Sweat dripped off Tyler’s brow, sliding down his cheek, and falling onto his chest as he gave the punching bag a right cross, a right uppercut, and then a one-two, three-two.

The gym was quiet on Sunday mornings. Normally he took the day off or did private instruction like he had scheduled today, but he’d shocked his two employees out front by coming in at the crack of dawn to get some alone time on the mat. He should stop, but he’d been beating the shit out of this bag for nearly forty minutes and it was still fighting back. The thoughts whirling around his head didn’t help.

Going in for a two, three, and a right roundhouse, he let out a grunt before stepping back. His chest heaved with exertion from fighting and lack of sleep after being with Lia all evening. For once, an all-nighter with a woman had not been marathon sex, but instead he’d put her to bed and then sat there and watched her sleeping in the lamplight.

After five minutes of being creepy as hell, he realized he had it bad.

This woman had managed to crawl under his skin in a ridiculously short amount of time.

Jab and left hook.

Last night he’d have been happy with a good-night kiss at her door. But when she’d kissed him back outside, he’d felt how much she wanted him. There’d been no denying her invitation inside. Lia was warm and soft, and holy fuck, those few minutes with her on the couch had been better than any fantasy. And all they’d done was make out like teenagers.

Double jab and a two to the body.

But more than the physical intimacy, he’d been happy as hell that she’d opened up to him. To his surprise, it hadn’t scared him at all to find out she was a virgin. Of course, he’d have been happy to take things all the way, but he was also fine with what they’d done. To be fair, he had no qualms with virgin women, it just usually wasn’t something he was into because . . . well, why, when you weren’t in it for the long haul? And that was where his thoughts were fucking him up in the head.

Did he see a future with Lia Hanson?

He honestly couldn’t deny that the visions that idea prompted in his mind intrigued him. The two of them doing everyday things. Cooking, talking, maybe working out together. And of course, the obvious: touching her, seeing her beautiful body naked, her in his bed. Him being her first . . . and only. Damn that made him feel . . . something. A sort of possessive and primal feeling that he’d never experienced before.

Right straight, left round.

The overhead lights flipped on and Tyler winced as he gave the bag a left uppercut and a right straight.

“That bag must have really been talking shit.” Reeve dropped his duffel inside the door and headed into the room.

“Shouldn’t you be in Boss Lady’s bed?” Tyler asked, giving the punching bag another right hook.

“She’s out of town.”

Tyler could have sworn Reeve almost sounded pouty about his girlfriend Emily’s absence. Her theater company probably had another location opening up. Tyler stepped away from the swinging bag and sucked in a breath before speaking. “She didn’t take you along on her private jet so you guys could join the mile-high club?”

“What makes you think we’re not already members?”

“Are you?” Tyler grinned.

Reeve gave him a look that let Tyler know he’d never admit it but the answer was undoubtedly yes. Not a surprise. Lucky bastard.

“I came to fight but looks like you might be all tuckered out.”

“I can take you.” Tyler said, heading over to his water bottle. “You better warm up first, though. I’m in the mood to kick some ass.”

A half hour later, Reeve bent over, gloves on his knees. “Damn, dude. You are in a mood today.”

Tyler chuckled. Amazing what pent-up lust could do. “I did do this for a living, remember?

“Yeah, well . . . I didn’t. And if Boss Lady comes home to me black and blue, she’s gonna come find you.”

“Now you got her fighting your battles for you? You are whipped.” Tyler gave his friend a scruff on the head with his own glove and ducked under the ropes before jumping down to the floor. Suddenly exhaustion seemed to be kicking in. A long shower and a longer nap sounded good. Too bad he had a client in about thirty minutes.

“I think I’m gonna go get a coffee down the street.”

Tyler looked over his shoulder. “Yeah? You might see Lia there.” And suddenly he was jealous his friend would possibly see her and he wouldn’t. Had she been thinking about last night this morning? Did she enjoy what they’d done? He hoped she didn’t have any regrets.

“You gonna come with me?” Reeve asked, interjecting Tyler’s thoughts.

“I can’t. I need to shower before my client shows.”

“Everything better between you and Lia now?”

“We went out last night.”

Reeve’s eyes went wide. “My man. Good for you.”

