Simply Irresistible

by Deborah Cooke

  Amy laughed. “What if you’d known the truth?”

  “Wouldn’t have mattered.” He shook a finger at her. “If I’d known you were going to tell me off, though, I’d definitely have talked to you sooner. I really enjoy our lunch conversations and that’s no lie.” Their gazes met for one of those sizzling moments.

  Amy smiled at him, clearly pleased, then picked up the menu. He knew the moment she noticed the prices and spoke before she could open her mouth to protest.

  “I like this place, and the way I see it, it’s been a heck of a week. You’ve been fixing copiers and I’ve been run ragged by a couple of clients. I think we both deserve a reward just for surviving it.”

  She blinked. “You had a bad week?”

  “Not bad, exactly, but it was hectic,” Ty admitted. “Some of our clients can be demanding, and when more than one of them goes into that mode, it can be a bit frantic.”

  “And then there’s your mom.”

  “And then there’s my mom,” Ty agreed. Did she miss her mom? He couldn’t imagine otherwise. There was a little bit of sadness in her eyes, and once again, he was determined to make her smile. “Red or white?”

  “I like either,” she admitted then considered the menu. “But red is better with steak.”

  Ty nodded agreement, then ordered a bottle of a Cabernet Sauvignon.

  Once again, Amy looked like she might argue, but he leaned over the table and dropped his voice to a whisper. “It’ll make it easier for us to get to know each other,” he said. “And you’re not taking the train home.” He lifted a finger. “Cab service is part of the deal.”

  “You’re not driving me home.”

  “I am paying the cab fare.” He arched a brow. “And I’ll make sure you get in the cab, too.”

  She sat back and regarded him mutinously. “You’re bossy.”

  “I thought you’d like it,” he teased and she blushed a little. “Look, it’s what I would do for any one of my sisters. You alone on a subway at night?” He shuddered. “I’d be sick with worry.”

  “I doubt that!”

  “Believe it.”

  Amy heaved a sigh of concession, but her eyes were starting to sparkle. “Normally, I’d say no, but today, thank you.” When she looked so pleased and relieved, Ty knew he could get used to spoiling her a little bit.

  She was past due.

  The wine came and he tasted it, then it was poured. Amy asked the waiter a couple of questions about the options on the menu, then they ordered. Ty liked that she wasn’t indecisive and she didn’t request a lot of changes. On the one hand, she seemed to be pretty easy-going and to make do with whatever she got. That was an admirable trait. On the other hand, he thought she could have expected a bit more from life, and he wished he could help her to reach a little higher.

  He didn’t believe for a minute that her current job was the best she could do, but Amy did believe it. He was going to find a solution that suited Amy better by the time Katelyn and Jared left for their honeymoon.

  Ty had four weeks and a day to make a difference in Amy’s life.

  He figured it was fair exchange for her going to the wedding with him and saving him from his matchmaking relations. It wasn’t possible for her relations to hold a candle to his in that department.

  “All right,” Amy said, pulling a notepad from her purse. She held up four fingers, mimicking his gesture from their first lunch. “Family summary from Tyler McKay. You have four sisters, three married and one about to be, one a year for three years.”

  “You have a good memory,” he said, a little surprised that she’d remembered all of that.

  Amy held his gaze, confident that was true. “It’s my gift.”

  “I think you have more than one,” Ty said, then held up a finger before she could argue. “Lauren. Oldest daughter, next after me, probably my favorite sister.”

  “Are you allowed to have a favorite?” Amy pretended to be horrified and he grinned.

  “Only if you don’t tell the others.”

  Amy crossed her heart and Ty chuckled.

  “She’s thirty, married three years ago to Mark.” He tried to hide his dislike of Mark and wondered whether he succeeded. “She’s a hairdresser uptown, who unravels everyone’s secrets and proposes diplomatic solutions.”

  Amy started to make notes. “I can see why you like her. That would be a useful talent in a big family.”

