Tyler Page 2

  Afternoon Princess,

  Looking forward to seeing you on Monday. What time do you usually take lunch?

  TC

  When I check back a few minutes later, it’s to this terse reply.

  Not available. Your testing appointment is confirmed for 9am.

  What the hell? In the three months she’s been nagging me in emails she’s never once left off a Hi, Hello and Thank You. She’s endearingly and charmingly polite. This is like the cartoon Snow White letting off a trail of f-bombs complete with red demon eyes shooting sparks. All the little birds and bunnies (and me) are shocked speechless. She’ll be gone for the day by the time I get there this evening so I’m going to have to be at her desk first thing in the morning to fix whatever this is.

  3

  SOPHIE

  On my way in this morning I still have one foot in the elevator when I look over to my cubicle to see a gorgeous hunk of man leaning on the desk with his giant arms crossed over his chest. He’s wearing a long-sleeved navy Henley and his biceps are huge! I almost step back, figuring I got out on the wrong floor but then I recognize my bathroom sign and know I’m in the right place. But who is this guy? He can’t possibly be here to see me…

  I approach with caution, because some of these guys aren’t quite right in the head all of the time. He doesn’t look unstable but his square jaw is tight and his eyes are a blazing blue. They’re intensely focused on me. He’s about forty with a few crinkly lines at the corners of his eyes and dark hair that’s still in the standard military crew cut. It’s clear he spends a lot of his down time at the gym. In my mind, he’s already got his big strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me close against his hard body while he nuzzles my neck. I don’t have any meetings on my calendar today that I know of and none of the field guys have ever actually entered my cube. He straightens up as I approach but I stop with the wall between us, trying to let go of my little fantasy before I make a complete fool of myself. “Um hi, can I help you?”

  “Sophie, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” His voice is low, surly, and suspicious. I can feel my toes curling inside my sensible shoes. His growl is delicious and I can’t help imagining him whispering naughty commands in my ear. I’m going to come back to that thought tonight when I’m alone in my apartment.

  “Uh, who are you?” I squeak breathlessly.

  He sighs impatiently and leans forward, his steady gaze holding mine. “I’m TC. What the hell happened? Your last email wasn’t like you. I thought we were good.”

  “TC! No, you can’t be Tyler. He was…”

  He reaches a long arm over the cubicle wall and I feel instant heat radiating from his large hand when it lands on my shoulder. He gently but firmly guides me around the corner and into the intimate space behind my desk. “I’m Tyler.” He states emphatically and reaches his other hand under the neck of his shirt pulling out silver dog tags. He hands them to me with the chain still around his neck. “Now, who are you talking about?”

  I absently put my bag down on the desk and reach up for the tags. I have to squint to read the tiny embossed letters but they definitely say Carmichael, Tyler. “But he…” I whisper averting my eyes to his broad chest which makes my legs go weak and shaky. He drops the tags and his thumb drags gently along my jawline. “He who, baby?”

  “Ms. Dunlap! Do I need to remind you about the rules on office visitors?” It’s Dennis, again.

  “I, uh.” Shit. I don’t have any way to excuse this hot man in my cubicle when I can’t even explain it to myself.

  “Ms. Dunlap was just reviewing the mental health field verification protocol with me. I’m surprised you’re not familiar with it. Pretty sure all managers are supposed to know it backwards and forwards, Mr… ?”

  “Hmmph” is Dennis’ only reply. I notice he doesn’t offer up his name. Dennis is squirrelly like that. I peek up and see a small smirk form at the corners of Tyler’s lips. Dennis scurries away to his office in the corner without looking back.

  “Is there a mental health field whatever protocol?” I ask suspiciously. It’s going to fall on my head if Dennis looks for it and doesn’t find it.

  “Yes. It talks a lot and makes no sense. Knowing it exists is one of the answers in that fucking testing you keep sending me too. Now before we’re interrupted again, I suggest we find somewhere more private. Because you need to tell me what’s going on so I can fix it.”

