A Little Like Love (Robin and Tyler 2)

“Do you have an account?” I ask.

He snorts. “Nope.”

“I don’t know why I’m saying this, but that’s kind of hot.”

“Oh yeah?” he says, sliding closer to me on the bench. “What if I told you I haven’t checked my email in weeks? Do you find that hot as well?”

I shove into him with my shoulder. “Stop trying to make me like you.”

*finish this scene

The living room light glows through the windows as we arrive at my house an hour later but Marcus’s truck is gone so I don’t freak out. “Guess she waited up for me,” I say as I open the passenger door and climb out of Tyler’s truck. He gets out of the truck too, but leaves the engine running.

“You don’t have to—” I begin, only to have him arrive at my side.

“But I want to,” he says with a freaking grin on his face that I’m sure he knows drives me wild.

He walks me to the front door and a sudden sinking feeling of nervousness settles into my stomach. He throws an arm around me and pulls me into a hug, and it’s totally non-threatening but I’m suddenly a sixteen-year-old on my first date all over again and I have no idea how to handle myself. What if he tries to kiss me? Oh god, what do I do?

Tyler ends the hug and I mumble the first thing I can think of. “Thanks for dinner. I really had fun tonight. And, thanks for…listening and stuff. I’m sorry I talked so much.”

He smiles, shoving his hands into his pockets. So that’s how it’s going to be, eh? No hugs, no more touching my arm or grabbing my head and pulling me into a kiss? I can’t believe he’s being a total gentleman and that’s actually getting on my nerves. That’s what I want from him! To be considerate of the fact that I don’t want to date anyone.

Tyler clears his throat and tilts his head to the side as he studies me. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but your thoughts are really loud.”

“What does that mean?”

His tongue runs across his bottom lip for a split second and it sends a shiver down my entire body. “Your thoughts are loud, Robin Carter. I don’t know what they’re saying, but I can hear them.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“Thank you for joining me tonight,” he says, leaning his head toward me. His hands are still in his pockets and I guess that’s what catches me off guard, because I gasp when he leans down and places a light kiss on the top of my head. “I know you don’t want a relationship,” he whispers. I swallow and he takes a step backward, to where his truck waits for him.

“I, I did say that,” I manage to stutter in reply to him.

The porch light casts a whimsical glow on his face. “Yes, you did say that. Several times.” He winks. “But you haven’t told me to stop trying.”

###