The Better Brother

“I am a big fan of flexibility,” he said. Even with his clothes on, Tyler was the sexiest man I’d ever seen. His eyes twinkled when he smiled and the corners of his lips disappeared behind the moustache. I felt myself getting warm from the inside out.

He sipped the coffee for a moment and watched me work on the menu. I looked up to catch him looking at me.

“So, um, do you want me to fix something for lunch?” I asked.

“Actually, I was hoping you might give me a tour of the town this morning,” he said, licking coffee from his lips. “I haven’t really spent a lot of time here, so maybe you can show me around.”

It was an odd request, and I didn’t know what to make of it.

“There’s not much to see,” I said. “A few shops and restaurants. Tourist season doesn’t start for another month, so it’s kind of quiet.”

“I like quiet,” he said.

I blinked at him. He was smiling at me again. Damn, that smile.

“Um….okay, I mean, did you want to go now?”

“I do,” he said. He picked up the mug and drained it, then set it in the sink. He extended a hand toward the door and smiled. “After you.”

CHAPTER EIGHT: TYLER

I held Maggie’s hand as she climbed into the Hummer. She settled into the passenger seat and buckled up while I climbed in behind the wheel.

“Oh my gosh, it’s so big!” she gushed, looking around the inside of the Hummer.

I resisted the urge to say something incredibly inappropriate.

She leaned back and ran her hands along the armrests. “This seat is like sitting in a recliner!”

I grinned at her. “Have you never been in a Hummer before?”

“I’d never even seen a Hummer before I met you,” she said. She was like a kid, the way she fiddled with the seat warmer and the climate control. In seconds, it was toasty inside the car. I felt myself getting warm, but it wasn’t from the hot hair blasting from the dash.

“My butt’s getting really hot,” she said, adjusting the temperature dial on the console. She glanced at me, aware of the innuendo. “I mean…”

“You mean your butt’s getting hot,” I said with a smile. “Look, Maggie, I’m not going to take every comment you make and turn it into something dirty. Relax.”

She gave me a timid look, then a smile broke across her lush lips. “Okay, sorry, I’m just still…”

“Nervous? Wary? Unsure that I’m not some kind of billionaire serial rapist?”

“What? No!”

“Maybe you’re just embarrassed that you’ve seen my junk and I haven’t seen yours.” I gave her my most innocent smile. “Just relax and let’s enjoy the day. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a day off work. I don’t want to spend it walking on eggshells.”

“Agreed,” she said with a smile that warmed the air even more. “Let’s enjoy the day.”

And that’s exactly what we did.

We parked the Hummer on Main Street and Maggie gave me a walking tour of the town. She led me through the various shops along Main Street, introduced me

to the owners and the customers. Everyone seemed to know and love Maggie.

We browsed antique shops, had coffee at a little place called Best Beans, and had lunch at the steakhouse where she worked. The old couple that owned the place greeted her like family, then looked at me as if I was there to rob the place.

Maggie introduced us and the old man shook my hand. The old woman eyed me for a moment after I greeted her.

“They’re just a little wary of strangers,” Maggie said as she led me to a table and sat down across from me. “They’ll warm up to you, don’t worry.”