SEVEN
Guilt has a funny way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. I stewed over what I said to Travis because I knew he didn't deserve it. As always, it was me. I was the problem.
God, I couldn't even get a no-strings attached hook-up right. So what if he wanted me to stay the night? Why did I make things difficult? I've been so hell-bent on making sure the situation didn't get complicated but I still managed to do that anyhow.
Because I was stubborn as hell, I turned my anger inside. Scarlett demanded I tell her why Travis and I stomped back into the cafeteria, him abandoning our table and me acting like my damn righteous self. Cameron asked me why I was brooding; I had no good explanation for either of them.
On Friday, I didn't see Travis around college. So I wasn't expecting his call when I got home that evening. I managed to field off Scarlett's questions, but since she was relentless, I answered the phone without checking the caller ID, and yelled, "God, Scar, just leave me to wallow in self-pity by myself."
And instead of hearing Scarlett's remark back, I heard Travis. "Maddie?
Cringing, I pulled the phone away, confirming that it was him even as I already knew. "Sorry, Trav, I thought you were Scarlett." I cleared my throat. "Is there something you needed?" Thick silence greeted my question for so long; I thought the call had dropped. "Travis?" I urged.
"I didn't go to my fight yesterday." He said, finally.
I froze, I hadn't been expecting that. "What?"
"I called and asked for a reschedule." He explained. "Which obviously they didn't allow to happen so I forfeited."
I thought about what that meant. The cash he missed out on. His record possibly tarnished. The contractor disappointed. "But you could have... won." He made an incredulous noise. "Seriously, Outlaw, you're undefeatable, remember?" I tried to tease but it didn't work.
His voice was low, regretful. "I just felt bad. About what happened. What I said." My stomach dropped. "You were right; I did say I'd stick to whatever you wanted and still I was pushing on the whole staying over fiasco. Wrong move on my part. I'm sorry."
Rolling my lip between my teeth, I was ready to tell him I changed my mind about that. "Trav—"
He let out a shaky breath, continuing, "And then the whole Emily thing... That was an asshole thing to say."
I laughed nervously, awkwardly. "Yeah if we were dating, Travis. But we're not. You can be with whoever you want."
"Yeah..." He said, without amusement. Suddenly I wondered if the whole deal was off but then, "So the Sigma Pi party tonight?"
I smiled. "I'll be there."
"I can't pick you up?"
No, because it wasn't a date. And quite frankly, Travis had never been inside my apartment and I wanted to keep it that way. Though, I kept that thought to myself. "I'll just meet you at your apartment."
"Okay," Travis agreed reluctantly. "I'll see you at eight."
*
I was a little nervous once I got to his apartment. Going to the party together meant putting everything out there. On purpose. But if I wanted this to continue, I'd have to put my big-girl pants on and deal.
Sucking in a deep breath, I knocked on Travis' door. Shifting on my feet, I smoothed a shaky hand over the burgundy dress I chose to wear for the nigh—ribbed with a scooped neck and knee-length, it hung from thin straps that bridged my shoulders. My lipstick was light pink and smudgeproof; my hair fell in loose curls down my back.
The door opened and my knees went incredibly weak at the sight of the titillating man in front of me. My gaze greedily drank him in; he was wearing a black sweater that accentuated his boxer frame and tight-fitting jeans. The smell of his cologne invaded my senses, making me sway on my feet.
"Holy shit," Travis rumbled, giving me an once-over of his own. Catching my hand, he tugged me inside, wrapping his arm around my waist. "You look gorgeous. I'm rethinking taking you out tonight."
I hummed, breathing him in. Grabbing a fistful of his sweater in both hands, I wet my lips. "Does that mean we can skip this thing? Because honestly, I have diabolical plans for you right now."
He growled, head dipping to kiss me long and deep. "Don't tempt me, Maddie."
I arched an eyebrow in silent query.
His mouth curved. "Okay, we'll stick around for a couple of hours and leave early. And then you can have your wicked way with me."
I grinned. "Deal."
*
As we walked across the lawn to the Sigma Pi house, Oliver and Scarlett were waiting outside for us along with several of Travis' frat brothers. While he greeted his friends, I joined Scarlett who regarded me with her brows raised.
"Things work out between you two?"
I shrugged noncommittedly. "Just a misunderstanding, is all."
She gestured her head toward the house. "You know you're going to be the centre of the topic, right?"
I blew out a breath, my eyes falling on Travis. His friends were heckling him for something but his gaze was fixed on me.
"Yeah," I answered Scarlett, turning back to her. "Might as well get it over with. There's not much to say about it, anyway."
Travis strode towards me, hands jammed into his pockets. "You ready?"
I nodded.