  “Absolutely. Then there’s Stephanie, married to Trevor last spring. She’s twenty-eight and finishing grad school. He’s a lawyer.”

  “Are they in town, too?”

  “No, they’re in Boston and will be coming down the week before the wedding to stay with my parents.”

  “Where?” Amy asked, taking notes.

  “Connecticut. My parents moved out there before they started a family and still go to the same church.”

  She peeked up at him and he really wanted to lift off those glasses. “Episcopalian?”

  “Good guess,” Ty said and they shared a smile.

  “Sister number three?”

  “Paige, married two years ago to Derek who has his own construction company in Brooklyn. She does his books, and they had a son last November. Ethan.”

  “First grandchild for your parents?”

  “Yes, but we’re way behind. My mom’s sister, Teresa, has nine grandchildren already. One is better than none, but my sisters have to lift their game.”

  Amy’s eyes danced. “But not you?”

  Ty winced. “I try to deflect all discussion about the heir to the throne.”

  “You’re going to fail soon.”

  “You might have to take some of the friendly fire on that. Any defenses?”

  She mused and he watched, fascinated, as she tapped her pen and considered the question. “Well, I can’t claim that I have too demanding of a job.”

  “Maybe you’re going back to school,” Ty dared to suggest.

  Amy’s eyes lit for a moment, then she shook her head. “I can’t lie, even if this is a fake date. I’ll think of something else.”

  “Maybe you just need to not be taking care of anybody for a while,” Ty suggested gently.

  Her gaze flicked to his. “But then I wouldn’t be thinking about getting married, would I?”

  “That’s not what marriage is about!” Ty protested. “It’s about supporting each other and being stronger together. It’s not about the woman becoming unpaid staff for the guy.”

  Amy pointed her pen at him. “That’s why I like you,” she said and for a moment he forgot that she was talking about their scheme. “Nice guys are more likely to help with the dishes.”

  “That’s not such a bad thing,” Ty said, feeling as if he was being slammed.

  “No, it’s not. It’s safe and predictable and a sign of mutual respect.” Amy wrinkled her nose. “Every woman’s dream.”

  Ty stifled his annoyance. He’d never thought that being nice was a bad thing before.

  On another day, he might see humor in Amy’s conclusion that he was safe and predictable, which was what he’d thought about her before that first conversation. On this day, he wanted more from her.

  “Sister number four?” she invited.

  “Katelyn, the bride-to-be. Jared is an artist, doing pretty well for himself. Big paintings I don’t understand. Lots of black.” Amy giggled at that. “They live in a loft in Soho and my mother is happy they’re making it legal.”

  “What does Katelyn do?”

  “She makes jewelry. I don’t understand it either.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s…unexpected.”

  “I can’t wait to see it,” Amy said and he knew she was laughing at him. He didn’t mind at all. “And the helpful aunties? You’ve only mentioned one.”

  “Teresa is my mom’s big sister.”

  “The one with all the grandkids?”

  Ty nodded. “And there’s Maureen, my mom’s baby sister. Her daughter Maxine is unmarried.�
�� He sighed. “Someone will mention the toilet paper incident. It was Maxine, last year at Stephanie’s wedding. She came back to the dance floor with it trailing from her shoe. My sisters are pretty merciless in teasing her about it.”

  “Because she’s been merciless to them in the past?”

  Ty had to think about it. “You know, I guess she was, especially when we were kids. She’s the same age as me and kind of lorded it over my sisters.”

  “That’ll do it,” Amy said, as if she understood the situation really well.

  “Observer of human nature.”

  “That’s me.”

  Ty had another sip of wine. “My mom is Colleen and has always been a homemaker.”

  “Five kids would have kept her busy.”

  “My dad, Jeffrey, is a retired investment banker who pretty much lets Mom steer the course while he works on his golf game. Forty or so years married.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “Thirty-seven.”

  “You can’t fool me,” Amy said and made a note. “You’re detail-oriented and a lousy liar.”

  Ty was startled that she’d noticed. “Bad traits?”

  “Excellent ones.”

