Читать книгу Wild Weekend - Susanna Carr - Страница 12

5

WHAT WAS HE doing wrong? Travis had Christine in the palm of his hand last night. She had been so attuned to his body that they moved as one on the dance floor without thinking about it.

It was obvious that she didn’t want the night to end, yet she went to her hotel room alone. Today she’d refrained from touching him, as if she’d been having second thoughts. He had felt her hot gaze on him, had caught the yearning looks before she glanced away, but she’d kept her distance all morning and afternoon.

It had been agony to be on his best behavior all day, Travis thought as he watched Christine feed another dollar into the slot machine. He knew he had to keep moving to avoid Pitts and Underwood, but all he really wanted to do was stop time, find a private corner and pull Christine back into his arms.

“It’s official. Lady Luck hates me,” Christine announced as she raised her hands and glared at the slot machine. “That’s all there is to it. The world knows what I want and won’t let me have it.”

“An extreme view,” Travis said with a smile. And he knew it was a temporary one. He wondered when she would show a sign of exasperation. They’d had a streak of bad luck, but Christine didn’t allow it to slow her down. She kept looking for the next adventure.

This time she was dressed as if prepared for anything. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore sneakers. Her tight jeans accentuated her long legs, and her snug hot-pink T-shirt had the words Las Vegas emblazoned on the front. As much as he enjoyed the sight of her in the blue dress and high heels, he had a feeling this casual look was more like her.

Travis glanced at his watch and knew they were running out of time. Night was about to fall and Christine had to check out of the hotel tomorrow at noon to catch her flight home. They had spent most of the day trying to find one thing Christine could cross off her list.

Little did she know that he was slowly piecing together her dream list and getting an intimate view of her. She had a fascination with speed and a fear of fire. She felt more comfortable with nature than in an urban setting. And for a woman who seemed to have a lot of friends, Christine didn’t include them in her dreams. All her goals could be done solo.

“I’m sorry.” She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I didn’t mean that. I’ve been having a great time. I really have. I loved driving the Ferrari, and I can’t believe I jumped off a building. I can’t wait to tell Jill about that.”

Jill. Her best friend, who owned a dry-cleaning store. It felt as if he knew every citizen in Cedar Valley now. It sounded like the kind of quaint town he’d seen only in the movies. The kind where no one locked their doors and everyone looked out for one another. The kind of place that would make him feel claustrophobic. “She won’t believe you,” he said.

“Probably not. That’s okay, because I know I did it,” Christine said. Her proud smile faded. “But I wanted to check one thing off my list. I won’t forgive myself if I don’t do it. I set aside this weekend to work on it. If I fail in that endeavor, what does it say about me?”

“Nothing. It says something about the goals,” he said as he curled his arm around her shoulders and guided her away from the slot machine. He wanted to draw her closer but knew he’d be pushing his luck. “It can take time to achieve one. It could also mean that you have to modify a goal.”

“You mean downsize it?” Christine shook her head. “No, that’s cheating. That’s not what my list is about. It’s about going for it. No compromising. No holding back.”