Seduced by Love, Claimed by Passion~Summer Box Set

by Helen Conrad

  She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again and stared into the view, words coming quickly.

  “I haven’t seen Shane face to face for months. We talk on the phone now and then. But that’s about it.”

  “So…. What does that mean?”

  She bit her lip, then smiled at him tremulously. “Things change. You know how it is. Things you think are the most important in your life begin to fade. Other things make you think differently about your life. You grow up.”

  “That’s all very true. But what about Shane?”

  She took a deep breath and spoke more softly. “We’ve had an agreement for some time now. Basically, ever since he got picked up by his NFL team. We knew things would change and we prepared.” She turned and looked into his face. “We decided on a temporary hiatus. We wouldn’t officially break up, but we would give each other a certain amount of freedom to see how it went.”

  “And how did it go?”

  She gave him a quick smile. “We haven’t been back together since.”

  “Okay.” That told him something, but it didn’t tell him everything. He had to know it all. “So?”

  She turned away again. “Shane likes to keep up the appearance of something serious between us. That way, whenever one of his lady friends gets a little too aggressive, he can tell her he’s promised to me-still engaged to his hometown sweetheart. You see how that works for him?”

  “Sure. But how does it work for you?”

  She looked at him and he could see that her lips were trembling. Obviously this wasn’t easy for her either.

  “I have to admit, for awhile, I wanted it too. A protective shield from having to decide what I was going to do next.”

  He nodded slowly, thinking it through. “That’s understandable. Shane’s a great guy. Maybe when you see him again….” His voice trailed off and he swallowed, not liking where that was going.

  “Oh yeah, he’s a great guy,” she said, echoing the first part of his statement and ignoring the rest. “But Shane’s a star. He loves being a star. And you know very well, when you hang around with a star, you won’t be a star yourself. There’s never room for two stars. So you become a satellite. An accessory. You’re there for decoration.”

  He nodded. He knew the feeling. Like a dagger to the heart.

  “For awhile, the benefits cloud your vision and you don’t see it. But eventually, the perks don’t compensate any longer. You begin to want your own life to matter a little too.”

  “Yeah. I remember.”

  “Yes.” She sighed. “And when you see the pictures in the media, the beautiful supermodels he dates these days. Well, I knew I was never going to compete with all that.”

  “No that’s where you’re wrong,” he told her, rolling onto his side so he could face her.

  “Oh Tyler, don’t tease me. I’ve got a mirror, you know.

  “Yeah, but you don’t have a lot of sense.”

  “What?”

  “I’m serious. If you think Shane isn’t planning to catch up with you again when he’s done playing around, you don’t know how special you are.”

  She flushed, surprising herself. “Why Tyler Carrington. What a nice thing to say to me.”

  “And as far as looks go, I’d say you’ve got all the right attributes.” He shrugged, eyes sparkling. “You’re just a little height challenged maybe, but for the rest….”

  She pretended to be outraged. “Are you saying I’m too short?”

  He grinned. “I’m saying you’re a compact model. Just right.”

  “For you, maybe.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about.”

  She laughed, but quickly sobered again. “Okay, Tyler. If what you’re saying is, you don’t know if you can take a chance on me because I might go running back to Shane as soon as he’s ready, you can forget it. Not going to happen. Shane and I are over.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Their gazes locked and they stared deeply for a long moment. Finally, Tyler whispered, “Show me.”

  She showed him. Suddenly all hesitation evaporated, all inhibitions melted into a puddle beneath them. Tyler had planned to take it slow, to show her the tenderness she’d remembered from that night at the college. But once they’d established their intentions, once they knew just what they each wanted from the other, there was no will left for gentle patience.

  His mouth took hers and his hands slid right beneath the shirt he’d been looking at in frustration all afternoon. In no time the shirt was gone and the bra was pulled down to let her gorgeous breasts out into his hands and into his mouth. She opened to him, opened her mouth and opened her legs and offered him everything. He felt love course through his soul the way adrenalin was pumping through his body. He was hot for her, hard for her, all hers.

  “Tyler,” she groaned, writhing beneath him. “Oh Tyler. Please!”

  She arched to meet him and cried out, molding her body to his, and he felt wild with the need to take her and prove to her just how ready he was to be her man. It was hungry, primitive, mindless, and pure as any love could ever be. And when it was over, they lay tangled together, breathing hard and holding on.

  He wanted to tell her that he loved her. He wanted to tell her that he’d never loved anyone but her. But it didn’t feel right. Not yet. It was as though he still had other things to do first, other things to accomplish. And he wasn’t even sure what they were.

  They began to recover and they kissed each other over and over, murmuring sweet nothings and laughing softly. And then they got up and took a quick shower, playing with the water. They dressed and Becky changed the spread off the huge bed with the new one she’d brought to replace it with, while Tyler quietly marveled at her ability to prepare for all eventualities.

  Then they went down and walked on the beach, kicking sand and laughing in the wind. Walking out on the rickety pier that went with Reid’s property, they sat at the end with their feet in the water and talked and talked.

  And finally the conversation wound its way back around to the things that most occupied their minds, no matter what they were actually talking about.