  “Be warned that there will be garden club ladies and church ladies and an entire social network in attendance. My mom was organizing long before the first engagement in the family.”

  “Big wedding then.”

  Ty nodded, a little bit weary of it all.

  “Not your plan?” Amy asked.

  “After four years of this, I think elopements have a certain appeal.”

  “Family weddings can be fun.” Amy shook the pen at him. “And what kind of only son would you be if you disappointed your mom? Not a nice one.”

  Ty was giving serious consideration to developing some not-nice traits. “One down,” he said instead. “Your turn.”

  The salads came then. His mother would have no quibbles with Amy’s elegant table manners. Ty hadn’t thought about it until she picked up her knife and fork.

  She took a few bites, then had a sip of wine, clearly mustering her words. “My parents, as I told you, are both dead. My aunt Natalie is one of my dad’s sisters.”

  “Which one?” Ty asked, then arched a brow. “Order matters.”

  Amy grinned. “Second of three. My dad was the big brother.”

  “Familiar territory, then.”

  “Aunt Natalie and Uncle Tom live in New Jersey. He’s an electrician and she runs their two lighting stores. My grandfather started the business and passed it on to Tom. They have only one daughter, Brittany.”

  “Who’s getting married.”

  “On June third.” Amy winced and looked adorable. “An enormous wedding. I can’t begin to tell you how much work it’s been getting everything organized…”

  “Wait a minute,” Ty said. “That sounds like you’re the one organizing it.”

  “Well, no, not exactly.” Amy shrugged. “But my aunt is working full time and my cousin works at the store, too.”

  “You work, too.”

  “But I have a crummy job. Their jobs are demanding…”

  Ty put down his fork. “You go ahead and explain to me how you can say Mrs. Murphy isn’t demanding.”

  “It’s not the same.” Amy leaned closer to explain. “And when they organize things, it’s never right. I end up having to fix everything anyhow, so it’s easier if I take care of it in the first place.”

  “It must be a lot easier for them,” Ty couldn’t help but note. He sounded grumpy and protective and he knew it, but he couldn’t bite his tongue. It seemed that her family was taking advantage of her kindness and he didn’t like it one bit.

  Amy gave him a look that he knew meant trouble. “I’m just helping out. It’s what families do for each other.”

  “Like the way they’re helping you keep your house,” he observed.

  Amy flushed because the point hit home. “It’s not the same…”

  “No, it’s not the same. The house is something that’s important to you, but not to them.”

  “Well, my dad was estranged from his family,” she admitted. “My grandparents didn’t approve of my mother, but my dad loved her and married her. They didn’t speak to him after that.”

  “They must have helped out when he was sick.”

  Amy shook her head.

  “Come to the funeral?”

  She shook her head again. “My aunt phoned about a year ago.”

  But Amy’s dad had passed away a few years ago. Ty bristled. “Because?”

  “Well, eventually she mentioned that she and Brittany could use some help with the wedding.”

  Ty was outraged. “How much time have you spent organizing this wedding?”

  “I don’t even want to think about it.”

  “Do it anyway,” he commanded.

  Amy gave him an impish look. “You’re being bossy again.”

  “It happens when I’m pissed off. I don’t like seeing people take advantage of other people.” Ty gave her a hard look. “Nice people don’t do that.”

  “Well, they’re family.”

  “And it would have been nice if they’d remembered that a little sooner.”

  Amy leaned across the table, her expression earnest. “You can’t say anything about this at the wedding. You just can’t.”

  Ty glowered at her. “Depends how they treat you. I just might.”

  “Ty!”

  “How much time?” He demanded, biting off the words.

  Amy eyed him for a minute, then nodded. “Okay. Easily ten hours a week on the phone for a few months, plus going out to New Jersey to look at locations and meet with caterers and florists and other people. I’d have to add it up.”

  “So, you were Brittany’s wedding planner.”

  “I’m her maid of honor.”

