Page 78 of Beyond Question

“Travis–”

“I’m serious. I’ll keep my hands to myself. I just want to look at you.”

With a sigh, I give in to him—shocking, no?—and roll over, settling on my side as he settles himself on his. With our bodies lined up and our heads on the pillow, I soak him in.

He’s beautiful, this man. I’ve tried so hard to ignore the way looking at Travis sets my heart aflutter, but I don’t want to ignore these feelings anymore. It’s instinctual for me to run, to push people away, but I meant it when I told him I’m finished running from him.

Running hasn’t done a thing for me, has it?

Archer found me regardless.

Travis cups my cheek, eyes flicking all over my face as if he, too, is drinking me in. “Rylan told me only so much when she called me yesterday.”

A smile tugs at my lips. I should have known it would be Rylan to summon Travis, not Cabot.

“I know someone from your past is after you, but that’s all I know.” He pauses, then grimaces. “That’s not true. I know you had twenty years of a life before you came to New York, but those twenty years don’t seem to exist.”

I close my eyes and breathe deeply. “How long have you known that?”

Travis waits for me to open my eyes before he says, “Since the day of the baby shower.”

I suck in a breath. “What?”

He chews on his bottom lip, gaze searching mine. “I told you I was all in. I don’t care about your past.”

“Travis,” I sigh. “That’s… you can’t mean that.”

He groans. “Please just accept what I’m telling you.” His thumb traces my cheekbone. “Let me in.”

I draw a shuddering breath. “It’s not that easy.”

“Let me in, Paige.”

Swallowing hard, I nod. “You may not like what I have to tell you.”

He shrugs. “I’m a big boy.”

I close my eyes on a long blink, then the bed shifts beneath me as he leans forward nudging his nose against mine. I open my eyes and his green ones are right there. Sosoclose. Which means his lips are close too.

I close the distance and press my mouth to his, but I don’t try to move my lips or deepen the kiss, I just hold my lips there, pressed against his, and we both take a deep breath in unison, then I pull back. “Okay.”

Travis raises his eyebrows. “Okay?”

I swallow hard, then nod. “I…” I pause, the words difficult to say out loud. “I want to let you in.”

Travis’ lips twitch with amusement. “You okay?” his thumb trails over my cheek, then down to my mouth, teasing the corner of my lips. “That sounded painful.”

I snort, then close my eyes. “Let’s get up. I need to see my baby.”

“Okay, but Paige?”

I open my eyes.

“I’m all in.” He says it with such conviction I can feel the words in my soul. “Anything that happens, anything you tell me, I’m in.” He pauses, then tugs me closer to him and tucks my head against his chest so he can give me a fierce hug. “You’re not alone anymore.”

When we have both brushed our teeth—Rylan left me a new toothpaste, the sweetheart—and we’ve made ourselves as presentable as possible, I open the door and freeze.

Bronte happens to be passing right outside the bedroom.