Page 17 of Hero of Mine (Men in Uniform 2)

You are an idiot.

“Great, just follow me.” He stood up and held the door for her as they left Starbucks with their drinks.

As she climbed into her car, the voice in her head silently scolded her.

We need to talk about your decision-making skills.

Chapter Six

TYLER STILL COULDN’T believe he’d invited her to his place, but it wasn’t as if he could change his mind. Not when she was standing on his doorstep with him, waiting as he unlocked the door. She was so close, he could feel her body radiating heat amid the cool autumn breeze, and it was so distracting, he’d almost dropped his keys twice.

Get a grip, man; it’s not as if you’ve never brought a woman home before.

Not that it was like that; he really had just invited her over to see the dog. Although, he had to admit, when he’d walked through the door and seen her sitting there, even if she hadn’t been Kline’s mystery date, he would have sat down anyway. There was something about her that intrigued him, and damned if he could figure out what it was.

“Do you need some help?”

He glanced over his shoulder at her, taking in her amusement. “I can get it.”

“Before I’m thirty?” she asked.

“How long before you’re thirty?” he asked, just as the lock turned.

“Six years.”

Opening the door wide to let her in, he winked. “I think we’re safe, then.”

She chuckled as she passed by, and he shut the door, watching her glance around his bare house.

“Did you just move in?” she asked.

“A few months ago.”

She shot him a look of disbelief, and he tried to see what had her so surprised. So the only furniture in the living room and kitchen were his couch and entertainment center. He didn’t need much.

“Not a big nester, huh?” she said.

“What the hell is a nester?”

“Someone who settles in, decorates. Makes his place homey.”

He had never been big for posters and stuff on his wall, and all his pictures could fit in his wallet. “Yeah, sorry, I flunked out of ‘nester’ school.”

“That’s okay. I forgive your lack of style.”

He snorted, trying to bite back a smile. He liked her sass. “Duke is over there behind the couch.”

“Did you name him after Duke Orsino?”

“Who?” Tyler squatted down in front of Duke’s cage, ignoring Apollo and Zeus’s whimpers. The big dog tried to stand up, but Dani crooned for him to stay down as she opened the cage.

“Duke Orsino from She’s the Man.”

“Is that a chick flick?” he asked.

“I guess so.” She rubbed Duke’s ears lovingly, and the dog gave a happy groan.

“Then, no. I named him after the G.I. Joe character.”