If You Only Knew (Harper Falls Book 3) (22 page)

“I follow the live and let live philosophy.”

Tyler straddled him, using both hands to press his shoulders
into the mattress. She leaned close until her mouth just brushed his.

“Let me guess. You’ll let me live as long as I don’t
slap your ass.”

“Bright boy.”

Tyler kissed him hard. It was fun being the aggressor. She
liked being in charge. Her fun lasted about ten seconds.

Drew easily flipped Tyler around until she was under him.

“Party pooper.”

“Play time’s over.”

He slid into her, one fluid movement that had them both
gasping with pleasure. Tyler arched her neck. She reached for him, her hands
finding his strong arms.

“Look at me, Ty. Keep your eyes on mine.”

That was a request Tyler found she was happy to comply with.
The intensity of the deep chocolate color had her sinking faster than the
movement of his body over hers. He told her things in those few moments that
she wasn’t ready to hear with words. They made her breath catch. Her heart
melt.

“Drew.”

“Shh.” He kissed her long and deep. “I know,
Ty. I know.”

Unlike earlier, this was a slow ride. There was no need to
hurry. No feeling of desperation. They could take their time. Touch. Explore.

Drew held Tyler’s hips, maintaining their connection, as he
slid to the side until they were on their sides. Lifting her leg, he draped it
over his hip, beginning a gentle, almost lulling rhythm. She liked this
position. Face-to-face.

It was surprisingly satisfying. Every time he moved, he
seemed to touch someplace new, someplace no one else had ever come close to.

“You like that?” Drew asked after she gasped with
pleasure.

“You know I do.”

“How about that?”

Tyler moaned. Just a gentle thrust, a slight change of
angle. It sent a shiver through her. It vibrated down, enveloping Drew’s cock.

“Holy shit, Tyler. What did you just do?”

“I was about to ask you the same question. Don’t stop.
Never let it end.”

That was like asking the earth to stop turning. The end was
inevitable. But they made it last as long as they could. Long, easy strokes
became a bit faster. Warm, gentle kisses grew harder, almost fierce.

Tyler’s hand dug into Drew’s arm pulling him, urging him on.

Drew’s fingers cupped Tyler’s ass, bringing her closer with
each thrust of his hips.

At the last moment, they froze, just for a second; crystal
gray eyes locked on molten brown. They cried out together. They fell into bliss
as one.

“HOW MANY TIMES do I have to say it?”

“Since you love the word, you might as well give it
another go. Maybe this time will be the charm.”

It was five o’clock. In the morning.

An ungodly hour as far as Tyler was concerned. She might
stay up to see the sunrise.
Getting
up an hour before was just plain
foolish.

“Tell me again why I’m tying my shoes in the
dark?”

“Because you’re too stubborn to turn on a light?”

Drew flipped the switch next to her head, the bedside lamp
illuminating her hands and foot.

“Well, sure. Thank you, Thomas Edison.”

She moved to the other foot, securing the laces with a quick
bow.

“I told you to stay in bed. The race won’t start for
another three hours. And since you’ll be here, locked inside, you could have
slept through the whole thing.”

“Now he’s a comedian,” she said to no one in
particular.

“Be reasonable.”

“Not a specialty of mine. Sorry.”

Tyler buttoned up her jeans. She had traded the groupie
girlfriend clothes for sneakers, jeans, and a t-shirt. She felt a slight twinge
of regret over her choice. In her defense, yesterday when she had packed
I’m
With Asshole
seemed appropriate.

“Lovely.”

“Hey, I was going to wear it inside out. If you
reconsider, so will I.”

“Enough.”

Drew took her by the shoulders. He was frustrated so he
refrained from shaking her. He
did
give a look that had made men bigger
than himself think twice about taking him on. Naturally, Tyler was not
impressed.

“Give me three good reasons why I can’t go with
you.”

“I’ll give you ten.”

“Jesus, Drew. Stop being such an overachiever.”

“Make me laugh. I haven’t done nearly enough of it in
the past ten years.” Drew kissed her nose. “I won’t cave, Ty. Not
over this one.”

