“Ok, let’s do this.”

Travis stared at her. He honestly had expected her to ask them to take her home, but instead, she’d somehow made that shirt look like it was made for her and now she was heading right for the front doors, finger combing her hair as she went. Suddenly, Travis was the one wishing they were heading somewhere private rather than the local bar.

And he was also making a mental note to request that she go without a bra. Always. Ok, no, not always. He wasn’t that barbaric. But definitely when he was around.

Gage fell into step behind Kylie, his shoulders slumped forward as he went and the sight of him made Travis’ good mood fumble a little. It was clear Gage didn’t want to be here, but Travis knew it was better than the alternative. Although watching Kylie’s sweet ass in those jean shorts was giving him some other ideas on how to get Gage’s mind off of the disaster he’d endured tonight.

Travis forced himself to follow, and when they stepped inside the dimly lit bar, he was glad to see the inside resembled the outside. Except for a few guys in the back shooting pool, a couple of regulars sitting at the bar and a couple of women sitting in a booth near the front, they were practically alone.

With his hand on the small of her back, Travis led Kylie toward one of the booths in the far corner which would offer them a little privacy. As soon as she was seated, Travis moved in beside her, leaving her very little space between him and the wall and if he wasn’t mistaken, she was smiling. For some reason, he couldn’t keep his hands off of her, so he slid one arm around behind her, propping his elbow above her head, and ensuring he was close enough to feel her arm against his side.

When she smiled up at him, he almost forgot where they were. The spell was broken when the waitress made her way over.

“What’ll you boys have?” she asked, smiling sweetly at Travis and then over at Gage.

Travis glanced at Kylie, waiting for her to respond.

“I’ll take a Corona with lime, thanks.”

Travis then looked up at Gage.

Gage didn’t say anything, just tipped his head as though he were agreeing with what Kylie was ordering.

Travis then ordered a scotch on the rocks before dismissing the woman without another glance. It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to the way women flocked to him and his brothers, or their friends, but it irked the shit out of him right then. Ellie had ignored Kylie, and he had half a mind to have a chat with her about respect. Then again, that would require him to initiate conversation, and he knew how well that would go over. This particular woman would take it as an invitation.

Not that he was one to be preaching about respect. He wasn’t known for his glowing personality in these parts. In fact, most women just looked him over and then went about their business because they knew Travis wasn’t interested. Not since he was a teenager, had he indulged in a woman from their home town. After learning how fast those rumors flew, he’d decided to take his needs elsewhere, and it’d worked for him for the most part. Unlike his brothers, he didn’t have scorned women chasing him around like he owed them something.

Or men, thinking of Ethan.

“When is the resort supposed to open?” Kylie asked, sounding as though none of the events of the night had occurred and they were all just old friends here to talk.

Forgetting what he’d witnessed between his brother Ethan and the mechanic while they were in Vegas, Travis turned his attention to her. And then he smiled. There was a reason he loved this woman. Shit that almost sounded like present tense. What was worse, realizing it didn’t make Travis’ smile disappear.

“My goal is early next year,” he said after clearing his throat. Where the hell was the waitress? “At the rate we’re going, I’d say we’re right on the money. Maybe a little earlier if we’re lucky.”

“Are your brothers going to –”

“Here you go, sweetie,” the waitress cooed as she set the beers on the table in front of Gage and then putting the scotch close enough to Travis that she leaned over and shoved her tits right in his face. In an extremely catty move, she didn’t bothering to push Kylie’s beer toward her. “Anything –”

“We’ll let you know,” Travis barked, cutting her off before she could say “else”. She’d rudely cut Kylie off midsentence, and it would’ve been one thing if it was an accident, but Travis could tell by the smirk on her lips that wasn’t the case.

Travis retrieved Kylie’s beer and handed it to her at the same time she thanked the waitress politely, a knowing glint in her eyes.

Then, as though they hadn’t been interrupted, she picked up where she left off. “So, let’s try this one more time. Are your brothers going to work at the resort also?”

“That’s the plan. At least a couple of them anyway. Right now, just Kaleb, Sawyer and Zane are on board, each of them taking on certain duties.”

