Travis's Gift (Riley's Pride #3)- Sandra R Neeley Page 0,55

you after you spent the night with him, just that little bit almost drove me insane, even when I knew I had no right to be upset. Now that you’re finally mine, I don’t want to have to endure it again,” Travis explained.

“Okay,” Libby said, going up on tiptoe to kiss his lips.

“Okay?” he asked, looking for confirmation.

“Yeah. I understand. The problem is, now I have nothing clean to wear today,” Libby said.

Travis looked at his watch. “It’s only 9:00 A.M. We could run to your place, grab some clothes and whatever else you’ll need for the next few days, and still have plenty of time to make it back to do what we need to do before our customers start to arrive. If they arrive,” he added.

“Oh, they’ll arrive,” Libby assured him. “Do you have something for me to wear on the way to my house?” she asked.

“Let me find you some sweats or something,” Travis said, stepping away from her to dig through his dresser for some clothes for her. “Put them on the bed, love,” he called out. “Come eat when you get dressed.

“Okay,” Libby answered, dabbing a bit of makeup on her face.

After she was dressed, she walked into the kitchen to find him plating the breakfast he’d made for her. “Where are the clothes? I was going to throw them in the washer,” she said.

“I already did, along with a load of mine,” Travis answered.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Here’s breakfast,” he said, handing her a plate.

“Wow, I’m not used to having anyone cook for me unless I’m at the diner,” Libby admitted.

“I’ll do it each opportunity I get. Not that I can cook the things you do, but I can feed you pretty well,” Travis teased.

“Don’t underestimate yourself, this is good!” she said, eating her food hungrily.

As they sat eating breakfast, she subconsciously kept fingering her new mate mark.

“Does it hurt?” Travis asked.

Libby looked up at him. “Does what hurt?” she asked.

“Your mate mark,” Travis answered.

“Not really. I mean, I feel it, it’s more sore than anything, but even that’s not unbearable. What about yours?”

Travis beamed a huge smile immediately. “It’s a little sore, but not really even enough to grab my attention. You did a hell of job, though. It’s going to leave a scar.”

“It looks terrible,” she said.

“Naw, looks like I’ve been claimed. By this afternoon most of the bruising on it will be gone — shifter healing and all,” he said.

“I’m proud of it,” she said. “I can’t wait for our friends and family to notice.”

“Me, too,” Travis said. “Hey! We need to send Delilah a picture. She won’t be here to see them, and if she looks at me one more time and says, ‘Tiger’, in that condescending drawl of hers, which I have no doubt means, ‘Get off your ass and do what you’re supposed to’, I might snarl at her.”

“Yeah, and that wouldn’t be good. No matter how powerful any of you are, she’s stronger,” Libby said.

Travis nodded his agreement, as he placed his fork on his empty plate.

“Here,” Libby said, getting up and walking around to his side of the table. She sat on his lap and gathered her hair to move it to the other side of her neck so her mark would show clearly. Then she moved Travis’s hair behind his ear and used one hand to hold it out of the way. She leaned close to him as they both tilted their heads to display their mating marks proudly, and Libby used her phone to snap a selfie.

She brought up the picture to make sure it was apparent what they were trying to convey. Travis leaned over to look at the photo as well. “No doubt she’ll see the marks,” he said.

“Yep,” she said, typing up a quick message.

“What are you telling her?” he asked with a grin.

“I’m saying ‘Good morning’, and attaching the picture.” Libby sat there on his lap, watching the little circle swirling on her phone until it finally said sent, then she got up and gathered their plates.

“I’ll get my phone, and we’ll be ready to go,” Travis said, disappearing into the bedroom.

“Alright,” she said as she went into the kitchen to place the plates in the sink.

Moments later they walked outside. Travis paused to lock the door. He turned around and took her hand in his as they walked toward his truck. He opened the driver’s side door and waited while she scooted across the seat, then got in behind her.