by Marie Force
Tyler helped her out of her coat and put it with his on a hook inside the door. They settled in the first open booth while everyone in the crowded diner took note of their arrival, which Charley couldn’t see because her back was to most of the tables.
“Are they all looking at us?” she asked in that quiet tone she reserved for when she was uncertain.
Tyler helped her prop her leg on his side of the booth. “Not all of them.”
“Hey, guys,” Megan said as she came over with glasses of ice water. “This is a nice surprise. You’re feeling better, Charley?”
“Better every day. How’re you? I’m surprised you’re working this week.”
Megan’s pretty face lit up with happiness. “I’m taking Friday off at Hunter’s insistence.”
“You wild child,” Charley said, teasing her future sister-in-law.
“I feel like a wild child. I’m going to be off the week after Christmas, too, for our honeymoon. My sister is staying to help Butch while I’m gone.”
“Where’re you guys going?” Tyler asked.
“Bermuda. We wanted somewhere warm but close so we don’t have to spend two days traveling to get there.”
“Bermuda is beautiful,” he said. “You’ll love it.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Do you need menus?”
“I don’t,” Charley said.
“You’re having your usual then?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll have what she’s having,” Tyler said.
“Coming right up.”
“You’ve been to Bermuda?” Charley asked when they were alone.
“Uh-huh.” He hardly wanted to talk about a trip he’d once taken with an ex-girlfriend.
“Are people still looking?”
Tyler glanced around her shoulder. “Not really. Does it bother you that they know about us?”
“It would bother me if they start jumping to conclusions because we have lunch together at the diner.”
“Yeah, because that would truly suck,” he said with more bitterness than he’d intended.
“I don’t want to have to explain anything. After.”
In that moment, he realized she still planned to break up with him as soon as she possibly could. The thought left him deflated. “If you’d rather not do what we agreed to last night, you don’t have to wait until New Year’s Day to say so.”
“Have you changed your mind?”
“Not at all, but if you have—”
“I haven’t. I haven’t changed my mind about anything.”
Her meaning was received loud and clear. She still wanted to have a couple of weeks with him, and she still intended to leave him when that time was up.
Their lunch arrived, and they ate in uneasy silence—at least it was uneasy for him. The precarious nature of their arrangement reminded him too much of the day of her accident when things had been so uncertain. This wasn’t all that different, really. That day her life had been on the line. Now he felt like his was. Regardless of all the time they’d spent together, and after the deep physical and emotional connection they’d shared last night, he was no closer to convincing her that he could be what she needed for a lot longer than the next sixteen days.
Somehow he managed to eat most of his turkey club and a few fries while Charley devoured her lunch, apparently unaffected by the disquiet that plagued him.
When they were finished, he paid their check and got their coats.
Megan waved to them on their way out.
On the sidewalk, he said, “Do you want me to give you a lift or go get the car and pick you up?”
“Save your back and go get the car.”
“All right.”
Disappointed to not get to hold her again, he jogged across the street to get the Range Rover where he’d left it behind the store. He’d known from the start that winning her over would be an uphill battle. After losing himself in her sweet body, he wanted her more than he had before. If only he could figure out what was going on inside her head. Then maybe he’d know how best to proceed.
CHAPTER 17
Elated after the doctor declared her recovery to be ahead of schedule, Charley wanted to celebrate being officially off the crutches. And she wanted to do something to thank Tyler for all he’d done for her, but she couldn’t think of what would be appropriate. He’d been quiet since lunch, and though she wanted to ask him what was wrong, she refrained from posing the question out of fear of what he might say.
“Do you have time for a couple more stops?” she asked, staying in safer territory.
“Sure. Where do you want to go?”
“I’d love to stop in at the animal shelter to see my furry friends. I volunteer there when I can.”
“That sounds like fun. Let’s go.”
The Butler Animal Rescue League was located on the northern outskirts of town, between the road that led to Colton’s mountain and Gavin’s lumberyard. Tyler let her off at the front door, and she hobbled inside while he parked.
“Charley!” The director, Dawn, greeted her with a hug. “It’s so good to see you! We’ve been so worried about you.”
“Thanks for the flowers you sent to the hospital. That was so nice of you guys.”
“Least we could do for all the time you’ve given the shelter. You’re not here to work, are you?”
“Not quite yet, but I was hoping I could do some visiting.”
“Of course. The animals have missed their friend Charley.”
Tyler came through the door, his face flushed from the cold and looking sexy with the sprinkling of dark stubble on his jaw.
“Um, this is my friend, Tyler. Tyler, Dawn. She’s the director.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dawn said, shaking his hand.
“You, too,” he said.
When he went to look at a bunny in a cage, Dawn fanned her face for Charley’s benefit. “Holy smokes, girl,” she muttered. “Come on back.”
Amused by Dawn’s reaction to Tyler, Charley made her way slowly down the corridor that led to the dogs’ playroom, where several volunteer staffers were keeping an eye on things. Each of them greeted her with a warm hug and inquiries about her recovery. She introduced Tyler to them, and watched as they reacted to him the way Dawn had.
