control.”
“Yeah.” Her shoulders deflated.
The drive to his house was extremely short. Turning into the drive and toward the small detached garage, Mike caught the shock wash over her. Taryn peered around him, wide-eyed, soaking in the details. He was proud of this house, his home. It would take another couple of years to get her back to the glory she once stood in, but Mike had all the time in the world and loved every minute he spent sanding, painting and nailing. He prided himself on being able to do the majority of the work himself with the exception of the big things like the foundation work and the roof.
“This is beautiful, Mike.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. I know you of all people can see past the work that still has to be done and visualize what she’ll become. I thought maybe we could eat lunch out on the back patio.”
“I’d like that. Thank you.”
~~~
Exiting his truck, a hundred thoughts ran through her head. There was no logical reason in the free world why Taryn felt safe with Mike. They could technically be considered barely more than strangers. They’d eaten together each of the three days she’d been in town the last time. That was it as far as face-to-face contact. However, there was an ease she felt in his presence and that had led to a few emails. Then those rapidly accumulated and turned into phone calls. Even though there was a physical distance between them, she felt like she’d gotten to know more about Mike in one month than she ever knew about Phillip.
Looking back…she knew that was how she had wanted it. Her ex filled a void, but was nothing more than that—a space filler. The realization that Mike was so much more than that set in.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
Blinking away her fears, she glanced to the man who had moved into her personal space. “Oh. Sorry. I guess I spaced off there for a minute.”
He took her hand in his and held it against his chest. “I am not a mind reader by any stretch of the imagination, but if I were to take a wild guess, I’d say you have come to the same conclusion that I did recently.”
Taryn furrowed her brow and waited. Still he didn’t fill her in. “What do you mean?”
A slow smile spread across his face, reaching his eyes. They were so blue she found herself staring into them. She caught herself and turned her head, but just as she moved to step back his other hand came around to rest on her lower back, preventing her from putting space between them.
She had tried not to stare when they’d been together, afraid to let him catch her memorizing his body. Now in his hold it was impossible not to acknowledge his strength and size. Even in heels, Taryn still had to look up to meet his gaze. Fire swept through her and had her pulling in a quick breath. It was far from a silent admission to the effect he had on her and he grinned. Mike leaned his forehead against hers. The closeness afforded her the ability to get lost in his scent, soap and detergent, mixed with the smell of expensive cologne. No pine trees or musk for this small town guy. He dressed well and smelled delicious.
The heat from his palm spread across her lower back and was searing her skin through her clothing. Her pulse was racing and getting her breathing under control seemed to be a lost cause. Her reaction to the man whose hold she remained in was so foreign to her. Never before had she raced to her computer to check for an email, or had her heart race at the sight of caller ID. Never had her mouth gone dry just seeing him across the room, or had electricity travel through her at a man’s touch. Never before, until Mike.
Phillip seemed to appreciate her as the arm candy he needed, but she was left feeling nothing at the end of the night. Not empty, just nothing. A blankness. Mike filled her and left her smiling for hours with just words typed out on a screen.
“We have something, Taryn. I know you weren’t looking for it, and to be
“Yeah.” Her shoulders deflated.
The drive to his house was extremely short. Turning into the drive and toward the small detached garage, Mike caught the shock wash over her. Taryn peered around him, wide-eyed, soaking in the details. He was proud of this house, his home. It would take another couple of years to get her back to the glory she once stood in, but Mike had all the time in the world and loved every minute he spent sanding, painting and nailing. He prided himself on being able to do the majority of the work himself with the exception of the big things like the foundation work and the roof.
“This is beautiful, Mike.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. I know you of all people can see past the work that still has to be done and visualize what she’ll become. I thought maybe we could eat lunch out on the back patio.”
“I’d like that. Thank you.”
~~~
Exiting his truck, a hundred thoughts ran through her head. There was no logical reason in the free world why Taryn felt safe with Mike. They could technically be considered barely more than strangers. They’d eaten together each of the three days she’d been in town the last time. That was it as far as face-to-face contact. However, there was an ease she felt in his presence and that had led to a few emails. Then those rapidly accumulated and turned into phone calls. Even though there was a physical distance between them, she felt like she’d gotten to know more about Mike in one month than she ever knew about Phillip.
Looking back…she knew that was how she had wanted it. Her ex filled a void, but was nothing more than that—a space filler. The realization that Mike was so much more than that set in.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
Blinking away her fears, she glanced to the man who had moved into her personal space. “Oh. Sorry. I guess I spaced off there for a minute.”
He took her hand in his and held it against his chest. “I am not a mind reader by any stretch of the imagination, but if I were to take a wild guess, I’d say you have come to the same conclusion that I did recently.”
Taryn furrowed her brow and waited. Still he didn’t fill her in. “What do you mean?”
A slow smile spread across his face, reaching his eyes. They were so blue she found herself staring into them. She caught herself and turned her head, but just as she moved to step back his other hand came around to rest on her lower back, preventing her from putting space between them.
She had tried not to stare when they’d been together, afraid to let him catch her memorizing his body. Now in his hold it was impossible not to acknowledge his strength and size. Even in heels, Taryn still had to look up to meet his gaze. Fire swept through her and had her pulling in a quick breath. It was far from a silent admission to the effect he had on her and he grinned. Mike leaned his forehead against hers. The closeness afforded her the ability to get lost in his scent, soap and detergent, mixed with the smell of expensive cologne. No pine trees or musk for this small town guy. He dressed well and smelled delicious.
The heat from his palm spread across her lower back and was searing her skin through her clothing. Her pulse was racing and getting her breathing under control seemed to be a lost cause. Her reaction to the man whose hold she remained in was so foreign to her. Never before had she raced to her computer to check for an email, or had her heart race at the sight of caller ID. Never had her mouth gone dry just seeing him across the room, or had electricity travel through her at a man’s touch. Never before, until Mike.
Phillip seemed to appreciate her as the arm candy he needed, but she was left feeling nothing at the end of the night. Not empty, just nothing. A blankness. Mike filled her and left her smiling for hours with just words typed out on a screen.
“We have something, Taryn. I know you weren’t looking for it, and to be
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