Too much.
She was embarrassed by how much she’d confided in him and felt exposed as a result. But Tyler seemed to understand. That he’d asked the chef to come out and talk to her was a perfect distraction.
And just a nice thing to do.
She suspected Tyler was trying to make her feel better but was surprised by how well it worked. A big part of it was noticing how he just watched her discussion with the chef, that little smile curving his mouth, his eyes showing his pleasure in her enthusiasm.
Dangerous, dangerous man.
If theirs had been a real date, Shannyn knew she’d have been willing to surrender everything to him. Was it just a performance, just because of him taking it as a challenge to change her mind about him? Shannyn couldn’t believe it. For a fake date, her feelings were very real.
Her rules seemed a little bit useless when they left the restaurant and he offered her a ride home.
“You don’t have to do that,” she protested. If Tyler drove her home, Shannyn knew what would happen. There’d be a little kiss, one that would shift into something electric and undeniable, then they’d be naked in her bedroom and the war against temptation would be completely lost. The worst part was that she wouldn’t even care. She’d just revel in it.
It would be much later, when he dumped her and disappeared, that she’d regret the slippery slope.
“Humor me,” Tyler said. “You’re only downtown at night because of me.”
“But I take the subway all the time...”
“I know you do. But I want to.”
“I don’t need a guardian angel.”
He lifted his hands. “I could argue that, but I know a losing proposition when I see one.” He was teasing her again, his eyes twinkling just a little.
Dangerous.
“I do just fine on my own.” Shannyn knew she sounded stubborn but she couldn’t help it.
“But here’s the truth.” He might be pretending to make a confession but Shannyn wasn’t fooled. “I’m thinking about me. It’s a purely selfish offer.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I won’t be able to sleep if I’m wondering about you.”
“Liar, liar,” she charged.
He smiled and gave her a nudge. “Come on, Shannyn. Humor me.” He bent down so that they were nose to nose. “Please?”
Shannyn’s resistance melted right on cue. So did her knees. It was entirely possible that her panties had spontaneously combusted. She sounded like a bitch saying no to someone who was trying to be nice to her—even if he did have a plan, she was hardly opposed to it herself, not in her heart.
Maybe it wouldn’t be as good as the first time.
Maybe it would help her to get past this infatuation.
Because it was an infatuation, at best. Her fascination with Tyler wasn’t destined to last any longer than his interest in her. They were too different. Opposites might attract but they didn’t build lasting relationships.
Her college crush was not going to come true.
She had to remember that detail.
“You want to show off your car,” she teased and Tyler laughed easily.
“Maybe.” He pulled out his keys and tossed them in the air, giving her a smile as he caught them. “What do you say?”
“You have an agenda,” she accused.
“Only to convince you that I really am a nice guy.” He smiled and looked a bit wicked, enough to make her heart skip, but Shannyn decided to call him on it.
“Nice guys take no for an answer,” she reminded him.
“Nice guys follow the rules. I have my marching orders. Consider it a test.”
Shannyn was tempted. She didn’t really want to ride the subway at this hour.
“All right,” she conceded and Tyler pulled out his phone to call Marcus. They walked back to the club, a lovely little simmer of awareness between them as they talked about their dinner and the weather, and the car was idling at the curb by the time they arrived.
Tyler held the door for her, then said something to Marcus. Shannyn heard them laugh together, then Tyler got in the car.
The car was fast when the roads were empty, and it did have a smooth ride. Tyler was a good driver, and Shannyn found herself watching his hands. To keep herself from remembering the feel of them on her bare skin, she decided to tease him.
“Are you showing off?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’ve got nothing to lose since you already hate the car.”
“I don’t hate it. I just think it would be more useful with a bigger trunk.”
Tyler held up a hand, clearly disinclined to debate the matter. “It suits me just fine.”
Whether that was a reminder that he had no interest in ensuring that her future scores could be transported—because they had no future together—or not, Shannyn took it as one. Fake date, she reminded herself. Zero future prospects.
But maybe another kind of connection. This might be a perfect opportunity to ask him about her idea for the club. Not only were they alone, but she was out of work again.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” she began, feeling nervous.
“Go for it.”
“If I had a marketing idea for F5F, how would I present that?”
“A marketing idea?”
“Yes. I had it when doing the photographs. I think you’re missing an obvious advantage.”
“And you could help?”
“Yes.” Shannyn wondered if he would ask for details. Although she didn’t really think Tyler would just take the idea and use it without giving her credit, she was happier not to share it yet. She wanted to work up a plan that answered any obvious questions. That would make her feel more prepared about discussing the idea, which was still kind of vague.
“You could present it to the partners,” Tyler said. “We have a weekly meeting on Wednesdays at six. If you want to be on next week’s agenda, I can arrange that.”
“Do you meet every week? Because I could use a little more time to put together a presentation.”
“Done,” he agreed easily. “A week Wednesday. Will you need a projector?”
“Yes, please.” Shannyn shook a finger at him. “So long as you don’t pull any strings or fix it that I get the work, if there is any work.”
