Back Where You Belong by Vonnie Davis Page B

things for her was a way to reinforce his male pride. Personally, she found it silly.
    “Opening doors for a lady is a man’s job. Wearing short skirts to drive a man crazy with need…” He trailed a finger from her knee up her thigh and stopped at her hemline. “…is a woman’s job.”
    For an instant, her body’s reaction to his touch overrode her feelings on equality between men and women. “Oh, you are so full of it. That’s downright chauvinistic.”
    “Maybe, but it’s the way this relationship’s going to work.” He turned away from her and opened his door to get out.
    By the time he maneuvered around the front of his truck to open her door for her, she was ready. More than ready. “Relationship? I don’t recall our deciding we were going to have a relationship.”
    She was shocked into silence for a second at his intense expression. His jaw was set and lips drawn into a thin line. Dark eyes were narrowed. Even though he appeared agitated, he placed his hands at her waist and helped her down. One hard hand clasped her side as he closed the door. His nonchalant actions made her feel feminine and protected. Oh, this could be bad .
    She had to keep on talking so she wouldn’t think or react to his virility. “You are talking dating right? How does dating morph into a relationship?” She tugged on the hem of her top. “Guess we are too old for the term ‘going steady.’ But a relationship signifies—”
    He leaned in, pushing her back against the side of the truck. “Woman.” His lips found hers and set to emptying her mind.
    “Oh, man,” she sighed against his lips as her arms wound around his neck.
    Deep laughter shook his body for an instant. “Now, you’re getting it.” He angled his head and took the kiss deeper.
    The next time he pulled back, she gazed into dark eyes. “My toes are curled again.”
    Tyler took her by the arm and turned her toward the door of the honky tonk. “Then it’s time we go inside. Mine were commencing to curl, too.”
    She looked at him, trying to judge if he were making fun of her. “Yeah?”
    The expression on his face was serious, which she found perplexing. “Oh, yeah. Most definitely, yes.”
    Having a meal with Tyler was an experience like none other. He fed her bites of his steak while asking her questions, and then ate off her plate when he answered hers. They exchanged tidbits about their lives, and he told her stories about breeding his brand of rodeo bulls. Slowly, she was learning the attitudes of her one-time crush. He enjoyed hard work, cherished his family—and had a huge sweet tooth.
    “How can you have two pieces of cheesecake and still have a flat stomach?” She opened her mouth as he fed her another bite.
    “Good genes, I guess. Now, let me get this straight.” He added two packs of sugar to his coffee and stirred. “You have a degree in graphic design with a minor in marketing, and yet you’re cooking and cleaning for your grandpa?” He sipped his coffee, winced and added another pack of sugar. “What you’re saying doesn’t quite compute.”
    She chuckled at his remark. “Cooking and cleaning isn’t the only thing I do. Grandpa built an addition for me that contains an office, and I’ve started a small web-design business. My list of clients is slowly growing. I’ve also been writing a few articles for computer magazines. Granted, it’s not the kind of life I dreamed of, but things happen to alter our dreams—or kill them altogether.”
    He tilted his head to the side. “That’s a rather fatalistic attitude. I remember you as being a quiet, dreamy sort of girl. You seemed so awed by life.”
    She ran her hands through her curls. “That Pollyanna girl is long gone, I’m afraid. Now I know most people would just as soon hurt you as to help you.”
    She pushed her plate back and looked over the crowd in the honky tonk. Don’t get maudlin. Don’t allow anything or anyone to spoil tonight. When she returned her gaze to