“Then don’t race. You don’t need to prove anything. If
Tripper needs the money, write him a check. Hell, I’ll write him a check. If
it’s too dangerous to take me along, don’t do it.”

She had a point,
Drew thought. It wasn’t as if he
hadn’t considered packing it in and heading home. Whatever thrill these races
once provided had waned long ago. The time before the last one was supposed to
be
the last one. All the crap with Regina, his mixed up feelings for Tyler, sent
him back.

He won the race but couldn’t have cared less. If Jack hadn’t
given him a shitload of grief, that would have been that. How screwed up was it
for him to enter this race just to throw a symbolic middle finger at his best
friend? There wasn’t even any satisfaction since Jack didn’t know. Screwed up?
More like morbidly twisted.

“You know what? Never mind.” Tyler turned away,
gathering up her things. She threw the few items into her bag then went to the
bathroom and cleared it out.

“Tyler.”

“Drew.”

“If I don’t do this, it will feel like I quit because
you made me.”

“Oh, my God. The male ego. Infinitely big and just as
indecipherable.”

“It is what it is.”

“Idiot!” Tyler threw her bag into a corner.
“Fine. Go. But if you get killed, don’t come crying to me.”

Drew was flabbergasted. Was this really going to be their
first fight after ten years? It appeared so. He wasn’t backing down. Tyler had
her
back to him, stiff as an iron rod. Sometimes there was no figuring
life out.

“I’m not going to die.”

Drew waited. Nothing. It seemed she’d had her say.

He grabbed his gun and keys. He threw one last look her way.

“Keep the door locked.”

“Fuck you.”

“Promise me, Tyler.”

“If I don’t, will you have to stay?”

“Are trying to piss me off?”

“Yes.”

“Mission accomplished.”

Drew wrenched open the front door, ready to storm out.
Clenching his fist, he turned back.

“I know you aren’t stupid, Tyler. I’m going to rely on
that and assume you will stay in here, door locked.”

“It was pretty stupid of me to come after you.”

“Stubborn.”

Tyler just pointed at her t-shirt then at him.

Instead of slamming the door, Drew shut it with an almost
imperceptible snick. He wasn’t ten steps away when the door flew back open.

“Damn it, Tyler.”

Drew whirled around ready to have it out. Those three words
were as far as he got.

Tyler threw herself into his arms with a jump, her legs
wrapping around his waist. She peppered his face with kisses then hugged him
close.

“Don’t die. Promise me you won’t die.”

Drew held on, his face buried in the side of her neck. He
inhaled her warm, citrus scent with long, deep breaths.

“I promise to stay put, door locked. Promise you won’t
die.”

“Tyler. You are enough to drive a man to drink.”

“Promise.” She tugged on his hair, pulling his
head back for a long, passionate kiss.

Drew was in no hurry. He let the kiss go on and on until she
was ready for it to end.

After a while, when his lips were free, he said, “I promise
not to die, Tyler.”

“Tell Tripper I’ll track him down if he lets anything
happen to you.”

“He’s already half-afraid of you. That threat ought to
push him over to downright terrified.”

“You joke, but I’m dead serious.”

“I know it.”

He smoothed back her hair, letting her feet drop to the
ground but not quite ready to let her go.

“One hundred miles. Fifty there, fifty back.”

“Okay.”

Drew gave her a light kiss on the end of her nose before
watching until she was inside and the door firmly shut. He didn’t try the knob.
She promised to lock the door; it was locked. And it would stay that way.

TYLER REFUSED TO pace.

Instead, she sat, fidgeted, and tapped her toe. She
rearranged Drew’s cupboards, cleaned the bathroom, and dusted everything within
an inch of its life. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very big area. When she was
done and looked at the clock, an hour had passed. One lousy hour.

How long did these races usually take? She should have
asked. Grabbing her phone. Looking it up would kill a couple of minutes.

Thinking for a moment, Tyler remembered her iPad was one of
the things she had so unceremoniously jammed into her bag. The bag she had then
thrown across the room in anger. Great. Poor tablet. There was a good chance it
had been taken down by friendly fire. Just an innocent bystander. A casualty in
a senseless war of wills.

Okay. She was officially going around the bend. At least
there was no one around to witness her descent into silliness.

Now, where was she?

