Along Came Us (Man Enough)

by Nicole McLaughlin

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Tyler found Lia and Caleb’s apartment easily the next evening. It was a well-maintained property in a nice part of town. He was a little relieved to see that it wasn’t one of the many complexes in town that catered to students. The kind where all the furniture was either built in or bolted down and the floor was covered in high-traffic carpet. Nothing wrong with that if you were indeed a student, but that kind of community was not ideal for a teenage boy and a young single woman. And he spent way too much time worrying over a woman that he hadn’t even kissed.

  After locating a parking spot, he glanced at his phone once more to verify that it was unit B, and headed up the sidewalk to the building. He surprisingly felt a little nervous about tonight. He’d worried over what to wear, if he should shave or not, and this morning he’d cleaned his house. Because you just never knew what might happen. Not that he usually cared less if he brought someone home and the place was a little cluttered.

  Lia was different.

  He still couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Yes, she was beautiful, and yes, he was sexually attracted to her. Very much so. But at the age of thirty-one, he’d had sex with plenty of beautiful women and yet he was still happily single. When it came to Lia, there was just . . . something. A feeling between them when they stood close, or when their eyes met. He was certain that if he tried to explain it to someone, he’d sound like a fool.

  Pushing the doorbell on unit B, he shoved his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. Glancing down, he noticed she had a welcome mat that said #GOAWAY. Alright, then.

  When the door opened, his heart nearly stopped. He’d seen her now a handful of times, mostly when she was working. But this evening, she wore tight black jeans, black heels, and a flowy kind of polka-dot blouse perfectly tucked in. The top couple of buttons were undone, exposing the most enticing line of cleavage he’d ever seen in his life. Her hair flowed long and beautiful, and her makeup was just enough to enhance what was already strikingly beautiful.

  Tyler swallowed. “Hello. You look absolutely amazing.”

  Her lips tucked in as if she was trying to hold back her grin, and she touched a lock of her hair that lingered on her chest. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure how dressed up to get, but I figured this wasn’t anything too . . . or a real . . . I don’t know. Never mind.”

  Her hand fluttered and he could see the slightest blush shade her cheeks. Damn, she was cute.

  “Let me fess up right now.” Tyler stepped a little bit closer to her. Tonight she’d changed scents, and instead of fruit she smelled like flowers. “I could have discussed Caleb’s training with you at the gym. Or yesterday at your work. I wanted to take you out for one reason. To spend time with you.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes bright. “Okay.”

  When he realized she wasn’t going to say anything more, he laughed and shook his head. This woman never ceased to entertain him, whether she was throwing out an attitude or shocking him with her subtle displays of vulnerability. “Okay then. You ready?”

  “Yes. Just let me grab my purse. Be right back.” She left the door open, and while he did linger in the doorway, he didn’t invite himself in. From where he stood, her place looked nice. The furniture was all neutral and tasteful. The decor feminine, yet not overdone. There was no sign of Caleb.

  She reappeared in a form-fitting black jacket, purse in hand. “Ready.”

  “Is Caleb home tonight?” Tyler stepped back while she locked up the front door and they headed for the parking lot.

  “He got invited to his friend Cole’s house, which really surprised me because he doesn’t usually have plans on the weekend.”

  “That’s good, though. Right? I mean, that he’s spending time with friends.”

  “Of course, although now I worry because it’s out of the norm. But I talked to Cole’s mom and she seemed nice. Said she’d be home all evening, so I can’t imagine they’d get into any trouble.”

  Tyler knew that if his own memories of being sixteen were any indication, a mom being home meant squat, but he kept that thought to himself. Not all kids were trouble like he was. “Caleb’s a good kid. I wouldn’t worry too much about him.”

  “I know. I just can’t help it.”

  “That’s because you’re a really good sister,” he said right before he opened her door on his SUV. She gave him a quiet thank-you before she got in.

