Page 61 of Echoes From Within
“Who are all of those people you’re talking about?” Allie asks from where her face is pressed against my chest.
Travis grins, “A story for another time, sweetheart.”
He pauses and looks at me with a gleam in his eyes. “What do you think, baby? How about the two of us taking on the role of foster parents?”
Foster parents? Is he crazy? I’m just now getting to a point in my life where I can breathe again and he wants me to foster a child? He won’t even kiss me. Sure, he’s told me the things he wants to do to my body but he’s never made a move to do so. How can we possibly navigate the challenges of parenting a child who has been through so much when he doesn't seem to believe I'm strong enough for even a simple touch?
I open my mouth to say exactly that.
“Let’s go see what they say,” I say instead.
Both Travis and Allie jump back and shout their excitement. I simply shake my head and follow them out of the room.
“We want to foster her,” Travis tells them. “She can stay with us.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but that’s not how this works. You have many steps to go through just to see if you’re approved to even be foster parents. Then, and only then, would it be decided if she were to stay with you.”
“Fine,” Travis says. “Put it through whatever steps you need to. Until then, I’m taking my girls and going home.”
“Again,” the man says looking uncomfortable at the animalist growl coming from my man. “She would have to go to another home until your approval came through.”
I can tell that Travis is one more comment from losing his mind, so I jump in.
“What if she were to stay here at UNITY until we can do what we need to do to take her home?” I suggest. “I mean, she’s already been here for two weeks. As much as I hate the idea of leaving her here for a while longer, in the end, it will be worth the wait.”
“That might work,” the other man says. “Let me make a phone call.”
“I don’t want her staying here,” Travis tells me. “I’d rather take her home but maybe having her go to the foster home until we’re able to get her will be best. We could always go over there daily to see her.”
“I don’t like the idea of her staying here for who knows how long either but if she doesn’t then she’s going to be sent to some house with adults that only care for the paycheck they’ll get for housing her. Think about your childhood, Travis.”
Guilt floods me at the shock in his eyes but I need him to think rationally. He told me stories about how he was thrown from one foster home to the next after his parents were killed. Some of the adults didn’t treat him very nicely.
“Not fucking happening,” he says. “We’ll move in here until we can take her home.”
I nod and decide to stop waiting for him to make a move. I take a step forward, lean up, and press my lips against his. When he doesn’t seem to be responding, embarrassment floods my body and I move to step back. But his hand flies up and grips the back of my head, effectively holding me in place. With a low grumble, his tongue traces my lips.
“Open up, baby,” he says. “Give me what I fucking crave.”
Shocked that he’s talking like that in public, I gasp, giving him the opening he’s ordered. I try to use my tongue to explore his amazing taste, but he’s dominating my mouth and I have no choice but to submit.
“Fucking delicious,” he says against my lips, giving them one more soft peck. “Fucking mine. But you shouldn’t have done that, baby.”
“Why?” I ask breathlessly.
“Because I’ve been trying my best not to trigger you or scare you with the amount of need that I have for you. Now that I’ve gotten a taste, I won’t be able to keep my mouth away.”
“Good,” I whisper. “I won’t break. I’m also an adult. If things get to a point where I feel myself crack, I’ll tell you.”
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too.”
“Grownups are gross.”
Travis leans away and looks over at a smiling Allie.
“They really are, aren’t they?” he says, going over and picking her up.