Since it wasn’t possible for her to get down on the floor with the dogs, she took a seat on a folding chair and let them come to her. The first to greet her was a black lab puppy named Rufus, who’d been returned twice to the shelter because of his high energy level. Charley felt a bond with him. She knew what it was like to be rejected. When she picked him up, Rufus snuggled into her embrace.
“Tyler, this is Rufus.”
“Hey, Rufus.” He scratched the puppy’s back.
Charley watched his fingers move and was reminded of how he’d touched her last night. The memory set off fireworks inside her, making her wish she could cross her legs against the insistent throb between them—all because he’d petted a puppy. Her physical reaction to him was unprecedented. That much she couldn’t deny.
“This is Maude,” she said of a white poodle that made her way over to give him a good sniffing.
“Hi, Maude.”
Because she was female, Maude swooned with delight at the attention Tyler paid to her.
One by one, the others came over to see what was going on. Stud, the German shepherd. Duke, the Rottweiler. Maisy, the pug. Stewart, the bulldog. They pushed and shoved each other out of the way to get at Charley and then Tyler, when he paid them equal amounts of attention.
“They’re so cute,” he said, laughing at their antics.
“I love them all. I wish I could take them all home with me.”
“Why don’t you have a dog?”
“Landlord won’t allow pets. Someday.”
“If you could pick any one of them, which one would you choose?”
“Oh, God, I don’t know. I want them all.”
“One.”
Rufus, who’d been sl
eeping in her arms, woke with a yawn and a stretch, before resuming the position. “Him, I guess, but he’s a handful. He’s been returned twice already because the people who adopted him couldn’t keep up with his energy level.”
Tyler signaled to one of the volunteers. “We’d like to adopt Rufus.”
Charley gasped. “Tyler . . .”
“I can keep up with his energy level, and I don’t have a landlord.”
“You can’t just . . . I mean . . . Adopting a dog is a huge responsibility.”
“I know it is. I work at home, and I’m a runner. I can give him everything he needs.”
As he said the words, he looked directly in her eyes, almost putting her on notice that he could do the same for her, if only she’d let him.
“You don’t have to . . .”
“I know I don’t.” To the volunteer, he said, “When can I take him home?”
“Even though Charley could vouch for you, it’s our policy to run background checks on potential adopters, and he’s due for more shots at a vet visit later this week. Would next week be okay?”
“That would be perfect.”
Charley couldn’t believe he was doing this, but she absolutely loved knowing that Rufus would go to a good home. A great home, in fact. Here she’d wanted to do something for him, and he was clearly doing this for her. “You should go to your new daddy,” she whispered to the sleeping puppy. But as she started to hand him off to Tyler, Rufus snuggled deeper into her embrace.
“He wants you to be his mommy,” Tyler said with a sly grin.
“Are you using the baby to get to me?”
“Would I do that?”
“Yes, I believe you would. You absolutely would.”
“Charley,” he said in a teasingly disapproving tone. “You think so little of me.”
“That’s not true.” In fact, she was beginning to think far too much of him, and that scared her more than anything had in a very long time.
They spent an hour with Rufus and the others before leaving the shelter with promises to be back next week to pick him up. Tyler had filled out the required paperwork and withstood a grilling from Dawn about how he would care for the energetic puppy. In the end, she’d declared him the answer to their prayers for Rufus.
“You’ve lost your mind,” Charley declared when they were back in the Range Rover.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because! Who decides on the spur of the moment to adopt a puppy?”
“I’ve been thinking about getting a dog anyway. It can get awfully lonely up on that mountain, and it would be nice to have a companion. Now where else do you want to go before we head home?”
“I’d like to stop by my place.”
“Sure.” He drove into town and headed for her house like he’d been there before, which he hadn’t.
“How do you know where I live?”
“I don’t know. I just do.”
“Stalker perv.”
“Hardly,” he said with a laugh. “I pay attention to you. How does that make me a stalker perv?” He pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. “Are you going to invite me in?”
“I sort of have to. I’m on the third floor.”
“Ahhh, I love when you need me.” He got out of the car and came around to her side, opening the door for her.
“Hey, Tyler?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you so much for adopting Rufus. He needs a good home after being rejected twice before. I love him, and I’m so glad to know he’ll be with you.”
“Why, Charley Abbott,” he said, his eyes dancing with mirth. “Is that a compliment you’re giving me?”
She looked up at him and nodded. “He’ll be lucky to have you.”
Cupping her face in his big hands, he said, “You would be, too, you know.” He lowered his head to brush his lips over hers. “I’d take such good care of you in every possible way, Charley. If only you’d let me.”
He was chipping away at the wall she’d carefully built around her heart. One sweet moment at a time, he was making her forget all about why she’d tried to resist him.
“Ready to go in?” When she nodded, he helped her out of the car and carried her up two flights of stairs to her apartment.