  “I understand about Shane and how he wants things to stay the same,” Tyler said at one point. “But I’m not sure I understand why everyone still thinks you’re his girl.”

  She shook her head and sighed, leaning on his arm.

  “I’ve got the feeling I could marry someone else…even become...oh, say, a movie star or mayor of the town, or discover the cure for cancer, and everyone would still sigh and look at me and say, ‘There goes Shane’s Girl’. It’s my claim to fame and I’m stuck with it.”

  He nodded, noting that she was beginning to sound a little bitter. “It’s been two years since I’ve spoken to Shane at all, but everyone still calls me Shane’s best friend. They still ask if I can get them tickets to the game.”

  “Sure. They all found roles for us and they want us to stay in them. Forever.”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s so hard to tell anyone, to try to explain. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve hinted around. I’ve even come right out and said it.” Her eyes were dark and tragic. “They think I’m kidding. This town does not want me to break up with Shane.”

  “I guess it’s only natural. He’s the hometown hero and you’re the hometown queen.”

  She made a motion like an army salute. “I respectfully resign from that position.”

  “You can’t,” he said slowly, finally realizing what the stakes were. “It’s the town’s fairy tale. No one wants it to fade away.”

  Another heavy sigh. “But…”

  “No, listen. You can’t just shrug and walk away. And neither can I. We have to fight for what we want—for how we want to live.”

  “Fight?” She searched his gaze, wondering how serious he was getting. “What are you talking about?’

  He stared into her eyes, firm and resolute. “Are you sure you really want to give all
that up?”

  “Are you kidding?”

  He nodded. “Then we have to make it clear. We have to figure out some way to get their attention and really show them.”

  Becky giggled. “We could put on wedding apparel and walk hand in hand down the center of Main Street. We could go to church and start making out in the middle of the sermon. We could ride naked together on your horse into the next ladies’ garden club meeting.”

  He nodded solemnly. “All good ideas,” he teased her. “Let’s start working on it right away.”

  Becky gave a mock sob. “It’s no use. You know what will happen. Everyone will say, ‘What’s Tyler doing there with Shane’s girl?’”

  “You’re right.”

  “Think of something better.”

  They ate at Mickey’s On The Bay, a little seaside café on the marina run by Mickey Carrington, another cousin of Tyler’s, at least by marriage.

  “She married Tag, and he’s my cousin, but her place has been a hangout for Carringtons in this neck of the woods for years,” he told Becky.

  By the time they were through eating, it was getting late and Tyler began glancing at his cell phone more often. His last message from Misty had said things were moving along more quickly than she’d planned—could they come on home?

  Silently, he groaned. “No,” was what he responded.

  A few minutes later another text came in. They were just getting into the car and he had to turn sideways to avoid letting Becky see what he was reading off his phone.

  “Great news! Shane’s here!”

  Tyler stared at the screen. For just a second, he thought Misty had said it to fool him, but then he knew. It was true. Of course it was true. Shane was at the party, waiting for his girl.

  “What is it?” Becky asked, frowning slightly.

  “Uh…nothing.” He pocketed the phone and smiled at her. “Shall we start for home?”

  Chapter Seven

  The drive back seemed to last forever. Becky talked most of the way, but Tyler couldn’t manage more than a few grunts. And then they were coming up to Becky’s shop. He flashed the lights as they cruised by, then turned and parked in a spot where she wasn’t likely to notice what was going on inside the store until she opened the door.

  She was still talking, as though the day they’d just spent together had filled her with a new purpose, a new happiness. He looked over at her before they got out of the car, leaned in and kissed her.

  “It’s been a wonderful day,” he told her intensly. “The best for me in years.”

  She touched his cheek with her hand, giving him a melting look. “Me too.”

  He smiled and she shook her head.

  “Tyler Carrington, don’t ever doubt me again,” she ordered.

  “How did I doubt you?”

  “You thought I was being forward and pushing you into something you really didn’t want. But I think I’ve convinced you now. Haven’t I?”

  He kissed her again. Maybe if they just kept kissing, they could skip the party and stay right here.

  But he knew that wouldn’t work.

  “Come on,” he said. “I’ll help you carry those supplies back into the store.”

  They gathered up her things and made their way to the door. She turned the key and opened her shop and from inside, there came an explosion of joyful noise.

  She was surprised. He wasn’t sure how completely genuine it was, but she sure looked shocked and happy. The crowd of her friends swept forward, all yelling, “Surprise!” and throwing arms around her, and he sidestepped the scrum and looked back into the store.

  And there he was. The king himself. Shane stood laughing with a group of his football buddies and a few others from the old days. Becky hadn’t seen him yet. Tyler took a deep breath and walked right up to him.

  “Hey Shane, it’s good to see you,” he said heartily, holding out his hand.

  “Tyler! Oh my God! Hey guys, this was my best friend all through high school. He was a top ten ranked fullback…his blocking made my career, no lie.” He threw an arm around Tyler’s shoulders. “What a team we made. I wish you would’ve come with me to play at Cal, you son-of-a-bitch. We would have torn that league apart.”

  Tyler’s smile was tight. Shane was genuinely glad to see him and he was gratified by that. But he knew he was going to have to do more than this. He was going to have to fight for Becky.

