The Way to Texas (10 page)

Dawn waved her hands. “Stop. Don't need to hear this.”

Nellie shifted until she sat cross-legged. “You think it's my boobs? All the, you know, leaking and stuff?”

Dawn shook her head. “Nah, he sees you differently now. You know, as the mother of his child.”

“But I don't want to be only the mother of his child. I want him to lick whipped cream off my stomach like he used to.”

She laughed. “Again. TMI. And things will get back to normal. Give him a couple more weeks. But I would make one recommendation.”

Nellie stood and tugged her sweatshirt past her still shrinking midsection. “What's that?”

Dawn picked up her purse and headed for the door, unable to resist throwing a saucy grin at her sister-in-law. “Get yourself a red lace bra, sister.”

The last thing she heard as she glided down the hallway was Nellie calling, “They don't make nursing bras in red lace, smart-ass.”

Dawn couldn't stop smiling. For the first time in a long time, she felt the stirrings of happiness. Sure, Andrew was ticked at her while still suggesting she call his dad. And Larry kept calling and hinting around about a big deal she might want to get in on…along with dinner, of course. And Margo kept complaining about horny old men who touched her butt. And, still, there was the whole no job, no ideas for her future thing. But, tonight those things didn't matter. She felt giddy like a girl with her first crush. She had a bloom in her cheeks and a bounce in her step.

So maybe not thinking was the best alternative. Even if the thought of not planning her days made her a little nauseous, that habit hadn't gotten her very far. There were so many parts of her life that weren't how she wanted them, despite all her strategizing. So for the moment, she was going to be a fly by the seat of her pants kind of gal.

The kind of gal who wore a red lace bra and planned for a night of flirting…and maybe something more.

“Big date?” Jack's voice emerged from the den.

“Not really a date,” she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking toward him. She leaned down and kissed the soft hair atop the infant sleeping on his chest. Jack's Lab woofed from the pillow beside the hearth. “I'm not kissing you, Dutch. Forget about it.”

Jack laughed softly. “Yeah, buddy. Those lips look primed for someone with two legs.”

Dawn tapped her brother on the head.

“Ow,” he whispered. “You're gonna wake her up.”

“Not my problem. Auntie Dawn is heading out the door.”

“You're seriously wicked, woman,” Jack said, dropping his own featherlight kiss atop his daughter's head. He looked up at Dawn, his expression shifting from tenderness to seriousness. “You sure about tangling with Tyson? You said that you weren't going to mess around with any guys until—”

“I'm not
tangling.
We're hanging out. I'm trying not to schedule stuff. Your advice. Remember?” Dawn's stomach fluttered a bit at that thought.

“Since when have you ever listened to me?”

“I don't listen to you. I listen to me. And I'm an adult and so is Tyson. I don't have any ties and his divorce will be final in a matter of days.”

“Divorce?” Jack's words were louder than intended. The baby stirred and he patted her back. His blue eyes met Dawn's, meaning clear. Jack may be her baby brother, but he was a man. A man who clearly felt protective of all the women under his roof.

“Leave her alone, Jack,” Nellie said, entering the den, wearing a clean and noticeably tighter T-shirt. Jack's
gaze zoomed right in on his wife's abundant breasts. “Tyson's a free man. He and his wife have been separated for two years. His wife already moved in with the guy she cheated on him with. Why shouldn't he?”

“Cheated on him?” Dawn said, dumbfounded at her sister-in-law's offhand words.

“You didn't know? She cheated on him with his business partner while he was in Iraq.”

Dawn blinked. Karen cheated on Tyson? It was the first time she'd heard the reason for their breakup. She'd assumed they'd split because of his absence in Iraq. The thought Tyson had come home to heartbreak made her ache for him. Made her blood heat with anger at Karen. And made her stomach sink. Tyson was on the rebound. Everyone knew not to date someone on the rebound. Well, at least not someone who'd been so utterly devastated in a relationship.

“It's nothing to worry about,” Nellie continued, smiling at her husband with a little sparkle in her emerald eyes. “Go get lucky tonight.”

Jack frowned.

Dawn shook her head and shouldered her purse. No way was she getting lucky tonight. The last bit of information Nellie imparted had her rethinking the wisdom of going with the flow. The wisdom in not not thinking. “I'm not worried about getting lucky.”

It really was a shame, though. And such a waste of a great bra.

“T
HAT SONOFABITCH
needs to block for him. How in the hell is he supposed to fight off defenders and get to the goal line without any help?” Grady yelled at the TV.

As if hearing the elderly man, the announcer concluded much the same.

“Exactly,” Grady said, yanking up the footrest of his faded leather recliner with satisfaction.