Oliver sparked up with a cigarette as soon as we went through the doors, adding to the already hazy room. The floor vibrated with the music that travelled from the basement, and the smell of cheap beer hit me immediately.
The horde of eyes swung to us as if they sensed Travis, each one the same wide-eyed, cud-chewing as the other. Travis squeezed my hip when I took a deep breath and let it go.
We breezed through, heading toward the kitchen where Travis snagged a handful of beers. I recognized some classmates from my law class and we chatted for a while about case studies. Soon enough, Travis and I were the focal point of the conversation.
"So are y'all dating or what?" A busty blonde gestured between us. I didn't know what her name was—she looked like a Brooke. Those within earshot fabricated being busy with their own conversations but their heads turned towards us a little, curious as they awaited the answer.
My eyes cut to Travis. He gave me a resolute smile, silently communicating that he'd roll with whatever I said.
Glancing at Brooke, I shrugged and said, "We're just friends."
That wasn't enough for Brooke. "With benefits, right? Or what do y'all prefer? Fuck buddies? Cum chums?" She giggled but there was a trivial malice in her tone.
My nose flared and before I could snap an irritated comment, Travis dawdled closer to me, protectively pulling me toward his chest, his chin resting on the top of my head. "Mind your fucking business, Claire." Okay, so I was way off with the whole Brooke thing.
My head twisted to face Travis and I smiled appreciatively, in which he returned a wink.
Thankfully, noticing the massive elephant in the room, a jock veered the subject off-topic. "Johnny Messina's been sitting on a high horse since you forfeited that fight. Trash-talking that you were too pussy to go against him."
Frowning dubiously, I whipped around and gripped Travis' biceps. His fingers flexed around my hips almost painfully, stalling me. "Whatever helps him sleep better at night, I guess." Travis smirked.
Then I heard Chad's voice. "There's a winner-takes-all tournament called Perses in which the winner will receive a quarter of a million. It's in a couple of months. Hank wants to enter in one of his fighters."
I felt Travis tense all over. Shaking his head slightly, he mumbled, "Chad—"
Chad came into my peripheral, standing head-to-head with Travis. I moved to the side a little. "More specifically, he wanted to enter you." Chad poked his chest, his words holding heat. "But you passed up on the opportunity. Messina's up for another fight. If he wins that, because of his previous accolades, Hank's choosing him. You just lost out on two-hundred fifty thousand dollars, man." He said incredulously. "Where the fuck were you?
Travis worked his jaw back and forth. My wide eyes transfixed on him, I felt a whole lot guilty, inclined to the fact it was because of me he missed that fight. Because I threw a fucking hissy fit.
At this point, the whole damned room were silent in anticipation. Chad waited for an answer and when he realised he wasn't going to get one, he shook his head admonishingly and then stalked out. At the last minute, he turned back around. "Did your brother call you?"
Travis jerked his nod as affirmation.
Chad scoffed. "So you already knew. He's pissed, by the way. Wanted to swing by your apartment when he realised you were a no-show but I discouraged him not to."
Travis' eyes darkened, grumbling a "thanks" to Chad's retreating back. My heart thudded in my chest. I didn't know Travis had a brother. I didn't know why Chad was so angry, though I came to the revelation that they were obviously closer than I thought.
A small part of me wondered Travis participated in amateur fights for money—as much it was his "dream". An apartment to himself and being in college didn't come cheap. I knew that first-hand. So that quarter of a million could have helped him out-big time.
Travis glared to everyone watching the show and they instantly darted their gaze. Snatching his bottle off of the counter, he spared me a quick glance and then left.
I stood there for a second, hesitating before looking to Scarlett. She cocked a hand on her hip, a flabbergasted expression on her face. She flung a hand in his direction, "Well, go talk to him. Jesus, Maddie!"
Right.
I scampered after him, weaving my way through the sea of bodies. I circled around the living room for a distinctive dark head but came to no avail.
Suddenly a hand shot out and wrapped my wrist. "Second floor, honey. He went through the doors of the balcony." A brunette told me, a kind smile on her face.
"Thanks," I returned gratefully before racing up the wooden stairs as fast as my heels would allow. When I reached the top, I spotted the double glass doors and a shadowed silhouette of Travis lingering on the balcony.
Watching him throw back the last of his beer, I pressed forward on shaky legs. Creeping up behind him—testing the waters—I hailed him with a tentative, "Hey."
Travis turned, giving me a wry look from the corner of his eye. Then he sighed, his breath fogging the cold air. He banded an arm around my waist, and drew me closer.
I huddled into his chest for warmth. "Are you okay?"
Ignoring that, he left a perfunctory kiss on my temple. "It's not your fault, Maddie."