  I’m looking around in a daze, there are just miles of open cubicles and a few conference rooms with glass walls. Privacy is not encouraged. And I’m not really sure it’s a good idea with Tyler anyway. He’s way too… too something. I have this sudden urge to pull up his shirt and get up close and personal with those abs. Possibly lick them. Maybe kiss his pecs just to see what happens.

  He’s clearly reached the same conclusion, about the floor layout anyway, because he grabs my hand and drags me back to the elevator bay. I have to double my stride to keep up with his powerful legs. He hits the up button. “Where are we going?” I’m genuinely curious. I’ve never been on a floor higher than this one in the building.

  He stares down at me, assessing. “Somewhere private so you can explain, Princess.”

  The elevator doors open and there are five equally tough individuals already in it. They’re all dressed in desert camo with heavy boots. There’s a lot of macho head nodding but none of them say a word. Tyler pulls me in to the elevator tucking me into his side, my body completely lined up with his and a heavy arm holding me close. I don’t know what to make of it, I mean he’s only just met me. I’m both nervous and excited as to where this might lead but in my heart I don’t think any of it is real.

  He doesn’t say a word as he pushes the button for the twentieth floor. Surrounded by all these muscles I suddenly feel small and delicate, for like the first time ever. I sense a low soft growl where my cheek is pressed to Tyler’s ribcage. I lift my head away and see one of the other guys jerk his head away. What was that about?

  The other guys are headed even higher up in the building so we get off first. Tyler pulls me behind him and down what looks like a hotel hallway. It turns out it is as he inserts a key card in room 2015 and holds it open for me. I hesitantly walk into a comfortable but basic hotel room, heavy on the blue and white.

  “Tyler, um I don’t think we should be here.”

  “Relax Princess. We’re here to talk right now. The fucking comes later.”

  He walks over to an extra-large upholstered chair by the small window and sits. Then he pulls me down onto his lap. He’s so huge my feet are dangling as I perch on his thigh with his arm curled around my waist. It’s like I’m weightless and delicate. It’s a seductive feeling and I’m warning myself not to get used to it even as my thighs are clenching down on my throbbing clit. Suddenly, I just want to rub myself all over this man. I’ve never, ever felt the urge to do that with anyone before, not even my one and only boyfriend in college.

  “Now, who’s this fucking guy you keep mentioning. Did someone say they were me?”

  “Um. Well, sort of.” I feel another low growl emanate from his belly.

  “It was yesterday morning and I was at my desk. Jasmine, she sits next to me, was there too but I don’t know if she noticed or not. Anyway this man, you I thought, came down the hall sort of looking at the names on the cubes. He was one of you military types, maybe not quite as tall as you? Sandy hair and he had on this camouflage jacket with T. Carmichael on the pocket. There are only four Carmichaels in the directory, Tyler and the other three are women.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Nothing.” I can’t look at him, and I find myself curled into his chest inhaling his delicious scent; he smells of clean soap and cedar.

  “Keep going.” He tells me gently, rubbing light interlocking circles on my back.

  “That’s just it, he didn’t say anything. He looked right through me like I wasn’t even there or maybe that I was a piece of furniture. People sometimes, they do that when they s
ee someone…” my voice trails off. I’m not embarrassed by my body; I eat healthy and exercise regularly. If other people aren’t okay with that, it’s their problem. But it hurt when I thought Tyler felt that way about me and it’s hard to explain to someone that hasn’t experienced it. “Anyway, he turned and left. I thought you didn’t like what you saw and were going to pretend you weren’t there.”

  “I wasn’t there and I do like what I see. You’re beautiful, Princess.” He shifts underneath me and I can feel his growing erection bumping my thigh. I smile into his neck where I’ve tucked my head. He leans down and kisses my forehead, his arms tightening to hold me closer.

