Always (Always Series Book 1) Page 9

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  My alarm goes off the next morning, letting me know it’s time to wake up and start a new week. At first, I groan in protest after hardly sleeping last night, but then a smile breaks across my face when I remember why I didn’t get much sleep. My fingers reach for my lips where I can still feel Travis.

  Last night was one of the best in my life. I’ve never experienced anything close to that before. I was married to Adam for years, but we never came close to having anything like that, so intimate. Everything with Travis feels intimate. Feels right.

  When I first reached behind me, I was afraid to go there with him because it was crossing a whole new line, but everything feels perfect with him. It may sound cliché, but it’s the truth. It really does feel like we were meant to be. Meant and made for one another.

  After getting out of bed and getting ready for the day, I make my way downstairs. I’m sipping my first of many cups of coffee I see in my future when Travis makes his way to the kitchen. I try to hide the blush I can feel on my cheeks behind my mug when our eyes meet and dance with excitement remembering our rendezvous last night. He smirks as he grabs his own mug to fuel his tired body.

  “Morning,” he mumbles next to me, reaching for the pot behind me.

  “Morning.”

  “Morning, Travis!” a chipper Tatum chimes, breaking us from our bubble.

  He chuckles as he pours his cup. “Morning, Tates. You feeling better?”

  “Yes, I am. But Mom says I still have to stay home today,” she grumbles with an eye-roll.

  “I told you, you have to be fever free for 24 hours before you’re allowed at school. As long as it doesn’t come back today, you can go tomorrow.”

  “I know, but I wanted to see Megan today.” Megan is Tatum’s best friend, has been since kindergarten.

  “Tomorrow, sweet girl. Today you get to watch movies in your pajamas all day while I try to get caught up with work.”

  “Fine. I guess watching TV all day won’t be so bad.”

  Ollie joins us in the kitchen as Tatum turns to decide on her first movie to watch for the day. “Morning, baby. Are you feeling alright? You crashed early last night,” I say, rubbing his back when he reaches for a bowl to fill with cereal.

  “Yeah. Just tired, I guess. Frustrated with Dad,” he mumbles, pouring Apple Jacks into his bowl.

  “Save some for the rest of the class,” Travis says, grabbing the box from Ollie, cereal still pouring out of it. Ollie snorts as he bumps his shoulder against Travis before going to retrieve the milk.

  “Here, princess, let me pour your milk for you,” Ollie sing-songs to Travis in a high-pitched voice.

  “Oh, my very own Prince Charming,” Travis responds, giving Ollie a peck on the cheek.

  “Gross, dude! Too far,” Ollie says in disgust, wiping his cheek of imaginary germs. Travis just chuckles next to him. I sit at the table and watch these two with amusement as they banter and play around, eating their cereal before school, close as brothers. I hope that what Travis and I have going on never comes between them because that would break my heart.

  Once the boys leave, I check on Tatum before I call into the office and let them know I’m working from home today. I’m just about to step in the shower when I get a text on my phone. Making sure it’s nothing important for work, I reach to take a look.

  Travis: You looked adorable this morning. It took everything in my power not to kiss you.

  Me: It has something to do with a certain person sneaking into my room last night.

  Travis: Have a good day, pretty girl.

  Me: You too, baby. Xoxo

  TRAVIS

  The next weekend that Ollie and Tatum stayed with their dad, I walked into Josie’s house and straight into an ambush.

  I finished my early class at school, worked my shift at the garage – Roger giving me shit the whole time, of course, probing me for info on my new girl – and then drove home, ready for a weekend alone with her. So ready for it to be just us, alone, without worry of interruptions. Hopefully.

  Swinging the front door open, I yell, “Lucy, I’m home!” in my best Cuban accent.

  Not missing a beat, my girl swings out from around the corner, squaring her feet with a huge-ass water gun pointed at me. “Oh, Ricky!” she squeals before pulling the trigger, soaking my face, laughing the whole time.

