“Good. Why?” Travis heard the underlying tension in his friend’s voice. He glanced around the sidewalk. Pitts and Underwood were nowhere to be seen.
“Okay.” Aaron’s voice dropped to a confiding whisper. “You know how I said you were paranoid because you thought those two guys were watching us.”
“Yeah?” He did another quick survey of the area. Nothing.
“Well, I think someone was in my hotel room.”
Travis’s head came up like an animal scenting danger. It must have been obvious as Christine looked at him with concern. He flashed her a lopsided smile as if nothing was wrong. “How do you know?”
“I did the toothpick trick you showed me,” Aaron said in a rush. “You know, put the toothpick on the top of the door and close it.”
“Found it on the floor, huh?” He didn’t need confirmation. He knew the room had been searched.
“Yes! I also did it for the bathroom door and the closet. They’re all on the floor. I got out of there as fast as I could and called you.”
“Do you need me to drop by?” Travis asked. He saw Christine’s chin dip with disappointment.
“Actually...” Aaron’s tone changed. “I need my emerald now before the game starts.”
Travis rubbed his forehead as he tried to understand his friend’s insistence on playing the game with the questionable group. Did he think this emerald had some protective spell? “You’re still going through with it?”
“Yes, of course,” Aaron replied. “And then I’ll give the stone right back to you. What could go wrong?”
Travis groaned. “Famous last words.”
“You sound different,” Aaron said.
He probably did. He hadn’t felt this frustrated in a long time. He was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it. But now he couldn’t follow up on this attraction that flared between him and Christine. “No,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’m good.”
“Wait a second,” Aaron said slyly. “Are you still with that hot chick?”
He glanced at Christine and their gazes held. “Yes.”
“Seriously?” his friend said in a high-pitched squawk. “How the hell did you get her to go with you?”
He couldn’t answer that because he had no idea. “I’ll be right there,” he promised with great reluctance before he disconnected the call.
“You have to leave?” Christine asked.
“I have to drop by the casino,” he said as he placed the cell phone into his pocket. “It won’t take long.”
“No, that’s fine.” She took a step back and crossed her arms. “I’ve already taken up enough of your time.”
“I’m not ready to call it a night,” he said. Especially after that kiss. “I have to do something for a friend and then I’ll take you dancing.”
Her eyes widened. “Dancing? Like at a nightclub?”
He nodded. She looked as nervous as she had when she suited up for the sky jump. He couldn’t imagine why. “I know, I know, you’ve seen one nightclub, you’ve seen them all. But I promise, this one is different.”
“Dancing?” she repeated. She snapped her mouth shut and flipped back her hair. “Eh, sounds a little tame, Travis.”
He gave her a slow, wicked smile. “Then you’re not doing it right.”
* * *
NOT DOING IT RIGHT. Christine nervously thought about Travis’s words as they stepped into the nightclub an hour later. It was more like not doing it at all.
She looked around the nightclub. It wasn’t like anything she had expected, but then she had never been to a club. They didn’t have any around Cedar Valley.
The place was obviously popular, but she wasn’t sure why. The white walls, pink lights and sheer curtains didn’t look exotic or mysterious. The live band was good but she didn’t recognize any of the music. The dance floor was filled with men and women her age, their hands up in the air as they swayed to the beat. Christine’s shoulders tightened as she surveyed the unfamiliar setting. She didn’t know the latest dance moves or what drink to order.
She glanced at Travis, who stood by her side. He had changed into a dark suit and a gray shirt. Christine bit her bottom lip as she looked at her blue dress. It was limp and tired. She hadn’t considered changing. Should she have? This was really the only dress she had to go clubbing.
She frowned. Was she even using the correct verb? Did they use the term clubbing anymore? She just didn’t know.
Christine knew she shouldn’t be this nervous, but it had been so long since she had danced. Dancing meant losing control and surrendering to the music. It revealed what was going on inside her. She couldn’t show that, not back at home.
She always had to be on her best behavior in Cedar Valley. She had discovered that when she first started working at the bank. Her community wanted to know that she was a reliable and serious person. That they could trust her. People had no sense of humor when it came to their money and valuables. And for good reason. But now it had gone too far and for too long. She’d lost a piece of her identity in the process. A sense of her true self.
Christine had yielded to the town’s expectations because she needed the job. She thought it was going to be temporary, but she had stayed and didn’t recognize the gradual shift in herself during the years. The flirty clothes she used to wear were replaced with appropriate work attire in dull colors. She never did anything “out there” or that caused a scene, no matter how much she wanted to. But did any of it pay off? No. Instead of being rewarded for her efforts, her life was in a rut.
That needed to change, even if it meant continuing to take wild weekends away from Cedar Valley. It was going to be a balancing act to keep everything she’d worked hard for and still fulfill her dreams. As fascinating as Travis’s life sounded, she knew it wasn’t for her. She needed a safety net and a place to call home.
“What do you think?” Travis asked, his mouth close to her ear.
Christine shivered with anticipation as his warm breath caressed her skin. She couldn’t wait for him to kiss her again. She didn’t know if that was going to happen, but she couldn’t make the next move. Old habits died hard.
“It’s great.” Christine looked around and saw quite a few bachelorette parties on the floor. She looked at the bar and noticed two men staring at her. It wasn’t a flirtatious look or even one of interest. They were watchful as they zeroed in on her among all the other women in the club.
They looked familiar but she wasn’t sure why. “Do you know those guys?” she asked Travis, gesturing with a nod of her head. “They keep looking at us.”
Travis gave a quick glance. “No, never met them,” he said tightly. “Come on, let’s dance.”
Travis grasped her elbow and led her onto the dance floor. There was barely any room, yet he managed to cut through the crowd with ease. She envied that skill. She imagined he didn’t have any trouble finding a path through a maze or a jungle.
A stunning woman with silky red hair gave him a long, lingering glance. Travis didn’t seem to notice. The redhead was sleek and sophisticated in a little black dress. She was a symbol of effortless elegance, and Christine couldn’t compete. She felt like a broken-down car next to a Ferrari.
Christine hesitated, but Travis gently pulled her forward. Why was Travis with her? He could have any woman he wanted. Was it because he thought she was a kindred spirit? Bold, adventurous and wild? She hoped he never found out the truth.
Travis stopped