  “Trust me. Most maids of honor just show up for the dress fitting and the rehearsal party. They create work, in my experience, because they don’t like anything that doesn’t make them look fabulous even though they’re not the star of the day.”

  “That’s mean.”

  Ty took a sip of wine. “Maybe I’m not so nice after all.”

  Amy considered him for a long moment, long enough that he wondered what she saw, then picked at her salad. “Well, I was just trying to help.” She looked a little bit lost, and Ty could imagine how anyone might respond to the chance to be involved in a family function once all the family she had known was gone.

  He still didn’t like it, but it wasn’t Amy’s fault. “Fair enough,” he said more gently. “But wedding planners are expensive. They should pay you for taking on all of this responsibility.”

  Amy laughed. “That’ll never happen.”

  “Maybe I’ll ask for you,” he threatened and her eyes went round.

  “You wouldn’t! Not at the wedding!”

  “I might, if I like them as little as I think I’m going to.”

  Amy seized her glass of wine and took a big sip. “Maybe this fake date isn’t such a good idea after all.”

  “On the contrary, it’s a great idea. We’re going to have a fabulous time, so fabulous that they’ll all be insanely jealous of you. Do you know how to foxtrot? We’ll tear up the floor and leave them all drooling in envy.” He toasted her.

  Amy giggled. “You’re wicked.”

  “I’m trying.” Their gazes locked and held for a potent moment and Ty felt more than admiration for the woman opposite him. “What color are the dresses?”

  All the color left Amy’s cheeks, then she winced. “Tangerine,” she admitted in a tiny voice.

  “Ouch. Raspberry is one thing. Seafoam is another. But tangerine?” Ty shook his head as if burdened by the truth of it. “In this situation, I think it’s only fair to go for blood,” he said so solemnly that Amy laughed out loud.

  “You’re terrible!”

  “No. I have it on very good authority that I’m nice.”

  She laughed harder
then and he couldn’t look away from the mischief in her eyes. He leaned closer, intent on prolonging her laughter, but someone cleared her throat beside him.

  Dinner couldn’t have come at a worse time, in Ty’s view. With any luck, he’d be able to pick up where he left off.

  But it wasn’t dinner. Ty smelled a waft of a perfume he’d almost forgotten right before he heard a voice he’d never expected to hear again. That was when he knew he had no luck at all.

  “Ty-lair! How wonderful to see you once again! And with another leetle seester. How charmant to dine en famille.”

  Giselle.

  Shit.

  * * *

  Little sister.

  That was exactly how Amy felt when she looked up at the woman who spoke to Tyler.

  That woman was sleek. Beautiful. All lithe curves and effortless style.

  And French, too.

  Her little black dress looked simple, but Amy was enough of her mother’s daughter that she wasn’t fooled. It had the sophistication that only exquisitely made clothes from a big designer could have. It must have cost a bomb.

  The woman’s make-up was flawless; her lips ruddy and full; her dark eyes hinted at intimate sensual secrets to be revealed—by invitation only. She moved with grace and elegance, but there was a little bit of viper in her gaze when it swept over Amy.

  Then her attention fixed on Tyler and she smiled.

  Wait. Another little sister. Could this be Giselle? If so, Amy couldn’t imagine why Tyler wasn’t seeing her anymore. She looked…perfect.

  Amy felt plainer than dirt.

  Ty stood up and made introductions. It was Giselle. That woman seized the opportunity to kiss Ty on both cheeks, then run a proprietary hand down the lapel of his suit jacket. Her smile issued several hundred simultaneous invitations, and Amy wished she could just disappear.

  She realized belatedly that Ty was trying to end the conversation, asking after Giselle’s companions at the other table and urging her politely back in their direction. Finally, Giselle gave a little fingertip wave and blew him a kiss, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she returned to her friends.

  Three women, all just as gorgeous, and two men.

  An odd mix.

  “Flight crew,” Ty muttered as he sat down. “I thought she’d never leave.” He took a large sip of wine that was so obviously meant to be restorative that Amy might have smiled under other circumstances.