Page 20 of It’s Always Been You (Always #1)

Caitlin moved to lie on her back and stared up at the ceiling, pondering the events of the past few days, beginning with that afternoon at the NEST’s underground garage where all she remembered was the short stocky man reaching for her.

Next thing she knew, she was waking up in a hospital undergoing x-rays, followed by twenty-four hours of grogginess—almost as if she had been drugged, but Travis swore he had not given her any sedative, just pain meds.

She stretched gingerly. Her joints didn’t hurt, but the big blotches of bluish green bruises on her torso and back hurt as bad as they looked.

She stared at the abrasions on her knuckles.

Those also stung. Travis had insisted on helping her maneuver in the shower, and when he saw the discoloration on her body, he had murder in his eyes.

Caitlin could feel the guilt rolling off him in waves, and the self-recrimination in his eyes was more painful to witness than the pain from her injuries.

So now he was driving her crazy with his hovering. He hadn’t gone to the BSI office since the incident at the NEST. Sam had continued to provide security. If she was ever curious what it felt like to be shrink-wrapped and stored away, she wasn’t now.

Her stomach acids reminded her that she needed food. Sighing, she pushed up and walked to the bathroom.

After breakfast, Travis suggested they retire to the TV room. Sam was somewhere around the property doing a perimeter check.

“Can we go outside?” Caitlin asked. “I want to finish my coffee on the back patio. ”

Travis hesitated before saying, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to be outside.”

“It’s just the backyard, Travis,” Caitlin said. “Besides, you said Komarov was standing down.”

“I’m not taking any chances.”

“I’m getting bored out of my mind!”

“Better bored than dead!” Travis snapped.

Stalking to the kitchen, he dumped the dishes in the sink.

He turned around, his face a mask of anger.

“You whine about being bored. Do you even know how I felt when the police showed up and told me you were in the hospital? That you were attacked?” His anger turned into a haunted wildness.

“I imagined the worse. And don’t even think for a fucking minute that I’m overreacting, Caitlin, because you were taken from me—”

“Travis—” How could she be so inconsiderate?

“—for three fucking years!” he roared.

“I know, I’m sorry, but I can’t change that,” Caitlin said quietly.

“You’re right. You can’t,” there was a cruel twist to his mouth as he continued; his tone now cold and calculating. “So—you—owe—me.”

“What?”

“You do exactly what I tell you. No questions. If I have to lock you in this house or in my room, I will.”

“I am not your prisoner,” Caitlin retorted. “I believe I’m your wife.”

Travis walked toward her, grasping her shoulders, he hauled her against him and ducked his head, their faces a hairbreadth away.

“Yes. You’re my wife. You are mine. However you look at it, I’m responsible for you.

Komarov making that deal with Porter tells me he’s tired of this game and all he’s after is his money.

But until I’m a hundred percent certain, I’m not risking your safety.

” His eyes finally softened. “Give me this, sunshine. Please. I can’t lose you again. ”

“You won’t,” Caitlin whispered. “I’ll get Komarov his money.”

“I’ve made inquiries for a bank loan,” Travis stated matter-of-factly. “They’re considering my proposal.”

“Don’t,” Caitlin said, alarm stiffening her spine. “You’ve made something of yourself, Travis. Don’t put your business in jeopardy.”

Travis shook his head, a wistful smile crossed his lips as a hand came up to cup her face. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

She probably did, but it frightened her what he was willing to do for her when she wasn’t at the same level of commitment as he was. Yet.

“I’ll walk away from everything this instant as long as I have you,” Travis said, his voice had turned hoarse.

He cleared his throat. “I love you, sunshine girl. So damned much.” His eyes searched her face.

And there was a tinge of pain when he said, “I know it’s unfair to tell you this when I’m almost a stranger—”

“You’re not,” Caitlin said. “I won’t lie, it makes me uncomfortable sometimes. But I really shouldn’t be fighting my feelings for you.”

His brows drew together in an annoyed frown. “Why are you fighting it?”

She sighed deeply. “Because I’m stupidly stubborn.”

“Hey,” his fingers shifted from her cheek to chin, tilting her face up.

“You’re not stupid.” His lips tipped up at one corner in a sexy half-grin.

“But I do agree you’re stubborn.” He stared at her lips for a while and her breathing quickened.

