by Codi Gary
Man, this shit was hard.
He watched Dani take a bite of her cheesecake, some kind of Oreo creation, and her eyes appeared to roll back in her head. “This is amazing. You have to try it.”
Picking up his own fork, he scooped up a hefty chunk and slipped it past his lips. “Oh man. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing.”
“Let’s see.” Without asking, she took a small bite of his peanut butter cup one and licked her lips. “Mmm, yours is pretty good, too.”
“Maybe we should split them down the middle and share.”
“Hell no, you just about took half of mine with that bite of yours. The rest is mine.”
“Wow, I never knew anyone could get so possessive over a slice of cheesecake,” he teased.
She licked her fork. “Then they did not appreciate the scrumptious goodness.”
Taking a bite of his cheesecake, he moaned. “Keep your cookie crap. Mine’s better, hands down.”
“To each their own.” She took another bite as she picked up her phone and started tapping the screen. “Do you know what you want to go see?”
“Definitely not a chick flick.”
She flashed a dirty look his way, and he dived back into his cheesecake. Then her face lit up. “How about this?”
She practically shoved her phone screen in his face, and as he took the phone and read the description, surprise shot through him. “You want to see a horror movie?”
“It’s a thriller, and yes. I can’t watch them unless Noah is at my mom’s, and I hate watching them alone. Please.”
Shaking his head, he handed the phone back. “I said whatever you wanted.”
Secretly, Tyler wanted to veto the idea. With all of the violence and bloodshed he’d seen in real life, he had no desire to watch it for entertainment, unless it was created by dinosaurs or sharks. But he couldn’t bring himself to crush Dani’s excitement.
Tyler Best putting someone else’s feelings before his own? Will wonders never cease.
An hour later, they sat in a nearly empty theater at the very back. The killer on screen stalked the girl about to get killed, hiding in the shadows. When he jumped out at her, waving his knife around so the light glinted off it, Dani screamed.
Tyler burst out laughing, shaking his head. “If these scare you so bad, then why are we watching it?”
“Because in controlled circumstances, I don’t mind being scared,” she hissed. “As long as it isn’t real.”
Tyler sobered, thinking about Rex and how scared he’d been that day. It was the only time in his life that he’d ever understood what frozen with fear meant.
He’d been patrolling the perimeter with Rex just after three in the afternoon. One of the other guys, Benjamin, kept BS-ing with him over the radio. He hadn’t even been paying attention, hadn’t realized what had happened until Rex yelped and the bulled tore through his knee, sending him falling to the ground. The shot had probably saved his life, but at the time, he’d felt trapped. Unable to move with the cascade of bullets whizzing over him.
He’d pulled Rex to his chest and held on, trying to stop the blood gushing from his dog’s chest.
“It’s okay, Rex. It’s going to be okay.” Grabbing his radio, he’d started screaming, “Heavy fire, we are under heavy fire. Rex and I are hit.”
Of course, they hadn’t made it in time to save Rex. They’d had to pry his dog’s body from his arms so they could get him to the hospital. He’d spent the whole flight scared that they wouldn’t make it or that he’d end up losing his leg. Hours of terror, and he’d never experienced anything like it since.
It was why he’d been happy to receive the position at Alpha Dog; the last thing he wanted to do was go back over there.
When Dani’s hand covered his and she squeezed, he looked over, coming out of his memories.
“Hey, you okay?”
Shaking off the past, he turned his hand over and threaded his fingers through Dani’s. “Yeah, I’m good.”
DANI TRIED TO squash the giddiness racing through her as Tyler and she exited the theater holding hands. Most of the men she’d been involved with she’d met at parties and clubs. They hadn’t been big on romantic displays or real dates. Tonight, Tyler had made her feel special and cared for.
And damn it, she really, really liked it.
“That was terrifying,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Glad I could make your night. Not really sure I’ll ever get feeling back in my hand after you squeezed it so hard, but—”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Playfully, she brought their clasped hands up to her mouth and kissed the back of his. “All better?”
