Promises to a Stallion (Kimani Romance) (5 page)

T
here was no denying the strain between Tierra and Travis when the woman finally joined the gathering for dinner. The tension swelled so thick and full that you could have sawed it into pieces and played a game of hockey with them.

Tierra moved into the room and purposely avoided meeting the man’s intense gaze. And he was staring, a quirky smile plastered across his handsome face. As she cast a sidelong glance in his direction, she was tempted to slap that smile away. She couldn’t believe he had peeked into the bathroom and had seen her naked.
And just how long had he been standing there staring at me?
she wondered silently.
Too long!
Tierra thought, shaking her head.
Much too long!
She couldn’t believe the man’s audacity.

And she couldn’t believe that she was excited at the thought of him. Even now, trying to reason with her own senses, she couldn’t stop the quivering that had started in her feminine spirit and had spread throughout her whole body. She found herself yearning for his touch, and just the thought of his hands had her pulse beating like a steel drum between her legs.

He had beautiful hands. It was clear that he didn’t neglect them, his nails clean and neatly manicured. His touch was strong but gentle, the large appendages belying the hint of calluses across his palms from the manual labor he did.

Tierra couldn’t help but imagine his fingers dancing across her skin, tracing easy lines as he gently caressed her. She couldn’t stop herself from imagining what it might be like to have him trace the line of her tattoo as his palm cupped the wealth of her breast. Tierra inhaled swiftly.

“Tierra?…Tierra? Are you okay?”

Her name ringing in her ears drew her back to the moment. “Excuse me? Oh, I’m sorry. I was just…”

Everyone seated at the table chuckled softly. “You were gone, girl!” Luke Stallion chimed.

“I want some of whatever you’re having,” Marah laughed.

“Excuse me,” Tierra said, her gaze skating around the table. “I don’t understand.”

Eden patted her friend on the shoulder. “You were moaning, girl!”

Tierra’s shocked expression made them all laugh a second time. “I was not!”

Marla nodded her head. “Well, it sounded like a moan, and the look on your face said whatever you were thinking about was good. Real good.”

“Or
whoever
you were thinking about…” Eden added, her eyes moving in Travis’s direction. The man grinned broadly.

Tierra blushed profusely, the temperature in the room suddenly uncomfortable. “I’m sure I didn’t moan,” she insisted, rolling her eyes and trying to laugh the moment away. “I was just thinking about the chores I finished today. If anything, I probably groaned,” she said, desperate to change the subject.

“So, where did you two disappear to today?” Marla asked, looking from one to the other.

Tierra met Travis’s gaze for the first time since they’d sat down for dinner. Her look was pleading.

Travis winked and smiled warmly. “Nowhere special,” he answered, turning his attention back to Marla. “Tierra just gave me a quick tour of Dallas. Isn’t that right, Tierra?’ He met her gaze a second time.

The young woman nodded. “Yeah,” she muttered softly, her eyes still locked with his. She was grateful that he didn’t mention where they’d gone and what she’d had to do. She didn’t want to start another conversation about her failed relationship. Gratitude spilled from her stare as she gave him a soft smile back, her mouth curling ever so slightly. Travis smiled again before breaking their eye connection when he turned to ask his cousin a question.

Conversation filled the room as the group chatted comfortably back and forth. As they enjoyed their dessert, Travis listened intently as Tierra discussed the nuances of preschoolers and kindergarten with a very pregnant Michelle Stallion. Mark and his wife were excited at the prospect of nurturing a newborn.

As she talked about her profession, Travis could see that Tierra truly loved what she did. She had always wanted to be a teacher, and from what he was hearing she’d known she’d wanted to teach students in the elementary school level from the very first day of her student teaching assignment. She’d been teaching kindergarten for five years since then, and clearly it suited her personality.

“Doesn’t sound much different from what you do, Travis,” Matthew said jokingly.

Travis laughed. “Except I get my kids from boot camp to graduation in twelve weeks,” the man responded.

“Do you like being in the military?” Tierra questioned, curious to know more about the man.

