Page 47 of Tempting the Heart

“Well, what if Brad hadn’t told you to leave me alone?”

Tyler nodded slowly. “I get it. I’ve rehashed just about every scenario possible.”

Surprise darted through me. “Really?”

“Of course. I mean, you were my dream girl from my dream family. You came with a built-in best friend.” He smiled, touching my chin. “I can’t help but wonder if things had been different, what our lives would look like now.”

“That sounds so normal.”

His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I giggled. “I’m over here playing out every single way you could have dumped me.”

Tyler laughed and shook his head. “I wouldn’t have dumped you, Mayflower.”

My brows rose. “You don’t know that.”

“The honest truth is that you are too good for me,” he said softly, touching my chin. “As you’ve seen, my family is a nightmare. I’m sure I’ve managed to absorb some of that toxicity, which is why I’m just not boyfriend material. But I wouldn't have dumped you if I had been lucky enough to date you.”

My stomach clenched as I looked into his eyes.

“What do you mean, you’re not boyfriend material?”

“Can you imagine me bringing home the woman I want to marry? They’d eat her alive.”

The woman. Her. Not me.

Don’t be silly, Mae. It was merely a kiss.

“Yeah, but she wouldn’t be marrying your parents. She’d be marrying you, and you seem pretty wonderful.” I let out a sigh. “Anyway, all I’m saying is that I’m surprised Brad never mentioned this to me.”

Tyler shook his head. “Why would he?”

My cheeks flushed, and I looked at the wood floors. “It’s been a running joke about me.”

He looked confused. “What has?”

“All of my siblings think I haven’t dated much because I’m stuck on you.” I lifted my shoulders. “Or the idea of you. So, it would have been nice if Brad had mentioned the feelings weren’t all one-sided at some point.”

Tyler’s expression turned serious, and he let out a slow breath. “Mae, I don’t want to lead you on.”

His words were like a million daggers to my heart.

This was my problem.

I had one kiss, and suddenly, it felt like the world was my oyster.

One kiss.

That was it.

We weren’t dating. We hadn’t slept with one another.

But one kiss was all it took to let myself wonder.

I cleared my throat and nodded. “No, I totally get it. You’re just here for a few more days. It wouldn’t make sense.”

My stomach tightened so much it burned, and I instinctively touched my earrings, wishing I wasn’t born with such a good imagination.

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