Free Between the Sheets by Julie Prestsater

beautiful sketch.
Your tiny little feminine fingers contrasting against my big man
hands.”
    “ You’re right. You should
sketch it for me.”
    “ Maybe I will.” He glances
up at me. “What do you want to do today, Mel? Go out to dinner?
Stay in? Do some sightseeing?”
    I let my head fall back against the
soft seat cushion. “Actually, I’d love to stay in and rest. It was
a long drive. I’m going to be here for a couple weeks so I’m in no
rush to hit the town. You got any cereal?”
    “ How about I make us some
waffles?”
    I laugh inside. “Nah. Cereal will
do.”
    “ Fruit Loops?”
    I smile. Shel called it. “Sounds like
a perfect dinner to me.”
    “ How about a movie with our
gourmet meal?”
    “ Even better.”
     
    When I’m finally relaxed with a
giant-sized bowl of cereal in my hands—apparently human-sized is
way too small—I glance over at Tyler with a grin.
    “ You suck,” he says, and I
can’t help laughing. “I hope you snort a Fruit Loop up your
nose.”
    “ Shh,” I tell him. “The
movie is about to start.”
    He rolls his eyes.
    After much debate, I won the battle of
the DVDs. If he doesn’t like romantic comedies then why does he own
them? Ugh. It just occurs to me that he has them for his female
visitors. Why argue with me then? Is that part of the flirting
game? Argue over film choice and then let the girl think she’s won.
Hmm. Now, I’m skeptical. I reach for the remote and hit the pause
button. “Ty, if you don’t like He’s Just Not That Into You, then
why do you have it?”
    He turns his head in confusion.
“Huh?”
    “ Why do you have it? If you
don’t like to watch it?”
    He laughs. “ScarJo.”
    “ What?”
    “ ScarJo,” he
repeats.
    “ Okay, is that some fetish
you have or something?”
    A brow rises on his left side.
“Kinda.” He winks. “Scarlett Johanssen. Take a look. I have all her
films. Just like you have every Bradley Cooper movie ever made.
Even that really bad one. What was it called?”
    “ All About Steve,” I answer
for him.
    “ Yeah. That was it.
Horrible.”
    I press play on the remote, scoot
closer to him, and then pull my feet up to sit cross legged. “Fine,
if I get Bradley, you can have ScarJo. But you have seen this
movie, right? She’s such a scuz bucket.”
    “ And your man as the
cheating husband is any better?”
    “ A cheating husband is
never a good thing.”
    “ Yeah. If I ever see Nick
again, he’s going to understand just how bad it is.”
    Oh, how cute. He wants to defend my
honor. “Don’t bother. I’m much happier now.” I lean into him with
my lips puckered.
    He looks adorable as he squishes his
lips together making a duck face. “Me too. I should have fought for
you a long time ago and you would’ve never had to go through the
pain he put you through. I’m sorry, Melly.”
    “ Stop. You’re gonna make me
get all emotional on you.” I stuff my mouth with crunchy bites so
the tears don’t fall. “Now, really. Be quiet. I gotta get my Brad
on. And Justin too. Oh, and Ben. Got my Fruit Loops and a screen
full of studs. This is what I call a vacation.”
    “ You’re nuts.”
    I lean over again, feeling the need to
kiss him one more time before the flick starts. “Now,
shh.”
     
    I’m startled awake when I’m lifted
into the air. “What are you doing?”
    “ I’m taking you to bed,” Ty
says.
    I’m fully awake now and could walk to
the bedroom on my own, but being in Ty’s arms is just too damn good
to pass up. I rest my head on his shoulder as he walks down the
hallway. He places me on his bed and my eyes trace his body from
his waist all the way up to his gorgeous green eyes as he stands to
his full height.
    He is pure man. All tall and hunky,
like a cover model from one of my romance books. If I could just
get him in a cowboy hat, an open plaid pearl-buttoned shirt
displaying his taut abs, with a rope hanging over his shoulder, my
ultimate fantasy could be fulfilled. Yeehaw, I want to