Ally seemed steadier as he helped her out of the car. She ran her hand lovingly over the hood of his Ferrari. “Well, it least I got to ride in one of your expensive cars,” she said jokingly. “This one is beautiful.”
“It isn’t that expensive compared to some of my other ones at the track,” he admitted. “But I like it for casual driving.”
Ally’s delighted laughter flowed over Travis like a balm to his soul.
“I’d kill to drive this F12, and you’re talking about it like it’s a cheap family car.” Ally snorted.
Travis felt the edges of his mouth start to tug. “I just got a Hennessey today. I was testing it out before I came to see you.”
Travis actually did smile when he heard Ally gasp as she said, “A Venom GT?”
“Yes,” he answered, surprised that Ally knew so much about cars. “You know your vehicles.”
“I grew up in Daytona Beach. I worked the concessions at the raceway in high school. It would have been hard not to learn something about fast cars,” she answered, amused. “I still pay attention.”
“I’ve driven that track more than once,” Travis told her as he walked her to the door.
“I know,” Ally answered, digging her keys out of her purse. “Do you ever regret it, giving up a professional career as a driver?”
Travis shook his head. “No. I like running Harrison. I think if racing had become my full-time profession, it wouldn’t be fun anymore.” Harrison Corporation was who he was, and he would never let it be put in the hands of someone else to manage it while he was out racing cars.
Travis took the keychain out of her hand when she had problems getting the key in the door. She might be less drunk, but she wasn’t completely sober either. He opened the door, handing her back her keys. She’d flipped on the lights, and Travis’s covetous gaze feasted on the sight of her. Her eyes were still bright, but she was looking at him intently, as though she’d never seen him before. Her gaze moved over his entire body boldly, landing on his lips with a look of longing.
“Would you kiss me?” she asked him hesitantly, her stare still intent on his lips.
Travis stared right back at her, wanting to tell her she was the most kissable, f**kable woman on the planet. He wanted to devour her mouth more than he wanted anything else in the world right at that moment. But he made himself white-knuckle the doorframe to keep himself from touching her. “You’re not in your right mind, Alison. You don’t know what you want right now. Take a couple of aspirin and go to bed.” Holy shit…that hurt. Travis had nearly gagged on the words, wanting something else completely, but he was unwilling to take advantage of Ally when she’d had a few drinks. This situation made him even harder than when she’d offered him a Blow Job, probably because she kind of knew what she was asking for this time. She was asking for him.
Her gaze left his mouth and she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I asked.”
He sure as f**k hoped it was because she wanted him, even if it was just a little. “Close the door and lock it.” He wasn’t budging until he heard the deadbolt put in place. He needed to leave, get the hell away from her before he changed his mind.
She nodded, starting to swing the door closed, her eyes not meeting his.
“Alison?” he said quickly before she closed the door.
She paused. “Yes?”
Don’t kiss her. Don’t take advantage of her. You’ll hate yourself later.
Travis gripped the wood a little harder. “I’ll pick you up around eight in the morning and send someone to get your car.” He pushed himself away from the door frame so she could close the door. “And if you’re feeling okay, I’ll let you drive the F12 in the morning.”
“You will?” she asked, sounding shocked.
Travis shrugged. It was just a car. And there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do if he could just get her to smile at him. “It’s your birthday,” he used as an explanation for his actions, knowing he’d let her do it anyway just because she wanted to. “Now lock up,” he demanded.
Ally closed the door obediently, and the tumbler on the deadbolt flipped immediately.
Good girl.
Travis’s heart was still racing as he walked back to his car, got in, and started the ignition. He leaned his head against the steering wheel for a moment, trying to catch his breath. Jesus! Not touching Ally tonight had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. He wanted her badly, but not that way. He needed her warm and willing, aware of everything that was happening. And maybe there was a small part of him that didn’t want her to have any regrets, didn’t want her to hate him because he took advantage. His instinct to protect her was just as strong as his desire to f**k her, and that was saying a hell of a lot, because that yearning was damn near killing him.
He already knew what his dreams would look like tonight. There was no way he wouldn’t be dreaming vividly about Ally asking him if he wanted a blow job, licking those luscious lips as she uttered the words every man in the world wanted to hear from a woman he wanted. And in his dreams, Travis would never refuse to kiss her. Hell, he’d probably have a damn heart attack and die in his sleep when he answered her differently, did exactly what he’d wanted to do earlier when she uttered those requests in his dreams tonight.
Travis waited until the lights went on upstairs before he backed out of the driveway and drove away, wondering when in the hell he’d actually developed a conscience, and hating himself because when it came to Ally…he actually had one.
Chapter 4
Ally woke up late the next morning, with barely thirty minutes to get ready for work. She hadn’t wanted to drag her butt out of bed, and she wasn’t certain whether it was really the alcohol she’d consumed the night before, or the fact that she was going to have to face Travis.
Oh God, did I really ask him to kiss me?
She frowned at herself in the mirror as she hastily gathered her hair into a clip at the back of her head, in too much of a hurry to worry about braiding or a more intricate style. She’d only put on a minimal amount of makeup, just enough so she didn’t scare any of Harrison Corporation’s clients.
Running to her closet to grab a pair of shoes and a colorful belt to match the conservative gray dress she had thrown on earlier, she looked nervously at the clock.
Five minutes until eight o’clock.
Ally had no doubt that Travis would arrive at exactly eight, ready to leave for the office. He didn’t have any early morning appointments, but she could tell the time by Travis’s arrival in the morning. Travis Harrison was never late, and he arrived at exactly the same time every single day.