Page 11 of Where We Burn

“Knock it off.” Christian’s eyes are on Travis, his voice low. “Just say you’re sorry, and do better next time.”

Travis sighs again before turning back to Violet, who admittedly looks smug as hell right now.

“Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Fucking man-child.

And to think, I’ve been letting this oversized toddler share my bed.

“What can I get you both anyway?” I barely get the question out before Travis speaks over Violet like she’s not even there.

“Beer.”

“Violet?”

“Same, please.”

I make a show of serving Vi first, sliding Travis’s beer to him like an afterthought.

Small victories and all that petty shit.

“So, are you ready for some hard work, Travis?” Callan asks even though he already knows the answer, but the way he baits him so openly has me biting back a smile.

“Considering I’m up here every single December, then yeah, totally ready.”

Liar.

He’d rather not be there.

The fancy boy with his expensive boots and soft hands, pretending like manual labor isn’t beneath him when we all know he thinks he’s too good for it.

I wouldn’t have stayed with him this long if I’d seen his weak, whiny behavior when we first met. But in the last couple of months or so, that perfect mask has slipped, and I’m checking out more and more every day.

Okay, so the crush on his dad is a slight problem, but come on, you don’t stop noticing other people just because you’re in a relationship.

You just don’t act on it.

Which I haven’t.

Well, not outside my head, anyway.

But inside it’s a whole different story, and I’m swimming in Christian Crawford fantasies that’d make a priest sweat.

Sometimes, he’s got me bent over the tailgate of his truck, one hand fisted in my hair, the other spanking my ass while he tells me how I shouldn’t be letting boys touch what was always meant for a man.Other times, I’m on my knees, his cock in my mouth, his hand wrapped around my throat as he tells me how long he’s dreamed of this while I was off playing house with his son.

So yeah, it’s only a minor problem.

“What time are you guys planning on coming up tomorrow?”

“When do you need us?” Travis answers like the whole thing is aninconvenience, and he’s being asked to single-handedly move an entire mountain.

“Whenever, really… I’ve planned around you both, so there won’t be much that needs to be done besides getting settled.”

“So, I could’ve just come down to Rosewood tomorrow.”

“Wow, anyone would think spending the night with your girlfriend is a fucking chore.” My sister is just two seconds away from tearing Travis a new one, and honestly, I’m not sure I’d stop her at this point.

“You won’t be saying that when you hear the way I put her to work later.” My eyes roll so hard they might get stuck, and my head falls back in pure frustration.