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This book is dedicated to Bethany.

You have been one of my daughters from the first moment you stepped foot into my

house way back in the fifth grade.

I have loved watching you become a young woman.

You are beautiful inside and out—never, ever forget that.

PROLOGUE

Was this a dream? It had to be, because time had suddenly stopped. Taylor

Winchester found herself flying through the air, her bike released from her hands, and

the ground coming up fast. She knew there was nothing she could do, knew in reality

she was hurtling through space, but still, it seemed like a dream.

She was in a race for a semifinal slot on the motocross circuit. She was winning.

Or she had been winning. Until she’d gone over the jump, and—while she was

seventy feet in the air, feeling the wind whip across her face—something had gone

wrong.

Instead of landing gracefully back on the ground and zipping farther into the lead,

she was falling . . . falling in slow motion.

The dream turned quickly into a nightmare as her body slammed into the dirt track.

When her bike landed on top of her, everything went black. Her last thought was that

darkness was good, it was pure, it was relief, because her entire body was radiating

pain, and the blackness took that pain away . . .

A sigh escaped her lips as she rested her head on the steering wheel of her father’s

oversized truck. “Come on, Taylor. If you haven’t been broken yet, you’re certainly not

going to let this be your demise.”

New determination firming her shoulders, she lifted her head as her words echoed

through the cab of the pickup. After shutting off the engine, she sat there a moment

longer before opening the door.

She refused to allow the terrors of the pitch-black night to creep up and choke her.

Besides, she was home, or near enough to it. There was nothing frightening about

home, she told herself. Still, a tremor ran down her spine. Frustration mounted inside

her. Before her near-fatal injury, Taylor had never before had to deal with fear.

Many people had commented on her daringness; they’d told her she was too brave

for her own good. These days, though, even the smallest of noises seemed to terrify

her. It frustrated her, but the doctor had told her that was normal after a head injury,

and that it shouldn’t last forever. The sooner she was back to normal, the better.

“There is nothing to be afraid of,” she said aloud. “Well, except for maybe the

coyotes waiting on the other side of the tree line, looking forward to their next meal,”

she murmured as her eyes strained to see ahead.

The overcast sky of this early June night didn’t even allow the light of the moon to

peek through. Leaving her headlights on, she walked to the back of the truck to find

her father’s heavy-duty Maglite. It had always rolled noisily around in the bed of his

many trucks, and she’d wanted to take it out each time she’d borrowed the vehicles,

but her father wouldn’t let her. Its ever-annoying clanging sound served as a constant

reminder that it was there if needed. For the first time, she was thankful for the

miserable flashlight. She gripped it tightly in her hand. If a coyote attacked, she could

strike it with the flashlight-slash-weapon.

Not that doing so would do a hell of a lot of good against all those teeth and claws

coming straight at her. And didn’t coyotes travel in packs, flush out their victim, and

strike when the prey was at its weakest? Of course they did, but it wasn’t going to

happen to her, she assured herself. She still trembled.

She shined the light onto the back of the truck and wanted to scream. Yep, the tire

was trashed. Whatever she’d run over had shredded it and there was no way she could

get out of changing the darn thing. If she even attempted to drive the five miles home,

the rim of her dad’s truck would be ruined beyond repair. Not that she’d make it

anyway—the sparks caused by driving on metal would start a forest fire in this dry

county.

Changing a tire would normally be no big deal. Taylor knew basic mechanics. As a

champion motocross racer, how could she not? But even three months after her

accident, she was still fighting to move around, and lifting anything heavy would be

supertough.

But there was no help for it—or for her. So, resigned to her fate, she pulled out the

jack and lug wrench. After prying off the hubcap, she let out only a small groan as she

got onto her back to find a solid jacking point. When she’d positioned the jack, she

turned back to face the tire.

Taylor determinedly rose to her feet, lug wrench in hand. It took three times as

long as it should have, but she finally managed to get the bolts off the tire. Then she

stood there, already exhausted, her healing ribs screaming as she contemplated the

jack she now had to pump up, and the tire she’d have to remove.

Getting into a crouch in front of the jack, sweat beading on her forehead, she began

pumping the handle to lift the truck. Completely out of breath and more than a little

frustrated, Taylor had to sit on the ground when she finally got the truck high enough

in the air to remove the tire. Tears filled her eyes at such weakness.

“I am not this girl,” she cried out, her voice reverberating off the nearby trees.

Taylor couldn’t stand simpering females who needed a man to do every little task.

She was strong and independent, and had been on her own for the past eight years.

Well, to be fair, she’d been on her own as much as her two older brothers had

allowed.

She wasn’t a fool. She knew they haunted her races obsessively, ready to catch her

if she fell. She loved Hawk and Bryson more than any other men alive, but her

brothers were overprotective, ridiculously so.

She’d only ever wanted to prove she was just as capable as they were. She hadn’t

wanted to be dolled up in a pretty pink dress with a bejeweled tiara on her head.

When her mother had once come home with a Cinderella dress and a smile, Taylor,

age six, had cried. She hadn’t wanted to be a princess for Halloween. She’d wanted to

be a pirate like Hawk had been the year before.

To her mother’s credit, she’d taken Taylor to the Halloween store the next day and

let her pick out her costume. Her mom had always been supportive of her daughter’s

choices. Though Taylor knew that the career she’d chosen stressed her parents, they

never tried to talk her out of it.

“Enough!” she snapped, done with her pity party.

Her doctor would be furious, but Taylor refused to call her brothers or her father.

For the past three months she’d been cooped up in her parents’ house while she

recovered from the wreck that could have easily taken her life. She’d had to give up

her apartment in California that she’d been so proud of, and she was going stir-crazy

being looked after.

She was through with being coddled, dammit.

A coyote howled in the trees behind her, far enough away that she knew it wasn’t

watching, but the sound still sent a chill down her spine. She’d grown up in the wild

lands of Montana, and knew she was safe right here—coyote attacks on humans were

rare, and she’d never heard of one in Montana—but her head was still slightly fuzzy

from the concussion she’d suffered three months earlier, and she wasn’t as rational

and confident as she normally would be.

“You’re fine,” she told herself as she set the flashlight on the ground, facing the

enemy tire before her. “Easy-peasy.”

She gripped the tire and began to work it free, her efforts making her shake. But the

satisfaction she felt when the freaking thing popped off and landed on the ground at

her feet was priceless.

Her body would pay in the morning, but Taylor didn’t care. She was proving to

herself that she was still quite capable. She didn’t need to lean on anyone and . . .

damn. Her euphoria died a quick but painful death when she realized the next step

would be to take the spare that was hooked beneath the truck and lift it onto the

wheel studs.

Pulling the old tire off had nearly wiped her out. How in the world was she going

to lift another one up and then put this one onto the bed of the truck? “Slow and

sure,” she said, not allowing anything to beat her tonight. This was a challenge, and

though she knew it was ridiculous, she felt that if she couldn’t manage something as

simple as changing a tire, she’d never get back on a dirt bike again.

Unacceptable. She’d devoted too many years to training, put too much time and

love into her career. Though her doctor had sounded pessimistic when she’d asked

about returning to racing, she would prove the man wrong.

It was absolutely absurd that she needed a release from the doctor before the

powers that be would allow her to race again. Wasn’t it up to her what she could or

couldn’t do? Apparently not. Well, the first step was changing a tire. The next was

getting back on her bike.

It again took too long to get the spare tire down from the bottom of the truck, and

she felt close to passing out, but with a few good swearwords and a lot of expended

energy, she finally managed to get the tire free from where it had been sitting since

her dad had bought the truck last year.

Rolling the stupid thing toward the back of the truck, she attempted to lift it up,

but the agony in her sides was too much. She collapsed to the ground with pain

shooting through her body, and dragged huge gulps of air into her lungs as she fought

desperately to not cave in to the blackness that was offering her blessed relief.

This couldn’t be happening. She’d almost rather sit there on the cold asphalt of this

quiet Montana road than call for help. But ten minutes later, when she made her

second attempt to lift the tire, she knew it wasn’t happening.

Her body was still too beat up to do something so simple as to lift a tire onto the

bolts that were sticking out and waiting for it. The last thing she wanted was to call

her brothers, but she didn’t seem to have any other choice.

Still, she did nothing but pull out her cell phone and look at the face of it, not

wanting to dial a number, not wanting to admit she was too weak to finish the task

she had begun.

When a few minutes later headlights appeared down the road, Taylor didn’t know

whether she was relieved or upset that someone would find her like this. She knew

without a doubt that whoever was heading toward her would stop.

That’s just the kind of place she’d grown up in. A place where a neighbor would

never pass by a vehicle stuck on the side of the road. When the oncoming truck

slowed and then pulled in front of hers, blinding her with its bright lights and

breaking the quiet of night with the soft purr of its diesel engine, Taylor held up a

hand to shield her eyes from the beams and squinted to see who it was. Without a

worry in the world that she’d be face-to-face with a stranger—there were no strangers

in Sterling, Montana—she stood up, though slowly, not wanting to be seen sitting in

defeat on the ground.

The door to the truck opened and a shadow emerged. With the headlights in her

eyes she couldn’t identify the driver, but it was a man’s silhouette walking slowly

toward her. And then the figure spoke.

“Looks like you’re having some difficulty.”

Taylor froze as everything in her tried to deny that voice, deny who was

approaching her. She stiffened her spine and spoke as if she’d never met the man

before. “I’m fine. You can be on your way.” Her tone was acid, sure to dissolve him.

Or not. To her distinct displeasure, the man continued walking forward until he

was in the light with her and she could see his face all too clearly.

“Doesn’t look like you’re fine, Taylor. Don’t I get a hello hug? It’s been a few

years.”

“And as far as I’m concerned, it can be a hell of a lot more years, Travis

Montclave!”

“Aw, hell, Taylor. What’s with the attitude?”

“Oh, let’s see. Probably because you left me high and dry after you were finished

getting your rocks off and leaving me with a less-than-memorable experience of

having sex for the first time.”

Travis was now standing only inches from her, looking even more suave than he

had six years earlier, the night he’d taken her virginity. His dark hair was cut short,

military style, and she was sure his bright blue eyes were sparkling, as everything was

always amusing to him. That was a trait she’d once found charming about the man.

The dimple in his cheek was just one more thing that added to his charm, but Taylor

wouldn’t ever be charmed by him again.

“I don’t think so, Taylor. It seems you’ve gotten that all mixed up. I wasn’t the one

sober, and I certainly wasn’t the one who chased after you.”

“Go to hell, Travis, or wherever it is you run away to.”

“Nah. I’m back. And I’ve decided I don’t want to leave this time.”

His words were a clear challenge, and though she hated this man with a passion,

the thundering of her heart had nothing to do with her struggles to change the tire and

everything to do with the giant of a man standing before her.

As he stood in front of Taylor, Travis contemplated the conflicting emotions rolling

through him. He knew this woman, had known her for the past fourteen years, and if

he gave even an inch, she’d own him. And he wouldn’t allow that.

So instead of continuing their little war of words, he stared her down, thankful for

the bright lights shining from his truck. When he noticed the slight droop to her

shoulders as she finally relented, he almost felt bad.

Her normally pulled back long dark hair was messed, with strands sticking out in

all directions, and her vivid blue eyes seemed almost listless. Still, her athletic frame

and perfectly rounded breasts were as delectable as ever, but Travis couldn’t get

distracted by that. This was a war between them and it was one he intended on

winning.

“Why do you always have to be so difficult?” she asked, her breathless sound so

unlike her.

“Because you make me go crazy.” Honesty seemed the best way to communicate

with Taylor.

“We haven’t even seen each other for five years, Travis. How can I make you

crazy?”

He paused as he looked into her tired eyes. It pained him to see her this way. When

he found out she’d been in a wreck, he’d nearly gone out of his mind with worry, but

he’d been in the Middle East and there was no way he could have come back home

then.

He’d still be back there now if not for the IED that had ended his career early. But

that wasn’t something he was going to think about right now, because it would take

all of his concentration just to get through a simple conversation with this woman.

There was one thing that Travis knew for sure, and it was that Taylor was anything

but simple.

She was complicated, tenacious, and out to prove to the world that she was as good

as any man. She could certainly be all woman—Travis had firsthand knowledge of

that. All he had to do was close his eyes, and he could see her sitting on top of him

with her silken hair cascading down over her firm breasts.

Shaking his head to clear those thoughts before he embarrassed himself, Travis

again looked at her face. He could clearly see not only the fatigue but a hint of pain in

her eyes, and yet he knew she wouldn’t admit to such cracks in her armor.

So instead of continuing to stand there fighting, he stepped around her and

assessed the situation. “Wow. You’ve nearly gotten this changed.”

He knew she’d broken several ribs, had suffered a nearly fatal head injury, and had

been in recovery at her parents’ house for the past three months. She shouldn’t be

lifting a tire. Stubborn woman.

“And I will finish,” she told him, hands on her hips.

Travis didn’t bother arguing. Instead, he picked up the spare tire and fitted it on the

wheel, then had it secured within a few minutes. After that, he lowered the truck,

then placed the flat in the bed, all without either of them uttering a single syllable. He

could see the protests in her body language, but he gave her credit for not fighting

him. They both knew it would be a losing battle.

“I was just fine, Travis,” she said, but there wasn’t nearly as much bite to her

words as there had been earlier.

“You need to take better care of yourself, Taylor. It doesn’t make you weak just

because you have to ask for help once in a while,” he told her as he approached,

boxing her in against the side of the truck.

“I ask for help when I need to.”

“No, Taylor. You don’t ask for anything you need.”

“I wanted you once, Travis. I asked for you,” she said before pausing and giving

him a look that could melt butter on a freezing day. “You blew it.”

“I don’t think so, Taylor. You’re my best friend’s sister, and you were too young

when you had your crush on me. I was trying to be honorable,” he said, taking yet

another step closer and pressing his body against hers. “You’re all grown up now,

though.” He inhaled her intoxicating scent and brushed his lips across hers.

“I don’t want you anymore,” she whispered—but her head didn’t turn and her

breathlessness was contradicting her words.

“Liar.”

With that, he decided that they’d spoken enough. He again moved his lips across

hers, now more firmly, and traced her sweet flavor with his tongue. She couldn’t hold

back the sigh, allowing him full access to her incredible mouth, and he deepened the

kiss, knowing he was right where he should be.

After a few moments he pulled back, feeling better than he had in months—in

years, actually. His life was in chaos right now, and he didn’t know what he was

going to do next, but one thing was for sure—he was finally going to see where these

sparks between him and Taylor would lead.

When her eyes fluttered open and she looked into his burning gaze, he smiled,

knowing that the two of them were destined to be on this path, even though they

hadn’t come together again under the best of circumstances.

She smiled back at him and then lifted her hand, and he waited for her caress.

Instead, she pinched the skin on his chest, hard. Recoiling, he gaped at her, stunned.

“Don’t think you can take what hasn’t been offered,” she said, then turned and

walked away.

She was in the cab of her truck before his shock wore off, and he made it to her

window just as she got the vehicle started.

“Come on, Taylor. Don’t you want to extend our touching reunion?” he said, shock

gone, his attitude back.

“Take that trip to hell I suggested earlier.” She threw him a mocking smile, then

slammed the truck into gear and peeled away, barely giving him time to back up so

his feet wouldn’t get run over.

He stood there on the shoulder of the road and watched until her taillights

disappeared, and then he jogged back to his truck and jumped into the cab, grateful

for the warmth.

“Don’t think I’ll give up that easily,” he muttered aloud as he shifted into gear and

took off down the asphalt.

He and Taylor had a story to finish, and he knew that the telling of it was going to

leave them both gasping for air.

“No. I don’t need for you to baby me all the time!” The hurt on her mother’s face

made Taylor feel instant remorse, and she backpedaled—a little. “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s

just that this is frustrating. I’m not some helpless little female who needs everyone to

continually act like I’m broken.”

“I know, darling, but you can’t imagine how frightened your family has been since

the accident,” Maggie said, wringing her hands.

“I hate that I scared you, but I’m fine. I’m already feeling better. It’s just going to

take a little more time before I’m allowed to race again.” Taylor paced the large

country-style kitchen.

“You can’t possibly be thinking of going back, Taylor. The doctor said you were

lucky this time, but if you receive another brain injury, it could leave you catatonic,”

Maggie gasped.

“Mom, every occupation has its risks. Are you constantly giving Hawk lectures

about running into burning buildings? Because I can sure as hell tell you that if a

building is on fire, I’ll be running away from it.”

“There’s no reason to swear, Taylor.”

“Mom . . .” Taylor was so tired of being lectured.

“I’m just concerned about you,” Maggie told her daughter.

“You’re not concerned about the boys, and they have far more dangerous

occupations!”

“That’s different, Taylor . . .”

“Why? Because Hawk and Bryson are guys, and I’m just a measly girl?”

“No, honey. I don’t think you’re any less capable than either of your brothers.”

