Me And Mrs Jones (11 page)

“Yes, this is only our second date; however, I want more and more. I haven’t dated much in the past couple of years, but I want to date you”.

“How about it?” Travis asked, studying her closely. “Do you think you can give me a chance? We can take things as slow or fast as you want it.”

The question hammered at her.

She couldn’t help but wonder if she had enough confidence as Travis when it came to developing this into something deeper. Just the short period of time she had been around Travis, Renee had begun to recognize her own needs. The harder she tried to ignore the truth the more it persisted. She was in total agreement with Travis about giving this a chance between them.

It was an awakening experience that left her reeling, but she was willingly to go through with it to the end. Renee knew there was something special about Travis from the very beginning and it was going to be her time to enjoy what he might bring into her life.

“Travis, I think I can give us a chance,” she finally answered with a huge smile.

“Thank you, sweetheart. I promise to prove to you that age is only a number.” Leaning across the table, Travis gave her a kiss. “How about you take the rest of the day off from work and come by to the camp with me?”

God, she would love to do it, but she still had phone calls to make about the showing. The calls couldn’t be put off any longer. “I wish I could. I really do, but I need to get in touch with some people. Can I get a rain check?”

A quick look of disappointment passed over Travis’ face before he was able to conceal it.

“Okay, I understand. We can meet up later tonight. Let me go and see what is taking so long with our check.” Travis quickly got up from the table making his way back towards the front of the restaurant before Renee could stop him.

Renee spun around in her seat watching as Travis walked past a man sitting at a round table away from them. She noticed how he looked at Travis and then back at her with a frown on his face.

Just great
, she thought. Renee wasn’t in the mood for anyone else’s opinions today. She turned her head away from the man hoping he would stop staring in her direction. She didn’t have time to worry about him. Renee had a bigger problem on her hands.

How did she make Travis understand that she did want to spend time with him outside the gallery?

Why did she tell Travis she’d rather make phone calls than spend the day with him? Could she have been any more of an idiot if she tried? Work could wait. The show wasn’t for another couple of weeks. She still had plenty of time to get things in order for what she needed to get done, and what she couldn’t do Cruz would be more than happy to help her with.

So, when Travis came back she would tell him that she changed her mind about spending the day with him.

“Hello, beautiful,” an unfamiliar male voice said interrupting her thoughts.

Looking to her left, Renee sighed under her breath as she locked eyes with a tall, light-skinned black man who had taken an interest in her and Travis. What made him think he could come over her and bother her? What was he up to?

Renee sensed the guy wasn’t going to leave until she talked to him. Anyways, Travis wasn’t that far away, he would be back soon. She wasn’t going to let this guy make her more nervous than she already was.

“Do I know you?” she asked, looking up at the stranger.

The guy shook his head then grinned at her. “No, you don’t, but I’m hoping you might want to. I’m Allan Scott. I’ve been watching you for a while with that young guy. I was hoping he would leave soon so I could come over here and introduce myself.”

Was this guy serious
? Did he really see her on a date with Travis, but still decided to approach her after Travis
walked away from their table?
Could he be any more of a jerk if he tried?

“I’m sorry, but I’m on a date,” Renee answered, politely “You shouldn’t have come over here.”

“How could I not come over here?” Allan questioned. “I see a beautiful black woman sitting all alone. I had to make my move before someone snatched you up. Would you like to have a coffee sometimes? I would love to get to know you better.”

“Did you not hear me?” Renee asked. “I told you I was on a date?”

“Come on, are you serious?” Allan laughed as he glanced back towards where Travis was and then back at her. “You can’t really believe someone as young as him is interested in you,” Allan said. “He only wants one thing from a woman your age and when he gets it he’ll leave you for a girl closer to his own age. Why go through all of that? You can dump him now and have a lot more fun with me.”

Embarrassed, Renee glanced around to make sure none of the other customers heard Allan’s rude comments. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her. Her day had started out so good and now it was going downhill because of this jerk. “Yes, I am on a date with him and I think you should leave before Travis gets back,” she suggested, trying to keep herself calm.

“I’m positive I can take that kid any day of the week,” Allan bragged, glaring down at her. “Because I’m an adult and he’s a young punk. I know who I am when it comes to him unless you’re trying to be a cougar to his cub.”

Renee swallowed hard, trying not to reveal her anger to the asshole standing in front of her. She was so furious she could barely speak. This guy had a lot of nerve to come to her and give his opinion about something he had no clue about.

“Listen, I don’t know why you thought you had the right to tell me anything, but I think you should leave. Maybe someone else might want to be bothered with you, but I don’t.”

Allan’s light brown eyes narrowed at her. “I think you’re a fool to even be out in public with someone so much younger than you. Every time someone looks in your direction just remember they’re laughing at you thinking someone like your date is truly interested in an old woman like you. Have a great day,” he spat then stormed out leaving Renee staring after him in utter shock.

Renee was astonished by the fact a total stranger had enough nerve to hit on her when he saw she was with another man. Yet, when she turned down his advances he turned on her like he had a spilt personality.

What was wrong with people today?

Did he truly think that his tirade would mess with her mind so she would doubt what she had going on with Travis? He wasn’t anyone to her at all and his unwanted opinion didn’t have any effect of what she was going to do with Travis.

Something clicked in her mind when Allan was snapping at her a few minutes ago; she wasn’t interested in what other people thought about her relationship with Travis. Renee wasn’t about to allow Allan or any other closed-minded person to get involved in her business. She was beginning to recognize her own needs and the undeniable truth was Travis brought a passion back to her life that had been missing for a while now.

Sitting outside on the restaurant patio, Renee wondered how she was going to keep things going in the direction they were with Travis. She liked the spur-of-the-moment attitude Travis possessed. It was something she wouldn’t ever get tired of anytime soon.

