“You’re not ready for that part of a relationship with me.”
A week had passed since Tyler had made that comment and she still didn’t understand why he would think that way. They had seen each other practically every day, going on picnics together, she had accompanied him around to visit a couple of his sick animals and they had also gone to the movies with Bryan and Tonya. They’d also had Sunday dinner over to grandmother’s house, which Megan had thoroughly enjoyed. The only place they hadn’t gone was back to Lover’s Peak. And every day another vase of flowers was delivered to her.
Her heart fluttered at the sound of a vehicle pulling up. She turned, hoping it was Tyler dropping by unexpectedly. It wasn’t Tyler but was Tonya, and she was glad to see her. She and Tyler’s cousin had become good friends over the past weeks and she enjoyed the woman’s company and friendship. While growing up she hadn’t had a lot of friends, especially other women who she could talk to.
She jumped down off the fence and walked over to the car to meet Tonya. “Hey, what brings you out this way?” she asked, giving her a huge hug.
“I had to make a delivery to Mrs. Collins and decided to stop by,” Tonya replied smiling. “How are things going?”
Megan shrugged. “They’re going fine. Come on inside and let me pour you some iced tea to cool off.”
Tonya chuckled. “That’s sounds great.”
Moments later, as soon as Tonya and Megan entered the house, Tonya stopped and glanced around. She then whispered to Megan. “Who died?”
Megan chuckled, understanding why Tonya had asked such a question. “No one. These are flowers Tyler sent me.”
Tonya raised a brow. “Tyler sent all of these?” she asked, clearly astonished.
Megan grinned. “Yes, and aren’t they beautiful? A different bouquet arrives each day.”
Tonya shook her head, laughing and giggling. “I don’t believe this. I’ve never known Tyler to woo any woman.”
Megan smiled as she led Tonya through the living room and into the kitchen. “Tyler isn’t trying to woo me. We’re just good friends.”
Tonya began laughing again as she sat down to the table. “If you really believe friendship has anything thing to do with those flowers then you really don’t know Tyler.”
Megan lifted a brow after pulling out the pitcher of tea from the refrigerator. “What does that mean?”
Tonya met her gaze steadily. “It means you need to wake up and really smell some of those roses in there. If Tyler sent you those flowers, then he is trying to tell you something. Maybe it’s time you listened.”
An hour or so later after Tonya left, Megan was still pondering her words. Coming back inside after riding one of the horses around the ranch, she glanced over at all the flowers adorning the living room. Even after a week most of them still looked fresh and vibrant. Was Tyler actually trying to tell her something, not only with the flowers but also with this courtship thing he was determined that they do?
She walked over and pulled off the card of the flowers that had arrived that day. It said the same thing the others did. You’re special. Was he trying to show her the depth of just how special he thought she was? Was that the message he’d been trying to get her to see all this time?
She sat on the sofa and recalled what they had shared for the past two weeks and, no matter what, he’d always been the perfect gentleman and had brought her straight home from their dates. But she’d known he had wanted her, and on many nights he had fought for control when she’d gotten the best of him and had tried taking his chaste good-night kiss in another direction.
Sighing she suddenly realized something that she had forgotten, something very elemental about Tyler Savoy. He was a man who’d been raised to do the right thing. He never would, and she doubted if he could, take anything between them lightly. Ridding her of her virginity meant more to him than being a one time episode. His need to do things right by her outweighed any physical needs he had because he loved her.
He loved her.
Just like she loved him.
Tears misted Megan’s eyes when she finally realized why he thought she wasn’t ready for that part of a relationship with him. He wanted to be sure that she understood the depth of what them making love meant, and until she did he would continue to deny himself . . . and deny her.
Sighing she walked over to the phone, picked it up and punched in Tonya’s number. A few moments later after hearing Tonya’s voice she said. “I’ve smelled the roses and got Tyler’s message. Now I need your help.”
***
The huge vase of flowers was the first thing Tyler noticed when he walked into his house late that evening. He had met with the bankers in Baltimore that day and after waiting for Keith, whose plane had gotten delayed, they had finalized all the paperwork that made him the rightful owner of the Palmer’s ranch.
He frowned as he walked over to the flowers that sat in the middle of his table and wondered who sent them and how they had gotten inside his house. For emergency reasons some members of his family had access to his home but so far none had ever done so. He pulled off the card that was addressed to him and read it. You’re special.
A twinge of uneasiness hit Tyler between the ribs and he slowly turned around and surveyed his surroundings. And then he saw a trail of clothes that led from his living room toward his bedroom. After taking a few steps Tyler reached down and picked up a black bra. Not far away he retrieved a black half slip and in the hall area, directly in front of his bedroom door, was a pair of sexy black lace panties.
He lifted his brow as he stood in the doorway of his bedroom. Someone was definitely in his bed and from the looks of things she was still there and unquestionably naked.
“What’s going on here, Megan?” he asked, barely able to get the words out. Although she was covered completely by the bedspread, she looked so good in his bed, as if she didn’t belong anywhere else. And her scent was all over the place, mingling with the scent of the vanilla candles she’d lit. Evidently she’d heard him enter the house and was propped in bed waiting. Refusing to meet her gaze, he glanced around the room. In addition to the candles, soft music was playing. It was so soft he could barely hear it, which probably was the reason he hadn’t heard it when he’d walked in the house. Her sundress was thrown over his recliner and a box of condoms, a huge box at that, was sitting next to the bed on the night stand.
Seeing that his eyes were glued to the box, he heard her say. “The use of those is optional. You can take my virginity and give me a baby at the same time if you want. ”
His gaze snapped to her and he leaned against the doorjamb trying to get his bearings. “I can?” he asked, his voice low and husky.
