Chapter 7
“Want to grab something to eat?” Tyler asked several hours later as they got back into his SUV. He pulled the driver side door shut and started the engine.
“Are you asking me out?” she teased.
“Wouldn’t dream of it. I’m just starving.” He grinned, his green eyes gleaming in the sunlight. He slid on his aviators and shifted the vehicle into gear, pulling out onto the street. It had been interesting looking at homes today with him. Melissa had expected him to be teasing her all afternoon like he had yesterday, but he seemed genuinely interested.
Funny that a guy like him wanted a huge place to himself. Most of the guys stationed at Quantico just rented like he had been. Even families were known to rent because they’d be here for a year or two and then on to the next assignment.
He didn’t seem old enough to want to settle down. Then again, Amy’s boyfriend Jason had talked of buying a place, too. He was a little older than them though, and was already divorced with a kid.
“Fine,” she said. “Let’s grab lunch. We can go over the places we saw and decide if you’d like to put an offer in on any of them. Let’s pick up my SUV first and then meet at a restaurant.”
“Sure thing, beautiful,” he said, signaling before he turned onto the main road.
He looked so calm, cool, and collected while driving. Tyler was a man that nothing seemed to faze. If a meteor crashed in front of them, he’d probably just swerve around it, then continue on his way. Although she appreciated someone calm and steady since she was usually racing around in a million different directions, a man like him would never be right for her.
Ever.
She’d done the deployments with her ex, waiting while he was off saving the world.
Giving up on their future.
Melissa studied Tyler as she glanced over—strong profile, aviators concealing his eyes, broad shoulders and bulging biceps. Blond hair cropped short in the standard military fashion. His lips quirked as he glanced over and she didn’t look away. “See something you like?” he asked.
“Hmmm,” she said, noncommittally.
He chuckled. “No smart comeback?”
“I was actually thinking about the homes we saw. Did any in particular interest you? I can pull more specs this evening, and we can visit a few this week or next weekend. Of, if you want to put in an offer, we can do that as well.”
“I thought you wanted to discuss it over lunch.”
“Just planning ahead.”
Tyler pulled into the driveway of the first home they’d looked at, right beside her SUV. She felt a brief pang in her heart as she glanced at the house—like some sort of strange déjà vu, which was bizarre. Tyler had never driven her anywhere before.
They’d never parked their vehicles next to each other in the driveway.
Maybe it just felt like when she and her ex had been together. They’d pull into one of their places, their cars beside one another, ready to head in and have dinner or snuggle up beside one another for the night.
He’d taken all that from her—their life, their future.
She was supposed to be married and living with him. Happily ever after and all that. Now she wasn’t even sure if she believed in that anymore. Maybe her best friends were happy with their guys, but as for her?
Maybe it just wasn’t in the cards.
“Hey, did you ever hear from your sister?” Tyler asked, shutting off the engine. He glanced over at her, and she couldn’t see his eyes behind his aviators.
“No, but I’m waiting for her to call me. I’m guessing she didn’t sleep well last night, so if she crashed, I don’t want to wake her up. Especially with the time difference.”
“Makes sense,” he said. “I’ll help you out.”
“There’s no need,” she said, unbuckling her seat belt and opening the passenger door. She slid out, feeling Tyler’s gaze on her bare legs. Unwilling to let him know he affected her, she reached in and grabbed her bag without glancing at him. Standing up in her sky-high stilettos, she shut the door.
It was funny seeing his black SUV next to her pristine white one. Yin and yang. Tyler seemed to let nothing affect him, while she was always in a hurry. But she had a huge workload and too much on her plate to live a laidback life like him.
Digging her keys from her bag, she clicked the key fob, opening her own door.
Tyler unrolled the window, and she looked over at him. “Follow me,” she said, not giving him the chance to say a thing. “I know a great spot for us to eat.”
He nodded, watching as she climbed into her own vehicle. “Sure thing, gorgeous.”
She felt heat rising within her, and she calmly shut her door. Weird how suddenly she felt so damn sad. It had been fun looking at homes with Tyler, surprisingly. He’d kept her laughing all afternoon, and if she was honest, it didn’t exactly hurt to look at him.
The man was gorgeous.
Muscles upon muscles, chiseled good looks, and a cocky personality that didn’t take things too seriously.
Taking a chance on him would be playing with fire though. Maybe he’d hinted that he wanted to sleep with her, but that didn’t mean a guy like him wanted a relationship. And she sure wasn’t about to get burned again.
***
An hour later, they were tucked into a booth, digging into their food at a trendy restaurant in town. Melissa took a sip of her Bloody Mary before digging into her Eggs Benedict.
“Brunch all day Sunday—I like it,” Tyler said. “More establishments should get on board with this type of thing.”
“You don’t work Sunday mornings, so what’s the need for that?”
“Didn’t say I busy working,” he said with a low chuckle.
She nearly choked on her food. Of course he meant he was still in bed. Mostly likely with the flavor of the week. He’d probably spend all morning with a woman and then drag her off to eat late in the day.
Goodness.
She was up and meeting with clients, holding open houses, and getting things done. She did have the luxury of sleeping in during the week, but wow.
