“What thing?”

  “Do you need me to spell it out for you?”

  When she doesn’t respond I lean in close and whisper near her ear. “The night at the resort was not a one-night stand, it was an introduction to many many repeats.”

  “What makes you think I want a repeat.”

  “Are you trying to convince me or yourself, that you don’t want my head buried between your thighs again.” Her breath hitches and I chuckle. “That’s what I thought. You said a lot of things that night, confessed how amazing it all felt. That was not an act, Amara, so stop fighting this and give in.”

  CHAPTER

  FIFTEEN

  Amara

  My cheeks are on fire. With Liam and Coleton only a few feet away I do everything to keep my cool, but truth is, Ty is right.

  It was amazing. Every. Single. Second. Every touch, kiss, taste, it wasn’t enough.

  “Do this with me.”

  “Do what with you?” What is he asking?

  “Stop overthinking and just feel what I know is coursing through you. You want me, I want you, why in the hell are you running from it?”

  Because you could crush me.

  “We don’t have to put a label on it, Mar.”

  I could say so many things at that moment. I could agree or tell him I’m worth more, but instead I move back in a hurry and create some distance. Ty’s arms fall away from my body, and I hold out my beer to Liam. “I have to go.”

  I don’t wait for any of them to ask any questions, I just hurry from the bar and jog toward my car.

  I’m reaching for the handle when the rain starts to fall, and I drop my keys. Cursing my clumsiness I kneel to get them when Ty’s boots step into view at my side.

  Hanging my head, he kneels beside me and pushes my now wet hair out of my face. “Why in the hell do you keep running away from me?”

  “Because I don’t think I can be who you need me to be.”

  "What are you talking about?” He asks, still knelt at my side. “What is it you think I want?”

  “Someone to hook up with, someone that doesn’t need anything more than physical.” His brow furrows but I keep going. “I’ve been trying to stay unattached, trying to keep my feelings out of everything but that’s not who I am.”

  “Wait what?” He stands taking me with him, we’re still standing in the rain, our clothes now sticking to our bodies but neither caring.

  “Staying detached keeps things less messy.” I try to clarify, “You’ve lived by that motto, and I don’t want to make you feel like you owe me more.”

  “What in the hell, Amara,” I’m a little surprised by his irritation. “I don’t want that. I never asked for that.”

  “I figured you wanted things to be easy.”

  “Hell with easy,” his voice rises, “I want complicated. I want it all, fucking hover, tell me that I can’t hang out with the guys because you want me with you. Call me five times in an hour because I’m running late, don’t make this easy on me. I never once told you I want this to be easy. I already know it's gonna be hard.”

  He takes my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him.

  “Babe, you are not a random girl, you’re Amara. You have to know that I never would’ve pursued you if I didn’t want something more than a single night.”

  “So you want two?”

  He chuckles, “Jesus woman, why in the hell don’t you get it. I took you back to my suite to show you what I want us to be. You kissed me that night in the bar and something inside of me woke the hell up. Fuck, I’ve never had a woman knock me on my ass. But you, you fucking shifted the floor beneath me.”

  “Now you’re just making fun.” I push on his chest, but he grips my hand and pulls me in closer. The rain has let up, and the cool breeze moving through makes me shiver.

  “You've got to stop thinking I’m feeding you full of shit woman, I don’t say shit I don’t mean. You should know that by now, you know me, you know who I truly am, aside from the stories people decide to tell. You know I don’t do something I don’t want to, and you know I don’t lie. If I tell you that you flip me all around inside, then I mean that you have me tied in fucking knots. There is no reason for me to lie.”

  “You just want to get me naked,” I try not to smile.

  “Well, I definitely want to get you naked, again,” he winked. “But it's also the truth.”

  I take in a deep breath, toying with his shirt, that is slick from the rain.

  “We can do this however you want to, but you gotta know that I’m not letting you push me away. I’m fully prepared to fight you until I win, but it would be so much easier if you’d stop being a pain in my ass.”

  “Oh, I’m the pain in the ass?”

  “Well, you have been ignoring me like a toddler and refusing to admit that you want to see where this will go, just as much as I do.”

  I narrow my eyes, “A toddler.”

  “Yeah, babe, it's bad,” he shakes his head as if disappointed. “I expected you to be much more mature than that.”

  “For someone that’s trying to convince me to take him home with me you are really killing your chances.”

  “Take me home with you ?”

  “Oh so that caught your attention,” I roll my eyes. “You are not helping your case.”

  “For one, you are the one that suggested it, and two, I am a guy.” He shrugs, making me smile. “And three, I’ve been waiting for another chance to see if I can break the record.”

  “What record?”

  When he leans in close, he nips at my ear and chills cover my body as my nipples harden. “Three babe, three times I felt you fall over the edge when I was inside you. I’m betting I can make it four,” and he pulls back with a smirk on his face.

  So cocky. But I am a sucker for his arrogant side.

