Travis's Gift (Riley's Pride #3)- Sandra R Neeley Page 0,26

felt himself begin to become aroused at the thought of touching her. He remembered every touch, every scent, every taste. And he tortured himself with those memories nightly. He walked back into the kitchen and set the mugs on the counter top. “Fuck me,” he said quietly, scrubbing a hand down his face, before shaking his head vigorously to try to get himself under control.

A couple of minutes later Libby was back, slipping her arms back into her coat. “You ready?” she asked.

“Yep. Here’s your coffee,” he said. “You feel like a bite to eat yet?”

“No, but if you do…” she answered.

“Nah, I’d rather wait for lunch,” Travis said.

“Let’s go then,” she said, walking out on the porch. Libby faced away from the door, taking a deep breath. She’d given in to her curiosity and poked around the bathroom while she was in there. She’d found her favorite body wash and shampoo in his shower. Though they weren’t together anymore, he still bought the same brand of body wash and shampoo that she used. It had made her tear up, and gave her the warm fuzzies as she called those feelings you got when you realized someone was hanging onto you in any way they could.

Travis came to a standstill beside her. “You ready?”

Libby looked up at him. “Why do you still have my favorite body wash and shampoo in your shower?”

Travis looked down at the woman who had always owned his heart. “Because they smell like you. And I find that most days I need that just to get through the day. So, until I can have the real thing, your scent from you lying beside me, I’ll use your body wash to at least give me some sense of peace.”

Libby looked up at him while he spoke. When he was finished, she didn’t hesitate. She lifted up on tiptoe while pulling his head down to her level and pressed her lips against his. He pulled back and looked down at her with a surprised, but happy expression. Then she kissed him again. “Come on, we have a lot to get done,” she said, releasing him and walking down the front steps.

Travis was beaming. Libby had kissed him — on her own, without any pressure from him to do so. His heart was singing and in his mind his Tiger was roaring out his pleasure at finally being near their female and her being accepting of them. “It’s going to be a great day,” he said.

“You know? I think you’re right,” Libby answered.

Chapter 9

A few hours later and Travis was stacking up wooden cutouts for Libby to paint. He’d completed the archway for arriving customers to walk under and the large wooden candy canes to stand on either side of it. After Libby had sketched the outline for the frames, he’d cut those out, too, and had placed them in the growing stack of things she needed to paint. And from the scraps of wood from the archway and the big candy canes, he’d begun to cut out the smaller shapes that would become ornaments for the kids to paint.

Travis turned off his saw and took off his safety goggles, before walking over to the table where Libby sat, diligently painting, and apparently enjoying herself to no end.

“You’re really talented,” he said, looking down at the archway Libby had finished and was trying to set aside to dry. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Libby said, looking at the arch. She’d painted it white with a red trim and yet another green trim at the very perimeter of the arch. She’d painted the words, ‘Vitrano’s Christmas Memories Tree Farm’ in red in the center of it and surrounded it with yellow stars and blue Christmas angels. On either end she’d painted several holly leaves with three red holly berries at their bottom. “I thought we could drape it with some pine boughs, or maybe some lights to give it some extra zing.”

“It’s beautiful, Libby. And the name… it’s perfect,” Travis said.

“I decided just ‘Vitrano’s Tree Farm’ wasn’t enough. And I have so many wonderful memories of this place. And that’s what we’re really offering people anyway, isn’t it? Happy family holiday memories? So, ‘Vitrano’s Christmas Memories Tree Farm’.”

“It is. And you’re right, it’s all about family and memories,” Travis answered.

“Can you help me move it aside so I can start on the candy canes that’ll go on either side?” she asked.

“Of course,” Travis answered, grabbing a side and waiting for her to get