Real Men Don't Quit(34)
“Gretchen wants to take Chloe away from me!”
“And she’d never succeed, let’s face it. It’s an empty threat. She knows it, you know it, everyone knows it.”
She jerked to her feet, a scowl burning her face. “Well thanks for your great advice, but I’ll decide what’s good for my daughter.”
It hadn’t taken long for the sassy Tyler to reassert herself, he thought ruefully. He had only himself to blame for stirring her up. He stood in front of her and spread his hands in a supplicating gesture. “I know that, and I don’t want to argue with you.” He waited for her to say something, but she merely crossed her arms. As the seconds ticked by, the silence grew barbs. Hell, what to do next? “Maybe I should go back next door.”
“Maybe you should,” she shot back.
His lungs constricted, the speed of her response stinging him more keenly than he’d expected. Grimacing, he pulled on his clothes and picked up his shoes. He shouldn’t have interfered. Child raising wasn’t any of his business, and she was right to be angry with him. Now he had only a cold, lonely bed ahead of him.
He was halfway to the door when there was a flurry of movement as Tyler came up behind him and flung her arms around him, halting his progress.
“Thanks,” she muttered into his back.
“For what?”
“For caring enough about Chloe to start an argument with me.”
Would she ever cease to surprise him? “Does that mean I’m right?”
“’Course not,” she scoffed, squeezing him tight.
“Does it mean I can at least stay?”
“No.” Rubbing his pectorals, she pressed a kiss against his nape. “I’m still mad at you.”
Jeez, she felt good leaning against him. “Is that why you’re feeling me up? If so, I could get used to you being mad at me.”
“Don’t.” Her voice hitched. “I don’t want to be mad at you.”
He gripped her arms and eased her around to face him. In the dimness, her eyes were large and troubled, but her mouth had that willful set he knew so well. As much as he wanted to stay, now was not the time to try and change her mind. He smoothed the wild hair away from her temples and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. “Okay, then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As she stared after him, fingers on her lips, she looked anything but angry, but he knew when it was time to beat a tactical retreat, and he left before she could say anything else.
“More milk, please,” Chloe announced at the breakfast table.
Tyler absentmindedly reached for the peanut butter jar before she came to and picked up the milk carton to refill Chloe’s cup. All morning, she’d been unable to concentrate on anything except the “argument” she’d had with Luke last night. It hadn’t even been a proper argument. He’d been so restrained, had kissed her before he left, and that kiss, with its undertones of tenderness and passion, had been more punishment than anything else he could have dished out. Even before he’d left her bedroom, she’d regretting telling him to go, but stubborn pride had restrained her from calling him back. She was her own woman, and she’d never be caught dead imploring a man to stay with her.
And besides, he deserved to be told off for his unwelcome suggestions about Gretchen. She didn’t need any advice on how to handle that woman.
Chloe set down her cup and reached for the pink pony that was never far from her. Another reminder of Luke. Shaking her head, Tyler scooped up the remains of her cereal and dumped the empty bowl in the sink.
“When are we going to visit Grammy?” Chloe asked without warning.
Never. But Tyler concealed her feelings beneath a vague answer of, “I really don’t know.”
“But why?” Chloe began combing the pony’s blond tresses.
“Look, if it’s ponies you’re interested in, I’ll see about getting you a pony ride on the weekend.” There were plenty of horsey establishments around Burronga that could offer a three-year-old a safe pony ride. It might be expensive, but it would be worth it if it stopped Chloe’s obsession with her grandmother’s farm. “What kind of pony would you like to ride? A white one?” Hopefully she wouldn’t request a pink one.
Chloe’s lower lip protruded. “I want to see Grammy.”