  I rake my teeth over my bottom lip before I run a hand over my wet face to get the water out of my eyes so I can look at her. She’s standing there, still shaking with laughter, with the most beautiful look of contentment mixed with mischief on her face. I begin walking in her direction, but she quickly dodges back around the corner. I continue my steps slowly in the direction she went. I stop in my tracks when I see her in the kitchen holding not just one, but two water guns aimed at me, her beautiful smile shining brightly. I can’t help my own smile that breaks through, looking at her like this. She looks so young, carefree, playful, and sexy.

  I take another step toward her, but she yells, “Stop!” I still and lift an amused brow at her before she throws one of the water guns at me. I catch it, turning it on her in one swift movement, watching fascination light up her eyes.

  “Are we doing this in the house, pretty girl, or do you want to go out back so we don’t drown your house?” I ask, not breaking my aim or concentration on her.

  “Outside, Gellar.”

  I snort out a laugh at her. “You’re talking a big game for someone whose arm is getting tired holding up that full water gun right now.” I nod toward the arm I see starting to shake.

  At my dig, she fires a spray of water into my chest before turning to run outside. I follow her out, not so slowly this time. I get a fresh squirt in the face when I step outside. “Ohhh…” I laugh shaking my head at her right before I pull my own trigger and spray, halting the laughter spilling out of her for a minute.

  We exchange pulls of water on each other, running around the back patio and yard, acting more like two young kids than our ages. In this moment of playfulness with each other, everything else outside of this yard disappears. It’s just us having fun, not worrying about anything else.

  When my gun runs out of water, I throw it down before turning on Josie, stalking toward her. Wet shirt, hardened nipples poking through, mascara running, hair a mess and she’s never looked more beautiful to me than at this moment. I grab her around the waist and pull her into me, my lips crushing hers. I hear her drop her own water gun before her hands wrap up into my wet hair, chasing every ounce of the kiss I’m giving her.

  “Can I take you upstairs?” I ask her, my lips brushing hers.

  She steps back, and at first, I think I crossed a line, but then she takes my hand in hers and pulls me with her, walking back inside. We leave a trail of wet footprints in our wake, making our way up to her bedroom.

  She stops in the middle of the room, raising her arms over her head. I swim in the blue of her eyes, watching her as I grip the hem of her wet shirt and pull it up and over her head. I mimic her movement then, raising my own arms. She follows suit, peeling my wet shirt off. Not able to wait another second, I wrap my arms around her body. My hot skin mixed with hers is addicting.

  I trail kisses from her jaw down her neck. Tracing my fingers up her shoulder, I snake one under the strap of her bra, pulling it off her shoulder and down her arm. She shivers as goosebumps break out on her skin from my touch. I press my lips to her now-bare shoulder, breathing her in. The scent of lavender and honey fills all my senses – so familiar, so new, so intoxicating.

  I sit down on the bed, pulling Josie on top of me.

  Her hips swivel and press down against my cock that’s positioned perfectly against her heat. Her thin leggings and my gym shorts leave little to the imagination. I know I’m right where she needs me to be by the way she starts rocking back and forth on me.

  I move my mouth to her nipple and suck it through her bra, biting the tip of it, earning me a loud moan.

  There is noth
ing I want to do more than to strip her down and take her right now, but her moan lets me know I need to leave before things go any further. As much as I want more of Josie, she hasn’t said she’s ready and I don’t want her to feel pressured. But it gets harder and harder to walk away from her, in more ways than one.

  “I’ll let you get off if I can see your tits,” I say, kissing up her neck.

  “Yes, fuck, baby,” she moans again, rocking faster now, and I know she’s close. Hell, I’m close.

  I reach around and unhook her bra. Josie is lost in bliss when I pull it off. I stare at how beautiful she is, memorizing every curve. My mouth covers her now-naked nipple, and I suck it into my mouth, then the other before I hear her scream out her release.

