Sucking in her breath, she dealt with a new wave of desire. Seven couldn’t get here fast enough. “Maybe,” she said softly, “we should stop pretending.” She looked up into his eager eyes. “I think we should just give in and accept that we have crazy, off-the-charts chemistry and make the most of it. And then when the wedding comes, maybe we’ll have worked it out of our systems so it will be easier to say good-bye.” But even as she said the words, she knew how crazy it was. She was fairly certain she was only going to get more attached, yet she was powerless to stop the train wreck. Strangely enough, she didn’t care.
He answered with his mouth, but not with words. “Clothes,” he said, when he lifted his head. “Bring lots of clothes.”
She grinned. “Because?”
“Because I might not let you leave.”
She laughed, and her phone rang in her purse. She took several steps back, out of his reach. “I’m surprised I made it this long without a call. I’ll see you tonight.”
He turned serious. “Can I drop you off at your office? Or your store…? Where are you even going?”
She wanted to be done with the secrecy about her job. But although she might be leaving Margot Benson, she still had an NDA to consider. “My office is close by. It would take as much time to walk there as it would to your car in the parking garage.”
He flashed her a sexy grin. “Are you sure?”
No. She wasn’t sure at all. Telling him no took more willpower than she expected. Taking several more steps backward, she grinned. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Then she turned around and crossed the street before she changed her mind.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lanie showed up at Tyler’s apartment promptly at seven. He was eager to see her and resume where they had left off after lunch. She stood outside the door, still in her black dress and heels, carrying a leather duffel bag and a bottle of wine, but he could tell right away something was wrong.
He took the bag and the bottle and invited her in. “Is everything okay? If we’re moving too fast, we can call this off.”
She looked up at him with a forced smile. “No. That’s not it. I’ve got a headache.”
He tossed her bag on a chair in the living room and set the wine bottle on the counter, then pulled her into his arms, pressing her cheek to his chest. “Migraine?”
“No,” she said, molding herself to him. “Good old-fashioned stress. I thought it might get better, but it seems to be getting worse. Maybe I should just go home.”
She started to pull away, but he held her close. “Stay.”
“But I’m terrible company tonight, and obviously I’m not in the mood to fool around.”
“You have to eat, right? Maybe it will help.”
“Tyler—”
“I’ve already started dinner. Stay. Then if you still feel bad, I’ll take you home, and we can get your car back to you tomorrow.”
“I don’t have a car. I took an Uber.”
He glanced down at her in surprise. “How did I not know that? How do you get around without one?”
“I don’t own a car because it’s too hard to move around, and since I put stores in urban areas—” Her body stiffened. “I try to get apartments close to where I work. I use Ubers, taxis, or rent a car for a day or so if I need one.”
Something had just happened, but damned if he knew what. “That’s pretty awesome. So you usually work at urban stores?”
She seemed to relax a little and buried her cheek into his chest. “It depends on the demographics of the city, but most are trying to upscale their downtowns. Those are my target areas.”
That was the most he’d ever heard about her job. “Have you taken something for your headache?”
“No, not yet. But you holding me actually seems to be helping.”
He looked down at the top of her head as he rubbed the back of her neck. She made a contented sound that reminded him of the sounds she made in bed, and the blood rushed to his groin. Dammit. He didn’t want her to think he was trying to sleep with her. Not when she felt bad.
“Then let’s have you sit.” He tugged her to the sofa and had her sit the middle. Kneeling in front of her, he pulled off her heels and tossed them toward the window.
She’d closed her eyes, but now she pried one open and glared at him. “Don’t lose those shoes, mister. They’re my favorite black pumps. I’m still trying to get my bridesmaid’s shoes replaced by Thursday night.”
He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.” He began to massage her left foot, and she leaned her head back and moaned. “Oh my God, that feels good.”
He couldn’t help laughing. “Had I only known rubbing your feet was foreplay.” Then he massaged the other for several seconds. “You can’t relax in that dress. Why don’t you change? Do you have anything comfortable in that bag?”
She gave him a pointed look. “The idea was seduction, Tyler. Not Sunday morning yoga pants.”
He pulled her off the sofa and down the hall to his room. He grabbed a T-shirt from his drawer and handed it to her. “This should be long enough to cover the important parts.” Then he reached behind her and unzipped her dress before he returned to the kitchen. God only knew what she was wearing under that dress. He didn’t plan to stick around and drive himself crazy.
He grabbed a corkscrew and opened the wine, then poured two glasses. As he was reaching for the ibuprofen, she padded down the hall wearing his oversized MU Tigers shirt. She was sexy in everything he’d seen her in, but for some reason, seeing her like this made her seem more real.
“Here,” he said, handing her the tablets, then getting her a glass of water. “Take these.” She swallowed them, and he traded the wineglass for the water.
“Are you hungry? We can just eat on the sofa if you like.”
She made a face. “I’ve ruined our night.”
“You haven’t ruined anything. It’s nothing fancy. Go sit down.”
