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COLTON’S EYES HELD a heartbreaking innocence in them that made me feel like my heart was melting in my chest. “I’m really sorry, babe.”
I’d already decided to just let it go, and I was doing just that. I’d known him too long to let a silly half-step get between us.
I nodded with a sigh. “Shit happens, Colton. It’s fine. Let’s just—”
“Let it go?” he interrupted hopefully.
My lips broke into a warm smile. “Yes. Let’s just let it go.”
“Thank you, Char. You don’t know how upset I’ve been. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat... I just think that with the alcohol, and then seeing Alyssa... I...”
“Colton?” I cut in, my eyebrow raised.
“What?”
“Letting it go is probably best done by not talking about it anymore.”
He smiled, rolling his eyes at his faux pas. “Right.” He nodded. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for. Let’s enjoy the party.”
He nodded. “Right. Where’s dear old Dad?”
I jerked a thumb behind me and wriggled my brow. “In the back on a call.”
Colton grinned. “The waitress?”
“Yep. It’s on again.”
Colton chuckled. “God bless him. I assume he’s inviting her here?”
Drawing a sip of my pinot, I shrugged. “Who knows with those two? They have more drama than the Kardashians.”
I enjoyed the deep authenticity of Colton’s laugh as I watched the other mechanics and their significant others slowly roll in. The rest of the racers who’d become regulars for Dad would be through later, no doubt, always having to make a grand entrance. By the time an hour had passed, I’d relaxed. There was already starting to be a pretty good turnout for Dad’s shop’s anniversary party.
Cleaning up a few spills and dancing a few songs, I settled back by the window next to Colton, thoroughly enjoying the easy flow of dealing with the comforts I’d grown up around. It was simple, peaceful, and uncomplicated. Just what I needed right now.
“Um, Char?” Colton asked at the same time I felt his body stiffen beside me. Following his gaze, a buzz of electricity shot through me as I caught sight of Tyler, looking way too delicious in a light-blue button-down shirt rolled to the elbows and dark dress pants. Jenna, my cousin, was greeting people at the door, and she smiled brightly up at him and handed him one of the small flyers Colton had made to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Owen and Sons. Tyler smiled graciously at Jenna and then began to scan the large room.
I immediately turned my attention to the cup of wine in my hand, suddenly finding it to be the most interesting thing in the room. Kind of odd for him to be here, no? I was so confused. He’d never attended one of my dad’s functions before. Tyler was, like, racing royalty. Dad and I were, like, townsfolk.
I took a gulp of wine, and then set it down. “I need some air.”
“Want me to come with?”
Smiling, I gave Colton a soft shake of my head. “Nah, I’ll be back in a jiff.”
He grabbed my elbow and pierced me with a sincere look. “If you’re sure?”
Drawing my lip between my teeth, I nodded and then fast-walked as gracefully as I could in heels to make it out the back door without catching Tyler’s eye.
If I smoked, I would be lighting one up right now as I heaved out heavy breaths into the Texas night air. I leaned my back against the side of the building, staring off into the parking lot. I needed to clear my head. I needed to think about what I was going to do when I went back inside there.
Why is he here? I racked my brain, trying to figure it out. He had come alone, and hadn’t even flirted with Jenna. My cousin was model-thin and drop-dead gorgeous, and had a never-ending line of men banging down her door, she was so beautiful—and sweet on top of all that.
I rested the back of my head against the wall, folding my arms over my chest as I heaved out a heavy sigh. With my legs crossed at the ankles, I pressed my arms against the building and looked up at the sky. A fat, full moon sat right above me and I smiled. That was why he was here. The full moon made people do crazy things. It was a phenomenon called the lunar effect. I had read about it in an article a few months ago in some random magazine I’d been thumbing through at the dentist’s office.
And Tyler certainly was crazy for showing up here. Crazy full moon or not, he had no right. I was getting angry now. The nerve!
“May I join you?” The deep, rich, familiar voice caused my skin to break out in goosebumps before I even laid eyes on him. I slowly turned my head to meet his gaze with fire in my own.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What do you want, Tyler?”
“To talk,” he replied quickly as he slowly walked toward me.
I snorted in disapproval and began to walk away. It was hard, though. I wanted to stay and hear him out, but my pride wouldn’t allow it. However, he caught up to me quickly, and gently grabbed my arm.
I looked down at his hand, then up into his infuriatingly sexy eyes. “Let me go.”
