Brad didn’t know if he could be this close to Tyger without wanting to be closer. He would have swept her away into a passionate kiss, but he could tell how uncomfortable she was. He didn’t want to embarrass her any further.

He must keep their conversation going. When there was silence between them like this, his thoughts were all over the place, making him want her that much more. He really didn’t know how to stay calm when his heart sped so quickly with eagerness.

He finished the mouthful of pancake in his mouth before speaking. “Do you want a taste of my buttermilk pancakes? They are so good.”

He cut a small piece and brought it to her mouth. She hadn’t been eating her muffin, just playing with the crumbs on the table. She hesitated as she looked at the piece of food, before opening her mouth. He moved the fork inside her mouth until she bit into it. Her beautiful eyes remained on him the whole time.

His heart leaped in his chest. Maybe that was a bad thing to do, especially, if he were trying to control his feelings around her.

“Your brother told me,” he quickly changed the subject, “he had a sister who lived in California, and who was living on the college campus.”

She chewed faster as her eyes widened. “You must not have talked to him for a while. I lived in California before finding this job in Manhattan, and that was almost two years ago.”

“You’re right.” He nodded. “It’s been that long since I was in Chicago.”

“I’ve talked to Cade since then, and told him I worked for Upbeat magazine, but he never told me he knew the owner’s son.”

Brad gave her a sheepish grin. “That was my fault. You see, I don’t tell very many people what my father does for a living.” He chuckled softly. “I don’t even tell them what I do for a living. I want people to think of me as a normal person, not a rich guy. You’d be surprised how many people will treat you differently when they know how much money you’ve got. I told Cade I was a model.”

Her gaze moved slowly over his face. “You know, when I’m with you, I don’t think of you as being rich.”

“Oh, yeah?” He lifted an eyebrow. “What do you think about me when we’re together?”

Her smile relaxed. “When I’m with you, I think I’m with a warm, caring man who is very kind with his words, but... who looks like a beach bum.” She laughed.

“A beach bum?” He poked her sides, making her squirm. “If you want to see a beach bum, then I’ll take you to the beach sometime. But my sweet Tyger, I’m not a beach bum.”

She giggled and slapped at his hands, but he refused to stop. Being fun with her like this was nice.

“Actually,” she said between laughs, “it’s just your long hair and your beard and mustache that makes me think that you’re a beach bum.”

“Oh, really?” Brad wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He dropped his face to her neck and rubbed his well-groomed facial hair on her skin. “This, my sweet Tyger, is called a goatee. A lot of men have them.”

Her wiggling stopped, and at first, her body stiffened, but within seconds, she relaxed in his arms. In an instant, her breathing became ragged.

“My mistake,” she whispered heavily.

Her perfume and her soft body against his, was driving him wild. He wanted to kiss her passionately, and he suspected she wouldn’t stop him. But if he started, he wouldn’t want to stop. Ever. However, he had to force himself to pull back. That was the only way to keep her wanting more.

He kissed her neck briefly before straightening. He tried not to look at her face, because he was sure he’d see passion written all over it. Instead, he glanced at his watch. “I need to make a phone call so we’ll be able to get our haircut done by a professional.” He scooted out of the booth.

“Who...” She cleared her throat. “Who will you call?”

“Lance. He’s the only one in town who I’ll let touch my hair.”

She swallowed hard. “Lance? The popular hair dresser who only takes appointments with the rich and famous?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

She shook her head. “Why am I not surprised?”

“I’ll be back in a moment.” He hesitated to leave her, especially when her eyes were wide and wondrous and she looked so pretty. On instinct, he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. Before pulling away, he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth for a quick taste. When he withdrew, her face flamed red and she was breathless.

He grinned. “You had a little syrup on your lip,” he lied. He hurried and left the table so that he wouldn’t be tempted to check for more syrup on her lips.

* * * *

BREANNA’S HANDS WERE nervously cold as she walked into the shop with Brad. A tall man in his early to mid-thirties came out of an office to greet them. His hair wasn’t as long as Brad’s, but almost. He was nice looking, but standing next to Brad, nobody would notice.

The men laughed and gave each other a hug. She realized Brad was just an overly-friendly person. That was his personality, and she loved it.

“Lance, I want you to meet the lovely, Tyger Loveland. I want you to find a style that will enhance her beauty.”

Her cheeks heated quickly. Why she became so embarrassed whenever he mentioned her looks, she didn’t know – unless it was because she knew she wasn’t pretty at all. If his friends had eyes in their head and had perfect vision, they’d see it, too.

Lance stood back and ran his gaze over her with his arms folded. One of his fingers tapped against his arm. Suddenly, his eyes became as large as his growing smile.

“I know the perfect style.”

Lance stepped to some drawers and rummaged through them, looking for combs, scissors, and a drape to place around her neck. While he was busy, Brad stood next to her and took her cold hands in his.