“Yes, you do. I’ve always been babied no matter how many times I prove myself. I

have won championships, Mom. I’m good at what I do. Bryson faces danger every day

with bad guys who want to shoot him down, and Hawk could be buried alive in the

wreckage of a burning building, but you don’t give them nearly the amount of grief

that you give me.”

This was an argument Taylor had repeated with her parents time and again. She

was tired of it, but until they accepted her for who she was, she’d continue to argue

with them.

“I give them just as many lectures on safety as I give you,” Maggie huffed, refusing

to back down.

Walking up to her mother, Taylor threw her arms around her. “I love you more than

anyone else in this world, Mom, but I can’t stay here any longer. I feel like I’m

suffocating.” Though Taylor didn’t want to hurt her mother, she needed desperately to

get away from her childhood home. She’d never be treated as an equal here.

“It’s too soon for you to be on your own. Besides, you gave up your apartment,”

Maggie pointed out.

“Don’t remind me. I had to give it up because I could barely walk when they

released me from the hospital, but I’m doing much better now. I love you to pieces,

you and Dad, but can you honestly tell me that you would want to go and live with

your parents again after being out on your own for six years?”

Maggie said nothing for several moments, and then her shoulders sagged the

slightest bit, and Taylor wanted to back down, but she knew if she did then she would

never get to regain her independence. And she really, really needed to feel strong

again.

“Well, if you must go, why don’t you go and stay at Bryson’s cabin?” Maggie asked.

“It’s only an hour’s drive out of town, and you can have peace and quiet. And I can

still be there quickly if you need me.”

Taylor pulled back from her mom, her lips turning up in a brilliant smile. “That’s a

great idea, Mom. I don’t have an income at the moment and I don’t want to go through

all my savings, but this can give me some time to figure out what I’m going to do

next. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it already,” she said, her mind already

calculating what she’d need.

Her brother Bryson had a great hunting cabin out in the forest, about thirty miles

down a winding gravel road on the outskirts of Sterling. Taylor wasn’t the most

outdoorsy person, but if it would get her away from people trying to baby her, she

would deal with Mother Nature.

“You have to stay in contact with me, though,” her mother told her firmly.

“I promise I’ll check in every day.” And she would. Taylor loved talking with her

mom, at least most of the time. Though she was honestly eager to get away, she didn’t

know how long she’d be able to handle being up there all alone—her newfound fears

of things that go bump in the night might well get the better of her.

Straightening her shoulders, she forced that thought from her mind. There was no

way she was going to let her accident stop her from doing anything. She was more

than capable of being on her own.

She’d had her own place since she was eighteen, minus the year she’d lived with

her ex-boyfriend. That hadn’t ended particularly well—he’d been the rebound guy

after Travis—but the two of them had ended up friends because they raced on the

same circuits a lot of the time.

Not that she’d heard from Jeremy since her accident. Hell, she hadn’t heard from

any of her racing friends in a long time. Out of sight, out of mind, apparently. That

stung a bit, but she refused to dwell on it.

Nothing would stop her from getting back to her chosen profession. No one would,

either—not doctors, not her brothers, and certainly not her parents. She’d put too

much time and effort into becoming the best motocross racer in the U.S.—heck, in the

world, if she had her way.

“Let me make a few meals to take with you, then.”

Taylor turned to find her mother opening the fridge and pulling out ingredients to

make a macaroni salad.

“You know I can cook up there, Mom.”

Maggie laughed. “Oh, honey, we both know how much you despise cooking.”

“I know. I know. All women should be expert chefs,” Taylor said with a roll of her

eyes.

“I didn’t say that,” Maggie muttered, but Taylor knew her mother hated that she’d

never taken an interest in the kitchen. There were just too many more interesting

things to do besides stand over a hot stove.

“I have at least learned to make the basics, Mom, so every meal won’t be eaten from

a box,” she said with a laugh. “And believe me, I have no doubt that you love me,

faults and all.” Taylor sat at the breakfast bar with a pen and a piece of paper and

began making a list of everything she’d need. Organization was one of Taylor’s

strengths, and thankfully, the head injury hadn’t seemed to mess with that.

“Of course I love you.” Maggie was putting a pot of eggs on to boil, which made

Taylor smile. Taylor got so distracted when she cooked that she’d put something on

the burner and forget all about it. One time she’d left eggs boiling on the stove for so

long that the water had all evaporated and then she’d nearly had a heart attack when

the eggs began exploding in the pot, shell and egg chunks going everywhere.

She’d had to clean up the huge mess. And the only thing she hated more than

cooking was cleaning. That’s why she preferred to eat on paper plates with plastic

utensils. So she wasn’t the most domestic of women. Many men didn’t care about

that.

Not that she’d dated a whole heck of a lot of men. It was difficult to do when your

first lover was a man like Travis. She’d compared every single guy she’d dated since

then to the miserable man, and they’d all come up short.

With a sigh, Taylor completed her list, got up, kissed her mother on the cheek, and

then headed upstairs to pack. Now that she had a plan, she was eager to begin. When

her father got home an hour later and gave her the keys to their little four-door sedan,

she loaded it up, said a fond good-bye to her parents, and hit the road.

The sooner she got settled into the cabin, the better. It was time to evaluate her life,

and the best place to do that was far away from everyone, with no chance of someone

wandering up and knocking on the door. If that did happen, she’d be shaking in her

boots, because there were no neighbors around for miles. And everything seemed to

make her shake now. But that was just another thing she would beat.

Taylor pulled up to the quaint cabin just as the sun began lowering in the sky.

Though she had to battle her fears of being so isolated, she unpacked the car, headed

inside, fastened the dead bolt, and threw all her belongings on the living room floor.

She’d unpack later. First, a hot shower, some of her mother’s macaroni salad, and

then a lot of soul-searching.

Something wasn’t right!

Travis slowed his truck as he came around the last corner on the winding road to

the cabin. He could feel an intruder’s presence before he actually saw the car sitting

to the side of the cabin. The stranger wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was

trespassing.

Backing up, Travis hid his truck behind the turn, then crawled silently from the cab

and shut the door without even the slightest of clicks. Drawing his Beretta M9, he

stole forward, gliding like a ghost.

The sun was down, but lights were blazing in the cabin he’d left empty just a few

hours earlier. Whoever thought they’d found free lodging would be sadly mistaken.

Creeping up onto the deck, Travis looked for signs of a break-in, but didn’t find

any. But that didn’t mean someone hadn’t barged in; it just meant the man was a

smart criminal. Travis’s best friend, Bryson Winchester, owned the cabin, and Bryson

had assured him that no one would be disturbing him out here.

So whoever was in the cabin was there without an invitation. Travis tried the knob

and found it locked. Taking a quick jog around the place, he couldn’t see the intruder

anywhere, so he quickly made his way back to the front deck and drew out his keys,

careful to stay silent as he unlocked the door and smoothly slid it open a few inches

at a time, keeping his ear tuned in to the slightest of sounds.

When the running shower caught his attention, anger boiled inside him. When he

saw the bags tossed onto the floor, his anger hit a new level. Whoever had invaded his

sanctuary was sure making himself comfortable. He hoped like hell the guy enjoyed it

now, because the man’s ass would get a solid kicking in just a few more seconds.

Already familiar with which boards creaked when walked upon, Travis avoided

them and stayed close to the wall as he made his way to the only bedroom in the

small cabin. He slid the cracked doorway open and looked inside.

The bathroom door was open a few inches and he could see steam drifting through.

He stealthily moved toward it while trying to spot any more of the intruder’s

possessions. He didn’t find anything. Thinking only one man was involved, he still

listened for the arrival of an accomplice.

Many years of service in the military had taught him never to underestimate the

enemy. When he was sure no one else was in the house, he moved the rest of the way

to the bathroom door, pushed it open, and saw a silhouette behind the shower curtain.

Small!

Was it a woman? It didn’t matter. Some of the women he’d run into over the years

had been far more deadly than men. They used their looks and bodies to suck in their

enemies and then shot them between the eyes.

With grim determination, he took silent steps toward the shower and yanked the

curtain from the hooks. The person beneath the spray froze, and Travis stepped back

for a clear view, his gun drawn, his eyes focused.

“Hands above your head!”

The command came out sure and steady. But when the figure turned around to

reveal Taylor, her large blue eyes full of terror, Travis lost his iron-cool composure. It

took several heartbeats for him to realize he was still pointing the gun at her.

“What?” Her voice was wobbly until their eyes collided, and then she realized who

he was. Fright quickly turned to embarrassment as the shower spray covered the floor

and she realized she was standing before him completely naked—and wet.

“Travis?” she whispered, and then cleared her throat as her hand shot out and she

grabbed a nearby towel, forgetting that she hadn’t yet turned off the water. As the

initial shock began to wane, her fear quickly burst into flames of anger. “What in the

hell are you doing?”

“The bigger question is, what are you doing here?” He regained his lost composure,

holstered his gun, and crossed his arms over his chest. Was she following him? Not

that he would mind that. One time with Taylor certainly hadn’t been enough for him.

He was ready to bed her again right now . . . And she was conveniently unclothed.

“I don’t think so, Travis. This is my brother’s cabin. I have a right to be here,” she

snapped, seeming to finally realize the shower was still running. She turned away

from him to shut it off.

“My close friend gave me permission to stay here for a while. He told me to take

my time. He also told me no one else would come around.”

“I came here to relax and recoup. My mom told me no one would be here,” she

countered.

“Hmm. Guess Bryson and your mother didn’t communicate with each other then.”

“Thanks for pointing out the obvious.”

“Okay. Well, I’ve had a long day, and seeing that you’re standing there practically

naked,” he said before doing a scan up and down her wet towel–covered body,

“maybe we should just enjoy the fact that we’re here together.” The leer he sent her

would leave zero doubt what he meant with that comment.

“I don’t think so, Travis. Obviously, you’re going to have to leave. We can’t both

stay in this cabin together.”

“I’m not going anywhere, darling. I like being here.”

She glared at him for several long moments, but her growl had always been much

more fierce than her bite—not that her bite was anything to ignore. It was actually

quite pleasant, at least during the right moments.

“Well, I’m certainly not leaving. So that means you need to pack your crap up and

get out of here.”

Hot damn if he wasn’t more turned on in her presence than he’d ever been before.

This woman had a way of firing every single one of his cylinders without even lifting

one of those long, slender, sexy fingers.

“I don’t think so, Taylor. I was here first.”

“No one was here when I got here, Travis.”

The two of them faced off, and that’s when he took another long look at the towel

barely covering her. It wasn’t doing much to hide the fact that the room was certainly

cooling down and her treasures weren’t very hidden from his view—not that he’d

missed anything when he first saw her buck naked under that stream of water. No.

That image would be forever burned into his brain.

Dammit all. This wasn’t the time or place to make another pass, but for the life of

him, he couldn’t seem to hold back his next words.

“I’m more than happy to share a bed with you, Taylor,” he told her, his voice

dripping with arrogance. “All you have to do is ask.” He stepped back and leaned

against the wall as if he had nothing better to do than stand there all night long.

“You’re a pig, Travis. I don’t know why I ever had a crush on you, and I certainly

don’t know what my brother sees in you.” Taylor’s huffing and puffing made her

perfect breasts rise and fall beneath the towel that was clinging to them for dear life.

“I haven’t ever tried to convince you that I’m Romeo.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“This is a mighty fine conversation, but I can see you’re getting chilly. Would you

like a dry towel?” He had to be quite the gentleman to even offer, he told himself.

After all, he’d much rather stare at her in her current state.

“I’m fine to get my own damn towel, Travis. Get out!”

Her voice rose as she shifted on her fabulously curvy legs, drawing his eyes to the

edge of the towel.

“I guess I can give you a few minutes, Taylor.”

“Thanks. You’re a real peach,” she snarled as he finally ripped his devouring eyes

away and turned to leave. Pausing at the door, he turned back around with a cocky

half grin and winked before leaving the bathroom.

He didn’t know why he wanted to rile her up; he just knew that he loved seeing the

fire in her eyes, loved hearing the outraged gasp from her luscious lips, and loved a

good brawl with her. When he’d met her, she’d been too young. Not anymore. Now

she was all grown up.

She was no longer a love-struck teenager, and as far as Travis was concerned, she

was more than fair game. He was going to make sure he won whatever match she

decided to throw down. Because time hadn’t erased this girl from his memory—and

he’d never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Shivering as she tossed the soaked towel onto the floor of the tub, Taylor didn’t know

whether she was more enraged with Travis’s ridiculously pompous attitude or

because he’d caught her with her pants down, so to speak.

Yes, he’d seen her naked before. Once. And she’d vowed after his rejection that the

man would never again see her like that or catch her in such a vulnerable position.

She’d been in love with him from the time her brother had brought him home to hang

out when she was only twelve years old, and as the years passed, her feelings had

only grown stronger.

His rejection six years ago had been mortifying. Sure, she could understand his

holding off when she was a teenager. She’d been too young then. But the night of that

party . . . that fateful night when she’d finally made love to him . . .

It had felt so right. She could still practically feel his arms around her after they

were done and she’d begun to drift off, whispering the words she’d said to no other. I

love you. The lovemaking had been perfect—they were perfect, or so she had thought.

When he immediately leapt from the bed, apologizing profusely, saying he’d drunk

way too much, that he’d crossed a line and they should have never done that, she’d

been humiliated.

For a brief moment, she’d begged him to stay, but when she knew the battle was

over, she’d sat there in agony. At least she hadn’t shown him tears, hadn’t allowed

him to see such a weakness. She’d shed enough tears when she was a teenager to last

her a lifetime. No. Instead, she’d dressed, lifted her head high, and walked from the

room.

She’d seen him only one time after that—a year later, when she was visiting her

parents in Sterling. He’d tried to speak to her, tried to act as if nothing was wrong.

She’d shunned him then, and she would shun him now.

He was no better than any of the other males in her life who wanted to treat her

like nothing but a weak female incapable of making up her own mind. The next

morning, he’d hung his head as he’d apologized, telling her he’d taken advantage of

her, that it shouldn’t have happened, that she really didn’t know what she wanted.

She was sick and tired of people telling her she didn’t know what she wanted. Who in

the hell did he think he was? At least her brothers weren’t quite that bad, but if they

could surround her with bubble wrap and keep her locked away, she wouldn’t put it

past them.

When would the people in her life realize she was an adult? That she was more

than capable of making her own choices, whether they were good or bad? Even if she

failed sometimes, and she knew she would—just like everyone else—she would learn

from those mistakes. No pain, no gain, right? It was frustrating always to be the baby

of the family, and to always be coddled because of her gender.

Sure, she’d fallen hard for Travis way back when, but she was older now, wiser.

Never again would she be taken in by his tricks. He was probably putting on this act

now only because he was bored. He’d fooled her once, but he certainly wouldn’t do it

twice.

The cold was beginning to seep into her bones, so she found a dry towel and then

peeked out the bathroom door into the bedroom. She was really wishing she hadn’t

just tossed her bags onto the living room floor. In her defense, she’d assumed she was

alone and could walk around naked if she wanted to.

Dammit!

Creeping into the bedroom with the small towel wrapped around her body, she

moved over to the closet and opened the door, sighing with relief when she found

some T-shirts hanging. She didn’t know whether they were her brother’s or Travis’s,

and she didn’t care. For tonight, one of them was going to be her pajama top. She had

always loved sleeping in her older brothers’ T-shirts. There was just something oddly

comforting about it. Slipping it on over the towel, she moved to the dresser and found

a pair of large sweatpants with a drawstring. Pulling them up, she had to tie them as

tight as she could and then roll the waist down and the legs up.

Warmth began to return to her limbs by the time she found wool socks. Now she

was decent enough to walk into the living room where Travis was waiting. Sure, it

wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation, but she’d had many worse talks in her

years of racing.

She was in a world where more men competed than women. That was okay with

her. She liked to be different—it made her feel important. Even if she had to

constantly defend her chosen career path. And she would still continue to pursue her

dreams. If she ever got a release to race, that is. Hell, at the rate she was going, she

might never see a dirt track again. No, she refused to consider such a frightening

thought. She was too young to give up the life she’d made all on her own.

As she stepped into the living room, Taylor didn’t have any complaints about the

nice fire that Travis was currently stoking. And even as angry as she was with him,

she also didn’t mind the view she had of his sweet backside as he leaned down and

added another log. Sure, she could build her own fire, but not as quickly as he’d

managed to get this one blazing.

Right now was one of those times she really wished she’d paid more attention

when her family had gone camping. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy the outdoors—she

loved it. It was just that she preferred nice dirt roads and arenas to camping in the

woods. Especially now, since she was continually thinking about all of those

creatures waiting to rip into her tender flesh and chew on it mercilessly.

Because it was summertime, the daylight hours were pleasantly hot, but the

nighttime temperatures cooled off dramatically. If Taylor had her way, she would live

in the desert, in one of those places that never dipped below fifty degrees. But as

much as she was on the road, she always made time to come back home. Even when

her family drove her nearly to madness, she still couldn’t stay away from them for

long. And they would never leave Montana.

“I appreciate the fire, Travis, but really, this place is too small for both of us . . .”