“Is that really so shocking?” Tyler asked, heading to the door.

“Not at all. I knew you’d man up.”

Tyler chuckled. “I’m glad you think so highly of me.”

When they made their way into Tyler’s office, Reeve lingered in the doorway. “Before I go, wanted to remind you about our next drill weekend. Its Mark’s birthday.”

“Oh shit. I’d forgotten. What are we doing this year?” Tyler asked. None of them missed the tradition of spending Mark’s birthday weekend with him. He flew in every year from Dallas where he now lived with his girlfriend. Tyler and Jase had met Mark at Fort Riley years ago. They’d deployed together for the first time, but unfortunately within six months Mark was in an accident, losing one of his legs at the knee and earning an honorable discharge.

“No idea. Jase probably has a plan,” Reeve said. “I just hope it’s better than last year. I still have a scar from wrecking that fucking go-kart.”

Tyler laughed. “God, that was classic.”

“Glad you can laugh about it. Anyway, I’m driving along with Jase tomorrow to pick up some cattle. We’re taking my truck and his. I’ll talk to him about it then.”

“Sounds good. You cowboys don’t get into trouble,” Tyler said. Jase lived about forty-five minutes north of Manhattan and he’d recently started ranching on the land he’d grown up on. Something they all thought was crazy and also pretty damn impressive. Reeve gave Tyler a salute and headed out.

Now alone, it wasn’t long before Tyler was in the shower and prepping for his appointment. When he pulled a clean T-shirt over his head, he got a text from Reeve. It was a photo of Lia at the coffee shop. If the wonky angle and slight blur were any indication, he’d taken it without her knowledge. She was smiling, maybe even laughing, and damn, she looked beautiful.

He really wished he’d have rushed and gone with Reeve. But honestly, part of him didn’t want her to feel pushed or crowded by him since they’d just seen each other the night before. If there was one thing he’d learned about Lia, it was that trust didn’t come easy for her, and Tyler felt like last night had been big for them. She’d shared something deeply personal.

He wanted more from her. More sharing, kissing, talking. For the first time in . . . ever, he wanted to dissect a woman’s brain. Know what made her happy, sad, turned on. If something upset her, turned her off, made her angry . . . he wanted to know that too. But he would get none of that if he didn’t take things at her pace.

He shot off a quick reply to Reeve.

TYLER: Wish I could have come along.

REEVE: She asked where you were.

TYLER: What did you tell her?

REEVE: I told her I’d just knocked you out in the ring and you were busy scraping your ego off the floor.

Tyler replied with the middle finger emoji, one they sent each other often, and then headed into his office. He sat down in his chair to check his schedule for the day when his phone vibrated again.

REEVE: Her exact response was “I know that’s not true.” I was offended.

With a smile, Tyler headed back to his office. Yeah, this girl was special. Definitely worth waiting for.

* * *

On Tuesday, while sitting in her Marketing Analytics class, Lia considered the possibility that Tyler might not want to see her again. Now, as she walked to her car, she tried to convince herself there was a good explanation for why she hadn’t heard from him in the past forty-eight . . . or more, hours. They hadn’t officially said goodbye Saturday night, although he had been so sweet and tucked her into bed. She’d missed out on that opportunity where two people discuss what happens next. They’d had no obligatory, “I’ll call you” or “What about next weekend?” There was always the option of calling him, or texting him, herself. But she just hadn’t brought herself to do it yet.

Striding through the parking lot, she pulled her cardigan around her body and tucked her arms against her chest. Done with classes for the day, she decided maybe she should quit overanalyzing things and take matters into her own hands. It was only noon, she didn’t have to work until three, and Caleb was in school. She could go home and do laundry or go to the grocery store, but what she wanted more than anything was to see Tyler. Or at least hear his voice.

Pulling her phone from her bag, she found his contact. Her finger hovered over the screen as she made her way toward her car. As soon as she unlocked it and sat down, she pushed the call button.

She listened to it ring, her heart pounding. The minute he answered with a sexy “Hey,” she felt relieved. His tone completely told her that he was happy to hear from her.

“Hi. Busy?”

“Not too busy for you.”

Lia smiled. She could hear the telltale sounds of the gym in the background. She imagined him there in his element, maybe in sport pants or shorts. Although he looked good in whatever he wore. “That’s nice of you to say.”

