by Cara Wylde
Rebecca’s voice made her heart jump and her palms sweat. The first thought that came to her mind: Stephan. She left Ava in front of the TV and went to the front door, which Becca had just closed behind the stranger. When her eyes met Tyler’s warm, brown orbs, the tension in her muscles melted, and a fuzzy feeling took over her entire body. She was tingling all over.
“What are you doing here?”
He gave her a bright smile and kissed her cheek. He would have hugged her tighter, but Becca was still there, watching their every move.
“Please don’t be mad at me. I just… I needed to see you.” He threw a glance towards Amber’s blonde friend.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” said Becca. Then she leaned in to whisper: “Amber told me everything.”
She winked, making Tyler blink in confusion. Then he realized that Amber had told someone about him, and that was a great thing. It meant she had no intention of keeping what they had a secret. It meant she wanted more.
“Well, I guess I better leave you two,” said Becca. “I’ll go check on Ava.”
Amber and Tyler stood in the hallway, an awkward silence falling between them. Amber would have loved to throw herself into his arms and let him shower her in kisses, but she had told him she needed some space just the day before. It wouldn’t have been fair.
Tyler scratched the back of his neck.
“I couldn’t stay away,” he whispered. “I went to the cabin yesterday evening, spent the night there, but I was too restless this morning. I had to see you.” He stepped closer to her and rested his hands on her hips. “Amber, if I don’t talk to you or touch you for more than a couple of hours, I go insane.”
She sighed, but allowed herself to give in and rest her head and palms on his hard chest.
“I know… I could barely sleep last night. But, Tyler… it’s not safe.”
He kissed the top of her head.
“You’re safe with me, sweetie. You and your daughter. Just give me the chance to prove it to you.”
“Stephan…”
“Forget about him. Let your attorney deal with him. As long as you’re with me, Stephan can’t get to you. I promise.”
She closed her eyes and let his words sink in. She wanted to believe him, she really did. She felt safe in his arms, there was no denying that, but could she truly trust her instinct? His arms enveloped her and pulled her closer to his body. She smiled.
“Let’s spend this evening together,” said Tyler. “I’ll take you and Ava to dinner, and then to the movies, what do you say?” When she remained silent, he hurried to add: “It’s okay if you don’t want to. I’ll understand.”
“I do.” She pulled away to look up into his eyes. “I want to go out with you, I want to be with you, and I want you to meet Ava. But…”
“Shhh…” He put a finger to her lips. “Leave the rest to me.”
She smiled and lifted herself on her toes to peck his lips. Oh, she was making such a huge mistake. At least that was what her brain was screaming at her. Her heart couldn’t be more pleased.
“Come in and meet Emil while I get myself and Ava ready.”
Tyler followed Amber into the leaving room. The sound of their footsteps distracted the little girl from her cartoons, and she looked up at the tall, intimidating stranger. The big blue eyes she had clearly inherited from her mother studied him from head to toe until she finally decided she liked his kind smile.
“Ava, this is Tyler. He’s a good friend of mine and he’s just invited us to the movies.”
The girl jumped off the sofa and ran to her mother.
“Yay! Can I have popcorn?”
“Sure you can,” said Tyler. He offered her his hand, and Ava reluctantly accepted to shake it. “I’m Tyler, by the way.”
“Ava.”
“You have a beautiful name, Ava. Nice to meet you.”
The girl stole a glance at her mother, as to make sure she was doing the right thing by being so friendly with this Tyler guy. Amber nodded and smiled, and Ava couldn’t be more satisfied. She had gotten bored of spending most of her time inside, playing with Becca. Dinner and the movies sounded awesome.