  I kiss up her bare chest, finishing by kissing her panting lips.

  “Do you want me to keep going? For you?” she pants, still slowly rocking on me.

  “No, this is all you, pretty girl.” I continue to kiss her for a few more minutes, not wanting this moment to end.

  JOSIE

  He settles next to me, pulling the covers up over our bodies, and pulls me until my head is lying in the crook of his shoulder. He draws lazy circles on my back while we lie there in silence for a few minutes.

  “I hate that I have to leave you here and pretend that this didn’t happen in a couple days.”

  “Me too.”

  We’re silent for a bit longer, just relaxing in each other arms.

  “I want to throw a graduation party for you and Ollie. You think your mom will mind?”

  “Wow, Joes, we need to work on your post-orgasm talk. You’re terrible.”

  I swat his chest and he laughs. “I’m serious, Trav.”

  “I don’t think she’ll notice. And thank you, but you don’t have to do that.”

  “Shut the fuck up and let me throw a party for my boys.”

  “You have a dirty mouth in the bedroom. For someone who calls us out and makes us pay, I could have made a fortune tonight.”

  “It’s only for you.”

  He captures my mouth in a kiss, showing his appreciation. I feel him harden against my leg, again, as his tongue sweeps into my mouth, pulling what seems like the millionth moan from me tonight. I can’t help it with this god of a man next to me. He’s so gorgeous.

  We spend the whole night breathing each other in, getting familiar with each other’s bodies. I trace every inch of his skin, committing it to memory and he does the same to me, with our lips, our fingers, and our love. We don’t go any further than what we just did, but it’s ten million times better because it isn’t fast and fleeting, but slow and sweet.

  We spend the rest of the weekend wrapped in each other, getting to know each other in this new light and new love. And it’s perfect.

  Chapter 10

  Travis

  A week later, I’m walking toward the checkout of Target with my buddies when I spot her a few lanes over. I chuckle to myself when I see she’s buying tampons and chocolate.

  “Hey, isn’t that Mrs. D?” Alex asks next to me.

  “That is definitely Mrs. D. But looks like she’s not getting any ‘D’ tonight,” Jude jokes, but I don’t find it very funny.

  “What did you say?” I ask, feeling anger starting to boil in me.

  “I said it looks like she’s not getting any ‘D’ tonight. You know, dick. Because she’s buying tampons. Although, I’d gladly get blood on my sword for her,” he says, biting on his fist.

  “Don’t,” I growl. “Don’t you ever talk about her like that again. Got it, asshole?”

  “Dude, relax,” Alex says, putting his hand on my shoulder to calm me. I realize now that I’m fisting Jude’s shirt and in his surprised face. I shake off Alex’s hand and take a step back.

  “Don’t disrespect her like that. Ever.” My finger is in Jude’s face. He raises his hands in surrender. “I’m out of here, dickbags.”

  “Seriously? How are you getting home?” Alex challenges.

  “Josie.” I turn on my heels and jog away from them, not wanting to chance punching either of them in the face in the middle of Target.

  I scan the parking lot outside and spot her a couple rows away. I run to get to her before she leaves without me. She’s closing her door right as I reach her, but I grab it to keep it from closing and startle a yelp from her.

  “Travis, you scared the crap out of me.”

  “Sorry,” I laugh, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “What are you doing here? You alright?”

  “I’m fine, but can I ride with you back home?” Her home really, but it will always feel more like my home, too.

  “Sure, but how’d you get here? You didn’t drive your truck?” she asks, scanning the parking lot for it.

  “No, I rode with Alex and Jude, but when I saw you, I thought…”

  She smiles then, and I know I made the right choice. “Do you want to drive?”

  “Sure.” She gets out and walks to the other side while I slide into the driver’s side. I have to adjust the seat back to fit behind the wheel of her Jetta.

  “Do you need to get home right away?”

  “I have a little time.” I nod, knowing exactly where I’m taking her.