Travis nodded. “I do. I enlisted right out of high school, and it was the best thing for me. It gave me discipline and guidance and allowed me to set goals for myself that I hadn’t known possible. I also consider it an honor and a privilege to be serving my country.”

Tierra smiled. “That’s nice.”

Everyone in the room paused, seeming to eye them both curiously. Eden broke the silence. “Tierra, have you seen our rose garden? It is absolutely incredible this time of year. Travis, why don’t you walk Tierra down to the gardens and show her the blooms,” she said, her tone just shy of commanding.

Travis eagerly set his wineglass on the table. “I’d be delighted. Ms. Braddy, would you care to join me?”

Marla pushed her gently. “She’d love to,” she answered firmly.

Tierra tossed her friend an annoyed look. “I really don’t think—” she started before Travis interrupted her.

“I promise,” he said, rising to his feet, “I won’t bite!”

Tierra sighed, moving to join him. As the two made their way out of the room, she muttered under her breath, “It wasn’t you I was worried about.”

The word
incredible
didn’t begin to describe the luxurious grounds outside the family’s home. The gardens were a classic formal display of beds of roses arranged in a grass-girded oval around an exquisite marble fountain. Thousands of plantings and dozens of varieties decorated the landscape, and the sweet aroma wafting through the warm evening air was pure decadence.

Tierra was awed by the sheer beauty of it all, her eyes wide with surprise. “Oh, my,” she muttered softly as the two of them meandered slowly down one of the brick paths.

“Yeah, it’s something,” Travis said in agreement.

Without giving it any thought, he reached for her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. Tierra tensed ever so slightly, but she didn’t pull away, allowing him to hold her hand in his. That simple gesture made his heart race, his cellular clock skipping multiple beats.

Tight-lipped, Tierra continued to walk in silence, completely overwhelmed by how comfortable it felt to be so near the man. As he chattered away about absolutely nothing, trying to draw her into conversation, she found herself amused by his efforts. It didn’t take long before she finally allowed herself to relax and enjoy the moment.

“Do you always talk so much?” she questioned, a smug smile crossing her face.

Travis laughed. “Only when I have to answer my own questions. This conversation thing actually works better when the other person talks also. You might want to try it.”

Tierra chuckled. “You really are full of yourself, aren’t you?”

Travis shrugged his broad shoulders. “I’d call it confident.”

“Have you always been this way?”

“No. Actually, I was exceptionally shy as a boy. Getting me to talk was like pulling teeth.”

She nodded her head ever so slightly. “And who do we have to thank for your transformation?”

“The United States Army, ma’am!”

Tierra giggled warmly. “So that’s what they mean when they say you can be all you can be. Interesting.”

“Not really,” Travis said, cutting his eyes at her. He changed the subject. “So, tell me more about you. I couldn’t help but eavesdrop when you were talking about your job. You really love teaching, don’t you?”

Tierra’s face lit up, energy gleaming from her eyes. “I do. I love knowing that what I do might make a difference in their young lives.”

Spying an empty bench nestled deep in the center of the garden, Travis pulled her along gently, guiding her to take a seat beside him. Turning his body to face hers, he rested his elbow along the back of the seat and his hand against the side of his head. “Now that’s interesting. Tell me more.”

Pulling both her knees to her chest, Tierra wrapped her arms around her legs, her chin resting atop her knees. “I could get used to this,” she said softly, her gaze skating across the wealth of color that decorated their view. “It’s so pretty here.”

Travis nodded but said nothing, his own stare focused on the woman’s beautiful face as she continued to talk about herself. As Tierra drew him in, describing the sense of accomplishment she felt teaching children the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, he was taken aback by the sheer enthusiasm expressed in her tone. He suddenly found himself asking her question after question, marveling at her answers and the passion she exuded.

“Doesn’t that take up a lot of your time?” he questioned, as Tierra detailed the student advocacy program she’d initiated to help parents of children who were considered at risk.