  “But it's your choice,” he steps back, and I immediately miss his warmth. “I’m okay with whatever you choose. We can keep playing this crazy fucked up game you’ve got yourself trapped in or you can give up and admit that you and I are real good together. I vote for the latter, but the ball is in your field.”

  I stand in the middle of the parking lot of Miller’s bar. Staring at Ty, his hair slicked back from rain as he watches me and waits...

  One decision, and it's all mine. I can give up on this fear I have and dive in. I can for once stop analyzing everything that could go wrong and focus on what could go right.

  “What’s it gonna be Mar? Because if you tell me this isn’t gonna work then I need to up my game and figure out what I can do next to prove you wrong.”

  “Why does this mean so much to you?”

  “Because for the first time I don’t want this to end,” he doesn’t even hesitate. “I’m not looking for a way-out Amara, I’m fighting for a way in.”

  Stepping in toward me once more, he grips the back of my neck and brings me in for a kiss. I accept it because honestly I love it when he holds me to him like this. I love it when he gives me no choice but to feel him.

  “Stop making me fight,” he whispers against my lips and my chest grows tight. “We can take this at whatever pace you need to, but please just give it a chance.”

  This is not the way I saw things going.

  “If we do this, it could get complicated.” He rests his forehead on mine. “Audrey is still going through a rough patch; Liam is pissed off more than he is not. I have no idea what is going on with Lorelei and Jasper, but something is off, and Adeline never came home, then there’s Charlie who is doing everything to be by her sister's side while at the same time dealing with Spencer’s continuous–” Tyler kisses me, I assume to shut me up.

  “Then we keep this between us, for now.” I consider his suggestion and it seems like the best option.

  “Okay.” I say in return, and he pauses staring at me like he may have heard me wrong.

  “Okay, okay?”

  “Yeah,” I laugh, “Okay.”

  He steps back and bends at the waist, with his hands on his hips and lets out an over-the-top sigh before standing once more and looking at me. “Woman, you have no idea how relieved I am that you're done with this shit.”

  My mouth falls open in a gasp.

  “What, you are exhausting.”

  “You're an Ass,” I push against his chest when he moves in quickly. But I’m not fast enough and he squeezes me tightly to him. He chuckles and kisses me again before I can protest. “But I have no doubt you’ll be worth every single struggle.”

  CHAPTER

  SIXTEEN

  Tyler

  I have to hold back my urge to laugh at how careful Amara is in hiding what is taking place with us. She’s so worried about everyone else all the time, that I think she forgets that she deserves to be happy too.

  She is so considerate of others that she fears her own happiness may enhance others sadness, so I don’t attempt to tell her otherwise. Instead I follow her to her place and let her drop her car, before she climbs into mine.

  I drive across town to the place Liam, and I rent, pulling in close, so she can slip out discreetly. Rounding the front of my truck, I take her hand in mine and lead her toward the front door.

  She looks around taking in the space. I find myself wondering why she’s never been here, considering Liam and I share the place. Moving her around in front of me, I guide her forward until we reach my front door. I pause and she looks back over her shoulder at me. I know if Liam wasn’t on shift tonight she wouldn’t even be here. But I want her here in my space, in my bed.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “Do you want me not to be?”

  “I’m starting to think that maybe I’ll miss the constant bickering and arguing you and I have been doing.”

  “As if I’d ever make things easy for you, please,” she scoffs. “I have every intention of making your life hell, Tyler Collins. You asked for it when you told me I was exhausting.”

  “Are exhausting,” I clarify, “not was.” I whisper as I gently kissing her temple.

  I lean in to place my key in the lock and she takes my keys out of my hand and does it herself. Kissing along the side of her neck I follow her when she steps inside.

  Our place is simple, two guys sharing a space, neither needing much but a comfy couch to sit on and an oversized television to watch our sports.

  I lead her to my room where there is a wrought iron bed with two nightstands. I don’t need much space, or things, keeping things minimal has always been the way I’ve gone.

  I don’t mind color; I just have never taken the time to add any to my place. Its four walls, a place I lay my head when I’m not at the station, it's nothing fancy.

  “For some reason I think I always pictured you living in a place with posters on the wall and empty pizza boxes stacked in a corner.” Amara turns around and faces me, a smile tugging at her lips.

  “You pictured me living in a frat house?”

  “I just didn’t picture things to be so sterile.”

  “You’re trying to say you thought I’d be a slob.” Shrugging, she starts to back away and I quickly close the space between us. Gripping her hips I pick her up and pull her body to mine. Immediately she wraps her legs around my waist, and I cup her ass holding her in place.

  “For your information I’m a pretty organized guy.” I kiss her jaw and she arches her neck and places her arms around my neck. “I don’t need much,” I add, “I’m a simple kind of guy.”

  “You are anything but simple,” her eyes are closed when I reach her lips and press mine to hers.

  “You are confusing and complicated and–” she is forced to pause when I kiss her again. This time I take my time, making sure I wipe away the doubt that was most likely creeping up in her mind. I have a feeling I’ll be in a constant battle with Amara’s mind.

