Free Leverage by Nancy S Thompson Page B

without a reply and walked back to his house. Ty halted at the stoop, staring after Roman. He drew his shoulders up, stiff and determined, but to what, I wasn’t sure. I captured his hand and pulled him inside.
    Tyler closed the door, but stood stock-still, facing it, his fingers tight around the knob.
    “What were you two discussing,” he asked without bothering to turn and face me.
    I shrugged. “He heard us arguing. He was just, I don’t know, comforting me, I guess.”
    Ty turned around and stared at me, silent, still. Then he stepped closer and gazed down at me, his eyes suspicious. “And did he?”
    I shook my head, confused. “Did he what?”
    Ty’s brow scrunched together. “Comfort you.”
    An aggravated huff escaped my lips, and I turned to leave, but Ty grabbed my arm above the elbow, his grasp gentle, but unyielding.
    “Well?” he said calmly enough, but there was an intensity to it, and the way he looked at me made me nervous, bringing back memories of our first encounter.
    I twisted my arm in an attempt to pull free, but Tyler held firm.
    I threw him an angry glare. “Ty, stop. You’re hurting me!”
    He held tight for a moment longer before he loosened his grip. His hand stroked down the length of my arm, then his fingers laced through mine and he squeezed as his gaze dropped to the floor.
    “I’m sorry,” he whispered then let go. He turned away and walked back to the door.
    “What is it, Tyler? What’s got you so wound up?”
    He froze, his body tense, and his chin low to his chest. His head turned to look out the kitchen window, and his jaw began to tic. Suddenly, he spun around and marched toward me. I jumped back with a startled cry as Tyler crashed into me, sweeping me back to the wall. His arms encased me, and his mouth came down hard against mine. He gathered me in tight before his hands began to explore my body in a frantic motion, up my back and over my shoulders then down across my breasts. Though momentarily stunned, I still moaned in response.
    He squeezed once, tenderly, even in his chaotic state, then let go, letting his fingers crawl past my waist, beneath the hem of my skirt, and back up my thigh. He ripped my underwear clear and found that sweetest of all places on my body. I gasped into his mouth before my head reeled back against the wall with a sharp thud as his fingers stroked then probed, deeper and deeper. I moved against them, my eyes closed and my mouth open.
    I couldn’t take it, the need in me. My hands slid from his shoulders down to his belt where they struggled to free him from his clothing. Once I did, he hauled me up against the wall and down onto him, his hands cupped beneath my bottom and my legs curled around his waist, not easy with a baby bump. I cried out and clung to his shoulders as he drove into me, again and again, but the moment, so frenzied and turbulent, so filled with inexpressible emotion, ended with a final powerful thrust as Ty raised his chin and moaned aloud.
    Afterwards, we panted into each other’s ears before our mouths met once more, this time in a kiss so tender, my body quaked and tears ran down my face. I wrapped my arms tight around his neck as he slipped from my body and lowered me to the floor. He stepped away from me and buttoned up his clothing while I smoothed my skirt into place and dipped to the floor to retrieve my ruined panties.
    Ty reached out and took hold of my hand, pulling it to his mouth where he kissed each finger before he closed his eyes and pressed my knuckles to his cheek. He cupped his other hand to my face and looked into my eyes with inexplicable love. He kissed me again, deeper than ever, then held his cheek to mine as he coiled his arms around me.
    “I’m sorry, love,” he said, his voice choked with something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
    Something profound was bothering him. Jealousy perhaps. Uncertainty. I didn’t know. And at that moment, I didn’t care. I just let it go and melted into his