by Nana Malone
He supposed that was true. He'd filled in that Serena hole with lots of girls that paled in comparison. Eventually he'd learned not to compare. "I guess I'm looking for something more important."
"Yeah, but in the meantime, why don't you sample the buffet?"
Because I'm in love with someone else. Shit. Kissing Serena on Wednesday had really fucked him up. He needed to talk to her, see if he could get them settled again. Or else he'd have to explain to X why he couldn't keep his hands off his sister. And he wasn't looking forward to that kind of conversation.
After dinner with X, Tyson waited to board the last plane heading back to DC. He'd misjudged traffic to the New Orleans airport and arrived earlier than he'd thought, so with time to kill, of course Serena kept running through his mind. Just call her already. He missed her. Under normal circumstances, they’d have spoken at least twice today already. First thing in the morning and at least one by lunchtime. Yeah, he was a sap. He knew it. They had to fix this thing with them or he was going to lose her and he wasn’t willing to do that.
He was giving her space. That was what he was supposed to do, right? Or was it? He had no idea, and he was screwing this up. Whatever. He took out his phone and dialed her. He probably should have given thought to the fact that she was his favorite contact on his phone, but he'd deal with that piece of pussywhippedness later. Fuck, was that even a word?
The line rang three times before she answered, sounding a little breathless. Shit, maybe she'd been busy. "Ty?"
"Hey, uh. How's it going?"
"Good." There was a beat of silence. "Uh, great. Fine. Totally okay."
A smile tugged at his lips. Merely hearing her voice could do that. "I'm about to board. I get in late tonight."
"Oh." There was a dip in her voice, and he wasn't sure if that was disappointment or not. "Do you need me to pick you up?"
Fuck, this was so damn awkward. "Uh, no. I'm cool. I just, uh…I had dinner with X. He says you should call him."
She laughed, and he could almost hear her eyes rolling back. "I talk to him every other day, for the love of God. He's needier than a teenager with her first boyfriend."
"Yeah, sometimes." He paused, hunting for the right words. But then he thought, Fuck it all, and just said the first thing that tumbled out. "Look, about Wednesday. I'm sorry. And I know I was a prick yesterday. I had no idea how to deal. Not to mention you're family, so…"
There was another beat of silence on the line. Was she at work? "You’re sorry?"
"Yeah, uh, you know, for what…happened. Shit, I'm not even sure what the hell happened. One second everything was normal and the next, I was…well, I had…I mean, my c—" Shit. None of this was going right.
"Oh, I was there." Her voice was soft, husky. Was she remembering it the way he was? Even if she is, you still can't have her.
"Right. Do you think we could maybe talk about it? I don't want us to be weird."
"Tyson, relax. Zero weirdness. We're okay. Fine even. It was just a kiss."
Just a kiss? He frowned. He hadn't been able to sleep for two days thinking about her, and she thought it was just a kiss? Fine. If she wanted to be all cool and nonchalant, then fine. He’d be the definition of indifferent. Was this because of her?
Suddenly he felt like he was the needy teenager with her first boyfriend. "Yeah, just a kiss. Happens all the time." Except as many women as he'd been with, it had never been like that. It didn't matter how many times he took a shower and worked out his sexual frustration, one thought of her and he was hard, already throbbing.
"Yep." Then casually, she added, "So, I'll see you Monday for delivery at the club?"
"Yeah, of course." Perhaps it was time to have Mark take over the deliveries. But fuck it. He could show her that he was completely unaffected. And maybe also ask about her mysterious date.
8
Tyson dragged himself into his apartment after a full day of classes and threw himself on his couch. He couldn’t remember being this tired his first time through. Maybe because now his mind was full of so much other shit too. As first days went, it could have gone worse. He had some catching up to do but nothing major. And though he was coming in as a junior, he still had some basic first-year classes he needed to take.
His main problem was he still had his fucking business to run. Yeah he was using Leigh Distributors as his case study, but he was also still working, and they had a full roster of clients. Club Prestige being one of them.
