Free Playing For Keeps (Montana Men) by Jaydyn Chelcee Page B

gasp told him he’d hit on the truth.
    “I told you, it’s none of your bus — ”
    “Don’t. Stop freezing me out.” Travis frowned.
    Sam lowered her gaze and kept it lowered. “I don’t want to
talk about it. Please? Just let it go. It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s dead.”
    “I wanted to kill the bastard.” Travis exhaled. “I would
have, if someone hadn’t beaten me to it.”
    Samantha’s head jerked up. She pressed trembling fingers
over his lips. “Don’t. Don’t say that. Please. He’s dead.”
    “Good riddance.”
    Tears flooded her eyes. “I’m asking you to let it go, all
of it. Forget what happened between us. It was a once in a lifetime mistake…I
made.” She stiffened in his arms. “One I won’t ever repeat. So do…forget it.”
    “I can’t.” Travis drew a deep breath, and slowly released
it. “I can’t.” He looked around. They’d stopped on the dance floor. People were
staring. He tightened his hold on her narrow waist and picked up the steps
again. “Relax. Act as if you’re having a good time in my arms. Molly can take
care of herself for three minutes.”
    Samantha tilted her head and scowled at him. “It’s our job
to take care of her.”
    “It’s our job to mingle. We’re mingling.” Travis danced
her to a quiet alcove. “Why do you hate me?”
    Her mouth gaped. “I don’t hate you.”
    “Yes, you do. Why? Because I gave you the best damn
orgasms you ever had?”
    “What on earth gave you that idea?”
    “You.”
    “Travis… I — ”
She looked around as if desperate to find justification to walk away. “Look,
Molly’s excusing herself. Once she’s out of here, we only have to mingle for a
little while, watch the Secret Service until she’s clear, then our job’s
finished. Let’ s just get through this evening.”
    Travis dropped his arms to his sides. “Yep. Heaven forbid
Molly doesn’t make her date.”
    “Excuse me. I have work.”
    “Samantha?”
    She looked over her shoulder. Impatience speared her face.
“What?”
    “Is Hayley my daughter?”
    She turned to face him, an edge of wariness in her eyes.
All the color drained from her face. He knew he’d blindsided her with the
unexpected question. Catching her off guard was the best way to read Sam.
    “No,” she said in a ragged voice. “What on earth gave you
that idea? She’s David’s daughter.”
    “I wanna see her. I’ve never seen your little girl, not
since she was a newborn. You don’t even keep a picture of her on your desk. Why
not? Afraid I might see it?”
    “I don’t display her picture for her protection. Lots of
people come and go from my office. They aren’t always the good guys.”
    “That doesn’t wash, Sam. I find it a little strange you
have no photos of your daughter on display. Everyone else has pictures of their
kids on their desks, at least those who have children. Is there something wrong
with her?”
    “Of course not. She’s perfect.”
    “I want to see her.”
    “No.”
    “Sam, I want to see her.”
    “No.”
    “You can’t keep me from seeing her.”
    “Yes, I can. She’s my daughter. You come near her and I’ll
have you arrested.”
    “I’m going to see her,” Travis stated. “It can happen
before or after a DNA test. Your choice, but I am going to see her.”
    “You bastard, leave her alone, and leave me alone.” She
whipped around to leave.
    “Sam.” He called her name softly, but the warning was
there, plain for her to hear if she heeded it.
    She turned round, impatient.
    “If Hayley’s mine, then that night we spent together was
no mistake. Our daughter is not a mistake, and don’t ever say that again.”
    “There is no our. Hayley belongs to David. You wore a condom…remember?”
    “Yeah. I remember. And I remember being in you without
one, too, right after. I remember how good you felt and how close I was to
coming again. Maybe I did…a little, before I pulled out of you.”
    “You didn’t climax, Travis. Not then.