She heard a familiar chuckle behind her. “What are you doing?” Tyler asked.
“Feeding the ducks,” she responded idly.
He came to stand beside her and she could feel questioning eyes on her. “The ducks?”
“Yeah, the ducks.”
“They’re not…they’re not really…ducks. They’re more like…pigeons.”
“They’re ducks,” she argued.
“Ducks have…webbed feet and…bills. Also ducks quack. These are definitely pigeons.”
She smiled without looking at him. “You know, when I was younger, my dad always used to take my brothers hunting. He took me along once or twice but I hated it. And he wanted to have that same kind of bonding with me, so he used to take me out to the lake to feed the ducks. We’d sit out there for hours, floating on the water in this little boat. It was so peaceful. This park makes me feel like I’m at home again. So whenever I feel homesick or whenever I miss my family, I come here and—”
“Feed the ducks,” Tyler filled in softly. “You missing them today?”
“Yeah. And when Gemma and Neil aren’t around, this city feels incredibly lonely.” She turned to look at him and immediately wanted to shut her eyes. Not Tyler in running gear. Anything but Tyler in running gear. Messy, damp hair and a black, sleeveless vest– this man was too sexy for his own damn good.
“Well, I’m here now,” he said with a smile, “so I guess I can be your standby guy.” He took out his cell phone from his pocket and checked the time. “And Our Love, Our Lives is gonna start soon. I think they’re gonna find out who’s the father of Abby’s baby today.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How do you know that?”
“Lucky guess.”
“You’ve been watching!”
“It was driving me crazy, Jordan! I had to know and now it’s three weeks later and they still haven’t found out.”
“It’s Eric.” She tugged Roscoe’s leash and urged him into movement. “So you come running here often? I haven’t seen you here before.”
“I usually run on the other side of the park. Decided to try something new today.”
A smile tugged at her lips and it widened when he leaned down and patted Roscoe on the head.
“Hey, boy.” Tyler never called him by his name for obvious reasons.
Although the little pat still seemed awkward, they were warming up to each other. The first few times he’d come over, he’d completely avoided both cat and dog. This was slowly changing over time. Tyler didn’t like kids or animals and now she’d seen him soften up to Roscoe, Princess and her nieces. It was odd. They weren’t in a relationship. She couldn’t even put a definitive name to what they were and yet somehow this man had become part of her…life.
*****
Tyler sat down on the sofa and switched on the TV. When he’d picked her up for their firstnot-a-datein June, he never thought he’d be a regular visitor. Sometimes it felt like he spent more time here than at his own penthouse.
“You hungry?” Jordan called from the kitchen.
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
That seemed awfully couple-like.
She strolled into the small living room. Her skirt wasn’t too short while she was standing up, but when she sat down…
No! Don’t think about it. Just focus on Lorenzo.
He looked at the TV, but every now and then he felt her eyes on him. It was distracting– very distracting– and he had to force himself to stay focused on the screen. Sexual tension built in the room. That kiss in his office had changed things. They’d been going along just fine. They’d learned how to be alone in the same room without rubbing against each other. Everything was great and…celibate. But just that slight taste of her, that tiny bit of physical contact and he was desperately craving more. That kiss opened the gates of possibility and right now all he could think about was exploring every one of those possibilities. She was anxious too, fidgeting, playing with the edges of her skirt.
He let out a loaded breath as the atmosphere became more awkward. His eyes kept moving between the TV and the ceiling, but neither was a good enough diversion. Staring at the freaky porcelain figurines on the cabinet wasn’t helping either.
This. Is. Tense.