Amber introduced Tyler to Emil. Rebecca went to bring everyone a glass of whiskey, so Amber left the three of them in the living room to get acquainted. She wasn’t gone for more than fifteen minutes, so Tyler and Emil didn’t have time to talk much. They were surprised, however, that they immediately bonded. They felt comfortable around each other, and Becca was surprised to see Emil talk so openly about his private investigation business with a person he had just met. In turn, Tyler told him he was a graphic designer and offered to take a look at Emil’s website and even design his business cards, if he wanted. When Amber and Ava came back into the room, the two men were so deep in conversation, that they had to wait ten more minutes for them to part, which they didn’t do before they exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
“Love that guy!” said Tyler when they were in his car, Ava in the backseat, and Amber by his side. “There’s something about him, I don’t know what.”
Amber laughed. “Might be his accent. No wonder Becca fell in love with him instantly.”
“What’s with you, women, and guys’ accents?” He shook his head. “No, it’s not that. He seems so… honest and trustworthy. He gives you this impression that you can tell him anything.”
“Well, he’s a private investigator. It’s part of his job, isn’t it?”
Tyler shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Becca is such a lucky girl.”
“Oh, he’s a lucky guy too, believe me.”
“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” She punched him playfully in the shoulder.
Tyler simply threw her a mischievous glance and laughed. In the backseat, Ava was watching them bewildered. Her 8-year-old mind couldn’t quite understand what was happening, but she did know that she had never seen her mother so happy and relaxed around her father. This Tyler guy… he could actually make her laugh. And her mother had such a pleasant, contagious laughter! When she punched Tyler again, Ava laughed and punched him too with her little fist.
“That’s not fair,” Tyler laughed.
The girls exchanged a glance behind his back and laughed harder.
Tyler took them to a nice restaurant near the cinema and told Ava she could have anything she wanted. The girl squeaked in delight, and for the first time, Amber didn’t protest when she ordered two types of dessert. Stephan had never treated Ava so well, had never talked to her as one would talk to an adult, and she was surprised to see that her daughter was, actually, quite mature and reasonable. She was well-mannered, she laughed at Tyler’s jokes, but listened to him patiently when he had something serious to say. The two of them interacted so well that Amber decided to simply relax, eat her salad, and listen to them as they bantered. Ava told him about her DIY projects, and Tyler asked pertinent questions about the colors she used and the design choices she made, then he gave her examples of sets of colors which worked well together even though they didn’t seem to at first.
After dinner, they went to see an animation movie. Ava ended up sitting between them, so Amber and Tyler weren’t able to do more than exchange glances and smiles, but that was okay. They felt more connected than ever. The whole drive home, Ava talked about the movie and how much she enjoyed it. She wasn’t finished when Tyler pulled into the parking lot, so they spent ten more minutes in his car so the girl could wrap up her enthusiastic review and finally ask them what they thought.
“All right, young lady, let’s get you upstairs. It’s already past your bedtime,” said Amber.
Tyler got out of the car and opened the door on Amber’s side. He offered her his hand, Amber took it, and it was a good thing that she did, because the second she stepped out of the car, she lost her balance and fell right into his arms. He held her tightly and helped her stay upright. At first, he thought she had done it intentionally so she could steal a hug without Ava thinking it was we
ird, but then Amber looked up at him and he saw the fear in her blue eyes.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” he asked. “Amber, what’s wrong?”
Amber tried to speak, but her tongue refused to cooperate. Her throat was dry, her temples pulsed with a terrible headache, and her thoughts were a jumble of words and images she couldn’t make sense of.
“Mommy?” Ava opened the car door and ran to her mother’s side. She clung to her light summer coat, her tiny fists holding the fabric for dear life.
Amber closed her eyes for a second and tried to breathe evenly. This was a panic attack, she was sure of it. Why it was happening, she had no idea. But it was a panic attack, and she knew how to stop it from getting worse.
Tyler held her with one arm, and grabbed her face with the other, although he wasn’t sure what he was doing. She had her eyes closed, and if she fainted, he wouldn’t know how to bring her back.
“Amber, stay with me,” he said in a firm voice. “I’ll take you upstairs and call an ambulance, okay?”
Ava was close to crying. She sniffed her nose and pulled at the coat harder, hoping this would make her mommy open her eyes.
