“Of course not. You look beautiful.”
Biting her lip, Lia’s body went warm all over at his compliment. So, his friend had taken her picture and sent it to him. How adorable. It’s like they were two teenage girls. The thought made her laugh quietly as she turned her key in the ignition just enough to roll down the windows.
“How come you didn’t come with him?” she asked.
“I wanted to, but I’d been working out and was all nasty so I needed a shower before a client showed up. I did you a favor.”
“I don’t know about that. Were you shirtless?” she teased in her flirty voice. It made her cringe a little at how easily she slipped into it, but she had a job where flirty voice was profitable, so she could hardly help it. She was good at it, although she was pretty sure it was the first time she’d used it on Tyler.
“Not at that moment. But I’m happy to be shirtless whenever you want me to.”
“I’ve just never seen you without a shirt. I’m a little curious.” The absolute truth, although she’d fantasized about what she thought he’d look like.
“You should have said that the other night. I guess we’ll just have to fix that next time.”
She was happy to hear that he wanted to see her again. “I think so. I want to see all your tattoos.”
“Oh boy. You’re in for a treat, then. I’ve got a few.”
“Do they each have a story?” Lia asked, enjoying the fall breeze on her face as she imagined discovering all his tattoos.
“More or less, although some of them have a similar story. It goes like this. ‘Once upon a time I was young and stupid. The end.’”
She laughed. “You wouldn’t be the only person with that tattoo story, I’m sure.”
“Definitely not.”
“Do you regret any of them?” She asked.
“Nah. They are all part of my past. No use in regrets. I’m happy with where I’ve ended up.”
“I like that philosophy.”
“Yeah? I think it’s a good one. You have regrets now?”
She hesitated, watching the person get into the car across from her. Answering this question was tricky as she didn’t want him to pry too much. “Trying not to.”
“Well, as far as I can tell, you have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m impressed by you.”
Lia glanced at herself in the review mirror, hating that she saw a woman staring back at her that wanted to be strong, brave, and honest, but was usually faking all three.
Soon. Soon she would finally become the person she was meant to be and everything would fall into place.
She changed the subject. “Thank you for . . . helping me to bed the other night.”
“My pleasure.” Another awkward pause. “What are you doing right now?”
“Sitting in my car.”
“Do you have anywhere to be?”
“I have to work at three.”
“I was going to run home for lunch. You want to come over? No point in sitting here on the phone when I could be showing you my tattoos in person.”
Lia laughed, loving that he’d used his own flirty voice. “Okay. I guess so. If you promise.”
“Oh, I promise. In fact, I’m not letting the sun set on this day without you seeing all of them. Even the one on my butt.”
“What? Do you seriously have one on your butt?”
“You’ll have to check to know for sure.”
He gave her his address and her excitement grew as she pulled out of the campus parking lot and headed to his neighborhood. He owned a home, apparently, and she was extremely curious to see what it looked like.
She’d been so certain she’d pegged Tyler correctly in the beginning, but she’d been wrong. Yes, he looked a little rough and badass, but once you saw him joke with his friends, learned he mentored teen boys, and listened as he spoke about his brother, you knew he was just a once-hardened man who’d become a softie. Sometimes it was hard to imagine him fighting someone, although she knew he had. Abbie had googled him and tried to show Lia some of the fight videos, but she hadn’t really been ready to see the man she knew beating another human to a bloody pulp, or to know that was the same man helping to teach her brother to defend himself. Lia hadn’t let on, but her anxiety had ratcheted up as she viewed the short clip that she did. It was even worse to hear her best friend describe him as “a fighting machine.”
That was her worst nightmare. She didn’t want a fighting machine. Hadn’t really been sure she wanted a man at all, but now that she was considering it, the last thing she wanted was a violent one. She was smart enough to realize that what he’d done was somewhat of a sport. A job, but it didn’t matter. Violence was violence, no matter the form, and she was just praying that he didn’t keep some hidden part of himself under lock and key, like a dormant volcano waiting to erupt.
Listening to the driving directions on her phone, she turned onto Farrow Street and then began to look for the house number. She spotted him getting out of his black SUV in a driveway up ahead and pulled in behind him.
Tyler walked down the driveway and met her as she got out of her car. “This day just got a whole lot better.”
“I’m glad. I don’t always have that effect on people,” she said.
“I bet you’d be surprised. But feel free to turn all other men off.” The minute they were close enough, he put an arm around her neck in the gentlest headlock and pulled her into his body. “I don’t really like to share.”
She was glad her face was smashed into his chest, hiding her goofy grin at his somewhat possessive admission and touch. That usually would have had her scrambling, but it felt right coming out of Tyler’s mouth.
Not one to miss an opportunity, Lia inhaled against his chest, loving the scent of cologne and laundry soap. It was the most ordinary smell, but on him it made her want to stand here and enjoy it all day.
He placed a quick kiss on the top of her head and then pulled away. “Come on. I’m hungry. You hungry? I’m afraid I only have preportioned meals, which might not be your thing.”
“Preportioned?”
“Yeah, I’ve done it for years. A habit of training. Well, except for in the Army. But it helps me eat healthy. If I have it already made, I don’t hit the drive-through.”
