Bellann Summer

Today's snippet is from Tyler's Transformation (The Men of the Crazy Angle 1). This story was my first branch off from Rescue for Hire. It also included something very near and dear to me. Baseball. I played women's softball for many years, even after I married. Tyler's mother became one of my most hated villains. Her demise a few stories later was met by cheering.

A deep, gravelly voice ripped Tyler’s attention away from his favorite white duck with huge black splotches on it. Next to him sat a real cowboy, with worn cowboy boots, blue jeans, and a plaid, longsleeve shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to reveal tan forearms with ropey muscles, covered in a pelt of dark hair that looked so soft, Tyler wanted to run his hands over them.
Tyler dragged his eyes away from those arms only to be caught up in how wide the man’s shoulders were. Knowing he was making a fool out of himself, Tyler couldn’t stop himself from enjoying the thick, muscled neck, with a tuft of brown hair sticking out the top opening of his shirt.
Lifting his eyes higher, he took in the chiseled, square jaw, full lips, and straight nose. Then he was completely caught in the warm gaze of startling green eyes with brown flecks in them.
Tyler had always been pretty good at reading people and in those eyes, he saw pleasure and possession, and then they started sparkling with humor. The humor brought Tyler back to the present. “What did you say?” he asked.
“I wondered if it was all right to sit here next to you,” answered Mr. Green Eyes.
“Oh sure, no problem.” Tyler was completely flustered. That of course didn’t stop him from admiring the shiny, short, dark brown hair that framed the handsome, tanned face. Tyler had never been drawn to another person this strongly before, not even Tony. It wasn’t until he felt a muscled leg pressed against his knee, that Tyler realized that he had been gravitating toward the handsome man. Embarrassed, he slid back quickly, trying to put some space between them. Of course, with his arm encased in elastic wrap and strapped to his body, he lost his balance and started tipping toward the ground.
Long, muscled arms wrapped around Tyler and pulled him close. Tyler found his face pressed tightly into the crook of the stranger’s strong neck.  Tyler was in heaven, enveloped in those warm, secure arms and surrounded by a fresh masculine smell. For one moment, Tyler didn’t feel so alone anymore. But, he grimly reminded himself, this was a stranger. Lifting his head, he used his free hand against the man’s rock-hard chest to push himself away.
“I’m sorry. Thank you.” Tyler shook his head, trying to clear it. He was starting to wish the ground would open up and swallow him. He couldn’t believe what a dork he was being.
“Hey, it’s okay. Anyone would be a little unbalanced if their arm was all wrapped up like yours is.” A strong, tanned hand engulfed Tyler’s face, tipping it so their eyes met.
Tyler had never seen such pretty eyes before and he found himself again becoming lost in them. Blinking rapidly, Tyler jerked upright after catching himself leaning toward the handsome cowboy. Just a few more inches and they would have been kissing. Tyler wanted that kiss so much, but he
wasn’t risking getting his ass kicked if the man wasn’t on the same page.
“Maybe I should introduce myself. My name is Graham Conner and I’m from Texas. I’m here in Los Angeles, because my little sister was injured while training for the Olympics and needed surgery.” Graham Conner still had his large hand on Tyler’s face and his arm around Tyler’s good shoulder. Tyler didn’t want to move away and could feel himself becoming lost again, just gazing at the man.
“I think I might have seen you at the hospital when I was there for physical therapy. Does your sister wear her hair in a long braid down her back?” Tyler thought he sounded pretty good asking about Graham’s sister. Of course, he was lying through his teeth. He had first seen Graham at the hospital two weeks ago and had been drooling over the way the man’s jeans hugged his tight ass every chance he could get. He just hadn’t known how to approach the larger handsome man without getting broken in half or something.
“Yep, that would be Cindy. She had surgery on her elbow after falling during a gymnastic program.” Graham took his hand away from his face, much to Tyler’s disappointment.
“I’m Tyler Hayward.”
“I know, I recognized you,” Graham admitted.
When Tyler stiffened, Graham put his hand back, cupping Tyler’s cheek. Gently, he ran his thumb over the angry red slash. Tyler brought his hand up and tried to push Graham’s arm away. Unfortunately for Tyler, it wasn’t moving anywhere Graham didn’t want it to move.
“Don’t worry, you’re still pretty,” Graham tried to reassure him.
“You’re making it hard for me to think when you do that,” Tyler confessed. “What do you want from me?”
“How about having dinner? I’m staying at a hotel just a couple blocks from here and they have a pretty nice restaurant. Maybe we could get to know each other better.”
Tyler had heard Graham ask something about dinner with him and “each other better,” and then he started drowning in those gorgeous green eyes again and lost track of the whole conversation. He kept wondering what it would be like to lick all over that strong, muscled neck.
“Tyler, did you hear me?” Graham asked.
“Yeah, sure that would be fine.” Tyler sure hoped that was the right answer. Then when Graham smiled, revealing straight white teeth, Tyler was lost again.
Graham leaned forward and gave Tyler a quick kiss and then stood up, leaving Tyler feeling empty and cold. He wanted back in that man’s arms with every cell in his body.
Graham looked down at Tyler and chuckled, making little lines bracket his full lips and crinkles form around his eyes, and Tyler couldn’t help but feel good again.
“Come on, Tyler. Let’s go get something to eat.” Graham helped Tyler stand and as they walked out of the park and down the sidewalk, Tyler was delighted when the cowboy kept his arm around him.