There, that was said in a calm, even tone. He would see reason, understand that

this was her brother’s place, and she therefore had first dibs on it, and he would pack

his belongings and be on his way.

Just then, some animal made an eerie sound outside the window and a shudder

passed through her. No way was she letting herself get freaked out, though. She’d

grown up in Montana, and as long as she stayed inside during the nighttime hours,

she’d be fine.

Sure, the occasional cougar decided to go hunting, but they were more afraid of

humans than humans were afraid of them, or at least that’s the crap her father had

always told her. Still, she happened to be pretty dang afraid of any animal with claws

and sharp teeth, but the vicious beasts of the forest didn’t have to know that. And no

one else needed to know that, either. It would ruin her carefully cultivated image.

She hadn’t gone to many of the counseling sessions the doctors had offered after the

accident, deciding that an injury wouldn’t affect her. She would choose to beat these

newfound phobias on her own. If she told herself she was fine, then she would be. It

was as simple as that. Mind over matter!

Refusing to look at the window, where she felt red eyes feasting upon her, she

focused on Travis’s back again. He’d continued stoking the fire as if she hadn’t said a

single word. She was beginning to get irritated when he finally stood.

“Not leaving, Taylor,” he said almost pleasantly before adding, “Would you like

some coffee or hot chocolate?”

And then, much to her surprise, he sauntered into the kitchen area. The cabin

really wasn’t very big, and the kitchen and living room were divided only by a small

breakfast bar. The dining area was to the side of the kitchen, sporting a rustic table

that seated four.

No television, no frills. Just a couch, comfy chair, and small end tables with lamps

on them. She was actually surprised her brother had installed electricity and

plumbing in his man cave. She supposed he was a bit too used to his pampered

lifestyle to go without the basics while at his hunting retreat.

“Don’t you think this is something we should discuss like reasonable adults?

Obviously this place isn’t big enough for both of us,” Taylor said again as she flopped

down onto the couch, dragging a thick quilt onto her lap.

“Nothing to discuss. I’m the one who was invited—did Bryson invite you, Taylor?

No, I didn’t think so—and I’m not leaving. But if you want to stay with me, be my

guest,” he said as he set a pot on the stove and began boiling water before moving to

the fridge and pulling out cheese and cold cuts, lining them up on a tray, and then

creatively fanning out some crackers.

Realizing she hadn’t eaten in hours, Taylor stared at the food, her mouth watering.

He was putting enough out for both of them, but wouldn’t it count as caving if she

accepted his offerings? Not that she actually knew if he was going to offer her any of

his meal. She could go and get herself a dish of her mother’s macaroni salad, but that

didn’t sound appealing right then.

The water began boiling and he poured two cups of hot chocolate without getting

her confirmation that she wanted any. When he set the cup in front of her, she was

tempted not to drink it, just to prove she didn’t need his pitiful cup of chocolate

goodness. But the aroma was enticing and her stomach was growling, and she was

only hurting herself if she played the martyr.

“Thanks,” she muttered as she lifted the cup. Her reward was a beaming smile as

he set the tray of meat and cheese down next.

“Dig in,” he said as he piled a cracker high and slipped it into his mouth.

“Fine, but only because I haven’t eaten in hours. This isn’t me caving in. I still

don’t give you permission to stay,” she mumbled, eagerly grabbing some goodies.

“I don’t need your permission, Taylor. Bryson already gave me the key and his

blessing, and apparently he didn’t give you permission. I have dibs, doll. I’ll tell you

what, though—I’ll let you have the bedroom,” he said with a wicked smile. “For

tonight, at least.” He ate a few more crackers and then leaned back, looking as if he

was going to get real cozy on the couch. He seemed half asleep.

Taylor sent him a glare, but with his eyes closed, it did her no good. After five

minutes of complete silence, when she’d emptied the remaining food from the tray,

Taylor knew this conversation was going nowhere, at least not tonight.

“It’s late, so I suppose I won’t complain if you sleep on the couch for tonight,” she

said as she stood up and began to walk around him.

As she passed in front of him, he suddenly snaked his arm out and grabbed her,

nearly making her tumble into his lap. His eyes snapped open and he was surprisingly

alert as he looked at her, his expression intense.

“Don’t for one minute think I’m a pushover, Taylor, just because I managed to show

more restraint than most men would when a pretty teenager threw herself at them.

We’re both all grown up now, and I tend to go after what I want.”

After a short pause, Taylor yanked her arm away and stepped back. “Is that a

threat, Travis?” With the way her heart was racing she didn’t feel threatened. No, if

she had to be honest, she would admit she was . . . excited.

“I hate to be trite, baby, but it’s a promise,” he said, leaning back and looking

relaxed again.

She hated being called baby. But there was nothing she could say, especially with

her throat closed off and her heart hammering. Turning away, she rushed into the

bedroom and firmly shut the door.

As she lay down on the bed, she knew sleep wasn’t going to be her friend that

night.

“Rise and shine, princess.”

“Go away!”

“You’re wasting the day. The sun is up, and the fish are biting.”

Taylor turned over and glared at Travis. He was standing before her, looking perfect

in his painted-on jeans and . . . “What in the world are you wearing?”

“What?” He looked down at himself and then back at her and shrugged.

“That vest is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Now, Taylor, that’s just plain rude. This is my fishing vest. Each pocket and strap

serves a purpose,” he said, tugging on the ugly beige thing snugly attached to his wide

shoulders.

“I wouldn’t be caught dead in that.”

“How would you know that? If you were dead, we could put you in whatever we

wanted to,” he countered.

“Ugh. You are insufferable. How long have you been awake? I didn’t even hear

you.”

“That’s because you were all snug in the bedroom while I was pushed out to the

small couch. It’s my turn for the bedroom tonight. Of course, I don’t mind if you want

to share with me,” he said with a wink.

“Get out!” Taylor threw her pillow at his face, which he easily dodged before

letting loose with a laugh and sauntering out of her room.

Flopping back onto her bed, minus her pillow, Taylor lay there for a while trying to

decide what she was going to do next. If she knew one thing about Travis, it was that

he was stubborn, more stubborn than her, and that was saying a lot.

Finally, she got up, used the bathroom, and decided she was through hiding in the

bedroom. She’d come to this cabin for rest and relaxation and she was going to get it

one way or the other. When she did finally come out to the living room, she refused to

speak to the lout. She was finished arguing.

Travis simply flipped her a smile, walked into the kitchen, and proceeded to make

a large breakfast of ham and eggs. The smells made her stomach growl, but she didn’t

want to accept his pity food.

“You can eat if you want, but I’m not going to beg,” he said, scooping up his own

plate and sitting down at the small table.

Taylor sat there a few more moments, and then decided she wasn’t punishing

anyone but herself by not eating, so with as much grace as she could manage, she

stood, made her own plate, and then walked to the couch, refusing to join him at the

table.

The chuckle she heard coming from him set her teeth to grinding, but she still

refused to speak, not acknowledging the fact that she was acting like a pouty child

instead of an adult.

If he was going to stay in the cabin, she sure as heck wasn’t going to have any kind

of conversation with him. She either stayed in the cabin with him, or she went back

home to her parents’ house where she would be smothered. That seemed the worse of

the two evils.

When Travis disappeared and she heard the shower start, her stomach clenched.

Knowing she could walk in there, join him in the shower, and have him more than

happy with that was playing with her already messed-up head.

That was the last thing she wanted to do. Sure, she still had feelings for this man

who was her first love, but he’d rejected her, and she wouldn’t go crawling back to

him. When the shower shut off, she squirmed on the couch.

Now that she was actually at the cabin, and where she thought she wanted to be,

she was bored. That thought brought a slight smile to her pouty mouth. Her mother

would always tell all of them that there was no such thing as boredom, only boring

people.

She could pull out a book and read, but she was used to being active all the time,

and at the moment she just felt . . . lost. This simpering, pathetic woman wasn’t her.

She was normally happy, a go-getter. When would she find herself again?

“I’m going for a walk. You’re free to join me,” Travis said as he came out of the

bathroom.

She didn’t bother replying. She was too tempted to say yes. With a shrug, he went

out through the front door, and for the next two minutes, Taylor sat on the couch

fuming. And bored. She was so bored.

When a scratching sounded somewhere in the kitchen, she jumped up and threw on

her shoes. She didn’t want to hang out with the man, but suddenly sitting there all

alone on the couch seemed even worse than walking by his side. Normally, she’d have

investigated the noise, made sure some critter wasn’t going to ransack the place. Not

today, though. Running to catch up, Taylor didn’t take long to find Travis.

“Change your mind?” he said with a laugh.

“I figure you’re the lesser of two evils. I didn’t want to hang out at the cabin alone,

and . . . I just don’t know what to do.”

“There are all sorts of things to do, Taylor. But you won’t figure it out if you’re

acting lazy and sitting around.”

“I’m not lazy, Travis!”

“I haven’t seen much movement from you today.”

“Why do you always try to get a rise from me?”

“Because it’s so easy to do.” He kept a fast pace as they went through the forest.

“Maybe that’s why I can’t stand hanging around you.”

“Now that’s a lie, Taylor. You’ve always been my shadow.”

“I was a kid then, Travis. I may not be as ancient as you, but still, I’m all grown up

now.”

He stopped walking and basically undressed her with his eyes, making her shift on

her feet. “Yes, Taylor. You certainly are all grown up now. And I wouldn’t say thirty

is exactly ancient,” he pointed out.

“Just keep walking, Travis.” She began moving again, but her breath was more

uneven than before.

They soon reached a large pond about half an hour from the cabin. With the sun

high in the sky, the water was more than appealing, but Taylor hadn’t even thought to

bring a swimsuit. That didn’t seem to be stopping Travis. He pulled off his shirt and

let his impressive tanned chest soak in the sun’s rays.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking a swim. You’re more than welcome to join me.” He began undoing the

buttons on his jeans, showing the black band of his underwear.

“I don’t have a suit.”

“Neither do I,” he said with a wolfish grin before his thumbs reached inside the top

of his pants and underwear. She barely had time to turn around before he pushed

them down.

“What if someone happens by, Travis?” she snapped, refusing to face him.

“There’s no one for miles, Taylor, and it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked

before.” His voice grew farther away as he moved toward the water. Then Taylor

heard a splash and knew he was covered.

Still, she took a few more seconds before turning back around. “That was a long

time ago.”

“Ah, I could never forget how great our night was,” he said as he swam away from

her.

“Well, I suggest you erase it from your mind,” she told him, moving over to sit on a

rock, with the hot sun beating down on her. “Besides, you said it was a mistake,” she

added with a pout. Sweat began to gather on her forehead and neck, and the water

was looking more and more appealing.

“I stand by that. It was a mistake at that moment. But times are different now, and

we’re both in a different place in our lives. Besides, why would I erase you when I

plan on adding more to the treasure house of memories?” He was now moving closer

to her, and the way his muscled arms slid through the water was mesmerizing.

“It’s not going to happen, Travis. Our time has passed.”

“We’ll just have to agree to disagree.”

Nothing seemed to faze him as he moved through the pond, taking easy laps and

obviously glorying in the coolness of the water while she baked on the damn rock.

After about twenty minutes, she was really regretting not having her suit.

When he came close to her, a mischievous grin on his face, she glared down at him.

“Don’t even think about it,” she warned him, but it was too late. While he treaded

water, he brought his arm back, and then a large wave splashed over her.

Unwilling to let that go, and tired of roasting anyway, Taylor yanked off her soaked

shirt and shoved her jeans down her slender legs. She had a measure of satisfaction in

seeing his eyes widen as she stood there for a moment in her bra and panties.

Yeah, look all you want, Travis, ’cause you’re not touching, she thought before

diving into the water only two feet from him.

When she came up for air behind him, she didn’t give him a chance to turn before

her arms slid around his neck and she dragged him beneath the water. When the two

of them came up, he was coughing up water, and she sported an expression of utter

satisfaction.

“Take that,” she said, before plunging back beneath the water and disappearing.

She was a strong swimmer, and though he was stronger, she certainly had more

agility.

For the next hour they splashed, chased each other, played Marco Polo, and,

unbelievably, they laughed nonstop. By the time the two of them climbed out of the

pond, Taylor had forgotten all her reasons for keeping her distance.

Lying back on the hot rocks, she turned toward him, making sure to keep her gaze

above his waistline. “Why are you staying out here?”

Travis looked at her for a minute before his arm came up to shield his eyes. They

both had to let the hot sun dry them off.

“My career suddenly ended in the blink of an eye—literally and figuratively—and I

needed a quiet place to regroup.”

There didn’t seem to be anger in his voice, only resignation. She felt a lot more

bitter about the possible ending of her own career.

“What happened?” She wanted to stop herself from asking, but she was too curious.

She actually did care, even if she didn’t want him to know it.

“We were on a mission and an IED exploded. I was lucky, much luckier than many

of the men, but it permanently messed up the peripheral vision in my left eye. I can’t

do my job now.” He’d never really talked about what he did for the military, and

Taylor was sure she didn’t want to know the details. But, again, she was curious.

“Are you angry?” She sure as hell was.

“I was for a while. I didn’t know what I could do next, but I’ve been thinking about

it a lot. Just because one door closes, it doesn’t mean another one can’t open.”

“How can you be so positive? Don’t you ever want to shout and blame someone else

—anyone else?”

“Yeah. I already went through all of that. But I’m an adult, Taylor. I can’t change

what’s happened, so I just move forward.”

“You’re so reasonable. I don’t know . . .” She wasn’t ready to talk about the racing

circuit yet. She was still determined to get back to the track eventually. No one was

going to tell her she couldn’t, not even the so-called experts.

“It’s not that I’m reasonable; it’s just that it is what it is. I can’t change what

happened. Sure, I went through the circumstances surrounding that accident about a

million different times in my head, and I thought of a thousand what-ifs, but the

reality is that it did happen. I can’t change that, so I can either dwell on it or I can

push forward and make a change in my life.”

“It’s really easy to say that, but actually to believe it is something else entirely,”

Taylor said as she sat up, her eyes straying to his chest for only a moment. There

wasn’t a single second while they were lying there that she wasn’t painfully aware he

was naked.

“Time heals all wounds, Taylor.”

She didn’t miss the extra meaning in his use of the maxim. “Some wounds aren’t

repairable, Travis.” Suddenly she was exhausted. This was all too much—the loss of

her career, her dreams being shattered, being holed up in some cabin in the woods

with her first love.

Just too much.

Slipping on her clothes with her back to Travis, she didn’t turn to find out whether

he was doing the same. She just began walking back toward the cabin. When he joined

her a few minutes later, their steps cushioned by the moss-covered ground, silence

reigned.

It was bound to be a long day and an even longer night.

Tossing on the uncomfortably small couch in the too-warm cabin, Taylor glared up at

the dark ceiling. She should have stood her ground and not let Travis have the bed,

but when he’d crawled in beside her—commando, no less—she’d practically flown

from beneath the covers to the safety of the couch.

She actually didn’t know how Travis had managed to sleep on the thing because

she wasn’t comfortable and she was a good six or eight inches shorter than him and a

heck of a lot more slender.

Her day at the lake with him had been wonderful, too wonderful, and then nerves

and fear had stolen through her much sooner than she would have liked. But the

longer she lay there, unable to sleep, the more she thought about the past, something

she certainly didn’t want to do.

It was history, ancient history, and to dwell upon it would do her absolutely no

good, so why did she find her eyes closing and the memories bubbling up? Probably

because Travis was only one thin door away from her, and that night with him six

years prior had shaped her, changed her from a girl to a woman, and no matter how

much she said she hated him, what she felt about him was anything but antagonistic.

Taylor stopped fighting the memories, and a dreamlike smile appeared on her face

as she slowly drifted off, taking her back to that party, to the night Travis had finally

given her everything she’d ever wanted from him—right before he’d pulled the rug

straight out from under her.

“WHAT ARE YOU
doing at a grown-up party, squirt?”

Taylor turned to find Travis Montclave standing behind her in a pair of dark jeans

and a polo shirt molded to his chest. Add to that the megawattage smile and twinkling

eyes and she was about to melt into a puddle right there at his feet.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Travis,” she said with her most practiced purr, “I’m

all grown up now.” Though her hands were trembling, she lifted her glass of wine and

took a sip, then licked her bottom cherry-red lip while giving him her most come-hither

smile.

The intake of breath and slight narrowing of his eyes were all the reward she

needed.

“Ha! You’ll always be twelve,” he said, though his eyes took a sweep of her twenty-

year-old body.

She may not have been the curviest woman at the party, but she had a woman’s

body, and she intended to use everything she’d been given to finally seduce Travis.

“Why don’t you take me for a dance and see if I move like I’m twelve,” she

challenged him.

Travis said nothing as he threw back the rest of his drink before setting the glass

down and looking as if he was having an internal struggle. If he turned her down, she

would be humiliated, but what were the odds she would be at the same place at the

same time as her childhood crush? It was now or never.

“Fine. One dance,” he said. This was her window.

