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Authors: Lindsay McKenna
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right layer to reveal.”
She smiled faintly. “Well said. And so far, I like what you’ve shown me tonight.”
“So? Do I still scare you off?”
“Not as much.”
“But it’s still there? The fear?”
Tal nodded. “Yes . . . but that’s another story for another time, Wyatt.” When she used his first name, she saw him straighten, a gleam come to his eyes, his shoulders pull back with a bit more pride.
Tal found herself wanting to ask him some questions, but she knew it would have to wait. He seemed to be reading her mind. “Now that I know you like stories, I’ll be sharing some more with you from time to time. If you’ll let me.”
“Stories tell a story,” she said almost wistfully, her eyes clouding, remembering her mother reading to her and her siblings. Tal lifted her chin, meeting Wyatt’s attentive gaze. “My mother, Dilara, is Turkish and Greek. She would read us a Turkish fable in that language. And then, several nights later, she’d read us one of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales in English. And then she’d read us Greek myths and speak in Greek to us.”
Wyatt smiled approvingly. “Your mother is a very astute person. Children pick up languages like birds pick up breadcrumbs. She obviously knew what she was doing.”
“Yes, my Greek and Turkish relatives are big on languages. They believe it’s important for us to know as many as possible. They own international shipping companies, so being able to speak foreign languages is important to them.”
“Matt told me about his language skills years ago,” Wyatt admitted. “He never told me how he got them, but now I know. I appreciate your sharing that with me.”
Tal felt her heart opening up a little bit more. “Stories always teach us something if we’re willing to learn and listen.”
“I promise, you’re going to get more stories,” Wyatt said, his voice gruff now, his emotions rising. “It’s how we can reach inside and touch others’ hearts, Tal.”
She backed off a bit. “Wyatt, I’m not sure where your honesty begins and your Texas BS ends yet. All I’ve seen until tonight is a man chasing me, interested in sex and a one-night stand for years.”
He rested his hands on his hips, amusement in his eyes. “Now, see? That’s where you’re wrong. You listened to base gossip. You didn’t trust yourself with me. If you had listened to your heart, you wouldn’t have run.” He reached out, brushing her cheek. “I’m an onion. Remember? Ask yourself what other reasons I could possibly have to want to know you.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “It wasn’t about sex?”
“Well, I’d be a bald-faced liar if I didn’t admit that I see us as one hell of a couple in bed.”
She compressed her lips, holding back a chuckle. “Correct. You would be dishonest not to admit to those thoughts.”
“Thing is, Tal, I see a lot more in you, and I did from the first day I spotted you at that swimming pool at Recreation. You interested me in ways other women haven’t, maybe because you’re a sister onion. I see such depth in you, and complexity. I want to be able to dig into those layers of yours. I can get as much enjoyment from discovering what a woman sees and feels about life as I do from how she performs in bed.”
“I’d never have thought that about you, Wyatt.”
“That’s because you never let me in, Tal. Now you have. Now I can share things with you that you didn’t want to hear before. You thought the only reason I wanted you was for your body.” He smiled. “I want that too, but I’m equally interested in your heart, your soul, how you see life. I feel here”—he touched his chest over his heart—“that you and I have more in common than we might realize. You come from an international, global family, and I come from a Texas cattle ranch, but I believe that we can cross-pollinate each other in the best of ways. I’m just a country boy and you’re a true cosmopolitan kind of gal, but
She smiled faintly. “Well said. And so far, I like what you’ve shown me tonight.”
“So? Do I still scare you off?”
“Not as much.”
“But it’s still there? The fear?”
Tal nodded. “Yes . . . but that’s another story for another time, Wyatt.” When she used his first name, she saw him straighten, a gleam come to his eyes, his shoulders pull back with a bit more pride.
Tal found herself wanting to ask him some questions, but she knew it would have to wait. He seemed to be reading her mind. “Now that I know you like stories, I’ll be sharing some more with you from time to time. If you’ll let me.”
“Stories tell a story,” she said almost wistfully, her eyes clouding, remembering her mother reading to her and her siblings. Tal lifted her chin, meeting Wyatt’s attentive gaze. “My mother, Dilara, is Turkish and Greek. She would read us a Turkish fable in that language. And then, several nights later, she’d read us one of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales in English. And then she’d read us Greek myths and speak in Greek to us.”
Wyatt smiled approvingly. “Your mother is a very astute person. Children pick up languages like birds pick up breadcrumbs. She obviously knew what she was doing.”
“Yes, my Greek and Turkish relatives are big on languages. They believe it’s important for us to know as many as possible. They own international shipping companies, so being able to speak foreign languages is important to them.”
“Matt told me about his language skills years ago,” Wyatt admitted. “He never told me how he got them, but now I know. I appreciate your sharing that with me.”
Tal felt her heart opening up a little bit more. “Stories always teach us something if we’re willing to learn and listen.”
“I promise, you’re going to get more stories,” Wyatt said, his voice gruff now, his emotions rising. “It’s how we can reach inside and touch others’ hearts, Tal.”
She backed off a bit. “Wyatt, I’m not sure where your honesty begins and your Texas BS ends yet. All I’ve seen until tonight is a man chasing me, interested in sex and a one-night stand for years.”
He rested his hands on his hips, amusement in his eyes. “Now, see? That’s where you’re wrong. You listened to base gossip. You didn’t trust yourself with me. If you had listened to your heart, you wouldn’t have run.” He reached out, brushing her cheek. “I’m an onion. Remember? Ask yourself what other reasons I could possibly have to want to know you.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “It wasn’t about sex?”
“Well, I’d be a bald-faced liar if I didn’t admit that I see us as one hell of a couple in bed.”
She compressed her lips, holding back a chuckle. “Correct. You would be dishonest not to admit to those thoughts.”
“Thing is, Tal, I see a lot more in you, and I did from the first day I spotted you at that swimming pool at Recreation. You interested me in ways other women haven’t, maybe because you’re a sister onion. I see such depth in you, and complexity. I want to be able to dig into those layers of yours. I can get as much enjoyment from discovering what a woman sees and feels about life as I do from how she performs in bed.”
“I’d never have thought that about you, Wyatt.”
“That’s because you never let me in, Tal. Now you have. Now I can share things with you that you didn’t want to hear before. You thought the only reason I wanted you was for your body.” He smiled. “I want that too, but I’m equally interested in your heart, your soul, how you see life. I feel here”—he touched his chest over his heart—“that you and I have more in common than we might realize. You come from an international, global family, and I come from a Texas cattle ranch, but I believe that we can cross-pollinate each other in the best of ways. I’m just a country boy and you’re a true cosmopolitan kind of gal, but
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