Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars(51)

Clearing his throat, Travis said, “Well, I’m not sure whether he’ll want to, but we can ask him.”

“I’ll go call him,” Charlie said, starting to jump up.

“Finish your dinner first, please,” Gemma said firmly.

“Mom . . .” Charlie groaned and took a huge bite of pizza.

“Charlie! That bite was way too big. Take smaller ones or you’re going to choke,” Gemma said.

“Mrphgrphdurph,” Charlie mumbled around his full mouth.

“Young man, don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Charlie swallowed and opened his mouth wide to show her it was empty. When she didn’t even crack a smile, he mumbled, “Sorry, Mom, but I’m not a baby.”

Her mood lightening at the familiar argument, she teased, “But you’re my baby.”

“Ugh, Mom.” Charlie looked toward Travis for help.

Gemma turned her attention to Travis also and froze. He was watching them so sadly that it caused a guilty lump to form in her throat. No longer hungry, she stood and picked up her container, tossing it into the trash, before heading over to the sink to clean up the dishes left over from breakfast.

The kitchen grew quiet, with only the sound of dishes clattering.

The silence was finally broken by Charlie. “Okay, I’m done. Can I call him?”

Up to her elbows in a sink full of soapy water, she looked over her shoulder and nodded. “Sure.”

Charlie jumped up, and Gemma saw Travis stand with his paper plate in his hand. Trying to look busy, she loaded the dishwasher, but she couldn’t ignore the warmth of his body when he came up behind her.

“If it’s a money thing, I can give you something to supplement what you’d lose closing down. I owe you ten years of child support anyway.”

“I don’t want your money, Travis,” Gemma said, trying not to be touched by his offer. The last thing she wanted was to add indebted to her laundry list of feelings toward Travis.

“Do you want anything from me, Gem?” he whispered, his breath ruffling her hair.

Gripping the plate in her hand, she tried not to react to the insinuation but failed. Her nipples tightened as the hard planes of his body pressed against her back, his arms coming around her slowly, and her gaze focused on those big hands as they grabbed the dry towel next to her elbow.

“He’s got to work at some new lady’s house.” Charlie’s voice broke into her lust-induced lapse, and she elbowed Travis in the belly by accident.

Sucking in his breath, he said, “I was just going to dry the dishes.”

Liar. Gemma got the feeling he had been deliberately teasing her, but why? Setting the last of the dishes on the rack and turning to Charlie, she said, “That’s okay, honey, maybe next time. Why don’t you go take your shower, put on your pajamas, and I’ll come up to read to you?”

“Can he read to me?” Charlie asked.

Jealousy. It was the first time she’d ever experienced it with Charlie, because she had never really had to share him with anyone. He loved Gracie and Mike, but he’d never asked to have them read him a story if she was there. Even when they visited her mother and family in Nampa, he always wanted his mom.

“Sure, he can read to you,” she said, trying not to feel slighted.

“Yes!” Charlie said.

As he ran upstairs, silence stretched between her and Travis. Gemma went to grab her laptop bag and set up her computer at the table.

“So, what are you reading to him?” Travis asked from behind her.

She stood up from plugging in the laptop cord before answering. “The first Harry Potter book.”

“Oh, cool. I saw part of one of the movies, but that was a few years ago,” Travis said.

“They’re great books. We’re reading that series, and he likes to read Goosebumps books on his own,” she said.

“What are those?”

“Creepy monster and ghost books for kids.”

“Those don’t freak him out?”

“Only the ones about the dummy that comes alive. He can’t read those without having a nightmare,” Gemma said, opening her computer and sitting down.

He sat next to her at the table, trying to catch her eye. “I think you should come with us tomorrow.”

“I told you I can’t—”

“Charlie would be more comfortable, and if I’m ever going to forgive you for all of this, then we’re going to have to start over. Just think about it. It wouldn’t kill you to take a few weeks off for your son’s sake,” he said.

His criticism hurt. “I don’t need you to lecture me on what’s best for my son.”

“It’s not a lecture. I just know how I felt every time I had to switch foster homes and I was left with virtual strangers all the time. It’s scary as hell.”

Gemma felt like a giant ass. She should have realized that Charlie would be nervous about being alone with Travis all day, even if he was his dad, but she was so worried about her own reactions to him that she hadn’t thought.

“You’re right. I’ll go to the bookshop in the morning, record a new away message, and close down shop while you’re here,” she said before adding, “but I don’t need your money.”

“You sure? I don’t mind being your sugar daddy for a few weeks.”