“Much.”
His blue eyes burned into hers, and her breath caught in her throat.
“Dani?” A voice from her past called out from somewhere in the background.
Jerking her gaze away from Tyler, she found herself facing Angel Ramirez. Her jaw dropped in surprise and horror.
So Noah’s father was back from LA, and by the looks of him, things had definitely changed for the worse. His hazel eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed, as if he had allergies, but she was willing to bet it was drugs. His dark hair was greasy and lank, and his once muscular frame was now leaner.
Why the hell was he back?
“Well, I’ll be. Damn, girl, you look good.”
Dani felt Tyler stiffen next to her as Angel’s gaze slid over her from top to bottom.
“Thanks. I wish I could say the same.”
His eyes narrowed as understanding dawned. “Now, why you gotta be like that? You still mad at me?”
With a heavy sigh, Dani shook her head. “No, Angel, I’m not mad at you, but we need to be going—”
“Did you have my kid? Was it a girl or a boy?”
Dani scowled at her former lover, who was watching Tyler with a sly grin.
“It’s really none of your business. You were the one who told me you wanted nothing to do with us. A couple hundred bucks, and you were done, right?”
“Hey, I was just curious—”
“Well, stop being curious, because it’s not going to happen. You stay away from us.” With a light tug on Tyler’s hand, she started to lead him toward the exits.
Angel’s hand gripped her arm. “I’m not done talking, bitch—ow, fuck!”
In a move she hadn’t even seen coming, Tyler had released her hand and grabbed Angel’s arm, twisting it up his back until he was bent over in pain.
“Do. Not. Touch. Her.”
Tyler shoved him away, and as Angel stumbled forward, barely catching his balance, Dani realized that Tyler was standing in front of her like a shield, protecting her.
Placing her hands on his biceps, she squeezed them as she kissed his shoulder. “Let’s just go, okay?”
Tyler put his arm around her, still positioning himself between her and Angel. Dani saw a security guard headed their way when Angel said loudly, “This isn’t over.”
They kept walking silently until they reached Tyler’s car. He helped her inside, and after he’d pulled back onto Watt Avenue, heading toward her house, he still hadn’t said a word.
“He wasn’t like that when I was with him.” Why the hell had she said that? Was she defending her choices or Angel?
She saw him nod, yet still he didn’t speak.
“I’m really sorry that you had to get dragged into that tonight. I never expected he’d come back from LA, so I didn’t think about this being his old stomping ground. I wasn’t always the Queen of Common Sense, you know? I liked bad boys and parties, but when I found out I was pregnant with Noah, everything changed. I knew I had to do better, to be better.” She couldn’t seem to stop talking, just kept filling the deafening silence. “It’s why I haven’t dated; I couldn’t trust myself to make smart decisions. Was afraid I’d end up falling for a guy who was bad for me . . . bad for Noah.” He made the left turn onto her street, and finally, fed up with his stoicism, she cried, “Will you please just say something?”<
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After what felt like a lifetime, he spoke softly. “Is that why you asked me out? Because you think I’m a nice guy?” He parked in her drive and, shutting off the car, turned to face her. “That I’m not your usual type?”
Her heart slammed against her chest. “I asked you out . . . because I wanted to. I mean, you’re so good with Noah, and I thought—”
“Forget about Noah, and tell me, how do you feel about me?”
Dani’s heart lodged in her throat, and she tried to say something, but no words came out.
A bitter laugh escaped Tyler. “I am such an idiot.”
“Tyler, you don’t understand—”
“I’m not a good guy, Dani. In fact, I am the last guy you should want your kid to model after. Tonight was essentially the first time I’ve ever just taken a woman out with no intention of sleeping with her. I don’t go to dinner and the movies with women I am not related to. I’m an asshole who is only looking for one thing, and once I’ve got it, I don’t call and I don’t write. That’s who you asked out tonight.”