The noise started to fade away until it was gone. She figured he must have gone into his office or the training room. “I was going to call you today.”

“Were you? Guess I should have waited,” she teased.

“No way. I like seeing your face pop up on my phone.”

“My face?”

“Oh shit,” he chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I just outed Reeve for covertly taking your picture the other day at the coffee shop.”

She gasped. “Are you serious? Oh gosh, do I look ridiculous?”

“Of course not. You look beautiful.”

Biting her lip, Lia’s body went warm all over at his compliment. So, his friend had taken her picture and sent it to him. How adorable. It’s like they were two teenage girls. The thought made her laugh quietly as she turned her key in the ignition just enough to roll down the windows.

“How come you didn’t come with him?” she asked.

“I wanted to, but I’d been working out and was all nasty so I needed a shower before a client showed up. I did you a favor.”

“I don’t know about that. Were you shirtless?” she teased in her flirty voice. It made her cringe a little at how easily she slipped into it, but she had a job where flirty voice was profitable, so she could hardly help it. She was good at it, although she was pretty sure it was the first time she’d used it on Tyler.

“Not at that moment. But I’m happy to be shirtless whenever you want me to.”

“I’ve just never seen you without a shirt. I’m a little curious.” The absolute truth, although she’d fantasized about what she thought he’d look like.

“You should have said that the other night. I guess we’ll just have to fix that next time.”

She was happy to hear that he wanted to see her again. “I think so. I want to see all your tattoos.”

“Oh boy. You’re in for a treat, then. I’ve got a few.”

“Do they each have a story?” Lia asked, enjoying the fall breeze on her face as she imagined discovering all his tattoos.

“More or less, although some of them have a similar story. It goes like this. ‘Once upon a time I was young and stupid. The end.’”

She laughed. “You wouldn’t be the only person with that tattoo story, I’m sure.”

“Definitely not.”

“Do you regret any of them?” She asked.

“Nah. They are all part of my past. No use in regrets. I’m happy with where I’ve ended up.”

“I like that philosophy.”

“Yeah? I think it’s a good one. You have regrets now?”

She hesitated, watching the person get into the car across from her. Answering this question was tricky as she didn’t want him to pry too much. “Trying not to.”

“Well, as far as I can tell, you have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m impressed by you.”

Lia glanced at herself in the review mirror, hating that she saw a woman staring back at her that wanted to be strong, brave, and honest, but was usually faking all three.

Soon. Soon she would finally become the person she was meant to be and everything would fall into place.

She changed the subject. “Thank you for . . . helping me to bed the other night.”

“My pleasure.” Another awkward pause. “What are you doing right now?”

“Sitting in my car.”

“Do you have anywhere to be?”

“I have to work at three.”

“I was going to run home for lunch. You want to come over? No point in sitting here on the phone when I could be showing you my tattoos in person.”

Lia laughed, loving that he’d used his own flirty voice. “Okay. I guess so. If you promise.”

“Oh, I promise. In fact, I’m not letting the sun set on this day without you seeing all of them. Even the one on my butt.”

“What? Do you seriously have one on your butt?”

“You’ll have to check to know for sure.”

He gave her his address and her excitement grew as she pulled out of the campus parking lot and headed to his neighborhood. He owned a home, apparently, and she was extremely curious to see what it looked like.

She’d been so certain she’d pegged Tyler correctly in the beginning, but she’d been wrong. Yes, he looked a little rough and badass, but once you saw him joke with his friends, learned he mentored teen boys, and listened as he spoke about his brother, you knew he was just a once-hardened man who’d become a softie. Sometimes it was hard to imagine him fighting someone, although she knew he had. Abbie had googled him and tried to show Lia some of the fight videos, but she hadn’t really been ready to see the man she knew beating another human to a bloody pulp, or to know that was the same man helping to teach her brother to defend himself. Lia hadn’t let on, but her anxiety had ratcheted up as she viewed the short clip that she did. It was even worse to hear her best friend describe him as “a fighting machine.”

