"She should be okay." Tyler stooped to retrieve his cane, then scooted a large bag of dog food out of the way so he could sink down onto one of the benches at the dinette table. "Why don't you cut the cake?"
Caitlyn blinked at the cake in her hands, then shot him a look that was priceless. "I'm afraid it got squashed, when we . . . uh, you know."
Tyler chuckled. "When we kissed?" If he were stil standing, he would definitely kiss those delectable lips again. Probably not a good idea, now that he was thinking with his brain. "Trust me, that cake wil stil be delicious," he said. "So what if it's squashed? It's the taste that counts. Grab two plates. Bowls might be better. And spoons. Do you have any milk?"
"Sure." Setting the cake on the table, she turned away, searching in the cabinet for the dinnerware. A scratch at the door and a smal bark announced Reba wanting inside again. Caitlyn let her in, then grabbed the milk from the smal refrigerator.
Tyler watched while she poured two glasses of milk and set the bowls and spoons on the table. She sat across from him, the light catching the golden strands of her hair that intermingled with the brown. How could this woman ignite a fire in his body so quickly? He couldn't remember a woman affecting him like she did. And he'd been with many different women.
Careful y unwrapping the cel ophane, Caitlyn scooped out the smashed cake into the bowls and handed one to Tyler. He waited before taking a bite, wanting to see her reaction to the chocolate confection. His sister Tori said the taste sensation was orgasmic. Would Caitlyn's reaction be similar? And how could he stand it, if it were?
Caitlyn dug her spoon into the gooey cake and took the first bite. She closed her eyes as the chocolate burst across her taste buds. Dear lord, she'd never tasted anything this wonderful. The dense moist cake and rich creamy frosting melted on her tongue. The sprinkling of chewy pecans complimented the chocolate and texture.
Al in al , it was almost as good as sex. Almost.
Tyler gazed at her out of his dark blue eyes, looking like he wanted to devour her instead of the cake. He smiled a slow sexy smile that showed those irresistible dimples at the corners of his mouth. "So? Do you like it?"
Their knees bumped under the table. Caitlyn swal owed hard. Oh, yes. She liked. "It's awesome. Thanks for sharing."
"My pleasure."
Caitlyn lowered her gaze to her bowl and took another bite of cake. Tyler picked up his spoon and dug in. Silence hung in the air as charged as the electricity crackling between them.
She couldn't believe Tyler had kissed her. Talk about awesome!
But damn, she needed to keep her wits about her and not let her hormones or emotions get carried away. That shouldn't be a problem. She was an expert in the art of not getting emotional y involved.
She peeked at Tyler and found him looking at her. He winked and again tingles of awareness skittered through her system. Perhaps she was feeling this strong sexual pul , because it had been a while since she'd actual y had sex. Yeah, that must be it.
Right, Caitlyn. Don't lie to yourself.
What she felt for Tyler had nothing to do with lack of nookie and everything to do with the handsome injured pilot. She sympathized with his predicament and felt his pain. She admired his hard work and determination to get over the crash.
She admired his big body and his sexy smile. She admired the man way too much.
Tyler demolished his cake and pushed his bowl to the center of the table. Caitlyn finished her portion of the rich dessert and drank the rest of her milk. He angled his body against the wal and booth, raising his leg onto the bench seat, settling in like he intended to stay for a while.
Caitlyn wil ed her body to calm down. She hopped up, cleared the dishes away and put them in the smal kitchen sink. Turning back to the table, she leaned over to snag Tyler's milk glass.
"Would you like more milk?" she offered, trying for a light hostess tone of voice. The smart thing would be to forget about that kiss. Ignore it. "Or how about coffee? I could make a fresh pot."
To her dismay, he grabbed hold of her wrist and pul ed her close. He stared deeply into her eyes then dropped his gaze to her mouth. "That's not what I want."
Her stomach tumbled into a deep nose-dive. His hand felt like a hot manacle clamped around her wrist. A simmering fire glowed in his eyes.
