Chapter Six
Tanya stared at herself in a mirror in her shop for about the millionth time that day. She had made sure to clear off her schedule for the evening and had just enough time to do a little primping. As it was, she’d put on a tight t-shirt from a concert that dipped just low enough to show off her cleavage and a cute black skirt to match. It revealed just enough of her legs to be slightly dirty.
Good bait, assuming the fish were biting. Or at least one stupid, stubborn fish was biting.
She frowned at the reflection in the mirror. She wanted to follow her friend Kelly’s suggestion about being direct with Bryce, but every time she thought about it, her heart beat wildly in her chest.
The truth was being direct put her at risk of being rejected. She wanted him, but she wasn’t ready to face that possibility just yet. Then again, she wasn’t ready to spend more years pining away for a man who might actually date her if she just made her feelings clear.
No. The agony of waiting was worse than the pain of being told no. She needed to just go for it already.
Pulling her shoulders back slightly, Tanya took a deep breath and let out all the anxiety she was holding in. She could do this. She could tell him how she felt.
Her heart fluttered once again. Maybe this was a terrible idea. Did she really want to know what he thought of her? Maybe she didn’t.
There was something to be said about loving the idea of love. Maybe what she really liked was simply the chase and had convinced herself it was more than that.
Tanya shook her head. It just didn’t feel like that when he was around. She knew what she felt, and it felt real and strong. After all, she’d been nurturing the feelings for years now.
No, she wanted to know and hoped that she could have something more than what she currently had with Bryce, which wasn’t much of anything. Starting with nothing and ending up with nothing got her to the same place in the end.
The doorbell chimed as it swung open, and Tanya knew instantly that he was there. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying her best to calm her heart.
Tanya glanced up at his reflection in the mirror. Once again, Bryce wore his relaxed fit jeans and black T-shirt. She loved the way it clung to every little dip his muscles took. So sinfully delicious.
Slowly she turned around and felt a blush spread across her cheeks.
"Bryce," she said softly.
Something about the way it came out made her shift uncomfortably. A little too husky. A little too needy. A little too obvious.
Bryce didn’t react other than to offer her a short nod. She had no idea if he’d even picked up on her tone.
It didn’t matter. For now, she did have a job to do.
Tanya turned back around and busied herself with her tools. "Let’s get started," she said.
She could hear his large body moving around behind her and then again as he sank down in the seat.
When she finally calmed herself, Tanya turned back around to look at Bryce, a smile plastered on her face. His hazel eyes stared back, pinning her, almost as if he were trying to see right through to her very center.
She took a deep, shuddering breath. So much for being calm. Her heart restarted its pounding. Why did he have to be so damn handsome?
Bryce frowned. "Is everything okay? Something… well, are you?”
Tanya forced another smile. It seemed like she was smiling so hard her face would ache for days from it.
No wonder he was worried. She wasn’t a very good actor, and he knew how to read people. After all he’d been a cop for years.
Tanya shook her head. "I'm fine. Just been a long day, you know?”
Bryce nodded, apparently convinced enough for the moment.
Maybe if she could just get him set up, it would calm her nerves. She just needed to focus on the hair.
Tanya placed the cloth around his neck and then wrapped the cape around him to protect his clothes. As he did so, her breasts pressed against his firm shoulders. She felt him tense against her and pulled away to snap the back. So much for calming down.
She took another deep breath and tried again to focus on his hair.
This was her favorite part of doing his hair. She ran her fingers through his soft brown locks and stared at him in the mirror.
"Same as always?" she asked, leaning in slightly.
Tanya watched as Bryce swallowed before nodding, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. For a moment she pictured running her mouth along his neck and nibbling his ear.
She shook her head a little before motioning towards the wash table. "Let’s give it a wash before we start."
Bryce stood and made his way over to the other chair near the washing sink. He sat down and leaned his head back against the sink, his eyes staring up at her as she leaned over him to turn on the water.
Tanya lingered there for a moment, her breasts dangerously close to touching his face. Her nipples hardened as Bryce’s breath cascaded across the opening of her shirt. She did her best to control her breathing.
She reached out and placed a hand under the tap water, waiting for it to warm up just enough. Tanya shifted slightly and felt a hard nipple run across his cheek.
She froze as she heard Bryce inhale sharply.
He had felt it. Her need for him. Still he said nothing. Maybe that was her answer right there.
Tanya leaned forward again and grabbed the water nozzle. She ran her fingers through his hair, wetting it down.
She glanced down at his face and watched the warm water soothing him. She wished she could be the only one who ever saw this side of him: the quiet, reserved man who rarely let his guard down. Part of her was excited at the idea that maybe she really was.
Tanya placed the nozzle back on the faucet and grabbed her favorite smelling men’s shampoo. She placed a small amount into her palm and worked it through his hair, massaging his scalp as she did so. Suds filled the space.
Her fingers dug into his scalp, massaging as she went. After a moment, she watched as the last lines of pressure eased from his face, all his tension drifting away under her touch.
"This is my favorite part," Tanya said quietly.
Bryce opened his eyes to stare up at her, their faces not far from one another.
"It doesn't matter who it is," she said. "When someone is washing your hair, there's just something magical about it, the warmth of the water as it washes over you. Soon you just give in to the magic of it. I love being able to make that sort of magic.”
“Huh.” Bryce shifted uncomfortably in the seat and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I never really thought about that."
Tanya pulled the nozzle and rinsed off her hands then proceeded to rinse off the soap in his hair.
"I think most people don't think about it," she said. "Most people go in and think they're just going to get the haircut, but I like to think I'm giving them a little bit of peace back in their life. Not just making them look good but making them feel good. My job’s important in that way."
Tanya glanced down at Bryce. A small smile played on his lips.
"I think that's a good way to think of things," he said. "You really are an amazing woman."
Tanya wasn't quite sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't something like that. Already she could feel the blush rising up from her chest to her neck and busied herself with rinsing out the last of the shampoo.
Not wanting to look down at him again, she reached out blindly for the conditioner. Unfortunately her reach went wild, and she suddenly found herself falling forward.
Her breasts pressed firmly against his chest as she struggled to right herself. Warmth shot through her body as need filled her.
"Oh shit, I'm…" Tanya said.
The words died in her throat as Tanya stared directly into Bryce’s eyes, their mouths just an inch from one another.
She stared at him and slowly leaned in. Each of them watched the other until they finally touched.
For a moment Tanya thought Bryce might push her away. And if he did, she wasn't quite sure what she would do. Instead a large warm hand wrapped around her, pulling her deeper into his embrace.
No slow burn for either of them. It was like pure lightning blasting through them. Each of them hungered for more.
She moaned when his tongue slid along the seam of her mouth, and she opened herself to him.
Mint. She’d always wondered what kissing him would be like and now she knew. It was minty and sweet.
Bryce’s strong arms pulled her closer, and she felt herself slipping into the moment.