It was like he loved trying to egg her on and surprise her.
“Hell, I wasn’t with anyone this morning, beautiful. Don’t look so shocked.”
“I still can’t believe you can eat all that and stay in shape,” she said, gesturing toward his full plate. A huge omelet, stack of pancakes, bacon, and toast nearly spilled over.
He chuffed out a laugh, taking a large bite of his omelet. “I went for a long run this morning. I’m famished. And protein is good for you. I work hard to stay in shape, yes, but I need fuel for that kind of workout.”
“Fuel,” she said, shaking her head.
“Calories. Energy. Food. I’ve eaten damn MREs on deployment—it doesn’t have to taste good, but your body needs energy.”
“Don’t you guys train on base a lot? Why were you out running on a Sunday morning?”
“Yep, we do. Doesn’t mean I don’t work out on the weekends though. Lifting, running. I did around ten miles earlier before I met you to house hunt. I probably would’ve hit the gym if we weren’t looking at homes.”
“That’s sounds awful,” she said, wrinkling her nose.
“I’m a Marine. You should be used to that with your ex. We train hard.”
“Ugh, don’t mention him. Running into him last night was bad enough.”
“Done,” he said with a chuckle.
She raised her eyebrows.
“I’ve got no interest in talking about your ex with you. What’s done is done. His loss.” He shrugged, taking another bite of his food.
Melissa watched him for a beat, trying to clear her head. Despite his flirting, he was rather no-nonsense when it came right down to it. With a guy like him, you always knew what he was thinking. Where he stood.
For better or worse.
She resisted the urge to laugh. There’d certainly be no “for better or worse” with him. At least she knew Tyler wasn’t
interested in settling down. In a commitment. He might flirt every chance that he got, but at least a woman knew what she was in for.
“Amy’s a preschool teacher and runner,” she said. “It’s not just Marines who like to work out you know.” She took a bite of her Eggs Benedict, savoring the taste. “God, this is divine. I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast this morning.”
He watched her for a moment, amused. “Who said I like to work out? I gotta stay in shape for the job. That, and it doesn’t exactly hurt to attract the ladies.”
Melissa rolled her eyes. “Always back to you and your women.”
He chuckled. “I’m single. A red-blooded American male. I’m not going to deny that I like being with a beautiful woman.”
“How charming.”
“And you dress like that for yourself?” he asked with a smirk, his gaze dropping to her cleavage. She felt warmth rising within her. “Are you saying you don’t enjoy spending the night with a man?”
“There’s nothing wrong with looking good,” she said, stiffening. “And whether or not I enjoy being with a man isn’t any of your damn business either. That’s personal.”
“Maybe you’ve been with the wrong men.”
“I’m selective about who I date—so what. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“And hell if I don’t appreciate a woman who knows what she wants.”
Melissa shrugged, meeting his gaze. His green eyes bore into her, almost as if they could see her very soul. Which was absurd. She’d just met this guy. And they were having a business lunch of sorts. Brunch. Lunch. Whatever.
They didn’t need to discuss their dating history or anything. This was strictly business.
Her phone buzzed in her bag, and she frowned as she read the text.
“Everything all right?” Tyler asked.
“Just my sister—still no news. I guess I thought they’d have some sort of update by now.”
“That sucks,” Tyler said. “I hate to say it, but usually if guys are missing like that, it’s not good. If they were hunkered down somewhere, the others would know. I mean it is possible to go radio silent, but they’d be working their way back to base if they could. There’d be teams out looking for them. Chances are, if they were all right, there’d be signs of them.”
She blew out a sigh. “Yeah, I figured it wasn’t a good thing. But we still have to hold onto some hope, you know? I mean, that’s all we have right now.”
“Touché. Jason wasn’t able to find out anything?”
“No. Part of me hoped that Brody’s commander was just keeping us in the dark. It sounds like they really don’t know anything though.” She shrugged, pushing those thoughts aside. “I’ll call my sister later to chat. Let’s talk about houses—that’s why we’re here, right?”
“I have to hand it to you—you really did your research. All the houses we saw were fantastic possibilities. And hell, the prices aren’t bad down here, either. An old buddy of mine was trying to buy a home up near the Pentagon. Somewhere in Arlington.” He let out a low whistle. “If I wanted to buy a house up there, I’d have to go in with a couple of my closest friends.”
“The housing market in Northern Virginia and DC is insane. It’s certainly much more affordable down here. So, any thoughts? We can keep looking, make an offer....”
“The first one I saw was the best. That’s my preference. I suppose we could look some more, but I don’t think it’ll be any better than that one.”
“It was amazing, right?” she said, nodding enthusiastically. “We can get an offer written up if you want to move on it. I’d recommend asking price at least if you’re serious. It’s possible they’ll get other offers once the listing is live. If we put an offer in tonight, they might accept it though. It’s somewhat of a unique situation with my being the buying and selling agent.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“No. It’s called dual agency. Really, Amy just happened to mention you needed a Realtor right when I was getting ready to list it. The buyers are interested in making the sale as painless as possible. You buying the property isn’t contingent on any sales, which is a plus in this market. People want a sure thing. And with your financials? It’ll be a clean contract.”
