Page 70 of Beyond Question

“Shh,” he murmurs, cupping my cheek to make me focus on his face. “She’s asleep on the couch. She’s safe, too.” The way he emphasizes those words, I wonder how much Cabot told him. But then he rubs his hand down my hair again and it’s such a tender gesture…

And there’s so much sympathy in his eyes, so much warmth and concern…

There’s something else in those green eyes too, and—

No.Itcan’tbe.

There’s no way I see love in his eyes.

He doesn’t evenknowme.

I tense and Travis frowns, then tries to pull me back against his chest, but I fight him this time.

What am Idoing? Did I really just allow this man, whom I’ve known for less than a month, to comfort me when my world is imploding? I can’t allow him to get any closer to me or the danger that waits for me outside these walls.

I shouldn’t be pulling himin, I should be pushing himout.

So that’s what I do.

Moving quickly, I push out of his embrace and scoot backwards, putting some distance between us. He frowns, but then his gaze drops, and we realize at the same time that I’m not wearing any pants.

His eyes heat as he takes his time drinking me in, his gaze trailing up, then slowly down, my exposed legs. My cheeks heat from embarrassment and in response to the blatant desire in his eyes, butno. This has to end.

I quickly maneuver myself beneath the bedding, then pull it up to my armpits and place my arms over it, pulling it taut. Shaking my head, I give him a small smile. “I’m sorry, I—I don’t know what’s gotten into me. You should go.”

Travis scowls. “Not this again. Aren’t you tired, Paige?”

“What?”

He reaches for me, sliding his hand over mine before I can pull it away. “Aren’t you tired of running?”

His words squeeze a fist around my lungs. He has no idea just how tired I am. But I can’t let him get involved, can’t drag these people any deeper into my shit than I already have. “You don’t understand—”

He sighs, squeezing my hand. “No, Paige,youdon’t understand. I said I’m in and I’m in. Stop pushing me away.”

“Travis…” I scrub my free hand over my face. “You don’t evenknowme. You have no idea what you’re saying. You can’t be in. You don’t even know whatinmeans with me.”

“So then tell me!” he says, his voice getting a bit louder as his frustration grows. He glances over his shoulder, then stands up and walks to the door, and I use his momentary distraction to tuck my hands beneath the covers and tug them up to my neck.

When he closes the bedroom door, he’s still on this side of it, and when he pauses, then flicks the lock, my pulse skyrockets.

But it’s when he turns back around and begins unbuttoning his dress shirt, that my breath stalls in my throat.

“Wh—what are you doing?” I sputter.

“It’s late.” Another button undone. “I took a redeye to get here.” One more. “And I’m exhausted.”

Realization widens my eyes. “You ended your trip early… for me?”

“Yes, you stubborn woman.” He stops at the edge of the bed and strips out of his button-down. There’s a snug white undershirt beneath but it does nothing to hide the kind of body I usually only read about.

His pectoral muscles press against the fabric, and his biceps pull the short sleeves taut.

I swallow hard, the sound audible in the quiet bedroom.

Which suddenly feels a heck of a lot smaller and impossibly hotter.

Travis chuckles and I lift my gaze. “Really? At a time like this?” he teases. “Put that dirty mind away and scoot over.”

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