Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars(60)

Gemma didn’t move as he leaned over and grazed her lips in a soft kiss, but her whole body went on high alert: hot, tingly, and quivery.

“Gemma, will you go out with me?”

One of his hands released hers, and he softly trailed his finger down her cheek. His eyes were open and staring into hers.

“I feel like we’re back in high school,” she whispered, resisting the urge to brush back a curl from his forehead.

His mouth spread into a wide grin. “If we were still in high school, we’d be making out by now.”

Her surprised laugh was cut off by his kiss, and she didn’t protest. It felt too good to say no.

Travis pulled her out of her chair and onto his lap, taking the opportunity to wrap his arms around her, holding her in place. “No escape.”

Gemma whispered, “I didn’t know I was trying to.”

Those were the last words spoken between them as they kissed, touched, and rubbed against each other. Gemma really did feel like a kid again, sneaking Travis into her room after bedtime and fooling around quietly so they wouldn’t wake her parents.

Only now, it was their son upstairs.

She pulled back reluctantly. “We should stop.”

He didn’t protest, but he didn’t release her either. “You never answered me.”

“About?”

He punctuated every word with a kiss to her cheek, neck, nose, and mouth. “Will . . . you . . . go . . . out . . . with . . . me?”

He was trying to move on and start over. He’d promised to keep the press under wraps and protect Charlie and her from any backlash. He was willing to forgive her for her past mistakes. Didn’t she owe it to herself and Charlie to do the same? To take a chance and trust him again?

“Yes. I’ll go out with you.” Disentangling herself from his arms and standing up, she added, “Now off with you. I have to write.”

He stood up from the table but captured her chin in his hand. “Get Charlie a sitter tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

He bent over and gave her a hard kiss on the mouth before turning around and heading to his room. She heard the sound of a squeaky meow and looked down to find Stormy, her little head cocked to one side.

Unable to resist her homely cuteness, Gemma picked her up and held her against her chest, enjoying the tiny body’s vibration as she purred.

“What do you think, Stormy? Am I doing the right thing?”

The only answers she got were a louder rumble and the scratch of a wet kitten tongue on her hand.





Chapter Nineteen




* * *





“HOW COME I can’t come?”

Travis finished buttoning his shirt and ruffled his son’s hair. “Because I need some time alone with your mom.”

“I thought you wanted to spend time with me,” Charlie said, a definite pout in his voice.


Travis sat down next to him with a sigh. “I do, Charlie. We spent all day hiking in Hagerman, and we’re going to spend tomorrow together, too. I just want to have a date with your mom, because if we can’t make our marriage work, we can’t be together.”

Charlie hesitated, and seemed to be weighing his answer before he finally said, “Okay.”

The one-word answer said he still wasn’t happy about being left behind, but that was tough. Travis loved his boy, but right now he wanted to get Gemma alone, without all the secrets between them, and see what happened.

“Come on, let’s go see if your mom is ready.”

Annie pushed past both of them, leading the way out to the living room, and sat by the stairs? staring up at them forlornly. Travis had to smile at the dog’s obvious affection for her master’s standoffish mother.

“Gemma, are you about ready?”

“Be down in a minute!”

The doorbell rang, and Travis went to answer it, only instead of just one babysitter, there were five teenage girls with wide eyes and dopey grins staring back at him.

“Hi there,” he said, confused, “can I help you ladies?”

The one in the middle, a slim blonde with a red face, muttered, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Bowers, but my friends were wondering if you would sign a few things for them.”

Gemma had told him the sitter was the Andrews’ youngest daughter, Jenny, and although he was irritated, he tried not to show it. “All right, I can do that. Are they all staying to help you watch Charlie?”

“No, sir.”

He took pity on the poor girl, who obviously hadn’t meant for her friends to come over, and said, “Why don’t you go on inside while I take care of this?”

Jenny walked around him while Travis stepped out, his arms crossed over his chest, and for the first time, the girls looked uncertain.

“I don’t mind signing autographs and meeting you girls, and I appreciate the enthusiasm, but under no circumstances do I condone showing up uninvited at my wife’s house when we’re getting ready to head out for the night.”

The girls’ countenances showed regret, and the chorus of I’m-sorrys was contrite enough that Travis took a short brunette’s pen and signed their CDs. When he finally made it back inside, Gemma was coming down the stairs in a floral summer dress, her brown hair in loose curls around her shoulders and a pair of brown cowboy boots on her feet.