Page 12 of Boundless Love
I wanted to make her happy.Why did she look so sad now?
“I guess we just need to hope everything stays the way it is now, right?”she whispered.Again, guilt stabbed me in the chest.It wasn’t like her to be evasive or to keep a secret.Why was she playing word games now?“I think I’ll take a bath in that whirlpool tub I’ve been eyeing since we got here.”Throwing her arms around me, she squeezed me, then kissed my cheek.“I love you.”
“I love you too.”Even if I was keeping a secret from her.
But it was a good one.Nothing that would hurt any of us.
In the end, it would all be worth it.
6
TRAVIS
“Iwant you to know something.”Setting down my wine glass, I leaned slightly closer to the absolute wet dream sitting across from me.She had never been more beautiful, alluring, captivating than she was tonight, seated at a table in one of the city’s most popular, upscale restaurants.We were more than one hundred floors above the city, with panoramic views greeting us no matter what direction we looked in, and there was nothing more breathtaking than the woman smiling at me now.“I am hard as steel under this table.I have never had to fight so hard to keep my hands to myself as I have tonight.”
Penny’s fair cheeks went pink the way I knew they would.She swept her brown locks over one shoulder, sending me a burst of sweetness from her hair and skin.“I think it’s this Nevada air,” she murmured.“It’s really getting to you.”
“You’re really getting to me,” I countered.“And don’t act like I’m not hopelessly in love with you no matter where we are.I can’t get enough of you.”
“You just want to see what I have on under this dress.”She ran her hands down her sides, skimming over the soft, black fabric.I honestly didn’t care what she was wearing.I would have rather gotten her out of it.She looked good in anything.
Still, she wasn’t completely wrong.There was something about being here with her after spending so much time as parents.Not that our sex life was dull.Nothing could’ve been further from the truth.Still, the hectic nature of our lives meant I had come to appreciate nights like this much more, focusing solely on her.
At least for as long as I could.“Oh, look at this.”She handed me her phone, where a photo of Olive trying to eat Sofia’s nose made me laugh.I loved seeing the two of them love each other like they did.
Yet, for some reason, when I looked away from the phone, there were tears in Penny’s eyes.All thoughts of how I couldn’t wait to ravish her when we got back to the suite were overshadowed by those sparkling eyes.“All right, I have to ask.What is really on your mind?”I set the phone down and pushed my plate aside, staring straight at her.“Don’t tell me this is all about missing the girls.I know you too well for that.What is getting to you?”
“It’s so dumb.”She sniffled, shaking her head while dabbing the corners of her eyes with her napkin.“We just finished that incredible meal and this is such a beautiful restaurant, and I’m blubbering like a baby.”
“You’re not blubbering,” I told her.“And you’re not a baby.You’re upset.What can I do?”
She took a deep, shuddering breath, and I noticed she didn’t bother telling me I was wrong.“There is something.I didn’t want to bring it up because I don’t know if I want to do it or if it would even be worthwhile.But it’s been on my mind.”
“And you couldn’t tell me?”Again, where did I get off?There was something I wasn’t telling her.
She may as well have lifted the very thoughts from my head when she replied, “I didn’t want to say anything until it was more than just an idea.And I haven’t said anything at all to, you know, encourage her.”
“Slow down.Who are we talking about?Encourage what?”
After releasing a soft laugh, she waved her hands.“I’m sorry.I’m so nervous for some reason.Remember my friend, Leah, from school?We were roommates before I graduated.I know I’ve mentioned her.”
“Sure.”The specifics hardly seemed important at the moment.
Another deep breath seemed to unlock her tongue, allowing the words to pour out.“She works in a program for gifted students at a school in LA.Poorer kids, you know.Disadvantaged.And one of her coworkers is moving upstate after the end of the school year.Leah asked if I would want the job.She said she could get me in with no problem.She has spent the past, like, three years raving about how much she loves this job.She said her coworker burst into tears when she announced having to move.She doesn’t want to leave.Honestly, even though I can’t believe it, I’ve given it some thought because it’s exactly what I always dreamed of doing.Helping kids who are gifted but don’t have the resources to pursue their goals.Mentoring and guiding them.It’s what I always dreamed of.But it would mean a lot of changes for us.”She gulped down most of what was in her water glass like getting it all out had left her parched.
Now, it all made sense.All of her talk about whether the girls would turn out as well as they had if things changed.“And you’re worried if you aren’t home with the girls all the time, it would hurt somehow,” I concluded.
“Of course.”
“How long have you known about this?”I asked, keeping my voice low so she wouldn’t assume my surprise was something more negative and shut down.
“A couple of weeks.I didn’t want to tell you because it’s such a huge step, and I’m still unsure whether I want to accept the job.It’s completely up in the air,” she added, her eyes darting over my face like she was searching for a reaction.“I mean, it’s not like I was even given an official offer.But Leah said it’s pretty much a done deal.If she recommends me, the job is mine.”
What could I say?If it was what she wanted, it was what I wanted, even if the idea of both of us being away from the girls left my chest feeling tight.Plenty of couples did it, didn’t they?They made it work.
“What do you think?”she asked after I’d been silent for too long.“I know it would be a big change.We would have to juggle a lot of things.But hey, people do it all the time.”
“No, we could make it work,” I agreed.“I have no doubt.”
