The Beauty Within by Savannah J. Frierson Read Free Book Online

He seemed very pleased with it, which in turn
    made Tyler pleased. He barely noticed her taking off the styling cape as he
    inspected her work.
    “Even better than last time.”
    Tyler snorted. “It looks exactly the same!”
    “Maybe the wash had something to do with it.”
    Tyler refused to look at him, afraid he would see the heat that flared in her
    eyes at the mention of the shampooing. Never before had she had such a
    sensual experience washing someone’s hair, and she doubted it would be so
    sensual with anyone else. Gunnar was a complete mystery to her, especially
    since she wasn’t usually attracted to white men. This wasn’t to say she’d never
    noticed them. She and Wendy had attended a mixed school, and both had
    taken accelerated classes, so it was usually them integrating majority-white
    classrooms. They both laughed and gossiped about the cute white boys, but
    neither had entertained actually dating one. Tyler never knew if Wendy ever
    had a real interest to do it; and while she hadn’t, either, she’d been curious
    about “jumping the fence” as her Aunt Mabel would call it. Her son had
    married a white woman and they had a two-year-old son. Aunt Mabel hadn’t
    been too happy with the union at first; but she loved her grandson to bits, and
    everything was well now.
    Tyler didn’t know how her remaining family would feel about her dating
    interracially. She knew Wendy wouldn’t care, especially given how she had
    teased Tyler after hearing about the first “haircut incident.” In fact, Wendy had
    said they should go on a double date, but Tyler had to remind her sister she
    was being a bit presumptuous.

    The Beauty Within

33
    “True,” her sister had conceded. “Why don’t you be instead? Worst he can
    say is ‘no’.”
    Tyler shook her head at the memory. She’d been told “no” so often she
    wasn’t too keen on hearing it again.
    “Something wrong?”
    “Nope,” she replied quickly, hanging the cape on a peg. “Fifteen.”
    He remained sitting in the chair. “That eager for me to leave? I thought we
    were having a decent time.”
    “A decent time? This is a hair appointment!”
    Gunnar grinned slightly and lifted a shoulder. “Yeah…sue me if this has
    been one of the most relaxing times I’ve had in weeks. I’ve enjoyed your
    company, Ms. Carver.”
    “Tyler.”
    “Tyler?”
    “That’s my name, you know. Ms. Carver makes me feel like a teacher or a
    spinster.”
    Tyler began straightening up her cart, giving herself something to do so she
    wouldn’t notice how gracefully he rose from the chair or how fluid his move-
    ments were as he approached her.
    “I could never consider you a spinster,” he said, reaching into his back
    pocket to pull out a worn brown leather wallet.
    “Hmm.”
    What else could she say to that without sounding like an idiot?
    “You can call me Gunnar,” he said, holding out another twenty. As before,
    Tyler pulled out her bills to make change, and his hand covered hers. “Keep it.”
    Like last time, Tyler was rendered breathless. She wanted to twist her
    hand until they were palm to palm, wanted to link their fingers together to get
    the maximum pleasure from his touch. His gray eyes went dark with some-
    thing she refused to name, and the pulse in her hand jumped where his fingers
    touched.
    She wondered how they would feel on other parts of her body.
    “Thanks,” she said softly, licking her lips as his fingers dragged away from
    her skin.
    “You’re very welcome. You deserve it.”
    “So this isn’t payment for a future apology?”
    “So sure there will be a future apology, huh?”
    Her cheeks and ears burned, and she turned away from him in a show of
    putting her money in her pocket. She felt him stand behind her, his strong solid
    frame begging her to lean against him. His body wasn’t Mr. Universe big, but
    he reminded her of those men who “worked out” on the machines sold on
    infomercials on the weekend.
    Just the right