A Life More Complete(48)
---Chapter 13---
I rise early and before leaving the bed I peel back the covers. I’m still wearing my underwear and the t-shirt I went to sleep in, so that’s a good sign considering the amount of alcohol that was consumed between the two of us. I quietly find my way into my extra bedroom and hit the treadmill for my morning run. Tyler finds me as my feet are pounding the motorized mat. I’m six miles into my ten mile run, but I nearly slide off the back when he steps in the doorway wearing just his boxers. He’s standing there, a seductive smile on his lips and I want to throw myself at him, in that desperate schoolgirl way. I hit pause as he walks toward me. His eyes trained on me, calling to me, making me long for him.
“Enough of this shit,” he says as his he lifts me off the treadmill.
“What shit?” I say but it comes out all breathy. He smiles at me and it scorches with desire.
“You can’t stand in front of me wearing underwear and a t-shirt and expect me not to want you.” He places his hand on the small of my back and pulls me to him; my chest pressed against his.
“You weren’t supposed to be up yet,” I reply but again it sounds far too seductive. My heartbeat quickens and my body begins to tingle.
“Well I am and since when do you run barefoot? Everything you do is sexy,” he says close to my ear. Goosebumps line my skin and all control is gone. He pulls my shirt over my head, his fingertips grazing my ribs, making my body tremble. I follow him to the bedroom. I know exactly what is about to happen. I understand the risks. I tell myself that he’s married, I remind myself again as he climbs on top of me and for a third time as he enters me. But I can’t bring myself to stop him. I might regret this later, hell I might even regret it in an hour, but I still follow through. I’m done worrying about what’s to come, done with what ifs and definitely done thinking about soon to be ex-wives. Tyler is familiar; he’s my known and my unknown all at the same time. He clouds my vision and makes my thinking fuzzy, yet somehow he makes everything appear perfectly clear. I find myself in the same predicament I did so many years ago. I would do anything for him. Marry him, love him forever, have his babies, you name it. He’s that good...at everything.
As I lay next to Tyler, both of us breathing heavily, he pulls me from my reverie. “We have to meet the real estate agent in an hour in L.A.” He leans over and kisses me gently before leaving the bed to shower and when we’re both ready I follow him out to his car.
We climb into his nice, yes, but completely ridiculous, SUV and I reprimand him again for purchasing such a showy car. He laughs it off and says that he bought it just to mock me. He rests his hand on my thigh as he begins to relax into the seat. I want to ask him what this means for us now. But I don’t. He can sense my hesitation and asks what’s wrong.
“Nothing,” I answer.
“You sure? You seem a little uneasy.” His hand strokes up and down my leg.
“Yeah. Really. I’m good.”
“You’d tell me, right? I want things to be different this time. I want you to tell me everything.” A small sigh escapes me and I smile. It’s the reassurance I’m looking for and he gave it without me even having to ask.
“This time,” I whisper. “It will be different. Better.”
“It took me so long to realize what I really wanted was you. I’m yours.” He looks at me and his perfect smile says it all.
We meet the real estate agent at the first of many amazing properties. Her name is Jordan and of course, she’s strikingly beautiful. Big doe eyes, amazingly straight white teeth, long blonde hair and skinny. Her suit hugs her tiny little body perfectly. No matter how long I live here I’m still in awe of the number of ridiculously attractive women that inhabit this city. Tyler greets her with a handshake, which is completely unlike him. No hug or kiss on the cheek. He introduces me as his girlfriend and I know I have a preposterously stupid grin on my face.
We look at five houses, each one more mind-blowing than the next, the views, the amenities, the houses themselves. On the sixth one I tell Tyler, this is it. The house is a beautiful single family home with deep cherry hardwood floors and the most incredible view of downtown Los Angeles. It’s in the Hollywood Hills and sits atop a cliff overlooking the whole city. I can imagine its beauty at all times of the day, when the sun rises and when it sets. I can picture the city being bathed in an angelic glow. The balcony overlooks it all, as does the gigantic soaker bathtub next to a wall of floor to ceiling windows.