Page 44 of Room for Three

Her body stiffens. “What time will Travis be home?”

A cold dose of reality washes over me and my cock flags as dread creeps in. I can stay in this fantasy with Savvy, but it’s only so long before real life will swoop in and steal it away from us.

“Soon.” I kiss her neck before stepping away from her. “Why don’t you get this started and I’ll get changed? The last thing I need is for Travis to catch us like this.”

I rush out of the kitchen before I get sucked back into her sweetness.

By the time I shower, change into sweats and a T-shirt, and head back downstairs, the house smells delicious with whatever Savvy is cooking. And Travis is at the bar, sorting through the mail.

“Save me any hot water?” he asks, not looking up at me.

“I took an ice-cold shower, so yeah.” I clear my throat and shift on my feet. “Make it quick. We all need to talk.”

Travis snaps his head up and meets my guilty stare. Panic shines in his eyes. He runs his hand through is hair as though he’s nervous.

Can he sense that something’s wrong?

I’m certainly being weird as fuck and he’s no dummy.

“Go,” I say, voice firm. “Quickly.”

He races past me, chanting the word “fuck” under his breath repeatedly. It reminds me of a time I arrested some punk-ass kid who was going over a hundred miles per hour on Main Street at four in the morning in his daddy’s Porsche.

Why is Travis acting like someone who’s in trouble?

If anything, I should be the one freaking the fuck out right now.

“What are you making?” I ask, forcing all thoughts out of my head. “Smells good.”

“Nothing exciting,” she says with a tight laugh. “I found some frozen meatballs, so we’re having spaghetti. We need to get to the store, though. After being at Smoke & Sugar all week, I’ve picked up on a few things I’d like to try.”

“I’m off tomorrow. We can go then.” I approach her, but don’t touch her. “Need help?”

“Set the table. Once the garlic bread is done, we can eat.”

Because it keeps me from molding my body to hers again, I busy myself pulling out plates and silverware for the table. I grab a beer for myself and Travis, and a Dr. Pepper for Savvy. By the time she gets the food placed on the table, Travis joins us, hair dripping from his shower.

The food is good, and pride makes my heart swell. Savvy has grown up since we fought so hard for custody a year ago and failed. It’s like the teenage girl we wanted to help is no longer there. Her parents died and she was forced to become an adult. Now, she’s very much a woman who knows what she wants.

Dinner is awkward at first but then Travis tells us a story about finding mice in the attic of a client today. They’d eaten through the wiring and when he was replacing it, they kept running past him squeaking as if they were pissed at him undoing all their handiwork. It’s just the levity we need to relax. Plus, the beer doesn’t hurt.

After we eat, Travis puts the leftovers away while I do the dishes. Savvy heads to the living room to put on a movie. We eventually make our way in there to join her. The movie is paused behind her as she sits on the coffee table facing the couch, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

“Sit,” she says and then chews on her bottom lip. “Beside each other.”

Me and Travis exchange a confused look. He shrugs and then saunters to sit down toward the middle of the sofa. I follow him and sit next to him.

“We need to talk.” She shifts, eyes darting back and forth between us. “About some things that have been happening around here.”

Shame burns hot through my veins. Travis is tense beside me.

Will he hate me?

“Last night, we slept together,” Savvy says to me. “And then this morning, me and Travis had sex.”

I’m stunned silent, only able to gape at her. Travis says nothing.

“I’ve realized something,” she murmurs. “I want you both. Equally. It’s not something I understand or that makes sense, but it’s the truth.” She lifts her chin. “If you two are willing, I’d like to explore what that means for the three of us.”

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