  “I’ll have to check but I’ve got my suspicions that who you saw was my wayward little brother. He went through a bitter divorce a few years ago and has been pretty much anti-women ever since. He’s staying at my place and probably borrowing from my closet although why he’d want to is beyond me. Or why he would be at Alpha Corps or on your floor, but I’ll ask him. Or it could be a new recruit.”

  “I’m sorry.” I whisper.

  “Hmmm, I think I know how you can make it up to me. Let me take you to dinner tonight.”

  “Oh, but! I can’t.”

  “Princess.” Disbelief coats his voice.

  “My last bus leaves at 5:30. If I miss that I don’t have a way home.”

  “I’ll makes sure you get home safe. When time do you usually leave?”

  “Quarter to five.”

  “So I’ll come down to your desk then and we can go from there, okay?”

  I nod but I know I won’t do it. He’s being kind but he can’t really be interested in me. Nothing long term can come of it so it’s best if we just keep things professional. I’ll keep nagging him by email to do his tests and my fantasies will go from pale guesses to vivid Technicolor complete with sexy rumbles and big gentle hands. It would be so nice if it were real though, if he’d take me over to that big bed and lay me down, kiss me all over while pressing me into the mattress with his dense weight.

  Instead he scoops his other arm under my knees and stands up holding me tight against him. How he can lift me like that from a seated position is beyond my comprehension. My insides go liquid. Slowly he slides me down his body until my feet are on the floor. Every nerve in my body is tingling on high alert.

  “I’ll walk you down to your desk. Too many meat heads fresh from the field in the elevators.” And he does just that. There’s nobody else in the elevator though. He doesn’t hold me close this time and I feel a little sad because I know better than to get my hopes up. Until the doors open on my floor and he holds them open with his arm over my head.

  “Just so we’re clear, Sophie. You’re mine now. I can see the wheels turning in your busy beautiful brain. So stop thinking I don’t want you. I want all of you. If I touch you now, you won’t be seeing your desk for the next three days while I fuck you senseless. So, get back to work and don’t flirt with any of the other idiots that come by.”

  I nod automatically without thinking, his words shocking but not unwelcome. As I head back to my desk I can feel that my panties are soaking wet and my thighs slick. The throbbing in my clit had receded to a dull ache and I think about heading into the restroom to give myself some relief. But I know if I start touching myself there, if someone else comes into the restroom I won’t be able to finish and then I’ll be in real trouble. So I go back to my desk and spend the rest of the workday squirming in my seat and trying to concentrate on something that isn’t Tyler.

  4

  TYLER

  Fuck. I wasn’t prepared for how captivating Sophie is in person. When she gives me that hungry look it’s all I can do not to roar my claim for the whole building to hear. And I’ve got less than a week to make sure no other man ever gets near her. My brain knows I’ve got to tread carefully or risk scaring her off but all my throbbing cock knows is that her plump little ass was inches away and I didn’t let it have a go. It’s pushing painfully against my zipper in retribution and giving me crazy ideas about throwing her over my shoulder and putting a baby in her today so she won’t forget me while I’m gone.

  I don’t know why my idiot brother Michael would be wandering around these hallways but I’ll have to sort that out later. Now that she knows that wasn’t me, I need to reinforce my advantage. First, I need to figure out some transportation and where I’m taking her for dinner. I’ve pretty much just got this weekend to convince her to spend the rest of her life with me. I definitely plan to have her begging for my cock before I leave but I need her addicted to mine alone, so that these bastards circling around her don’t get a second look.

  It’s not that I wouldn’t try again if she kicked me to the curb but she’s adorable and sexy as fuck. With all the lonely bachelors wandering in and out of this building I wouldn’t lay long odds that some guy wouldn’t make a convincing move, particularly if I’m not around to smash him into little tiny pieces. My truck is stowed away in some basement in long-term storage. Getting it out for a week just doesn’t make sense so I convince my buddy Lance to lend me his. The only problem is he left it at the airport long-term parking and I have to take an Uber out to the lot to retrieve it with the spare key he left here in the office. That means a trip down to the lowest level of the parking garage which has been converted to storage lockers so that people have a place to leave their shit. Most of the so-called field agents don’t have any kind of home— what’s the point if you’re deployed ten months out of every twelve? The ones that do have homes and family don’t make such great mercenaries so it kind of all filters itself out.