  He headed around to the driver’s side, and as soon as he got in, he inhaled, loving how her scent now filled his vehicle. After starting the engine, he sat back and turned his head to her. When she realized he was staring, her head jerked in his direction.

  “What?” A smirk played at the edge of her lips.

  “I just have to tell you again how great you look tonight.”

  She rolled her eyes, but she laughed quietly then looked back at him. “You look nice also. I like this.” Reaching out, she gently touched the collar of his jacket, her nails sliding against the fabric. It was all he could do not to grab her hand, or lean his face down and press his lips to her fingers.

  He was excited to talk with her, get to know her better. But suddenly he had an overwhelming urge to get her alone. Somehow, he knew, with Lia Hanson, friendship just wouldn’t cut it.

  * * *

  “What do you think about Italian food?” Tyler asked as Lia pulled her fingers away from his jacket. She’d just wanted to touch him so badly and had figured that was a safe excuse. His eyes bored into hers.

  “I love Italian.”

  “Perfect. It won’t be nearly as good as my grandmother’s, but it’ll do,” he said, backing out of the parking spot. “Oh, and I’ll warn you now, I won’t even sit at a table with calamari on it.”

  “Can’t stand the stuff.”

  He put the SUV in drive and glanced in her direction. “Damn, girl, you’re getting sexier by the minute.”

  She laughed, and ten minutes later, they ended up at a quaint little Italian restaurant that Lia had never been to before. No surprise, as she rarely ate out. Once seated, they enjoyed discussing the menu, their shared likes and dislikes, and she found herself enjoying his company even more than she thought she would.

  By the time they were done eating, it had only taken one bowl of alfredo, two glasses of Pinot, and three funny stories about Tyler’s childhood in L.A. to loosen her up to the point of laughing out loud. Something she didn’t do frequently now that she thought about it.

  “Your brother sounds like quite a charmer. Does he still live in California?” she asked, taking a sip of the third glass of wine that Tyler had insisted she order.

  His brows furrowed the slightest bit as he took a drink from his bottle of Peroni. “Actually, my brother passed away when I was twenty-one.”

  Her lips parted in surprise. “I’m so sorry, I feel like I should have known that. I hope you hadn’t mentioned it.” She swore he hadn’t, but the look on his face had made her wonder.

  “No, no. It’s not something I usually talk about. John joined the Army after 9/11. Died in Afghanistan several years later.”

  “You must miss him very much.”

  He let out a mirthless chuckle. “Every single day. I enlisted because of him. I was so . . . pissed. And stupid. I’d been fighting for several years. First underground making a shitload of money and kicking a lot of ass. Eventually I’d been scouted and started fighting legit. Traveled the country, even went overseas. I thought I was invincible. So, when my brother was killed, I figured I could join and be some . . . unstoppable soldier. Felt like maybe that must be my destiny. My ultimate purpose, and I was on a mission to get deployed so I could exact my revenge.”

  Tyler’s elbows rested on the table, one hand outstretched as his fingers mindlessly picked at the soggy label on his beer bottle. His eyes were downcast, staring right through the wooden tabletop.

  “It’s a normal reaction, I would think,” Lia said quietly.

  “Maybe. I don’t think most soldiers go in as hotheaded
as I did. I went over there ready to start shit with anyone who looked at me wrong but I quickly realized how stupid that was. My brother was killed by enemy fire, but not every person in Afghanistan was my enemy. I told you before, I learned quickly that there were good people there. People just trying to live a normal life in a war zone.”

  “Of course. It’s good you realized that. I don’t think everyone does.”

  “No. They don’t. The sad part was that . . . I realized the person I was really mad at was my dad. He treated us like garbage. My brother wasn’t cut out to be a soldier, but I know he’d wanted to finally prove himself to our father.”

  Lia watched Tyler’s free hand, fingers moving aimlessly. Without thinking, she slid her hand across the table and laced her fingers with his. Instantly his eyes shot to hers and he squeezed her hand, forcing their palms to meet. Her fingertips brushed against the coarse hair on the back of his knuckles, just as she’d done that last time their hands met. His skin was warm, and she realized she wanted more than their palms touching. She wanted his hands all over her.