“Don’t expect too much,” she said when he put her down on the third-floor landing. “This place is a mole hole compared to your house.”
“It’s your home, Charley. I can’t wait to see it.”
She used her key in the door and stepped into her apartment for the first time in weeks. “It smells musty in here.”
“It’s been closed up.” His gaze encompassed her small living room and the adjoining kitchen and dining area. “This place is so you.”
“How so?”
“It’s eclectic and colorful and girly. Just like you.”
She liked his description of her home. “The bedroom and bathroom are in there.” While she went through the junk mail that Ella had left on her table, he went to see the rest of her small apartment.
“Charley, you need to come in here.”
The way he said that had her thinking something was wrong. She hobbled across the living room to the doorway of her bedroom. He had removed his coat and was sitting on her bed. “What’s wrong?”
He reached out to her. “Nothing at all.”
Because she couldn’t resist him when he looked at her that way, she went to him.
He pulled the hat off her head, unwrapped her scarf and unzipped her coat, pushing it off her shoulders.
Becoming unsteady on her feet for reasons that had nothing to do with her leg, Charley braced her hands on his shoulders. “What’re you up to?”
Tyler wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. “I needed this. Just this.”
Charley cradled his head against her chest, running her fingers through his thick dark hair. Standing in his embrace in the waning afternoon light, she thought of something she could do to thank him for all he’d done for her. “Lie back,” she said, her voice gruff with edgy desire that she no longer wished to deny. She wanted him physically. It was the rest she wasn’t sure about.
Releasing her, Tyler looked up with curiosity. “How come?”
“Just do it.”
He reclined on his elbows, propped up so he could see her.
Hoping her leg would support what she had in mind, she began unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans, working carefully around the hard column of flesh that became more rigid when he realized her intent. “Charley,” he said on a gasp when she freed him from his clothes. “You don’t have to . . . Ah, damn.” His elbows collapsed under him and his body arched, forcing him deeper into her throat.
Charley leaned over him, putting all her weight on her good leg and one arm, while she stroked him with her free hand.
“Holy Christ,” he whispered when she sucked on the head before going deep again. “Charley, Charley . . .” His fingers dug into her hair, fisting the strands as he tried to gain some control.
But she didn’t yield to him, taking him up nearly to the point of explosion before backing off and doing it again and again.
“Fuck, Charley . . .”
She loved the desperate, needy tone of his voice and decided to take mercy on him by cupping his balls and squeezing gently while she sucked him hard.
He came with a roar that echoed off the walls of her small bedroom and filled her with a feeling of feminine power she’d never experienced quite so intensely. She had owned this strong, capable, sexy man, and as wonderful as that had been, it had left her needy for more of him.
Pushing herself up on trembling legs, she pulled her sweater over her head and unclasped her bra. She removed her leg brace, unbuttoned her jeans and managed to fight her way out of them, her boots and her panties in the time it took him to open his eyes to see what she was doing.
She would never forget the way he devoured her with his eyes or how he rose up to remove his own sweater and kick off hi
s jeans before bringing her, carefully, onto the bed with him.
“You never cease to surprise me, Charlotte.”
“How do I surprise you?”
“I keep waiting for you to tell me we’re done, and then you blow me to within an inch of my life before you get naked for me.”
“I’m not going to tell you we’re done. Not yet.”
“Not ever.”
“Not yet.”
After setting her injured leg on a throw pillow, he turned over so he was on top of her, settled between her legs, gazing down at her with those eyes that saw her so completely. And while that had once terrified her, she was beginning to find comfort in being seen by him.
“I want to be with you here in my home for a little while. Can we do that?”
“Yeah, honey. We can do that.” He brought his lips down on hers, devastating her with the desperation she tasted in his kiss. No one had ever wanted her the way he did, and she was captivated by the way he needed her. She opened her mouth to his tongue, sucking and biting and drawing a deep groan from him.
Then he got busy making her crazy with his hands, lips, tongue and teeth, kissing her everywhere except for the places that burned for him. Her nipples were so hard and so tight that they ached until he took first one and then the other into his mouth, turning the ache into an inferno of need. Her body ignited under his touch.
“Tyler . . .”
“Talk to me. Tell me what you feel.”
“You. I feel you. I’ve never . . . Not like this.”
“I know, baby. Me either. Not like this.” He kissed her belly and moved lower, opening her to his tongue and fingers. “Sweet Charlotte . . . I can’t get enough of you. I’ll never have enough.”
Just as he didn’t hold back with his words, neither did he hold back with the deep thrusts of his fingers or the suction on her clit.
Charley exploded. She cried out from the sensory overload that gripped every cell in her body. She’d never come like she did with him and was still in the throes of it when he pushed into her, entering her in one deep, thick stroke that started a second wave of indescribable pleasure.
His fingers dug into her shoulders as he surged into her, riding the waves of her release with deep, punishing thrusts of his hard cock.