The Love Game

“Then what are you going to do?” Lily asked.

Iris stilled. She gritted her teeth as a burning pain radiated across her chest. So this is what a broken heart feels like. “I’m going to learn to live without him.”

* * *

“This is becoming a habit.” Iris’s expression was inscrutable as she stared up at Tyler from the threshold of her townhome’s front door Thursday evening.

“I’m not giving up on you. On us.” Tyler took advantage of her shock to slip past her and into her home.

As she locked her front door, Tyler drank in her appearance as though it had been weeks instead of a day since he’d last seen her. His gaze slid from her slender back clothed in a snow-white jersey to her ruby-red capris. Her bare feet allowed him to enjoy the whimsical sight of the pale pink nail polish accenting her pedicure. Tyler ached to pull Iris into his embrace and lose himself in the closeness his misguided actions had cost him. He’d wronged her. Could she ever forgive him?

Iris’s cool coffee eyes tossed out a challenge. “When did you and I become us?”

“The moment we started working together.” Tyler willed her to remember the chemistry they shared, in and out of bed. “Yes, we’ve butted heads. We’re both strong willed. But we were a great team. We still are.”

Iris stalked past Tyler. “So now you want to talk about what a good team we made. Why didn’t you remember that when you were accusing me of trying to destroy your company?”

Tyler spoke to her back as he followed her into her living room. “If you want me to apologize again, I will. I’ll say it as many times as you want to hear it. Honey, I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please give us another chance.”

“Stop calling me honey.” Iris threw up her arms as she spun to face him. “Why should I give you another chance? Because you need someone to wrap up your product campaign?”

“If it was only about the launch, I’d call Pete Kimball.”

Anger flashed across Iris’s elegant features. “Be careful what you wish for, Ty.”

“I’m wishing for you.” Tyler stripped himself bare for her. His raw words revealed his vulnerability. “What do I need to do to convince you to forgive me? Tell me and I’ll do it. All I want is a second chance with you.”

Iris was shaking her head long before Tyler finished speaking. “You still don’t get it. I needed you to step out on faith for me, to believe in me despite the evidence. Despite what other people might say. All I wanted was for you to trust me.”

“If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have asked for the report.”

“I don’t mean trust me in hindsight. If you trusted me, I wouldn’t have to defend myself to you, ever, because you’d know me.” Iris’s coffee eyes were dark with regret, an emotion Tyler had become all too familiar with.

“I do know you.”

“You do? What do you know?”

Tyler winced. She was right to be angry. But he wasn’t leaving until she’d heard everything he had to say. Everything.

“Yes, Iris Beharie, I know you. I know you have guts. You started your own company. I know you’re independent. You were annoyed when your sister gave my father your business card.” He dared a step toward her. “You’re tough. You threatened Tipper with a lawsuit if he claimed that ‘Osiris’s Journey’ wasn’t market ready.”

Iris’s expression remained cool. “So you’ve noticed a few things. Congratulations. You aren’t a complete knucklehead.”

“I also know the most important thing of all.” Tyler closed the gap between them.

Iris stepped back toward the sofa. “What’s that?”

“I know that I’m in love you.”

Iris dropped onto the couch. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in shock. She stared up at him in silence.

Tyler’s smile shook. “Is it really that surprising?”

Iris remained silent. Had she heard him? Tyler started to repeat himself when she spoke.

“How could you be in love with me when you think I could sabotage your company?”

“I was wrong.” Tyler sat beside her and offered her his hand.