“Forgiven?”
She had to shake her head. “I’m usually so nasty when I’m not working, no one wants anything to do with me. My own family would rather I just- Damn it.
“Why?”
“You don’t have a family like mine, I take it,” she said wryly. “Big, bossy, noisy and more demanding than any work schedule I ever face.”
“No, I don’t have a family like that.” His eyes were curiously flat again. “I don’t have one at all.”
No. No, that wouldn’t tug at her either.
“I really am sorry,” he said very quietly, cupping her face, letting his long fingers stroke her skin. “Don’t let me and my foul mood chase you off.”
“I…need to go.”
“You know, I never would have pegged you for a chicken,” he taunted softly, and stopped her in her tracks.
She put her finger to his chest. “Take that back.” No one called her a chicken, and- And his chest…damn! His chest was captivating her all over again.
His smile reached his eyes again, when instead of continuing to poke him she ended up dragging her finger in slow circles from one pec to the other. “I am not going to sleep with you,” she said, but mmm, he had the best body. When her fingernail scraped over his nipple, he made a little hiss through his teeth. The sound shot straight to her good spots. “I’m not.”
“There you go, your mind in the gutter again.” His voice was a little rough around the edges now, even rougher when her finger ran over his nipple again.
“You weren’t thinking it? Not even a little?” she whispered.
“Well, I know you were.”
“I can lust after you and still keep my distance.”
“Can you?”
“Watch me.” She whirled to the door, put her hand on the handle, and…hesitated. “Are you…going to be okay?”
“Okay?”
“After that e-mail.” She glanced at him, but he’d perfectly shuttered his expression.
“Don’t you worry about me, darlin’.”
She had the feeling no one did. He had no one, which was almost beyond her comprehension. Her own family was a regular pain in her ass. But they were also always there for her, no matter what, and always had been. She couldn’t imagine being totally alone.
“I can see those wheels turn, doctor.”
“I was just wondering how it was you came to be all alone. What happened to your family?”
“Personal questions? From you?” His smile seemed a little off. “Tell you what. I get a question for every one of yours. Let’s start with this one. How is it you’re so beautiful and sexy, and yet the fact that we turn each other on makes you nervous as hell?”
Beautiful? Sexy? Those weren’t adjectives she attributed to herself. Brainy, yes. Technically minded, yes.
But sexy? The man needed glasses. Only there didn’t seem to be a thing wrong with those amazing eyes of his. She opened the door to his soft laugh.
“Let me guess…you have work?”
“Right,” she said. “Work.”
All the way home it wasn’t that mocking laugh of his that Nicole thought about, but the flash of a shocking emotion she’d never imagined from Ty Patrick O’Grady.
Vulnerability.
TY WORKED the next few days as if he had a demon on his heels, and he did.
Her name was Dr. Nicole Mann.
But he was a man used to ignoring his emotions, and he could continue to do so through this job.
So why he made more trips to Taylor’s building than was strictly required, he had no idea. Today was no exception. It was late afternoon, three days after The Kiss.
And damn, it had been some kiss. Truth was, he wanted another taste. He wanted her gripping him tightly, wanted her weak for him. He wanted her to care.
Odd, when
TAYLOR CAUGHT Nicole sneaking up the stairs to her loft apartment after a long day of work. “Hey, come in for a sec.”
“Um…well…” As always, she thought longingly of her bed, and of her plans to be in it within ten minutes. Of the new medical reports in her arms that she was dying to dig into.
“Oh, save the puppy-dog eyes, I’m immune. You can’t just work, read about work and sleep.” Taylor crooked her finger, a gesture she expected to make people come running. “Come on and take your medicine like a woman, Dr. Mann. I’ve got Suzanne inside and she’s so excited it’s almost making me think there’s something to this love crap after all.”
“Then why don’t
“Not in this lifetime. I told you, you and me, single forever. Now get in here. It’s time to try on the dresses I got us for the engagement party.”
Nicole wished she’d taken a double shift. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did. You’d have never gone to the store with me to try them on, and I know damn well you don’t have a single dress worth a damn in your closet.”
“Nicole, is that you?” Suzanne stuck her head out Taylor’s door and grinned, her red hair piled on top of her head, her gorgeous lush body zipped into some shimmery black cocktail dress that made her look like a sex goddess. “What do you think?” She spread out her arms and turned in a slow circle. “Is Ryan going to like this?”
Having rarely seen Suzanne in anything other than her usual catering uniform of black bottoms and a white blouse, or her gauzy sundresses, Nicole shook her head in amazement. “Are you kidding? He’s going to attack you on the spot.
Suzanne laughed and pulled Nicole inside. “This is so much fun. Now for you…”
Rule number one, never let them take you inside.
“This is going to be good.” Taylor rubbed her hands together and looked Nicole up and down. “Strip.”
Nicole merely laughed at the command, but Taylor just crossed her arms and waited expectantly. Nicole’s smile dissolved. “No. No way.”
“Yes, way.”
“Hey, stop that.” Nicole held on to her shirt as Taylor tugged at it. “Get your paws off me.”
“I got the perfect dress. Don’t worry, it was on terrific sale at a discount outlet, since I know how cheap you are.”
“How do you know that?”
“You live here, don’t you? The dress is emerald green, sparkly and designed to drive men wild.” She held up a shimmery piece of material that was far too small to possibly be a dress. “It’ll show off your great body, though you’re going to need a hell of a push-up bra.”
“Gee, thanks.” Nicole pulled off her shirt.
“You ought to think about buying a set of boobs,” Taylor said, making Suzanne choke on her soda.
Nicole glared at Suzanne, who pressed her lips together and wisely refrained from so much as smiling.
“Hey,” Taylor said, lifting her hands. “Just thinking out loud here.”
“Why in the world would I want to do such a stupid thing as buy a set of breasts?” Nicole asked. “To catch a man? I don’t want a man.”
Taylor lifted a brow. “If you tell me you’re interested in women-”
“I’m not a lesbian, you idiot.” Nicole stepped out of her pants. “I’m just happy being alone, that’s all.”
