MaeI was impressed by the cleanliness and organization the moment I stepped through the doors of the museum. I had been to plenty of museums over the years, but Tyson’s felt different. There was soft music playing, something that would have likely been the music of the ancient Egyptians. That was different and it did give a more immersive experience.I felt eyes on me and looked around, spotting Tyson about forty feet away. He was intently staring at me, making me squirm a little. He was wearing loose-fitting jeans with a black polo. It was casual and sporty and very hot. Once again, my eyes were drawn to his biceps. I wanted to know what the tats were. I wanted to know how many more he was hiding.When he started walking toward me, I realized I had been ogling him. Even now, my eyes were locked on his. I didn’t move. I didn’t look away and neither did he. I knew there were people around, but I didn’t see them. I didn’t see anything but the man stalking toward me, staring at me like

TysonMy car pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the building where Mae lived. I wanted to do it right. I was going to go and knock on her door and the whole nine yards. I didn’t know what this thing was between us, but if there was a chance I could have something real with her, I wanted to treat her right. I had to treat her right or Patrick would want to kick my ass. Hell, he was probably still going to want to kick my ass.I got past the doorman and rode up in the elevator. When I knocked on her door, she was ready to go. I had to hold myself back. She was wearing a little black dress. It clung to her figure, showing off her shapely ass and the womanly curves.“Hi,” I said for lack of anything better to say.“Hi. I’m ready.”“Yes, you are. You look amazing.”“Thank you.”I was glad I had dressed in one of my nicer suits. I wore a jacket because the restaurant I was taking her to required it. I wanted to impress her with a nice dinner. I wanted to show her a good time with the ho

MaeI sipped the Moscow Mule, slowly stirring it with my straw as I studied Tyson’s face. My brain was trying to see the boy I knew. I saw hints of that boy, but the soft, boyish features were gone. In their place were sharp, manly features.“You’re staring at me,” he said.“I just can’t believe you are here. Grown up. Like a real man.”He chuckled. “That tends to happen. It’s been what, fifteen years?”“Give or take a year.”“You’ve changed, too,” he said. “You’re all grown up. Like a real woman.”I smiled and sipped my drink. He had chosen a quiet lounge. It was dark with lots of amber lights that set a very romantic tone. I liked the privacy. I liked the quiet. It made it nice to have a conversation in a public place but without the need to shout over loud music.“Do you remember when we first met?” I asked.He cringed. “I don’t know if I remember the exact moment, but I remember when I noticed you.”I laughed. “When I begged you and Patrick to take me to the mall that one day? You

TysonI walked into the living room of my massive home and flipped on the big screen. I was planning on doing very little for the day. I had some research to do but nothing that required me to leave the house. I liked to window shop. My window shopping included me browsing through current archeological digs as well as checking the latest catalog inventory from some of my frequent go-to dealers. I had learned a long time ago to stick with people I knew or that had been referred to me.I was just settling in when I heard the gate buzz and then open. Only one person, besides the housekeeper and groundskeeper, knew the code. Both of them were off for the day, which meant it was Alec. That was unusual. He never stopped by. We weren’t that kind of friends.I walked to the front door and watched him get out of his little sports car. “Hey,” I said.“Hey.”“What brings you by?” I opened the door and gestured for him to come inside.“I need to talk to you about the trip.”I nodded. “Okay. Want

MaeI swayed to the sound of Katy Perry singing about being a strong woman as I loaded the dishwasher. Hayden asked if she could use my Bluetooth speaker to play her favorite playlist while we cleaned up the apartment. I didn’t want to be the old lady who complained about the music being too loud and told her to go ahead.It had been a long time since I had been a teenager obsessed with pop stars. Hearing her sing at the top of her lungs while she changed the sheets on both our beds took me back to days when life had been so much easier. Well, that wasn’t entirely true.I was about Hayden’s age when things started spiraling out of control with my parents. They still managed to keep their shit together, and there were good days, but there were also a lot of bad days.I was only a year older than Hayden when I met Tyson for the first time. It was hard to imagine myself that young, wanting the Tyson I knew today. Of course, back then, he had been a teenage boy himself. It was crazy to th