Caitlyn swal owed and tried to pul away, but he wouldn't let her. An answering flash of need seared her insides. Her knees threatened to buckle.
So much for forgetting and ignoring.
She bit her bottom lip as she searched his face. She had to ask; she couldn't help herself. "What do you want?"
CHAPTER FIVE
A quiet hush descended between them as they looked at each other. Crickets chirped outside and the wind rustled the leaves of the old hackberry tree just outside the camper door.
Tyler tightened his fingers and lifted his other hand to brush her hair from her cheek. "Babe, if you don't know what I want, then I've definitely lost my touch."
Caitlyn felt the rush of pleasure from Tyler cal ing her babe in that deep sexy voice of his. She smiled, then chuckled softly.
Tyler dropped his hand from her cheek, but kept hold of her wrist. "What's so funny?" he asked, his voice sharper than before.
She shook her head. "Nothing. I was just thinking this is the first time since I've been here that you've actual y sounded like the Tyler McCade everyone's so kindly warned me about. I think you are definitely on the road to recovery."
She pul ed her wrist from his slackened grasp and moved to stand against the kitchen counter. Her heart was stil beating a mile a minute from the sensual situation she'd just defused. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you wanted to keep our relationship on a professional level."
She hated how breathless her voice sounded, giving lie to the light-hearted facade she was trying so hard to convey.
Tyler raked his fingers through his short hair. "I must have been crazy to suggest such a thing."
She tilted her head and stared at him. His frustration was evident in the way he sat there with his jaw clenched. Did he just want sexual release with any readily available female and she just happened to be here? Or did he truly want her, Caitlyn Ross? And if it were her, did that real y make a difference?
"So, are you changing the rules of the game?" she asked. Where in the world had that come from? Did she want the rules changed? Her mind said one thing, while her body begged for the other.
His eyes slid over her like a warm caress. The man was lethal, no doubt about it. When he locked gazes with her, she resolutely held steady and returned the scrutiny. If he wanted to intimidate her, he needed to know she could give as good as she got. Living with her stern father and working with the pilots at his flight school had taught her a lot about testosterone-laden men. Although she had to admit, she'd played it pretty stupid with Scott.
Tyler swung his legs down to the floor and grabbed his cane again. "Damn it. You're right. I did say we needed to keep our relationship professional. Nothing's real y changed since then. Getting rid of the crutches made me feel so good, I just wanted to . . . hel , I don't know. Do something normal for a change. Forget it. Good night, Caitlyn. See you in the morning."
Hauling himself out of the smal booth, he headed toward the door and careful y stepped out of the camper.
Do something normal for a change? Like make love with her?
Caitlyn stood at the door and watched Tyler return to his apartment. His backside was just as appealing as the front. He had broad shoulders and a nice firm butt encased in wel -worn denim. With the cane, he walked more upright than he had on the crutches and that emphasized his tal physique.
He wanted to make love with her? Good grief, the man had practical y ignored her for the past two months. The kiss they'd shared had opened up possibilities. Or not.
It was Caitlyn's turn to clench her jaw, because now her body was begging with a vengeance.
****
Three weeks later, Tyler stil
couldn't forget how it had felt to kiss Caitlyn. He wanted to kiss her again, but that wasn't going to happen. At least, not anytime soon.
Since that night in her camper, she'd walked a wide circle around him. Now, she was keeping him at arm's length. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had done that. Not to brag or anything, but usual y he could have any woman he set his sights on. He didn't know why he was so lucky; he just was.
And he hated to admit it, but Caitlyn's rejection only made him want her more. She'd awakened the primal hunter within him and she was the targeted prey. His senses were heightened whenever she was near.
She might say she wanted nothing to do with him, but her body language told a different story. She wanted al right. And so did he.
Tyler stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off. Today was the first day he was truly walking on his own. Yesterday, the doctor had given him the okay to walk without his cane or any kind of support. He had a ful medical release and his body was good as new. Or almost. He wouldn't be good as new until he could climb into the cockpit and fly one of his planes again.