Tyson grinned at Dawn and shook his head. He pointed to the kitchen and jerked his head. She wasn't sure she wanted to be alone with him. She wasn't sure of anything anymore. Not after what Nellie had revealed about his wife and her affair. Dawn couldn't even be sure Tyson was over his ex-wife and ready to embark on another relationship.

But she pushed herself from the seventies-style olive tweed couch and followed Tyson to the kitchen. If Grady noticed they'd slipped away, he didn't acknowledge it. He yelled at Jeremy Whitten, who Dawn had learned was a tight end and usually a good blocker.

As she entered the kitchen, Tyson spun her into his arms and kissed her.

And, damn, it felt good.

He tasted so delicious, like yeasty beer, salty pretzels and all things manly and warm. She couldn't stop herself from leaning into him, from wanting him.

Heat flooded her body and swept her away.

And even though she knew it was a bad idea, she didn't stop him when he deepened the kiss.

After a moment, he drew back. “I've been waiting to do that all night. I'm so turned on I could supply the electric company for the month.”

Dawn licked her lips and tried to focus on the coffee machine flashing the time over his shoulder. Reality-check time.

She leaped as his fingers traced the top of her dress. “And don't think I haven't seen what you're hiding underneath this prim little dress. It's driving me crazy.”

Mission accomplished. Couldn't say she hadn't done what she'd set out to do. But his fingers against her heated skin dashed all thoughts from her head. The man's hands were magic. Her body begged him to dip his hand inside her dress and find her breast, cup it, caress her, take her over the edge. Yet the small sliver of sanity that remained urged her to run out the back door. To move before it was too late.

But she forgot all about escape when Tyson lowered his head to her neck and dropped little kisses along her collarbone.

It felt beyond good. She couldn't stop herself from clasping his head to her chest and reveling in the sweet desire unfurling deep in her body. Her traitorous knee even slid up the side of his thigh, bringing him closer to the heart of her.

One of his hands cupped the back of her knee, helping to guide her leg and curl it around his thigh. He maneuvered her against the kitchen counter, bringing his body hard against hers. She could feel his erection straining his jeans and she wanted nothing more than to unbutton his fly and feel him fill her hand. Then
feel him sliding inside her. It had to be the only way to extinguish the fire raging out of control.

Tyson lifted his head and took possession of her lips once again, ruthlessly plundering her mouth. She moaned and met him stroke for stroke, growing nearly frenzied with passion.

It had never felt this way, as though she must have this man or die trying.

So caught up in the moment, she was barely cognizant of someone calling Tyson's name.

He lifted his mouth from hers as he cocked his head. His whiskey-colored eyes were glazed, the pupils dilated. Ragged breath aside, Tyson almost sounded normal when he called, “What?”

Tyson obviously didn't care his grandfather was in the next room. His hand left the back of her knee and glided up her thigh, stopping at the barrier of her matching red panties.

“Bring me another beer when you come back,” Grady hollered, over the referee's whistle sounding in the background.

His finger had just slipped beneath the lace edge of her panties when she dropped her leg to the floor. It was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. She wanted to see what he would do.
Really
wanted to. But she had let this get out of hand. “Stop.”

His teeth nipped her ear. “I don't want to stop.”

She pushed at his chest. “Stop.”

He stepped back, his arms falling to his sides. “Why?”

She rubbed her lips together and refocused on the blinking numbers of the coffee machine. She needed to pull herself together. To use her mind and forget about how turned on she was.

“We're in your grandfather's kitchen,” she said, refusing to meet his eyes. She didn't want to look at him yet. He was too damn appealing. And appealing, turned-on men were her weakness. Obviously.

He caught her about her waist and pressed a kiss against the side of her neck. “So?” he whispered.

Dawn literally had to grit her teeth before stepping away. “We can't do this in the kitchen. We probably shouldn't do this at all.”

Tyson pulled back, his eyes mirroring confusion though he gave her a silly grin.

Her heart plinked.

“Well, I gotta agree with you, darlin'. We don't have a good track record with getting it on in kitchens. Last time we ended up with a soaked Chihuahua and a five-year-old holding a squirt gun. But what's with the not doing this at all? I thought we'd agreed to let things run their course?”

Dawn sighed and scooted even farther away from him. Distance had to be good. “But not this fast. We haven't known each other long enough—”

“I've seen you nearly every day for more than a month. This is what? Our third date?” He crossed his arms and looked much like a father giving a lecture to a wayward schoolgirl.

“My coming to the hospital was not a date, Tyson,” she said, finally meeting his eyes. She couldn't quite read his expression. She didn't know whether he was amused or aggravated. Or both.

“That night you came to the hospital I felt more alone than I ever had. Even when I was in Iraq. We connected on a level I knew existed but had never reached. You're special, and I know we have the potential to build something good together.”

