Just as he'd decided to turn and walk away, he noticed that her glare was gone, replaced by a rather vulnerable uncertainty. She was gently biting her bottom lip and staring at his chest. That's more like it, he thought.
He took a half step closer and leaned against the window. She looked up, meeting his eyes. She swallowed and he tried not to grin at her. Poor little princess wanted to be held and protected. He could do that. He would love to do that. "You okay?" he asked, reaching out and touching her shoulder. She glanced down at his hand and then back up to him. She nodded.
And then surprise of surprises, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Elated, he wrapped his arms around her waist and took a deep breath of the amazing scent coming off her hair.
She was rubbing his shoulders and back and running her hand up the back of his neck and into his hair. It felt amazing. Sent tingles down his back. Made him achingly hard.
"You're a good man, Travis," she said. And there was something about the way she said it. The certainty and firmness in her tone. So that suddenly she wasn't the one being held and protected; he was. He gasped as his eyes suddenly stung. She kept stroking his neck and hair and back. He squeezed her tight against him. "I mean, a really good man," she said. "I hope you know that."
He cursed himself mentally for feeling so good about her approval. He shouldn't need it. He'd never gotten it from anyone besides Dustin and never missed it. But here he'd gone and spilled his guts to her the night before and she was proud of him. Why should he care that she was proud of him? He should probably be insulted. Except that she wasn't condescending. She was sincere.
He pushed back and held her shoulders. Her expression was kind. She smiled up at him. Nothing to indicate she was anywhere near as hot for him as he was for her. "Thanks," he said. He felt stupid saying it.
"You're welcome. I'm really glad we got trapped together in this snowstorm."
His chest swelled. "Me too," he said. He still held her shoulders. Still stared into her eyes. He wanted her. But now it was different. She'd changed something. And it didn't make any sense, but he knew what he was feeling. He'd been in love before.
He moved his hands to her neck, his thumbs stroking her jaw.
She grabbed his hands and pushed them away. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to seem like I was coming on to you."
He swallowed. Blinked. Nodded. Ached with desire.
She smiled sweetly again and then walked away towards the kitchen. Travis now wondered how he was going to get this girl to fall in love with him before the snow melted. Please, God, send more snow, he prayed silently.
CHAPTER SIX
Arden knew she'd done something wrong. She'd hugged him and told him how great he was, not for any other reason than that she was overwhelmed with appreciation for him. He'd had a terrible upbringing. And sure, he was just a mechanic in a nowhere town with little ambition for anything else. But he was the most optimistic, pleasant person she'd ever met. He flirted wonderfully and he backed off when appropriate. He was open and honest. The conversation was amazing. Arden had gone to sleep wondering why she felt so deliriously happy. So when she found him standing there, a big teddy bear of a man, she'd just let go of all restraint.
That was a mistake. Now he was different. He'd quit flirting for the most part and was just plain nice. The flirtation still oozed out of him once in a while. It was, after all, firmly ingrained into his behavioral patterns. But now he'd stopped focusing on overtly trying to get her into bed and started...wooing her. That's what it felt like. He was courting her. Taking care of her.
Arden's only recourse was to put some emotional distance between them. And she felt terrible doing it. But she couldn't have him thinking he had a chance with her. Earlier in the day she'd been sitting on the couch reading when he sat down next to her with his own book and a cup of coffee. She'd deliberately scooted over, just a bit, and angled herself away from him. All without looking up from her book. She could tell it had hurt his feelings.
As they played chess, she was careful to keep the conversation away from romance novels.
"If you put that there, you'll lose your rook," she said.
Travis glanced up at her and put the piece back where it was. He reached for his knight.
"Mmmm, I don't know if that's a good idea," she said. She couldn't keep the amusement off her face.
He frowned at her and reached for one of his pawns.
She clucked her tongue.
He froze and glared up at her. "Why don't you let me do what I'm gonna do and you can win faster that way," he growled.
"You've never played before. I'm just trying to help."
"It's a stupid game."