He heard her soft chuckle. “Oh, from the looks of things, I definitely say, yes, you can.”
He saw that her eyes had traveled the full length of him and had come to rest on the zipper of his jeans. It was evident for anyone to see that he was fully aroused.
Tyler shook his head. This was not how he intended for things to go. She was breaking the rules. “What are you doing here, Megan?”
When she stretched in bed, making the bedcovers dip low enough to see the top of her breasts, a hot erotic sensation seared through him. “Do you want me to tell you the truth,” she asked softly, from lips that were wet looking and full of promise. He felt his body get harder the same moment his guts clenched.
“Yes,” he said, nearly hypnotized as heat spiked through them. “I want you to tell me the truth.”
Almost in a daze he watched as she pushed the covers back and a very naked Megan got out of bed and strolled, in the most erotic walk he’d ever seen, toward him. He’d tried not to notice how large and firm her breasts were or how her small waist curved into a pair of voluptuous hips – childbearing hips. But he couldn’t keep his eyes off the area below her naval. He thought she was beautiful beyond words all over, but there...in that particular spot . . . it was his opinion she was undeniably so.
Every instinct he possessed told him to run, get the hell out of there, but he stood seemingly glued to the floor with his gaze latched on to her. He swallowed when Megan came to a stop in front of him.
“Okay, if you want honesty then here it is,” she said softly. “The reason I’m here, Tyler, is to seduce you.”
He blinked, astounded that she would admit such a thing. “Megan,” he said hoarsely, trying to catch his breath and trying more than anything to do the right thing although she was definitely making it hard. “I want you to put on your clothes and I’ll take you home.” He wondered how she had gotten there in the first place since there wasn’t a car outside. “You’re not ready for this yet.”
He suddenly felt a tug when she reached out and eased down his zipper. “Umm, I beg to differ. I’ve been ready for this.”
When she reached inside his pants and cupped him he knew all control was lost, and although he knew he had to try to stop her, at the moment he felt too weak to resist. “I didn’t want things to happen this way.”
She met his gaze. “Why?” she asked while stroking him, and sending his mind on an erotic spin. “Don’t you think I know the difference between the emotional and the physical side of things?”
“Do you?” he asked, barely able to get the word out. If he didn’t get her hand off him he was going to embarrass them both, but her stroking felt so good.
“Yes, Tyler, I know the difference but I want to show you that when it comes to us there isn’t a difference. They are one and the same. I know you love me and I know that I love you and – ”
He reached out and stilled her hand. “What did you say?”
She met his gaze. “I said I know you love me.”
“And?”
She smiled. “And that I love you.”
He momentarily closed his eyes then reopened them. “Do you?”
She nodded. “Yes, I love you with all my heart, and now I understand what you were trying to tell me with the flowers and the courting. I know that you wanted me to know when we got into bed together that there was more between us than sexual satisfaction. I know that, Tyler.”
His heart lunged in his chest and he pulled her into his arms, capturing her mouth with his, claiming her completely and kissing her with an intensity he’d held back the last two weeks. His tongue thrust deep, mating with a hunger that displayed just how much he needed her taste. Kissing her this way felt good but it wasn’t enough, and when she wrapped her arms around him and sank her naked body deeper into his arms, he became aware that a certain part of him was exposed and, and as if it had a will of its own, the hard length of him settled against her stomach.
Tyler groaned softly as he fought for control. He had to do something or else he would take her right there, now, standing up. He slowly pulled back from the kiss and after shoving a certain body part back inside his pants, he whispered. “If you’re sure about everything maybe we ought to get in the bed, what do you think?”
The eyes that were looking at him were filled with so much desire it made him inhale sharply. And it didn’t help matters when she burrowed her hands underneath his shirt and caressed his bare skin with the tips of her fingernails, sending all kinds of sensations rocketing through him. “I’m sure about everything and yes, I think we ought to get into bed,” she said, slowly walking backwards and taking him with her. And when she got to the bed she lay back and pulled him down on top of her.
Megan then became the aggressor as she kissed him the way a woman in love was supposed to kiss a man. He had on too many clothes, but for now she was satisfied with just making love to his mouth, enjoying the level they were able to take their kiss. Gone were the gentle kisses they had shared. Now their kisses were hot, spicy, tongue-licking good.
“Megan,” Tyler whispered, breaking off the kiss and trying to get his breath. He knew that if he didn’t take care of the issue of protection he could be a father in nine months. Pulling back and leaning up, he knew that first he needed to touch her and taste her.
Reaching out he flattened his hand against her stomach, a stomach that would one day carry his child. He then slid his hand upward to her breasts, taking each in the palm of his hand, teasing the nipples between his fingers while thinking about how his child would one day take them into their mouths. He was suddenly hit with a need to be inside of her, to be joined as one with her.
Reluctantly pulling away, he stood to remove his clothes, watching her all the while he was doing so and seeing her watch him. The need and wanting he saw in her eyes had his body throbbing. And when he stood before her completely naked, the look of feminine appreciation in her gaze nearly took his breath away.
“You’re beautiful, Tyler,” Megan said, not knowing another word to describe him. Her body tingled all over and her nerves were stretched in anticipation. That area between her legs clenched and was becoming unbearably hot. She felt heavy, limp and filled with so much desire she couldn’t believe he was actually standing there and wasn’t a figment of her imagination.
“Make love to me, Tyler.” She heard the words pour softly from her lips and when he took a step, coming closer to the bed and back to her, she reached out and caressed him, unable to keep her hands from wandering all over him, touching his chest, stomach and particularly that part of him she wanted.