Tyler nodded. “Hell, who would’ve have thought it? Me, a home owner.”
“Everybody has to grow up someday,” she joked.
Tyler crossed his arms as he leaned back, looking amused. “I assure you I’m quite grown up, gorgeous. I could show you sometime if you’re interested.”
“Let’s keep things professional,” she chided.
“If you insist.” He smirked, letting his gaze roam over her. Doing funny things to her insides.
“You won’t be sorry,” she said, trying to stay on focus. “That house was amazing. And I won’t need to list it if they’re willing to accept the offer ahead of time.”
“Fantastic. So what do we need to do?”
“We’ll head into my office,” she said. “Write up the papers, and I’ll get them to the sellers. If all goes well, they can accept the offer tonight. If not, you can counteroffer and we’ll see what they say.”
“I got it,” Tyler said easily as the waitress brought over their check.
“But you’re my client,” Melissa protested, reaching out to grab the billfold from him.
Tyler whisked it out of her reach, chuckling. “I’m not letting a woman buy me brunch. No way.”
She playfully swatted his hand, feeling the veins that stood out on his skin. He was solid. Warm. Real. And definitely not someone she should be attracted to. Not at all. “Well aren’t you sexist,” she countered.
“A simple thank you will suffice.”
She rolled her eyes as he pulled out some money and folded it into the billfold.
Chapter 8
Tyler sauntered into the sports bar in town later that evening, taking in the packed tables and bar. A loud roar sounded inside as the crowd cheered at the football game on TV, and there were lots of whoops and hollers.
Braden looked up from his barstool, smirking as Tyler approached. He took a pull from his long neck. “Late for a Sunday night game, bro? What the fuck?”
Tyler glanced up at one of the massive screens, noting the score. He looked back at his buddy. “I looked at houses all afternoon, dude. You know I need a new place to live. I put in an offer on one.”
Braden guffawed, elbowing Liam. “Did you hear that?”
“Missed it,” Liam said, glancing away from the TV screen. “What’s up?”
“I put in an offer on a house,” Tyler said, grabbing a barstool. He gestured to the bartender for a beer and grabbed one of the hot wings his buddies had ordered. “I need to move out of my apartment, stat, so I’m looking to buy.”
Liam let out a low whistle. “Hell. You need a place so you’re buying one? What’s next? A wife and couple of kids?”
Tyler chuckled. “Maybe I’m just tired of moving around and having a damn landlord all the time. I had base housing back in Colorado, but I was renting then, too. I’m ready for something different.”
“You don’t think you’ll re-up when it’s time?”
“Negative. I’ve done my duty to Uncle Sam. I can do without the frequent deployments and military chain of command. The moving around.”
Braden nodded. “I hear ya. It gets damn old after a while. But what the hell would you do after the Marines?”
Tyler shrugged, taking a pull of the beer the bartender set down in front of him. “Maybe contracting for the Defense Department. Personal training if I’m totally done with the government. I could commute up to the Pentagon, but who the hell knows. I’ve gone up there for meetings and traffic is hell.”
Braden grinned at a group of women hovering near them. “Would you ladies like to join us?”
“Sure thing,” one of them said with a smile. “I’m Courtney.”
“Well come on over, sweetheart,” Braden said, wrapping his arm around her sh
oulders as she willingly snuggled up next to him. “You want my barstool?”
“Buy me a drink?” she asked, smiling at him.
Liam and Tyler made room for the other women as Braden gestured to the bartender, Tyler’s mind drifting toward Melissa. Usually he’d be all over flirting with a pretty woman for an hour or so. Seeing how long it took to convince her to go home with him.
But now?
His head just wasn’t in the game.
“Are you stationed at Quantico?” one of the women asked him, reaching out and brushing her fingers over his bicep.
He smirked, appraising her. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, don’t call me ma’am,” she said. “That makes me feel old.”
He chuckled, glancing down at his phone. He was hoping to hear back from Melissa about the offer they’d put in. She thought they might have news later tonight.
“Are you ignoring me?” the woman teased.
“Just waiting to hear back from someone,” he said in a low voice.
He was waiting to hear about the house, sure. But these women also had him imagining Melissa’s flowing red hair and killer curves.
“Well I’m someone,” she said suggestively. “We could go somewhere quieter if you prefer. Maybe back to my place?”
Tyler’s chest tightened. Hell. The last thing he wanted to do was leave with this woman. Funny, because usually he’d be chasing after a woman like that. Interested in a quick and easy lay.
But now?
Not a fucking chance.
Braden climbed off of his barstool, pulling the woman near him even closer. “We’re heading out.”
Tyler raised his eyebrows.
“We’re going to her place. Sorry to miss the rest of the game, but you understand.”
The woman giggled like he’d said the funniest thing in the world, and then she said goodbye to her friends. Tyler watched them walk out, eventually letting his gaze fall back on the TV.
“So that’s it? You don’t want to sleep with me?”
“Not tonight, sweetheart,” Tyler said. “I am waiting to hear back from someone. And I’m here to watch the game.”
Her Sinful Marine Page 6
