Page 42 of A Love Song for Dreamers

Hot reboundsex.

I shove themdown.

He swipes my cup before I can protest, inspecting the label. “Double espresso. Someone didn’t sleep lastnight.”

I grab it back. “I was up late,” I grumble, turning and heading for hisoffice.

Tyler follows. “Not thatlate.”

He closes the door behind me, his shoulder brushing my chest and giving me a hit of that cedar and sunshinescent.

“It was hard to sleep in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar person next tome.”

“Bullshit. You know every inch ofme.”

He looks even better today with messy hair, second-day stubble, a button-down rolled at the sleeves, and dark jeans that hug his hips and legs. Tyler’s every bit the rock star, gorgeous enough to send legions swooning, but he has the credibility to back itup.

All of it adds to the frustration from my morning sofar.

“Apparently I don’t know anything,” I blurt before I can stop myself. “I’m young and naïve and can’t be trusted with my own feelings, not to mention to finish amusical.”

I brush past him to put my coffee cup on his desk before taking a seat on the piano bench, setting out mynotebook.

“According to who?” his measured voice comes from right behindme.

I close my eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I need to work on this song.” I set my fingers on the keys but don’t press them. He waits me out as I count my breaths, my mind still spinning, my chest tight with anger and something that I can’tname.

“Tyler...” I start before he can leave. “I need to ask you something. Promise you won’t read too much intoit.”

He doesn’t answer, so I keepgoing.

“Tell me you’re still attracted tome.”

Tyler’s heavy exhale is the only response for a long time. His hands find my shoulders, the bare skin revealed by my tanktop.

“I’ll be attracted to you when we’redead.”

Our conversation last night comes back to me in a blur of emotions, past and present and through it all, a kind of need and regret and impatientarousal.

I can’t fix the first two, but maybe I can fix thethird.

I turn on the bench to find his belt at eye-level. “You said you wished things were different between us at the end.” I think of the times we were together, when I was hoping the physicality would bring us closer and it only drove us further apart. “Before you left for tour, you said you owedme.”

He lifts my chin to stare into me, through me. “And?”

“And I want tocollect.”

The inscrutable expression is gone, replaced by heat andarousal.

“You wantsex.”

“Yes.”

He wants a chance to make amends, and I want to prove I can handle myself. That I’m not some child who loses my heart at everyturn.

But the look on his face has me second-guessing myidea.

“Tyler! Your coffee’s here.” Shay bursts through the door, and Tyler steps back. “I’ll put it on your desk,” she decides, smiling ourway.

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