Page 6 of Taking What Was His

“I thought you would like her. You’ve both been alone for a long time. It would be sweet to see you together. I have to say, she’s a keeper, man.”

“Now you sound like Mom.”

Tysen snorted out a laugh.

“Are you playing Cupid?” Roman growled.

Tysen chuckled and shrugged. “Would it be such a bad thing?”

Roman looked back at Beth. No, he decided. Not bad at all.

Chapter Three

“Oh, holy shit,” Marla said.

Beth looked at Marla. “What?”

“Don’t look, but I think my ex-brother-in-law’s brother is staring at you.”

Beth snorted. “Not every man stares at me. Knock it off.”

“No, I’m not kidding.”

“Okay, so what if he is? If I ignore it, he’ll go away.”

Marla shook her head. “No, you don’t want this man to go away. Look. He’s on the other side of the room standing next to Tysen.”

Beth turned. Her eyes scanned the area until they froze on the man Marla had been talking about.

He was several inches taller than Tysen, with shoulders a yard wide. His sleeves were rolled up, and even from where she stood, his wrists and forearms were thick with muscle. She could see the veins and tendons stick out. His large hand made the cup he held look like a child’s.

He had thick, dark hair and, from where she was, dark eyes. She guessed he was Italian since they were prevalent in the area, and she’d always thought Tysen was. What drew her was the power that radiated from him. People took notice because he was hard to ignore.

She noticed the men in the room kept looking his way, and the women nervously skirted around him. He wouldn’t be an easy man to be with. He would want to dominate his woman most of the time.

“Why is he here?” Beth asked.

“He’s the new captain of the 9th.”

“Oh, I heard we were getting a new captain. I just hadn’t met him yet. They haven’t needed me in a few weeks.”

“Do you want me to introduce you?”

Beth pulled her eyes from his and turned back to Marla. “No. We are here for you. Not to get a man for me.”

“You two would make a handsome couple.”

Beth snorted. “Knock it off.”

Marla shrugged. “All right. When you’re ready, tell me.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “I will.”

Beth got pulled into another discussion, but she couldn’t keep from looking toward him. He was like a magnet that pulled her in, something she’d never felt before. Her late husband, Rick, was a dominant man, too, but he didn’t have this aura of danger and supremacy that this man did.

Their eyes clashed and held.

Beth was vaguely aware that the rest of the room seemed to disappear, and it startled her. It took a Herculean effort to tear her gaze away, and she took a few deep breaths to calm the raging desire and attraction that raced through her.