That was her worst nightmare. She didn’t want a fighting machine. Hadn’t really been sure she wanted a man at all, but now that she was considering it, the last thing she wanted was a violent one. She was smart enough to realize that what he’d done was somewhat of a sport. A job, but it didn’t matter. Violence was violence, no matter the form, and she was just praying that he didn’t keep some hidden part of himself under lock and key, like a dormant volcano waiting to erupt.

Listening to the driving directions on her phone, she turned onto Farrow Street and then began to look for the house number. She spotted him getting out of his black SUV in a driveway up ahead and pulled in behind him.

Tyler walked down the driveway and met her as she got out of her car. “This day just got a whole lot better.”

“I’m glad. I don’t always have that effect on people,” she said.

“I bet you’d be surprised. But feel free to turn all other men off.” The minute they were close enough, he put an arm around her neck in the gentlest headlock and pulled her into his body. “I don’t really like to share.”

She was glad her face was smashed into his chest, hiding her goofy grin at his somewhat possessive admission and touch. That usually would have had her scrambling, but it felt right coming out of Tyler’s mouth.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Lia inhaled against his chest, loving the scent of cologne and laundry soap. It was the most ordinary smell, but on him it made her want to stand here and enjoy it all day.

He placed a quick kiss on the top of her head and then pulled away. “Come on. I’m hungry. You hungry? I’m afraid I only have preportioned meals, which might not be your thing.”

“Preportioned?”

“Yeah, I’ve done it for years. A habit of training. Well, except for in the Army. But it helps me eat healthy. If I have it already made, I don’t hit the drive-through.”

He opened his front door and motioned for her to go in first.

“That’s real dedication,” she said as she entered his home, which smelled just like his shirt. He stepped in behind her, pushing her further into the long entryway. Wood floors led to the next room.

“Come on back.” She followed a few steps and they entered a large living room. “Make yourself comfortable.”

“This is really nice.” She wasn’t lying either. The house was a beautiful mid-century ranch, with angled ceilings, a large stone fireplace, and a back wall of modular windows that flooded the room with warm light. His furniture was oversized and unfancy. Typical for a guy, she supposed. But he had a ton of books and magazines on a huge coffee table. Most about fitness and sports, a few about business, which she wouldn’t mind looking at.

“Thanks. It works.” He laid a stack of files down on a chair as Lia looked around the room some more.

The wall behind his sofa had three beautifully framed and matted black-and-white photos. One was a sweeping city landscape, in the middle was a snowy mountain range, and the last appeared to be a Kansas prairie. “These are nice. Did you take them?”

He looked surprised and a little embarrassed. “Yeah. That one is L.A. The middle one is outside of Kabul. The last one I took during one of our zip-lining trips.”

Lia smiled at the memory she had of zip-lining with him. “That’s not at all what I imagined Afghanistan to look like.”

“It’s a beautiful country. Lots of mountains. These three images sort of represent stages of my life. Where I started, where I . . . found myself, I guess.” An embarrassed chuckle slipped out. “And where I am now.”

She nodded as she took in every nuance of each of photo. The light, the subject matter. He was obviously drawn to vast landscape images, and she loved that he felt comfortable enough to share his thoughts on what they represented. “What brought you to Kansas, of all places?”

“I’d been stationed at Fort Riley before deploying, so I’d spent some time here. That’s where I met my buddy Jase. You met him at Timber that day. We were in Afghanistan together. When we were both out I just . . . decided to come back. His father had passed while we were gone and I sort of wanted to be there for him. And I like Manhattan. A lot slower paced then L.A.”

“I bet.” She smiled at him “Lots of pretty girls, though.”

He tilted his head and gave her a wry grin. “Plenty of pretty girls in Kansas.”

Lia decided to take that as a compliment and not think about all the pretty girls he might have spent time with in the past.

“It’s also nice being next to the base I’m familiar with since I chose to join the Guard,” he said, heading toward the kitchen.

Lia followed him, sitting down on a bar stool while he shuffled through his refrigerator. “So, what does that mean, exactly? Could you be deployed again?” The thought terrified her, actually.

He pulled two containers out and laid them on the bar across from her. He stared down, obviously considering her question. “Sure, it’s possible. But probably unlikely, unless I ever want to be.”

She watched him pull out two plates and set them down before she responded. “Do you think you’d ever want to be?”

“I don’t see that happening, no.”

