“And you aren’t sure having me as a brother-in-law ranks as high?”
“We aren’t talking marriage yet, asshole,” he growled.
Tyler laughed. “No, you’re right; it’s too soon.” He shrugged. “But she’s the first woman I could imagine myself spending the rest of my life with.”
Mac rolled his eyes and smiled. “God, you have it bad.” His face grew serious as he added, “Everything you say makes sense from a logical standpoint, but she’s my baby sister and logic pretty much goes out the door when I know what you do to women.” He sighed. “But, I don’t want to see either of you broken hearted, either, so I’ll give the two of you a chance to work it out without my interference.”
“Thanks. Really. I know this has to be hard for you.”
“Yeah well, as long as you’re staying at the house I know you aren’t hurting her.”
May as well break it to him now. “We’re getting a room tonight, since I’m leaving tomorrow.”
Mac’s eyes were smiling even though his face and voice weren’t. “Bastard.”
Tyler stood and brushed the sand off. “Yeah.” He smiled, hoping to deflect some of Mac’s irritation. “No idea who my father was.” He took off running as he yelled over his shoulder, “Race you back!”
Chapter Twelve
Viv’s feelings were all over the place. On the one hand, she looked forward to a normal date with Tyler, and the scene she was sure would come later. On the other, she had a feeling they’d only have a few more scenes together before realizing the relationship couldn’t go forward, and just thinking of saying goodbye to him made her heart hurt.
She took her time getting ready, beginning with a long soak in the tub and a total shave of everything below her shoulders. She spent time making her hair look carefree and fashionable, and applied her makeup heavier than normal. It wasn’t her Katrina makeup, but was far from college professor or research scientist.
David wouldn’t approve of her slinky red dress, but Tyler was taking her to dinner and then dancing, and this was what she wanted to wear, so her brother would just have to deal. As she wiggled into it and smoothed the fabric over her curves she had second thoughts, but reached for the matching clutch and opened her bedroom door before she could change her mind.
The men were watching a ball game in the den, and Tyler stood and walked to her as soon as she stepped into the room. He wore black dress slacks and a loose charcoal silk shirt with super-thin royal pinstripes. Viv thought he looked yummy enough to eat.
“You’re more beautiful every time I see you.” Tyler reached for her hand and lifted it over her head to twirl her around. She obliged, and when she faced him again he leaned in to kiss her cheek and muttered in her ear, “Great, now I have a hard-on in the same room with your brother.”
She’d almost forgotten her dad and David were watching, but forced herself to not show her discomfort. She was a grown woman, even if David didn’t want to admit it. She grinned at Tyler and looked past him to her dad. “I’ll be back tomorrow, probably between noon and one. I have my cellphone but don’t plan to take it to dinner. If you need me tonight, call Tyler’s cell.”
“We’ll be fine,” David said. “But I don’t recall giving you permission to look so…” He waved his arm towards her, apparently unable to finish his sentence.
Viv smiled sweetly and turned towards the door, waiting until she was stepping outside to launch her parting shot. “I didn’t ask your permission, brother dear.”
Tyler walked to the passenger side without vacillating this time, though he didn’t tell her where they were going until they were a few miles from the house. She knew to head towards town, but he’d been secretive about specific plans. Her eyes widened in surprise when he named one of the most expensive hotels in town, adding, “We’ll check in as soon as we arrive. We can walk to the restaurant and club from the hotel.”
“Don’t spend more than you should, to try to impress me. I’m pretty sure government employees don’t make bajillions of dollars.”
“I’m spending within my means, don’t worry. I wouldn’t do it every day, but it’s fine for a special occasion. Besides, the last two years I’ve basically had two jobs. My agency check was direct deposited and I never touched it, as my cover had me working and drawing a paycheck under another name.”
Viv glanced at him sideways before returning her attention to the road. “Will this be a normal date, or will we have some of the scene while we’re out?”
