With her still wearing those stilettos.
Redheads were always wild in bed, and he didn’t doubt she would be either.
Not with that sassy mouth and those killer curves she seemed to enjoy flaunting.
Fucking her up against the wall wasn’t exactly about to happen though. Not now and not ever.
She crossed the room, gathering her things. “I’ll get the listing to you as well once it goes live. Unless of course you decide to put in an offer on this or something we see tomorrow. You can go on ahead,” she said, nodding toward the front door. “I just need to send an email to my photographer while I’m thinking of it.”
“I’ll wait,” he said in a low voice. “It’s not safe for a woman to be alone in an empty house like this.”
Melissa burst into laughter. “I didn’t take you for such a gentleman.”
“I’m not. Usually. But there’s a ‘Coming Soon’ sign outside. A beautiful woman inside.”
She tossed her red hair back over her shoulder. “I assure you that neither of us will be coming anytime soon.”
He chuckled, his deep laughter filling the empty house. She was a firecracker. He crossed his arms, leaning against the counter. “Now who’s the one with their mind in the gutter?”
“Just following your lead,” she said innocently. She pulled an iPad from her bag and began to type up a quick email.
He watched her working for a moment, something stirring in his gut. Tyler cleared his throat. “Not to frighten you, but there was an attempted abduction of a woman showing houses a few counties over. We got an alert about it on base. Fortunately, she was able to get away, but the police put out a BOLO.”
Melissa glanced up, her brows crinkling in confusion.
“Be on the lookout,” he clarified. “I happened to see it because my buddy is one of the military police on base.”
Melissa nodded, her focus back on the screen. She pressed a button to send her email. “Right, I did hear about that. I carry pepper spray with me. And usually I have a client’s driver’s license, etc. on file. This was kind of unusual agreeing to meet you like this.”
“There’s no guarantee as to who will show up at an open house though.”
“There’s not,” she agreed, slipping her iPad back into the bag and gathering her things. “So, send me your information, and we’ll talk.”
She walked back across the room toward the foyer, her stilettos clicking on the hardwood floor. He tried to ignore the slight sway of her hips. The way her skirt cling to her ass. For the briefest flash, Tyler had a vision of her walking toward him like that, in a home of their own.
Sauntering in after a full day of work.
Pulling him toward her for a searing kiss and evening of sin.
Which was ridiculous.
He didn’t seriously date, and he sure as hell never intended to live with a woman. Maybe in ten years or something when he was finally ready to settle down.
But at the moment?
Playing the field worked just fine for him. Bringing a woman home for the night and then never seeing her again.
And as for Melissa?
He had a feeling she’d be on his mind the rest of the day.
Chapter 3
Melissa strode into the bar that night, the silk blouse she had tucked into her skinny jeans clinging to her like a second skin. The pale lavender shade made her red hair stand out even more, and not a few guys sitting near the front of the restaurant gave her appreciative looks as she walked past. She’d curled her red hair so it cascaded around her shoulders, and a long silver pendant hung between her breasts, bouncing slightly as she walked.
Her best friend Amy always had said she had curves to die for—and although it was hell finding clothes to fit sometimes, when she had an outfit she looked good in, she loved to flaunt her assets.
She moved through a group of guys, feeling sexy and seductive in her stilettos. Maybe she wasn’t planning on going home with anyone tonight, but she certainly didn’t mind the attention.
She spotted Amy and Jason sitting at the bar, frowning as she realized that they were with someone. Meeting her best friend and her boyfriend for drinks didn’t mean she wanted them to set her up. Especially not after Tyler had already rattled her nerves this morning.
Goodness.
She’d barely even dated since Michael called off their wedding. There had been a short fling with a guy she’d met at the gym, but that barely counted since he was rebound all the way. And they’d spent most of their time between the sheets, no words needed.
But dated dated?
As in went out with a guy, actually got to know him before sleeping with him?
Hadn’t happened.
And her one fling since Michael didn’t actually count as moving on, did it?
It sure didn’t feel like she’d moved on from the way he’d trampled on her heart.
The third person in their party took a swig of his beer, the sight of his sleeve bunching over his bicep doing funny things to her insides. Her stomach fluttered as she walked closer, taking in his broad shoulders and muscular arms, and then he was glancing at her walking toward them, a grin on his face.
Melissa resisted the urge to do a double take at Tyler eyeing her appreciatively. Tried to ignore the butterflies suddenly fluttering inside her stomach. She smiled at her best friend and waved, sliding onto the empty barstool between her and Tyler. She set her sequined clutch down on the bar, her newly manicured nails gleaming in the overhead lights. “Couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see me?” she asked Tyler, pursing her freshly glossed lips.
He chuckled, the low sound making heat coil down from her abdomen. Causing her pussy to clench. The snug shirt Tyler had on stretched across his impressive chest, showing off his muscled physique. Those broad shoulders were a sight to behold, and briefly she imagined him hovering over her. Pinning her arms on the bed as he held her in place. Bucked into her.
Spread her legs wide and took her. Claiming her as his.