  “Sorry. That was a lot of personal shit you weren’t looking for,” he said.

  “I’m not sorry. I like hearing about your life. And for every sad story you got, I promise I can match it. Although I’ll spare you tonight.”

  His crooked smile was going to be the death of her. Any minute now. He squeezed their hands together once more, his eyes never leaving hers. “I want to know about you, Lia. Everything.”

  She flushed, realizing as much as his attention enticed her to share, she was afraid that if she did, that gaze would look at her in a whole new light. One that was less than flattering.

  “Eventually. Maybe.”

  “I’ll take ‘eventually maybe.’ Right now, I’m thinking . . .”

  When he didn’t continue, she swallowed hard and then spoke. “What are you thinking?”

  His voice lowered when he replied. “That you’re too far away.”

  Oh.

  He chuckled. “Not a good idea? Don’t worry, it was only a thought.”

  Her face must have given her shock—and hopefully not horror—away. Suddenly it embarrassed her that she couldn’t handle the suggestion of physical intimacy with a man, because she could. She had, and although it hadn’t gone well, that didn’t mean she was destined to have unfortunate outcomes with every man for the rest of time. She trusted Tyler, it was still just too soon to know. But maybe they could do more than hold hands.

  “We can leave. If you want to.”

  His teeth bit down on his bottom lip before he said, “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, Lia.”

  “I’m not. I won’t be. But . . . you should know, I’m not sleeping with you.” She figured it might be best to just get that out of the way so they could move forward on the same page.

  He stared at her for a moment, and to his credit his expression remained kind and curious. Finally, his lips quirked before he said, “Is that possibly another ‘eventually maybe’?”

  Lia laughed out loud again. “I make no promises either way.”

  “I can live with that.” Pulling his fingers free of hers, he quickly reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. After opening the folder and looking at their check, Lia watched as he slipped a hundred-dollar bill inside and then placed it in the center of the table. He then stood and held his hand out to her.

  Placing her hand in his, she allowed him to lead her through the restaurant to the front door. Walking made her realize maybe that third glass of wine had been one too many. Her insides were warm, her step light, and the man in front of her smelled so good it was driving her insane. He’d removed his jacket and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up at some point, and she could see the tight muscles in his forearms.

  Outside, the air held a bit of a chill, causing bumps to break out across her skin. Tyler pulled her body close to his as they walked through the parking lot to his vehicle. Once they were both inside and buckled in, he began to drive without a word. It didn’t take Lia long to realize he was heading back to her place.

  She glanced out the window. It was nearly dark, enough so that when they passed a streetlight she could see the reflection of Tyler in the glass. How she wished he would reach over and touch her. She could almost imagine his hand settling on her knee, sliding up her thigh. If only she could will him to act. Or maybe it was better if things didn’t get too frisky too soon.

  Before they turned onto her street, she shot a quick text to Caleb.

  LIA: Everything going okay?

  Thankfully he replied right away.

  CALEB: Yeah. You okay?

  LIA: Of course. Why?

  CALEB: Just curious.

  LIA: Text me in the morning and I can come get you if you need.

  CALEB: Cool. Night.

  LIA: Night.

  She laid her phone down in her lap just as Tyler pulled into a parking spot.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Just checking on my brother.” Considering Caleb had been the ruse for this date initially, they hadn’t done all that much talking about him over dinner. Of course, Tyler discussed the basics of fighting a bit, but mostly they’d talked about themselves. She dodged a lot of personal questions, but she appreciated that he hadn’t pushed her much on that score. She’d been happy to listen to him speak.

  Before she could decide how to handle what came next, Tyler was out of the vehicle and helping her out. They began walking up to the building, her heart hammering in her chest as she contemplated all the various conversations that could possibly take place when they arrived at her door. She’d obviously been crystal clear about what wouldn’t happen, but there was a lot of uncertainty left in between here and there.