“Okay.”
He scooped the fettucine alfredo he’d made into bowls and brought them into the living room, handing her one. “I have bread, too.”
She took the bowl and sat up. “This looks delicious.”
He grabbed his wine and the bread. He set them both on the coffee table, then picked up his bowl to eat.
She’d been fine at lunch, so he wondered if anything had happened after. “Did your boss give you grief about your resignation?”
“Actually, the opposite. The senior VP called and offered me a promotion.”
For some reason he felt relieved that she didn’t seem excited. “What did you say?”
“I said I’d think about it.”
He couldn’t get a read as to whether she was interested in staying or not. “Is Aiden upset you haven’t given him an answer yet?”
Her head swung to face him with a questioning look.
“I figured if you’re thinking about staying with your company, you wouldn’t tell Aiden yes, but you wouldn’t tell him no yet, either.”
A weary smile crossed her face. “You’re a very smart man.” Lanie ate half her pasta, then pushed it away before she turned to face him. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“My ogre-like tendencies are a myth I spread around to scare away women. Turns out I’m actually capable of being nice.”
She leaned over and softly kissed his lips. “I knew it all along. It’s not a very good secret. But my head’s still pounding, so I think I should go home. I’m not much company tonight.”
When she started to get up, he took her hand and gently pulled her back down. “I’ll take you home if you like, but would you be more comfortable at home all alone or here where I can rub your feet?” He reached for her foot and began to rub.
She released a contented sigh. “You fight dirty.”
“You have no idea.” He reached behind him, grabbed a throw pillow, and stacked it onto the pillow on the other end of the sofa, then pushed her back so she was lying down. The T-shirt came to the very t
op of her thighs, and he could see the barest hint of her black panties.
God help him.
He stood and grabbed an afghan out of a chest behind the sofa and covered her legs.
She chuckled, then grimaced in pain. “When did we decide to become modest?”
“I’m trying to ignore that you’re the sexiest woman alive, but you’re a terrible distraction, Lanie Rogers. Do you want to watch something on TV?”
“Sure. I don’t care what.”
He decided to leave it off for now. This silence was probably better for her head. She lay back on the pillows and closed her eyes. He was relieved that her face looked less strained than when she’d first showed up.
He settled into the other end of the sofa and began to rub the ball of her foot. “What has you so stressed, Lanie?”
“Everything.” With her eyes still closed, she reached up and began to rub her temple.
“Me?”
Her eyes opened and she smiled. “No. It’s work. My contract says I get a very large bonus if I can finish out my three weeks and get a big project done on time. But there’s a good chance I won’t be able to get it done. It kills me because I’ve never missed a single deadline. Ever. It’s driving me crazy to think it might end this way.”
“It makes sense, though. You want to preserve your legacy.”
Wonder filled her eyes. “Yes. That’s exactly it.”
“So stay with the company. You said your senior VP wants you.”
She shook her head. “I can’t bring myself to say yes because I think I’m ready for a change. But I have no idea what I want to do.”
“If you get your bonus, maybe you could take some time to think about it. You don’t have to rush into anything.”
“I can’t count on that bonus.”
“So why don’t you just take Aiden’s job?”
She hesitated. “It’s going to sound stupid.”
“Coming from you? I doubt it.”
Indecision filled her eyes. “Something about his offer just doesn’t feel right.”
Was she saying Aiden didn’t feel right? He couldn’t ignore that he was jealous of Aiden, even if they were really just friends.
But he waited so long to answer that she groaned and tried to pull her foot away. “See!” she said. “I told you.”
He held on tight. “I was waiting for the stupid part.”
“Tyler…”
“If the offer doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t feel right. Listen to your intuition. But some part of the job appeals to you, or you wouldn’t be considering it.”
“True. I like the idea of being a consultant. I wouldn’t mind traveling from time to time, but I like the idea of growing some roots. Having a home. Family.” Horror washed over her face and she shot up. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant Britt and—”
He pushed her back. “Relax. I knew what you meant. I would hate your job. I don’t know about the time management stuff, but moving every few months? No, thanks. I like being close to my friends.”
“And your brothers?”
He gave her a sad smile. “And my brothers.”
Studying her face, he wavered before making his suggestion. How would she read it? “I think you should stay in Kansas City. You miss Britt, and we both know she misses you. I think deep down, that’s what you really want. Surely you can find something here. And don’t let the house stuff stress you either. Rent an apartment—unfurnished—and buy furniture. Or rent a house with a yard and plant a garden. Buy a car.” He grinned. “Just do things one step at a time.”
“How’d you get so wise?”
He laughed. “I am far from wise, but I like the idea that you think so. How’s your headache?”
“Better. Thanks to you. Talking about all of this has helped.”
“Who do you usually talk to?”
“It depends. Steph and I are close, but I can’t confide some of these things to her. I’m her boss, so it’s not always appropriate. And Britt’s far from objective.”
“So talk to me.”