One dance turned into two, and then five, and in between each dance, Travis drank

just a little bit more. Soon he wasn’t fighting her as they stepped out onto the dance

floor and she rubbed her curves against him. Soon the passion in his eyes was more

than obvious.

“We shouldn’t be doing this, Taylor,” he said as she brushed her lips across his

neck.

“Why not, Travis? We’re both adults. I want you,” she said before pushing against

his obvious bulge. “And you want me.”

A shudder passed through him. “You’re my best friend’s little sister. I can still see

you in pigtails,” he said, though he didn’t pull away from her.

Taylor wasn’t backing down. When they finally made love, he would see her as a

woman, not a little girl. He would see what he had been missing out on the last few

years. Sure, he couldn’t have dated her before she’d turned eighteen, but she was

nearing twenty-one now, and she knew what she wanted, and she wanted Travis.

This time when she stood up on her toes and brushed her lips against his, he didn’t

pull away. No. This time, his hands came around her and his lips moved, and then she

wasn’t the one doing the seducing anymore.

She had practically floated away from the party in Travis’s arms, and the next two

hours were everything she’d wanted and more. His lips trailed across her body, his

fingers stroked her fire to a burning inferno, and his eyes worshipped her. He was so

gentle, and yet so masculine at the same time that when he finally did enter her, there

was only the smallest pinch of pain to remind her she had never had sex before.

Just before she was drifting to sleep, she couldn’t help but whisper, “I love you,

Travis.”

And that’s when everything went wrong.

“Oh, Taylor, we shouldn’t have done this. You don’t know what love is. You’re too

young, too immature. I took advantage of you, and drinking is no excuse,” he said. He

untangled himself from her and sat on the edge of the bed, his head hung in shame.

“I wanted you, and you wanted me. There’s nothing wrong with that. I am so sick of

everyone always telling me how young I am, how I should be doing this or that,

anything but what I choose. Don’t ruin this, Travis.” She hated to plead with him, but

she couldn’t lose him just when she’d finally gotten him.

“You will hate me for this, Taylor,” he said as he stood, pulling farther from her.

She pleaded with him to just stay, but he dressed and then apologized again before

he walked from her hotel room, leaving her sobbing on the bed she’d just felt the

greatest pleasure in.

“I hate you, Travis,” she whispered, so broken and empty . . .

TAYLOR WOKE UP

with a shiver traveling down her spine and a tear falling down her cheek. No light was coming through the

cabin windows, but she knew she wouldn’t go back to sleep. That day six years ago had been her greatest

pleasure and her greatest pain, and now she was having to relive it over and over again because she was

with Travis in this secluded cabin.

Maybe she should just go back to her parents’ place, just admit defeat. Even the

thought of that filled her with rage. No. Travis had broken her heart once, and she

certainly wouldn’t trust the man, but he wouldn’t ever hear her beg again, and he

wouldn’t see her cry.

It was his turn to cry, and she wouldn’t mind being the person to make him do so.

“You lost fair and square, Taylor. Now pay up.”

Taylor stomped her foot as she looked at Travis sitting so smugly on the couch, his

hands behind his head, one foot across his knee, and a broad grin on his face.

“You know you would be considered a real tool if you make me go through with

this,” she said, hoping he would give her an out.

“You’d make me do it. Now pay up.” Of course he wasn’t giving her an out.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t,” he quickly responded, still not moving. “I have all night. The rain

is coming down in sheets and makes a perfect backdrop.”

“Fine!”

Walking with as much dignity as this moment would allow, Taylor turned her

iPhone on and pushed play on “Single Ladies,” then turned her back to Travis.

They’d been playing Scrabble, at which she normally excelled, but the letters just

weren’t being her friend that night. The loser had to perform a dance for the other.

She’d been so sure she was going to win, and then she was going to make him dance

to “It’s Raining Men.” It would have been such sweet victory.

Instead, she had to shake her booty to “Single Ladies.” The sad part was that she’d

learned the routine her freshman year of college, before she’d decided she wanted to

race full-time and not spend all day in the classroom.

Closing her eyes, she tried to pretend Travis wasn’t there while she did the dance

that made men drool. That was impossible, as the man was hooting and hollering as

her hips shook. When she finally finished the song and turned to face him, brushing

her fallen hair out of her face, she tried to look as defiant as possible. Not an easy task

when she’d just humiliated herself.

“Next time, you will be the one dancing,” she assured him.

“Ah, baby, I’ll dance for you right now,” he said, standing up and making her take a

step back.

“No. That’s perfectly all right,” she said, not trusting that look in his eyes one little

bit.

“Come on, Taylor. Let’s dance together,” he said, moving slowly toward her.

“No.” She took another step back, but then found herself pressed against the wall.

The cabin was way too small, and with the rain pouring down, it was becoming

increasingly smaller.

“You’ve run out of room to hide,” he said, only a couple feet away now. The door

was to her left, and Taylor made a rash decision. She darted through it and straight

into the downpour.

Yes, she would certainly find herself cooled off, but that was good, because her

body was on fire at the moment, and all it had taken was a smoldering look from

Travis.

Oh, how she wished her stubborn pride would allow her to leave the cabin and run

away. But at the same time, she didn’t want to leave. She wanted to gain control over

her emotions about Travis, about her career, and about her family. She needed to find

some sanity in her otherwise crazy life, and if she ran away from the cabin, she would

only be taking one more step backward.

“Perfect. I love to dance in the rain.”

Before Taylor could close her mouth, Travis was pulling her into his arms and

spinning her in a circle in the muddy front yard of the cabin. He’d not only followed

her out, but was now dancing with her, music lightly drifting through the open front

door of the cabin, barely audible over the sound of the pouring rain.

And what shocked her more than the fact that she was dancing in the rain with

Travis was that she found herself smiling as their feet splashed in the puddles, water

poured over them, and mud spit up at their legs.

Taylor had no idea how long Travis spun her in circles, but when she found herself

looking up, the light from the front porch barely illuminating his face, her smile fell

away. The man was always breathtaking, but with water cascading over him, and fire

burning in his eyes, he was beyond description.

“I want you,” he whispered, his head moving slowly toward her, giving her an out

if she wanted it.

Did she want it? Did she continue to fight whatever this was between them? They’d

made love once and he’d walked out on her, but she had been young, she told herself,

and then that thought infuriated her.

No. She wouldn’t make excuses for him, wouldn’t cast aside her feelings from that

night so easily. Pushing her hands out, she wasn’t surprised when Travis released her.

Travis would never force a woman to do something she didn’t want to do. Tease her,

yes. Torture her, double yes. But force her, never.

“Good night, Travis.”

Turning, she walked back toward the cabin, not even attempting to do it with

dignity. Her hair was plastered to her face, her legs covered in mud, and her body

now filled with the shakes. There was no dignity for her this night.

She moved straight to the bedroom and stripped her sodden clothes off, then

climbed into the shower. She wanted to stay there all night, but the cabin only had

one bathroom, and Travis was just as soaked as her, so when the chill left her body,

she wrapped herself in a robe and walked back out to the living room.

“All yours,” she muttered, then felt her eyes tear up when she saw the hot cup of

chocolate sitting at the table waiting for her.

He didn’t say a word, just moved past her to the bathroom, quietly shutting the

door behind him. That was Travis. He didn’t look for thank-yous, didn’t expect

gratitude. Yes, he could be pompous and pushy, and a pain in the ass, but then he

could be sweet and funny, kind and heroic.

She just didn’t know how to separate the two facets of his personality. She didn’t

know how to separate how she felt. Life would be so much easier if she could figure it

out.

“Pass the syrup, please.”

“There are a lot of things I can do with syrup,” Travis said.

Taylor’s head snapped up and she shot him a glare. “The comments are getting old,

Travis. Do you have an original bone in your body?”

“Let’s not talk about my original bone, sweetheart.”

Several days had gone by since their dance in the rain, and neither had spoken

again about it or the near kiss, but the last couple of days had certainly tested her

limits as to how much she could withstand. When she’d awakened that morning to

find the sun shining and no clouds to be seen, she’d practically done a dance in her

bed.

If Travis were rude, or cold, or anything other than flirtatious and helpful, she

would have been able to cast him aside so much more easily. But he was still the

same man she’d fallen in love with years earlier, and she wasn’t having an easy time

remembering why she didn’t want to fall into a relationship with him.

Not that he’d said he wanted a relationship. No. He was just making it more than

clear every single day that he wanted them to share the large bed in the only bedroom.

Taylor knew how good that would be, but she couldn’t make love with him again,

because then he’d forever own her heart.

But didn’t he already?

No! Of course not. Soon, one or the other would give up on this game and leave the

cabin. Hell, maybe both of them would. And when that happened, she would make

sure they wouldn’t run into each other again. Her nerves couldn’t handle it.

For now, though, they were locked into a routine. Eat breakfast, clean up the cabin,

maybe play some board games, have lunch, then maybe hike, or swim, or talk by the

fire. Thank goodness for cool summer nights, because Taylor really enjoyed a blazing

fire. There was something very comforting about the lights and shadows and the

sweet smell of the burning wood.

“We finally have sun. What sounds like fun today?” Travis asked without his usual

flirtatiousness—for now.

“Getting out of here,” she said, thinking that’s exactly what she needed.

“You know you’re free to leave anytime,” he told her. The same comment he’d

made to her each time she whined about how boring the cabin was.

“Wouldn’t you just love that?”

“Actually, no,” he replied, seemingly in all seriousness. “I find that even when

you’re in a grumpy mood, I enjoy being around you.”

“Travis . . .” She gave a long-suffering sigh.

“What? Do you want me to lie? I love being with you. I think the two of us began

something several years ago that needs to be finished. Just because it wasn’t right back

then, doesn’t mean it isn’t right now. You need to get that through your thick skull.

And that scares the hell out of you, doesn’t it?”

“No!” She wouldn’t admit how very scared that did make her. “I just think it’s

pointless for us to pursue anything together. We missed our chance.”

“There are no missed chances, Taylor. Only people too damn stubborn to see

what’s right in front of them.”

“There are many missed chances in life, Travis. You see, this is just one more area

where the two of us differ. I am a ‘glass is half empty’ kind of girl. You’re the guy

who believes the glass is always half full. We just don’t fit.”

“If we combine the contents of the two glasses, Taylor, we have a full cup.”

“Ugh. See what I mean, Travis. You’re always making comments like that, but do

you really believe them?”

“Yes. I actually do.”

She stared at him for several moments before blowing out another frustrated sigh.

“Our entire relationship has been built on a bed of sand, Travis. There’s nothing solid

about it.” He’d surely drop the conversation now, wouldn’t he? No, no such luck.

“Really? You’re forgetting an important fact.”

When he said nothing else, just stared at her, she grew even more annoyed.

“What?”

“Just so you know, sand makes up about ninety-five percent of concrete. Add water

and a bit of love and you have something that can never be washed away.”

Several heartbeats passed before the knot in her throat eased and she could speak

again. “Why do you have to say stuff like that? You know that what you just said is

full of crap. Sand never makes up more than a third of the dry volume in concrete,

and having less sand makes the concrete stronger. Hell, if you had concrete with

ninety-five percent sand, it would just crumble. And even the strongest concrete

degrades in time like anything else, especially under the powerful force of water. Are

you just a hustler? Is this all just a game to you?” Taylor was breathless after that long

rant.

He laughed ruefully. “I guess I was trying too hard. But no, Taylor, it’s not a game

at all. This is important to me. You’re more than just another woman. Your family is

my family, and I don’t let go of family.”

“If I mean so much to you, then why did you walk away from me?”

Why couldn’t she let this topic go? What would it help to know why he hadn’t

wanted her six years earlier? They had no chance at making a life together, so how

would dwelling on what might have been help?

He cast his eyes downward. “It wasn’t easy to walk away, but I felt guilty, and like

I was betraying my best friend. Our timing just wasn’t right.”

“And it’s not right now. Maybe I was ready then, but I’m no longer available.” How

that rejection had hurt!

“I think you’re more than ready, and when you feel brave enough to tell me, we’ll

make magic together.”

“What does that even mean, Travis? Is it let’s-string-together-bad-pickup-lines-and-

old-clichés day in Montana?”

Before he was able to reply, they heard a vehicle pull up outside. Taylor tensed,

wondering who in the world it could be. No one, no matter how lost, would end up

way out in the middle of nowhere.

“Wait here,” Travis said, standing up and moving toward the front door, grabbing

the sidearm he always kept handy. A shiver passed through Taylor as she eyed the

deadly weapon.

She was grateful he had it, especially out in the woods, but she’d never been

interested in guns. Sure, her brothers hunted, but she’d never been into killing

animals for sport. When Travis peeked out the window and then his shoulders

relaxed, Taylor released the breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding.

“It’s your parents,” he said before laughing. “And your brothers, and they don’t

look too pleased. I’m thinking they finally figured out the two of us are here together.”

Before he could say anything further, the door flew open. Hawk strode in, looking

as if he expected to find the two of them in a steamy embrace.

“Travis,” Hawk said in greeting, but it seemed to be more of a warning than a hello.

As much as her overbearing family drove her nuts sometimes, she loved them

dearly, and loved how protective they were of her. If only she could choose what they

were protective about, and what they left her alone to live her life for . . .

“Hawk!” she said as she stood up and rushed toward him. It had only been a week

since she’d seen him, but time seemed to stand still in this little cabin in the woods.

“Taylor.” He met her halfway and pulled her against him for a hug before drawing

back and assessing her. “How are you feeling? Have you had any problems? Are you

ready to come back home?” He was firing the questions off too fast for her to answer,

so she waited for him to finish.

“I’m feeling fine, Hawk, and no, I haven’t had problems, and I assure you that you

will know immediately when I’m ready to come back to town.” She emphasized the

last word, because when she did come back from the woods, she doubted she’d be

going back to her parents’ home. She was more than ready to have her own place

again if she was to be stuck in Montana for any length of time.

“Baby girl, I’ve been trying to give you your space, but your father and I figured

you’d be running low on supplies, so we wanted to surprise you,” Maggie said as she

hugged Taylor next before passing her to her father.

“You were thinking right. I just ate the last chocolate bar last night,” Taylor said.

That was a true emergency, after all.

“I was thinking more real food, but I did include chocolate,” Maggie said with a

laugh.

“So what in the hell are you doing shacking up with my baby sister?”

The room went silent and everyone froze as Taylor turned to find her brother—

Travis’s best friend—facing off with him.

“I’m not shacking up with your sister, Bryson—though I suppose you could say I’m

cabining up with her, if not in the way you mean. And it’s great to see you, too,”

Travis said, not even slightly ruffled.

“I thought you wanted peace and quiet,” Bryson growled.

“I did want that, and you promised it to me, but apparently your mother thought it

would be a good idea for Taylor to get some peace and quiet as well.”

“And what have the two of you been doing?” Bryson asked, hands on his hips. “The

cabin only has one room.”

Taylor saw that her brother was also carrying a gun. This could end badly.

“Are you accusing me of something, Bryson?” Travis asked in an almost deadly

calm that sent a shiver down Taylor’s spine. It was time to step in.

“This is none of your damn business, Bryson,” she said, and Bryson turned her

way. “If you have a problem or want to make accusations, then maybe you should fire

your questions at me.”

“I don’t need you to step in for me,” Travis said, still obviously unhappy with

Bryson’s attitude.

“We’ll talk later,” Taylor said, sending him a look that had shut up more than one

man during her years on the circuit.

“Yeah, we will.” Another shiver passed down her spine. This one wasn’t fear,

though.

Turning away from Travis before the two of them combusted, she faced Bryson

again. Finally, his hands dropped and he walked up to her. “I’m sorry, sis. I’m just

worried about you,” he said and gave her a hug.

“It’s okay to worry about me, but you don’t have to come in here acting like an ass

in the process.” But she easily accepted his apologetic hug and gave him a big squeeze

in return. “And though it’s none of your business, we’ve been taking turns with the

room. I was quite unhappy to find Travis here at first, and I wanted him to leave, but

he’s been . . . helpful, and not bad company.”

“What? You’re making her sleep on the couch?” Bryson said as he turned toward

Travis.

Before Travis could reply, she spoke. “That also is none of your business.”

She stared sternly at her brother for several long seconds while he seemed to be

gathering his wits. Finally, he gave her a sheepish grin before pulling her close to his

side.

“Okay. I’ll leave you alone, but just know that I can be here in less than an hour if

Travis gets out of line,” he told her, turning his head and sending Travis a look only

guys could read.

“Deal,” she said, sending her own little smirk Travis’s way.

And just like that, the tension was defused. They all made a couple of trips out to

her parents’ gigantic SUV and brought in all the new supplies her mother had bought.

“Are you thinking I’ll be out here for the next decade, Mom?” Taylor asked with a

laugh as she looked at the bags now covering the counter and kitchen floor.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d need,” Maggie said. Her mother had always been a

nurturer to anyone who needed help.

“I really appreciate it,” Taylor said. “I’ll appreciate it a lot more if you help me put

it away.” Otherwise it would take all night to get the supplies organized.