Making her scream his name.
“What makes you think I’m here to see you, beautiful?”
“Hey hun!” Amy said, giving her a one-armed hug around her shoulders. “I hope you don’t mind that Tyler wanted to join us. Jason mentioned that we were meeting you here, and he decided to come, too.”
“Mind? Why would I mind?” she asked, gesturing to the bartender. “I barely got a chance to listen to his witty banter this morning.”
Jason laughed from the other side of Amy, glancing over at Melissa with his piercing blue eyes. Small crinkles formed in the corners, and his large hand came to a rest on the back of Amy’s neck, lightly caressing her. It was simple yet intimate, and Melissa blinked. Tried to push away the feelings rising within her.
Things had been like that with Michael, too.
They’d set the date. Selected a wedding cake. Invited two hundred of their closest family and friends.
And then he’d bluntly told her he didn’t want to marry her.
Acted like cancelling the wedding and the rest of their life together meant nothing.
Just a blip on the radar.
“I hope Tyler didn’t give you too much of a hard time this morning,” Jason said, drawing her mind back to the present. “I told him you could take whatever he dishes out.”
“Not at all,” Melissa said smoothly, adjusting the sleek pendant that hung between her breasts. She felt Tyler’s heated gaze on her but didn’t look in his direction. “I showed him the house, and he managed to mention his one-night-stand only a handful of times. Did you know he was late meeting me because he couldn’t get her to leave?”
The bartender walked over to take her order, laying a clean towel he’d been drying glasses with down on the bar. “What can I get you?”
“Dirty martini.”
“Rookie move, man,” Jason said with a chuckle as the bartender walked away.
Tyler leaned forward on the bar, his green eyes pinning Melissa in place. It was
crazy how every time he looked at her it felt like he could see right through her. He didn’t know the first thing about her, and he certainly never would. Not in anything other than a professional manner, if they were to work together.
She watched him, her lips parting slightly in surprise.
His gaze lowered to her mouth, pausing there a moment, and then he met her eyes again. “Did you get those papers I emailed you earlier?” Tyler asked, his voice low.
“I did,” she said, turning toward him. “Although if you were planning to join us tonight, you could’ve just brought them here.”
“And miss the look of surprise on your face when you saw me? Not a chance,” he said, taking a pull from his longneck. Melissa watched his Adam’s apple bob, taking in the whiskers on his chiseled jaw. Although he’d been freshly shaved this morning, a five o’clock shadow had already formed, albeit somewhat faint with his blond hair.
He smelled slightly of cologne, something clean with a hint of spice, and she wondered if he’d put some on before coming.
If he came out with his friend Jason tonight only because he knew that she’d be here.
“Like what you see?” he asked, his full lips quirking in a smile. God, he was seriously too much. Not to mention too handsome for his own good.
“What happened to your date from last night?” she asked sweetly. “Did she get bored of you already?”
“Like I told you this morning—I had to ask her to leave.”
“So you only do one-night-stands?”
“Beautiful, I’ll do any woman who wants me,” he said in a low voice.
“How lovely.”
“So, what’d you think of the house?” Amy asked, interrupting them. “Melissa said it’s not even on the market yet. The homes have been moving so quickly, it’s great you were able to get a look before it’s even been listed.”
“Like I told Melissa earlier, gorgeous.”
She turned toward Amy and rolled her eyes as Amy cast her a knowing glance. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she looked happy beside Jason. Although they lived across the street from one another, they’d only recently begun dating. Melissa was thrilled to see her best friend so happy, but it had brought about changes in her own life. Among their foursome of friends, she was the only single one.
And she was supposed to be planning her wedding, she thought with disdain. Not picking up the pieces of her life and moving on.
The bartender brought over her drink, and she took a sip of her martini.
“Jason and I are going away for the long weekend,” Amy said.
“Where to?” Tyler asked, glancing over at his buddy. He was so tall he could gaze right over Melissa and Amy.
Hmmph. Everyone at the bar probably thought they were two couples sitting together. Not that Tyler was her type. At all.
“Skiing at Wintergreen.”
“I didn’t know you skied,” Melissa said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She felt Tyler’s gaze on her again but kept her focus on Jason and Amy.
“Not nearly as much as Amy does,” Jason admitted. “She’ll probably be putting me to shame on the slopes. Maybe I can find some third grader to ski with me,” he joked. “That’s probably more my pace.”
“Oh come on, I’ll slow down for you,” Amy teased. “Besides, it’s payback for how fast he runs. Jason says he’s slowing his pace so I can keep up, but I doubt it sometimes. Considering that I run several times a week, he’s faster than I can ever hope to be.”
“Oh God,” Melissa groaned. “All of that sounds like too much work—running, skiing. What’s next? Date night at the gym?”
“So I take it you don’t ski?” Tyler asked.
“I sunbathe,” Melissa said.
He smirked. “In the middle of winter?”
“My ideal destination for winter would be a tropical getaway—no need to escape the cold for more cold. Skiing sounds...awful.”
“But you don’t have any vacations planned?”