  She is a skeptical and I don’t know where all the doubt comes from, but I imagine it stems from some significant event that took place in her life.

  Much like her sister Lauren, they’re standoffish, not realizing that they deserve so much more.

  Amara has been a part of my life for years, always at the same gatherings with friends, the same town events. For so long I’ve observed her hiding in the shadows of others, when she should be front and center. Her sister is right, she has a huge heart. She’s the first to comfort someone when they seem upset and the one that’s always trying to spin a situation and make it better.

  I always wondered why she couldn’t see herself like others do and I imagine it has a lot to do with being the oldest of four kids. She’s four years older than her brother and eight years older than her two sisters. Somehow I picture her taking the opportunity to mother each one of them as they grew up together.

  “And surprising,” she mumbles against my lips when I finally pull back from our kiss.

  “What’s that?”

  “Nothing,” she tips her chin and instead of allowing her to shy away from her feelings I back her up to the dresser behind us and place her onto it. Relieving my hands I cup her cheek and drag my thumb along her chin, forcing her gaze upward.

  “Tell me,” I push, accepting that I’ll do whatever I have to in order to make her feel comfortable enough to tell me what thoughts are floating around in this beautiful head of hers.

  “You just surprise me.”

  “How?”

  She averts her stare.

  “Amara,” immediately she looks back at me. “Stop shying away from me.”

  “I’m not,” she sits a little taller and I grin at her need to prove me wrong.

  “You are baby. But I’ll help you get past that.”

  She simply stares at me, her eyes roaming over my face, like she’s trying to see something that is hidden deep. Something about the way she is watching me makes me feel so exposed for the first time in my life. Why, when she looks at me do I feel like every single step I’ve taken in life isn’t worthy of her.

  “Either you are really great at telling a girl all the things she needs to hear, or I’m just gullible.”

  “I won’t lie to you,” I assure her. “I will never tell you something I don’t fully mean. I’ve never been that guy and I never will be. Everything I’ve said, every single word, it’s true. I can’t promise you where this will go; I can’t guarantee you that I won’t mess up and piss you off at least once daily.” She smiles. “But what I can promise you is this, that if at any time I feel like this isn’t going to work, I will be up front.”

  She worries her lip and I hate the uncertainty in her eyes.

  “Not once have I ever wanted to take a woman to my bed, just so that I can hold her while we sleep.”

  Amara’s eyes soften, and the tension in her jaw relaxes.

  “I’m not the type to snuggle, never needed it. So when I tell you that this is different for me, I mean it's something I’ve never done. But I want to try with you.”

  “You can’t expect me not to worry about it falling apart.”

  “I know,” I tell her. “I’ll be more than willing to reassure you every day.”

  “Until you can’t reassure me anymore.”

  “You can’t go into this with me, expecting the worst.” Moving in closer to her I plant my hands on her hips and pull her forward. “If I didn’t think I could give you the things you want then I wouldn’t be standing right here, right now, telling you that I want to be that guy.”

  She nods and I know her too well to know there still isn't doubt in her mind.

  “One day at a time,” I kiss the corner of her mouth, “just do that with me.”

  “One day at a time,” she repeats, and I nod.

  “Now can I please take you to my bed?”

  Her lips tip up in a smile, just before she wraps her arms around my neck and hooks her feet behind my back.

  “Yes,” she kisses my jaw and I step back from the dresser with her in my arms.

  My heart is thumping in my chest, as I walk to my bed and lower her to the mattress.

  We’ve been here before, in this scenario, but were both tipsy and the situation was different. As I stare down at her, I can’t stop the rush of anxiety that races through me. This is Amara.

  This woman doesn’t deserve part of me, she deserves all of me. I have to be willing to give that to her, no holding back, no hesitation.

  I want that.

  But it doesn’t stop the realization that I have no clue how to do this.

  CHAPTER

  SEVENTEEN

  Amara

  Entering the salon later than usual I ignore the curious stares from my stylists and move toward the back. Immediately I’m hit with the smell of vinegar I pause and place my hand over my nose and mouth.

  It’s awful.

  “Sorry,” Hannah hurries around me. “I had to clean out the coffee pot. You know me and my mind, I watched this video about what can grow in those things, and it had me coming in early to clean. It said run it through once to clean but I did it three times. Sort of an overkill but I had to be sure.”

  “That is rank,” I wave my hand in front of me still with my nose wrinkled up from the smell. “I’d rather smell a perm.”

  “That’s because you are used to that smell.”

  I move around the small kitchenette and grab a coffee cup before walking off to the counter and leaning over the pot. “Is this going to taste as bad as this room smells?”

  “It was hours ago that I cleaned it, and since then I’ve run several cups of hot water through it. We’ve all had a cup, some more than one. So nope, it's good, no vinegar flavored coffee,” she smiles before exiting the backroom and going back to the front.

  I don’t know if it's my mind playing tricks on me but even when I put cream and sugar in my cup I swear I can taste the vinegar.

  Trying a few more sips I give up and dump it out in the sink, going for plain water instead.