“I’m not sure. My initial thoughts are to wait until at least after we eat to go into a scene, and I think I might like to dance with you some as your partner, and not your Dom. Do you have a preference?”
Relieved, Viv said, “I was hoping you’d want to wait until after we eat. Maybe we just play it by ear, or feel, or…whatever, and see if we can flow into it naturally once we’re in the club?”
* * * *
Tyler pointed her towards the valet line as Viv turned into the hotel, but she ignored him and drove into the parking garage — she was capable of parking and walking, and it seemed silly to pay someone so she wouldn’t have to walk a hundred yards. He didn’t comment on her choice, and retrieved both overnight bags from the back seat once she’d parked.
As they entered the expansive lobby, Tyler casually passed the bags to a bellhop as he told the concierge his name. He was immediately handed two key cards, and they were encouraged to enjoy their stay and told to contact the front desk if they needed anything at all. Viv was surprised Tyler seemed so casual being treated as if he were rich enough to warrant the attention, but didn’t say anything. She wondered if her brother worked enough jobs in these circumstances to be comfortable with it, too.
The bellhop was nowhere to be seen, but when they entered the suite Viv noted their bags on a table in the bedroom. Unsure of what to do, she paced to the wall of windows and looked down at the people on the beach.
Tyler stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her, and his warmth and strength settled her nerves, but her emotions were bittersweet as she relaxed into his embrace. How much longer would she have this?
“I’m tempted to unwrap you now and play with what’s underneath, but I’m looking forward to taking you out.”
Viv turned in his arms and looked up to meet his eyes. “Not to mention, I’m starving.”
“Well, we can’t have the lady fainting from lack of nourishment.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “We’re still twenty minutes away from our reservation time, but it’ll probably take ten or fifteen minutes to get there if we take a leisurely stroll.”
Viv stepped away and retrieved her clutch from the coffee table. She pulled her driver’s license and a credit card out and slid them into an inconspicuous pocket sewn inside the neckline of her dress. “Can I have the other key card, please?”
He handed it to her and she slid it into the pocket as well, tucked some lipstick into her bra, and looked up. “I’m ready.”
“I don’t think you’re carrying,” he said, surveying her dress this time instead of admiring it. “Because I can’t imagine where you’d hide a gun, but I feel the need to ask.”
“I can carry concealed under this dress, but I’m not tonight because I intend to have a few drinks.”
He raised an eyebrow and ran his eyes from her feet to her head. “Under your arm, or inner thigh?”
“Under my arm. I never carry on my thigh.” She shuddered at the thought and he laughed. “Smart woman. Have I told you how sexy it is, knowing you can take care of yourself? You’re so self-sufficient.” He shook his head. “It seems the upper level criminals always pick women who can’t take care of themselves; women who can’t leave because they need them.” He ran the back of his hand over her breast, over her invisible pocket, and continued. “If I piss you off tonight, or something happens to me, you’ve made sure you can get back to the room, where your car keys are. You’ve thought ahead and made sure you can take care of yourself in case I don’t t
ake care of you.”
Viv was surprised he’d figured out why she asked for the key card. “You aren’t upset? Some men are offended if they figure out I’m arranging for a Plan B, just in case.”
He shook his head. “On the contrary, I’m happy to know you’d be okay if something happened to me. If I get hit by a car you’ll have ID, a credit card, and a way back into the room.”
He led her to the door, and their conversation continued as he double-checked to be sure it locked behind them.
“I know you probably asked David if I’m as good of a shot as Dad said.”
“I could tell you knew what you were doing by the way you handled your weapon as you readied for bed. It was obvious you carry regularly, and you followed all the safety protocols without even thinking about them.”
Viv’s brow wrinkled. “Safety protocols? I just took it and the extra clips out of my holster and settled them on the night table.”
