Travis (13 page)

Travis
opted for a table farther in the back, and they were once again on the move.
Shit, by the time they sat down, they were all going to need more beer because
they were going to be dehydrated at this rate.

They
both moved to pull out a chair for Kylie at the same time and Gage thought he
saw an amused smirk on her lips, but she quickly turned away as she lowered
herself into the chair.

“Sit.”
Travis nodded to Gage, and he instinctively went on the defense. Before he
mouthed a “fuck you”, he forced his legs to bend, and he dropped into a chair
beside Kylie.

Now
was not the time for him and Travis to go toe to toe. Especially not with Kylie
present.

“So,
what house did you show your sister?” Travis asked as he eased into the chair
on the other side of Kylie.

The
question got Gage’s attention. Why the hell hadn’t he questioned why she was
there? Was he so far gone that it hadn’t mattered to him why? He was just so
damn happy to see her, he hadn’t thought about anything else.

“Just
a house I had considered working on,” she explained, but she wasn’t looking at him
as she answered and Gage knew at once which house she was referring to.

His.

“You
restore historic homes?” Travis questioned, tipping his beer bottle to his lips
as he eyed her.

“I
do.”

Hmmm.
Gage wondered whether those two words brought back any memories for Travis.
I
do
. He forced his eyes to the table, not wanting Travis to see his irritation.
This situation bothered him for so many reasons, most of which he wouldn’t be
able to explain if anyone asked.

First
and foremost, Gage was pretty damn sure he’d fallen in love with Kylie Prescott
several months ago. Even after she sent him on his way, he’d never been able to
stop thinking about her. Secondly, during those rare times when he wasn’t
thinking about Kylie, he was thinking about Travis.

And
wouldn’t this just be fodder for town gossip? The three of them sitting there,
talking like old friends when Gage knew better. He and Travis were far from
being friends. They might have some sort of dangerous attraction to one
another, but aside from that, he wasn’t even sure he liked the man. And then
there was Kylie. If it was true, and Gage had fallen in love with her, then she
was sitting with two men who loved her – either present tense or past.

Hell,
by the look on Travis’ face, Gage wasn’t so sure the guy didn’t still have
feelings for her.

“When
will you start working on this house?”

Gage’s
eyes flew to Kylie’s and she met them head on. He held his breath as he waited
for her answer.

“I’m
thinking of starting in a week or so. I’ve been waiting for the owner to get
back in town.”

She
had?

The
way her eyes darted away from his, Gage knew she wasn’t telling the truth.
Either she was trying to placate Travis or she was flat out lying.

“Where’s
this house at?”

What
was with the interrogation?
Shit
.

“Your
sister staying with you?” Gage tossed his question out before Kylie answered
the last one from Travis. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to know the answer, but
he’d rather not hear her flat out lie about taking on his renovation. If it was
the truth, which he doubted, he’d find out soon enough.

“Yes,”
Kylie said with a sigh of relief, as though the change of the subject had eased
some of her tension. “She’s down here to visit during her vacation.”

Gage
already knew all about Kylie’s sister thanks to the time they spent together.
He knew she was two years younger than Kylie and lived in Dallas. According to
Kylie, they didn’t spend nearly as much time together as she would have liked.

Gage
glanced back to see Jessie was laughing and joking with Braydon and Brendon. He
wasn’t sure whether Kylie even realized what her sister was getting herself
into. The twins shared women. They didn’t fly solo ever, which meant if Jessie
was interested, she might be learning a riveting lesson tonight. Or whenever.

“Not
married?” It was Travis’ turn again apparently.

“No,
she’s not married.”

“And
she doesn’t know that you are?”

Kylie’s
back straightened, and she glanced around as though hoping no one else was
listening to their conversation.

“No,
she doesn’t. I didn’t think it was necessary to tell my family since the
marriage was over before it even started,” she retorted, and Gage watched the
conversation as it volleyed back into Travis’ court.

Interesting.

At
least he understood one thing, these two clearly hadn’t spent any time together
while he was gone. By the way they were regarding one another, there was still a
decade of emotion lingering between them.

Gage
leaned back in his chair and waved the waitress over. Might as well get
comfortable. Looks like it might be a long night.

♀♂♂

Travis
wasn’t much for conversation, but sitting with Kylie and Gage, especially at
his own suggestion, didn’t leave him with much room for an out. It wasn’t like
he could sit there and stare at the two of them, although that idea did have
its benefits.

“Are
you going to take the job?” Gage questioned, finally bringing the conversation
back around to where it was before he hijacked the damn thing in the first
place.

“I’m
considering it. I think it just depends,” she answered, and Travis got the
distinct impression that Gage was genuinely interested in Kylie’s response.

Awww,
hell.

It
dawned on him that Kylie was talking about Gage’s house. And everything fell
into place. That’s how Gage had approached her in the first place, using his
house as an excuse.

But
wait. Gage didn’t own his house. He rented it. In fact, he rented the damn
thing from Charles and Myrna Talbott who owned the diner down the road.

“Where
is this house?” Travis asked again, suddenly taking a keen interest in the
details. How far did Gage’s lie go?

