The biggest smile she’d ever seen lit his face, and then he leaned over and closed the already tiny gap between them. His hands were in her hair, his mouth claiming her as his own and she knew that despite appearances to the contrary, despite the biker club lingo, Travis would never compromise her in the way Saxon had.

And that was the last time she ever wanted to think about her ex-husband again.

Finally, he pulled back, but she was glad he didn’t let her go, because her head was spinning from the events of the last few hours and his unexpected confession. And there were so many more questions taking up her headspace. “What about your work? What about Tallahassee? Are you really moving back to the Quarter?”

He nodded. “Let’s go inside and discuss this somewhere more comfortable.” The wicked gleam in his eye told her they’d both be horizontal during any conversation, but she didn’t have a problem with that at all.

Later in bed, with Baxter asleep on the floor beside them, Travis’s fingers trawled lazily through her hair and over the bare skin of her neck as he explained how he could work from anywhere.

“Tallahassee was never really home,” he confessed, “although I tried to fool myself that it was. I don’t have any real friends there and it was never in my blood, not like the French Quarter, not like the Deacons, not like you.”

Billie bit her lip, then asked, “The Deacons were an outlaw club, right? Does that mean I should be worried about what you might be getting involved with?”

He shook his head. “Priest wanted us to go clean years ago, but he got conned into one last job. We torched a building and a guy died.”

She was quiet as he continued. She knew his past, had accepted him for what he was.

“None of us have ever been clear on exactly what happened and why Priest sent us away, but it was the brotherhood we missed and that’s what we want to recreate. I’m not looking for a life of crime and I’ll keep working for myself.”

“Okay. Good.” Because surely she needed to have some scruples. “So what will you do about the Ministry?”

Travis sighed. “I honestly don’t know because we’re not at full strength, but I don’t want you to worry about that. I’m not going to let any harm come to you, I promise.”

It wasn’t herself she was worried about. Not wanting to think about that, Billie turned her attentions back to Travis’s body. Tracing her fingers along the lines of his tattoos was rapidly becoming one of her favorite pastimes. For someone who had never given much thought to tattoos in the past, they intrigued her now. Should she get one done?

She was about to put this question to Travis, but she bit her tongue at the last moment. Maybe she’d surprise him. Maybe she’d get it in someplace only he would see. She grinned, imagining the look on his face when she unveiled it. And then she chuckled as she thought about the look on her family’s face if they ever saw it.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

She shook her head and kissed him again.

Chapter 14

After their first official “church” meeting since the Deacons had returned, Travis followed a still reluctant Micah out of The Priory. But whereas Micah, or Prince as he was known to the club, continued on down Bourbon to whatever had been keeping him busy these last few weeks, Travis turned into the gallery and glanced around at the mix of sculptures and paintings. Funny how you could change your opinion of a place in a matter of days. Billie’s enthusiasm for the art she sold had rubbed off on him, and seeing New Orleans again through her eyes had helped him rekindle a love affair with the city he’d thought long gone. He was in such a good mood that even Rolley’s presence in the gallery didn’t annoy him.

The scruffy hippie glared at him but Travis ignored it, instead heading inside to go find Billie. Yet as he did a walk through the rooms, calling both Billie and Baxter, he found no sign of either of them, so he dug his cellphone out of his back pocket and dialed Billie’s number. Within a few seconds her ring tone sounded from somewhere in her bedroom.

Cursing under his breath, he followed the sound until he found the phone lying under the pile of clothes she’d discarded last night before falling into bed with him. It wasn’t as if he needed to see or talk to her, but they’d barely been apart these last few days and after a few hours discussing the Ministry, he was more than ready for a dose of his woman. Where was she? And when would she be back? Damn, he supposed he’d have to ask Rolley if he knew.

As he headed back down the corridor Billie’s phone beeped in his hand, signaling a message. Without thinking, he glanced down at the screen and almost dropped it when he read who the message was from.

Lorna—Made any progress?

What the fuck? Made progress about what? What was his mom messaging Billie about? Hadn’t he told her to stay the fuck away from this place? And surely Billie had gotten the message that he didn’t want her to have anything to do with his mother. Anger burned in his chest, but he told himself to calm the hell down. He checked the phone for other messages and let out a sigh of relief when he saw they were all one-way. This wasn’t Lorna’s first message, but it didn’t look like Billie had replied to any of them. That was something.

He took a deep breath and continued into the courtyard. Rolley was dealing with a customer, so he bided his time, running his hands back and forth over the piano keys until the other guy was free.

Then, he tried for friendly. “Hey dude, do you know where Billie is?”

Rolley screwed up his face. “Why should I tell you?”

Travis’s grip tightened on Billie’s phone, but he forced himself to keep calm. He needed answers, not to waste time bickering with this loser. He shrugged, held up the phone and spoke slowly so Rolley could understand. “Because she’s mine, and she left her phone behind and I want to go take it to her.”

“What do you mean she’s yours?”

Travis smirked as he slipped the cell into his pocket. “You want me to spell it out?” Before Rolley could reply he continued, “When two people are attracted to each other they—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence before Rolley burst out laughing. “She’s playing you, man.”

Travis’s heart went cold. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Grinning now, Rolley said, “She’s gone to visit your mom. You really think someone like Billie would fall for someone like you? She’s being nice as a favor to Lorna, to try and convince you to make amends.”

“What the hell…?” Travis shook his head, his insides twisting. There was so much wrong with this scenario. Billie didn’t seem the type to use sex to get what she wanted, and no amount of sexual favors would ever bring him to forgive his mother, but his stomach churned at the thought.

“Sorry, man.” Rolley didn’t sound sorry at all. He shrugged and gestured to the gate. “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you go see for yourself?”

What Travis wanted to do was wipe the smug grin off the hippie artist’s ugly face, but that would only show how bothered he was. And, considering he was the one with Billie between his sheets, he couldn’t quite work out why. Turning his back on the loser, Travis strode out of the gallery and stalked a few blocks down Bourbon Street when he realized he had no idea where Lorna lived. Cursing, he kicked his boot against a crack in the sidewalk and dragged his cell out of his pocket, hoping she was listed. Moments later, he cursed again when he couldn’t find her.

As much as it would pain him to do so, he was about to go inside and demand Rolley tell him the address when he remembered Billie’s cell was still in his pocket. He yanked it out and brought up his mom’s contact details. “Bingo,” he muttered under his breath, as in addition to her phone number he found her address and email. He knew the street on the edge of the Quarter well, and in his current mood it didn’t take him long to walk there.