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Melanie had thought for certain they’d been on the sae She’d only wanted a safe man, someone she could have fun with, and prove to herself that she was in charge of her life and if she wanted to have a fling, then she sure as hell would

Tanner was a ladies’ ht not exploit his bedrooh to see hooossip at the Curl Up and Dye salon

She’d been so certain she was ready to take full control of her life, including taking a lover of her choice, and afterwards she would go on her way

The irony of running into Tanner only hours after her world had tilted on its axis wasn’t lost on her She firns

Melanie pulled in a breath and pasted a convincing s For the first tie faltered She’d been shaken from the solid foundation she’d recently rebuilt for herself

But she wasn’t going to fall Never again This ht shake her stability, but that was life, and she’d discovered long ago as a child growing up in poverty that the er you were fro them

She’d developed a strength she’d never thought possible

Clutching her cheap wine, Melanie spun around “Hey, Tanner”

Try as she , her heart sped up and her ht of him in uniform She took in his navy uniform, hoell his broad frame filled out every piece of that material, and the aviators he had tucked into the top V just above a glossy black button

The knots in her sto as she’d reination had just conjured up how aether But one look at hilorious detail The tingling she’d felt fro her bare skin, the passionate way he commanded her

“What are you doing here

?”

Dark eyes raked over her, giving her chills and even ht He had dark and sultry doithout even trying

After her less than storybook et up the courage to approach another man For reasons she couldn’t comprehend, Tanner had been the only man in the past couple years to interest her in any way And by interest, she meant he drove her absolutely crazy with a want she barely recognized