LITMIR.BIZ

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me. Let’s do something, go someplace. I’m bored and despondent. I need company.”

      “Despondent?” He was charm personified, and much too appealing. It was strange, but not only had she played the part of two different women, she felt like two different women. Tyler was managing to lighten her mood, even though he was the cause of her foul disposition in the first place.

      “That’s right. And with good reason.” He grinned at Brenda. “I got shunned by someone at Bren’s party the other night, and now she won’t tell me who the woman is.”

      With a theatrical gasp meant to cover her uneasiness with the topic, Carlie stared. “No! It can’t be true.”

      “Sadly, it is. I fell in love, and the wench dumped me.”

      The words had obviously been said as a jest, but still Carlie jerked. Brenda said quickly, “He...he met a friend of mine during the party. They seemed to hit it off, but...she doesn’t want to see him again. Ever.” She ended with a shrug.

      “Just tell me who she is, Bren. I can handle the rest.”

      Wanting to play her part properly, Carlie asked with laudable suspicion, “You don’t know who she is?”

      “Absurd, isn’t it? But she refused to remove her mask, just so I wouldn’t know who she was.”

      Carlie struggled to relax her tense muscles. “Smart girl.”

      “Oh, she wasn’t a girl.” He gave her a taunting smile, obviously irritated with her snide comment. “She was very much a woman. A damned sexy woman.” He turned to Brenda, a mocking plea in his eyes. “Please! Tell me who she is. I promise you, she’ll thank you later.”

      Brenda grinned at his woeful expression. “I don’t know. What do you think, Carlie?”

      Carlie would certainly strangle Brenda later. She cleared her throat. “I think if a woman had enough sense to avoid getting involved with Tyler, you should respect her wishes.”

      Tyler lost his smile, then said, his words deliberately precise, “There you go again, casting aspersions on my character. What makes you think you know so much about me, Carlie?” She tried to tug free, but he tightened his hold. “I’ve never coerced a woman into a relationship—other than you, of course, but that’s a different matter, isn’t it? Usually, the women are trying to coerce me. And they’re up-front about it. They say what they want, what they need out of a relationship, and undying devotion isn’t on top of their list. Now, that would make me the used, not the user, wouldn’t you say?”

      “No, I wouldn’t. I have no interest in commenting on your exploits one way or the other.”

      “But you do often enough.”

      “Then I apologize.” She stared down at his hand, still grasping her wrist. Her heart was thundering so rapidly, she could barely breathe. She’d never seen Tyler so intense, so direct about his private life. Maybe she had been misjudging him. It was something she needed to think about in the quiet of her own home. “Now, if you’ll turn me loose, I’ll get out of your hair.”

      His mood seemed to switch mercury quick. “But I want you in my hair today. Haven’t you been paying attention? Even though you’re wearing the most disgusting outfit I’ve even seen on man, woman or beast, I still want your company.” He hesitated, then asked reluctantly, “Where did you find that, anyway? Surely there isn’t a store that actually sold you that thing?”

      Carlie looked down at her khaki green nylon jogging suit. It was lined and very warm. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt underneath.

      “I wasn’t trying to be fashionable, Tyler. I was jogging. In the rain, not on a runway. What does it matter how I look?” She gave one final yank and freed her arm, then headed for the kitchen door. “I’ll call you later, Bren.”

      Carlie hurried out the door, then jogged away in a loose-limbed stride, feeling the rain immediately soak her hair and drip down her face. She was nearly a block away, when Tyler caught up with her.

      He pulled his car up to the curb and rolled down his window. “Hello, Carlie.”

      Without looking his way, she said plainly, “Go away.”

      He drove slowly, keeping pace with her. She ignored him. “You know, Brenda said I hurt your feelings.”

      That effectively stopped her. “Not on your best day, with your best shot.”

      “Then why are you so ill-tempered today?”

      “Me! What about you?”

      “I asked first.”

      Carlie briefly considered her options, then decided on one truth she could share. “I’m concerned about one of the children at school. His father’s in the hospital, and it doesn’t look good. When I called yesterday, their phone had been shut off.”

      They had both stopped. Tyler lowered his head. “That’s rough.”

      “Yes, it is. I wish I knew some way to help.”

      “Maybe I can help.”

      “How?”

      “I don’t know. Let me think about it, all right?”

      Carlie started off again. “Fine. And while you’re doing that, leave me alone.”

      He shook his head sadly. “Can’t. I told you. I’m despondent.” Then in a clear pleading tone, he added, “I need you, Carlie.”

      Water dripped down her nose. She blinked at him, feeling her heart jump several beats and her throat go dry. He was a cad, a beautiful cad, but still, she couldn’t give herself away. So she laughed. Hard.

      “You’re a cold, cruel woman.”

      She laughed again for good measure.

      “Come on, Carlie. Get in before you get too wet. I don’t want you to ruin my seat covers.”

      “I’m already soaked to the bone, Tyler. And you have leather seats. I would surely ruin them.”

      “I’ll forgive you. I promise.”

      She could feel herself weakening against his insistence. “You really want company so badly?”

      “No. I really want your company. You’re good for my ego.”

      “Then I must be slipping.”

      Tyler got out and went to the passenger door. He opened it with a flourish, bowing for her to enter.

      Carlie gave in gracefully. She realized that she didn’t have it in her to deny him. She wanted his company too much. Already, she felt more buoyant, more alive. He didn’t treat her like any other man she knew. He was honest with her. She knew where he was coming from and what he was thinking. She could trust him.

      Tyler hurried back around the car and slid in behind the wheel. He sighed, then turned to grin at Carlie. “I’ll take you home to change before we go to a movie.”

      “When did I agree to see a movie?”

      “You will, won’t you?”

      Carlie waited a moment, then asked with a degree of curiosity and disbelief, “You’re really bothered that this woman walked out on you?”

      He didn’t answer right away, and she prompted, “Tyler?”

      “I liked her. So, yeah, it bothers me. We...well, things just really clicked. It was like I knew her already, you know?”

      “But you see a lot of women.”

      He didn’t dispute that, but he didn’t confirm it, either. Again, she wondered if she’d misjudged him.

      “What about you, Carlie? Have you ever met anyone that really felt right from the very beginning?”

      “Brenda

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