That’s right. IPad. Bag.

She turned towards the bedroom only to freeze in her tracks.
Someone was trying to get into the RV. The rattling of the doorknob made the
hair on the back of Tyler’s neck stand up.

Looking around for something she could use as a weapon, her
eyes skipped over the broom, a dustpan, and a long metal rod that seemed to
have no particular purpose. It would do in a pinch but was unlikely to stop an
assailant for long. Especially one who was bigger and stronger.

Furniture polish. That had to hurt if sprayed in the eyes,
right? There was bleach, but she would have to toss that. Too iffy. Pledge it
was.

Standing to the side of the door, Tyler held up the can,
ready to do battle.

Thank goodness she hesitated. Just for a second.

“Drew?”

He stepped into the RV looking exactly as he had when he
left. No blood, no broken bones. Relief flooded her body.

“If you plan on polishing my knob, I’d prefer you used
your mouth. That stuff stings.”

“Precisely the point.

Tossing the can away, Tyler walked into Drew’s waiting arms.

“You didn’t race.”

“Nope.”

“For me?”

Drew held her tighter.

“For us.”

“HE JUST WALKED away?”

“That’s it. No more racing. No more taking stupid
chances.”

“Because he loves you.”

Tyler hesitated. Love. After all they had been through, why
was that the thing that made her nervous? Dani and Rose wanted their friend to
have what they had. Men who loved them beyond all else.

If there was one thing Tyler had learned, it was that
nothing was guaranteed. There was a time she would have sworn Drew was her
present and her future all rolled into one. Ten years and a broken heart later,
Tyler no longer believed in a sure thing. She wasn’t getting ahead of herself
this time. Day to day. It was her new mantra.

“We aren’t quite there yet.”

Rose patted her hand. No one understood better how difficult
it was to commit fully to another person. Luckily, Jack had been unwilling to
take no for an answer or she might still be alone, convinced that love was not
for her.

“Give it time. You’ll get there.”

Rose had invited them all to dinner. She was trying out a
recipe Jack’s mother had assured her was failsafe. She loved her future
mother-in-law, trusted her. Still, when it came to the guest list, only friends
were present for what she hoped would be her first successful, grownup sit-down
meal prepared entirely by herself.

If it turned out to be inedible, they could share a good
laugh and order pizza.

“I think you’re worried for nothing. It smells
amazing.”

“Maybe.” Rose bent down to peer through the glass
door of the oven. “Jack’s mom was very encouraging over the phone. Of
course, this is a woman who doesn’t understand the concept of not being able to
cook. She’s a master. Her daughters and granddaughters came out of the womb
knowing the difference between a whisk and spatula.”

“There’s a difference?” Tyler asked. She poured
herself some more wine before steering Rose away from the kitchen and back to
the living room.

“My question exactly. She seemed to think I was making
a joke so I went along with it.”

“Sit.”

Dani patted the cushion next to her.

“I know I’m being silly. Dinner will be fine. No. It’s
going to be great. I just wish Jack could have been here a little earlier, for
moral support. He always makes cooking fun. If something gets burned or
dropped, he laughs it off. I’m the one who gets tied up in knots.”

“Where
are
the guys?” Lila Fleming, Alex’s
sister, sat in a plush chair next to the fire. Jack’s dog Edgar, a favorite of
them all, lay with his head resting on her feet. He’d had a busy day protecting
the yard from squirrels and was content to sleep while his Rose entertained her
friends.

“I think Jack is kicking Drew’s ass down in the gym at
H&W.”

Tyler snorted. “In his dreams. You may think he’s a
superhero. I say Drew can take him, any day, anytime, anywhere.”

Lila was new to the group so it took her a moment to decide
if Rose and Tyler were actually arguing. In her experience, women could get
fierce about their men. Especially with other women.

She shouldn’t have worried. There was a definite twinkle in the
eyes of the two friends. Make that three friends. Dani wasn’t going to let her
man’s fighting skills go unremarked.

“Alex is an ex-Army badass. He has the scars to prove
it.”

“Two votes for Alex,” Lila chimed in. Though come
to think of it, she had no idea what they were voting for. “Why am I
voting for Alex?”