Compromise Me (Book Two of the Kirkland Family)

Compromise Me: Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Okay...she's not like my little sister anymore," Travis told Arielle later that day at the Memphis Zoo while Tristan perched on Sam's shoulders to see over the crowd surrounding the panda bear exhibit.

Arielle snorted, her eyes on her cell phone, watching a video of the concert that had been uploaded to the internet already.  She flashed the screen at him.  "This chick was never anybody's little sister.  Well..maybe Billy Idol's little sister, but definitely not yours."

Travis watched the video for a moment.  It was fuzzy, badly recorded, but the photographer seemed to have a fascination for Josie because that's all he captured.  Josie, in skintight pants, a glittery shirt and those f*ck-you heels, prancing and strutting around that stage like she belonged there.  It all came back to him.  The music pounding.  The heat in Josie’s green eyes.  The croon of her voice as she seduced all those people.

Hell, she seduced me, and I’m immune to her.

Yeah...keep telling yourself that, buddy.

Shut up.

Arielle turned off her phone and turned on a bright smile.  “So?  What’s the scoop with you and the Princess, as you like to call her?”

“Nothing,” he said and smiled at Tristan who was giggling at the panda bears.

“Don’t tell me ‘nothing,’” she said, imitating his voice.  “You forget.  I know you better than most people.  I’ve seen more of you than most people.”

“Please don’t remind me,” he said, grimacing.  “You promised to erase any visuals of that night from your memory.”

“Well, hell, Travis,” she said, whispering so their son couldn’t hear.  “It’s not like it’s a secret.  We got stupid one night and had sex.  It was weird, but we’re okay now.  You’re my best friend--”

“Don’t let Sam hear you say that,” he told her.

“Sam,” she sighed, gazing fondly at her fiance.  “God, I’m glad I found him again.  We dated in high school, did I tell you that?”

“Yes...a million times.”

“Have I told you that you and him are nothing alike?”

“How so?  He’s a good-looking guy...I’m a good-looking guy...we’re practically twins,” Travis said, nudging her with his shoulder.

“Uh huh...would you get married to an ex-girlfriend who had a child by her best friend, and then actually like the guy who impregnated her?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said.  “Depends on the ex-girlfriend, I guess.”  He gave her a charming grin.

“Okay, let me rephrase that,” she said.  “Would you marry Josie if she had a baby with a man she never planned to be sexually involved with for the rest of her life?”