Page 68

I must have tried on twelve different outfits before I settled on a dress I borrowed from Mandy.

It’s a little out of my comfort zone, a little flashy and sexy, but I feel gorgeous. The dress is bright red and cut low to show off my cleavage, and I paired it with my lucky gold heels and gold jewelry.

“You look amazing,” Mandy says as I emerge from the bathroom after I’m done getting ready.

“Are you sure it isn’t too much?” I ask, glancing down and seeing a whole lot of boob.

“It’s not too much. He’ll be salivating all through dinner to get his mouth on those.”

“Gross, Mandy.” I roll my eyes.

“It’s perfect. You’re beautiful. And aren’t you so excited?”

I nod and shake out my hands. “Nervous, but yes, excited too.”

“What’s there to be nervous about? Girl that boy is crazy about you. Go have fun, get laid, and I’ll be needing every single detail about your night so get to work early.”

I giggle. “Aren’t you going out with Jaxon tonight?”

She shakes her head and points between her legs. “The old girl needs a rest after he tore me in half last night.”

“That’s…a lot of detail, Mandy.”

She giggles. “I’m mostly being silly. He headed home to Denver to visit his family for a few days.”

“And you didn’t ask to tag along and meet the fam?”

She clears her throat and her eyes dart to the floor.

My brows dip. “He didn’t ask you?”

“Oh, he did,” she says, pressing her lips together. “I told him I had to work, which was true, but then I also said I wasn’t sure we were there yet, and he got all offended and we got into a huge fight.”

“Oh no!” I say, sitting down next to her and grabbing her hand in mine. “And here I am talking about this date…are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But he stormed out before he got on a plane and he’s mad at me and I’m not sure what to do.”

“Have you thought about surprising him?” I ask. “Maybe after work tomorrow?”

“I really don’t think we’re there yet,” she protests.

“Are you really not there?” I ask, squeezing her hand. “Or are you still trying to protect yourself after what happened with Chad?”

She averts her gaze back to the floor. “I’ll think about it,” she finally says.

“Do you need me to cancel with Travis to talk you through it?” I ask.

“No! Don’t be silly. Go, have fun, have all the sex since I’m…not, and we’ll touch base tomorrow.”

“Unless you’re in Denver,” I say, pursing my lips at her.

“Yeah, yeah. Unless I’m in Denver.”

I laugh, and then we both hear a knock at the door.

“He’s here!” she gushes, and I’m positive she says it loud enough that he can hear it through the door. I roll my eyes at her, and then I walk over and open the door.

Holy hell.

He looks…incredible.

He didn’t shave for the occasion, but he neatened up his scruff a little. He’s wearing black pants and a gray shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows.

His eyes immediately go to my chest.

I turn and bug my eyes out at Mandy. “See? I told you it was too much.”

“Whoa. Nice rack.” His eyes move to mine. “You…you look gorgeous, Hartley.”

“Thanks, Woods,” I say a little self-consciously, but then I take a deep breath and hold my head up high.

He looks past me and waves to Mandy. “Hi, Ms. Miller.”

“Hello, Mr. Woods,” she says formally with a wave back, and I laugh at the two of them.

“Ready?” I ask.

He nods, and then I grab my clutch and my overnight bag with clothes for school tomorrow in it. He grabs the bag from me to carry it, and then I say goodbye to Mandy and head out the door. As soon as the door shuts behind me, Travis pulls me to the side of it and pins me to the wall with his hips. His mouth crashes down to mine, and his hand goes back to my neck where it was last Friday night when he kissed me.

Despite the hurried way his mouth collided with mine, this kiss is slow and sensual…but it’s not enough.

He pulls away. “Goddamn, I’ve needed to do that for nearly a week.” His voice is strained, and when he backs away from me, he adjusts his…package.

“I’ve needed that for nearly a week,” I admit, and I slide my hand into his as we walk down the stairs and toward the parking lot.

I’m expecting the Mercedes, but instead he walks over to a fancy black sports car. The back of it right over the license plate says McLaren , and I’ve never heard of it, so I’m sure how impressed I should be. It looks fancy, and it’s shiny, and when he opens the door for me and it goes upward instead of out like normal doors, I can’t help but think this thing looks luxe and expensive.

He drops my bag into what must be a tiny trunk after he closes my door, and when he slides into the driver’s seat, I say, “This is fancy.”

He shrugs. “I don’t get to drive it much anymore.”

“How come?”

“Apparently my daughter is supposed to sit in the backseat until she’s twelve. I was unaware of that when I went to pick her up from Los Angeles, so the first thing we did after we moved her here was pick up the Mercedes.”

Why do my ovaries seem to explode at that?

He just seems like such a good dad. He’s trying so hard to do what’s right by his daughter, and I suppose that begs the question…does that include me?

I don’t want him to choose to be with me because his daughter wants him to. I want him to be with me because it’s what he wants. History shows he’s never had what he’s starting to build here, and all that does is leave me feeling confused on a night when I just want to enjoy myself.

Still, the question needles in my brain.

Is he just pursuing me because he wants a mother for Harper?

Would he do that?

He fires up the car, and once we’re on our way to wherever he’s taking me, he glances over at me. He reaches over to squeeze my hand a beat later. “Hey, you okay?”

I clear my throat. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine.”

“You’re quiet,” he says.

“I guess I’m just getting in my head.” I shake my head to try to shake it off.

“About what?” he asks quietly. His hand is still clutching mine.

“I guess I…um—” I’m not sure how to bring it up. I’m not even sure I should bring it up. In fact, I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t. But I blurt it out anyway. “I guess I just got it in my head that you only want to be with me because Harper likes me and you’re looking for a mother for her.”

“Oh,” he says quietly. He clears his throat, but he doesn’t say anything for a beat, and all it does is push those suspicions right to the surface as they feel like they’re very justified and confirmed.

He draws in a deep breath though his nose before he blows it out, and then he finally says, “I don’t know what to say to convince you that’s not true. I was never looking for a girlfriend before Harper came along, and maybe some part of me would love for her to have a mother because of course you’re always going to want the very best for your child. But that’s not what’s going on here.” He pulls our joined hand up to his lips as he navigates toward the restaurant, and he flutters soft kisses to my knuckles. Then he jerks the car wildly and pulls a U-turn in the middle of the street.

The car behind us honks, and my heart races.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“I can’t say what I need to say when we’re sitting in the car, so I’m changing the plan,” he grits out through a clenched jaw.

“The plan?” I echo.

“We’re going back to my place.” His voice is firm.

“Oh, uh, I—” I sputter, but I don’t actually have words forming.

What does he need to say to me that he can’t say in the car?

“Jeez, Travis!” I squeal. “Slow down!”

He ignores me, and then we’re turning onto his street practically on two tires and he screeches into his driveway, surely leaving skid marks with the way he slams on the brakes.

He pulls into the garage and cuts the engine, but he doesn’t let up on his grip on the steering wheel.

A few seconds of silence pass between us, and I have a feeling it’s just the calm before the storm.