The family spent a pleasant afternoon visiting, and when the sun began to set,

Travis lit a small fire in the outdoor pit. Taylor curled her legs beneath her and

roasted a marshmallow to perfection before slapping it onto a graham cracker with

chocolate. An absolutely perfect s’more.

“So flipping good,” she said with a sigh, making her brothers laugh.

Travis, Hawk, and Bryson were on the other side of the fire, enjoying the fragrant

cigars Hawk had brought along, and her parents were sitting together on a large log

with notches for seats.

Soon the conversation quieted, and Taylor found her eyes drifting closed. She was

sound asleep when her parents and brothers packed themselves into the SUV and

promised Travis they’d return soon.

She woke up only partially, just enough to think it all a dream, when Travis lifted

her into his arms, carried her inside, and laid her on the bed. After removing her

shoes and sweatshirt, he covered her up and headed for the door.

Her last sigh was his name on her lips.

Travis jerked straight up on the ridiculously uncomfortable couch, instantly awake

and alert as he tried to focus his eyes in the dark room.

Only shadows danced on the walls from the dying embers in the fireplace, but it

was enough light for him to get his bearings and see that no silhouettes, either human

or animal, were moving around the cabin. What had woken him?

A groan of pain coming from the bedroom answered his unspoken question.

Instantly on his feet, grabbing the gun he kept beneath the couch, he moved swiftly to

Taylor’s room and pushed open the door, the bathroom light casting a soft glow over

her grimacing face as she held her knee to her chest and twisted around on the bed.

“Taylor, what is it?” he asked, instantly putting the gun down on the nightstand

and carefully sitting on the edge of the bed as he reached out a hand for her.

“It’s nothing,” she said shakily.

“I can’t help you if I don’t know what the problem is.”

“My leg,” she groaned. Her body tensed and sweat broke out on her head.

“What happened?” He reached for the leg she was holding, and tried to see whether

there was an open wound. He couldn’t find anything, but the light was dim.

“It’s an old injury,” she replied, tears now falling down her face as she writhed in

pain before him.

“What can I do?”

“Nothing. I get these muscle spasms in my thigh, and when they hit, they’re pure

hell, but I just have to suffer through it.” She twisted again, moaning, and this time,

her body fell against his. She was in too much pain to scoot away.

“What if I massage it?”

The thought of doing exactly that was making him break out in a sweat, but he

could hardly just leave her like this. Touching her leg would ensure that he wouldn’t

get back to sleep tonight, but he’d endure anything to ease her pain.

“The doctor said that would help, but I can’t do it . . .”

He unclasped her clenched fingers from her knee and ran his hands along her

thighs until he felt a huge knot.

“Damn, Taylor! This feels terrible,” he gasped.

“I’ve dealt with it for the past two years. I’ll deal with it tonight.”

But she didn’t even have the energy to swat away his hands. So, taking great care

not to hurt her if at all possible, he began kneading the flesh of her naked thigh.

What in the hell was she wearing? It seemed to be about the tiniest pair of panties

the stores could possibly sell. Dammit. That was the last thing he should be focusing

on, and he refused to think about the light skin of her stomach peeking at him above

those panties, where her T-shirt had ridden up.

After a few moments, he increased the pressure of his fingers and massaged her

inner thigh. Another moan escaped her lips, but this one was a mixture of pain and

relief. He was pretty sure he was helping her, because she wasn’t twisting as

violently.

He moved his hands downward, and she protested. “No. Please. Where you were!”

Going back to the place he’d been kneading, a place far too close to her barely

concealed core, he continued massaging, finally feeling the hard knot begin to relax

under his sure fingers.

Travis didn’t know how long he ministered to her, but pretty soon she was lying

there still, her cries and moans silenced and the muscle in her thigh back to normal.

He continued rubbing, unsure whether it would tense again if he stopped.

She was no longer sweating, but he could feel the temperature in the room rising

the longer he sat on the bed, the longer he touched her smooth skin. This was more

torture than he could ever remember feeling.

“Thank you, Travis. I . . . It usually lasts a long time,” Taylor whispered, and he

figured that was his cue to stop.

But for some reason, his fingers wouldn’t lift from her skin. Moving them

downward, he rubbed along her lower thigh, then down her calf, and he finally

captured a foot, pushing his thumbs against her tender arch, eliciting another moan of

pleasure from her beautiful mouth.

“I don’t hurt there,” she said, but there was no protest in her voice.

Travis said nothing as he moved to the other foot and took a few minutes to rub

along the arch before working his way up her calf and finally reaching her other thigh,

making her breath hitch and her body begin to move again on the bed—though this

time there was no pain involved. No pain for her, at least.

His hands now gave their attention to the curve of her waist and then the sides of

her breasts as he leaned over her. He was so unbelievably hot right then that he didn’t

know whether he had enough control to stop touching her.

“Open your eyes, Taylor.”

Slowly, sweetly, achingly, her eyes opened, and the desire he saw reflected in their

deep blue depths had him catching his breath.

“I’m going to kiss you now.” That was all the warning he gave before he bent

forward and took her lips, his tongue tracing the edges before sliding inside and

possessing her the way he’d been longing to from the moment he’d seen her drive

away on that dark Montana road.

Careful not to push against her still-sore body, he lay next to her and pressed her

against him with one hand so he could feel her perfect curves. Deepening the kiss, he

swallowed the moan she released into his mouth before his other hand moved up

along her side and slid around to cup one breast.

The feel of her pebbled nipple against his palm had his arousal pulsing. He pressed

his hips against hers, the need to take her so consuming that he could think of

absolutely nothing else. And why not? Would it really be so bad to satisfy them both?

When her hands came up and sifted through his hair, he nearly lost the battle

raging within him. He knew he had to back off, to do the honorable thing. She’d been

in pain, and he’d come in to help her. It wasn’t an excuse to satisfy himself, even if

she needed it just as much as he did.

“Tell me you want to make love, Taylor.” If she told him she wanted him, then all

bets were off. He’d have permission. He wouldn’t just be taking from her. Leaning

back only slightly, he cupped her breast, his fingers gliding across her nipple, making

her body shudder.

He nibbled on her bottom lip as he waited to hear the words he desperately

wanted. And he got . . . nothing. No words at all. He leaned back, his body screaming

at him to continue what he’d been doing.

Her eyes were closed, her breathing heavy, her hips still pressed tightly against his.

There was no doubt that she could feel exactly what she was doing to him. The

question was whether she cared to do anything about it.

“Taylor.” He waited for her eyes to open, and it seemed to take forever, but finally,

those beautiful eyes focused on his, and after a few more heartbeats, they began to

clear, and now it was Travis who was in pain, because he knew the answer before she

spoke.

“This isn’t a good idea, Travis.”

“Why?” he demanded. If she wanted to stop, then he at least deserved to know

why.

“I’m not ready for this,” she said, her voice almost broken.

At the distress in her eyes, Travis lost all the fight that he’d been about to give. He

ran his hand along the side of her face, cupping her beautiful skin as he looked into

her eyes.

“Then I’ll wait until you are.”

Her eyes widened, but he decided it was a good time to leave—now, before he

couldn’t. Leaning down, he caressed her lips with his before letting her go, and he

slipped from the room, closing the door behind him.

He tried to ignore the fact that his legs felt like jelly, and that this night wasn’t

going to be much fun, to put it mildly. It was only 3 a.m., but he was officially up for

the day, in more than one sense of the word. Throwing on his jogging pants—

thankfully, no one could see the tent he’d made in them—he grabbed a flashlight and

his gun and stepped outside.

He planned to run until exhaustion was the only thing on his mind. But after two

hours of punishing his body almost to the point of no return, he knew nothing was

going to get Taylor from his mind.

Taylor looked around anxiously as she came out of the bedroom. Whew! No Travis.

She’d behaved badly the night before. They’d both wanted to make love, but she’d

been so afraid. That was her only excuse. He wasn’t the man she’d been imagining

him to be for the last few years.

If he were a monster, this would be so much easier. But he was kind and giving,

and he made her laugh more than anyone else ever had. So why was she so reluctant

to fall back into bed with him? The answer was profoundly painful to admit to

herself. It was because she was in love with him, and if for some reason this didn’t

work out, she feared she’d never trust her heart again.

Was that a good enough excuse to keep her distance? Right now, she really didn’t

have all the answers. Maybe she could do something kind for him. He’d been cooking

most of the meals since they’d both ended up at the cabin—she mostly handled

sandwiches—and though she wasn’t the greatest of cooks, she could surprise him

with breakfast.

He was most likely out running, or gathering more firewood, more things she

hadn’t been doing. Taylor realized that if she’d been up at this cabin all by herself,

she never would have lasted. It was time to fight this inner battle and get back to the

woman she normally was.

Yes. Breakfast it was. It wouldn’t be nearly as good as what Travis made, but that

was okay. It was the thought that counted, right? Right! Pulling out one of the cooking

magazines her mother had conveniently left, she flipped to a page showing breakfast

biscuits and an egg dish she needed to bake.

Okay, she could do this!

She pulled out eggs, bacon, onions, and the ingredients for the biscuits. Her mother

made the most mouthwatering ones, so she’d do her best. If she wasn’t careful with

her cooking, instead of offering him an olive branch, she’d end up having to rush him

into the ER to have his stomach pumped.

Taylor found herself humming as she combined the eggs with milk and seasonings

in a bowl, and then poured the mixture into a pan and slipped it into the oven. Laying

out the bacon in a pan, she enjoyed the sound of sizzling as she mixed the batter for

the drop biscuits just like the magazine was telling her. Sure, the batter looked a bit

lumpy, but she laid out the biscuits on the pan and put it into the oven, too, before

flipping the bacon.

When she was finished with the meal, the egg mixture looked a little rubbery, the

biscuits a bit too brown, and the bacon overly crisp, but she was more than proud of

herself. Now, all she had to do was wait for Travis.

When the door opened a few minutes later and his eyes zeroed in on her, she gave

him a hopeful smile, praying he wasn’t going to be angry with her. Yes, she had the

right to refuse his advances, but they were in this small cabin together, and the last

thing she wanted was to keep arguing with him.

“What’s that smell, Taylor?”

She couldn’t tell from his tone whether he considered the smell good or bad.

“I made breakfast,” she said, shifting on her feet.

He absolutely gaped at her, and it took him a moment to speak. “It smells great.”

Taylor could feel her face heat with pleasure. “Come sit down. It’s all ready.”

She brought the dishes to the table and waited for him to join her. She already

knew he liked ketchup on his eggs—weird!—but she had the bottle next to his plate.

He waited to sit until she was seated, a bit of sexist etiquette that she hated to admit

pleased her, but it did. When he dished up a huge serving of each item, she found

herself bursting with pride.

It was silly, honestly. She hadn’t done anything spectacular, but her last boyfriend

had begged her not to cook, saying she was much better at ordering takeout. Even

though she didn’t enjoy cooking, he’d still hurt her feelings for some odd reason.

“This is great, Taylor,” Travis said after clearing half his plate.

“I know it’s not cooked correctly . . .” she said as she pushed her food around on

her plate. Sheesh. He’d been creating masterpieces during his time in the kitchen and

her food tasted awful.

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” he said, and took up his fork again.

He smothered a biscuit with butter and her mother’s homemade jam, and ate it in a

couple of bites. Maybe she’d made them too small and that’s why they were so hard.

When his tongue came out and swept up the leftover jam on his lip, Taylor felt her

stomach clench with need.

Their eyes met, and Taylor lost any semblance of an appetite—for food anyway.

Keeping her distance from him seemed well-nigh impossible. After the night before,

after his hands had roamed over most of her body, after his lips had owned hers, she

couldn’t seem to keep sex off her brain.

“Taylor, if you keep looking at me like that, I’m not going to be able to play the

gentleman,” he told her, his voice a sexy growl.

“I don’t know if I want you to.” Taylor was just as shocked as Travis by the words

that came from her mouth.

“Last night . . .” He shook his head as if to clear it.

“I’m scared, Travis.” He would never know how much it cost her to admit that to

him.

“We all get scared. That’s not a good enough reason to fight something as powerful

as what the two of us share.”

His eyes bored into hers, and the rest of their breakfast was completely forgotten.

She almost wished he would just stand up, walk around the table, and take the choice

away from her. She didn’t want to think any longer. She just wanted to feel something

other than sadness, fear, and anxiety, something other than pain.

She had no doubt that being in Travis’s arms would take her to the highest reaches

of joy. But then, when she came back down to earth, wouldn’t the crash be so much

worse?

“I . . . I . . . don’t know, Travis.” She was struggling to work through her confusion.

“I’m not going to push you, Taylor. I’m going to be your friend. I’m going to listen

to you, and I’m going to wait, because you’re worth waiting for.”

“Who says stuff like that?” she gasped. “It has to be a line, just like the sand and

the cement.”

“Even then it wasn’t a line. Even when I make mistakes, what I say is one hundred

percent real. When I look at you, I picture forever. You’re not just some weekend girl,

or someone to hide away. I want you on my arm, Taylor. I have for a long time, but

now I’m not letting guilt stop me.”

He didn’t allow her to look away. The control in his eyes, the confidence, the

sureness, made it impossible for her to turn from him. Her mind whirled, and her

heart beat erratically. Could it really be that simple?

“How do you know that? How can you be so sure?”

“I know what I want, and what I want is you.”

“But what if . . .” She didn’t know how to complete that sentence.

“There are always what-ifs, Taylor. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have faith in

ourselves, in our abilities to know what we really want and then go after it.”

She remained torn. Her heart insisted that she accept what he was offering, but her

mind told her that it could never work.

“What if all of this goes badly? It isn’t as if either of us can just walk away and

never see each other again. You are my brother’s best friend. You’ll be there on

holidays, at the house at the most unexpected times. We would never be able to walk

away from each other, always have this thrown in our faces.” She didn’t add that he

would be a constant reminder of what could have been, and she’d suffer for the rest of

her life because of it.

“I can’t promise nothing bad will ever happen. But to not even try is ridiculous.”

He couldn’t counter her argument.

“I don’t think I can do this, Travis.” She wasn’t trying to hurt him. She was being

more honest with him than she’d ever been before.

“You will allow yourself to let go, Taylor,” he said with a sure smile. “I know it.

And I’ll be right here when that moment happens.”

She had a feeling he was right. Why keep fighting? She was so tempted to stand up

and walk around the table, to fall into his arms. She couldn’t fathom what held her

back now, but she had no doubt at all that the two of them weren’t finished yet.

She simply had no idea what the next chapter of their story would be. As if

knowing the struggle she was going through, Travis stood and walked around the

small table, then kneeled in front of her.

“I’m letting you off the hook for this moment, not because I’m weak, and not

because I don’t want you, but because I will not allow you to use our lovemaking as

an excuse to run from me. When we come together, you won’t have a single regret,”

he said, rubbing a finger along her cheek.

“How can you be so casual, so accepting, when I’m acting crazy? Most guys would

run like hell.”

“I’m not like most guys. I’m one of a kind.” Winking at her, he stood and pulled her

up, drawing her into his arms.

Taylor didn’t try to resist. She leaned against him and accepted the comfort he was

so willing to give. Yes, she was in love with this man. But she couldn’t answer one

crucial question right now: Was love enough?

The sound of the fire crackling was their music as Taylor and Travis sat together on

the couch, her head resting against his shoulder while he caressed her back, at once

comforting her and also filling her with need.

Their day had been another good one. They’d walked to the pond, swum, talked,

laughed, and, to her mind at least, grown closer together. Still, she hadn’t really

opened up to him.

“Come on, Taylor. I’ve shared war stories with you. Don’t you think you can share

some of your racing career with me?” he said, his hand almost mesmerizing as it

caressed her skin.

“You’ll judge me,” she said. Everyone did when they knew the full truth.

“I swear to simply sit and listen. No judgment of any kind,” he said, even holding

his hand up in the scout’s honor pledge.

“Fine, but . . .”

“I said I swear.” He seemed irritated that she was making him repeat himself. Well,

she would get irritated if he didn’t keep his word.

“I’ve been in several accidents over the years, Travis, most of them without my

parents knowing,” she told him. “They know my occupation is dangerous. They know

the risks, but they also know they can’t keep me from it, so they don’t harp as much

as they used to. If my mother really knew all the stuff that can¸ and sometimes does,

go wrong, she’d tie me up in the basement and never let me race again.” She ended

with a laugh.

“What accidents?”

Though he was trying to seem nonchalant, she could hear the strain in his voice.

This was why she didn’t talk about it. She didn’t want her family making her feel

guilty for doing what she loved.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve had a head injury,” she said reluctantly, though she

wanted to kick herself for saying it when she felt his shoulder tense beneath her head.

“Taylor . . .” There was a note of warning in his tone.

“You said you would just listen, Travis. You promised not to make rash judgments

or try to make me feel guilty.”

“Yeah. I did make that promise, but when you’re putting your life in danger . . .”

