Page 8 of March’s Bad Boy: Ty

"Alright," he says, cracking his knuckles. "Lesson number two. Flirting."

Groaning, I toss my jacket over the back of a chair. "I'm terrible at flirting."

I always feel awkward as if I'm overdoing it. Kind of like I'm in some over-exaggerated romantic comedy movie where you feel utterly embarrassed for the girl on the screen.

Ty's lazy grin deepens as he leans against the counter, watching me. "Nah. You just don't realize when you're doing it."

I roll my eyes. "Fine, oh great tattooed flirt master. Teach me your ways."

He pushes off the counter, closing the space between us. "Okay," he murmurs, his voice lower now. "First rule of flirting--eye contact."

I meet his gaze, and it's like gravity shifts. My breath catches, and I'm hyper aware of how close he is, of the way his fingers twitch like he wants to reach for me.

He smirks as if he knows exactly what's happening to my pulse. "See? That right there."

I clear my throat, trying to break the tension. "What?"

"The way you're looking at me."

"I'm literally just standing here," I argue.

He chuckles. "Exactly."

Shaking my head, I exhale sharply. "This is ridiculous."

"You asked for lessons," he reminds me. His voice all smooth amusement. "Lesson two: Touch."

I barely have time to react before he reaches out, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. It's nothing, just a simple touch, but it sets my skin on fire.

He lingers for a second, fingers grazing my cheek. His eyes drop to my lips, and suddenly, I can't breathe.

"See how easy that was?" he murmurs.

I swallow hard. "Yeah. Super easy."

"Now you try it," he says, pulling back a little and crossing his arms. I can feel the loss of him as if he moved across the room.

"You don't exactly have hair to tuck behind your ear," I say, trying to regain my ability to think.

"A simple touch of my arm or hand will do," he says.

Nodding, I take a step toward him. I look up and make eye contact, trying to make my eyes look inviting. It seems to work because he drops his arms and moves closer to me.

I reach out and lightly run my hand down his arm from the bottom of one of the tattoos to his elbow.

"How was that?" I ask, barely above a whisper.

His smirk is back. "You're blushing."

"Shut up."

He laughs, stepping back, giving me space to recover. "Alright. Next up, banter."

"Oh good," I say, crossing my arms. "Because nothing screams romance like verbal combat."

Ty grins. "Exactly. Good banter makes everything fun."

I arch a brow. "Like this?"

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