She closed her eyes, and damned if her heart didn't contract in her chest. But he was moving too fast. No one felt that way that fast. He had to be still reeling from Karen's betrayal. He was looking for something that wasn't there. Not yet.

“Look, I don't know where we're headed, but I think it's worth making the journey. Even if I have to convince you to put on your hiking shoes, lady.”

Dawn opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. “Plus, I know you, Dawn Taggart. I know you push your hair back from your face when you're nervous. You have two sweeteners in your coffee. You cheat at UNO. You slip Margo extra money for her son who's in college. Your favorite color is blue. You like to put hot sauce on your eggs. You—”

“But I don't know you, Tyson.” Dawn crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn't even know the details of your whole divorce with Karen. About her cheating on you.”

His eyes narrowed a bit as he stared at her. A full minute passed before he spoke. “Why is that important?”

“Why is that important?” Her voice rose. She paused, took a cleansing breath and counted to five. “It's important because I'm not risking my heart on some rebound relationship. It's a fact—women don't get a future with a guy who's been dumped a few months before. He isn't ready. And I don't want to waste time on something that's going to have me crying into my cereal bowl next month.”

Tyson shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head. “First of all, it has been over two years since I've been with Karen. Technically, it's been three. You really are a piece of work. You think you can control
everything? You can't. You can't control your heart. Or your son. Or whether you'll get another job next month. There is no formula for life, Dawn. You have to creep around like the rest of us, finding comfort where you can, savoring the feeling that makes you feel like moving forward.”

“Is that what I am to you? Comfort?” That bothered her. She didn't want to be used. She'd already felt that way too often in her life. And rebounds were about comfort. Hot sex. No strings. No ties.

Tyson sighed and gave her a small smile. “Yeah, you are, but not in the way you think.”

An irritated voice came from the other room. “What in the tarnation does a guy have to do to get a beer around here?”

Tyson shook his head and called, “You've already had your limit, Gramps.”

Grady muttered a word that should have made Dawn blush. But she was the mother of a nineteen-year-old boy. Very little made her blush anymore.

“I should go,” she muttered. She wanted to get away from Tyson. Away from his words. Away from the damage of his life. Of her life.

“Yeah,” Tyson said, surprising her with his easy acceptance. After his minilecture, she thought he would want her to stay. So he could hammer his point home and make her feel even more emotionally immature.

“I'll say good-night to your grandfather and then slip out,” she said. She resisted tucking her hair behind her ear. For the first time, she felt awkward around Tyson. Just moments ago she had wanted to wrap her legs around him. Now she wanted to slink out like a thief with the family silver.

“I spent a lot of time in Iraq studying tactical
strategies,” he said, grabbing an O'Doul's and popping the top. Her eyes followed his hands as he poured the nonalcoholic beer into a Texas Rangers mug.

The foam reached the top of the mug and he looked at her. But he didn't say anything. Just studied her as she picked at a sliver of skin next to her thumbnail.

She stared back.

“I wouldn't call this a retreat, but I know when I need to halt, reassess the situation and gather my ammunition,” he finally said.

“You think this is some kind of battle for my emotions?” Dawn couldn't stop feeling annoyed. The man seemed positively cavalier. Way too lighthearted for a guy who'd been turned down. Well, sort of turned down.

“No. I refuse to surrender to your fears. You're grasping at straws, looking for anything to prevent you from taking a risk with your heart.”

“I am not,” she said, gritting her teeth, knowing he was correct in his assessment and not liking it one bit. He'd figured her out a little too easily. So, she was scared? She had reason.

He arched an eyebrow. “Let's see. First it was things are too unstable, then it was I can't build a relationship on sexual attraction, now it's the rebound thing. What are you going to drag out next to keep me at arm's length?”

“I don't need a reason.”

“Yes, you do. Because I'm not giving up. I think what we have between us is worth pulling on my camouflage and polishing my gun.”

“I'll let that innuendo slide.”

His bark of laughter must have reached Grady, who
called out, “Stop all that lollygagging and get in here. Dallas is on the four-yard line.”

“Coming,” Tyson hollered as he picked up the beer. He slid past Dawn and dropped a gentle kiss atop her head. “If you want to go ahead and wave your flag, it's all good. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow.”

“What's with men and war analogies anyway?”

He turned and smiled. “You know we can't resist invading hostile territory, especially when it's as good as yours.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “I'm not hostile. And just so you know, I don't cheat at UNO.”

His laughter was the last thing she heard as she picked up her purse and left.

She couldn't help thinking she was a coward. And that she'd been rude in not telling Grady good-night. And she'd never found out Tyson's number two rule.

She thought about his kiss. About his hands stroking her body.

Well, maybe she had.