“It does, but it’s necessary. So many of these mothers are just children themselves. Many of them barely made it out of school, and suddenly they’re faced with dealing with the same school administrators who had them as students. A few are intimidated by the whole process. What my program does is match a parent and her child with a mentor who is willing to attend parent-teacher conferences and serve as an advocate for that child and the family.”

“It sounds like a lot of hand holding.”

Tierra nodded, her wistful look suddenly pulling at Travis’s heartstrings. “Sometimes, we need someone to hold our hand to help us get through those rough times.”

“Yes, we do,” he responded softly, his deep gaze melding with hers.

There was no denying the attraction he felt for her. Being with Tierra felt like the most natural thing in the world for him to do. He thoroughly enjoyed her company even when one of her mood swings had her defensive and difficult.

The wealth of emotion that had suddenly consumed him was unsettling, like nothing the man had ever experienced before. He liked her. He liked her more than he was willing to admit to himself, her energy so nourishing that his own spirit was soaring sky high. Travis suddenly realized that there was a four-letter word for what he was feeling, but he couldn’t fathom himself using it to describe the intense emotion.

Tierra smiled sweetly as she turned her head to stare at the landscape surrounding them. For a brief moment, Travis was tempted to lean in for a kiss, but he stopped himself, biting down against his bottom lip to quell the longing. Restraint was difficult because he suddenly wanted the woman more than any woman ever before. But this was different, not just lustful desire pulling at him, but something else he’d never known before having wrapped a death grip around his heart.

Tierra Braddy was like an intricate present he was privileged to unwrap. There were layers and layers to her personality, each one revealing her vulnerabilities and her immense strength. She was compassionate, spirited and sensitive. There was also an aura of innocence about her that he found wholeheartedly refreshing.

Above them, the sky had darkened, nightfall coming quickly. Before either realized it, they were lingering beneath the glow of a half moon and the incandescent outdoor lights, conversation still raining between them.

“It’s getting late,” Tierra said, casting a glance over her shoulder. “They’ve turned off the lights inside the house.”

Travis looked down to his watch. “Would you believe it’s almost two o’clock?”

“In the morning?” Tierra exclaimed, her shocked expression moving him to laugh. “Yes, ma’am.”

She shook her head. “You’re bringing me into some really bad habits, Sergeant Stallion. It’s well past my curfew, and I need my beauty sleep.”

“It’s a good thing you don’t need much then, isn’t it?”

Tierra smiled, pretending to be amused by his sense of humor.

“I’ve had a very nice time, Travis. Thank you.”

“So did I, Tierra. I look forward to doing it again.” The man’s deep smile warmed her, his eyes dazzling with light.

Rising from her seat, she hesitated momentarily as Travis stood with her, taking a step in her direction until they were practically toe-to-toe.

“Do you really have to say good-night?” he asked, reaching for her hand one last time. His fingers gently caressed the center of her palm.

Tierra nodded, suddenly taken aback by his touch. She was flush with heat, her breathing coming in short gasps as she sucked in air. The temperature felt like it had risen tenfold. She took two steps back, widening the space between them.

“Sweet dreams, Travis,” she muttered softly as she excused herself. Fighting not to look back, Tierra almost broke out into a full gallop as she retired to her room for the night.

Travis’s stomach was aflutter with anxiety as he stared after her, sweat beading across his brow. It had taken everything in him not to follow behind her.

Hours later the house was still, quiet wafting through each room. Travis sat alone in the family’s posh library. As he reclined in the leather executive’s chair, he twirled a tumbler filled with cognac between both palms. Inhaling the rich aroma of the copper-colored liqueur, he was reminded of buttered toffee, anise and dried fruit. He chuckled softly to himself, thinking about the cheap, locally brewed beer he’d been sipping on just weeks earlier, one of the few times he and his men had been off duty and able to steal away for a few hours of rest and relaxation. It didn’t compare to the expensive drink he was now sipping.

He hadn’t wanted the night to end, and now, unable to sleep, all he could do was fantasize about him and Tierra being together. As they had stood together on the terrace, what he had wanted most to do was sweep Tierra up in his arms, carry her upstairs to one of the empty bedrooms, lay her across a king-size bed and make sweet love to her.