Chapter Twenty-Three
Mae
Tyler had returned from Seattle and was already at the hotel. I flipped off the lights in my coffee shop and wandered to the antique store where Audrey rubbed Dottie’s belly.
“Thanks again for dog-sitting,” I told her.
“I prefer to think of myself as Dottie’s nanny.”
“Oh, my bad.” I chuckled, bending over to give a scratch behind Dottie’s ears. “Mom is missing her so badly. I get like ten messages from her before noon wanting updates.”
“Ten bucks say they’ll be home early from their trip.”
“That’s a losing bet,” I teased, glancing at an item that must have just come into the store. Only the top stuck out of the bag, but it looked like a baseball bat. “What’s this?”
Audrey lifted her shoulders. “Don’t know.”
I reached over and pulled out the piece of wood, which was actually a polished Louisville Slugger. “Nice bat.”
“I guess? I wouldn’t know much about bats,” Audrey said, smiling.
I twirled it around when something caught my eye. Bringing the bat closer, I shook my head in disbelief.
“Wow. It has the name Tyler burned into the wood.”
“Where’d we get this stuff?”
Audrey stood and looked through a couple of receipts. “It looks like it came in a few weeks ago.” She looked at me with disbelief. “It was Tyler’s dad.”
A shiver ran through me. “So, before he got his first hip replacement.”
Audrey nodded. “Seems like it. We gave him fifty bucks for the bat.”
“Brad probably didn’t notice it had been engraved or customized,” I pointed out.
“Add it to my tab. I’m going to take it to Tyler.”
“Will do.” Audrey’s lips pushed into a smile. “How is all that going?”
I let out a thoughtful sigh, holding the bat. “I honestly don’t know. Today, he seemed really distracted, but considering what just happened, I can understand it.”
Audrey nodded.
“But I feel like he’s getting lost in his thoughts and world. I really like him, Audrey. He’s so kind and compassionate.”
“A good kisser?”
I laughed. “Extremely talented in that area.”
“Everything just seems right about trying out a relationship with him, and then…”
“Things implode.”
I nodded. “Exactly. And good is coming out of this for his parents, but I feel like he’s just using it to make an excuse.”
“For what?”
I shook my head and sighed. “I don’t know yet. I’m just hoping tonight, I can gauge things a bit better. It’s not like he needs to stay here any longer. He could go.”
“Now you’re overthinking things.”
“I am.” I laughed. “Okay. Enough thinking. I will visit my childhood crush, hand him this bat, and see where the night takes us.”
“Really sexy moves, Mae. I’m sure that bat will really get things humming right along.”
“You do remember he got a full-ride scholarship thanks to his baseball skills, right?”
“How could I forget? You made me watch college baseball your senior year, only his team was never on.”
I snickered. “There are things that should never leave this room, and that is one of them. I don’t need Tyler’s head growing the size of Texas.”
“I’m sure he knows you had it bad.”
“I’ve been playing it down as much as I can.”
Audrey laughed. “Okay. Dottie and I are off. You enjoy your night catching up with Tyler.”
“I will.” I clutched the bat and walked to the front door. Audrey followed and locked the door behind me.
By the time I pulled into the hotel’s parking lot, I couldn’t wait to see Tyler. When he’d stopped by the coffee shop earlier today, I could tell a lot was going through his mind.
I’d be lying if it didn’t worry me a little bit.
Before I had a chance to get out of my car, Tyler walked over and opened the door, helping me out.
“What a gentleman,” I said, looking into his eyes.
He brought me into him and kissed me softly. My heart skipped a beat as all my worries washed away and I felt his arms holding me tightly.
“It’s good to see you, too,” I teased as his eyes stayed on mine.
“I’m sorry if I’ve been off. I feel like I’m on a hamster wheel right now.”
I chuckled. “Sounds like fun to me.”
He laughed as I reached into the car and pulled out the bat. “Should I be worried?”
I chuckled. “I don’t know if this will make it better or worse, but this came into the store.”
His eyes widened. “Whoa. I thought this was long gone.”
“I just saw the tip sticking out and grabbed it from a bag. Seeing your name on it, I had Audrey look it up, and your dad brought it in a few weeks ago.” I took a deep breath. “Are you happy about it?”
His eyes locked on mine. “You have no idea. My grandpa visited Louisville, Kentucky, and toured the Slugger plant there. He got this engraved for me. My dad told me he threw it out before I left for college.”
I gasped at the revelation. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. You found it. This is so awesome.” He brought me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. “I can’t believe you found this, Mae. It makes the entire trip worth it. Well, that and kissing you again.”
He looped his arm around my waist, and we strolled into the lobby together. The upscale hotel had minimalist décor, but a stone fireplace centered the seating area next to the registration area. We walked past the lounge and to the elevators. We rode up silently, but the tension between us felt thick with a tangled mess of heated desire.
My heart pounded with every step closer to his room. There were no expectations, but I knew what I wanted to do.
Tyler opened the door as I touched his arm and followed him through the opening. A little hallway led into a sitting area and a tiny kitchen with a door leading to the bedroom. He propped the baseball bat against the wall and smiled at me.
“A suite, huh?” I teased as he turned to look at me.
“I didn’t know how long I’d be here.”