He dragged his head up to glance at the clock. Okay, it was two p.m. He had thirty minutes to sit here and let his mind work around the events of the day before he had to get into the office. Today was delivery day at Club Prestige. Just thinking he might see Serena was enough to heat his blood.
She’d been so damn blasé about the kiss when he’d called. And that irritated the shit out of him. He’d been reeling. Torn apart. Hell, he’d barely been able to walk away from her, and now she could be so damn cool. Like, oh yeah, no big deal, kisses like that happened all the fucking time. Well, that didn't happen to him all the time.
Not like he cared. He had enough on his plate. School, which was going to be a challenge. A good challenge, but a challenge nonetheless. And the job. At this point Mark could handle a lot of it, but Tyson still needed to put in a good few hours of work at night. And homework. He didn’t want to forget that.
Of course, there was also his father. The old man had been doing well lately, but Tyson still needed to look out for him. The fucking bone cancer had taken his legs from the knee down. Then there had been too many months of chemo. Then rehab to learn how to walk with prosthetics and use his wheelchair. So he still needed consistent care.
And then there was Serena. The sole reason he hadn’t slept in nearly a fucking week. He’d have to start getting some rest if he wanted to manage everything. Right now, nothing was working. Well, seeing her wasn’t going to help. He had to find a way to get her out of his damn head, then everything would be just peachy.
Only one problem, he had no damn idea of how to do that. This shit was problematic. Yeah, he’d wanted women before, but this constant thinking, dreaming, fantasizing shit, it was messing with him. He couldn’t afford to be distracted. Not now. Not by her. He wanted his friend back. All he needed to do was talk to her and they’d sort it out in person and they could go back. She’d said it herself. Then he could focus on the shit that he needed to and forget about that needy, clawing, burning fire in his gut. He didn't have time for that.
Cara took her time studying the central stage and the bar. Her sharp eyes missed nothing from the central stage to the chandeliers to the gold leaf ceiling. From her smile, Serena could tell she liked it. "I have to say, it's pretty impressive. When you said you worked here, I didn't know what to expect. I've never been inside. But now that I have, I guess it's more burlesque club than strip club."
Serena shook her head. "No. This isn't your average strip club. The guys and girls love to dance, and some of them go naked, depending on their level of comfort and the room. But what we'll have you doing is more for the bachelorette crew. Teaching them how to move, dance, feel good about themselves. We'll keep you in a room on the main level. You'll deal with club members and guests."
Cara nodded. "I'm totally comfortable with that. It's pretty much what I'm doing already, right?"
"Exactly. That's why I thought you might be a good fit. I considered opening a room like this with one of the dancers, but while they are incredible, after I took your class, I knew you were the right person for the job.”
“A weekly class is a great revenue stream, and it’s consistent. Plus it makes the club seem more accessible to the masses.”
“We make plenty of money. But, it seems we have a slight image problem. So this will help.” Serena said.
"Well cardio strip is a hot work out trend right now. Even soccer moms are doing it, so the occasional open class should help. And, the set up is perfect, and it has the same usual things that I need. No
public access to view the class. And it's intimate. It's a great space."
“Excuse me, Serena, uno momento.”
She met Antonio's gaze. “Hi, Antonio.” Turning to Cara, Serena said, “Give me one sec.”
Dinner with Antonio had gone well. Hell, it was just nice to get out. Antonio was great company. He was gorgeous, charming, and educated. Micha was right, just going out with a man and acting like an adult had done wonders for her mood. He was just the kind of man she said she wanted to date. So what’s your problem? He was perfect. Just not for her. He’s not Tyson.
* * *
She stepped aside with him and had a clear line of sight of the door for Tyson’s delivery. “Do you have everything you need in the office, Antonio?”
“Yes. Thank you for generously giving me a place to work while I’m here in Washington. I honestly could have just used the hotel.”
“Nonsense. You took me to dinner, and we had a spare office, so while we’re clearing the paperwork for the prince and his bodyguards, you might as well.”
