“Tell me.”
Something in his voice compelled her to answer. “I wanted to talk to her about … about her relationship with her husband.”
Ronan nodded. “Because of Travis.”
“Yes.”
“He’s afraid of losing you,” Ronan said. “But your love life isn’t why I’m here. Did you see Bowman while you were there?”
“No.”
“Did Olivia tell you if he’s in town? Or what he’s planning?”
“No.” Sara tried to look away, but she couldn’t draw her gaze away from his. She felt the quick brush of his mind invading hers. And then it was gone.
“I believe Bowman is coming back to town to take up his old occupation again. I think you should ask Travis to come and stay with you.”
“No!”
“It’s for your own safety.”
Sara stared at him. “Why do you care what happens to me? You don’t even know me.”
“Because Travis cares. And if you tell anyone I said that, I’ll deny it. Call him, Sara. If you’re honest with yourself, it’s what you want.”
Before she could deny it, he vanished from her sight. Maybe she should call Travis, she thought as she collapsed on the sofa. The only way to know if she wanted to spend her life with her vampire was to spend time with him, get to know him better, and see if her feelings for him grew stronger.
Sara felt better in the morning. Why had she let her doubts get the best of her?
Olivia was right. Every relationship had problems of one kind or another. If Travis was just a guy and he worked nights, he would sleep days. True, Travis would also sleep on the weekends, but they would still have a lot of time together. She could easily adjust her hours to his.
Still, she was reluctant to call him. What if he’d decided he was better off without her? Only one way to find out, she thought, reaching for her phone. And then she blew out a sigh of exasperation. It was only nine a.m. It was hours until sunset.
Muttering, “Might as well go to work,” she went upstairs to get dressed.
Travis woke with the setting sun. Feeling more alone than he’d ever felt in his life, he stared up at the ceiling, thinking that without Sara, he had no reason to get up. No reason to stay in Susandale. Hell, he had no reason to go on living.
Maybe he’d just go to earth for forty or fifty years. Maybe then he would forget her.
And then, remembering Ronan’s warning the night before, he paused. He couldn’t leave town just yet, not when Sara might be danger. He dressed in record time.
He was on his way to her house when his phone rang. Relief washed through him when he saw her name.
“Hi, Travis. It’s me.”
“Sara.” He closed his eyes as the sound of her voice washed over him, as welcome as warm summer rain after a drought.
“Are you busy?”
“No. I was just out for a walk. How are you?”
“Fine.”
Silence fell between them, so thick it was almost tangible.
“Sara?”
“I was wondering … I mean, if you’re not busy tonight …”
“I’m not.”
“Ronan told me Jason Bowman might be back in town and that I should call and ask if you’d …” Her voice trailed off.
“Sure,” he said, his voice cool. “I’ll come over and keep the bad guys away.”
“Travis, I … that’s not the only reason I called. It was just a good excuse.”
“Is that right?” he asked skeptically.
“It’s just that everything’s happened so fast between us. I’m confused and … and I miss you.”
“What time do you want me to come by?”
“You don’t have to come if you’d rather not,” she said, stung by his seeming lack of interest.
“I’ll be there, Sara.” And just like that, life was worth living again. He didn’t care why she wanted to see him. It was enough that she did. “As it happens, I’m almost at your house now.”
Moments later, he was knocking on her door.
Sara took a deep breath. Now that Travis was here, she was having doubts—doubts that fled her heart and mind the minute she saw him. “Hi,” she said breathlessly.
“Hey.” She was a vision in a pair of jeans and a lavender sweater that outlined every delectable curve. The scent of her perfume wafted through the air. The music of her heartbeat, the quiet whisper of her blood flowing warm and sweet in her veins, sang in his ears. She was tempting on so many levels.
Sara didn’t know who moved first, but suddenly they were locked in each other’s arms, clinging together as if their lives depended on it.
Without knowing how they got there, Sara found herself stretched out on the sofa beside him, her body pressed intimately to his while his hands moved restlessly up and down her back. He rained kisses on her brow, her eyelids, the tip of her nose, the curve of her throat.
She held him close, loving the feel of his body against hers, the way they seemed to fit together so perfectly. She inhaled his scent. He wasn’t wearing cologne. She didn’t detect any aftershave. And yet he had a unique scent that pleased her very much.
She sighed as his mouth covered hers, his tongue dueling with hers while his hands caressed her.
“I missed you, Sara,” he whispered, his voice husky. “I know it’s only been a couple of days, but it seemed like forever.”
“I know, I know.” She traced the outline of his mouth with her fingertips and then she kissed him deeply, desperately, as if she could never get enough, while a little voice in the back of her mind warned she was playing with fire.
Travis pulled her closer, groaning softly as his desire grew blatantly evident. “Sara.”
She drew back, her gaze searching his, her cheeks growing hot when she realized he was even more aroused than she’d thought. Sitting up, she murmured, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right,” he said, his voice thick with need.
“I … shouldn’t have …