  I pull out of the parking lot, and once on the road, I reach over and grab her hand, bringing it to my lips before placing our joined hands on my thigh. We drive in silence for a while, just being in the same space as each other, holding hands, and it’s enough.

  We pull into the drive-thru of Dairy Queen, stopping at the intercom. “Well, what do you want? Peanut butter cup blizzard or peanut buster parfait today?”

  She bites her lip before saying blizzard. I order two, pay and retrieve our sugary desserts before driving toward one of my favorite spots.

  “How did you know this is my favorite?”

  I shrug. “It’s what you always get. I pay attention.” She leans over and kisses me on the cheek before sitting back and taking my hand again.

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “You aren’t going to kill me, are you?”

  “Not today,” I say, kissing the inside of her wrist.

  Fifteen minutes later, I pull into a park that not many people know about. It’s old and run-down. There isn’t a swing set for children here, but there’s a pond and ducks and benches to sit and watch the tranquility of it all. Josie takes my hand when I open her door, and we walk to a bench and sit down with our ice cream.

  “I didn’t know this place was here.”

  “It’s one of the few good memories I have with my mom. We used to come here every Sunday morning and feed the ducks when I was little. It was my favorite thing. I still come here sometimes to think or get away.”

  “I can see why. It’s so peaceful.”

  “How is it I miss you, yet I live in your house and see you every day?” I ask, looking out in front of me.

  “I don’t know, but I feel the same.” She leans her head against my shoulder, and we sit like that in comfortable silence, with our walls down, just being us. I wrap my arm around her and pull her into me, kissing her temple. It feels nice to relax and just be with her.

  “Do you want to move out?” Josie asks, breaking the silence. I’m confused at first by what she’s asking. “Do you still want that apartment?”

  “I don’t know. I like being able to come home to you every night, even if I can’t have you the way I want to. But, if I did move out, we’d have our own space to be us, uninterrupted.”

  “They called yesterday and said the unit you wanted would be ready to move into on Tuesday. If you still want it.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I don’t know, Travis. It’s your life. You can’t make every decision based off me.”

  “No, it’s our life, and yes I can.”

  She laughs and shakes her head as she leans back into me again.

  “Ollie is leaving for school in four months. I’m
not sure you should live at the house without him there.” I shift her face to look at me, so I can read her. She smiles up at me and runs her thumb over the crease in my brows, trying to smooth it out. “I didn’t mean I didn’t want you in saying that. I’m saying it might look funny if we’re playing house with him gone is all.”

  “Playing house? Really, Joes?”

  “I don’t know what else to call it. I’ll still have Tatum at home, and you aren’t my kid, Trav. It’ll look weird to other people if you live with me with Ollie gone.”

  I contemplate her words for a minute. “So, what you’re saying is that even after I graduate, even if I am almost twenty, you still want us to keep sneaking around?”

  “Travis, I…”

  “Are we always going to be a secret, Josie? Am I always going to be your dirty secret? I still won’t be enough, will I?” I hurl the questions out, feeling my anger rolling off me.

  “That’s not what I said!”

  “It sure as hell sounds like it.”

  “Trav, I don’t know how to do this.”

  “I don’t either, but I thought we were in this together. I thought that once school was done and I was working full-time at the garage that we’d tell people, or at least do something more than this. How far off was I, Joes? Has it always been this way in your head? Do you ever want to tell Ollie? Are you always going to be afraid to be seen with me?”

  “I don’t know! I don’t know Travis.” She buries her face in her hands at her admission, breaking me in the process.

  “You can’t keep being scared for the rest of your life. You can’t keep worrying about what people are going to think or say. None of that shit matters.”

  “You don’t understand. I’ve always been the one everyone talks about. Pregnant at fifteen, then not able to get pregnant, losing three babies, then my husband cheated. I’m tired of being the one people talk about. Sure, it’s mostly been pity, but I don’t want to be that person anymore.”