Page 13 of Slide
Travis sighed. Miles was right. They didn’t keep secrets. He didn’t want to keep this one either, but for the time being, it was better this way. “Let’s drop it, all right.”
“No, I’m not going to drop it. Are you fuckin’ her? Is that why you’re acting like this?”
“That’s none of your damn business.” He stood, stretched, and grabbed for the coveralls hanging on a nail behind the door.
“Dammit. I knew her moving back here would be a bad idea. You’ve had a hard-on for her since the day her daddy brought in that Mercedes years ago. You got a look at that pretty face and those curves and lost your mind.”
Travis stifled a yawn and after slipping the coveralls over his clothes, he sat to put his work boots on again. It felt as though he’d just taken them off. “You’re full of shit.”
“In most things, yes, but on this, I’m right.”
“Lay off it.”
“Trav—”
“Miles.” Travis cut in. His brother’s name cracked like a whip through the air and he glared. “It’s none of your business. Let it go.”
“It is my business.” Undeterred, Miles pushed on. “You’re my business, and I’m not going to let it go. Goddammit! Her family screwed ours over. They screwed a lot of people over. You’re sleepin’ with the enemy, Trav.”
“Jesus, Miles.” He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “This isn’t a television drama. She’s not the enemy.” And sleeping hadn’t been what they were doing either. Miles didn’t need confirmation of that though.
“As close as.”
“Do you hear yourself? What’s your fucking deal? I understand you’re pissed that the money is gone, but you’re going a little overboard, aren’t you?”
“My deal? You’re the defensive one.”
“And you’re the one who came in with accusations. Bella needed help. I offered. What I do with or without her after that isn’t any of your goddamn concern.”
“She’s not worth this,” Miles stated.
“Not worth what? You being an asshole? She’s been through enough. She didn’t do anything to you or me or anyone else in this busybody town. She had her shit pulled out from under her too and she’s trying to live her life.”
“You’ve got it bad.”
Travis’ patience wore thin and the quiet, even thread in his voice betrayed it. “Either leave or get to work.”
Miles stared at him, anger suffusing his cheeks with red. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
When Travis didn’t respond, his brother finally turned away with a grumble.
“Well?” Miles queried a few minutes later. “Are we gonna work or are you gonna sit there all day?” He grabbed his coveralls off another nail behind the door and stepped into them.
Travis would like to sit there all day, but knew he couldn’t.
He’d stayed at Bella’s until she fell asleep.
When she’d opened the door to him this morning, the disappointment in her eyes made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was an out of character feeling for him. It made him feel even more like an ass because he’d left without telling her.
Jesus, it was some of the hottest sex he’d ever had, but he honestly hadn’t thought beyond getting inside her that first time.
Travis strode out to the garage bay and popped the hood on the Jeep Wagoneer he’d been working on for two days. There weren’t too many things wrong with it. The owners wanted to take it on a grand, cross country adventure. They wanted it tuned up—new belts, fluid flushes, the fuel system cleaned. Travis would make sure she hummed with perfection.
The constant work, the classic seventies rock pumping through his earbuds kept his mind occupied, until a kick in the shin brought him out of his bubble several hours later. “What the hell?” he grouched. He looked at Miles, who shifted from foot to foot and looked uncomfortable. Good. “What’s wrong with you now? More bitching?”
Miles moved to the side.
Bella.