She nodded and collected her suddenly depressed thoughts as she looked around the kitchen. It was also nicely decorated in blacks, whites, and natural wood. “I really like your kitchen.”

“You wanna know my secret?” he asked, popping the lid off the first container.

“Of course.”

“My mom did all this.”

She laughed out loud. “Your mom is good.”

He shrugged as he arranged the sliced-up chicken, broccoli, and rice on the two plates. Super healthy, for sure, but Lia was okay with that. “She has a good eye. Works at a fancy little store in Pasadena. When I bought a house, she insisted on coming out and decorating it. Since I felt bad for moving so far away after being gone for years, I could hardly say no.”

“Of course not. Are you close with your mom?”

“Yeah, I’d say so. I don’t see her often, but she’s cool.”

“You sort of mentioned your dad. I’m guessing you’re not really close to him?”

“No. Not at all. I rarely speak to him. My mom divorced him five years ago. Best decision she ever made.”

That didn’t come as much of a surprise since he’d mentioned being very angry at his father once before. She could relate. Her father was a runner, before she’d ever been born. The next guy who’d tried to fill his shoes had only broken her heart by starting off as a loving parent but quickly turning into a total prick. It was no secret to Lia why she’d never been excited about inviting a man into her life again. It didn’t take a shrink to tell her she had a phobia of trust and, therefore, intimacy.

“Must be some good thoughts you’re thinking,” Tyler said, pulling her attention back to him. He gave her a quick wink as he covered the plates in foil.

He followed her gaze. “I try to avoid using a microwave if I can help it.” He turned around and carefully placed both plates in the oven. After setting a timer, he turned back to her. “That means we have exactly twenty minutes to kill.”

Tyler walked around the bar counter so Lia sat up and turned on her stool to face him. When he stood in front of her, she tilted her head up just a fraction to look at him.

His gaze ran over her face as his hand came up to palm her jaw. “I know I’ve said it before, but you’re just so beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“Can I kiss you?”

Lia swallowed, her heart pounding and her entire body turning to liquid at his touch, the sound of his voice, and the way he seemed to look right into her soul. “Yes. Please.”

She extended her neck as he leaned down, and then his lips covered hers. Just like the first time, he took it slow. Gently he warmed up her entire mouth with small kisses and soft grazes. It was the most erotic thing, and like last time, she couldn’t help thinking about how unique it was to kiss him. Like something she’d never, ever experienced before. Not really saying much for someone with her limited experience, but she was a smart woman, and she knew when something was special.

When he finally parted her lips, and deepened the kiss, she was nearly shaking with desire. The feel of his tongue against hers, the smell of his skin. It was all so perfect.

He placed small pecks down her chin to her jaw, and her lips parted on a quiet gasp. “I love the way you kiss me,” she sighed.

That earned a throaty chuckle from him, huffed against her neck. He lifted his face to hers. “I’m glad, because I love kissing you.”

She stood up, making it easier to wrap her arms around his neck. This time when he took her mouth, it was more intense. As her fingers slid through the short hair at the base of his neck, a low moan came from his throat. He angled his head and slipped his tongue between her lips.

In the back of her mind, she thought of the only thing that could make this moment better. Her arms slid down, and each hand grabbed a wad of his shirt. Lia began to tug on it. Understanding immediately, Tyler broke their kiss long enough to lift one hand up, yank the shirt over his head, and toss it to the floor.

“I did promise, didn’t I?” he teased.

Lia couldn’t even think of a response. Instead her eyes widened as she took in his chiseled torso. One arm and shoulder was completely covered in black-inked images. Everything from an American flag, to sunrays. On his opposite bicep were dog tags that read John Cavallo. She touched it lightly, running her finger over the name. “Your brother.”

“Yes.” Tyler’s voice was low and thick.

Her hands moved to his chest, which was not only formed of perfectly sculpted muscle, but also had a beautifully bold scripted tattoo that spanned the width of his pecs and just grazed his collarbones. Serva me, Servabo te. Below that was what appeared to be a date written in Roman numerals. She lightly traced the words with her nail. Tyler shivered beneath her touch, the hairs on his chest standing on end.

“Latin?” she asked. Tyler only nodded. “What does it say?”

He hesitated for a moment before finally responding. “Save me . . . and I’ll save you.”