“Another rule?”
“That’s an old one. I’m serious, Tyler. I don’t want any hand-outs or pity-work.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, then cast her a sidelong smile. His voice dropped to that low pitch that made her toes curl. “You don’t need me or anyone else to fight for you, Shannyn. You do just fine all by yourself.”
It was a compliment that made her heart squeeze and Shannyn felt a bit tongue-tied from his praise. Fortunately, Tyler pulled into her driveway and she didn’t have to say anything.
The moment of truth had come. Would she manage to say no? It would be tough, since she didn’t want to.
When Tyler opened her door, Shannyn realized that he’d left the car running. “Thank you for sharing your story,” he said with a smile when she got out.
“Thank you for dinner and for accepting my rules.” She offered her hand and he smiled as he shook it.
Then he lifted it to his mouth and planted a kiss on her palm. The touch of his lips against her skin sent a raging desire through Shannyn and the way he watched her could only mean that he’d noticed. She saw his restraint again in the way his jaw tightened, then he folded her fingers over her palm, as if he was tucking in the imprint of his kiss for safekeeping, and released her hand.
Their gazes clung the whole time, an inferno burning in Shannyn’s veins.
She almost chucked her principles and invited him in.
But Tyler spoke first and turned to the car door. “Sunday, then.” He made a face and Shannyn laughed at him.
“It won’t be that bad.”
“If expectations are set sufficiently low, it can only be better than I hope.”
She laughed again as she walked to the porch, then turned to see that he was still standing by the car.
Of course. She felt a little glow that he did what he said he was going to do.
But then acing tests was his thing.
“One?” he suggested.
“If that’s when we need to leave, I’ll be ready. Are you wearing a suit?”
Tyler raised his hands as if the answer was self-evident and Shannyn guessed that it was. He got back in the car, but waited, watching, until she unlocked the door and gave him a thumbs-up from the kitchen. Then he waved and backed out, the car’s engine roaring as he headed back downtown.
Shannyn leaned back against the door and realized she was smiling. There was a certain irony in the fact that she’d only managed to follow her own rules because Tyler was a nice guy.
Fitzwilliam strolled toward her, tail waving, and yowled in protest.
“It would be easy to get used to having a guardian angel,” she confessed, but he began a soliloquy about the tardiness of his dinner.
Thirteen
If Shannyn had asked Ty to predict which rule would challenge him the most, he would never have picked number three.
No late night phone calls.
But that was the one that proved to be a thorn in his side.
He wanted to call Shannyn when he got back to his place and even pulled out his phone to do so before he stopped himself. He knew it was ridiculous to want to hear her voice after he’d just spent several hours in her company, but he did. He wanted to talk about what she’d learned from the chef and how she was going to apply it. He wanted to know what she was going to do the next day. He wanted to make sure that she was okay after telling him so much. He wanted to know what her idea for the club was, and he wanted to know about Cole.
But mostly, Ty wanted to hear Shannyn’s voice. He liked talking to her and he especially liked it at night, not just because she seemed inclined to confess a little more then.
Maybe that was the rationale behind rule number three. Ty already knew that Shannyn was the kind of person to defend her vulnerabilities with gusto.
He’d missed a call from his mom and called to let her know that Shannyn was coming to the shower, enduring all the questions and making all the reassurances. He answered Paige’s text messages, suggesting that she talk to Shannyn about the furniture on Sunday. He checked with his aunt whether there was anything he could bring or pick up. He checked with Katelyn about the show at their apartment, having decided to attend. He did a few hours work, then since it was too early to swim in privacy, he went down to the weight room.
On Friday, the urge to call Shannyn was even stronger, but Ty held fast. He went to Katelyn and Jared’s show alone, bought some new cufflinks and a ring, had a drink, mingled, and wished Shannyn had been with him. Jared’s paintings mystified him, even when a pretty blonde tried to explain them to him. He took a slew of pictures, planning to talk to Shannyn about them. It took everything in him to keep from calling her afterward, or sending her the pictures.
He ached to talk to her.
By Saturday night, Ty was rationalizing that he should confirm Sunday with Shannyn, but held back. He was going to follow her rules, even if it killed him—and it might. He made some changes to his wardrobe choices, certain that she would dress with her usual verve. Ty wanted them to look a little bit like a couple, but mostly, he didn’t want to look boring beside Shannyn.
On Sunday morning, he worked out, tried to kill time, and was ready to leave early just the same.
Screw it. He’d drive around the block if he arrived too early at her house.
Shannyn spent Friday and Saturday cooking. She made soup and she made casseroles; she baked bread and she made muffins. She made pasta for lasagna, then cut some into fettuccine and dried it. She made individual cottage pies, quiches and chicken pot pies. She loaded up the freezer a little more each night until it was bursting at the seams. The alumni magazine had paid and she was feeling flush. It was better to think about cooking than to worry about having no new work. Plus Aidan was returning to her place during the week, so Shannyn was glad to have a lot of food ready for him to raid.