Tyler was breathing hard, and the windows started to fog up around them. As Dani absorbed everything he’d said, she was even more confused about his behavior tonight.
“Then why did you go out with me? Why the big show of being a gentleman and not making a move?”
“Because I wanted to see if I could do it. Because since I met you and Noah, it got me thinking that maybe I’ve been missing something. But honestly, I don’t know if I’m cut out for this . . . I don’t know if I can be what you need.”
Despite every reservation, every warning bell going off in her head to cut him loose, she closed the distance between them and brushed his mouth softly with hers.
“You said you wanted to take things slow . . . Let’s do slow.”
TYLER COULDN’T BELIEVE he’d poured his heart out like a pussy, and she’d kissed him for it. He’d told her he wasn’t sure he could be a part of their lives, and instead of slamming out of the car, she’d done what he’d been dying to do all night.
Cupping the back of her head as she started to pull away, he kissed her back, sliding his tongue between her lips to deepen it. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as their mouths danced, teasing and tasting each other. Tyler’s hand trailed down over her round bare shoulder to her waist and stilled, itching to move around and cup her ass, but no.
Ending the kiss, he chuckled roughly when she tried to follow him. “Hang on, baby, I can tell you right now that if we keep kissing like that, there will be nothing slow about what happens next.”
In the dim glow from the porch light, he could see the flash of red across her cheeks right before she released his shoulders.
“Do you want to come in for some coffee or something?”
Tyler didn’t trust himself alone in the car with Dani; forget about her empty townhouse.
“I better not. I’ve got to be up early.” Reaching out for her hand, he asked, “Have you ever been geocaching?”
“No, what’s that?”
“It’s fun. Me and a few of the trainers from Alpha Dog are going to go tomorrow”—he glanced at the clock on his car—“well, okay, today. Do you want to go?”
“I have no idea what it even is, but I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“If you were intruding, I wouldn’t have invited you. It’s mostly hiking and exploring while searching for containers filled with knickknacks. Like a scavenger hunt.”
“What’s the point?” she asked.
“Like I said, it’s fun. Plus, I’ll be less likely to try for more than just kissing in a group. What do you say?”
She hesitated briefly, then nodded. “I’d love to.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Eight?” He climbed out of the car at her little squeak and went around to let her out. “You know that is barely seven hours from now.”
“Then I’d better make sure you get inside and go right up to bed.” He stopped at the bottom of the steps while she climbed to the top.
“Seriously, eight?” She stood on the porch above him, unlocking her door. When she turned back around, her mouth open, he’d stepped up so he was standing right behind her and cut off whatever other protest she had with a hard, hot kiss.
When he pulled back, his voice was so low and gravely, he hardly recognized it. “I promise to make it worth your while.”
Chapter Thirteen
DANI HAD GOOGLED geocaching that morning and couldn’t believe that this was what Tyler and his friends liked to do in their spare time. Treasure hunting? Seriously? It was so childish and nerdy.
Her doorbell rang just after eight in the morning, and blearily, she answered it. Tyler stood on the front porch, grinning like an idiot with a Starbucks cup in his hands.
“If that’s for me, I take back all the mean things I’ve been thinking about you this morning.”
“About me?” He handed off her coffee and bestowed a long, lingering kiss on her mouth that left her swaying. “Don’t hate. You’re going to have fun.”
“So you say, but I haven’t been hiking since I was nine.”
“It’s like riding a bike. Do you want to bring the dogs?” he asked.
After a moment of consideration, she shook her head. “They have a doggie door to go out back, and besides, Bella gets tired after a while, and I don’t feel up to carrying around a thirty-pound pug.”
“Well, I brought Duke. He gets around pretty well with the cast. We’re going back to the vet next week, and once the cast is removed, he’ll start his specialty training.” Holding his hand out, he added, “Shall we go?”
Dani stepped out, locking her front door with the key. “What is his specialty going to be?”