“And isn’t that what you did every single day you were fighting a war thousands of

miles away from home? It’s so easy for you to judge me, and for my parents, and for

my brothers, but you and my brothers lead lives that are just as dangerous, and no one

is trying to get you to stop.”

This was the same argument she’d had with her mother a million times, and she

just had no patience left when it came to this topic.

“The difference is that I was serving my country, that I wasn’t told that if I fall one

more time, I very well could die.”

“You might not have been told that, Travis, but every single time you stepped out

onto a battlefield—or anywhere, really—you could have ended your life, and you

almost did with that IED. To me, that’s no different than my getting back on a bike.

You tell me what’s more dangerous, because a hell of a lot more soldiers come home

in caskets than dirt-bike racers.”

Taylor knew she was letting her temper get the better of her, but once she got on a

roll, there was no stopping her.

“The difference is that I was fighting for something I believed in. I was helping

others. What you’re doing is for yourself. I get that. But when it comes to a point that

you can have a small accident and die, that’s when you have to let it go.”

“You’re wrong, Travis,” she said, trying to pull away from him, but his arm

tightened around her.

“It’s easy to say I’m wrong, but you have to listen to your doctors. If they advise

against racing, then that’s what you have to do.”

“I still have another appointment that will either clear me or not. And it will clear

me. Besides, they don’t know me. They don’t know what I’m capable of!”

“Bullshit, Taylor.” His voice was still calm, but his words pierced her anyway.

“You’re only being this way because I’m a girl, right? Because women need to be

told what to do,” she practically snarled.

“You can go on and on about its being because you’re a woman, but if it was a male

friend of mine who had the same diagnosis, I’d advise him to quit as well.”

“See, Travis! Right there,” she practically shouted. “You would advise him to quit,

not demand it.”

“I’m not demanding it of you, Taylor. No one can demand anything. You’re an

adult, and not only that, you’re intelligent, and brave, and wonderful. You can make

your own choices. As a friend, and hopefully soon as your lover, I’m saying that I care

about you, that I want to see you live a long life, and that if the doctors were telling

me that I shouldn’t race anymore, I would sure as hell listen. Of course, I didn’t have

any choice after I was injured.”

“But if you had a choice, you would go back, wouldn’t you? Even if it could cost

you your life? Don’t lie to me!”

“Of course I would go back. I was serving my country,” he said, his own cool

slightly unraveling.

“And just because you think that’s more important doesn’t mean that I do. I don’t

want to belittle the military. I have great respect for our men and women in uniform.

I’m just saying that I’m as passionate about the racing world as you are about the

military.”

He was silent for a few moments and she allowed the silence. They were navigating

in some rough waters right now, and the next words could end them before they’d

even had a chance to see where they were going. Wasn’t this why she was leery,

though? Then why was her heart aching so badly? Was not making love to him even

helping?

“Are you passionate about racing, or passionate about the world of racing?”

Taylor was confused by his words, didn’t understand what he was saying to her

now. “I don’t know what else to do if I don’t race,” she said, her vulnerability coming

through loud and clear, making her cringe.

“Just think about it, Taylor. Think about what is important to you, and how you can

have your needs met. I had to do that when I couldn’t be a soldier anymore. That’s the

path you have to find. And you will. It just takes time.”

“What are you going to do with your life?” she asked, needing to change the

subject.

She held her breath and waited to see if he would allow the change in topic. When

he spoke, she let it out. “I was talking to Bryson before coming out here, and the more

I think about it, the more excited I become. I think I’m opening up an investigation

agency.”

“Like chasing after cheating exes?”

“No, though that could be fun,” he said with a laugh. “I would take government

contracts and investigate possible threats on U.S. grounds. I have contacts and

business partners who are more than willing to go in on this with me.”

“Wow. Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Yes, it is, as a matter of fact.”

And she was instantly angry again. “Ugh. It’s okay for you and Bryson to fight

terrorists, but not okay for me to ride a bike.”

“You know, Taylor, you can still ride. The doctor is just saying you shouldn’t

compete.”

“What fun would it be if there’s no competition?”

“Oh, darling, I will have to show you how fun it could be,” he said, and his

changing tone made her stomach tighten with need again.

It seemed they couldn’t get through a single conversation without the sexual

tension going all supernova on them. But instead of offering him her lips, she

continued resting her head against his shoulder as he went on explaining what he

would need to do in order to open his company. Though truly fascinated, Taylor

found herself growing tired.

Soon, she fell asleep against him, her last thought that she was right where she

belonged—safe in his arms.

Taylor checked for the tenth time to make sure there was no one around. Yes, they’d

been at the cabin nearing a month, and no, she hadn’t seen anyone, but still, she was

nervous as she glanced out at the trees and tried to work up the courage to do what

she really wanted to do.

Travis had been away all morning, running errands in town. She should have just

gone with him, but she’d woken up with a headache and figured she’d lie down and

relax. She could go to town in a couple of days. She was beginning to miss people.

Not that she thought about anyone else when she was with Travis. He was just that

sort of guy, the kind who made her forget there was a whole world out there waiting

for her. When Travis was around, time seemed to stand still. If the two of them could

just remain in their small piece of paradise forever, she wouldn’t feel the desire to

race again.

No. Get real. She was a racer. That was her destiny, what she was meant to do.

Racing dwelled in her soul. She wouldn’t become a woman who wrapped herself so

much around a man that when he disappeared from her life she no longer had a

purpose. She’d watched too many of her acquaintances fall into that trap. When the

relationship shattered, they were shattered, too.

Taylor looked around again—still no sign of anyone. She finally began peeling off

her clothes. She’d wanted to go skinny-dipping since her second day at the cabin,

when Travis had stripped down and dived in.

It was something she’d never tried before, and since she was on a new adventure,

she was going to be brave and just do it, be the woman she’d been before the wreck.

Her fingers shook as she took off her shorts and top, and stood there in only her bra

and panties.

Then, taking a breath of courage, she unclasped her bra, letting it drop to the

ground, and before she could lose her nerve, she slid her tiny panties down her legs

and stood completely naked on the diving rock.

The sun shining down on her bare skin felt glorious, and she wanted to revel in it

for a while, but she was still too afraid that eyes in the forest might be watching her,

so she bent her knees and dived smoothly into the cold, breath-stealing water.

After swimming around the large pond several times, she adjusted to the

temperature, then floated on her back and again worshipped the sun. She couldn’t

help but smile.

Why hadn’t she ever done this before? She was a risk taker, or at least that’s what

she’d been a few months ago. If everyone knew the fears that had been running

through her now, they wouldn’t believe it was her. Slowly but surely, however, she

was getting to be herself again. She hadn’t jumped once at a strange noise in the last

two weeks. That was progress!

“Well, well, well. This is a nice surprise.”

The sound of Travis’s voice—he was almost yelling—made Taylor lose

concentration, and she quickly sank beneath the surface of the water, then popped

back up, sputtering as she coughed out the water she’d just inhaled.

“What are you doing here, Travis?” She was praying that the water covered her.

Her embarrassment grew by leaps and bounds when she saw that he was holding

her panties, dangling the blue silk from his fingertip, and that his mouth was shaped

into a huge grin.

“I got back and wanted to find you, Taylor.”

His eyes were focused on the water in front of her, as if he could see her nakedness.

Not possible, she told herself.

“Well, you found me. Go ahead and go back to the cabin. I’ll be there shortly.” She

was trying to stay afloat while looking at him. Not an easy task.

“I think I’ll join you instead.” He let her panties drop back onto the rock and began

pulling his tight T-shirt above his head, giving her an excellent view of his beautifully

sculpted chest.

“No. Really. You should head back,” she gasped when he unbuttoned his jeans and

stuck his thumbs into the waistband.

The look he sent her before pushing those pants down had her heart leaping for joy.

She tried to tamp down the excitement, but when the denim descended below his

hips and his glorious erection sprang forward, she knew she was done for.

He was already hard, excited . . . ready, and just from knowing she was naked. Why

should she even begin to fight this anymore? Her body knew what it wanted, and her

heart did, too.

Travis didn’t say anything as he dived into the water, then glided easily toward

her. She made no attempt to flee. Hell, her arms wouldn’t have cooperated right now

even if she’d wanted them to.

So when he reached her, his eyes boring into hers as his body brushed against her

now heated skin, there was only one thing to do.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Travis didn’t need any more confirmation than that. Hauling her against him, he

locked his lips to hers as the two of them sank below the surface of the water in a

passionate embrace.

When they both came back up, gasping for air, Taylor didn’t know what she wanted

to do more, hold on tight or swim to the nearest shore.

Thankfully, Travis knew exactly what he wanted. Wrapping an arm around her, he

led them to a ledge where he could stand about waist deep in the water. Lifting her,

he sat her on a rock, positioning her perfectly for their faces to line up.

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” he whispered before connecting their mouths again,

his tongue learning the contours of her mouth, discovering new secrets.

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything except feel the

sensations rushing through her body as his hands rubbed down her back and he

pressed her breasts against his muscled chest, the sprinkling of hair stimulating her

already hardened nipples.

“I want you, Travis,” she gasped when his mouth began trailing kisses down her

neck and he tasted the tender skin where her pulse was hammering.

“Ah, baby, I can’t even describe how badly I need you.” He moved his mouth to the

tops of her breasts, and then licked her nipples, making her arch against him.

When he sucked her peaks into his mouth, she cried out, her body pulsing with the

need to be filled. As if reading her mind, he pressed closer to her, bringing her hips

forward so she could feel his arousal against her hot core.

“Please, Travis, now,” she begged.

“Soon.” He kneeled down, now only his shoulders and head sticking above the

rolling water. He lifted her bottom, then held her hips up and hooked her legs onto

his shoulders. Her back resting on the rock, Taylor braced her hands on the rocks

beneath her, the water lapping. She shuddered with pleasure when Travis’s mouth

began to work magic on her core, his tongue stroking her aching flesh and leading her

body closer and closer to an explosion.

Her head thrashed from side to side above the water as he sucked her swollen bud

into his mouth and sent her spiraling out of control.

His tongue swept along the pulsing flesh as her body continued to vibrate with the

power of her release, and her cries echoed off the trees surrounding them. When the

last of her tremors stopped, Travis moved back, released her legs, and sat her back on

the rock, his arousal now resting against her heat.

“You look radiant,” he said, his eyes filled with awe.

She could barely breathe because of the emotions rushing through her. This man

was everything she could ever hope for and so much more. It was too late to turn back

from this particular adventure—he owned her heart and soul.

“I want you, Travis. I’m all yours,” she murmured, and his lips caressed hers.

Then, slowly, inch by beautiful inch, he slid inside her until they were flush, her

body full, her heart even more so.

“Ohh, Taylor . . .” he sighed, his face expressing pure passion.

And then he began moving in and out, and neither of them could speak. The

pleasure built again, even higher this time, and when he released inside her, she let

go and gave herself to him again.

When they caught their breath, Travis cradled her to his chest, carried her to the

soft moss, and began making love to her all over again. They didn’t head back to the

cabin until the sun began sinking in the sky.

For the next several days, the cabin might as well have had a constant Do Not

Disturb sign on its front door.

Taylor was a nervous wreck on the ride into town. She twisted her fingers in her lap

and stared at the road, thankful Travis was the one doing the driving. Today she’d

find out if she was cleared to go back to the racing circuit.

Yes, she’d been in a fantasy world with Travis for the last month, but that didn’t

mean the real world couldn’t come crashing back around them. It just meant that

she’d had a long time-out. What would she do if the doctor told her that her career

was finished?

Sure, she and Travis had spoken about this, talked about other options, but in

reality she was too set in her ways to consider anything else, even if some of the ideas

actually appealed to her.

She loved the chaos of the racing circuit, the hours she trained on various tracks.

She loved the freedom of riding every day. It had been four months since she’d been

on a bike, and sometimes she felt like she was going insane.

“You’ll be okay, Taylor.”

She jumped at the sound of Travis’s voice. Then she turned her head in time to see

him glancing her way before he returned his attention to the road. He reached out a

hand and took one of hers, preventing her from wringing her fingers anymore.

“I know,” she said, but her voice belied her words. She didn’t actually know

anything.

The one-hour drive seemed to take ten, but finally they were in the small town of

Sterling, the town she’d grown up in, the town she’d been determined to leave from

the time she hit her teenage years.

It was a ranching community, with little to do for teenagers except for cow tipping

or maybe having a tractor pull. There weren’t any malls there, or even a single movie

theater. People either loved the town or hated it. Sure, she had some good memories

from living in Sterling, but she’d also made good memories elsewhere.

What if she were destined to return here, destined to be nothing but a farmer? No.

That was a terrible thought. Her parents had a beautiful ranch that had brought them

great money and provided her with a good life. There was nothing wrong with the

career they’d chosen.

But it just wasn’t for her. That didn’t make her an awful person, or at least she

hoped it didn’t. Right now she wasn’t sure of anything.

When Travis came around the truck and opened her door, she was on the verge of

tears. How frustrating—she’d sat there long enough for him to open her door. She

couldn’t even open her own dang door. That showed how upset she was. It showed

even more when she allowed him to help her down from the truck and when she let

him pull her into his arms.

“No matter what the doc says, you’ll be fine, Taylor. You’re a fighter, and stronger

than any woman I’ve ever known. This is only a temporary delay in your life. There’s

nothing that can beat you.”

“How do you always know exactly the right words to say?” she asked with a

sniffle. Strong? Not at the moment.

“You make me a man I’ve never been before.”

Taylor gripped his hand and walked by his side into the small doctor’s office. She’d

been seeing the same doctor since she was born, except when she’d been on the road.

He was a good man, and he wouldn’t take her career away lightly, she assured herself.

She just had to show a strong front—that was all. Pushing her shoulders back, she

approached the receptionist and gave her brightest smile. “Good morning, Dora. I’m

here for my appointment.”

“Hello, Taylor,” Dora said. “Doc Holo is waiting in the back for you.”

Another beautiful thing about living in a small community was the far shorter wait

time to see a doctor. Rare emergencies were the only reason that he’d be running late.

Since Dr. Alfred Holo spent a couple of days a week at his home office, he was

pretty much on call twenty-four-seven. He’d soon be retiring, and the town would

mourn its loss. No one could easily replace the man. Heck, he’d delivered most of the

people Taylor had grown up with.

Dora took her to the examination room, and it wasn’t until she found herself

standing there with the door shut that she realized she was still clutching Travis’s

hand.

“You don’t have to stay with me. I’m sorry for dragging you in here. You probably

want to do some shopping or something.”

“I want to stay with you, Taylor, if you don’t mind?”

“Okay.” She didn’t exactly ask him to stay, but she wasn’t letting him go, either—

the pressure she was putting on his fingers remained strong.

“Taylor, can you change into a gown?”

She looked to see Dora holding one of the ugly hospital gowns that opened in the

front. She’d rather not, but if it got her answers sooner, she’d do what she had to.

“I’ll wait until you’re changed,” Travis said as he leaned down and gave her a brief

kiss, then exited the room with Dora. After changing, she climbed up onto the table,

then waited for Travis and the doctor to come in.

A few minutes later, there was a knock followed by the door opening. “Taylor,

hello, dear. You are looking so much healthier. It seems you’ve been getting some

sun,” Doc said.

Taylor felt her cheeks flush. Yeah, she’d been getting sun, and she had no tan lines.

Hopefully a full-body exam wasn’t planned, or she’d be mortified.

“Thanks, Doc. I feel like my old self again,” she said, infusing her voice with

enthusiasm.

“Wonderful, wonderful.” He continued looking at her chart for a few moments.

Then he had her lie back on the table and he examined her ribs. “You’ve healed quite

nicely, darling. Is there any tenderness when I push here?”

“No. It hasn’t hurt for a while,” she said, relieved.

“From the last MRI, it appears your head injury is as healed as it can get,” he

began, and hope surged in Taylor’s heart until he spoke again. “I’m going to be blunt,

Taylor. I don’t think you should race anymore. Sure, on the surface, your injuries are

healing nicely, but the reality is that you had a very close call this last time. I’ve been

reviewing all your medical files, and your body has been put through more than

anyone your age—or any age—ever should be. If you don’t quit, you’re going to have a

fatal injury soon, because you’re already weakened. Even minor concussions are no

joke, and yours wasn’t minor.”

He paused, and Taylor looked at him with fear. If he didn’t sign her release, she

couldn’t enter the circuit again. Sure, she could go from doctor to doctor, but none of

them would sign the release without reviewing the files. It could take months, or even

years, and the longer she was away, the less chance she’d ever return.

“I’m telling you this as a friend and a doctor, Taylor. I really think you should stop,

but as your doctor, I have to also accept that your current injuries have healed. I will

sign your release to return to the racing circuit in thirty more days, but I would take

the next month to really think about if this is worth it any longer.”

“Thank you!” Taylor shouted. She jumped up from the table and threw her arms

around the doctor. She heard nothing after he told her he was signing the release. She

wasn’t trapped anymore. She could return to what she loved.

“Taylor, let me say this again—I’m not signing it for thirty days. You have to

promise me you’ll seriously consider other options during that time,” he said sternly.