He opened his front door and motioned for her to go in first.
“That’s real dedication,” she said as she entered his home, which smelled just like his shirt. He stepped in behind her, pushing her further into the long entryway. Wood floors led to the next room.
“Come on back.” She followed a few steps and they entered a large living room. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“This is really nice.” She wasn’t lying either. The house was a beautiful mid-century ranch, with angled ceilings, a large stone fireplace, and a back wall of modular windows that flooded the room with warm light. His furniture was oversized and unfancy. Typical for a guy, she supposed. But he had a ton of books and magazines on a huge coffee table. Most about fitness and sports, a few about business, which she wouldn’t mind looking at.
“Thanks. It works.” He laid a stack of files down on a chair as Lia looked around the room some more.
The wall behind his sofa had three beautifully framed and matted black-and-white photos. One was a sweeping city landscape, in the middle was a snowy mountain range, and the last appeared to be a Kansas prairie. “These are nice. Did you take them?”
He looked surprised and a little embarrassed. “Yeah. That one is L.A. The middle one is outside of Kabul. The last one I took during one of our zip-lining trips.”
Lia smiled at the memory she had of zip-lining with him. “That’s not at all what I imagined Afghanistan to look like.”
“It’s a beautiful country. Lots of mountains. These three images sort of represent stages of my life. Where I started, where I . . . found myself, I guess.” An embarrassed chuckle slipped out. “And where I am now.”
She nodded as she took in every nuance of each of ph
oto. The light, the subject matter. He was obviously drawn to vast landscape images, and she loved that he felt comfortable enough to share his thoughts on what they represented. “What brought you to Kansas, of all places?”
“I’d been stationed at Fort Riley before deploying, so I’d spent some time here. That’s where I met my buddy Jase. You met him at Timber that day. We were in Afghanistan together. When we were both out I just . . . decided to come back. His father had passed while we were gone and I sort of wanted to be there for him. And I like Manhattan. A lot slower paced then L.A.”
“I bet.” She smiled at him “Lots of pretty girls, though.”
He tilted his head and gave her a wry grin. “Plenty of pretty girls in Kansas.”
Lia decided to take that as a compliment and not think about all the pretty girls he might have spent time with in the past.
“It’s also nice being next to the base I’m familiar with since I chose to join the Guard,” he said, heading toward the kitchen.
Lia followed him, sitting down on a bar stool while he shuffled through his refrigerator. “So, what does that mean, exactly? Could you be deployed again?” The thought terrified her, actually.
He pulled two containers out and laid them on the bar across from her. He stared down, obviously considering her question. “Sure, it’s possible. But probably unlikely, unless I ever want to be.”
She watched him pull out two plates and set them down before she responded. “Do you think you’d ever want to be?”
“I don’t see that happening, no.”
She nodded and collected her suddenly depressed thoughts as she looked around the kitchen. It was also nicely decorated in blacks, whites, and natural wood. “I really like your kitchen.”
“You wanna know my secret?” he asked, popping the lid off the first container.
“Of course.”
“My mom did all this.”
She laughed out loud. “Your mom is good.”
He shrugged as he arranged the sliced-up chicken, broccoli, and rice on the two plates. Super healthy, for sure, but Lia was okay with that. “She has a good eye. Works at a fancy little store in Pasadena. When I bought a house, she insisted on coming out and decorating it. Since I felt bad for moving so far away after being gone for years, I could hardly say no.”
“Of course not. Are you close with your mom?”
“Yeah, I’d say so. I don’t see her often, but she’s cool.”
“You sort of mentioned your dad. I’m guessing you’re not really close to him?”
“No. Not at all. I rarely speak to him. My mom divorced him five years ago. Best decision she ever made.”
That didn’t come as much of a surprise since he’d mentioned being very angry at his father once before. She could relate. Her father was a runner, before she’d ever been born. The next guy who’d tried to fill his shoes had only broken her heart by starting off as a loving parent but quickly turning into a total prick. It was no secret to Lia why she’d never been excited about inviting a man into her life again. It didn’t take a shrink to tell her she had a phobia of trust and, therefore, intimacy.
“Must be some good thoughts you’re thinking,” Tyler said, pulling her attention back to him. He gave her a quick wink as he covered the plates in foil.
He followed her gaze. “I try to avoid using a microwave if I can help it.” He turned around and carefully placed both plates in the oven. After setting a timer, he turned back to her. “That means we have exactly twenty minutes to kill.”
Tyler walked around the bar counter so Lia sat up and turned on her stool to face him. When he stood in front of her, she tilted her head up just a fraction to look at him.
His gaze ran over her face as his hand came up to palm her jaw. “I know I’ve said it before, but you’re just so beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Can I kiss you?”
Lia swallowed, her heart pounding and her entire body turning to liquid at his touch, the sound of his voice, and the way he seemed to look right into her soul. “Yes. Please.”