Yes,” he said, chuckling. “And your finger never touched the trigger, even though you handled it with a classic shooting grip. You also glanced at the safety and pushed it up with your finger out of habit, to be sure it was engaged. You settled it on the table so it didn’t point at anyone in the house, but at the correct angle to easily grab in the middle of the night.”
Viv shook her head. “I guess my Dad pushed safety at me so hard, it just seems more common sense than safety.”
“I plan to spend some time at the range when I get back. Would you like to make it a date?”
“Don’t you usually go with David?”
“Yes, but I’d like to go with you, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to shoot your gun.” He paused. “And if you want to shoot any of mine, you’re welcome to them.”
“I don’t want to exclude David. You were his friend first. Maybe the three of us can go?”
Tyler removed his hand from her waist and reached for her hand. “Sounds like a plan. We won’t try to settle on a day since our schedules are so unpredictable, but the first day we’re both back with no other obligations, let’s see if we can make it work.”
A uniformed attendant opened the lobby doors as they neared, and Viv thanked him, but her smile turned to a grimace as they stepped into the humid Miami heat.
“I never missed this stifling heat while in New Hampshire.”
“What about the whole ‘there’s no place like home’ thing?”
“I miss Dad when I’m gone, and the house, but not really Miami. What about you?”
“I don’t have a home to go back to, other than yours.” He shrugged. “Mom was mostly stationed in D.C. or New York, but happened to be working out of Jacksonville when she died, so I went into Florida child protective services. I’d like to find a place to put down some roots, but it doesn’t have to be Florida.”
Their conversation was all over the place as they ate — with neither ordering for the other. Viv had only eaten at this restaurant once, when her Dad had brought her here for her eighteenth birthday. The menu didn’t show the prices, and Tyler paid the bill without her knowing the total. It went against her nature to not pay her way, but she instinctively knew she’d insult him by offering to pay her share. However, she made a mental note to at least buy a round of drinks when they reached the club.
When they left the restaurant he directed her towards the pier, saying he wanted to walk around a little and take in the sunset. Viv didn’t argue, but one viewed the sunrise in Miami, not the sunset. At least, not amongst the skyscrapers on this portion of the beach.
However, he led her to a section of the pier with boats, and handed an attendant two tickets as he helped her from pier to yacht.
“How far out are we going?”
“It’s a romantic sunset cruise, with slow dancing and drinks. It goes out just far enough to let you see the sunset over the water.”
“Any other surprises I should know about?”
He smiled and brushed her cheek with his lips, but didn’t answer.
The boat traveled quickly the first thirty minutes, and passengers were encouraged to remain seated as the staff delivered drinks and appetizers to the tables. Viv felt the boat slowing as the captain announced passengers were free to move around, and the band took the stage and began to play Barry Manilow’s Can’t Smile Without You. Tyler stood and offered his hand, and Viv smiled as she once again allowed him to help when she didn’t need assistance.
They were the first on the dance floor, but Viv didn’t care as she stepped into Tyler’s arms and followed his lead. She shouldn’t have been surprised he knew how to dance, or how his strong lead was so easy to follow, but she was.
However when he leaned down to say, “I don’t suppose you know how to foxtrot,” she was sure the surprise must show on her face. He grinned and said, “You’d be surprised at the training someone in my old line of work was required to undergo.”
In answer to his question, she spread her left arm, placed her right hand on his shoulder, and dropped her shoulders as she leaned her body back and angled her head. He smiled as he lead her through the first steps, and Viv marveled at easy he was to follow.
Vivian usually ended up surreptitiously leading — kind of topping from the bottom without appearing to. However, Tyler was a strong dancer who broadcast his next moves well enough she knew what was coming, plus he used his arms to be sure she was heading in the right direction, but without pushing her around the dance floor.
The pair flowed around and across the floor as if they’d been dancing together for years, and Viv felt as if she were floating in a dream. When the music ended the room clapped and she looked around in surprise, as she hadn’t realized others were watching — everything and everyone except Tyler had disappeared while they danced. She was more than a bit flustered at the applause, and Tyler must have picked up on it, as he directed them to the wall of windows before the next song began.
