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He took my babbling with grace, something my ex hated. Memories of him berating me for embarrassing him in public with my verbal diarrhea echoed through my thoughts. Toward the end of our relationship, I became pretty much mute, afraid to say something that would set my ex off. My stomach clenched, and I tried to push away my dark thoughts, but they were stronger than my self-control. I was never good enough for my ex, never smart enough, or pretty enough. He wasn’t my boyfriend and Dom as much as he was my boyfriend and torturer. Not physically, but psychologically, he could manipulate and gaslight anyone until he was their only truth, their only reality.
A big, warm hand roughed with callouses clasped my own, gently prying my fingers apart. “Nora, are you okay?”
Snapping back to reality, I looked at my lap, humiliation burning me as I mumbled, “Yeah, sorry. Um, in the interest of full disclosure, you should probably know that I’m getting over a really bad relationship. So maybe coffee with me isn’t the best idea. I’m kind of a hot mess right now.”
“No,” Tyler said right away, drawing my gaze to his intense face. “I think you’re exactly what I need.”
Tension crackled to life between us, and a welcome stirring of desire helped quell the doubt and insecurity seething inside of me. He leaned forward a little, his gaze on my lips before he stopped and instead cupped my cheek with his hand. I almost closed my eyes at the sensations his simple touch sent blazing through me. Electricity sparked between us, a primal chemical reaction that robbed me of my thoughts.
Cupping my other cheek with his free hand, he gently drew me closer so he could place a chaste kiss on my forehead. “I have a feeling it’s going to take you time, but I promise you, Nora, you can trust me.”
When he let me go, I was practically a puddle of hormones in my seat, his commanding touch and tone striking me deep within.
He smiled as if pleased by my reaction, then took out a card from his wallet and handed it to me. “Give me a call when you’re ready for some coffee. I know a great place down on the beach. We could hang out sometime. No pressure for anything more than the pleasure of your company.”
I managed to pull myself together enough to take my seatbelt off and slide out the door as I clutched his card in my hand. “I would really like that.”
“Bye, Nora” Tyler said in his deep, growly voice. “Call me.”
“I will,” I promised, then watched him pull away with a no doubt silly smile on my face.
That smile vanished when I opened the front door and Shyla, tanned and dressed in a sports bra and black leggings with her wild dark curls in a bun, leapt out at me. “Ah ha! You randy little minx! He kissed you!”
Grabbing my pounding heart, I shoved her back with a laugh. “He kissed my forehead, you weirdo. Were you spying on us?”
“Of course!” Her bun wobbled with her exaggerated movements, and the defined muscles of her tanned arms flexed as she waved them in the air. “I can’t believe, out of all the guys on the beach, you ran into Tyler. I mean, for once your instincts were right, and that in itself is a miracle. Tyler’s a good guy and would totally throw down to protect you.”
Walking past her into the gigantic kitchen that looked out over the back deck built for entertaining Hollywood elite, I plugged in my phone then faced her.
Shyla was gorgeous, flat out beautiful in an unusual way thanks to her Swedish and Egyptian heritage. Sure, her nose was bigger than most women’s perfectly sculpted looks here in the land of plastic surgery, but I thought her hawklike nose suited her face perfectly. With dark tanned skin, sun-streaked deep brown curls, and gorgeous light amber eyes—it was almost unfair that God had seen fit to give her brains and talent to go along with her looks. Growing up, I’d always felt like the shy flower in the glory of her sun, but I didn’t mind. I loved her like a sister, and she’d been the one who’d come to my rescue when my ex had drained my bank account in an attempt to flee the authorities and pin the blame for ripping off his clients on me.
As my phone beeped to life behind me, I sighed at the hopeful, almost merry smile on her face. “Okay, tell me how you know Tyler. Please tell me you two didn’t used to date or something.”
She laughed and sat at the barstool along the blue and green stone counter that separated the dining area from the kitchen. “No, he is totally not my type, but he is right up your alley.”