Kylie
glanced between the two of them and then she met Travis’ gaze full on. “I was
originally hired to restore Gage’s grandparents’ old farmhouse.”

From
the corner of Travis’ eye, he could’ve sworn that Gage grinned with the news.
Had she quit after he pulled his little stunt? Not that he blamed her, but
Travis suddenly felt like he was on the outside looking in, and he wasn’t fond
of the position. At all.

“Out
on county road 406,” Gage said by way of his two cents, his smirk still
lingering as he tipped his beer bottle back to his lips.

Daaayumm.
When Gage smiled like that… It was fucking hot. Travis tried to subtly reposition
himself now that his Wranglers were trying to strangle his dick. He added a simple
nod as though he gave a shit where the house sat.

Coyote
Ridge was as familiar to him as the back of his hand, so he knew exactly which house
Gage was referring to, even if he hadn’t linked him with the house’s original
owners.

What
an interesting turn of events. If Kylie did take the job, then that meant she
was going to be spending some time in Coyote Ridge. He couldn’t imagine her
driving an hour each way every day. But that also meant… “Where are you going
to stay while you work on it?”

“Haven’t
thought about that yet. I’m still considering the job.”

“Ok,
then. Say you take it, where will you be staying?” Travis wanted to know the
answer to the question. If Gage even thought for a second that she would be
staying with him, the man was delusional. Well, unless he was inviting Travis
to stay as well.

A
flicker of need bounced through his insides, and Travis ignored it. He needed
to talk to Gage before he went and did something stupid. Like piss Travis off.

“Can
I talk to you for a second?” Travis stood, fully expecting Gage to follow,
whether he wanted to or not. He merely asked the question because social
etiquette required him to be polite in front of a lady.

Gage
didn’t respond, but he did push to his feet.

“We’ll
be right back,” Travis told Kylie as he led the way to the narrow hall in the back.

“What
the hell –”

Don’t
ask him why he did it because Travis had no idea, but as soon as they were
alone in the hall, he slammed Gage up against the wall and claimed his lips
with his own, effectively shutting him up. There was a brief pause, a moment of
hesitation and then Gage was kissing him back with a ferocity that mirrored
what was churning in Travis’ veins.

Knowing
someone could walk down the hall at any moment and see them, Travis didn’t
linger, but he did take exactly what he wanted, his hand going to the back of
Gage’s neck, pulling hard until his face tilted up slightly so he could drive
his tongue firmly against the welcoming thrust of Gage’s.

Fuck
.
He was completely insane with need.

Breathless,
Travis broke the kiss and took a step back, their eyes locked on one another.
There was a moment of
what the fuck
, as though neither of them had
expected that to happen, but they both wanted to do it again. Soon.

“She’s
not staying with you,” Travis informed him when he got his breathing under
control.

“And
what? You expect her to stay with you? Don’t you think you’re a little late to
the party, Travis? She’s not your wife anymore.”

“Technically
she is,” Travis barked. “And I don’t give a fuck where she stays, but she’s not
staying with you.”

“Why
the hell not?”

“Because
if she’s getting in your bed, I’m going to be right there with her,” he said,
his voice low as he moved closer. They were practically nose to nose when
Travis spoke again, “And when I do make it to your bed, I’m going to be buried
ball’s deep in your ass until you scream my fucking name. You think she can
handle that? You think she’s the type to be open to a ménage? If so, then by
all means, make the suggestion. I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

Gage
stared back at him like he’d lost his mind and Travis was beginning to think he
might have. His emotions were all over the map, and he damn sure wasn’t
thinking straight.

“Is
that what you want? A ménage?”

Travis
glanced down the hall, making sure no one was coming before he leaned in closer
and brushed his mouth over Gage’s once more. Fuck, he needed to taste him. He
wanted to inhale him until neither of them were strong enough to pull away.
“I’ll take you and her any way I can. Whether that’s separately or together, it
makes no difference to me.”

“You’re
a selfish bastard, you know that?” Fire burned in Gage’s rich, chocolate brown
eyes.

“I’ve
always known. Never even questioned it. Why the hell do you think I walked away
from her all those years ago? I’d bet money on it, Matthews. Kylie won’t ever give
in to the two of us. And tell me, do you think you can spend the rest of your
life in a monogamous relationship?”

Travis
knew all about Gage’s extracurricular activities. He knew the man was involved
with Kaleb and Zoey, and he also knew he was rather liked at Club Destiny by
more than one couple. He needed the threesome, almost as much as Travis needed
a ménage. The only difference between the two of them was that Travis wasn’t
looking for temporary.

“I’d
never dream of putting her in that position,” Gage whispered. “She deserves
better.”

“Better
than what? Better than two men focused entirely on her for a lifetime? I’m not
sure I agree.”

“But
you want both.” It wasn’t a question this time and Travis didn’t respond. No sense
in it. The words were nothing but the truth. Travis was bisexual. He’d known it
his entire adult life. It wasn’t until recently that he decided it was all or
nothing for him.

Unfortunately
up until now, it’d been nothing. He wasn’t expecting much more from Kylie.
Didn’t mean he wasn’t sending up a silent prayer.