Taylor didn’t make a promise she didn’t intend to keep, so a little of her joy

evaporated, but only a small bit. “I promise to look at other options,” she said, and

she would. That didn’t mean she would seriously pursue any of them.

“That’s all I can ask for, then,” he said as he finally returned her hug and then left

the room. Travis followed him without saying a word.

Taylor changed quickly and met Travis in the waiting room. She was so elated by

the news that she was practically bouncing as they made their way through town,

picking up more supplies and then stopping for lunch.

She didn’t notice Travis’s black mood.

Travis pulled up to the bike shop and went inside. His mood hadn’t improved in the

last few days, because Taylor was already talking about the races she could enter.

She hoped they’d be able to see each other—she couldn’t imagine going for months

at a time without seeing him—but she was so bubbly, so elated at the prospect of

getting out there and risking her life, that Travis didn’t know what to say.

He didn’t want to interfere with her dreams, with the goals she’d set for herself,

but the doctor had told her to consider other options. He’d told her, dammit, that it

wasn’t a good idea to race. She’d promised to do what he suggested, but she hadn’t.

Her only thoughts were on racing.

So here was Travis in Billings, about to buy his first dirt bike. Yes, he’d ridden off-

road vehicles before, but he’d traveled so much that he’d never had the desire to own

one. Now, however, he wanted to show Taylor that she could still ride, still find

pleasure in riding, without risking her life.

It didn’t take him long to pick out the bike he wanted, and soon he was driving

back toward Sterling and beyond, back to their little cabin in the woods, to their

paradise. He’d found what he wanted in Taylor, and he wasn’t going to let her go

without a fight.

No, she wasn’t ready for him to drop to one knee and propose to her, but he was.

He’d let this girl go once. He’d told himself it was because of his sense of honor, but

really, it was more because the two of them just hadn’t been mature enough to build a

real relationship, one that would last.

Now they were, and Travis knew what he wanted. He knew that Taylor wanted the

same thing. But she was so set on one path in life she wasn’t opening her eyes wide

enough to see there were other ways, ways that led to better places.

He parked the truck next to the cabin and took the bike out, rolling it in front of the

steps and attaching the large red bow he’d grabbed on impulse. He felt a little silly

about the whole gesture, but then again, go big or go home, as his lieutenant had

always told him and the other men.

So he was going as big as he possibly could. His heart thudding, Travis walked to

the door and opened it slowly. He’d gotten up at the crack of dawn and he hoped she

was still in bed. The bike could wait.

They’d been making love daily and nightly and still he couldn’t get enough of this

woman. Yes, he loved spending time with her away from the bedroom, on the ground

in the forest, or the kitchen table, for that matter—he wasn’t a complete sex fiend,

though damn near close to it. But he also couldn’t image that a time would come

when he didn’t desire her, when he didn’t get excited at the thought of hauling her

into his arms.

“Travis, where’d you go?”

She was sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee and nibbling on a bagel.

“I had an errand to run.” He came up to her, then bent down and took her lips in an

almost desperate kiss.

“Well,” she said breathlessly as a smile brightened her already radiant face. “If

that’s the greeting I’ll get whenever you return, you can leave more often.”

“I don’t have to leave to find an excuse to kiss you, Taylor.” He pulled her up from

her chair and kissed her again, showing her how hungry he was for her, how hungry

he always was for her.

When they both came up for air, her cheeks were bright pink, and he was ready to

carry her into the bedroom, but he was aiming for long-term gain, so he somehow

managed to let her go and walked over to the coffeepot.

“I can’t believe I fought against making love with you. I feel insatiable,” she said as

she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

She was wearing him down. “I have a surprise for you,” he told her as he turned

and placed his hands on her hips.

“Ooh, I like surprises,” she said, immediately backing up and looking around the

room.

“It’s outside,” he told her, thinking maybe he should have waited to show her the

bike. The sway of her rounded behind had him regretting that he hadn’t just pounced

and had his wicked way with her.

She made a beeline for the front door and swung it open, then stopped in her tracks

as her hands came up and covered her mouth. With her eyes wide, she slowly turned

around and stared at him in shock.

“You bought me a bike?” There was wonder in her tone.

He set down his full cup of coffee and approached her. “I wanted to show you how

fun recreational riding can be.”

“I don’t understand, Travis.” She turned back around, walked onto the porch and

immediately down the stairs, and began running her hands over the smooth chrome.

“The doctor wanted you to consider other choices for your life. You’ve been so

excited to race again you haven’t kept your promise to him. I got the bike to take you

out for a fun day through the trails in these woods, to show you that you can find just

as much pleasure in recreational riding as in competitive.”

He wouldn’t lie to her, or try to do this underhandedly. He wanted her to know

exactly why he’d bought the bike, and exactly what he wanted her to be thinking

about. She turned suspicious eyes on him, but at least they weren’t angry.

“You aren’t going to change my mind, Travis.”

“Didn’t you promise the doctor that you would at least give other possibilities a

try?”

They stared at each other for several long moments before her shoulders slumped

just a bit. It didn’t last long, though, and she turned toward the bike.

“Fine. We’ll go on a pleasure ride, but I assure you it won’t make my blood pulse in

excitement like being in a competition and fighting for the title.” With that, she began

moving back inside.

“Where are you going, Taylor?”

“I have to get my boots. I’m going to show you how this beautiful machine works,”

she said, sending him a smile before disappearing.

When she came back out, wearing her riding gear, which she never went anywhere

without, even a remote cabin, he was certainly impressed. The woman looked good in

just about anything . . . or nothing at all. He happened to like her riding outfit. He’d

really enjoy getting her out of it. And he would—soon.

After putting his helmet on, he hopped onto the bike as she glared at him. “I’m

driving,” she said firmly.

“Not this time, princess. The first ride is all about pleasure, so you get to hold on

and enjoy the view,” he said with a waggle of his brows.

She stamped her foot for a minute before shrugging her shoulders. “Fine. You’ll get

bored soon enough.” She climbed onto the back and wrapped her arms around him,

her hands resting just above a very much awakening body part.

“Behave,” he said before starting the motor and revving it up. Her laughter sounded

against his ear and there was no way he could miss it.

Maybe he should have gotten the full-on face-mask helmet instead of the one that

covered only the top of the head. It would have been safer—he wouldn’t have felt her

breathing on the side of his neck.

He put the bike into gear and pulled down the driveway, knowing exactly where he

was going. He’d been coming up to these woods with Bryson for years, and they’d

explored it for miles and miles in every direction.

It didn’t take long before they were flying down an old gravel logging road, with

the wind whipping across them and the bushes nothing but a blur as he expertly

maneuvered the bike. He was thankful he’d ridden so much with friends.

When he slowed, he could hear Taylor’s musical laughter loud and clear. Even

though he’d been to her races, had seen how much she loved riding, he was now

experiencing it with her for the first time, and he liked it.

More important, this wasn’t a race, and she was still having an excellent time. That

was the entire point of this lesson. To show her that life didn’t have to be a

competition. That there could be a lot of laughter and enjoyment in doing activities

just for fun, with no winners or losers. The two of them completely lost track of time,

and when he finally stopped by a large but rarely frequented lake, they were miles

from the cabin.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, but we don’t have anything, and we’re far away from anything like

‘civilization.’ ”

“Ah, but I was a Boy Scout, and I’ve come prepared.” He took the bag from the back

of the bike and showed her the food and drink that he’d stashed inside.

As they spent a couple of hours by the lake, Travis was in his comfort zone, out in

nature with the woman he loved, good food, and nothing to distract them except the

sounds of the forest dwellers.

Of course, it didn’t take long for the two humans to get into a rock-skipping

contest. Taylor won, and she insisted on dancing around him in circles to celebrate

her victory.

“You are the most competitive person I’ve met in my life, and I was in the military

for a lot of years around major egos, so that’s saying something.” Travis laughed and

grabbed her around the waist.

“They would all meet their match in me.”

“Yes, indeed they would.”

When they got back onto the bike, this time Travis let Taylor drive, and the joy

radiating from her as she navigated the roads was unlike anything he’d seen in her

before. Was that good or bad? He wasn’t sure.

Could she be happy if she had to give up racing forever? Was he expecting too

much from her? It wasn’t that he wanted to hold her back. But he wanted to save her

life. By the time they reached the cabin, his mood had taken a slight dip.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Travis. That was truly the best gift I’ve ever

received.” She leaned back against him, unwilling to get off the bike yet.

“I have another gift for you,” he said. He lifted her up and turned her around so she

was facing him, and then he captured her mouth.

“Thank you for meeting me here today, Mr. Whitman. I’m really not sure what I want

to do right now, but I was speaking to Travis and my mother about a training track

and now here I am.”

Taylor was standing with Martin Whitman at a beautiful piece of ground on the

outskirts of Sterling and she didn’t want to mislead him in any way. But she also had

made a promise to the doctor that she would pursue other options besides racing.

The only thing that had stirred her blood was the possibility of opening up a new

track, a place where she could train future generations, especially female riders, on

the proper and safe ways of the racing circuit.

“Your mother knows well that I am always eager and excited to see young people

bring new life to this beautiful area of the country. When I heard about your idea of a

training facility, I knew this land was the perfect place,” Martin said, beaming as he

looked at her.

“I don’t know anything about opening a business. I haven’t done much research. It

was just an idea.” What frightened Taylor about the idea is that it excited her and

made her want to learn more about it.

“All great things start first with an idea, with a spark, and then it takes a lot of

desire and hard work. You have the idea and the desire, and I have the land.”

“This is a beautiful property,” she said, looking out at the mountains not far in the

distance. Straight in front of her she could practically see the dirt walls forming, the

track within its safety circle. She could see bleachers and vendor stands. She

imagined kids performing for their families, and hot dogs dripping with mustard.

She envisioned it all so clearly that she wanted to turn away from it. But Taylor

didn’t turn away, did she? No. She had made a promise and she would see it through,

and that meant she had to look at this business as a real possibility.

“My mom and dad are more than willing to give me a loan, to invest in the track,

but I’m afraid I will just disappoint them. I’ve never done anything like this. All I

know about the racing world is how to race.” Was she trying to convince Martin she

wasn’t worthy of doing this, or herself?

“If you really sat down and thought about your years in the circuit, I think you

would be surprised with how much knowledge you have retained and how that could

help others,” Martin pointed out.

“But training people on the track is much different from running an actual

business,” she said as she walked forward and then kneeled down, digging into a soft

spot in the dirt, letting the sand drift through her fingers.

Yes, she knew tracks, and she knew land and where it was ideal to ride, and where

danger could be lurking. There were some dangers that were unexpected, though, but

so many accidents could be prevented with more training, with more emphasis on

regulations and rules, and always putting safety first.

That was the last thing a competitor was thinking about. They wanted to win, and

most of them wanted it at any cost. Hadn’t that been her? Wasn’t that still her? She

just didn’t know anymore. She’d been fighting so many people for so long that she

couldn’t remember what she was truly fighting for.

“I think you have a lot to consider, Taylor. This land is not officially for sale, so no

one is going to come in and buy it out from under you. Take your time, make sure this

is the path you want, and then call me. I’ve run several successful businesses in my

life, though, darling, and I know gold when I see it. This is gold.”

With that Martin turned and walked away, moving to his truck and jumping inside.

He didn’t drive off, as no one Taylor knew in Sterling would do that without ensuring

their companion’s car would also start, but he was giving her the space to look

around, to think. She appreciated it.

Walking the land for the next twenty minutes, Taylor jotted down some ideas,

made some notes, and decided she had a few phone calls to make. She’d been so

focused on racing for so long that the thought of doing anything else had never even

crossed her mind.

She was almost mad that there was now another idea in her head. Deciding she had

thought enough about this for one day, she turned and moved to her dad’s truck,

climbed in, and started the motor.

The drive back to the cabin didn’t give her any answers to the questions spinning

inside her brain. Maybe she just needed some more time.

Travis saw his time running out. Only one week to go until her doctor’s appointment.

Only one week until the doctor released her to the world of racing again. They’d

ridden the bike he’d bought her every day. Sometimes for hours, sometimes just for a

short ride.

But Travis couldn’t help but notice that she never grew tired of riding. If she did it

every day for the rest of her life, he doubted that the way she felt when she stepped

on a bike would ever change.

“Bryson and I spoke for a couple of hours today while you were out riding,” Travis

told her as he added another piece of wood to the fire that was battling the evening

chill.

“I thought they were coming out this weekend.”

“He got called away for work, but he said that he and Misty will bring the baby

when he gets back. Your mother’s midsummer party is coming up in a couple weeks,

though, so we’ll see them there.”

“If I’m still here,” she said, almost looking sad to go.

This was progress. This he could work with. “I have a meeting in Washington next

month,” he told her.

She stopped fidgeting with the blanket over her lap and looked up, her eyes going

wide. “Really, Travis? For the business?”

“Bryson and I both think it’s going to go well.” He felt good that his new career was

coming together, but his worries about Taylor were putting a damper on his

happiness.

He hated that he was letting it affect him this much, but when you fell in love with

someone, wasn’t that how it always was? You cared more about them than you did

yourself.

“That’s great, Travis!” She jumped up and threw her arms around him.

“What about your appointment, Taylor? You haven’t told me how the meeting went

with Martin.”

“I don’t know, Travis. It seemed to raise more questions than answers. It just

doesn’t seem like it could actually be a reality. I know nothing about running a

business.” She backed away from him and sat down again, suddenly looking nervous.

“Why can’t it be a reality? I think opening a training track for kids is a great idea.”

“Isn’t that the kind of business people do when they can’t race anymore? And

besides that, I know nothing about how to run a business.”

“You don’t have to be washed out to be a teacher. Why can’t you share your love of

racing with a new generation? You would be the perfect teacher—you have more

trophies than a sports museum.”

“I don’t have that many, Travis,” she said with an impish smile. “Just close to it.”

“You’re amazing, Taylor. People would come from miles around to learn from you.

You could hold the summer camps that you were talking about, and so much more.”

“I do get excited when I talk about it. It could be great. There just aren’t enough

facilities that teach safe racing methods, like what to do in emergencies, what pace to

set for yourself, what hours you need to put into the sport if you want to succeed. I

could do camps for all ages, from kids barely walking to teenagers. We could even

have safety courses for adults, and for families who want to learn to ride safely for

recreation.” Her face lit up as she spoke.

“Well, the first step of seeing this come to light was to see the property, and you

did that, so what comes next?” he asked.

“I’ve done research, but then if I decide to race again I’m wasting everyone’s time.”

“You don’t have to make a decision for another week, Taylor. Why don’t you at

least look at your options, see what it would take to legitimately get this thing up and

running?”

She sat silently for several moments before turning a brilliant smile his way.

“You’re right, Travis,” she said, then stood up and started pacing. “It doesn’t lock me

in to doing it if I just do a little more research. As much as I love this cabin, maybe

it’s time we move back into town.”

Travis felt his gut clench. If they left the cabin, they would no longer be staying

together. Yes, her parents might have guessed that he and Taylor had been more than

just cabin mates, and yes, she was definitely an adult, but that wasn’t the same as

allowing their daughter to come home and sleep with a man right beneath their roof.

“We could do all the planning right from here,” he said hopefully.

“No. I have to meet with Martin again, and then there are some contacts in Billings

I need to talk to. I may even have my brother fly me down to California. I have some

great contacts there.”

The enthusiasm sparkling in her eyes made his shoulders relax. Sure, they

wouldn’t be in their cabin anymore, but she was really psyched about the racing track.

If she got completely involved with it, it meant that she’d stay, and that they’d

actually have a real shot at a future together. He knew his next words might frighten

her, but he just couldn’t hold himself back.

Sauntering toward her, he slipped his arms around her waist from behind and felt

the utmost gratification when she instantly leaned back. She brought her hands up

and rested them on his, rubbing along his knuckles.

“You do realize how much I care about you, right, Taylor?” Travis couldn’t believe

how nervous saying such simple words made him.

Her breath hitched before she twisted around so she could look up at him. “I know

that I care about you, too,” she said, a surprisingly shy smile on her lips. His heart

pounded at her words.

When the music playing softly over the radio switched to “I Don’t Dance” by Lee

Brice, Travis found himself slowly spinning Taylor around the small living room as

he sang the words to her.

Maybe he couldn’t tell her how he felt with his own words, but he hoped the

romantic country song conveyed his message. After the music ended, she pulled back

and looked at him, her eyes shining, her lips tilted in the barest of smiles.

Maybe the two of them had a lot more to learn about each other, but right now

everything felt as if it was perfectly falling into place. All the rest could be learned

through the years as they lived their lives, began a family, and grew old together.

Travis would not lose Taylor, not now that he had no doubt he was in love with

her, for better or for worse.

Leaving their cottage had been bittersweet, but Travis had shut the door behind them,

loaded Taylor’s last bag into her trunk, and then kissed her long and hard. As she slid

into the front seat, Travis had closed the car door and felt such a finality in this

simple act that it pained him inside.

