We shared a look, the longing in his eyes causing my stomach to do somersaults. No man had ever gazed at me with the admiration and yearning Tyler did, and I doubted whether any other man ever would.

“So,” he began, breaking his eyes from me and finishing off his appetizer. “Tell me what the worst part of being pregnant really is, like you were about to before we started talking about watermelon, pickles, and spray cheese.”

“Six weeks,” I said, observing his response.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, after I push this kid out of me, no sex for six weeks at all…like, nothing going on down there.”

His jaw dropped and he was speechless for a moment before he recovered and swallowed hard. “I have a feeling that may just be the longest six weeks of my life.”

“Mine, too.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“DID YOU ENJOY YOUR dinner?” Tyler asked as I devoured the final spoonful of the strawberry cheesecake he had arranged for dessert.

I nodded, rubbing my stomach. “Yup. Baby boy is happy in there.”

“How about Mama? Is she happy?”

“I am. Of all the first dates I’ve been on…”

Tyler scowled playfully in response.

“This is certainly one of the best.”

“One of?”

“Well, I don’t want to say it’s the best just yet. It’s still not over, is it?”

“It certainly isn’t, mi cariño. This is just the beginning.” As if on cue, the band faded out of the song they were playing and, after a brief pause, launched into a tune that would always make me think of my mystery man.

Raising himself from his chair, Tyler held his hand out to me. “Do me the honor of dancing with me?”

“Of course,” I murmured, allowing him to lead me away from our table.

He placed his hand on my lower back, keeping his other one wrapped around mine. His warmth and comfort surrounded me as we sauntered to the melody of “Every Time We Say Goodbye”.

“New memories?” I whispered.

“Better memories.”

“Definitely better.”

I stared into his eyes as he led me across the wooden deck. Just a week ago, this song made me want to scream with rage. Now it sparked a renewed sense of devotion, which was what I saw when I looked into Tyler’s eyes. Reverence. Passion. Love. It was all there, just as it had been all those months ago. Despite the initial reason for him approaching me, it changed for him. At some point, he fell in love. He muttered those three words to me not to get me to share my deepest and darkest secrets with him, but because he couldn’t go another second without sharing his feelings with me. I saw it all there in those brilliant green eyes. I sensed it in the way he held me in his arms as if he would never let go. Most importantly, I felt it in my heart.

The song came to an end, silence engulfing us, but that didn’t matter. We continued to sway to the music in our heads, just as we did that night all those months ago. Our bodies were perfectly in tune to each other, as if our souls were singing a song only we could hear.

“Mackenzie,” Tyler said as the band began to play a classic Frank Sinatra tune.

“Yes?” I pulled away from him and noticed an uneasy expression on his face.

“You said you wanted me to be completely open and honest with you, right?”

I nodded, swallowing hard, nervous.

“I wanted to wait to talk to you about all this, but it’s important that you know. I need to ask a favor of you. I just need you to know that, regardless, nothing will change between us.”

“Is everything okay?” I asked, my voice cautious.

“Yes, I suppose.” He looked out to the darkened ocean illuminated by the moon.

“Then tell me. As long as you’re honest with me, I promise I won’t get upset. That’s all I need from you.”

He returned his eyes to me, smiling a small smile. “Do you think you’re up for a walk on the beach?”

“With you?” I scowled playfully. “Always.”

I slid my shoes off and took Tyler’s hand, allowing him to lead me down the wooden steps of the back deck and onto the white sand of the beach. Apart from a few other couples going for a moonlight stroll, the shoreline was nearly empty.

“So what do you want to talk to me about?” I asked after several long moments had passed as we walked along the beach. I tilted my head toward Tyler as the ocean wind picked up. I attempted to tame my hair, but it was useless.

“I like this look on you,” he commented, fondly looking at me.

“What look?”

“I don’t know. I can’t quite put my finger on it. When we first met, you had this wall around you, and I was always curious as to who you really were. Over time, I started to see more and more, but even after you let go with me, you still didn’t let me all the way in. But now I see such a carefree version of you, and I’ll do anything to keep this look on your face.”

I nudged him. “You’re procrastinating.”

“You caught me.” He nervously met my gaze. “Maybe I’m just worried I’ll lose you again, and I’m not willing to do that.”

I halted and turned to face him. “Tyler, as long as you’re honest with me, that’s all I care about. Everything else, we can work through. I may yell and become irrational, but that’s why I keep Jenna and Brayden around. They’re really good at smacking some sense into me.”

“Okay.” He took a deep breath and I prepared myself for him to drop some sort of bomb that would make me question everything I thought I knew about him. “I just need you to know the only reason I’m doing this is because I care about you…deeply. Probably more than you can even begin to fathom.”

“Tyler, just spit it out.”

He paused briefly before releasing a breath. “I’ve ordered Martin and everyone else to remain on their protection detail.”

“Why?” I asked, confused.

“Because, Mackenzie. I need to do everything I can to ensure your safety and my top priority right now is to figure out what the fuck is really going on here. Between your father, our mysteriously disappearing CIA handler, your friend, Damian, and Charlie–”

I inhaled quickly at the mention of that name and Tyler noticed my reaction.

“What is it?” He raised his brows.

“Nothing,” I replied, turning from him and continuing along the shore.

“It wasn’t nothing,” Tyler said, catching up to me. “You want me to be open and honest with you? This is a two-way street, Mackenzie. I can only keep you safe if I know what’s going on.”

“I’ve told you, Tyler. Charlie isn’t a threat to me. He knows where I am. If he really wanted to hurt me, he’s had plenty of opportunities to do so. Am I certain he didn’t kill all those people? I don’t know. But I’m not ready to believe he’s got a vendetta out against my father or me.”

“Let me be the judge of that.” Crossing his arms in front of his chest, making him look formidable, he glared down at me. A chill enveloped me, part of me irritated with his inability to accept I was an adult capable of taking care of myself, the other part becoming increasingly turned on with the dominance and power that covered his appearance as he stood in that stance, his suit making him even more attractive than I thought possible.

“You know,” I began, “you make it nearly impossible for me to be upset with you. You’re using your suit against me.”

He scrunched his eyebrows briefly before his stern expression melted into one of amusement. Chuckling loudly, he pulled my body into his and I got lost in his strong arms, the sound of his laugh vibrating through him and warming me with adoration for him…my strong, protective mystery man.

“You know, a man in a suit to a woman is like lingerie to men. There’s nothing hotter.”

“I’m glad you think so, Mackenzie.”

“I do,” I admitted, pulling my head from his chest and peering into his eyes, the stars and ocean causing them to shimmer. Forgetting my former irritation with him, I reached up and ran my hands through his hair, playing with it.