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Ally was nervous. This wasn’t a world she even came into contact with outside of Travis’s office. “I hope they like me,” she said tentatively. “But at least they think I’m just your assistant.”
“That’s not what I told Tate. And you’re not just my assistant,” Travis answered irritably as he exited the freeway and started navigating through a quaint mountain town.
“Then what did you say? We’re just…dating.”
“I told him I’m bringing my woman,” he answered matter-of-factly. “He put us up in one of the guesthouses on his property so we could have privacy. I think Sutherland is taking the other one.”
Ally hadn’t realized Jason was attending, but she was more concerned about what Travis had told his friends. “But I’m not really your woman. Not really.”
“If you say that one more time, I’ll pull this vehicle off the road and show you just how much you belong to me,” Travis said dangerously, leaving the small town and staying on a two-lane highway, navigating the twists and turns like they were nothing. “Don’t say it, Ally. That isn’t an empty threat. I’m more than ready to show you exactly what I mean right here and right now.”
Oh, God. Ally had never wanted to call him on a threat this badly. Her body ached for him, and she wanted him inside her so desperately that her panties were drenched. But it wasn’t exactly a safe area for him to be pulling off the road. And she had no doubt he’d do it. “Show me later,” she told him breathlessly.
“Count on it,” he warned darkly.
Ally was speechless, thoughts of what exactly Travis would do to her later drifting through her mind. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, visualizing Travis’s powerful body over hers, his fierce look of longing that he always had in his eyes whenever he was inside her.
“What are you thinking about?” Travis asked curiously.
“Nothing,” she squeaked guiltily. “Just plotting my third book.”Liar. Liar. I’m so not thinking about a young adult plot at the moment.
“When is it going to be done? You left me hanging again,” he grumbled.
Her eyes shot open. “You already read the second book?”
“Yesterday. And it was fantastic, but you need to end this with a trilogy or you’ll drive me crazy.”
“I plan on it. And I think you’re biased. The publishers hated it,” she answered with a sigh, but pleased that Travis seemed to genuinely like the story.
“I don’t give a shit what they said. It’s fantastic,” he grunted. “I’m a reader. So my opinion is much more important,” he said arrogantly. “You need a good agent who can submit to the bigger publishing houses. Or you can publish them yourself. I know a good businessman who’d be more than happy to help.”
Ally already knew who that good businessman was, and she smiled. “So you’d let Kade help me?”
She laughed when she heard the predictably unhappy growl from Travis that she’d expected. When she stopped laughing, she told him more seriously, “Just the fact that you believe in me is enough. I think this is something I need to accomplish on my own.”
“Stubborn woman,” he complained mournfully. He nodded his head to the right. “There’s a herd of elk.”
Ally marveled over the field littered with elk. “They’re huge.” A few were right beside the road, and Travis slowed down through the area to avoid hitting any of the animals.
After they passed the herd, Ally asked Travis curiously, “So why were you so insistent that I was coming with you to Colorado? You’re obviously comfortable with the crowd here. You know the Colters well. Why is this any different than any other charity function?” She’d been wondering that for a while now.
“It’s an auction and a ball,” Travis answered grimly.
“So? You attend auctions,” she shot back at him.
“It’s not a typical auction. Tate thought it would be interesting to have a billionaire auction to raise more money. Bastard! And he has the connections to gather a very wealthy crowd.”
“So only billionaires will be there?” Ally asked, bewildered.
“No. Billionairesarethe auction items. Women are bidding on the billionaire of their choice to be their escort for the ball.” Travis visibly shuddered. “I can’t believe Sutherland showed up. Poor bastard. I hope he knows what he’s getting himself into. Tate’s own brothers conveniently had to be out of town.”
“So you’re going to be auctioned off?”
“Hell, no. I’m exempt because I have a woman. It’s just the single guys.”
“So you brought me along as your cover?” Ally asked, biting back a laugh, knowing that was probably initially the reason he’d needed her.
He hesitated for a moment and then answered, “Yeah. I’m not going up on some auction block like a damn antique or a prize show horse for sale.”