Free On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream #3) by Rebecca Barber Page A

her to be happy.
    Forcing a half smile, Ava sprang from the bed and jumped into Tyler’s arms without pausing to make sure he’d could and would catch her. “Thank you,” she murmured against his neck, trying to get as close as possible.
    “Any time, Short Stack,” Tyler promised as he stalked towards the bed, Ava still in his arms. Before she had a chance to react, Ava found herself being tossed like a toy across the room and onto his bed, landing with a bounce.
    Two short hours later, the sun was beginning to set as Ava cracked her eyes open. She untangled herself from Tyler. The thought crossed her mind that she’d slept most of the day away. As quickly as it had settled in, it passed. She’d needed the sleep and she didn’t regret a minute of it.
    “Where do you think you’re going?” Tyler grumbled, his eyes still closed.
    “I was wondering,” Ava said so sweetly it made her own teeth hurt.
    “Yes…”
    “Can I borrow your car? Just to run home and grab some stuff?”
    Wordlessly, Tyler reached out and grabbed her and pulled her back into his lap. Obviously he was wide awake now. “Of course. Give me ten minutes and I’ll come with you.”
    “It’s fine. I just need to grab some clothes and stuff and I’ll be back. Why don’t you stay and start dinner?”
    Hanging his head, Tyler huffed. “It starts.”
    “What starts?”
    “I gave you a shelf less than three hours ago and already I’m being treated like a housewife.”
    “What! I…but…I…shit!”
    “Breathe, Short Stack,” Tyler chuckled against her neck, the vibrations setting her whole body on fire. “I was kidding. Geez!”
    “Asshole!” Ava tried being cross but the light in her eyes gave away the truth. “That was mean.”
    “Sorry.”
    “No, you’re not! You should be, though.”
    Ava climbed to her feet and pulled her clothes on, her shirt getting caught in her hair, resulting in a string of obscenities that would make even the toughest sailor blush. When she was dressed she turned back to Tyler and her mouth fell. He was lying on the bed, the sheet low—enticingly low—and his hands behind his head. The relaxed, lazy drawl on his face exuded happiness. Fighting the urge to dive back into bed with him, Ava forced her feet into her shoes and headed out the door.
    “Pick up dinner while you’re out,” Tyler called as Ava passed through the kitchen, swiping his keys from the bench.
    As soon as she sunk into the leather seats of the Jeep, Ava rested her head against the steering wheel and sucked in deep breaths. The truth was she needed to go home and get some clothes but more than that, she needed a moment to breathe. Just some space to take in everything that had just happened. As much as she loved Tyler, and there was no doubt in her mind that she did, right now she just needed some room.
    When she arrived home she couldn’t remember how she got there. She’d driven in a daze. The moment she burst through the front door, dropped her hand bag, and kicked off her shoes, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Slipping into her computer chair, Ava started typing furiously. She wasn’t sure the last time she’d felt a compulsion this strong to block out the world and just write.
    Page after page she typed.
    When the room fell dark, she barely noticed and just kept typing.
    When her phone buzzed in her bag, Ava’s wide red eyes struggled to adjust to the dark as she moved away from the computer. Tripping over her own shoes as she groped about, it took a minute before her fingers wrapped around the vibrating silver phone.
    “Shit! Shit! Shit!”
    “No, Ava, you’re supposed to say hello when you answer the phone, not shit!”
    “I’m sorry, Tyler!”
    Tyler didn’t respond. At least not with words. He didn’t need to, though. His snorting laughter said it all.
    “Shit! What time is it?”
    Ava ran her fingers through her hair aggressively before she bent backwards, stretching out her spine, earning her a