The sun was thirty or forty minutes from setting, but she only glanced at the view a second before turning to Tyler. “That was magical. I’ve never danced so easily with someone the first time, without practice.” She paused and added, “I’m not sure it’s been so easy with anyone actually, even after time and practice.”
He traced the curve of her ear and continued along her jaw line until his finger rested just below her chin, and tenderly tilted her face to give her a short kiss. “Did you realize you settled into your submissive persona? The applause brought you back to yourself, but it seemed to take a moment to get your bearings.”
Viv hadn’t realized, but as soon as he said it she saw the truth in his words. “How is it possible you understand me better than…” She shook her head. “No, I didn’t realize, but you’re right.”
He brushed her hair over her shoulder and ran his hand down her arm. “Of course I’m right, but you are, too.” He lifted her hand and kissed her palm, sending goose bumps over her body and a surge of electricity to the apex of her thighs. “It was magical. I love you, Viv.”
Viv’s heart hurt as she said, “I love you, too.”
“Why do you look so sad when you say it?”
“Because there’s no guarantee this can be a long term arrangement.” His mouth opened to respond, but she quickly added, “But I don’t want to talk about it tonight. I want to have fun.” The song ended and the band began to play Head Over Heels, and Viv reached for Tyler’s hand and led him back to the dance floor.
When the boat finally docked it was dark, and Viv was ready to turn loose and dance crazy — the band had apparently only known sappy love songs. She wasn’t sure where Tyler intended to take her next, but was pleased when she saw his choice of club.
They danced for hours, and Tyler proved to be a great dancer to pretty much any kind of music. Thank goodness Viv had taken an adult hip-hop class the last couple of years, or he’d have danced better than she could manage.
When they finally left the club at nearly two in the morning, Viv’s feet started hurting the moment they stepped into
the humid Miami night air and she realized they had a two-block walk back to the hotel.
Neither had mentioned dropping into a scene, and Viv didn’t bring it up now, as she was too content leaning into him as they walked. They’d literally danced for hours, with just a few breaks for another drink, and she was in an exhausted state of bliss — if you ignored the bitching and moaning of her feet.
Viv didn’t know what he’d planned but was happy to follow his lead, which wasn’t really like her when she wasn’t in a scene, and she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it. Sighing inwardly, she told her inner voice to just shut up already. She had a good buzz going, and was on one of the best dates of her life.
Tyler kissed her senseless in the elevator, only releasing her when the doors opened. He led her down the hall, keyed them in, and pushed her against the wall as soon as the door closed behind them.
There was no doubt he was in control of the kiss as he pressed her against the textured wallpaper and ravaged her mouth, but when she touched his shoulder he backed off and let her catch her breath a few minutes before saying, “Turn around, please, so I can unzip your dress.”
He wasn’t using his Dom voice, but she turned and shifted her hair over her shoulder.
The zipper’s vibrations sent tingles through her, and her hips involuntarily shifted as her clit throbbed to life.
“Mmmm.” He leaned in and nipped the side of her neck from behind. “I love how responsive you are.”
He turned her towards him, keeping her in the circle of his arms. “How about we have a relaxed scene tonight? If you don’t like something, or don’t want to do something, tell me. No requirement to say Sir, no threat of punishment for breaking a rule, because there are no rules. I’ll give you the sensations I think you need, and you’ll be free to touch me however you want, and say what you want.”
Suspicious, Viv asked, “Why?”
“We’re both tired…” He broke off and shook his head, as if arguing with himself. “We connected tonight, but it was different from the way we connect in a scene. I’d like to continue with the energy. It’s a bit of a departure for me, and probably for you, but it feels right.”
Safeword: Rainbow (2013 extended edition) (Safeword Series) Page 16