“Good thing you did it, then,” I said softly, gliding my hands along his stomach to his chest. “Do you know how long you might be in town?”
Tyler let out a deep breath and slowly shook his head. “I don’t know. Hopefully, at least a couple more weeks while my parents get situated.”
Disappointment dashed through me. I should be elated that he’ll be here longer, but I guess, on some level, I didn’t want the reason to be his parents. I wanted him to stay because of me.
His blue eyes moved to mine, and a smile touched his lips. “And I can’t bear to leave you yet.”
“Yet,” I teased, feeling his arms wrap tightly around me. “How about never?”
“Mae, I…” Tyler took a step back and sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t know what I can promise, Mae.”
“You don’t have to promise me anything. I was only teasing,” I assured him.
Tyler narrowed his eyes on me as heat pooled lower in my belly, my knees felt weak, and my entire body flushed with a need I hadn’t expected.
“I don’t know that I believe that, Mayflower.” He shook his head, and I closed the space between us.
“Do believe it. I’m a big girl, Tyler. I won’t crumble if this doesn’t go anywhere. I have my coffee shop, house, friends, and family. But I need to know what this would be like. What this would feel like with you.” My hands slid under his shirt. “I’ve imagined it long enough.”
Tyler’s body tensed as his eyes stayed on mine. The fiery need grew behind his gaze. “Imagined it? Tell me.”
I smiled coyly. “You know. How a woman might imagine things like that.”
He groaned, smiling. “That is the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.”
I chuckled, running my fingers along his arm. “You should have been there.”
Tyler cupped my chin in his hands and brushed a soft kiss along my lips, igniting the pent-up need I’d bottled away for so many years.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered.
I smiled and shook my head. “I don’t want to hurt you either.”
My heart hammered so hard in my chest that my breathing felt shaky. I couldn’t let him see that, though. I drew a deep breath.
“We have two weeks, Tyler. Let’s make them count. I don’t want to keep wondering about it. I want to experience it with you.”
“Mae,” he whispered before his lips came down hard on mine. The sweetness of Coke mixed with my lip balm, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Just like when we were teenagers.
Tyler kissed me harder, nipping and licking like an expert as I nearly fell into him. His mouth moved along my jaw and neck as my hands easily tangled through his dark hair.
Every part of my body ignited with such an intense need it almost hurt. I leaned into his arms as his mouth slowly returned to mine, but this time, a wild look rested behind his gaze.
His mouth swooped slowly along my neck as his fingers played with the hem of my dress, tugging it over me as my breath caught from his fingers skimming my bare skin.
The fabric dropped to the floor as I did the same to him. My palms rubbed against his stomach muscles as my fingertips skirted his chest.
He hissed as I dropped my open mouth to his chest, letting my lips glide along his skin. My hands worked at undoing his pants as his fingers slid down my underwear. As his gaze moved along my body, I kicked my panties to the side, not feeling any nervousness, just excitement.
I took a step back as I unfastened my bra, but before I unclasped it, he brought me into him and gently pressed me against the wall behind us as he kicked off his jeans and boxers.
“I’m only going to ask one more time,” he murmured, propping his hands above me.
“Are you sure?”
I unfastened my bra and dropped it to the floor. “Kiss me, Tyler.”
But he didn’t obey. His mouth quickly found my breasts, slowly licking and teasing each one. His lips nipped at the tenderest of spots while his fingers expertly slid along my waist. My breath shuddered from his tongue, dipping lower and lower as my back arched against the wall.
The warmth of his breath between my thighs threw me into temptation as my fingers slid through his hair, his tongue teasing me with each passing second.
My body trembled from the sweet sensations running through me. Tyler slowed his movements, lifting his head as I was on the brink, and moved his mouth along my stomach.
As he stood, I let out a shaky breath. “I need you, Tyler.”
He kissed my cheek softly, and before I realized what he was doing, he swept me into his arms, carrying me toward the bedroom.
The vulnerability I should have felt at that moment was completely wiped away by the excitement and protectiveness of his embrace. He laid me on the bed, his eyes combing my body as he smiled.
“You’re so beautiful, Mae.” He shook his head. “So beautiful.”
He snagged my wrists and slowly pushed them above my head as he kissed and stroked his tongue along my bare skin, tickling parts of my body that created an intense fervor of longing.
Tyler breathed in sharply as his mouth found mine, and he crawled on top of me, caging me underneath his large, beautiful body.
His kisses started slow, but as I felt him on top of me, I kissed him back harder and faster. My legs clamped around his waist as our kisses intensified and he pushed into me.
With every ounce of strength, I didn’t let myself release as his lips tenderly moved along my breasts. But with every thrust of his hips, it became harder not to let go.
Right when he slowed, I took a breath, and his eyes locked on mine. This moment was everything and more than I’d ever dreamed about.
Tyler smiled and pushed into me so deeply and slowly that it felt like every part of me had unraveled. The need between us was unyielding. Wild sensations shot through me as my body arched, and his mouth found mine with every push and twist of our worlds tangling. Blazing heat shot through me as he led me through wave after wave.
When I thought it couldn’t get any better and I tried to catch my breath, he brought his lips to my ear and whispered, “I love you, Mayflower. I always have.”