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But now, he was thinking of a woman with soul-searing green eyes. Who was currently avoiding him. He knew exactly what she had been up to. “I’m just mentally working on the book.”
“Sure you are. Always lost in your own head. But, hey, I get it. Hunter is the same way with screenplays. I have to practically dance naked in front—oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to let that slip. I know you are sensitive. I needgirlconversation. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Dusty this week—she’s been working double shifts. I’m hoping to have a few minutes tonight.”
“She’s going to be here?” Maybe she hadn’t been avoiding him? It was a Tyler pitch-in. Friends were always welcome, and she’d come with Nikki dozens of times, but when he hadn’t seen her with his sister, his hopes had been dashed. “Why?”
“Martin hired the Talley Catering Company—Marin’s latest scheme—to cater tonight. All the Talley girls will be here. I’m interested in seeing Martin pay Darcey.” Nikki sent him a wicked grin, looking just like their mother for the briefest of moments—with the exception of the red hair. The grin was about all Nikki had gotten from her, except for her puny size. Ben hugged his sister, impulsively. “Bound to be fireworks. I bet she sends Marin to pick up the check.”
“Leave Martin alone.” His cousin was head over heels in love with Dusty’s sister Darcey—Ben would bet his entire life savings on that. The two of them just kept acting like warring idiots whenever they got too close.
He empathized with his cousin completely. Those Talley girls were dangerous to a man’s well-being. He’d been dreaming about a particular Talley girl of his own for five days now. Since the kiss that had rocked his entire being completely.
Well, technically before the kiss, but it had intensified. Ben wasstillat the inn—his uncle was rewiring his entire apartment this week—but Dusty had kept disappearing every time he thought he even glimpsed her.
“I personally think he just needs to carry her off somewhere and finally get her naked. Keep her that way for a few weeks.” Okay, so he didn’t really think that, but, well, maybe the caveman side of himself understood it.
It was very tempting to go to the inn or diner and scoop his own woman up and just carry her off. Enjoy each other. Do things to each other he wasn’t going to tell his sister aboutat all.
Didn’t want to shock or traumatize the poor innocent kid, after all.
Ben reined himself in.
He had to convince Destiny Marie to let him catch her first. Then he’d strategize where he was going to carry her off to. First, anyway. Probably back to his apartment—once the wiring was fixed. They could be completely alone there. And it was within easy walking distance of the inn and the diner. Even in the cold. Or he’d just drive her wherever she needed to be.
He’d pick her up after her shifts ended, and bring her back to his cave. And justbewith her. He’d feed her dinner, and then enjoy her.
Show her this Tyler was almost domesticated, even. Then, they could plan what happened next. “I’m going to head outside and wait for them. See if I can offer a hand. Flirt with D—Marin—a bit.”
“You’re never going to get lucky there, Ben. Might as well give up trying.”
He had no intention of “getting lucky” with Marin. He never had. But Dusty? He wasn’t about to tell Nikki he wanted her best friend so deeply his very bones ached with the hunger. And after five days, it still hadn’t gone away. He had finally accepted that it probably wouldn’t.
Hell, before long, Ben would be talking about little white picket fences, too.
He imagined it for a fast moment. A big house, right there across from the inn. There was one next to his cousin Chandler that had been a foreclosure for a while. It would probably need some work, but he could get Martin to help him. They could stay at his apartment until it was ready and everything. And he could put a white fence in front, no problem. It would be big enough for him and Dusty and two or three, or maybe three or four—
“What is going on in your head right now?”
That wasn’t anything his brat of a sister needed to know about. Yet.
There would be plenty of time for that later.
“Just how to kill my next victim so Harry can come in and save the day. That’s all.”
He was anauthor. He made up tall tales for a living, after all. But he really had no business standing there daydreaming about white picket fences. That was just not Ben Tyler’sthingat all.
Maybe.
What did he really know?
Dusty had sent his whole world into chaos. Demonesses were good at that, after all.
27
Ben was just right there.Out of nowhere. Dusty almost squeaked when a hot hand landed on her back.
She knew exactly who it was. The man's touch was distinctive.
“Let me help, babe. Show off all my manly muscles. Make all the ladies wish they were going home with me tonight.” He leaned closer, as he grabbed the heavy bag of cutlery and serving utensils. “You smell gorgeous tonight. I've been looking for you...for days. You cannot run from me forever. I am caveman. Me chase hot cavewoman. Forever.”