♀♂♂

“Hey,
sis,” Jessie greeted as she joined Kylie at the table a few minutes after
Travis and Gage walked away.

“Hey.”
Glancing around the bar, she tried to discreetly locate where the two of them
had gone, hoping like hell they weren’t throwing down in the back alley or
something. They were both strung tight, a discernible tension passing between
them and Kylie was rightfully worried.

“Oh,
if you’re looking for your friends, they’re in that hallway over there,” Jess
said as she pointed. “I’m not sure I’d interrupt them right now though.”

“Why’s
that?” Kylie feared she’d been right and maybe they were beating one another to
a pulp.

Jessie
leaned closer, lowering her voice to a mere whisper, “They’re kinda making out
at the moment.”

Kylie
flinched so hard, she had to grab hold of the table to keep from knocking her
chair over backward. Rather than ask Jessie if she was sure, Kylie got to her
feet as soon as her chair was stable and stalked across the room. She managed
to slow before she entered the hall, choosing to peer around the corner rather
than barge in on them.

Oh.
My. God.

“If
you ask me, it’s pretty damn hot,” Jessie whispered in her ear, scaring her so
badly, Kylie screamed as she jumped back.

Well,
so much for stealth. She heard the sound of footsteps as they pounded down the
hall and suddenly Kylie had no desire to stick around.

“Let’s
go.” Without waiting, she grabbed Jessie’s arm and tugged her along behind her.

“Wait!
Kylie. Stop!” Jessie squealed as she tried to slow her down without much luck.
Kylie was on a mission, one that involved her getting far away from Gage and
Travis. The only other thing she was focused on was her speed.

She
was within reach of the door when Jessie must’ve grabbed hold of something
bolted to the concrete floor because suddenly she was pulled up short. When she
turned around, she came face to chest with Travis. On his right was Gage.

“I
think you should probably talk.” Jessie’s confusion was written all over her
face. “I’m going to go back and talk to those twins. When you’re ready, just
let me know.”

“I’m
ready now.” Kylie knew her face was red because she was blushing from the
inside out.

“No,
she’s not,” Travis added.

Kylie
bit her tongue to keep from yelling. This wasn’t the time or the place, but she
wasn’t promising anything. Once they were outside, which is exactly where she
was headed, she was going to lose it.

“I’ll
check on you in a few minutes,” Jessie whispered and disappeared before Kylie
could beg her not to leave her alone.

“After
you.” Travis waved a hand toward the door, and like a child, Kylie turned and
walked. She slammed open the door and moved out of the way in time for it to swing
back, but Travis caught it before it smashed into him.

Damn
it.

“We
need to talk,” Travis told her as he gripped her upper arm and led her over to
what she assumed was his truck. It was the same one that had been at Walker
Demolition when she had served him the divorce papers. The same one he drove to
her house afterward.

She
wrangled her arm away from him and stopped suddenly. “Why do the two of you
insist on doing that? Don’t touch me. Can’t you take a hint? I don’t want to
have anything to do with you.”

Kylie
was easily pressed up against the truck, Travis’ big body looming in front of
her, but he didn’t touch her. The warmth of his body combined with the humid, stifling
air made her feel as though she was suffocating.

“Are
you going to hear me out?” His words were so low, Kylie barely heard them. If
he hadn’t been right up in her face, she wouldn’t have.

She
focused on breathing, staring up at him and waiting for him to get his lips
moving. If he wanted to explain he could go right ahead. Although she had a
pretty damn good idea why he walked away from her back when they were married.
She just didn’t know why he had married her in the first place. It was obvious
he hadn’t come out back then, but now. Well, Kylie got the impression thanks to
their very public display that Travis didn’t have a problem with people knowing
he was gay.

“I’m
not,” he whispered and Kylie’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“You
said I was gay. I’m not,” he explained.

Wow,
had she said it out loud? She really needed to get out of there.

“Look,
I’m not here to pass judgment,” she stammered, thoroughly unnerved by how close
Travis was. Gage was gradually eliminating the breathing space between them as
he leaned his forearm against the truck, over her head. Any minute now, they
were going to be practically on top of her.

Don’t
go there. Don’t go there.
Don’t
go there. She repeated the mantra over
and over in her head. The idea of both of them. At the same time…

She
was
soooo
not going there.

“Can
you give us a minute?” Travis asked Gage.

“No,
don’t give us a minute. We don’t need one,” she said, finding her voice. “I’m
not interested in talking. At least not tonight.”

Travis
took a step back when Kylie put her hand on his chest and shoved. It was like
trying to move a mountain, but thankfully he appeased her.

“I’ll
pick you up in the morning.”

Crap.
Kylie had already agreed to talk to him tomorrow. And he was supposed to pick
her up at her house. Part of her wanted to tell him not to bother, the other
part wanted to hear what he had to say. Closure. That’s what this was about,
and even though she’d figured it all out, despite his denial, Kylie still
wanted to see how honest Travis Walker was going to be with her this time.

Nodding
her head, she turned away from them and headed back inside. She didn’t care if
Jessie was ready or not, they were leaving. If her sister wanted to stay, well,
she’d have to find her own way home because Kylie was so done with this.