“No…” Amber whispered. She swallowed heavily and tried to stand on her own. She felt like a rag in Tyler’s arms. “No ambulance…”
Tyler breathed out in relief when he saw she could talk. She opened her eyes, and he realized how tired she was. The sparkle he knew so well was gone, as if something huge and painful had just hit Amber right in the heart and left her weak and helpless.
“I’m fine now,” she said. She put her arm around Ava’s shoulders and pushed herself away from Tyler’s embrace. She could stand now. Everything was good. “I… It’s the stress.”
Tyler nodded, but didn’t believe her. No one reacted like that to stress. She had eaten well at the restaurant, so she couldn’t be weak because of that. He took a step back to offer her and her daughter some space, but his senses were alert. If she have any sign that she was about to collapse again, he would catch her immediately. He would use his shifter speed if he had to.
“I’m fine, really.” Amber smiled weakly. “I just need some rest.”
“Has this ever happened before?”
Amber looked at his slightly furrowed brows and understood this was important to him. He didn’t believe her, although she had no idea why. As far as she knew, there couldn’t be any other explanation than the stress Stephan had caused her in the past few days.
“Yesterday,” she admitted. “It was right after I talked to…” She didn’t say his name. Ava didn’t need to know she had talked to her father. “It was because I had skipped breakfast, though. I felt much better after I ate.”
Tyler nodded again, but his mind was working frantically. The bear was agitated in his chest, growling and snarling, as if Amber’s fatigue would go away if the beast threatened it.
Amber took Ava’s hand.
“We have to go now,” she said. “It’s late.”
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
“I’m already better.” She smiled reassuringly. “It’s nothing, I promise.”
As he watched her and Ava enter the building, Tyler whispered to himself: “I hope you’re right, Amber. I hope you’re right, and it’s just the stress.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Since that Saturday evening, Tyler took Amber and Ava out almost every day. A week passed like that. Ava was absolutely charmed by Tyler, and Amber was bursting with happiness. Stephan had stopped calling, which worried Amber at first, but she soon forgot about him. Maybe he had finally understood it was better for them to get a divorce and move on with their lives. Tyler’s presence helped her relax and gain confidence in their future. After all, it was possible that Stephan had just wanted to upset and frighten her, and he wasn’t actually planning to do anything radical. Why would he, anyway? It wasn’t like he cared about her and Ava. Except for a few times when she felt very weak and dizzy all of a sudden, that week was the best Amber had had in years. Tyler kept insisting she saw a doctor, but she didn’t want to ruin the lovely, sunny days they spent together with doctors and hospitals. She had always been the healthiest person she had known, and she did feel better each day that passed. Or so she thought.
This time, when Tyler invited her to his cabin, Amber did more than say “yes”. She asked Becca and Emil if they could look after Ava over the weekend. Of course, she didn’t tell Ava where she was going. As much as she hated it, she had to tell her a story about how she had something to take care of at home, back in Chicago, but she didn’t want to ruin Ava’s vacation in New York. The girl hated Chicago and that house, anyway, so she didn’t ask many questions. When Becca started telling her about all the things she had planned for the weekend, Ava couldn’t wait for her mother to leave so she could have some real fun.
Amber fell in love with the Blue Mountain Reservation the moment she stepped out of Tyler’s car. The air was fresh, the forest surrounding his cabin was green and lush, and the cabin itself was almost a work of art. It reminded Amber of those tiny, cozy houses she saw on the Internet. All the furniture was made of wood, and the space was organized in such a way that two people could move around comfortably while still having everything within hand’s reach. There was a tiny fireplace in the living room, the bedroom was so small that only a double bed and a small wardrobe could fit inside, and the bathroom was even smaller, but very warm and pleasant. Amber loved how minimalistic everything was. After living in a huge house for 10 years, a house in which she had felt like a stranger, she appreciated the comfort of this adorable cabin.