Seconds passed and they just stared at each other.

Finally, Travis exhaled deeply. “Will you trust me to keep you safe?”

“You’re afraid I’m vulnerable now without the influence of the BSK serum, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, Cat. You are more a danger to yourself with BSK in your system.”

“We had talked about this scenario, Travis, and I agreed I wanted to be free from it. Don’t doubt that Sam did the right thing.”

Caitlin didn’t know why, but at that moment, she wanted to kiss him.

She stood on tiptoe and touched her lips briefly to his.

When she pulled back, Travis’s face had transformed into one of wonderment.

How could she even resist the pull of those sapphire blue eyes that seemed to touch a visceral part of her existence?

Mesmerized, she kissed him again. This time, a strangled groan escaped him as he crushed her fully into him, pushing his tongue into her mouth, which yielded without resistance.

Caitlin surrendered to his touch. His tongue tangled with hers with an urgency she had not experienced before.

His fingers dug desperately into her hair, keeping her head immobile to receive the demands of his lips.

Her back hit the counter, and she yelped as the sharp edge struck one of her bruises.

He wrenched himself away from her, stepping back.

“Fuck,” he whispered. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, you . . . just . . . surprised me.”

He smiled ruefully. “I hurt you.” This was a statement. “I’m sorry.”

Caitlin grinned and reached for his hand, tugging him close. “I’m not made of glass.”

Travis rubbed his index finger repeatedly on his lips, like he was struggling to say something. “Ah . . . sunshine, we haven’t talked about the last time we almost had sex.”

Caitlin dropped his hand and looked away. She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “What about it?”

“First of all, living with you is not a nightmare,” Travis said. “Far from it. Sharing a life with you is all I’ve ever dreamed about, Cat.”

“I twisted things out of proportion.”

“Look at me.” A gentle yet firm command.

Caitlin stared up at him. He lowered his head slightly. “You are never a nightmare. Living without you is. I’ve been in limbo, babe. You’ve brought the pulse back into my blood. Without you, it’s just this sludge of dead nothing.”

“Travis—”

“I’m going to make you my wife in every way, Cat.” His eyes grew heated. “We were interrupted by a . . . er technical difficulty. I’m about to rectify that.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“Dr. Ryan is stopping by tomorrow morning,” Travis said.

“She was just here the other day.”

“It wasn’t appropriate at that time to ask her to put you on birth control when you weren’t aware—”

“You’re damn right it wasn’t,” Caitlin muttered, glaring at Travis.

He huffed an irritated breath. “That’s why I didn’t tell her to give you a birth control shot—”

“I was out of it. She needs my consent.” She stood on tiptoes for emphasis, her nose almost touching his. “Cognizant consent. Not a drug-induced one.”

“Damn it, that’s what I’m telling you—”

“Are you telling me I was lying there, half unconscious, and all you could think about was sticking your cock inside me?” When the words left her mouth, she actually felt a twitch between her legs.

A ruddy color crept up Travis’s neck.

“Of course not.” His voice was an indignant growl. “I just want . . . to be prepared.”

“Quite the Boy Scout, aren’t you?”

“Caitlin—”

“I can’t believe you didn’t have condoms.”

“I didn’t need them. I told you why,” Travis replied stiffly.

She still couldn’t wrap her head around how a man as virile as Travis could stay celibate for so long. Actually, it was endearing.

“I have them now. ”

“How? When did you even have time to get them? You were around me the entire time.”

“I have my ways.”

“Tell me you didn’t tell Sam to go buy them.”

“Of course not.”

“Nate?”

“Nope.”

“Oh, my God. Emily?”

“Caitlin, I told Dr. Ryan to bring me a box,” Travis said with amusement.

“Have you no shame?” Caitlin cried, mortified.

“Why? She’s my doctor.” He was suppressing a grin and it was infuriating her. “My sexual health is her concern, too.”

Caitlin harrumphed and pushed off from Travis’s chest. “What makes you think I’m letting you back into my pants? You’ve missed your chance, buddy.” There was a teasing challenge in her tone while she smirked at Travis.

She walked to the table and grabbed her coffee mug, but not before she saw the big grin on Travis’s face. As she made her way to the TV room, she heard him mutter, “Game on.”