  Yup, this time he had to fight for her, in any way it turned out he needed to do it. He had to be strong and he had to pound the truth into Shane’s head one way or another. And he was ready.

  “I was never good enough for that and you know it,” he told Shane.

  “Hey man, you always did sell yourself short.”

  Tyler took a deep breath. He felt it. He felt the magic that Shane cast around him like a spell. He could charm birds off trees when he wanted to. He could get almost anyone to do his bidding.

  But not this time. Tyler was ready to tough this out, regardless. He pulled away from the man’s arm and looked him in the face.

  “No, Shane.,” he said strongly. “I think I pretty much see things as they are these days.”

  Shane’s eyes narrowed as though he was beginning to sense that Tyler wasn’t prepared to do the usual ‘I’m just the loyal sidekick’ routine. Not this time.

  “I’ve got something I’ve got to say to you right off the top. I’ve got to be honest.”

  Shane grimaced. “Do you really have to?” he said, suddenly sounding weary.

  “Yes, I think it’s only fair to you.”

  Shane shrugged, looking bored. “Fire away, buddy.”

  Tyler looked straight into his eyes. “I’m in love with Becky.”

  There he’d said it. And he’d said it loud enough for everyone around them to hear.

  “I’m going to ask her to marry me. I’m not going to back off just because you’re in the picture.”

  Shane’s face registered shock, then confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I thought I ought to tell you that right upfront. I didn’t want to be going behind your back.”

  Shane still looked confused. “Wait a minute. You think you’re going to steal my girl from me?”

  Tyler shook his head and went on doggedly. “I’m just telling you how it is. I don’t think you’ve been paying much attention to Becky lately. She deserves more. I plan to fill that hole in her life.”

  Shane stared at him uncomprehendingly. “What the hell does that mean?” he asked, throwing the question out to no one in particular. Then he laughed. “Hey, man. Becky’s my girl. She always has been.”

  All of a sudden, Becky was there. Tyler looked at her. She was radiant. So beautiful. His heart lurched. Was it because Shane was here? Was the whole fight lost before it had hardly begun?

  His heart began to thump hard in his chest and he knew he wouldn’t be able to stand it if she rejected him this time. This time, he’d gone to the mat. This time, he had to have her and he was ready to do something drastic. He could fight harder. He was ready. If she wavered…

  She reached for Shane and his arms came around her. The smile on his face showed how confident he was of keeping his girl for himself. She tightened her embrace on him, and Tyler’s heart fell.

  But as he watched, she gave Shane a kiss on the cheek, then leaned back and smiled at him. “Shane, I haven’t been your girl for at least the last year and you know it. You have plenty of girls. You don’t need me.”

  He looked like he finally understood. His face cleared and he laughed again as she peeled away from his touch. “Oh come on. You’re not going to hold that against me, are you? Those girls are just like the furniture. That’s part of the life when you’re in big time sports. You know that. It doesn’t mean a thing. You can’t avoid it.”

  Tyler looked at Becky, scared she might be buying it. There was something about Shane that knocked people for a loop. He knew it. He’d been a victim of it himself. The man had char
isma and he had a strong personality. That could bowl you over if you weren’t strong enough to build a wall against it. It had bowled her over in the past. Would it happen again? Was there any hope at all?

  Becky looked hard at Shane, biting her lip. Then she turned and looked up at Tyler. A slow smile softened her face and she reached to take his arm, pulling close to his body and holding tight. “There are plenty of men who manage to stay true to their wives and girlfriends, no matter what. I’m hoping Tyler is one of those.” She went on her tiptoes and kissed him on the mouth. “In fact, I’m counting on it,” she said, throwing Shane a defiant look.

  “So you’re saying he’s a wuss,” Shane said mockingly, anger rising in his face.

  “You can call me all the names you want to, Shane,” Tyler said quietly. “The fact remains, I’m in love with Becky and I’m going to ask her to marry me. If you’ve got a counter proposal in the dock, go ahead and lay it out there. Otherwise, admit she hasn’t really been your girl for a long time. And now she’s going to be mine.”

  Shane glared at Tyler, his hands gripped into fists. They stared at each other for a long time, and finally Shane shrugged. “What the hell,” he said, throwing out a stiff smile. “I’ve got more important things to think about than who I’m going to sleep with tonight. There’s always someone ready, willing and gorgeous.” He glanced at Becky. “No hard feelings, honey. Go ahead and marry Tyler. He’s a good guy and we both know it. Now is somebody going to give me a beer?”

  He melted into the crowd. Tyler looked down at Becky and she smiled up at him.

  “Yes,” she said to him.

  He frowned. “Hold your horses. I haven’t actually asked you yet.”

  She grinned. “Do it now. Do it quickly. I’ve got the urge to celebrate.”

  And so he did. There were no cheers. No one offered to give a toast. In fact, there was a glum and nervous silence all around them. The town didn’t like to have its myths roughed up.

  But it was good enough for Tyler and Becky. They gazed into each other’s eyes and knew the truth. They were meant to be. No doubt about it. And this night was the first night of the rest of their lives.