“I think he’ll be excellent in search and rescue. It’s not my department at Alpha Dog, but I’m going to train him myself.”
When he took her hand and led her down the steps after him, her whole body warmed from the inside out.
“You look very pretty, by the way. Did you go shopping for this last night, too?”
Dani squeezed his hand and shot him a glare. “No, and I did not go out and buy that dress special either. It had just been sitting in my closet, and I’d never worn it.”
“Sure. You know, it’s okay to admit that you went shopping for our date.”
“Please, you already have women falling all over themselves to get to you. The last thing you need is an ego boost.”
He spun her around until her back was against his car, and the hand not holding hers rested next to her ear. He leaned over her, his face a serious mask save for the unholy twinkle in his eyes.
“You know, you’re one tough customer. Why do you think my ego doesn’t need stroking?”
“Because men who look like you always know they’re hot.”
“Aha, so you admit it. I’m hot.”
Pulling him closer, she leaned up toward his mouth. “Pretty is as pretty does.”
“Ye havna care fer me tender feelins, lass.”
This time his fake Irish accent earned him a smile. “If you’re done with your stroking expedition, can we go?”
“One kiss first.”
She was happy to oblige, keeping her coffee out of the way. Both of his hands ended up cupping her face as he kissed her so well her toes actually tried curling in her boots. Her nipples hardened against the cups of her bra, and she nearly dropped the cup in her hand, the urge to wrap her arms around him was so strong.
Again, he was the one to pull away, but she took it as a good sign that his dark blue eyes were nearly black with desire.
“We better go. We’re meeting everyone at eight thirty.” He released her and took a step back.
“Who is everyone?”
“Hop in, and I’ll tell you.”
“What, you aren’t going to get my door this time?” she asked.
“I would, but you’re kind of in my way.”
Realizing she was still leaning a
gainst it, she stood up. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I like that I’m distracting you.”
“There you go again.”
Once she was in, she was greeted by Duke’s wet nose in her ear from the backseat. Laughing as she dodged his tongue, she murmured, “Nice to see you, too.”
Tyler glanced her way as he climbed in. “You ready?”
“For fun? Sure, bring on the fun.”
“That’s the spirit.”
TYLER PULLED INTO the Raley’s parking lot alongside Sparks’s truck. If Dani was nervous about meeting his friends, she didn’t show it.
Him? Well, he was wondering what the hell had possessed him to bring her around the bunch of idiots when this was so new. When he wasn’t sure what this was besides . . .
Happiness. Yeah, he could admit that when he was around Dani, it was like he was enjoying a good buzz without the hangover.
He hadn’t told anyone he was bringing Dani, and he couldn’t imagine what they were going to think. He just hoped they’d keep their mouths shut. The last thing he wanted was anyone to screw with him in front of Dani.
“Okay, full disclosure, my friends don’t know you’re coming.”
“Are they going to be mad?” she asked.
“No, but they’ve also never had me bring a woman around them, so they might act a little . . . peculiar. Just ignore them.”
Dani laughed. “Whatever you say.”
Tyler took a deep, nervous breath and climbed out of the car just as Sparks and his girlfriend, Violet, rounded the back of his truck with donuts in hand.
“Hey, you’re here. We’re just waiting on Kline, Bryce, Vincent, Martinez, and Eve to get here, and we can get going.”
“Whoa, Martinez got Eve to come?” Frankly, Tyler couldn’t imagine Eve Reynolds geocaching; she might break a nail or something.
“Yeah, apparently, he made some kind of deal with her . . . ”
Sparks’s voice trailed off as Tyler opened Dani’s door and she stepped out.
In fact, his friend’s jaw seemed to be fixed to his chest, it had fallen so far.
“Sorry, we have a last-minute addition. Dean Sparks and Violet Douglas, meet Dani Hill.”
Violet seemed to recover first, wiping her hand on a napkin before stepping around and offering it to Dani.