I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “No.”
“It’s Friday night. Surely you have plans with the girls to go out, live it up.”
“Not tonight. We talked about going out tomorrow maybe.”
He turned his head toward me again. “You must have a boyfriend.”
“Why?”
“Because. You’re young, pretty …”
He thought I was pretty. My heart did a little flip even though my head said he was just being nice.
“Thank you, but no. Too busy working and going to school.” I squeezed his shoulders again and then dug my thumbs into his shoulder blades.
He groaned. “Ah, come on. I worked, went to school, played football and still had time to date in college.”
“I suppose I’d have time if there was the opportunity.”
“There have to be plenty of men out there who want to give you the opportunity.”
I didn’t respond at first and instead kept massaging his shoulders. I felt a little uncomfortable discussing my love life, or lack thereof, with him. I wasn’t sure I wanted him to know just how little opportunity I’d had.
“A few guys have sniffed around, but … I don’t know. I just wasn’t interested.”
“You’re one of those, huh?” he said with humor.
“Those what?”
“A woman with discerning taste. College men can be boneheads sometimes. I can’t blame you for avoiding them.”
“Mostly, none are very interesting to me.” The truth, I realized in that moment, is that most of the men I met while in school or out with my roommates, I compared to Dylan, and none of them rose to his level of gentleness, kindness, or sexiness.
“So … no hookups with attractive but dumb men?” he teased.
“No hookups with any men.” I wasn’t sure why I said that. He didn’t need to know I was a virgin still.
He frowned as looked over his shoulder at me. “Ever?”
My heart hammered in my chest. I couldn’t fill my lungs with air. I stared at him as longing filled me. “No.”
“You’re smart to wait for the right person.”
Dylan Hyatt was nearly perfect, from his flawlessly sculpted body, sexy smile, and most attractive of all, the love he had for his daughter. But he was wrong about me. The reason I was still a virgin at twenty-three had nothing to do with waiting for Mr. Right, although if I was, he would be Dylan Hyatt.
“I’m not waiting for my life mate,” I said, pressing my thumbs into the back of the nape of his neck as I massaged away the tension. I wondered if I could release more than his tension and make him forget his ex-wife.
“Then what are you waiting for?” he asked, with a groan and sigh as I felt his muscles begin to relax.
“Opportunity and desire.”
6 Dylan
It was bad enough that I was thinking of my daughter’s babysitter naked when I jerked off in the shower more mornings than not, but to have the hardon to end all hardons at the idea she was a virgin was disturbing. But there it was. My libido going full tilt like some douchebag horny bastard. I was afraid to look down, as I was sure my dick’s head was sticking out of the waist of my pants it was so hard.
I shifted and turned to look at her, not realizing until too late how close we were. She bit her lower lip and I wanted that pouty mouth around my cock. Fuck, I was an asshole.
“I find it hard to believe you haven’t had both already,” I managed to say as I watched her lips.
“Opportunity, yes, desire not so much.” Her green eyes seemed to darken. Was she turned on too?
“You don’t feel desire? I can’t imagine there aren’t plenty of good-looking guys on campus or in the clubs.” I was immobilized even though my brain was blaring warning bells that I should get up and move away from this sexy woman.
“Desire isn’t just about looks.”
That was true. There was a time I desired Veronica, who was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. Today, it took more than beauty to entice me. Apparently, it took a sweet, fresh-faced woman … a virgin … to get me hot.
“So, what gets your engine going, Tessa?” It was a dangerous question, and yet I couldn’t stop myself from asking it.
“Sculpted pecs.” She looked at my chest and I had to shift, as my dick was increasingly uncomfortable.
“You should come to the gym. We’ve got lots of those.” What the hell was I saying? I didn’t want any of the men at the gym to touch her.
“Kind. Smart. Funny.” She took a breath as if she was gathering courage. “Someone like you.”
I’d been watching her lips again, but at her words, my gaze shot up to her face. Did she just say what I thought she did?
“Me?”
Her head bobbed once.
“I’m too old for you.” My voice sounded thick to my ears. I had to get away, but holy fuck, she was into me, and clearly I was about to combust I was so hot for her.
“Six years isn’t that big of a difference.”
“In life experience it is.” I looked down as regret and a feeling of unworthiness filled me. “I’m a divorced single father.”
“So?”
I needed to end this conversation. I wanted her like I never wanted anyone, but it was wrong for so many reasons. I gathered my resolve to stop this. “You’re a young woman with her life ahead of her.”
She rolled her eyes. “You make it sound like you don’t have anything to look forward in your life.”
“I have baggage. A lot of it.”
“Maisie isn’t baggage.”
“I wasn’t talking about Maisie. She’s the best thing in my life. My life is hers now. Totally and completely. I have nothing to offer a woman. You deserve to have a man who can give you all of himself. Especially the first time.”
She frowned. “So you’ve given up on ever finding love again?”
We had this discussion the other day. I thought I’d been clear on my thoughts of ever loving again.
“I’ve