  While I’m waiting on my ride out to the airport I start fantasizing about living with Sophie, smelling her citrus shampoo on my sheets, fucking her before she falls asleep limp and satisfied in my arms. My house is a big log cabin in the woods and thinking about moving her in there is giving me all kinds of ideas. First thing in the morning, I’d take her out on the redwood deck that overlooks the meadow with the little creek at the bottom. Then I’d bend her over the railing and while she’s still all sleepy and relaxed, I’d slide my cock in her tight little pussy, sinking in until I’m balls deep while the bunnies frolic nearby in the tall grass. I can practically hear her whimper with need as I thrust into her slowly, letting the pressure build with her tits bouncing as they spill over the railing. Then she cries out with her release as her smoking body tightens around my cock, making all the little woodland creatures stop and stare in amazement. Told you I had a thing for Snow White.

  Before I can make that happen though I’ve got to convince her I’m hers forever. So I collect the truck and fill it with gas so we don’t have to make any distracting pit stops later and I grab a box of condoms while I’m at it. Much as I want to get her pregnant as soon as she’ll let me I’m not going to take the chance that I’m not there to help her when she’s carrying my child. As soon as I close out this last mission she’s going to have cum running down her thighs for days.

  My princess is smart and independent though so I’m guessing she’s going to try to sneak out of the office a little early or make sure she’s in another part of the building so she can avoid me and all those feelings that had her wiggling on my lap. So I head down to her desk almost an hour before I said I would.

  Sophie is sitting there with one eye on her screen and one on the cubicle opposite that was empty this morning. When I come around the corner I see this fluffy blond woman who looks like a stick with a head on top. She stops talking when she hits me with her predatory gaze and then goes in for the kill “Oh! Hi, I’m Jasmine. You must be looking for me.” Her complete confidence probably works on some guys but… I just nod and say. “No, I’m Sophie’s boyfriend. I’m here to collect her, we’re headed out soon. Nice to meet you.” I’ve already turned to face my Princess, feeling my heart stretching like it’s waking up from hibernation when I see her again. I could care less about the skinny bitch and promptly forget she’s even there but Sophie’s eyes have gone ro
und. She mouths at me soundlessly. “You are?”

  I nod and lean in. She gulps and I can see her pulse thrumming at the base of her delicate neck. “What are you doing?” she stage whispers.

  “Fuck, you’re cute.” I can’t help the grin spreading across my face. She glowers but glances over at her screen where even I can see she’s gotten all her work done and there are no incoming messages. She’s gracious in defeat; giving me a small smile while she shuts down her work station and collects her gear. “Where are we going?”

  “I found a little Italian place that looks interesting, you good with that?”

  She nods and gives Jasmine a casual wave and I swear that girl is throwing daggers with her eyes.

  I take her bag from her, partly because she shouldn’t have to carry it with me there but also so she won’t change her mind and come up with a million excuses to run for the bus stop. We go out to the truck which is parked across the street. When I help her in it’s all I can do not to kiss her breathless right now. Instead I give her a quick hard peck on the mouth and walk around to the driver’s side. We’re quiet on the way to the restaurant but it’s comfortable; like we’re both enjoying the anticipation. I should have Googled the directions better because I had to go around the block a few times to find Sal’s but it turns out to be worth it. One of those classic little holes in the wall, there’s a waft of warm tomatoey goodness when I open the front door for Sophie. When we sit down at a cozy table in the corner we pretty much have the place to ourselves. Sophie leans across to me her eyes earnest and sweet. Her bottom lip is caught under her teeth until she says, “I don’t understand Tyler. Why me? You didn’t meet me until this morning but you came in already saying this was real. I’m confused.”