Part 5

I need to take a little license if you don't mind. I just can't get the conversation where I want it, so I'm skipping that part until I can get it right. If it works out, I'll post it. Thank you for your cooperation.


"Tyler, you need a haircut," Josie pronounced at dinner.

Somehow, they had managed dinner together every night. Josie knew that Josiah wanted to spend time with Tyler, and she was willing to give him that. But she wanted her time, too. The compromise was dinner together and then the boys could go play. Lydia was trying to decide who was trying to push her and Tyler together worse- Josie, Josiah, or Tyler himself.

Lydia wasn't having any of it from any of them. She already had way too many feelings for Tyler, feelings that had apparently not gone anywhere in eight years. He wasn't staying, though. He was going back to his island to hide. Hide from what, she could only imagine. But she knew he was running from his own demons. She needed a man that could be there for her, not holding her close one minute then pushing away. She had decided that love was not meant to be easy for her.

"I don't want a haircut," Tyler complained. He could already feel it. Josie was working those big, doe eyes of hers. Josiah had warned him. Josie always got what she wanted. "Fine, I'll get a haircut," he said, rolling his eyes at Lydia, watching the smile light up her face.

"Lydia took so cosmotology classes. She's actually very good," Josie said, looking at her friend.

Lydia just rolled her eyes. "I know what you're doing," she replied to her friend. "Tyler should really go to Paula's, if he knows what's good for him."

"I'll let you do it," he interjected quietly. "If it's too bad, we'll buzz it when you're done."

Lydia turned her head to look at him. He pinned her to her seat with the heat, and she forced herself to look away. I will not let this happen, she said to herself, yet feeling like the mantra was no longer true. She remained quiet through the rest of dessert. Unlike the previous two nights, Josie left with Josiah, instead of Tyler. That left Tyler and Lydia, and the walk back to the house.


"If you don't hold still, I'm going to cut your ear," Lydia slapped at Tyler's hands one more time. "I might cut off a finger."

"How much are you cuttin' off?" Tyler asked loudly. "There's a ton of hair down on the floor."

"You haven't had a hair cut in almost a year, so get over it," she replied. "You wanted me to do this, so stop. Be still." She slapped at his hand again, not quite able to help the smile from forming. He was like a little boy sitting in his first barber chair.

"Alright, but hurry. I want to see what you've done to me."

Lydia's hands in his hair were about to send Tyler into over load. Her hands were on his body, pleasure swelling into goosebumps all over his body. She was close enough that he could inhale and gorge himself on her scent. She smelled clean, with a hint of vanilla and lavender. His hands itched to touch her. It was all he could do to keep his hands in his lap. That part was noticing how close she was, too. The first time he had a female induced one of these in over a year and it was Lydia. After what finally seemed like forever, she stopped cutting.

"Let me see, and then I'll let you see," she said, a little breathless. Touching Tyler, being this close to him, was not good for her. It did things for her body that almost guaranteed a really bad haircut. She stepped in front of him, between his legs to check the top, and found herself trapped. He had placed his hands on her hips and brought his legs closer together, keeping her in place. She looked down and caught his eyes. Her lips parted on a smal breath as she saw the emotions that played and warred with each other.

"Please," he whispered.

One word had her moving closer, close enough to brush his lips with hers. From that moment, things moved in slow motion, yet sped by at the same time. She couldn't breathe, but had lungs full of air. He carried her upstairs and down the hall to her bedroom. She had always thought that she could get through this without giving in. She hadn't realized that the decison had already been made. She had never really had a choice but to love Tyler Wickam.

They undressed each other without a word. Their bodies, their faces said everything that needed to be said, except one thing. Tyler's eyes widened when he broke through her barrier. He had not expected that, not expected that she had never had a lover. He stilled, looking at Lydia, the shadows playing on her face. He didn't know if he should keep going or stop.

"Please," she whispered.

One word had him moving again, kissing her softly, gently while he brought her closer and closer. He was going to make it special for her. She cried out his name, he cried out hers. She was holding him as tightly as she could. He rolled over, holding her and asked her, "Why?"