Without me knowing, Tyrell arranged for my Saturday night shift to be covered so that he could finally take me out on a date.
It was the sweetest thing and the nicest surprise.
I got a text from him on Saturday morning, letting me know that I was all his for the night.
A thrill skipped through me. And Tobin, who had bounced back from his cold, went into full fashionista mode. He dragged me out shopping, and we argued over dresses and a freaking sparkly pink onesie thing that no one on the planet should ever actually wear in public.
Finally, I found a top that paired perfectly with the jeans I was already wearing, and he relented and let me settle on just that one item, plus a pair of heels.
I swear, that man is going to make me broke.
But he does make me look good.
And when Tyrell arrives and his eyes rove over me like I’m a supermodel, it makes me grateful for Tobin’s help.
He gives me a wink and mouths, “I told you!” just before I walk out the door, tucking up against Tyrell’s side.
I love how tall he is.
How strong he is.
How safe I feel when I’m beside him.
We drive toward Denver, and I keep asking him where we’re going, but he seems set on surprising me.
And he does.
We start with a super-fun escape room that has us working together beautifully. I swear, his brain is awesome, and we totally nailed the puzzles, getting out of there in forty-three minutes and making it onto the leaderboard. We celebrated with gelato ice creams, and then he took me to an obscure secondhand bookstore he’d researched online. It was so cool! We spent ages in there roaming the shelves. I ended up buying some picture books for my nephews, a chapter book for my seven-year-old niece, and a baby book for the latest addition to the family.
Kiara is one, and she’s the cutest thing on the planet.
I tell Tyrell all about my growing family, showing him photos.
“I bet you’re their favorite aunt.”
I blush, knowing he’s right but not wanting to say it. Those kids adore me, and it shows every time I walk in one of their front doors.
My older brother, Jesse, had his little Elsa when he was only eighteen. His girlfriend moved in with us while she was pregnant, and the entire family stepped up to support them so they could still graduate from high school and attend college. I was on babysitting duty a lot, and Elsa and I are really close now.
She’s an avid reader and top of her class, so finding books that are advanced enough for her, yet still cover appropriate topics for a seven-year-old, can be challenging. But she’s mad about horses, and she’ll love this one.
I read the back again, excited to give it to her and wondering when I’ll make it back to Colorado Springs.
Man, what will my family say when they know I’m dating Tyrell Jackson? I still haven’t told them I’ve been dating anyone yet. They saw me fall apart after Atlas died, and I bet some of them think I’ll be single forever.
I really should give them a heads-up that my move to Nolan has been a real gamechanger, but I just want to see how things play out with Tyrell first. I don’t want to jump the gun.
Oh, you mean like you did on Tuesday night?
I blush, biting my lips together to hide my smile. A shiver races down my body, pooling between my legs as I wonder if I’ll get to experience the wonder that is Tyrell Jackson all over again tonight.
I glance at him, my lips twitching as I try to guess where we’re off to next. It’s been an epic date, and we’ve had so much fun together.
“You hungry?” He looks at me and I nod, feeling my body swell with a different kind of hunger as he turns onto a new street and I watch his bicep curl, study the muscles in his forearm, and relive those large hands skimming over my body, cupping my breasts, my butt…
And I’m getting wet again.
Part of me wants to blurt,“Forget food! Just feed my insatiable hunger for you!”
