“So what do you want to talk to me about?” I asked after several long moments had passed as we walked along the beach. I tilted my head toward Tyler as the ocean wind picked up. I attempted to tame my hair, but it was useless.
“I like this look on you,” he commented, fondly looking at me.
“What look?”
“I don’t know. I can’t quite put my finger on it. When we first met, you had this wall around you, and I was always curious as to who you really were. Over time, I started to see more and more, but even after you let go with me, you still didn’t let me all the way in. But now I see such a carefree version of you, and I’ll do anything to keep this look on your face.”
I nudged him. “You’re procrastinating.”
“You caught me.” He nervously met my gaze. “Maybe I’m just worried I’ll lose you again, and I’m not willing to do that.”
I halted and turned to face him. “Tyler, as long as you’re honest with me, that’s all I care about. Everything else, we can work through. I may yell and become irrational, but that’s why I keep Jenna and Brayden around. They’re really good at smacking some sense into me.”
“Okay.” He took a deep breath and I prepared myself for him to drop some sort of bomb that would make me question everything I thought I knew about him. “I just need you to know the only reason I’m doing this is because I care about you…deeply. Probably more than you can even begin to fathom.”
“Tyler, just spit it out.”
He paused briefly before releasing a breath. “I’ve ordered Martin and everyone else to remain on their protection detail.”
“Why?” I asked, confused.
“Because, Mackenzie. I need to do everything I can to ensure your safety and my top priority right now is to figure out what the fuck is really going on here. Between your father, our mysteriously disappearing CIA handler, your friend, Damian, and Charlie–”
I inhaled quickly at the mention of that name and Tyler noticed my reaction.
“What is it?” He raised his brows.
“Nothing,” I replied, turning from him and continuing along the shore.
“It wasn’t nothing,” Tyler said, catching up to me. “You want me to be open and honest with you? This is a two-way street, Mackenzie. I can only keep you safe if I know what’s going on.”
“I’ve told you, Tyler. Charlie isn’t a threat to me. He knows where I am. If he really wanted to hurt me, he’s had plenty of opportunities to do so. Am I certain he didn’t kill all those people? I don’t know. But I’m not ready to believe he’s got a vendetta out against my father or me.”
“Let me be the judge of that.” Crossing his arms in front of his chest, making him look formidable, he glared down at me. A chill enveloped me, part of me irritated with his inability to accept I was an adult capable of taking care of myself, the other part becoming increasingly turned on with the dominance and power that covered his appearance as he stood in that stance, his suit making him even more attractive than I thought possible.
“You know,” I began, “you make it nearly impossible for me to be upset with you. You’re using your suit against me.”
He scrunched his eyebrows briefly before his stern expression melted into one of amusement. Chuckling loudly, he pulled my body into his and I got lost in his strong arms, the sound of his laugh vibrating through him and warming me with adoration for him…my strong, protective mystery man.
“You know, a man in a suit to a woman is like lingerie to men. There’s nothing hotter.”
“I’m glad you think so, Mackenzie.”
“I do,” I admitted, pulling my head from his chest and peering into his eyes, the stars and ocean causing them to shimmer. Forgetting my former irritation with him, I reached up and ran my hands through his hair, playing with it.
“Kiss me,” I begged, pulling his face toward mine. Our lips met, the kiss soft and tender. He took his time exploring my mouth, his hand running over the contours of my body as if it were the first time. Everything with Tyler felt like the first time. It was always new and exhilarating, the high I continued to feel whenever he swept his tongue with mine or brushed his fingers on my skin more vibrant than the previous time. We were still chasing the dragon together and I never wanted to stop.
I dropped my shoes, pulling his body closer, our kiss growing fevered and intense. Growling, Tyler lifted me and I wrapped my legs around his waist, but it still wasn’t enough. At first, I appreciated the effort Tyler was making to take things slow, giving me the opportunity to learn to trust him again, but I didn’t care about any of that right now. I needed to feel him on each and every inch of my skin.
“Tyler…,” I exhaled, trying to catch my breath.
“Yes?”
“Take me home. We’ll talk about whatever you want later.”
“Mackenzie…,” he began, and I could see him struggling.
“I know you want me. I can feel it. I need you right now. We need to make up for lost time. So, please, take me home and make love to me.”
Staring at me with hunger, his expression carnal and animalistic, he closed his eyes. When he opened them, the thirst was gone.
“We need to talk first, Mackenzie,” he said, helping me lower my legs back to the sand.
“We already did,” I replied, my voice bordering on being a bit whiny. I ran my finger down his shirt, settling on his belt buckle as I pulled him back toward me. “You’re keeping your team of trained mercenaries on board to look after me. You know how much I get turned on when you go all protective. We talked, so let’s go do something else now.” I began to unbuckle his belt, but his hands caught mine before I could go any further.
“That’s not all I need to talk to you about. There’s more.”
“More?” I raised my eyebrows.
He simply nodded in response, swallowing hard.
“What is it?”
“Besides us needing to talk about what you’re keeping from me regarding Charlie…”
“I’m not–”
He raised his finger to my mouth, hushing me. “You are, Mackenzie, and I get it. You’re learning to trust me all over again. You’re not sure where my loyalties lie right now. You’re worried I may use what you tell me to hurt Charlie. And you’re right to think that, especially if I find out he’s a danger to you. That’s where my loyalties lie. With you and only you. Okay?”
I nodded slightly and he removed his finger from my mouth.
“It’s about your father…,” Tyler reluctantly said.
“What about him?”
Sighing, he rubbed his temples, his shoulders shrinking. “If I thought there was any other option, I wouldn’t be asking this of you.”
“Asking what?” I countered, crossing my arms in front of me, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable.
“I need to talk to him,” he said, his voice soft.
I stared at him, not expecting him to ask so much of me. For most, meeting the parents was a rite of passage, something all couples did. But this wasn’t a simple dinner to make sure I wasn’t dating a complete asshole. This was a man who had approached me for the sole purpose of finding and turning my father in, and was now asking that I bring him to meet the man he may still be hunting.
“Tyler…” I sighed, unsure of what to say to him.
“I know what must be going through your head right now,” he said, grabbing my hands. “I understand your reluctance, but I’m not going to stop working this case until I know you’re safe from harm. That means finding out what really happened all those years ago. There’s been too many suspicious things happening, giving rise to more questions than answers, and I think your father may be able to give us some insight that could help put this puzzle together.”
“Tyler, I just…” I paused, collecting my thoughts. “I spent eight years of my life thinking he was dead. Having to disappear and change everything about me, including my name, was the hardest thing I ever had to do. It broke me and, the day I saw my father step into the living room at my mother’s house, I vowed to do everything I could so I’d never have to lose my family again.” I tore away from him, a chill washing over me as I recalled how lost I felt all those years when I thought I had no father.