Jack paused. “You tried to use her and all the other strippers to avoid thinking of Del?”
“Pretty much.”
“Well, damn.” Jack sighed. “I’m going to owe my wife something from Tiffany for being right—again.”
“About my feelings?”
“Yep. She knew right away that you loved Del and that you were going to go after her.”
Tyler sat back. Morgan had seen that? “What if I’m not good for her? I’ve got a lot of feelings for Del, but I’ve never tried the long-term relationship thing. Even the word used to give me hives.”
“Picture the rest of your life without Del and give me a one-word description of it.”
“I can’t decide between bleak or pathetic,” Tyler admitted finally.
“There you go.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “But I know f**king nothing about loving a woman for the rest of her life.”
“Think I knew anything before I married Morgan? I had subs, not girlfriends. The most bonding I did was a slave to the wall, never a woman to me. Thankfully, once I earned Morgan’s trust again, she had most of it figured out. Follow your gut. Once you win Del back, work with her. Listen. Together, you’ll find the answers.”
Jack made it sound so easy. Tyler hoped his buddy was right.
***
AS they drove with the rising sun at their backs, Del tried not to look at Tyler. She’d only remember waking up in his strong arms and feeling genuinely safe for the first time in weeks. She tried to forget how badly she’d wanted to snuggle up to him, kiss him awake . . . and see where the morning led them.
Stupid. Of course, Tyler would have sex with her. He had a lot of sex, and none of it meant anything to him. Putting her heart out there with him just didn’t make sense. Tyler was a great guy, but when it came to monogamy, she didn’t think he was built for more than a night or two. And was she really ready to jump back into the relationship pool? She knew all too well how one minute everything could seem great, then in the next . . . anger, accusations, blame, heartache. Signing up for that possibility again simply didn’t hold any appeal.
“You’re not drinking your coffee.” He glanced down at the fast-food cup full of java.
“It’s like battery acid eating away at my stomach. No, thanks.”
“You didn’t eat, either.” Tyler sighed, rubbed his forehead. “We should talk about it.”
“No, we shouldn’t. Unless you just want me to bolster your male ego, then I’ll admit that you were great and rocked my panties. Thanks.”
“I don’t give a shit about my ego.”
“That’s right. You’ve had plenty of girls over the years tell you how good you are in bed. Dozens? Hundreds?”
“I didn’t count, and stop trying to make what happened between us impersonal. You mean something to me, Del. I wouldn’t f**king be here now if you didn’t. If you’re trying to protect yourself by acting like it doesn’t matter, you can do that. But it matters to me, and I’m going to prove it.”
Shame stung her cheeks. She was being a bitch and hurting Tyler’s feelings. Del didn’t know why he was trying so hard to convince her that he cared about her. Because she was Seth’s mother? Because he felt guilty? Or because she really did matter?
“I’m sorry if I hurt you. I just can’t chase Carlson, worry about Seth, and think about my love life now. I’ll admit you’re spectacular in bed. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want you again. I’m more than willing to be your lover until all this crap is over. Just . . . don’t talk to me about emotions. Whatever you think you’re feeling, it’s the situation, not me. You’ll get over it and move on. So let’s just enjoy each other now and not worry about the rest, all right?”
Tyler opened his mouth, looking like he was going to object, when Del’s phone, sitting in her lap, rang. They both glanced at the display, and anxiety gripped her when she saw an all-too-familiar number pop up.
Chapter Ten
“ERIC?” Del’s voice shook.
Tyler’s gut tightened. She’d been trying to call her ex-husband to get the flash drive she’d stashed in his house, but it rubbed Tyler the wrong way that Eric thought he could call Del and expect her to answer after the terrible way he’d treated her.
“Put him on speaker,” Tyler murmured.
She hesitated, then complied, hitting a button.