He wrapped the towel around his waist and stood at the sink to shave. Now that he'd final y recovered from the accident, it was time to examine the mangled heap of plane sitting out in the field beyond the runway. It didn't matter that the FAA had done a thorough investigation. Tyler wanted to see for himself. He needed to close that door of his career and open a new one.
Now that he'd chucked the cane, he had a whole new outlook on life.
A knock on the front door startled him, and he nicked his chin. Damn. He tore off a smal piece of tissue and stuck in on the bloody nick, then went to see who was cal ing.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." He pul ed open the door and found Caitlyn standing on the step with a box in one hand and in the other, two cups of coffee in a cardboard tote.
She smiled at him and his body reacted with unsurprising vigor. He needed to get some clothes on quick. Or haul her into his bedroom and make love to her until they were both gasping for breath.
Not exactly the kind of thoughts to soothe the savage beast.
Caitlyn held up her goodies. "I've brought some of Sarah Sue's cinnamon rol s and coffee. To help celebrate your first real day back on the job.
Aren't you going to let me in?"
Uh, no. Not until I'm decently clothed.
"Come on in. I'l be right with you." He turned on his heel and marched to his closet where he dressed in record time.
He hadn't missed the smile fading and the blush staining her cheeks when she'd noticed the towel around his waist. It had done little to hide the fact that he was thoroughly aroused. He was stil aroused, but at least he had jeans on. He pul ed on his boots, then went to greet his unexpected guest.
Caitlyn sat at his smal kitchen table already eating one of the cinnamon rol s. He leaned against the doorway and looked at her. Day after day, she crossed his direct flight path, and there was nothing he could do except endure the simmering sexual attraction he felt for her.
Why, al of a sudden, had she wil ingly decided to approach him in such a secluded setting? They hadn't been alone together in confined quarters since he'd gone to her camper almost a month ago and they'd kissed.
Working side by side restoring her dad's plane didn't count. More times than not, Pete was right there with them. The kid was a natural when it came to mechanical stuff. Tyler would miss him when he left for school next week.
Then he and Caitlyn would have to deal with the volatile chemistry always bubbling beneath the surface whenever they were together. They were either going to have sex or not. Whatever happened, he real y needed to find a wil ing bedmate soon to work off this frustration, before he completely lost his mind.
Caitlyn set her cup down and looked up at him. Her eyes held guarded secrets, guarded longing. The constant denial and suppression of the seductive magnetism radiating between them was taking a tol on them both. "Are you just going to stand there?" she asked. "Don't you want a cinnamon rol ? The coffee's excel ent. Better drink it while it's stil hot."
Tyler pushed off the doorframe and entered the kitchen. He sat down in a chair across from her. She handed him his cup of coffee, then scooted the box of pastries toward him. "Help yourself. We're both going to need the extra calories if we're going to inspect the crashed plane and then have it hauled away. It's already a scorcher outside this morning."
" We're going to need the calories?" He took a sip of the coffee and gazed at her over the rim of the foam cup.
"Sure. You don't think you have to do this al alone, do you? The wreckage needs to be cleared away so you can move on. It should have been done months ago. I don't know why you've waited this long."
Tyler frowned. "I told you. Even though the NTSB cleared me of pilot error, I wanted to have one last look myself. Lady Hawk was one of my favorite planes. I need to say goodbye."
"Men and their toys." Caitlyn popped the last bite of cinnamon rol into her mouth. "So you weren't physical y able to inspect it yourself until now?"
"Right. I had it hauled closer to the air strip, and it's been there ever since."
She licked the gooey icing and cinnamon from her fingers, and Tyler sucked a swift intake of breath into his lungs. Caitlyn's eyes shot to his and he couldn't resist tucking a stray strand of hair behind one of her delicate ears. Her eyes dilated and she quickly shoved back her chair, grabbed her cup of coffee and made for the door. "I'l meet you over there in ten minutes."