“Don’t worry, honey. Everything will be fine. I trust Lance, and I know he’ll do a great job. You’ll absolutely love what he does to your hair.”

She took a deep breath and slowly released it. “Thanks for being here with me, Brad. I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.”

He brought her hands up to his lips while their eyes stayed locked, and he tenderly kissed her knuckles. “I’ll be here whenever you need me, Tyger. Any time at all.”

Lance draped the cape around Breanna’s neck and led her to the back of the room where he washed her hair, then escorted her back to a chair up front. Expertly, he went to work on cutting her hair.

Breanna refused to look in the mirror. She’d wait until he was all the way finished. As he cut, she could feel the weight of her hair getting lighter, and she hoped he wasn’t going to cut it too short.

Brad sat next to her, holding her hand the whole time. His focus was mainly on Lance, and as the minutes ticked by, Brad’s smile stretched and he nodded in approval.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “This is going to look great on you.”

Now she was anxious to see the results. Brad’s happy expression made her relax. Whenever he switched his gaze to her, the color of his eyes softened. She wished he wouldn’t look at her as if he had feelings, because that gave her hope. Yet, this was Brad. He acted this way with all the women, she reminded herself.

Lance applied some gel to her hair before using the blow dryer. Once he was done, he stepped back and sighed dramatically.

“Once again, I’ve created a masterpiece.”

Brad motioned with his hands for her to turn and look in the mirror. Nervously, she turned the chair. When she saw her reflection, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Had she switched heads with another woman with auburn hair? This couldn’t possibly be her.

Although Lance had taken out the bulkiness, most of her length was still there. And... her hair curled!

“How...” She touched her hair. “How did you get my hair to curl when it’s still long?”

“Oh, my dear, woman,” Lance said, shaking his head. “I know how to mess with hair and make it look beautiful.”

She hiccupped a laugh. “I haven’t had curly hair since I was a young girl.”

Lance explained how he cut her hair, but all she could do was stare at herself, amazed at the remarkable change. He had layered her hair, given her a few bangs, and then tapered the sides. He instructed her on how to use the gel to bring out the curls.

But now her hair style didn’t fit her face. She reached up and slowly took off her glasses... and then sucked in a quick breath. Who was that woman staring back at her? Why did she suddenly think herself – dare she say – pretty?

Now that she knew what she had been hiding all this time, she decided to go all the way. She’d get contacts, new clothes, and even have someone teach her how to use make up.

“Well, Tyger? What do you think?” Brad asked.

“Oh, Brad...” Tears filled her eyes. “I never thought... that I could look this way. I actually look good.”

Brad chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m happy you like the new style, but honey, you don’t just look good, you look spectacular.”

“I agree,” Lance said.

Breanna held Brad’s gaze in the mirror, silently communicating her gratitude. She didn’t know how to thank him enough. Tears continued to gather in her eyes, and if she didn’t do something soon, she’d end up bawling with happiness.

Quickly, she jumped off the chair and pointed to the seat. “All right, beach bum, it’s your turn.”

Brad shrugged in defeat and sat on the chair. “Okay, if you say so.”

Breanna stood back and watched him talk to Lance. Lance showed him pictures of the latest style for men, but Brad wouldn’t let her see.

Finally, Lance went to work. She couldn’t believe how much hair Lance was chopping off! Deep down in her stomach, a sickening wave began. Would Brad hate her for forcing her to do this? Then again, he’d looked at the pictures and agreed with Lance. The sides of Brad’s head was cut very short, leaving only a half-inch. The length at the top of his head was a little longer. But once Lance added gel and styled it, Brad was... gorgeous. Better looking than before, in her opinion.

“What do you think?” Brad asked as he watched her through the mirror.

“You... take my breath away.” Maybe she shouldn’t have spoken her thoughts, but what else could she do?

Brad and Lance laughed. Brad turned to Lance and smiled. “You did a great job. Thanks.” He pulled out his wallet and handed him a hundred dollar bill.

Before she and Brad left, she gave Lance a hug and thanked him. They walked to his truck holding hands. Now she was self-conscious of her perfect hair clashing with her jersey and outdated jeans.

“What do you want to do next, Tyger?” he asked.

She slowed her steps and met his eyes. “You call me Tyger like it was my real name.”

He gave her a skeptical look. “It is your real name, or have you forgotten?”

A different emotion crept over her and she didn’t know whether to blush or become upset. “I haven’t forgotten, but I want to know how you found out.”

“I have my sources.” He shrugged. “Of course, I didn’t realize that was your first name until after I’d been calling you that during the party.”

“I’ve always hated that name.”

He stopped and turned in front of her. “No, my sweet. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

“I’ve never liked it because it didn’t fit me or my personality, and it especially doesn’t fit my lifestyle.”

He caressed her cheek. “Then what do you say we make you into a Tyger?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll take you to the mall and show you exactly what I mean.”