Page 49 of Return to Me Always

I couldn't help but join in because these guys were sort of ridiculous. "What about music?" I asked.

Tyler groaned. "Don't even get him started."

"Ah, I'm so glad you asked, lass," Ben said, his eyes lighting up.

"Oh, here we go then."

An in-depth discussion followed about the history of punk rock and whether it first originated in New York or Britain. Honestly, it was interesting, but after a long while, my mind began to wander, especially because the more we drank, the thicker their accents became until I could maybe understand every third word.

Stealing glances at Tyler, I thought back to that night when I had first really met him and how different he seemed to me now, how he had softened toward me, how his arms felt around me. Like my own version of a romantic movie, images crashed through my whirling mind—of our kisses, of our motorcycle ride, of his face across the fire.

When we'd been running through the dark streets of London in a panic, I never would have imagined this moment. When Tyler had patiently walked me through the reasons he wasn't a serial killer in that crummy apartment, I couldn't have foreseen these growing feelings.

The buzz of emotions and alcohol flowed through me as I shifted my legs, recalling all the events that had led me here. With a gasp, I suddenly remembered something I'd forgotten about in all this craziness—the drawing of me I had seen in that mysterious box.

But had it really been me? With the passage of time, I began to doubt that. Maybe in the panic of that moment, everything had been skewed. I could easily recollect how scared and freaked out I had been not knowing what was going on.

And I still didn't know what was going on, I reminded myself, feeling kind of dizzy.

I felt Tyler's eyes on me. "I think we should probably call it a night."

How did he know?

"Aye." Ben gave me a quick glance. "I'm knackered."

Gathering up all the trash, he soon disappeared into the trees, and I rose to my knees to help Tyler straighten the tent. Or attempted to anyway. Tyler grabbed my arm to steady me. "Careful there," he said.

I giggled as I stumbled into him. "Sorry."

For a heartbeat, he held me close, the heat rising up between us. Staring at his sensual lips, I craved his mouth on mine again, wanted it, needed it like a drug. Before I could breathe, his lips brushed against mine in a sensual caress.

"God, you taste good," he whispered.

A moan escaped my mouth, and his hands came up to my cheeks, pulling me in closer to him, deepening the kiss. My arms went around his broad back as I crushed myself into his chest. The feel of him was unreal, so hard and strong, this dream man kissing me into oblivion.

Now that I'd acknowledged my feelings for Tyler, this physical connection meant everything to me, and a sudden need to share that compelled me to pull slightly away.

"Tyler, I..."

"Hmm?" His kisses moved to my cheek and down my neck.

"Tyler, I... I'm falling for you."

He didn't say anything, only paused in his kissing as an awkward silence rushed in to replace our passion.Shit!Why had I said that?

A sudden sound nearby made us break apart, and Ben returned to the campsite. "Did I miss anything?" he asked.

"Nope," Tyler said. "Nothing at all."

At those words, tears threatened once again. I was the biggest idiot in the world. Literally, I bit my tongue to stop myself from crying while we finished prepping for bed. As I struggled into my sleeping bag, the tent swirling around me, I decided I was never drinking again. My big mouth just had to go and say that.

The words kept repeating in my head like a sick drumbeat—Tyler, I'm falling for you. Tyler, I'm falling for you. And the weird moment that followed? There were no words for the humiliation.

I was desperate to go home and end this awful dream that had spiraled into a new nightmare with my now unrequited feelings for Tyler.

Chapter Fourteen

I woke up alone in the tent, feeling like total crap. My mouth was dry. My head hurt. To make it worse, the events of last night crashed over me while I buried my face in the sleeping bag and groaned. Ineverwanted to get up.

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