“No,” he replied.
Trying not to be offended by his audacity, I said, “Seriously, let go. I have nothing to say to you.” Then I yanked my arm out of his grip and continued to walk. The only place I knew to go was down the alley that flanked my dad’s shop.
He let me walk, but when I got to the mouth of the alley, he called out, “Moved on so soon, Charlyse?”
That halted me in my tracks, and I replied without turning around. “Like you care.”
“But I do care,” he said, and by that time I could feel him behind me, even though I still refused to turn around, because that would mean I’d have to look into his beautiful face... and that would just make me weak.
I shook my head and kept walking when he didn’t continue.
“Charlyse, stop right now. I have something to say.”
I was getting angry. “What, Tyler, what? Just spit it out, okay? I can’t take this.”
“I miss you.”
I scoffed, whipped around, and stared at him, incredulous. “Miss me? You couldn't get rid of me fast enough!”
“It wasn’t like that,” he replied softly.
“The fuck it wasn’t! You hurt me, Tyler. Badly.” Gritting my teeth, I dragged my gaze away from him and looked up, trying to control my temper and the shakiness in my voice I knew he could hear. I leveled him with a heated stare. “I didn’t do anything to deserve that.”
I walked away and he grabbed my arm again. “Charlyse...”
I yanked my arm from his grip and yelled. “Save the manhandling for your next play-thing! I’m done with men like you!”
I tried to storm off, but he followed closely, even when I made a turn into the alley. I suddenly halted since he obviously wasn’t going to stop chasing me. I folded my arms over my chest. “Ya know what? I came out to get some air. Alone.”
Tyler let out a bitter half-laugh. “Well, you’re not alone. Should have known the moment I laid eyes on you that I’d never be able to leave you alone.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Save the lines.”
He shook his head. “It’s not a line. I just need to know something.”
Without speaking, I just stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
He jerked a thumb behind him, toward the shop. “The guy in there... the one you were... kissing. You two a thing? Because you told me you were unattached when we met. He’s your ex, isn’t he?”
I was beginning to secretly enjoy his pain, as wrong as it was. I could play a game now, lead him on, let him think Colton and I were an item, or I could just not answer. A smirk found my lips and I put my hands on my hips. “Jealous, Tyler?”
His eyes became stormy and he replied, “I don’t do jealousy, honey. I just want to know if the woman I have started to fall in love with is committed to another, because I don’t play those games. I may not be the best guy in the world, but I don’t mess with other guys’ women. It’s in poor taste and makes me look bad.”
As I was about to continue to launch into him some more and tell him it was none of his business, the conversation rewound in my mind. I snapped my mouth shut.
Did he just say he was starting to fall in love with me? A gasp I couldn’t control escaped me and I subconsciously put my hand to my lips. I took a step closer to him, so we were almost chest to chest. I looked up and him and cocked my head to the side. “What did you just say?”
It was his turn to give me a lopsided grin. “You heard me. But I’m not going to say it again until you tell me about that Thor-lookalike in there. He your boyfriend?”
I burst out in a laugh. “Thor? Colton will love that. I can’t wait to tell him.”
Tyler arched an eyebrow and reached up and put his fingers under my chin, making me meet his eyes again. “Answer the question, Charlyse.”
I swallowed hard and whispered, “No. Colton’s... like, my brother.”
“You kiss your brother often? Like you did last week at DiDi’s?”
I shook my head. “Saw that, did you?”
He nodded. “Everyone saw it. Including me,” he finished quietly, dropping his hand down.
Drawing a breath, I looked away from him. When his arm snaked around my waist and pulled me up against his chest, I didn’t resist. When his mouth sealed over mine in a fiery, possessive kiss, I gave in much too easily. Before I knew what was happening, he was pressing me up against the cold bricks of the alleyway wall. I soon found myself feverishly kissing him back, the electricity that had bound us so intimately when we’d first met seeming to reignite and not having ebbed or faded whatsoever.
It all happened so fast. His hands slipping into my hair, my back arching toward him. Kissing me with an unmistakable hunger, he pulled back and licked me from my collarbone and up my neck, leaving a wake of fire, and I lost any fight I might have had left.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean any of it. I want you. You’re all I think about,” he whispered, his fingers lifting the hem of my dress, tugging my panties down until they slid down my thighs and pooled at my feet. I kicked out of them. My fingers busied themselves before I could stop them as well, reaching down to unbutton his pants and running the zipper down. I shoved the pants and boxer briefs down to his thighs, quickly freeing him, even more aroused when I saw and felt how ready he was for me.