I peered up at him, wrinkling my nose impishly. "You should have gone, Trav. Two-hundred fifty thousand dollars. That's a lot of money—more than a lot."
He lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug, but I could see the remorse in his eyes. "There'll be other tournaments. Besides, who's to say I would have won in the first place? You need a trainer for that and I don't have one."
I ran my splayed fingers up his chest. "You learnt how to fight all on your own. I think you can figure it out."
Travis shook his head, his gaze avoiding mine. "My old man taught me everything I know. Trained me since I was a little kid."
My breath left me in a rush. I was stepping into dangerous territory here but I couldn't help myself from asking, "What happened?"
Travis' face shuttered and I knew instantly that that was a question he didn't want to answer. Straightening his shoulders, his mouth etched into a rueful smile. "Can we leave now?" His voice was dangerously low, his hand sliding down to cup my buttock.
This was what we needed each other for—to channel our frustration into a more exciting matter. To shut our brains off for a while.
Smirking, I traced my lower lip with my tongue. "I thought you'd never ask."
*
On the ride back to his apartment, we made it a point not to touch each other. I could say it was to prolong the anticipation—or as Travis liked to call it delayed gratification—to key both of us up even more. But honestly, the air around us seemed a little tense, so I gave him some room to breathe.
Although once we got inside, all bets were off. Slamming me against the door, Travis pinned me with his weight. My body went slack with pleasure by his close proximity.
Cupping the back of my thigh, he wrapped my leg around his waist and pressed closer. I gasped when he deftly rolled his hips against my most sensitive area. Hot desire slid sinuously straight to my core, my body desperate and achy to feel his.
Lowering his lips onto mine, he nipped at them and then soothed the sting with a slow swipe of his tongue.
Wanting more, I whispered, "Don't tease."
His voice was low and raspy. "Tell me you want it exactly the way I want to give it to you."
Travis knew that I liked it the most when he did the work—so I could let it all go with no stress or worries and he didn't mind in the slightest. Arching my neck back, Travis skimmed his nose down the length. Biting and licking as he went.
Panting, my breath escaped in tiny puffs. "And how might that be?"
"Hard and fast. Right here against the door. Your legs wrapped around me, your dress bunched around your waist, your underwear pushed to the side."
Gasping, I grew slicker at his words. Whimpering, my hands crept under his sweater, running restlessly over his toned abs. I moaned in an impatient plea, "Travis..."
And then his mouth was on mine, his tongue stroking deep. I fell into the kiss, rough sounds spilling from my throat.
Tearing apart, he cupped my ass roughly. "But first, let me take care of you." He said, breathlessly. And then fell to his knees, shoving my dress up my thighs.
*
Eventually we made it to the bed. Stroking his hand softly over the expanse of my back, I curled closer into the warmth of his body. The urge to close my eyes and sleep was overwhelming and unlike any other time, I didn't fight it. "Travis?"
He tensed before forcing his body to relax. It was quick but I didn't miss it. Because he knew this was around the time I fled like a mistress that was paranoid of getting caught. "Hmm?"
With heavy-lidded eyes, I looked up at him. "I bought a change of clothes," I whispered, "to spend the night... that's if you want me to, I mean." I knew I was breaking my rules—which wasn't my smartest idea. Because once you played with matches, you get burned. And that was the last thing I wanted. But right now, I couldn't care less about all that.
Squeezing my hip with one hand, he cupped my cheek with the other. "You did?"
His expression clouded with lust and tenderness that made me panic and I found myself explaining, "As long as nothing changes."
He smiled but it was forced. "Okay, Maddie."
"Is this where we evoke a new clause?" We might as well have drawn up a damned contract by now.
Travis arched a dark eyebrow. "You're willing to do this again?"
I squirmed, unsure.
Chuckling, he adjusted himself, getting comfortable—entangling his legs with mine, resting his cheek on the crown of my head. "Why don't we see how tonight goes first?"
"Okay," I said, softly.
Then I was out like a narcoleptic as soon as he said, "Goodnight, Maddie."
Turned out it definitely had its benefits. At some during the night, Travis' chest was against my back, spooning me from behind. Which meant he was heavily settled against the curve of my buttocks. I wiggled into him, feeling his solid length and aroused him awake. With sleep-mussed hair, he groaned my name in a rasp that made me wet, before settling on top of me and giving me what I wanted. Satisfied, we fell back asleep.
And then in the morning I was woken by him this time, as he left wet kisses, travelling further down until his head settled between my legs—my new favourite way to wake up.
So to answer his question: Yes, I was more than willing to do it again.
A/N: It's been too long since I updated last. But I finally got there. Yay!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to comment your thoughts and vote. And as always, thank you all so much for reading!