She talked to her mom Saturday night since she might get home too late on Sunday to call. They conferred about her choices for the shower and her mom had ideas about the wedding. They reviewed what shoes and purses she had and she sent some pictures of recent finds to her mom.
She had a hard time getting to sleep on Saturday night, but Fitzwilliam awakened her bright and early Sunday morning, landing on her chest with his usual punctuality. She went out for a run, just to calm herself down, then came home to dress.
She took her time, enjoying the ritual of dressing up, then turning in front of the mirror to admire the result. She sent her mom a selfie and got a quick text of reassurance, then went to wait for Tyler in the kitchen, where she could see the driveway. Her heart was skipping like she’d run a race.
To Shannyn’s surprise, he was late.
Had he changed his mind?
Was something wrong?
She was thinking of calling him when she heard the squeal of tires. Ty pulled into the driveway in a hurry and looked a bit annoyed. His mouth was in a grim line. He was wearing sunglasses and when he got out of the car, she noticed his suit was a brighter blue than she might have expected. It was a dark royal blue and cut slim. He wore caramel leather shoes and really did look like a model in an ad for an Italian menswear designer. Shannyn liked that he was shaking it up a bit.
He checked his watch as he got out of the car. “Sorry!” he said, his irritation clear, and shut the door hard. “You’re going to appreciate how stupid this is. I was fifteen minutes early, so I went around the block, then got caught in a traffic jam...”
Shannyn laughed and locked the door, then stepped off the porch. Tyler looked up in the middle of his story and was apparently struck dumb.
He stared.
Shannyn walked toward the car, loving that she’d shocked him to silence. Her dress was navy with white polka dots, a flirty feminine dress that was fitted and flared, one that swung around her knees. She wore it with a little tailored navy jacket that hid her tattoos from view. Her pale pink shoes with kitten heels matched her clutch purse. Her long strand of pink freshwater pearls and matching earrings looked a little boho. Today, instead of her usual au-naturel look, her eyes were lined and thickly lashed, and she wore pink lipstick the same color as her purse.
It was kind of funny to realize how well she and Tyler matched.
She stopped in front of him and smiled. “Could I knock you over with a feather?”
“Maybe.” His gaze slipped over her as if he couldn’t stop himself from looking.
That made Shannyn feel powerful. She laughed as she spun in front of him. “Just channeling my inner Audrey Hepburn.”
“And doing it beautifully. Don’t mind me.” He looked again. “I’ve never seen your legs before.” His voice was low enough to start a thrum deep down inside her.
“In public.”
Ty grinned. “I wasn’t looking that night.”
“Not at my legs.”
He took a deep breath and removed his sunglasses. “Are you deliberately trying to surprise me?”
Shannyn nodded. “Did it work?”
“Of course. You have a perfect record in that department.” It didn’t look like that bothered him much. He looked her in the eye, his smile fading. “But you don’t have to be anyone other than who you are. Don’t change for me or anyone else, Shannyn. You don’t have to pretend for this.”
“You were the one arguing for plausibility.”
“I meant that it was plausible we were seeing each other, because we know things about each other, not that you fulfill any crazy ideas my family has about what kind of woman I should be with.”
“But...”
His tone hardened and that mouth tempted her touch. “It’s none of their damn business who I date. If I’m happy, that should
be enough.” He pushed a hand through his hair, looking impatient. “Be yourself. That’s more than enough. If this is something you thought you had to wear, maybe to hide your tattoos, I’ll wait while you change. You don’t have to perform for my family.”
Shannyn felt a lump rise in her throat. “I’m not. I like this dress.”
“It’s pretty. You look great.” He smiled crookedly down at her and her heart skipped a beat at the intensity in his eyes. “But I like you, just the way you are, however you choose to be. Whatever you wear, I’m proud to be with you.”
Shannyn couldn’t speak for a moment, because she knew he meant it.
“Now you look like you could be knocked over with a feather,” he teased after a moment of silence.
Shannyn tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “That’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me,” she confessed.
“It’s true,” Tyler said and brushed a fingertip across her cheek.
“Thank you.” She couldn’t look away from his intense gaze and suddenly there didn’t seem to be enough oxygen in Brooklyn. She reached up and touched his mouth, feeling him smile beneath her fingertips. Then he tipped his head and kissed her palm, nuzzling his cheek against her hand, his gaze locked with hers.
She was lost, with no desire to be found.
Shannyn took a quick breath then tugged his lapel. “And what about this? It seems a bit trendy for you. Are you changing your style?”
Tyler’s downward glance was rueful. “My tailor talked me into it last fall, but I’ve never worn it.”
“You should.”
“I tend to wear more conservative suits. Navy. Charcoal.”
“I’ve noticed. I like that you’re mixing that up a bit. It makes you look younger.”
“You mean less stuffy.”
“You could never look stuffy.”
“Boring.”
Just One Fake Date: A Contemporary Romance (Flatiron Five Fitness Book 1) Page 23
