Page 48 of Hero of Mine (Men in Uniform 2)

“Dani? What’s it going to be?”

Finally, she said, “I’ll see you when you get here.”

She ended the call, and he slipped his phone in his pocket. Whatever he’d said had obviously been the right thing.

Funny. All the times he’d ever tried to win a girl over, he’d never considered being sincere.

Chapter Sixteen

DANI FLUFFED HER flat hair in the mirror, but all it did was make the blonde strands staticky. She wished her cheeks weren’t so flushed and her eyes so bleary; she’d been halfway through a bottle of wine when he’d texted, which had been another reason she’d tried to cancel with him. She didn’t trust herself alone with him.

God, why had she invited him over in the first place? She’d been planning to be really firm about why she didn’t want to get involved, but then he’d said all that sweet stuff about not wanting to get between her and Noah and that he respected her.

When the hell had a man’s respect ever sounded so hot?

Pulling open the fridge, she grabbed a bottle of water. Drinking water would sober her up, right? Maybe she should start a pot of coffee . . .

A knock at her door sent Bella flying off the couch, barking hysterically, while Shasta lifted her head, released a loud woof, and laid her head back down.

Too late to do anything but answer, she walked across the living room and pulled the door open. Tyler stood on her front porch in a pullover sweatshirt and jeans, Duke sitting patiently by his side.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey, come on in.” Both of her dogs circled and sniffed Duke as he came inside, and Dani had the bizarre urge to do the same to Tyler as his cologne drifted around her like a warm hug.

“So, what are we watching?” He put Duke in a down-stay and sat on the couch, looking totally at ease with a sexy grin. One of his arms draped over the back of the couch, while the other rested on his knees. If she sat down next to him, would he wrap that hard, muscular arm around her s

houlders?

Oh, boy.

“I wasn’t sure. Why don’t you choose?”

“Nope, it’s not my house. You pick,” he said.

She walked around the coffee table and sat next to him on the couch, but his arm didn’t move.

Relaxing slightly, she teased, “Even if I choose a chick flick?”

“Whatever you pick, I promise not to complain.”

“You’re being awfully accommodating.”

“I figure I better be, or you might kick us out. Besides, according to you, I’m sweet, so why wouldn’t I let you have your way?”

She laughed as she picked up the remote, already knowing what to pick. “We’ll watch One Small Hitch.”

“What is that?” he asked.

Dani raised an eyebrow at him. “I thought you didn’t care what I chose?”

“So I can’t be curious?”

“It’s a movie about a guy who pretends to be engaged to his best friend’s little sister when he finds out his dad is dying. It’s funny; you’ll like it.”

She could practically feel the skepticism radiating from him but chose to ignore it as she pressed play.

About fifteen minutes into the movie, Tyler was indeed chuckling, but Dani was fighting to stay awake. Her eyes fluttered closed a couple times, and she yawned loudly. “Sorry.”