“You’re not the type to give up at the first sign of failure.”
“I’m not,” she said with a small smile, pleased that he recognized that about her. “But after a series of setbacks and disappointments, I thought I’d take a break. The crazy thing is that I’m much better at helping my friends and family achieve their dreams. I’m good at it. I thought it would be good practice until it was my turn.”
“But your turn never happened,” Travis guessed. “Until last weekend when you decided it was your time. That’s why you were in Vegas. No other reason?”
She shrugged. “Why else would I be there alone?”
Travis peered into her eyes. What could he see? Christine wondered. Could he tell that her life was built more on disappointments than achievements? That nothing came easy for her? She would read every article on setting goals and still come up short. There was a time when she used to think something was wrong with her. Why else did some people get everything they wanted and she was still waiting for a break?
“What two things did you cross off?” he asked suddenly. “I know one of them was to win money.”
Christine winced. Oh, why did he have to catch that part of the confession? “I decided that if I crossed one item off, I could add one,” she explained.
“The last thing you did in Vegas was win money. After that....”
She fought to meet his gaze. “After that...was you.”
Christine saw the light of surprise in his eyes. The sharp, angular features in his face softened. The edge of his mouth tilted up as he gave her a confident, sexy smile.
She crossed her arms and glared at Travis. “Shut up. I don’t want to hear it.”
His smile grew wider. “I didn’t say a word.”
“You don’t have to.” She had some crazy dreams on that list and now she’d given him the biggest ego boost.
“Hey, why are you glaring at me?” he said with a laugh. “You’re the one who added a one-night stand on your list.”
“No, I added you,” she corrected him. “And I crossed you off the list.”
His smile disappeared. “Was that why you slept with me? Because of some list?”
“If I was desperate to check something off my list, I would have added sky jumping or driving a Ferrari,” she said. “I could have added anything on my list and I wanted you. I wanted you the moment I saw you, but I wasn’t going to get distracted.
“I wanted you more than anything else Vegas had to offer.”
“And now that you’ve had me, you’ve crossed me off your bucket list and you no longer have any interest in me. Is that it?”
I wish. Instead of getting Travis Cain out of her system, she realized she wanted him more than ever. “No, that’s not it at all. I know that Cedar Valley will bore you. I’m just saving you some time.”
“Christine, you had my full attention the moment you stepped into that casino. Nothing’s going to change that.”
His declaration warmed her. Travis might believe what he was saying, but she knew it wasn’t going to last. “Big words for a man who doesn’t believe in staying in one place for long,” she murmured. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
* * *
SHE WAS GOOD. Travis watched Christine closely. She was selling this little innocent small-town girl routine. For a moment he believed it. He wanted Christine to be exactly what he first thought—a mix of sweet and spice.
Was it possible that she could just be a hardworking woman who hadn’t had a chance to go after her dreams? And that emerald could bring in enough money that she could leave this tiny town and live out her craziest, most expensive fantasies?
He wished Christine wasn’t the thief, but he had to face facts. She was the only person who could have stolen the emerald. His suspicions were confirmed when she hid from him. Only a guilty person would panic.
She’d recovered quickly. It made him wonder how often she found herself confronted by the victim of her crimes. She said she was hiding because of how she was dressed? That made no sense. She was beautiful and sensual and no clothes could hide that.
“Oh, great. I just saw my neighbor walk by,” she muttered. “She doesn’t come to the bank on Mondays. She must have heard about your public display of affection in the lobby.”
“You were with me every step of the way,” he said with deep satisfaction. This woman who was way out of his league put him on her bucket list. Her Vegas to-do list. He couldn’t help but smile.
“Hello, Rhonda,” Christine said. Travis watched Christine give a friendly wave at a young woman with a pixie cut and a long, flowing dress. “Looks like it’s going to storm today.”