“Really?” It was on the tip of Tyler’s tongue to blurt out that Grammy was a self-centered, grasping ogre who wanted to get her claws into fresh meat, but she stopped herself in time. She and Chloe weren’t exactly flush with family. If something should happen to Tyler, Aunt Daphne had promised to take care of Chloe, but wouldn’t it be better to have more people she could rely on? The idea was unwelcome, but it persisted in Tyler’s mind, especially as it reminded her once again of Luke and what he’d said to her last night. Maybe—a big maybe—she might take Chloe to visit her grandmother one of these days. She’d been wrong to jump down Luke’s throat so quickly. Wrong to push him out of her bed.
The need to see him became a burning itch she could no longer ignore. Picking up her mobile phone, she quickly texted him. Sorry about last night. Can I make it up to u tonight?
The answer came less than a minute later. Looking 4ward 2 that!
“Mumma, what’s so funny?” Chloe’s question broke into her daydreams.
She realized she was grinning like an idiot. “Oh, nothing, baby,” she replied, returning her attention to the morning routine. “Nothing at all.” How on earth was she going to make it until tonight?
It turned out she didn’t have to wait very long. That afternoon, at the end of her shift, she was about to grab a quick lunch before heading over to Chloe’s babysitter’s house when Luke strolled into the store. Her breath caught at the first sight of his tall figure.
“Hey.” He gave her a smile that sent a tingle all the way to her toes. “Thought I’d pick you up for lunch today. Am I in time?”
She nodded, trying desperately not to beam too much at him, and failing. “I, um, I” Shoot, what was she trying to say again?
Ally bustled up, waving hello to Luke, and gave Tyler a quick push toward him. “Off you go, then.”
Tyler managed to gather her bag from behind the counter before following Luke outside. “Where’re we going?”
“Home.” Threading his fingers through hers, he tugged her toward his Range Rover, which she’d parked right outside the store. “You’d better let me drive.” He looked in an awful hurry.
The tingle in her intensified. “Okay.” They got into the car and Luke sped away. Silence quivered between them. To break it, she asked, “How’s the writing going?”
“Really good. I worked out a major plot point this morning, so I figure I deserve a long lunch.”
Now the tingles had spread to her breasts. She licked her lips. “Soum, what are we having for lunch?”
He took a moment from his concentrated driving to flash her another toe-curling smile. “Something hot and delicious.”
Oh boy, the things he could do to her nipples with just a few words She moistened her mouth. “That sounds good. I like it fast, too.”
“You do?” He started, looking like he’d just swallowed his tongue.
She nodded, unable to stop staring at him. Wow, he looked so good, good enough to eat. If he didn’t get them back soon, she’d have to start her lunch right here in the car.
They got to her house in record time. They managed to shut the front door, but they never made it to the bedroom. In the hallway, pressed up against the wall, they came together in an eruption of lust that Tyler had never experienced before. By the way Luke reacted, she had a pretty good idea it was a first for him, too.
Afterward, when her legs were like jelly and she was about to collapse, he braced her in his arms, cradling her as he ran his lips lightly over her face.
“Okay?” he asked, still out of breath.
Her heart was going a million miles an hour, her clothes were ripped off, and she’d just had the best sex ever. Oh yeah, she was more than okay.
“Yes.” She moved her mouth softly over his. “I like having lunch with you.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “And I like lunching on you.”
The insistent heat in her started glowing again. Already? She was becoming quite a glutton where Luke was concerned. A warning voice began to pipe up at the back of her mind, but she had no problem squashing it as she twined her arms around his neck.
“Isn’t this fun?” Ally grinned at Tyler from the opposite chair while a manicurist attended to her cuticles.
“Your man is solid gold,” Tyler replied. They were at the hair and beauty salon, ostensibly enjoying a girls’ outing as a treat from Nate, but in reality it was the day of Ally’s surprise wedding. Nate had been sensitive enough to realize that though his fiancée might love a surprise wedding, she would hate to show up for it scruffy and ungroomed. So he’d hit on this trip to the salon to get Ally spruced up and also to keep her out of the way while he saw to the last-minute arrangements. After she and Ally were done here, they would drive to Clifton Gardens where the surprise would be sprung. Nate had even organized a small tent set up in the park where Ally and Tyler could dress before the ceremony.