Scarred (Book 1, #1) by Kylie Walker

human side?”
    Chloe didn’t answer her friend. She didn’t have to. They both knew that she was right.
    Derek held true to his word once again. He spent the entire day either working or playing with the boys. He’d even had lunch with them under the tree they’d found the nest in. It was obvious to see on their little faces how much they appreciated his attention. Chloe tried to keep her attention on task, but it was hard.
    While he moved, bending up and down picking things up or stretching across the monkey bars as he painted them, each muscle in his torso would ripple underneath that t-shirt he was wearing and make her fingers tingle with the longing to touch him. By the end of the day she was more sexually frustrated than she ever remembered being in her life. As they were packing things up she felt someone at her elbow and looked up to see him standing there.
    “Thank you for suggesting this,” he said. “I had a great day.”
    He was covered in sweat and dirt and a big swipe of yellow paint that one of the boys had swiped across his chest. Chloe had never seen him look so appealing. She smiled, trying to conceal the unadulterated lust that she was feeling inside.
    “You did a good job. You should get some kind of bonus for keeping those crazy boys in check.”
    He smiled; a genuinely happy smile and Chloe had to mentally hold herself back. “It was fun playing with them. I don’t get much of a chance to be around kids. They made me feel like a kid again myself. It was nice to take a break from being a grown-up for a while.”
    “Well again, thanks for coming,” she said. “I’m sorry again about what I said when you got here.”
    “It wasn’t your words so much that troubled me,” he said, with a serious look, but he couldn’t maintain it as he said, “When you threw me up against the car I was a little bit afraid.”
    Chloe had to laugh. When she stopped laughing she said, “Sorry about that...”
    “Don’t be sorry,” he said, “It was hot, the biggest thrill I’ve had in a while.”
    Chloe felt her face start going hot and she knew she was blushing. Shit! She didn’t blush! Jesus, this guy turns her into a simpering school girl. She looked over where Lexi and Brett stood alongside his pick-up and she said, “I guess I should go. Lexi and her guy are waiting.”
    “Sure...hey Chloe?”
    “Yeah?”
    “I understand if you’d rather not...since you haven’t called me, I’ve had to assume you decided dating me wasn’t something you were interested in...but I was thinking about going to see a movie tonight. I was wondering if you’d like to go.”
    Say no...say no...say no... “Yeah, a movie sounds good,” she said. “Where should I meet you?”
    He grinned, “Meet me? You won’t let me pick you up?”
    She let herself fleetingly recall what he said about how many resources he had if he wanted to stalk her. Not telling him where she lived did not make her any safer if he was a threat. “Oh, okay. Yeah, you can pick me up. I live at 622 Ocean Drive number four.”
    His smile broadened and he said, “Great, I’ll be there at seven.”
    She watched him ruffle one of the twin’s hair and shadow box with the other one on the way to his car and wondered when the aliens had taken over her body and began to control her words and impulses.

Chapter 17
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    D erek knocked on the door right at seven p.m. Chloe was glad that Lexi was already gone. Her friend was already giving her a hard time because it was becoming more and more obvious that she was having feelings for this guy. It wouldn’t be such a novelty for any other woman, but Lexi had known Chloe for two years, and Derek was the first man she’d seen her friend show any interest in.
    She took a deep breath and smoothed down her hair before pulling open the door.
    God Damn he was gorgeous. He was wearing a white shirt that buttoned up the front. The sleeves were rolled up to the elbows and the top two buttons