Awakening Veronica(Divine Creek Ranch 17)(90)
His words barely registering, Veronica rattled on as she hung up her coat and plopped down on the couch. “And then I go and practically deliver an ultimatum to you, when you’re already risking your position by being seen in a threesome situation, and I don’t even know if Travis plans to stay in Divine. So I’m basically making demands all over the place when I can’t even decide what to do about my own situation. I don’t know what to do.”
“You were right, Nika,” Hank said. “I was asking you to make a declaration when I hadn’t made one.”
“And now you feel forced into making a declaration because I jumped the gun. I’ve ruined everything, haven’t I? I’m so sorry.”
Hank sat on one side of her and placed a hand on her thigh. “Veronica, slow down. Breathe for me. And stop talking because you’re just earning licks right now.”
Travis sat down on her other side. “Nika, I know I’m in the running for that job but they won’t decide until after Thanksgiving, and I haven’t decided if I’ll take it if they offer it to me.”
“Either way, you’ll be leaving Divine, won’t you?”
Travis pressed his lips together as he stroked her jaw. “I’ve decided to retire. I’ll be going back to DC to pack up my mostly empty apartment and tie up loose ends.”
“By then you’ll know about the job in California. You’ll have made a decision.”
Suddenly the time remaining felt so precious and fear settled in that what remained was now tainted by her outburst.
Hank let out a long sigh and said, “Nika, you’re torturing yourself because you can’t imagine a permanent solution which involves you being happy, can you?”
She couldn’t reply because the only answer she could give wouldn’t make him happy, and might only get her in deeper trouble for kissing Travis in front of everyone at the Dancing Pony when she’d showed up with Hank. People were probably talking about that already. He was worried about how she felt when he should be worried about damage control.
“Hank, I shouldn’t have said anything. I should’ve stayed home tonight. Maybe this was hoping for too much. I’ve been in my own happy fantasy bubble for two weeks but I was bound to come back to Earth eventually. This is what I get for hoping—”
Hank growled. “Just adding more licks, Nika.”
Travis pulled her toward him and kissed her hard. He gathered her hair in his fist and held her tight when she squirmed, immobilizing her. He pulled back, licking his lips. “I’ve missed you for five days. And I get home and when I’m expecting a warm welcome, all I hear is you talking about how it’s going to end soon. That’s not a warm welcome, and what makes you think I’d throw away what we have together so easily? That job is not the only opportunity out there.”
“But I—”
Travis smiled. “You’re still talking.” He laid his lips on hers and she struggled. They needed to understand. They needed to know that she understood. It’d been a long shot to begin with. But then his words began to sink into her panicked brain and she stopped squirming against him. His words, and Hank’s echoed in her mind, and the tight knot in her loosened in tiny, hopeful increments. She wrapped her arms around him.
Hank spoke into the stillness. “You’re so certain that we’d cast you aside for our jobs. Yes, our jobs, if we decide to pursue them, do make a difference, but Nika what you’re failing to take into account is that you make a difference in our lives. You’re scared because you think you demanded a declaration but you don’t have to demand anything. I’ll gladly give it to you. I want you to stay in Divine. I want to protect you from Brent, and from the hurt your family members and their dumbass friends have dealt to you. I want you in my bed every night and I want you in my life. My only purpose in pushing you was because I need to know where you stand. As far as you kissing Travis in the Pony, I gotta tell you that horse is already out of the barn.”
Veronica gasped and Travis pulled back, gazing at her with eyes hazy with passion. She wanted to continue that hot kiss but she needed to know. “What happened?”
Hank shrugged and smiled at her. “The gossip mill, fueled by Tabitha Lester, I’m sure. Several people in the office knew about you, me, and Trav, and they weren’t unhappy either. My secretary has been bugging me for ages to find a good woman and settle down so she can babysit. And individuals in town have made comments the last couple of days.”
“You didn’t tell me?”
“You were busy and I didn’t want to derail your work, and I didn’t mind. No, not all of them were happy about it but I think the majority were either unaffected by the news or happy for us. One lady wanted to know if she could get you to autograph one of your books for her.”