Page 53 of Winning His Wager

“I can drive myself, you know.” He was a bit overprotective, her cranky Tyler man. But Dylan was used to that—she had grown up with Arthur Whoeverhewasforreal as her father, after all. That man had hovered over her mother constantly. The girls a bit too. But she suspected that was just the Talley in him—Uncle Gerald was the same way. Hovery creatures, both.

“Not happening. Not in your little tin can. I’m going to take it over to Monroe today. He’s got some free time, and we’re going to see what we can do to fix it.”

He did that sometimes. Fletcher and his cousins Kaece and Reese hung out with their cousin Monroe and worked on cars together. Dusty’s had gotten the special treatment recently, even though she mostly drove a truck provided by her boss.

But shouldn’t Dylan have been asked first?

Still, it gave her a warm, gooey feeling when she realized what was behind it. Fletcher was trying to take care ofher, wasn’t he? How sweet.

So all she said was thank you, of course. When what she really wanted to do was stretch up against that perfectly perfect man chest right in front of her and kiss him senseless. Just senseless—and maybe do other things to him too.

Her cheeks heated as he left to put on dry clothes. What was happening to her?

He had only kissed her a few times. Of course, they were scorchers, but… And, well, taken her on an utterly romantic mini-vacation for two, she couldn’t discount that part. And she acted like this?

He held her coat for her and even zipped it all the way up to her neck. He adjusted the hat on her head.

Fletcher liked tofuss, she had learned. Dylan just let him. She had seen Ben do the same to Dusty. And Gil to Sage, come to think of it. Now, Fletcher was doing it to her. Subconsciously? Unconsciously?

He hadn’t done that with her until after the night of the dance. Before that, he’d barely touched her at all. Now, he touched her all the time. And she didn’t stop him. The dance—that was when something had changed. In both of them.

She never would fully understand him. She decided that on the short drive to the inn.

“What time does your shift end?”

“I am splitting, today. I’m covering the dining room this morning for Mey until ten and covering the front desk this evening from four until seven for Daisy.”

“So what about from ten until four today?”

“I’ll probably just go up to the b-attic and snooze, honestly. Or hang with the sisterkins. Since I will not have a car or anything.” She shot him a significant look.

“Sorry, not sorry. Your car needs worked on, honey. I have time to do it today. But if you need to go anywhere in between shifts, call me and I’ll come drive you.”

“I can get a ride, if I need it.” She said it just to see what he would say. Yes, he was definitelythinkingsomething. “Or walk.”

His expression darkened. “You will not walk. You need a ride, you call me, Dylan Geraldine. That is just the way it works now. I’m here, whenever you need me. Period. Remember that.”

Well, didn’t that sound a bit possessive. And just like Mr. Benjamin Tyler and Mr. Gilbert Tyler when they were speaking to their women and everything. Hmm. “Fletchie, sweetie, I am your housekeeper, not your wifey. I am supposed to keep you, not the other way around.”

“Well, I’ve decided that I may just keepyouinstead.” Then they were at the inn, and he killed the engine. He climbed out and rounded the front. Dylan knew the routine now. Fletcher liked to lift her down—he rarely allowed her to climb down on her own, even though she was perfectly capable of it. And she liked it. He opened her door and she turned toward him instinctively. Then hot male hands were turning her to face him more fully. “You are just going to have to deal with it. Now, I want eggs and bacon. Let’s get you inside. But first…kiss me. It’s going to be a long day, and I want a kiss. Deserve one too.”

Then he was pulling her closer, and out of the truck. And right there in the middle of the inn’s main parking lot, fully under the lights—Fletcher Tyler kissed her.

For real, kissed her.

And Dylan lost all bit of reasoning. Again. Just like it had happened every time the man kissed her. Talk about dangerous.

The man seriously knew how to kiss. Sheesh.

35

“Look, that bitch is kissing him!”Abby practically shredded Will’s arm after he parked the truck as close to the front doors as he could get her. It was cold out, and dark and didn’t a good brother make sure his sister was safely inside, so no rapists or serial killers got her? “Who is kissing who?’

“Dylan’s kissing Fletcher, that bitch!”

At Dylan’s name, Will’s hand jerked. And he had to look. He had been thinking about Dylan for days. Since long before he had driven those two loads from Finley Creek and everything. “So? She’s like living with him, isn’t she?”

He tried to keep it cool and everything. Even though this was the last thing he wanted to talk about.