“I have most of the paperwork complete but I need the fax number for the consulate to send over the Italian background checks for the Prince’s final bodyguard.”
“Oh, of course. Will can get that for you. He’s just out front.”
His voice dropped low, and he touched her elbow gently. “Molto Buena. And so that I make sure I've said it, dinner the other night was fun. I would like to do it again. Maybe we won't discuss work next time?”
Serena froze. Oh, a second date. Wait, had that been technically a first date? Okay, yeah, she was totally prepared for this. Micha had given her the tools anyway. Except when she opened her mouth, instead of saying, Yes, that would be lovely, she said, “Oh, thank you so much, but I'm seeing someone.”
WTF. No she wasn't. No seeing. Shit, her own brain was working against her.
He gave her a soft smile, touching her arm again. “Perhaps when you aren't taken, give me a call. I can be patient.” He flashed a smile
What the hell had just happened? Suddenly, she had mojo in spades.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Tyson. She'd thought he might send Mark on his own, but no. He’d come himself. He didn't look happy though. His lips pressed together firmly and his eyes held a glint of danger. Well, whatever he was pissed about, she didn't care. So he'd kissed her and she'd leaned into it, big deal. If he wasn't into kissing her, there were others who were. Micha was right, the more normal she kept things, the more she would unsettle him. When she’d said it was cool and they were fine, he had actually been irritated. Too bad for him.
She walked back up to Cara, and her friend smiled. "So, I can see why you wanted to come to classes."
"Huh? I'm sorry, what was that?"
Cara inclined her head towards Tyson. "Well, I’m not kicking the hot Italian with the sexy brown eyes outta bed, but as you’re panting over tall, dark, and soak your panties, over there. I must say, I approve."
Serena blushed. "Is it that obvious?"
"Let's just say I have a lot of experience with wanting someone that I shouldn't have or can't have for whatever reason."
"Yeah, we're sort of at that point. You know, an impasse. Something happened between us, and neither one of us really knows how to deal."
"I'm sure you guys will figure it out."
Tyson looked up and locked gazes with her. A shiver rippled through her, and the low, pulsing need was all she could focus on. "Hopefully sooner rather than later."
He said something to Redd, then headed straight over. Cara whistled. "What I wouldn't give to be on the other end of that kind of attention."
"Might not be all it's cracked up to be," Serena muttered.
He walked like a graceful cat with deliberate, precise movements, leaving no question as to where he was going. “Can I borrow you for a minute?"
His voice melted over her like warm chocolate, and she bit back a moan. "Uh, yeah. Sure thing. But first, this is my friend Cara. She's going to start teaching here soon."
Tyson's gaze flickered over to Cara and he gave her a tight smile. "Nice to meet you. You mind if I borrow Serena for a sec?"
"No," she said with an easy smile. "We were done anyway. Serena, I'll just email you the paperwork, and we'll be good to go?"
"Sure thing, Cara. Later." To Tyson, she said, "You want to talk here or in my office?"
His beautiful stormy green eyes landed on her lips and stayed there for a long moment. "Your office," he ground out.
Sure they could talk. Fine by her. Then maybe he could explain what the hell his problem was.
Once inside her office, she put a hand on his arm before closing the door. He jumped.
"What's up?" She leaned against her desk as nonchalantly as she could. She'd been so used to not being good enough that it was a heady rush to see him clearly distracted over her.
His gaze narrowed on her face, and she licked her lips. She did a small internal victory dance when he cleared his throat and shook his head.
"I was just going to apologize again. I—" He frowned. “Who was that guy? Your date from the other night?”
"Oh him? That was Antonio.” She pushed away from the desk. “How long have we been friends? A little kiss isn't going to ruin that. It happened, no big deal."
The muscle in his jaw ticked. "Just a kiss? You kiss any of your other friends that way? Did you kiss Antonio that way?"
He was jealous? "What? No. He’s an attaché for a client. Us kissing once is not the end of the world. That's all I meant."
