Page 54 of Reckless

The worst part was that he knew. My father knew how much effort I made during my high school years to distance myself from his image, from his reputation.

And here we were. Surrounded by neighbors and friends. At an engagement party of all places. And he acted like all that happened to me, to our family, because of that case, didn’t mean a thing to him.

A warm, steady hand wrapped around my upper arm. I glanced up. Tyler turned me around and dragged me inside the house. I didn’t know if it was because of his closeness, but I inhaled a ragged breath. My blood was roaring in my ears. I saw things around me as we moved. People too. But I didn’t register anything beyond my blind rage.

The next thing I felt was a cool hard surface on the back of my thighs. Then nothing. Minutes passed and then I heard my name.

“Hannah? Are you okay?”

I forced myself to lift my head up and met Tyler’s startled gaze.

Was I okay? I wanted to wreak something. That should count for an improvement from a few minutes ago when I was frozen to the spot. So I nodded.

“Good,” he said, and I heard the air leaving his lungs. I dropped my head down again.

He stayed close, hovering over me. I could feel the warmth of his body seeping into mine. The breath leaving his mouth tickled the sensitive skin on the side of my neck.

We were in a bathroom. I was sitting on the counter, with Tyler’s hands placed on it on both my sides. His tall, lean body leaning forward. Leaning over me.

He didn’t talk. He didn’t touch me. But he didn’t leave me alone either.

I was grateful he gave me space to calm down. I didn’t want to talk about the reason for all of this. Not right now anyway. But there was something I had to ask.

“Did everyone notice?” I asked looking down at my legs. They were tightly pressed together. My voice was hoarse. I took one deep breath and exhaled shakily.

“I don’t know,” he answered quietly. His voice was steady, unlike mine. “Madison saw you. My guess is she is used to watching for party poopers at these types of events.”

“Oh, God,” I whined and even to my own ears I sounded like a child. No wonder he never took me seriously if I sounded like that to him too. I dropped my forehead to his shoulder. Tyler chuckled softly and reached over to brush away the hair that fell over my face.

“I have never seen you so…disturbed. Are you sure you are okay?”

“Yes.”

“Do you need anything?” The question made my head snap up. By the look on his face I could say he was as surprised he asked that as I was. “I could do something stupid and steal your thunder,” he tried to hide his good intension behind a wicked grin.

His words sank into my mind, my brain. They grew branches that spread all over my body and I knew, I just knew, with my entire being that all I had to do is say the word and he would go out there and do something just to get people’s attention off of me. Something that will cement everyone’s opinion of him. That he was unreliable and reckless and couldn’t be trusted with a spoon. I couldn’t bear the thought of them accusing him of that because of me.

“I should have brought a stripper tonight,” he said softly. I shook my head with a smile, which was probably what he was waiting for, because he pushed himself of the counter and away from me.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, and I slid down to my feet. I took two steps in his direction. He was looking down at me with unreadable expression.

“Thank you,” I said and tilted my head up so that my lips could meet his.

It meant nothing. Just a simple gesture. A thank you, that lasted only a second. All I wanted to do was to send him a message that he was seen. And that if I saw him for what he truly was, others could too.

When I pulled away his eyes were wide open and fixed on me. For a moment I expected him to shrug the kiss off just like he did with everything else or make some kind of a sex joke and shut down.

Instead, his whole body tensed. He frowned at me as if I had done something so bizarre and inappropriate, he couldn’t wrap his head around it.

A heat wave slammed into me. Shame and embarrassment made my face hot. Of course I did something inappropriate. I had a boyfriend in Boston and here I was, tucked into a bathroom with another man, a man I had once slept with, who was my best friend’s brother, and on top of it all, I kissed him.

Ikissedhim.

Taking a step back, I was determined not to flinch under his scrutinizing gaze. Tyler erased the space between us and slammed his mouth down on mine. Electricity lit my entire body. It zinged between us. The heat from a moment ago turned into flames. They burnt me from the inside out. I pressed myself against him, pushing away the thoughts of our shared past, my present with Nick and my future and my plans to stay away from men like Tyler Hartley.

His hands pressed hard into my body, leaving dents, punishing me for something and I doubted even he knew what it was.

That kiss was not simple. It wasn’t a gesture.

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