They left their things in the bedroom and took the food and beverages into the kitchen. While Tyler was putting everything in the fridge, Amber busied herself with studying the few books he had in the living room. It was clear he liked to come here and spend a day or two away from the world, reading, working, or playing video games. She decided she rather liked this kind of lifestyle. As she was putting a book back on its shelf, she felt Tyler’s arms around her waist. She covered his hands with hers and pressed herself against his chest. She sighed when he started trailing kisses up and down her neck, and threw her head back to give him better access.
“I love the way you smell,” he whispered huskily. “And taste…” He nipped at the white, creamy skin.
Amber’s pussy throbbed. Her panties were already soaked. They hadn’t done anything since that first night they spent together, and her body craved his. Her nipples hardened when she felt his erection against her round ass, and she rolled her hips to let him know she was aware of how hard and horny he was.
“Oh, how I missed this,” she moaned.
His hands sneaked under her blouse and caressed the soft flesh of her belly before making their way up her abdomen. They stopped right under her breasts, then Amber said “please”, and Tyler cupped her through the lace bra. He rolled the hard nipples between his fingers, and she bucked her hips harder against his painfully hard cock.
“Amber…”
She threw her hands back to grab his ass and squeeze it possessively.
“Fuck me,” she said. “Right now and right here.”
He growled and bit down on her shoulder, harder this time. She yelped, then laughed in delight. Yes, she loved it when he was so dominant and possessive. He grabbed her bra and pulled it down over her breasts, then turned her around harshly, so he could get rid of her blouse and attack the tiny, perfect nipples with his mouth. As his tongue rolled around her left nipple, he pressed her against the bookcase and parted her thighs with his leg. Amber sank her fingers into his black hair and rubbed herself on his knee. The slight pressure on her clit made her body sing with desire. She looked down at him, and the sight of his lips and tongue licking and sucking her breast made her pussy clench. Her walls were slick with juices, her clit was painfully hard, and her fingers were itching to explore his taut body, to wrap themselves around his long, thick rod and guide it inside her.
“
Tyler… Oh, Tyler…”
He looked up at her and smiled around her nipple. She bit her lower lip. She still had her bra on, and even though it was a bit uncomfortable to have the cups gathered under her breasts, they did lift them up and made them look bigger and firmer.
“You’re so beautiful…” he said before kissing his way down her stomach.
He reached the hem of her jeans and started working on unbuttoning them. His sensitive nose had let him know how wet she was minutes ago. He could smell her delicious juices through her jeans and panties, and the scent was driving him insane with lust. He needed to dip his tongue inside her hot cavern and taste her honey. He rolled the offending pieces of clothing down her legs and chuckled when she immediately parted them to give him better access. He trailed his thumb from her mound to her entrance, then used two fingers to part her folds.
“You’ve no idea what you’re doing to me,” he whispered. The bear growled inside his chest, urging him to taste her already. “So perfect, so sweet…”
He closed his eyes and pushed his tongue inside her pussy, making her buck her hips and moan with abandon. Instead of grabbing his head, she moved her hands to her breasts and started rolling her nipples between her fingers. The sensation was so much better. Tyler licked his way from her entrance to her clit, and when he circled the small, hard nub, she nearly lost it.
“Oh, there… right there. Do that again.”
He didn’t wait to be told twice. He started drawing quick circles around her clit, sucking it between his lips from time to time, then he pushed two fingers inside her and pumped them slowly, deliberately. That seemed to drive Amber wild with lust, because she impaled herself on his fingers, riding them faster, harder, until she exploded in his mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a long moan as she rode her orgasm. Tyler kept licking the rich juices, making sure she was clean before she came back down from her height.
He stood up and she opened her eyes to look at his handsome face. God, he was gorgeous! His brown eyes were sparkling with love, and his lips were glistening with her juices. She let go of her breasts, grabbed his face between her palms, and pulled him into a fierce kiss. She bit him and sucked on his tongue, moaning when she tasted herself. His hands ran up and down her body, groping and squeezing, caressing her curves, pinching her nipples, moving lower to cup her mound. His fingers sneaked between her pussy lips again, and Tyler moaned into her mouth when he discovered how wet and ready she was.