  A stone archway, bracketed by evergreen trees, led to the alcove where her door was. The minute they stepped under the arch, Lia reached for his hand.

  “Wait.”

  Tyler stopped instantly and gently pulled her close. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just want to ask.” She hesitated, not knowing how to voice her thoughts. “I just . . . what are we doing?”

  Tyler looked down at her for a long moment and then stepped even closer into her space. Instinctively Lia backed up, her right hand still in his, until her shoulder blades hit hard stone. A slight smirk broke out on his face, and he took the opportunity to take another step forward. And another. Now he was so close that their jackets brushed, his firm thigh pressed against hers.

  His right hand came up and cupped her jaw. The ambient light glowing from her doorstep just a stone’s throw away allowed her to see the brown of his eyes.

  “I have every intention of respecting your wishes, Lia. But you should know, every time you spoke tonight, I watched your lips move. Thought about how badly I wanted to touch you.” His thumb ran across her lower lip, then lightly pulled down, letting it go with a pop. “Wondered what you tasted like.”

  She had no idea how to respond to that.

  “I want to find out, Lia.”

  “Okay” was all she could mutter as his head lowered to hers.

  At first their lips barely touched. No press or pucker, just his skin hovering above hers. She could smell the hint of alcohol on his breath, hear him exhale, feel it blow against her lips. He turned his head slowly just the smallest bit, his mouth feathering against hers, back and forth. Then finally, as he began another pass, his lips closed over her bottom one, gently drawing it in. He took hold of it again, and this time she could feel the slide of his tongue on the skin just beneath her lip as he sucked at her.

  That was all she could handle before she kissed him back. Her lips opening over his, their tongues meeting.

  God, had anyone ever kissed her so tenderly? With so much genuine desire to explore her mouth, reach every nerve ending on her lips, her chin, her face? It was like magic, and she heard herself moan as his hands palmed both sides of her face and angled her head just where he wanted it.

&n
bsp; Her body ignited like a match striking. Hands roaming over his arms, shoulders, then down to his butt. He pressed her harder against the stone, his entire body becoming flush with hers. The sensations were so good she felt incensed, and a little crazy, especially when his mouth began to work its way down her chin, her jaw, and then her neck.

  “Oh God,” she whispered, her fingers clutching his biceps as his lips closed over her collarbone. “My neighbors.”

  Truth was, in this moment, her neighbors could have pulled up chairs and sat gawking and she wouldn’t have cared, but she needed a reason to rein things in.

  “Let me come in,” he muttered against her jaw. His lips found their way back to hers, cutting off her hesitant reply. “I haven’t gotten enough of you. I promise we won’t go too far.”

  Lia wasn’t sure how much she was going to be able to give, but oh how she wanted a little more. Wanted it more than anything right now. “Okay.”

  With one last tug at her mouth, Tyler finally backed away so she could push herself off the stone wall.

  “I’m sorry. That probably wasn’t very comfortable.”

  She smiled. “I barely noticed.”

  Digging her keys from her purse, she felt the heat of his body stay close to her backside as she walked to her front door. When she slid the key into the lock, his hands settled on her hips. She had a feeling Tyler would be amazing in bed. Just the right amount of demanding, gentle, and wild. The kind of sex that fantasies were made of. But was that the right kind of sex for someone who had no idea what they were doing? She wasn’t so sure. It was probably for the best that she’d already let him know the score up front.

  They walked inside and she kicked Caleb’s backpack behind the sofa and out of the walkway. “Sorry. Teenage boy lives here.”

  “Don’t apologize. This is nice.”

  “Thank you.” She glanced around, trying to see her place from a newcomer’s perspective. Her apartment made her happy. It wasn’t big by any standards, but it was nice and she was proud of how she’d decorated it. One of her hobbies was scrolling through Instagram for decorating ideas. She couldn’t wait until she could one day afford a real home to fill with things that made her happy. “Would you like a drink?”