Lia’s eyes met his. “Did you save someone?”

“I tried,” he whispered. “But I failed.”

The date had to be the day his brother was killed. She could only imagine what it would feel like to lose a brother. Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on the Roman numerals, then moved to the quote, kissing across it. Tyler’s head angled back, giving her better access, his hands gripping her upper arms.

Never before had she known this desire to make a man feel good. Every sexual encounter she’d almost had, made her anxious and left her feeling disappointed in herself and the man. But with Tyler, she felt beautiful and wanted, and not because she was a body, but because he desired her. Did men ever question their worth in moments like this? Surely they did, and she wanted to give this reassurance back to him. Show him how good he made her feel. How much she wanted him.

He sought her lips once more as she gently trailed her hand down the center of his chest. She loved the feel of his course hair as it tickled over her palm. His stomach clenched beneath her fingers and his kisses slowed to the point that he finally glanced down to where her nails lingered on the fly of his jeans.

“Lia . . .”

She knew she might be sending a mixed signal, but she felt confident that if and when she needed to slow things down, she could trust him to honor that. But for now, she wanted one thing. “Can I just . . . touch you?”

“God, yes.”

Slowly, she lowered her other hand and her fingers began to shake as she sought to undo the button fly on his pants. A smidge of doubt crept in. Maybe she should be upfront. “It doesn’t me—”

His finger went to her chin, effectively shushing her, and lifting her gaze to his. “You’re in control, Lia. Nothing happens unless you say so.”

Relieved, she continued with his zipper, the sound loud even over the pounding of her heart. Inhaling deep, she kept her eyes on his as she tugged his underwear away from his body and then slid her hand inside. Instantly, Tyler’s nostrils flared on a hard breath, his eyelids fluttering closed.

He was warm, and his skin soft, as she wrapped her fingers around the width and pulled it out. She couldn’t help it, had to look down, and when she did, her first thought was that holding him in her hand made her feel powerful.

His labored breath caused his chest to rise and fall and suddenly she felt his forehead rest against her hair. She knew he was now watching too. The first stroke was slow and deliberate, her feeling every inch of his silky skin. After another pass she increased the pressure and the pace just a bit.

“That’s so good, Lia,” he whispered. She felt his head pull away from hers. “I need your mouth.”

The minute she lifted her face, his lips were on hers. She continued to stroke him, her palm now slick with his pre-cum. Last time she’d taken things even remotely this far with a man had been years ago. Something had been off, and she’d ended up changing her mind and wanting to stop. He’d had other plans, which had then led to him being much too aggressive, to the point that she’d had to force him off her, kicking and screaming. The encounter had been so traumatic, so frightening, she occasionally still had dreams about it.

That sudden memory had her pulling back a bit, her hand stilling.

“What’s wrong, Lia?” Tyler muttered.

“Nothing . . . I . . .” She tried to give him a reassuring smile but knew it wasn’t convincing.

Instantly his hand came up and replaced hers on his penis. Within seconds his pants were zipped up and then his hands were cupping her cheeks. “Too much?” He placed a kiss on her lips and then stared down at her.

“I didn’t want it to be too much.”

His lips quirked. “I won’t lie. I didn’t either, but . . . honestly, we needed to stop.”

Her eyes widened. “Why?”

The boyish smirk that broke out on his face nearly had her melting. “Because when of us finally gets off, it’s going to be you first.”

She huffed out a relieved laugh. He kissed her forehead.

“Tell me something though. And . . . understand that the answer is not some sort of ultimatum. I just want to know what I’m dealing with here.”

“Okay.”

“Is your being a virgin . . . a choice you’ve made to wait for marriage? Or is it something else.”

“I’m not saving myself for marriage. I just . . . haven’t been with a man I trust. I have to trust you.”

He nodded. “I hope we can get there. Not only for the sex . . . but because I’m sort of into you if you couldn’t tell.”

How was he real? Seriously. She’d been on this earth for twenty-seven years. Thought she’d seen all the “types” of men there were to see. And yet, here he was. Saying just the right thing, not forcing her or making her uncomfortable. Even looking out for her brother.

“I’m kind of into you too.”

The ball was so going to drop any time now. Then again, what if it didn’t?