The tension at the table intensified as Kylie seemed to search for something else to ask. Glancing over at Gage, Travis frowned. The man had his hands wrapped around his beer bottle, using his thumbnail to pick at one corner of the label. It was obvious he would rather be anywhere but there.

The uncomfortable silence was interrupted when the front doors of the bar opened and the need to find something to talk about drifted right out with some of the cool air. Sawyer was standing in the door, grinning from ear to ear like he owned the place. By his stance, it appeared he was waiting for a roaring welcome. He didn’t appear to be fazed when none came.

It didn’t take him long to notice the three of them sitting in the back, and from that moment on, he seemed to be on a mission.

“Ellie, darlin’ you got an extra beer over there for me?”

Travis rolled his eyes as his younger brother flirted with the waitress while sauntering across the room as though all eyes were on him. And they probably were. Sawyer was an attention whore, always had been, and clearly he was in one of his moods tonight.

For the first time in a long time, Travis welcomed Sawyer’s irritatingly cheerful attitude. Anything if he could get the shadows to disappear from Gage’s eyes.

“What’s up, bro?” Sawyer asked, sliding into the other side of the booth with Gage as though he were invited. It didn’t even bother him that Gage had to move over for him to do so.

Travis raised an eyebrow.

“Hey, beautiful,” Sawyer greeted Kylie as though they were long lost lovers. “Glad to see these boys came to their senses.”

“Why’s that?” Kylie asked, clearly confused.

“Well, considering their noses are intact, it’s safe to assume they haven’t beat the hell outta one another and I’m guessin’ you’re the reason,” Sawyer said with a huge grin, his straight white teeth gleaming.

The waitress chose that moment to walk up to the table, another Corona with lime in her hand and a grin as broad as Texas plastered on her face.

Hmm, Sawyer and Kylie had something in common. Great.

“Thanks, baby. Come check on us in a bit, would ya?”

How Sawyer dismissed her and still sounded as though he were anxious to see her again was beyond him. Travis never did understand his brother, but the one thing he knew for a fact, the man was good with the ladies.

“Hey, bro, sorry to hear about your house,” Sawyer said, filling the silence as he spoke to Gage.

A nod was all he got in return.

“Guess now you’ll be movin’ into your grandma’s place, huh? You line up someone to reno it for ya yet?”

How the hell did Sawyer know what was going on with Gage when Travis hadn’t been able to get a bead on where the man was for the longest time?

“I’m working on it,” Gage said, his eyes landing on Kylie.

“Ahhh, that’s right. You’re the little darlin’ who’s supposed to be handlin’ that for him, aren’t ya?”

Travis groaned. Sawyer was laying it on thick tonight, his Texas drawl coming out in spades. And he was flirting like the devil he was.

As though Sawyer didn’t expect any answers to his questions, he continued to talk while the three of them sat there staring at him. “So, I’ve been thinkin’ about names for the club.”

“That right?” Travis had been on Sawyer for months to come up with a name for the club that he’d be running at Alluring Indulgence. Up till now, he’d been met with shrugs and noncommittal comments from both him and Zane where his request was concerned.

“Yup,” he said as he tipped his beer to his lips. “What do y’all think about Debauchery? Or maybe Hedonism?”

Gage nearly choked on his beer, and Travis groaned out loud, the smile he was trying to fight winning.

“Are you serious?” Travis asked.

“No? Don’t like those? What about Depravity? Or Carnality? How ‘bout Lechery?”

Kylie joined in the laughter and Travis found he loved the sound. He met Gage’s eyes from across the table and in that moment, something transpired between them. No matter what they wanted from one another, it was clear, they wanted her. And there was no way in hell this was at all casual.

“Have you been sleeping with a fucking thesaurus?” Travis finally asked, turning his attention back to his brother.

Sawyer’s mouth tipped up in a sly grin as he brought the lip of his beer bottle to his mouth, then winked at Kylie. Travis’ body went rigid, a possessiveness that he’d never known taking hold of his muscles and not letting go.

“What about Crave?” Kylie asked, glancing between Travis and Sawyer. All three of them stared back at her for long seconds before she spoke again. “What? Based on what you showed me today, I think it would be fitting.”