Page 33 of Keeping Happily Ever After

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “Are you glad I brought you here?”

Bella didn’t answer right away, but she snuggled in closer to him, tucking her head into his shoulder. “So glad,” she said after a moment. “I’m going to remember this day for a long time, Jeremy. Thank you.”

He pulled her closer, enjoying the feel of her against his body. “No need to thank me, Bella. And the day isn’t over yet. I still have one surprise in store for you. Only this one will be warmer. I promise. In fact, if I know us, it will be downrighthot.”

ChapterEleven

There was verylittle question in Stephanie’s mind that Travis Bishop was the man she needed.

For Lynx Creek.

That’swhat she needed Travis for. To be the general contractor who could be trusted to handle the work on her Lynx Creek project while she was on set. Nothing more. And maybe if she kept telling herself that, she’d actually believe it.

Maybe. She really did need to keep reminding herself about that particular point, because something about the man literally made her want to rip her clothes off and throw herself into his strong, muscly arms.

It was a disconcerting feeling but it was also one that was occupying way more of her thoughts than was probably normal or healthy.

From the moment she met him, Steph couldn’t get the man out of her mind. It was getting a bit ridiculous, too, because it was starting to affect her sleep. Waking up in the middle of the night, twisted up in the sheets and the lingering feel of Travis’s lips on hers—or at least what she imagined his lips would feel like, considering he’d never actually kissed her—was not conducive to a good night’s rest.

Never in her life had she been hot and bothered about a man like this. Let alone one who she’d never even kissed. Or…really even knew at all. It was insane.

Which was exactly why she hadn’t mentioned it to anyone yet. What would she say? That she was fantasizing over a man she barely knew and it was starting to reach the point of obsession, occupying all of her thoughts in all of her waking—and sleeping—moments? No. She couldn’t tell anyone that. They’d look at her as if she were insane. And if it was Hope and Faith she confided in, they’d laugh at her. Because they knew Travis. He was a friend of theirs, or at least a friend of Logan and Levi’s, which only made it worse. If she told her sisters about these crazy feelings, they’d likely tell the guys and then…what if it actually got back to Travis? She’d never be able to look him in the eyes again. She would be mortified for him to know that she was so attracted to him it was hard to breathe when they were in the same room. And what if he got embarrassed or refused to work with her because it was awkward?

No.

She needed him. And not inthatway. Oh, but maybe she did.

Steph shook her head hard to keep herself from going down that line of thought,again.

She’d considered telling Bella about her new and completely annoying feelings for Travis. After all, she was pretty new to town as well, and she didn’t know everyone the way almost every other single person seemed to. Besides, they were going to be working closely together, and Steph did trust her and consider her a friend. But again, she’d stopped herself on that level, too. Because Bella was still pretty green when it came to Hollywood and celebrity culture. What if she said something at the wrong time? Or what if she slipped and mentioned Travis in front of the wrong person and it got out? The press would have a field day with new gossip about her dating life.

She couldn’t risk it getting out.

Any type of relationship news would take away from the movie itself, and that wasn’t fair to the project or anyone else involved in it.

Besides, she was still getting over the breakdown of her last relationship. Well, not really, but it was definitely easier to use her very public break-up with Dax Combs as her excuse to the media—and for her friends, in some cases—for not moving on. The reality was, she hadn’t really given the idea of a new relationship much thought.

Steph knew that there were a handful of her friends, and no doubt her sisters, who thought she’d be a great match with Nick Newton. And for a hot minute, she’d considered the idea, at least while he’d been hanging around Glacier Falls after Damon and Katie’s wedding. Of all the men in town, Nick was…well, he was different. He was a bit nerdy, but sexy, too. And because of some kind of microchip he’d designed with Damon, ridiculously wealthy, which was always a good thing when it came to dating. Most men were intimidated by Steph’s success and the wealth that went with it.

But Nick hadn’t been. Not that it had gone anywhere. They’d flirted a bit and enjoyed hanging out together. Maybe it would have gone somewhere further except there’d been Faith and Logan’s wedding, where a strange woman showed up with a baby that she’d claimed was Nick’s.

Yeah. That was a lot for everyone to take in. Especially Nick, who’d taken off—with the baby—back to the city to sort things out.

Steph had tried to reach out a few times, and they chatted a little, but ultimately it had faded off.

Could it have been more?

Maybe. But even with Nick, she hadn’t experienced the feelings anywhere like what she felt when Travis was around.

Steph exhaled slowly. Men were just a distraction and she had way too much that she wanted to accomplish to be distracted.

A new movie project.

A new building project at Lynx Creek.

Never mind the fact that she wanted to get to know her sisters better, and she was going to have a new little niece or nephew in a few short months.

All of those things were more important than a man. Even one as sinfully sexy as Travis Bishop.

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