"So that's it, you were completely unaffected? And I've been busy worrying for a week that I'd ruined something."
Her lips twitched, but she held back the smile. He was irritated that it wasn't a big deal to her? Interesting. "Ty." She deliberately brushed past him as she went to pull one of the binders from her shelf. She had no idea what she'd took out, but right now she didn't care. Neither did her nipples that were standing at erect attention beneath her blouse. "We didn’t do anything we have to regret, and we're grownups." She shrugged. "It's not like we felt anything.”
His brows snapped together. Shit. Too far? She tried to pedal back. "I guess, I mean, did you feel anything?"
He stepped into her space, and she moved back, landing her ass on her desk.
"You didn't feel anything?" His voice was low. Gravelly.
She swallowed hard. "I—uh. It's just—"
His intense focus pinned her in place. "Because I haven't been able to sleep in nearly a week. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is you."
Warmth flooded her chest. "Y-you do?"
"It pisses me off that you didn't feel anything."
"I didn't say that. But I— Why does it piss you off, Ty? You're the one who said you didn't want to screw things up. You said you were sorry and you never intended for that to happen. How was I supposed to react?" She poked him in the chest, but he didn't budge. "No woman wants to hear that someone is sorry they kissed them. God, you are such an a—"
He cut her off with a bruising kiss, his lips firm and unyielding on hers. His tongue barely waited for her surprised gasp before delving inside to explore.
Serena's muscles went languid and warm, and all she could do was hold on for the ride. Tyson gripped her ass and pulled her close, and she could feel every muscle. Every pulse of his erection.
He throbbed against her belly. Serena moaned. His hands tightened in her hair, but he held her gently. With a low growl, he tugged up the fabric of her skirt, muffling a moan when he stepped between her parted thighs.
His drugging kisses made her dizzy. Her head spun. She didn't know which way was up, which way was down, or which way had her tumbling through an abyss.
Tyson dragged his lips from hers, placing open-mouthed kisses along the column of her neck and her jaw. His fingers fumbled with the buttons on her silk blouse, but she had easier access to him. Just an upward tug of his shirt and…oh yes.
Her fingertips played over the ta
ut muscles of his lower abs, and he hissed against her flesh.
He eventually gave up with her buttons and just tugged up her blouse and mimicked her movements, bracketing her waist and sliding his thumbs over each rib. He teased her by gently rubbing his thumbs on the undersides of her breasts, and Serena arched her back into the caress, seeking more.
"Fuck, Serena. I…" The words fell away when he palmed her. Her full curves filled his hands, and he hitched in a breath.
"Ty-Tyson."
He kissed her again as his thumb traced circles over her nipple. Slow and steady. He delved his tongue into her mouth, licking inside, making her burn and ache and pulse. All she could do was cling to him and try to get as much access to his skin as she could. Because touching him felt like waking up on Christmas morning.
One thing was the absolute truth. Tyson Leigh was sinful with his hands. His very sure fingers rolled her nipple, and his free hand snuck under the layers of her skirt. Her breathing tore out of her mouth in ragged pants.
"You feel something now, Serena?"
"Tyson…" As far as coherent thoughts went, that was all she could muster.
Lips only a whisper from hers, he leaned his forehead against hers. "How about now?" His thumb slid under the elastic of her panties, gliding over her skin.
"Oh-oh. Holy—"
He kissed her again before whispering, "It certainly seems like you can feel this. I want to know, Serena. Because I can feel it. How wet you are, how much you need me." Another slide of his lips. Deeper now, with his tongue mimicking the slow roll of his thumb.
Tension swelled up her spine, and all she could think about was this man, this moment and how much she had always wanted him. How she had hoped that he might want her. Faster and faster he stroked over her slick flesh, making her shiver and burn all at once. Before she knew it, she was chasing that euphoric high, that sweet surrender that would melt her into a puddle on her desk.
Tyson licked into her mouth, and he stroked her cheek with his thumb as he dragged her toward the cliff of oblivion. She went willingly, clinging to him.