She extended her neck as he leaned down, and then his lips covered hers. Just like the first time, he took it slow. Gently he warmed up her entire mouth with small kisses and soft grazes. It was the most erotic thing, and like last time, she couldn’t help thinking about how unique it was to kiss him. Like something she’d never, ever experienced before. Not really saying much for someone with her limited experience, but she was a smart woman, and she knew when something was special.
When he finally parted her lips, and deepened the kiss, she was nearly shaking with desire. The feel of his tongue against hers, the smell of his skin. It was all so perfect.
He placed small pecks down her chin to her jaw, and her lips parted on a quiet gasp. “I love the way you kiss me,” she sighed.
That earned a throaty chuckle from him, huffed against her neck. He lifted his face to hers. “I’m glad, because I love kissing you.”
She stood up, making it easier to wrap her arms around his neck. This time when he took her mouth, it was more intense. As her fingers slid through the short hair at the base of his neck, a low moan came from his throat. He angled his head and slipped his tongue between her lips.
In the back of her mind, she thought of the only thing that could make this moment better. Her arms slid down, and each hand grabbed a wad of his shirt. Lia began to tug on it. Understanding immediately, Tyler broke their kiss long enough to lift one hand up, yank the shirt over his head, and toss it to the floor.
“I did promise, didn’t I?” he teased.
Lia couldn’t even think of a response. Instead her eyes widened as she took in his chiseled torso. One arm and shoulder was completely covered in black-inked images. Everything from an American flag, to sunrays. On his opposite bicep were dog tags that read John Cavallo. She touched it lightly, running her finger over the name. “Your brother.”
“Yes.” Tyler’s voice was low and thick.
Her hands moved to his chest, which was not only formed of perfectly sculpted muscle, but also had a beautifully bold scripted tattoo that spanned the width of his pecs and just grazed his collarbones. Serva me, Servabo te. Below that was what appeared to be a date written in Roman numerals. She lightly traced the words with her nail. Tyler shivered beneath her touch, the hairs on his chest standing on end.
“Latin?” she asked. Tyler only nodded. “What does it say?”
He hesitated for a moment before finally responding. “Save me . . . and I’ll save you.”
Lia’s eyes met his. “Did you save someone?”
“I tried,” he whispered. “But I failed.”
The date had to be the day his brother was killed. She could only imagine what it would feel like to lose a brother. Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on the Roman numerals, then moved to the quote, kissing across it. Tyler’s head angled back, giving her better access, his hands gripping her upper arms.
Never before had she known this desire to make a man feel good. Every sexual encounter she’d almost had, made her anxious and left her feeling disappointed in herself and the man. But with Tyler, she felt beautiful and wanted, and not because she was a body, but because he desired her. Did men ever question their worth in moments like this? Surely they did, and she wanted to give this reassurance back to him. Show him how good he made her feel. How much she wanted him.
He sought her lips once more as she gently trailed her hand down the center of his chest. She loved the feel of his course hair as it tickled over her palm. His stomach clenched beneath her fingers and his kisses slowed to the point that he finally glanced down to where her nails lingered on the fly of his jeans.
“Lia . . .”
She knew she might be sending a mixed signal, but she felt confident that if and when she needed to slow things down, she could trust him to honor that. But for now, she wanted one thing. “Can I just . . . touch you?”
“God, yes.”
&n
bsp; Slowly, she lowered her other hand and her fingers began to shake as she sought to undo the button fly on his pants. A smidge of doubt crept in. Maybe she should be upfront. “It doesn’t me—”
His finger went to her chin, effectively shushing her, and lifting her gaze to his. “You’re in control, Lia. Nothing happens unless you say so.”
Relieved, she continued with his zipper, the sound loud even over the pounding of her heart. Inhaling deep, she kept her eyes on his as she tugged his underwear away from his body and then slid her hand inside. Instantly, Tyler’s nostrils flared on a hard breath, his eyelids fluttering closed.
He was warm, and his skin soft, as she wrapped her fingers around the width and pulled it out. She couldn’t help it, had to look down, and when she did, her first thought was that holding him in her hand made her feel powerful.
His labored breath caused his chest to rise and fall and suddenly she felt his forehead rest against her hair. She knew he was now watching too. The first stroke was slow and deliberate, her feeling every inch of his silky skin. After another pass she increased the pressure and the pace just a bit.
“That’s so good, Lia,” he whispered. She felt his head pull away from hers. “I need your mouth.”
The minute she lifted her face, his lips were on hers. She continued to stroke him, her palm now slick with his pre-cum. Last time she’d taken things even remotely this far with a man had been years ago. Something had been off, and she’d ended up changing her mind and wanting to stop. He’d had other plans, which had then led to him being much too aggressive, to the point that she’d had to force him off her, kicking and screaming. The encounter had been so traumatic, so frightening, she occasionally still had dreams about it.
That sudden memory had her pulling back a bit, her hand stilling.
“What’s wrong, Lia?” Tyler muttered.
“Nothing . . . I . . .” She tried to give him a reassuring smile but knew it wasn’t convincing.
Instantly his hand came up and replaced hers on his penis. Within seconds his pants were zipped up and then his hands were cupping her cheeks. “Too much?” He placed a kiss on her lips and then stared down at her.
Along Came Us (Man Enough) Page 11