken the time to turn on the lights. Christine had felt
the crisp curls on his broad chest and heard the strong beat of his heart when
she curled up against him. She hadn’t seen the dark stubble on his jaw, but her
lips were still red from the friction.

Christine paused. She rubbed her hand against her collarbone
and her fingers brushed against her neckline. She was tempted to shed her
clothes and crawl back in bed. Why shouldn’t she miss her flight? No one was
waiting for her at home. The bank could survive a day without her.

What was she thinking? She had allowed a man to distract her
from her plan before. She wasn’t going to let it happen again. Christine pulled
at her collar and realized she had released the top button. She quickly fixed
her top and marched to the bathroom. She scooped her toiletries into her arm and
hurried back to her suitcase.

After all, this was a one-night stand. Nothing more. She’d
never had one before and didn’t know the rules, but Travis wasn’t looking for a
relationship. He knew she was returning home today.

And if she extended her vacation, she would only find
disappointment. At the moment Travis found her interesting. Anyone could pretend
to be for a couple of days, but she couldn’t maintain her sophisticated persona
for much longer. She had already slipped up multiple times and it was only by
incredible luck that he hadn’t noticed. It wouldn’t take him long to realize
what kind of person she truly was—an average woman who dreamed big but lived
small.

Christine slipped her feet into her loafers and looked around
the hotel room. It was small, plain and beige, but she didn’t think she would
remember that. She would remember the kaleidoscope of colors and emotions she’d
experienced here. She’d cherish the memory of how alive and daring she felt in
Travis’s arms.

She dipped her head and took a deep breath. She had to get out
of here now if she wanted to make her flight. Christine glanced at the door and
saw the pile of clothes on the carpeted floor. How could she have missed
that?

Rushing over to the door, she grabbed her clothes from the top
of the pile and tossed them into her suitcase. She zipped up her luggage and
cringed when the metallic sound echoed in the quiet room. Glancing over at the
bed, Christine went very still until she saw that Travis was still sleeping
soundly.

She was overwhelmed with the urge to wake him up and say
goodbye. She wanted to thank him for showing her Vegas, for encouraging her to
pursue her dreams and for taking the time to make sure she crossed something off
her bucket list. But, most of all, she wanted one more kiss.

Christine pressed her lips together. No, she shouldn’t do that.
It would start a chain reaction. She squared her shoulders and thrust out her
chin. All he would have to do was look at her and she would stay.

And then she might find out the truth that would crack through
her dream weekend. She felt something more than desire, but that didn’t mean
Travis felt the same way. She could keep the fantasy but that meant getting out
of here before she ruined this beautiful memory.

Christine’s eyelashes fluttered as she felt the sting of tears.
She wasn’t going to regret leaving. She would regret it more if she tried to
extend this one-night stand. She grabbed her suitcase and quietly left, refusing
to look back.

* * *

T
RAVIS
WOKE
UP
when he
heard the buzz of his cell phone. He gradually opened his eyes and stared at the
white ceiling. It took a moment for him to notice the stream of sunlight. His
need to turn over and go back to sleep evaporated when he realized he didn’t
recognize the room.

He sat up and looked around. The hotel room was like any other.
He looked at the bed and saw the dent on the pillow next to him. He smiled as
the memories came rushing back. “Christine?”

She didn’t answer. The bathroom and closet doors were ajar, as
if they’d been thrown open in a hurry. Travis reluctantly looked at the clock on
the table next to the bed. It was past noon.

Damn. Travis tiredly rubbed his hand over his jaw, the stubble
scratching his palm. She must have left for the airport. The disappointment
weighed heavily in his chest. He hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye.

In a hazy way, he recalled encouraging her to stay for another
day, but she hadn’t seemed interested. He should have gotten her phone number or
email address. Anything that gave him the chance to continue what they had
shared. Now that link had been broken. She was gone.

The regret was unfamiliar. He was used to keeping relationships
casual. They were meant to be fun, sexy and temporary. But it felt different
with Christine. What they shared was more of a connection. Something he hadn’t
felt with anyone for a long time. And when she curled up against him, showing
her trust... Travis exhaled sharply. Well, he thought it was more than a
hookup.