Her mouth pursed as she watched him. “And who do you talk to?”
“Randy. Britt. Matt and Kevin.” He grinned. “You.”
“I told you about my work woes, now you have to share something with me.”
He picked up her other foot. “Like what?”
“What bothers you? What makes you anxious?”
Giving her a sideways glance, he began to massage her toes. “My brothers. My job.” You.
“What makes you anxious about your brothers?”
“I told you at lunch.”
“Why have you stayed away from your brothers, Tyler? You admitted you didn’t see them very much and now you’re seeing Eric three times in one week, which I think is wonderful. But there was some reason you stayed away.”
Part of him wanted to tell her. But he worried he’d sound pathetic.
“You know,” she said, pulling her foot free and sitting up. She crossed her legs, grabbed one of the throw pillows, and placed it on her lap. “Britt said some things to me yesterday that were hard to hear. But I’ve been thinking about them today.”
“Lanie.” He reached over and covered her hand with his own. “It sounds like Britt was out of line. Even Randy thinks so.”
“But she said something that I think is true.” She hesitated and searched his face. “She thinks I’m running from something, and I think she’s right.” Her gaze held his. “I think you stayed away from your brothers because you’re running from something too.”
She was right, but he knew what his demons were. “I know what I’m running from,” he said. “And building this relationship with Eric is the first step. Believe it or not, you’ve helped with that too.”
He sank back into the sofa. “I told you that my mother left us. What I didn’t tell you was that she was mentally ill. She did some horrible things before she left, and she was definitely no mother in the end. My father wasn’t much better. It’s hard for me to trust people. I keep expecting them to let me down and leave.”
And there it was. As much as he didn’t want Lanie to leave, he knew having an expiration date on their relationship was a good thing. At least this way, he knew when it was going to end.
So why wasn’t that as reassuring as he’d expected?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Late Thursday afternoon, Lanie rushed home to get ready for the photo shoot. Tonight’s shoot was across from the Royals’ stadium, and Britt and the photographer wanted the photos taken at night with the lights of the stadium behind them. But it meant they were meeting at eight.
Tyler had texted that he’d bring dinner to her apartment and they could change there and head to the stadium.
He showed up at six with his tux in a dry-cleaning bag and a takeout bag from Kona Grill.
When she opened the door, he greeted her with a huge grin and a kiss. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want so I got sushi and salmon.”
She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him closer. “Good choice. I love them both.”
He grinned against her mouth. “Had I known sushi turned you on so much, I would have brought some to Britt’s shower.”
Laughter bubbled out of her, and she gave him one last kiss before taking the bag from him. “You actually might have had a shot that night if you’d shown me a California roll.”
He laughed. “I’m going to hang this in your closet.”
“You got it cleaned,” she said. “But it reminds me that Britt’s going to kill me when I show up without my shoes. The bridal shop didn’t get the replacement pair in yet.”
“I’ll use my charm to distract her,” he called over his shoulder as he walked down the hall.
“And the fact that it will be dark,” she called after him.
He came back and grabbed two plates out of her cabinet. “I’ll admit that could help.”
“We’re talking about Britt. She’ll figure it out the minute I get out of the car.�
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“No more talk about Britt. I want to hear about your day.”
She sobered. Lying about her job was starting to eat at her, but she wasn’t sure how to get around it. The only thing she knew to do was to focus on the future. “It was fine.”
He looked up from cutting the salmon in half. “Did your headhunter come up with something here in Kansas City? Or anything at all, for that matter?”
“No, but there’s something I didn’t tell you about the VP job, and given what’s going on with us, I feel like there needs to be full disclosure.” Especially since she had to be so secretive about her current job situation. She waited until he glanced up at her. “I can set my office anywhere. I could set it here.”
“But it hinges on finishing your big project?”
“Yeah.”
“So if I understand correctly, there are two very different outcomes that depend on you completing your project. The first is you get a bonus if you leave, but if you stay, you’ll get a promotion.”
She grinned. “Who knew you were more than just a pretty face?”
He laughed as she divided the sushi onto plates. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“Brains and beauty. You’re the whole package,” she teased, but she realized it was true. Dammit. She’d finally found a guy she could see herself falling for, and not only was he a short-term-relationship kind of guy, but there was a chance she’d be moving away from him. But she wasn’t gone yet, and she planned to enjoy every minute that she had. “So how was your day?”
Tyler set the takeout container on the counter. “I made progress on a tough case today.”
She licked a piece of rice off her finger. “That’s great.”
“I’m close to making partner, and this case might be the deciding factor.”
“No wonder you sound excited.”
He smiled. “But the best part of today is seeing you.”
She laughed, shaking her head as she handed him a pair of chopsticks.
They sat down to eat, and Tyler picked up one of the rolls on his plate. “Let’s go out tomorrow night.”
Lanie glanced up in surprise. “You mean a date?”
“Yeah, why not? I was thinking dinner and a movie.”
Until You Page 19