Capturing my mouth, he reached down and lifted me so my legs wrapped around his waist. I let out a groan as he slammed into me without warning, our heat quickly taking on a rhythm that made it clear nothing about our dizzying chemistry had changed.
His teeth nipped at my neck as his strokes were fast and fevered, claiming and greedy. I melted into him, my fingertips pressing into the crease of his back. The electricity climbed my limbs, building into a formidable urge for release.
He continued to pound me wildly, over and over, the roll of his hips snakelike and fluid. He was immersing himself in me. Answering his urgency, I danced against him just as eagerly, unable to deny him as he chased his release, urgent, heated, and dominant.
A wave of pleasure rippled through me and I was unable to stop it as I cried out. I clung to him when he seized up at the same time I was riding my high, both of us releasing a storm of pent-up frustration and desire.
It was overwhelming, even beautiful, but my pause returned the moment we’d gotten it out of our systems. What had I just done? Was I going to be his fool now? What in the hell was wrong with me when it came to this guy?
“Charlyse,” he said breathily, setting me down on my feet and staring at me with intense, stormy eyes.
I broke his stare and quickly drew my panties up from where they sat around my left ankle. I saw him frown at that, and he adjusted his pants, putting himself away. What in the hell had I been thinking? This was foolish. So foolish. Not at all the way to get over a man who wants little more from you than sex.
But he said he was falling in love with me... he said he was sorry...
Slick words from a talented tongue, the means to an end... and had it worked. I’d been stupid once again.
“I... I gotta go,” I said. “This was a mistake.” I spun away, ready to bolt.
“Wait.”
Breathless, I turned, narrowing my eyes at him.
His stare held an honest quality I hadn’t quite ever seen before. “I made a mistake. A huge, fucked-up mistake... I didn’t listen to what my heart wants.”
“And what is that?” I asked, untrusting, arms folded over my chest in defiance once again.
“You, any way I can get you.” Holding my gaze, he reached into his pants pocket, retrieving an envelope. He paused a moment to look down at it before passing it to me. Setting my jaw, my eyes flicked from him to the envelope before I finally accepted it and ripped into it. My heart galloped into an insane rhythm when I saw a computer printout for two first-class tickets to Vegas staring back at me. Meeting his eyes, my lips parted, but I couldn’t find my words.
“Let’s do it right this time, baby.”
“Tyler...”
He silenced me with his kiss before I could say another word, or even organize my thoughts, and when he finally pulled away from me, the sound of my heart was deafening in my ears.
“Just say yes, woman.”
Swallowing my nerves, I spoke before my mind had a chance to interrupt the insecurities in my heart. God, this was crazy. Wasn’t Vegas where he had hurt me? Maybe this was a chance for him to do right by me. Maybe the deep-seated sincerity I saw dancing in his eyes meant something. Maybe I should stop being so angry and untrusting and learn to forgive. This was all happening too fast. But somehow... I knew it was right. There was no doubt about that.
Live a little, I told myself... love a little.
“Okay, Tyler,” I said, walking toward him again. When I reached him, I grabbed his hands and commanded them to wrap around my backside. His hands were compliant and willing, and I felt them lace together at the small of my back. “I’ll go back to Vegas with you.”
His eyes brightened, and a smile broke over his face. “You will?”
I nodded, biting back a smile. “Yes. On one condition.”
He nodded. “What is it? You name it, and it’s yours, Charlyse.”
My eyes danced back and forth between his, until I finally said, “The volcano. You’ll take me to the volcano. You’ll record it on your phone and post it on social media. You’ll have a good time there with me—or at least pretend to have a good time—and then you’ll kiss me in front of it for the world to see.”
It was a bold request—a demand, really—but I figured at this point, I had nothing to lose. I knew Dalton Industries had a huge social media presence because I’d stalked it regularly over the past three weeks like the insecure freak I was.
Without hesitation, Tyler replied, “Of course I will.” He chuckled. “And here I thought you had an actual challenge for me.”
“Oh, one more thing,” I added.
“Anything,” he replied, fingering my hair.
I tried to glare at him, but it was pretty hard. “Don’t you ever fucking call me clingy again.”
His smile fell. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I wish you were clingy.”
I chuckled and thought about Alyssa. “No, no you don’t.”