Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars(58)

While Travis and Charlie shoveled food into their mouths and talked about different superheroes, Gemma watched their interactions. It wasn’t just their facial features that were similar but their mannerisms and expressions. The way Charlie skipped over the potato salad and went straight for the BBQ chips, just like Travis. Her dad used to say that blood didn’t lie. Despite never having been around each other, Charlie was more like Travis than she’d thought.

Charlie took the last bite of his chicken, wiped his mouth on his napkin, and jumped up. “Can I swim now?”

“Half an hour,” Gemma said, taking a bite of her salad.

“Okay.” Charlie sighed and grabbed a stuffed fox from his bag. “Come on, Annie.”

Charlie started squeaking the stuffed toy and the hound went crazy. Smiling, she watched Charlie romp with the big dog. His childish laughter drowned out the sound of her own thumping heart as Travis moved closer to her and reached into the ice chest for a Coke. Purposefully or not, he leaned into her arm, pressing the hard muscles of his chest against her, and she resisted the urge to shiver.

“I think he loves that dog, don’t you?”

His breath tickled her bare shoulder, and she scolded herself for almost moving her neck closer to his mouth. They were in a public park with their son, not in Vegas, or a hotel room, or anywhere else where it might be okay for her to be thinking about him kissing her neck, trailing his rough hands over her bare thigh, or her slipping her hand under his shirt. Maybe helping him remove the shirt completely so she could run her mouth over those chiseled abs . . .

Oh good lord, I have to stop this.

Clearing her throat, she moved away from him. “Yeah, he does. She’s a nice dog.”

“You okay? You seem nervous.”

“Nope, I’m fine.” She took a bite of an apple, avoiding his eye. She tried to concentrate on Charlie and banish the naughty thoughts from her mind, annoyed with herself for acting like a horny teenager.

Travis’s warm hand reached out and took her empty one. “Gemma, look at me, please.”

Closing her eyes, she lifted her face toward him. “Yeah?”

His deep chuckle met her ears and turned her insides to goo. She felt his touch against her temple as he said, “Open your eyes.”

Reluctantly, she did as he asked and wished she hadn’t. Those intense blue orbs gazed back at her with amusement, and . . . wanting. She recognized the heat, and so did the juncture between her thighs. Squeezing her legs together, she said, “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Stop acting like you’re scared of me.”

“I’m not scared of you.”

“All right, then.” Before she knew what was happening, he grabbed her arm and yanked her to him.

Flipping her over his shoulder, he stood up, and she screamed, “Travis, what are you doing?” She smacked him on his butt and said, “Put me down, you giant fruitcake!”

A smack on her own rear end was his response. Looking down, she saw Travis’s legs disappear into the river and warned, “Travis, don’t you da . . .”

Suddenly she found herself deposited onto her feet in the shallow water, Travis’s arms twisted around her waist.

“Remember this?”

It took her a split second to realize what he was talking about.

“No!”

Quick as a snake, he jumped into the deep pool, taking her with him. It was a move he’d pulled on her every time they’d gone to the river or lake and she’d refused to get in. As soon as her head was submerged, she started kicking, and they broke water together, his arms still around her.

“You suck!” She laughed, pushing at his shoulders.

“I was just trying to get you to loosen up,” he said, gasping for breath between bouts of guffaws.

“You are so dead!” She tried to dunk him, but he didn’t budge, and she grunted in frustration.

“Can I come in now, Mom?” Charlie yelled behind her.

“If you help me dunk your dad,” she said, forgetting all about the half-an-hour rule.

Splashing sounded behind her, and she squealed as Travis grabbed her around the ribs, using his long fingers to tickle her. Sinking back into the water, she tried to swim away from him, but he caught her foot.

Charlie saved her when he launched himself at his dad, who got hold of Charlie and playfully tossed him back into the water. Gemma saw Charlie pop back up coughing, and immediately started swimming toward him with concern. When he stopped coughing, though, he swam back at his dad with his face a mask of intent. Gemma could hear Annie barking excitedly as her little master went for his dad, only to be tossed away again. Travis was laughing, his dark hair plastered to his head, and Gemma was in awe of him.

Travis had always been quietly confident, but in the past he’d never let go of himself with such total abandon. In high school they’d had a good time, but he had always held a bit of himself back. Until now, playing with his son.

As Gemma stared at them, Travis turned and caught her looking. His smile dimmed a bit and he swam toward her. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” she said as Charlie swam up behind him. “You’re so good with him.”

With a shrug, Travis said, “He’s my son.”

That simple statement made her eyes water, and she tried to cover her emotion by saying, “Get him, Charlie.”