Page 5 of Obsessed with my Temptation

I imitated his position, leaning back against the wall right next to the door and allowing the chilled cement to cool my overheated skin.

Travis’s gray eyes bore into me, shameless.

My heart was beating loudly in my ears, and even though there were several feet separating us, it felt like the alley wasn’t big enough for the both of us.

He took out a lighter and relit his cigarette. With hooded eyes, he asked, “Want a drag?”

There was a dare in there somewhere. Don’t ask me how I knew, I just felt it. I didn’t smoke, and I never felt like I was missing out on anything, but right now, it was like my brain had stopped working.

The rational part, at least.

Wordlessly, I stepped toward him, leaning into the offered cigarette. There was a flash of surprise on his face that he quickly suppressed. I took the cigarette from his fingers and took a long drag, putting my lips where his had just been.

It felt illicit. Like there was a secret conversation going on that I could barely understand.

We were still watching each other. It felt like time was going slower between us, his strong jaw half-lit by the faraway streetlight at the end of the alley. Short dark brown hair slicked back. There was a mole on his chin I’d never noticed before.

It should have been fucking awkward, and yet it wasn’t. I felt like I was approaching a dangerous animal, and I didn’t think it was too far from the truth.

Travis Ashford had a savage edge to him. He was a snake in the water, waiting to strike when you least expected.

His jaw ticked, making my heart beat erratically. I stepped back as I exhaled and I thanked my lucky fucking stars I wasn’t making a fool of myself by having a coughing fit.

Was that a hint of amusement in his eyes? Like I had passed a secret test.

It shouldn’t have made my chest warm.

Nor my groin.

I didn’t know why this guy had this effect on me. It was visceral, every time, like my whole body became aware of him, prepped with the silent knowledge that something was about to happen.

It should have been something to run away from, a warning from a hissing serpent, but it made me want to do the opposite.

I stayed rooted to the spot.

“No luck with your lady friend?” Travis asked, so freaking confident and relaxed. As if it was normal for us to talk about anything and everything.

“Wasn’t feeling it,” I said, despite myself.

He hummed in response.

I prayed to any god who would listen that he wouldn’t mention the night I saw him in that dark corner. That he somehow forgot about it.

I needed to break the silence.

“I guess I should thank you,” I said on a whim, falling on my manners like I was used to. “About the other day.”

There was no need to explain what I meant. Not too long ago, my best friend Eliot—who hadn’t come with Antony and me tonight— had gotten in trouble here. Or, well, his now boyfriend had. A jock Eliot had almost hooked up with was being rude to him, and Eliot’s boyfriend had almost started a fight in this very bar over it. I’d tried to cool things off, push the jock back, but this guy hadn’t been too happy at my interference, ego bruised.

I’d almost ended as collateral.

But the jock never managed to touch me, because Travis had shown up, like a dark avenging angel, and wrenched his arm behind his back.

It had taken my breath away.

“No thanks necessary,” Travis said, flicking his cigarette. “That jock was lucky I didn’t let Andrews take a swing at him.” Andrews as in Jonathan, Eliot’s boyfriend.

Travis sounded like he meant it.

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