All day long the only thing she’d thought about was the ecstasy she felt being held against Travis’ strong body while they danced the night away in the park. Travis wasn’t aware of the burning imprint he left on her long after their date was over.

Hours after he was gone, she still felt the warm heat of his kisses and hands on her body. Travis knew how to get her body to the burning point without putting a lot of effort into it.

“What has you in such deep thought?” Travis’ voice whispered against the side of her neck. Coming around her, he retook his seat. “Sorry it took so long. I got sidetrack by a customer who wanted to know if I would be interested in doing a family portrait for them.”

As Renee gazed at the handsome man across from her, she realized how lucky she was to have Travis in her life. He wasn’t trying to be anything he wasn’t with her and she liked that the most about him.

As happy as Renee felt at this very moment, though, Allan’s words suddenly came rushing back to her.
He’s only using you until someone younger comes along. You can’t believe he really wants an older woman like you
?

This was only their second date. However, Renee felt like she was having a date with someone she had been dating for months or even years. Travis put her at ease and she knew it would only get better between them.

“I was just thinking about you,” she answered, honestly.

“Care to share your thoughts with me?” Travis smiled at her, leaning across the table. “I would love to know what is going on in that beautiful head of yours.”

All of Renee’s doubts left her mind when Travis smiled at her like she was the only woman in the world. He wasn’t using her until someone better came along. He was interested in what was simmering beneath the surface with them. Allan wanted to put reservations in her head and she wouldn’t give him that power over her. If she had enough strength to get rid of her lying, cheating husband, Renee wouldn’t allow a total stranger to gain any hold over her.

“How about you walk me back to the gallery and I can fill you in.”

“I would love to.” Getting up from his seat, Travis came close, looking down at her intensely as he held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go beautiful. After I take you back to work, I need to finish up some extra paintings. So, I might not be able to have dinner with you tonight. Is that okay with you?”

Pulling her out of her seat, Travis walked with her back through the restaurant and then out the front door. Once they were outside, he held her hand as they went back in the direction of her gallery.

“I understand that you need to finish up your work. How about we decide to do something tomorrow?” Renee was already thinking about what she could surprise Travis with since he had already taken her out to eat twice. This would be the perfect time to amaze him with a little gift of her own.

“Spending the day with you tomorrow sounds wonderful,” Travis answered as he glanced down at her. “It will give me something to look forward to while I’m out in the woods by myself.”

“Don’t you get lonely way out there all alone? Do you wish that you had another person out there with you?” Renee asked as they stopped in front of her place of business.

“Most of the time it doesn’t bother me during the day because I stay so busy painting the scenery or working on a new idea, but at night when I’m alone in my tent I do miss having someone there next to me,” he admitted. “I wish that I could talk you into coming out there with me. I know you’d love it so much. Do you know how stunning you would look out there in the beauty of nature?”

Chapter Seventeen

What are you so scared of
? A little voice asked inside of her head.
Haven’t you been waiting to break out of your shell for such a long time
?

Spending the night in the woods with Travis would absolutely be the best way to break out of the same old tired routine she had placed herself in over the past couple of months. She would get to see and experience what gave him his inspiration. Most artists didn’t reveal their muse to everyone, so she should feel very blessed that Travis was willing to do that with her.

“After giving it some more thought, I think it would be wonderful to go with you,” Renee said hoping this wouldn’t be a mistake on her part.

“I still need to work on a couple of things here and leave some instructions for my assistant Cruz. In addition, I need to get a change of clothes from home. I can’t put the same clothes back on from the day before.”

His face spilt into a wide grin. “Baby, I promise you that you will love it. I can’t wait until tonight when you’re wrapped in my arms looking up at the stars,” Travis said. He rested his hands on her shoulders, causing her body to tingle from the light contact.

Why must Travis’ every movement remind her of his animal magnetism? She was having a hard enough time not kissing him as it was outside in front of her shop. But she decided not to do it since she didn’t want everyone in her personal business.

“Travis, I know you’ll make it perfect for me. I have no doubt about it,” Renee answered, running her finger down the front of his shirt. God, she had to get away from him before she lost control.

“I better go. How about you meet me at my house and I can follow you to your camp from there?” Renee suggested. “I’d rather drive my own car just in case. I never know when it comes to the gallery.”

Pulling her to his hard chest, Travis ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “Renee, I don’t care if you drive your own car. All I care about is tonight when I turn over and you are there next to me.”

Travis’ soft spoken words wrapped Renee up in a cocoon of euphoria. To other people it might seem like they were moving too fast, but it was just at the right pace for her. She wasn’t over thinking anything going on between them. All she was doing was living in the moment which was a huge change from her usual well thought out life.

Moving Travis’ hand away from her lips, Renee took a step away from him. It would be for the best if she put some distance between the two of them. He might have forgotten they were on a public sidewalk in plain view of everyone, but she hadn’t.

“Stop trying to tempt me into doing something bad,” she scolded, lightly. “Now, let me get my work taken care of and I’ll meet you at my house around three o’clock.”

“I’ll back off for now, but once you get out there at my camp you’ll be in my territory and I’m not going to let you go until I’m good and ready.”

He looked at her and the double meaning of his gaze was very obvious. “Enjoy the rest of your day at work. I’ll see you later on at your house.” Travis winked at her and then turned around heading back in the direction his jeep was parked at the side of the street.

Standing back Renee noticed how every woman stopped and did a double look at Travis’ tight ass in his jeans as he sauntered past them, but not once did he ever take a second glance at them.

Yes, ladies look all you want, but Travis is going to be with me
, Renee thought as she turned away.