She stiffened slightly. She and Michael had cancelled their honeymoon trip to Bora Bora when the wedding had been called off. In a few short weeks, she should’ve been walking down the aisle. Marrying the guy she thought was the man of her dreams. Jetting off on the tropical vacation of a lifetime—soft sand, warm sun, and a honeymoon dreams were made of.
Not that she wanted a man who clearly no longer wanted her.
Still, she didn’t need a reminder of a trip that wasn’t to be. “Not unless I want the honeymoon suite to myself,” she said sarcastically.
Tyler’s gaze narrowed. “You’re engaged?” His eyes slid to her empty ring finger.
She held up her hand, waggling her fingers. “Not anymore. Maybe I should thank him for saving me a lifetime of regret.” Her phone began to buzz in her purse, but she ignored it for the moment, her gaze firmly set on Tyler. “My asshole of an ex called off the wedding. Better sooner rather than later, I suppose. If he’d left me standing at the altar, you’d be reading his obituary.”
“His loss,” Tyler said, his gaze softening slightly.
Melissa shrugged, taking a sip of her martini. “He was deployed a lot. I guess it’s natural for some couples to grow apart given the circumstances. Still, a head’s up would’ve been nice. A little warning, perhaps. He was getting cold feet while I was planning our wedding. Then we had to cancel every last thing.”
“He’s military?”
“Stationed at Quantico. Maybe you know each other. He’s the asshole with a huge ego and tiny dick.”
Tyler sputtered on his beer as Melissa raised her martini. “Onward and upward,” she declared. “Michael didn’t know what he was missing.”
“Absolutely his loss,” Amy said, clinking her beer bottle against Melissa’s glass.
“Hear hear,” Jason agreed. “You’re better off without that guy. Any man who couldn’t see what he was missing obviously wasn’t the right one for you.”
“Damn straight,” Melissa said.
Her phone began buzzing again, and she frowned. She pulled it from her clutch and saw two missed calls from her sister.
“Is everything okay?” Amy asked, catching the expression on her face.
“I don’t know,” she said, swiping the screen to call her back. “Becky just called me twice. She’s out in California, so it’s a few hours earlier than here, but still. It seems unusual on a Saturday evening.”
“I hope she’s all right,” Amy murmured.
Melissa rose from the barstool, doubt beginning to creep in. Tyler reached out to assist her, a brief flash of concern flickering in his green eyes. She let go of his muscular hand, grabbing her clutch from the bar and striding away.
She felt his gaze on her from behind but kept going, walking through the crowded bar area and edging around the packed tables. She and her sister usually chatted on Sunday evenings. If Becky was calling her several times on a Saturday night, something must be up. She pushed open the door to the patio, the cool night air biting into her. There were heat lamps outside and an awning stretched over the top along with temporary plastic walls, but none of it was a match for the cold.
The somewhat mild afternoon had given way to typical winter weather.
She shivered slightly, a frown on her face as the door shut behind her.
Her silky top wasn’t enough to keep her warm out here. And she’d ridiculously come to the bar without a coat, not wanting to carry it around all night. The phone rang a couple of times as Melissa’s gaze tracked over the couples outside, and then Becky finally answered, hysterical.
“He’s missing!” she shrieked.
“Who?” Melissa asked, glancing around at the happy revelers. Saturday night was going on as usual here, with couples laughing, people throwing back drinks, and music blaring over the speakers.
And over the phone line, her sister sounded like she was falling apart. Melissa’s stomach clenched at her sister’s sobs. “Becky? What happened? What are you talking about?”
“Missing, like, missing missing? Missing in action?”
“Yes!”
Melissa muttered under her breath, turning away from the patio crowd. This wasn’t the place to try and calm her sister down. She could barely even hear herself think, let alone carry on a conversation. Striding back into the restaurant, she nearly bumped into a guy headed out the door. He eyed her appreciatively but moved on toward his own friends.
Glancing over at the bar, she saw Amy, Jason, and Tyler sitting there, happily throwing back beers without a care in the world. And why should they be worried?
It was Saturday night.
It’s not like they had a clue her sister’s world could potentially be falling apart.
Walking back across the restaurant, Melissa pushed open the front door and headed across the crowded parking lot. She clicked the remote of her white SUV and climbed into the driver’s seat, shivering.
“Okay, tell me what’s happening,” she said as she started the engine, cranking up the heat. Cool air blasted from the vents, but it would warm up momentarily. She turned on her headlights, glancing around the busy lot.
“His Commanding Officer contacted me. Usually the MPs come when there’s been a casualty, but since Brody is missing, there was nothing like that. No one showed up at my door or anything, but his CO called me.”
She choked on a cry, and Melissa released a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. “So that’s good, right?” she said, a million thoughts racing through her mind. “I think Michael told me the MPs and a chaplain would come in case of a casualty. It doesn’t matter the time of day or night, they’d show up at your door. This was kind of just a head’s up, right? Like something might be wrong, but he’s probably okay. They just wanted to update you and make sure you know what’s happening.”
Her Sinful Marine Page 2