Tyler lowered his hand and bunched it into a fist. Ten minutes to get his body and his emotions under control and into gear. Ten minutes before confronting his personal demon. Ten minutes of pure hel .
****
The morning sun was bright with the promise of another hot August day. The Double Mountains stood clear and majestic in the distance. Caitlyn waited anxiously for Tyler near the crashed plane. She could only imagine his emotions and reactions to what he was about to do. His legs had been crushed, his psyche muddled and his confidence shattered. She knew he'd been blaming himself for the accident; she'd blame herself too in a similar situation.
Bul dozers were standing by in Salt Fork to clean up the mess. One phone cal and they'd be here within the hour. By evening, al trace of the crash would be buried and gone. Maybe then Tyler could take control of his life and his business. He'd be able to do what he loved more than life itself.
He'd be able to fly again.
So, was it time for her to move on, too? Should she stay or should she leave? Tyler wouldn't need an extra pilot now. Lone Star Wings was a one-man operation. Or rather, it had been until today. They hadn't discussed whether she would continue working after Tyler made a complete recovery and could fly his planes.
Caitlyn didn't want to think about leaving. For the first time in her life, she felt like she truly belonged somewhere. She'd had a fairly good childhood with strict and loving parents, but the constant moving and relocating demanded by the military had been difficult for her. Even after her mother had died and her dad retired, she'd kept a vital part of her heart in lockdown.
And the one and only time she'd al owed someone to break past her barriers . . . No. She'd never do that again. Scott had charmed his way into her heart and into her bed, but when the chips had fal en and he'd discovered there was no monetary gain left in her dad's defunct flight school, he hadn't been able to leave fast enough. And no one had been left to pick up the pieces of Caitlyn's shattered heart.
She'd learned her lesson the hard way. She was over Scott for the most part, and she was desperately trying to guard her heart against the sensual appeal of Tyler McCade. No matter how stern a lecture she gave herself, the temptation to give in only grew stronger.
No, she didn't want to think about leaving Lone Star Wings or the Diamondback Ranch. Ruth McCade had taken Caitlyn in and lavished nurturing balm to her lonely heart. Every Sunday, the McCades gathered in Ruth's big cozy kitchen for delicious home-cooked meals. Caitlyn final y knew how it
felt to be a part of a large loving family. The dynamics were fascinating to watch and participate in.
Undoubtedly, it would be much safer to pack up her camper and her dad's plane and head for the hil s. Except that would be like reading an edge-of-your seat, page-turning novel and throwing it away before it was finished. How would it end?
Only one way to find out, and that was to stay and face the music.
****
Tyler let himself out the door and headed toward the wrecked plane. He stil had a slight limp and his knee ached a little, but he was a free man. No crutches. No cane. His body had final y healed. Now if only his spirit could be resuscitated.
During his convalescence, he'd purposely stayed away from the downed plane. He'd focused al his energies on healing his body and tried to believe he'd not been at fault.
Consequently, he hadn't given the go-ahead to remove the debris even though family and friends urged him to do so. The Maule MX-7-180 had been his first four-seater. He'd bonded with her and christened her Lady Hawk.
Sure, the insurance would help pay for a new plane, but it wouldn't be the same. A man didn't give his love lightly. To his planes or his women. At least, he didn't. He'd never fal en in love. Not one of the many women he'd dated had ever touched his heart.
Tyler walked slowly along the runway then out into the field. Caitlyn stood near the Lady Hawk, hands on hips, her attention on the landing gear. She looked up, saw him approaching and smiled. His stomach clenched and his body tightened. He tried to tel himself it was because he'd been without a woman for so long.
Sell it somewhere else, McCade.
Tyler stepped on a pebble and his foot turned slightly; pain shot up his thigh. " Son of a bitch!" He corrected his bearing and kept walking forward.
Caitlyn came running, not stopping until she was standing right in front of him. "What happened? What's the matter?"
Lone Star Heartbreaker Page 7