He’d followed her all the way back into Sterling, then parked next to her at her

parents’ house. He wouldn’t be staying, of course. Yes, her parents would have been

happy for him to stay, as long as he was in the basement—about as far from Taylor as

possible in their large ranch house.

And that would have been pure torture. So he found himself bunking at Bryson’s

house, in the spare apartment above the garage. Taylor had been so busy over the past

week that he’d barely seen her, and when they’d managed to spend a few hours

together, they hadn’t done much talking.

No matter how much he told himself he wasn’t going to act on his hormones, the

moment she rushed into his arms, he forgot about everything else but ripping off her

clothes.

Not this time. She was on her way over, and they were going to have a serious

discussion, because Travis didn’t think he could go on much longer wondering what

was going to happen next. He was the type of man who needed a map laid out of all

his plans, needed to know what was ahead.

He’d always been that way, much to the distress of his more carefree parents.

They’d been horrified when he’d joined the military, but they’d always accepted him

for who he was and had quickly come to terms with his choices in life.

If he could only get Taylor to feel the same way. He was in love with her, and if he

could persuade her to sit down with him for five minutes without the two of them

falling victim to demon lust, he’d get her to see they shouldn’t ever part.

He had no doubt she loved him, too. He just didn’t know if she loved him enough

to abandon her dreams of another championship. It was terrible that he wanted—no,

needed—her to do that, but he couldn’t be with her if he was always wondering

whether she’d come home again.

How could they live that way? What if they had children, and then she left him too

soon? Yes, he thought too far into the future, but now that he had Taylor in his life,

the thought of ever letting her go, especially letting her go forever, was

incomprehensible.

When he heard her car pulling up to the side of the house, his heart raced. She was

there. He looked around the room and was well satisfied with his efforts. The table

was set, candles were burning, and wine was chilling.

“Travis?”

She entered the front door, and the lack of light had her confused for a moment, but

then he stepped from the shadows and her beautiful lips turned up in a grin. “What is

this?”

“Dinner,” he told her, taking her light summer jacket and then leading her to the

table.

“Oh, Travis. This is amazing,” she gasped as she looked at the rose lying across her

plate.

“You’re amazing, Taylor, and you make me want to do things I’ve never done

before,” he told her as he helped her sit down.

“You deserve someone so much better than me, Travis. I can’t even cook,” she said

as he lifted the bottle of wine from the bucket it had been chilling in and poured them

each a glass.

“I’m with exactly the person I want to be with, Taylor.”

She reached out and took his now free hand. “Thank you.” It was heartfelt and

happiness shone in her eyes. They were off to a really good start.

He got their salads and warm bread, and came back to the table, setting her plate

down and seating himself.

“Enjoy,” he said as he waited for her to start her meal before he dug in. She did and

then moaned with pleasure.

“Really, Travis. You are amazing.”

“I’ve been a bachelor for a lot of years. I either learned how to cook, or I risked food

poisoning from some of the less than clean establishments in some of the

neighborhoods I lived in while bouncing around with the military.”

“Well, I sure as heck benefited from your culinary talents when we were in that

cabin.” She finished her salad and grabbed a piece of bread, added butter, bit in, and

moaned again.

Their conversation was light as they finished their meal and poured the last of the

wine into their glasses. His heart was still pounding, but the alcohol had taken the

edge off his anxiety. They took their wineglasses to the couch and he turned to face

her, knowing he had to get out what he needed to say, but trying to remember not to

rush it and not to frighten her.

“Did you speak with Martin again today?” he asked, trying to ease into things.

She lowered her head and he felt his first stirrings of unease. If she was afraid to

meet his eyes, something was wrong. He decided not to push her; he just waited for

her to speak.

“Um, Travis, I don’t know how to say this . . .” Her voice was barely above a

whisper.

His gut clenched and the food he’d just eaten threatened to come back up. Nothing

showed on the outside, though. He leaned back casually and took another sip of wine

—actually, it was a gulp this time.

“You can tell me anything, Taylor.” He was impressed with how controlled his

voice managed to sound.

“Well, I got the all clear from Doc today, and, well, yesterday my good friend called

and said it wasn’t too late for me to get into the big race being held over in Idaho this

weekend. I know it’s really soon, but I know that track, and I figure I can be back here

to visit in a week, two at most.” She spoke in a rush as she fiddled with the hem of

her shirt.

Travis let the words sink in. She was planning to leave, and she was to do it right

away. “When?” This time his voice was a little less controlled, but with his temper

beginning to rise, he just didn’t care.

“I leave tomorrow,” she said as she squirmed a little on the couch, a subtle

movement, but she was obviously trying to put distance between them.

“Just like that, Taylor? It’s not up for discussion? My opinion doesn’t matter?”

“It’s not like that, Travis. This has nothing to do with you,” she said, her own voice

beginning to rise.

“Really, Taylor? After everything we’ve been through, you can honestly sit there

and tell me that it’s none of my business that you’re going back to racing? Am I not

allowed to tell you what I think about that?”

He rose from the couch and began pacing the room, now refusing to hide his

agitation. He’d planned to lay it all out there for her tonight. And what does she do?

She just walks in and tells him she’s leaving and he doesn’t get a say.

Pissed off didn’t come close to capturing what he felt.

She also stood, and she snapped at him: “I was going to discuss it with you, but

you’re acting like such an ass, I don’t want to now.”

“Maybe I’m being an ass because, as usual, it’s all about Taylor, and to hell with

anyone who might actually give a damn about you,” he snapped back.

They glared at each other for several heartbeats before she stormed across the room

and grabbed her jacket and purse. He was reaching the peak of his temper as he

watched her start to just walk out in the middle of their conversation.

“Where in the hell are you going?” He moved to the door, blocking her quick exit.

“Anywhere but here, Travis. If you think I’m going to stand here while you insult

me and try to tell me what to do, just like my family does, then you’ll have to think

again. Just because we were shacking up for a month doesn’t mean that you now get to

control me.”

“Is that what we’ve been doing, Taylor? Shacking up? Is that all this has meant to

you?” His fury was still high, but hurt was overwhelming him as well. He’d thought

they’d made progress. Maybe he’d read her feelings all wrong.

Her eyes filled with tears. “Apparently so, Travis. Because if you can’t love me for

who and what I am, I don’t want to be with you.”

Her choice of words made him stop. “Do you love me, Taylor?”

She stood frozen before him. Her eyes darted to the door, then back to his face, and

finally focused on the floor.

“It doesn’t matter how I feel, Travis. I won’t be controlled,” she finally said after

several tense seconds. He moved from the door with his need to pace.

And with that, she slipped through the opening before he was able to catch his

breath. Before he even thought about chasing her down, she was jumping into her car

and pulling from the driveway.

What could he do? What would he say if he did catch up to her?

He couldn’t accept her going back to racing, couldn’t take the chance that she

would die right before his eyes. So what did they have left? Love just wasn’t going to

be enough.

Wearing ruts in the large backyard by his frantic pacing, Travis ranted to Taylor’s

brother. “She’s a fool and she’s going to get herself killed. That’s what she’s going to

do!”

Bryson was just as upset about the situation. Hell, the doctor had told her that

another head injury could leave her dead or, heaven forbid, a vegetable—to Bryson, a

fate worse than death. But he wasn’t nearly as riled up as his friend.

“She’s an adult, Travis. I don’t like what she’s doing, either. But we’ve tried to get

her to slow down. And it only made her push harder just to prove us all wrong.”

“What in the hell is she thinking? Martin agreed to sell her the property. She has

sponsors lined up, everything ready to go, and she just drops it all and rushes on out

of here faster than she arrived.”

Bryson sat back and took a sip of his beer. “What did you say to her exactly?”

“That she was going to get herself killed.” Travis suddenly felt exhaustion dragging

him down. He joined his friend on the back deck, picked up his full bottle of beer,

and took a long swallow.

Bryson chuckled. “Well, that was your first mistake.”

“How can you laugh about this? Don’t you care at all?” Travis rubbed his hand

down his face.

“Of course I care, but I’ve learned that when it comes to Taylor, trying to strong-

arm her is the absolute worst thing you can possibly do. She’s great at what she does

and she doesn’t want to give it up, even if she is risking her life. You have to give her

a reason not to do it anymore.”

“I did give her a reason. She actually came up with a reason on her own—the

training track. It could help so many people, but as soon as her friend called her about

the race, she forgot all about that.”

“Maybe the track isn’t good enough to keep her here.”

“Then what is?”

“Have you told her how you feel?”

“Yes!” Travis exclaimed, and then stopped. Had he really laid it all out there? Had

he told her he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life no matter what choices she

made? Yes, he’d told her he cared, but had he proposed? And if he wanted to marry

her, shouldn’t he love her no matter what?

Bryson patted his friend’s shoulder. “Ahh. I see the old, rusty wheels starting to

turn in your head.”

“I have to let her do this. If I love her, I love her absolutely,” Travis said with a

defeated sigh.

“That’s the long and short of it, Travis. When you love someone, you don’t put

limitations on who they are or conditions on your feelings for them. You accept

everything about them, even if it frightens you, even if you’re terrified while you hold

her close.”

“How in the hell did you become so smart?”

“Marriage, my friend, marriage,” Bryson said with another laugh.

“Now that’s a smart man,” Misty said as she came out to join them and sat on her

husband’s lap.

Bryson wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, I am indeed.”

“So what are you going to do, Travis?” Misty asked. “Sit here and moon over her?

Or are you going to go and get the girl?”

He sat there a moment longer, and then a wide grin spread across his face. “I’m

outta here.”

Taylor had a good head start on him, but he’d catch up to her, and this time, he

assured himself, no matter what he had to do, he wasn’t letting the girl get away.

After flying out early in the morning, Travis arrived in Idaho and, without much

time to spare, made it to the track where Taylor was scheduled to race.

Cutting it close was fine, though. He was going to support her no matter what she

did, and if that meant he had to sit there in the stands and pray the entire time that

she’d come back to him, that’s what he’d do.

Because even if their time together was short, he’d rather be with her now than

never be with her again. He made his way to the back of the stands, where the racers

were gearing up to begin.

The large arena prep area was filled with both laughter and nerves, but none of the

riders could possibly be more nervous than Travis. After a few minutes, when the

announcer gave the racers the fifteen-minute warning, he scanned the group, needing

to see Taylor before the race started.

What if something happened and her last memory was of them fighting? He

couldn’t have that on his conscience. When he spotted her by a nice new bike,

wearing a frown on her face, he let out a relieved breath and rushed to her.

“Taylor?”

She turned and smiled for a split second, seeming truly happy to see him. But just

as quickly as the smile lit her beautiful face, her expression drooped and she cast her

eyes down.

“What are you doing here, Travis? You aren’t going to stop me.” Her voice was

almost a monotone.

“I’m not here to stop you, Taylor. I realized I was being unfair. I realized that this

is the life you have built. And though it will terrify me each and every time you get

on that track, I couldn’t be more proud of the woman you are, or of your

accomplishments. I needed to come and tell you that, to let you know that I’m not

letting us go, because I love you. I love you more than you could possibly imagine. I

see us together today, tomorrow, and in fifty years. I want you by my side, and I want

you to be happy. And if racing is what it takes to bring that look of joy to your face, I

will support you in that. Please forgive me, Taylor. Please don’t hold my foolishness

against me.” He paused for a second to catch his breath. “I want you to be my wife.”

His last words made her eyes widen, and a sparkle shone in her eyes as she fought

tears. She was silent for so long that Travis had no idea what she was going to say—if

anything. When she finally did speak, he wasn’t sure how to take it.

“Is this a trick, Travis?”

“No. I promise you that you have my heart, Taylor. You have my soul. I’ve been a

fool for a lot of years, and I can’t promise never to make mistakes, but I can promise

to always love you and be there for you. Just please end my misery. Make me a better

man; tell me when I’m wrong. Do anything you need to do, just as long as you stay by

my side.”

With the crowd rushing by them toward the start line once the final announcement

was made, he dropped to his knees before her. From his pocket, he pulled out the

black box he’d been carrying all week, since their disastrous dinner date, and he

opened it. A brilliant diamond set in a simple band shone up at her.

“Travis?”

“The proposal is real, Taylor. My love for you is real.” His throat was scratchy as

he waited for her answer.

“And if I don’t answer until after the race?”

“I’ll be right here waiting until you come back.” He’d never been so sure of

anything in his life.

With tears welling up in her eyes, she dropped to the ground in front of him and

threw her arms around his neck, clinging tightly as her body shook. “You really mean

that, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. I want you to do whatever will make you the happiest.”

“Then nothing would make me happier than to be your wife, to go home with you

and start that track, and to begin our family.”

“What?” he asked in surprise. “What about your race?”

“I don’t need to do it anymore. When I got here, I realized that I was so busy trying

to prove the world wrong, trying to do what I was told I couldn’t do, that I forgot to

think about what I really wanted. Yes, I’ll always love racing, but now I know that I

don’t want to risk my life for a thrill anymore, not when I’ve found something that

brings me just as much joy. I loved planning that track, and I love you.” She looked

up at him with a radiant smile.

“Are you sure, Taylor?”

“Oh yes. I have to admit I’m scared. I don’t want to get in another accident and end

up in a wheelchair, or lying in a bed with no comprehension of who anyone is, or

even dead. I want to be with you, with my family. I want to open that track. Nothing

has excited me that much in a long time. When I met with the sponsors and everyone

was so receptive, my dreams continued to grow, but I was afraid that I was letting

myself down, that I was settling. I’ve always wanted to do the opposite of what

people told me I needed to do. Sitting here today, I realized that, but I was still too

afraid to let it go. Your words, your believing in me and standing by my side no

matter what—that’s all I really needed.”

“I love you, Taylor, and I promise to never stand in the way of your dreams again.”

“I love you, too, Travis.”

The race started and ended without her, and Taylor had no regrets about it. The

next chapter to her life was beginning, and she knew it would be even more beautiful

than the last one.

EPILOGUE

“Can you believe Taylor’s a mother?” Eileen said with a sigh.

“She’s just beautiful, simply beautiful,” Maggie said to her friends.

“It looks like you have a wonderful family now, Maggie,” Bethel said.

“Yes, Maggie does, so it’s far past time we work on my boys,” Martin said as he

looked out at the track. “With only one of them married, I’m very much lacking in the

grandchild department.”

“Oh, don’t you worry, Martin,” Eileen said. “We’ll come up with a great plan for

the rest of your children.”

Taylor was teaching a group of preteens how to land properly after a jump, and

even the motorbikes couldn’t drown out their laughter. The track had been open a

year now, and it was thriving. The summer camps were booked solid for two years.

The four friends—Maggie, Eileen, Bethel, and Martin—sighed when Travis walked

onto the track after the lesson. His and Taylor’s three-month-old son was snuggled

safely in Travis’s arms.

“They make such a wonderful couple,” Bethel sighed.

“Yes, they do,” replied Maggie. “I remember when Travis first started coming

around with Bryson. Taylor had such a crush on him then, but I never thought the two

would one day fall in love. I’m very grateful they did, as I already loved him like a

son.”

“It all worked out beautifully,” Eileen said.

“So which child are we going to work on next?” Maggie asked. “To this day, Taylor

has no clue that I knew Travis was already up at that cabin. I think she would lecture

me even now if she found out I’d been matchmaking. She’s quite independent and

likes to think she did this all on her own.”

Martin looked around to make sure none of his four sons were nearby. “Oh, if any

of the kids found out we were meddling in their lives, they’d kill us on the spot.”

“They won’t find out,” Bethel said, and then her face lit up. “Hey, I have a great

idea!”

“Well, spit it out,” Eileen told her.

“Sage is finishing with medical school. She needs to begin her residency soon, and

I think it’s time for her and Spence to work together.”

Martin leaned in. “Ah, I like the way you think, Bethel. I’d love for us to officially

be family.”

“All right, so here’s the plan . . .”

The four heads were bent together for a long, long time. When they finally finished

plotting, everyone had left the track and the sun was beginning to set. By this time,

the friends all had big grins on their faces.

Spence and Sage wouldn’t know what hit them. And that was just fine for the

troublesome threesome and their trusty sidekick, Martin.

Can't get enough of Melody Anne's Unexpected Hero series?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times bestselling author MELODY ANNE’s new Unexpected Heroes series

for Pocket Books is a spin-off of her beloved and hugely popular Billionaire Bachelors

books. She is also the author of the Surrender and Baby for the Billionaire series, as

well as Rise of the Dark Angel, a paranormal collection for young adults. Since

Melody began her independent publishing career in 2011, she has sold more than four

million copies of her books. She lives in a small town in the Pacific Northwest, where

she is hard at work writing more irresistible stories for her fans. Visit

MelodyAnne.com

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Her Unexpected Hero

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Pocket Star Books
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other
names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or
places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2015 by Melody Anne Null

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First Pocket Star Books ebook edition April 2015

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Interior design by Yvonne Chan
Cover design by Nicole Sanders

ISBN 978-1-4767-7864-8

CONTENTS

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue

About the Author