Charade

by Lori Foster

  Carlie would certainly strangle Brenda later. She cleared her throat. “I think if a woman had enough sense to avoid getting involved with Tyler, you should respect her wishes.”

  Tyler lost his smile, then said, his words deliberately precise, “There you go again, casting aspersions on my character. What makes you think you know so much about me, Carlie?” She tried to tug free, but he tightened his hold. “I’ve never coerced a woman into a relationship—other than you, of course, but that’s a different matter, isn’t it? Usually, the women are trying to coerce me. And they’re up-front about it. They say what they want, what they need out of a relationship, and undying devotion isn’t on top of their list. Now, that would make me the used, not the user, wouldn’t you say?”

  “No, I wouldn’t. I have no interest in commenting on your exploits one way or the other.”

  “But you do often enough.”

  “Then I apologize.” She stared down at his hand, still grasping her wrist. Her heart was thundering so rapidly, she could barely breathe. She’d never seen Tyler so intense, so direct about his private life. Maybe she had been misjudging him. It was something she needed to think about in the quiet of her own home. “Now, if you’ll turn me loose, I’ll get out of your hair.”

  His mood seemed to switch mercury quick. “But I want you in my hair today. Haven’t you been paying attention? Even though you’re wearing the most disgusting outfit I’ve even seen on man, woman or beast, I still want your company.” He hesitated, then asked reluctantly, “Where did you find that, anyway? Surely there isn’t a store that actually sold you that thing?”

  Carlie looked down at her khaki green nylon jogging suit. It was lined and very warm. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt underneath.

  “I wasn’t trying to be fashionable, Tyler. I was jogging. In the rain, not on a runway. What does it matter how I look?” She gave one final yank and freed her arm, then headed for the kitchen door. “I’ll call you later, Bren.”

  Carlie hurried out the door, then jogged away in a loose-limbed stride, feeling the rain immediately soak her hair and drip down her face. She was nearly a block away, when Tyler caught up with her.

  He pulled his car up to the curb and rolled down his window. “Hello, Carlie.”

  Without looking his way, she said plainly, “Go away.”

  He drove slowly, keeping pace with her. She ignored him. “You know, Brenda said I hurt your feelings.”

  That effectively stopped her. “Not on your best day, with your best shot.”

  “Then why are you so ill-tempered today?”

  “Me! What about you?”

  “I asked first.”

  Carlie briefly considered her options, then decided on one truth she could share. “I’m concerned about one of the children at school. His father’s in the hospital, and it doesn’t look good. When I called yesterday, their phone had been shut off.”

  They had both stopped. Tyler lowered his head. “That’s rough.”

  “Yes, it is. I wish I knew some way to help.”

  “Maybe I can help.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know. Let me think about it, all right?”

  Carlie started off again. “Fine. And while you’re doing that, leave me alone.”

  He shook his head sadly. “Can’t. I told you. I’m despondent.” Then in a clear pleading tone, he added, “I need you, Carlie.”

  Water dripped down her nose. She blinked at him, feeling her heart jump several beats and her throat go dry. He was a cad, a beautiful cad, but still, she couldn’t give herself away. So she laughed. Hard.

  “You’re a cold, cruel woman.”

  She laughed again for good measure.

  “Come on, Carlie. Get in before you get too wet. I don’t want you to ruin my seat covers.”

  “I’m already soaked to the bone, Tyler. And you have leather seats. I would surely ruin them.”

  “I’ll forgive you. I promise.”

  She could feel herself weakening against his insistence. “You really want company so badly?”

  “No. I really want your company. You’re good for my ego.”

  “Then I must be slipping.”

  Tyler got out and went to the passenger door. He opened it with a flourish, bowing for her to enter.

  Carlie gave in gracefully. She realized that she didn’t have it in her to deny him. She wanted his company too much. Already, she felt more buoyant, more alive. He didn’t treat her like any other man she knew. He was honest with her. She knew where he was coming from and what he was thinking. She could trust him.

  Tyler hurried back around the car and slid in behind the wheel. He sighed, then turned to grin at Carlie. “I’ll take you home to change before we go to a movie.”

  “When did I agree to see a movie?”

  “You will, won’t you?”

  Carlie waited a moment, then asked with a degree of curiosity and disbelief, “You’re really bothered that this woman walked out on you?”

  He didn’t answer right away, and she prompted, “Tyler?”

  “I liked her. So, yeah, it bothers me. We...well, things just really clicked. It was like I knew her already, you know?”

  “But you see a lot of women.”

  He didn’t dispute that, but he didn’t confirm it, either. Again, she wondered if she’d misjudged him.

  “What about you, Carlie? Have you ever met anyone that really felt right from the very beginning?”

  “Brenda and I were instant friends, even though we’re so different.”

  “That’s not exactly what I meant, and you know it.”

  No, she knew what he meant, but she couldn’t very well confide in him about her lack of a love life, about a lack of love, period. Until that night in the pool house, she hadn’t believed she would ever enjoy the sexual side of a relationship. “I was married once. But things didn’t work out.”

  She jumped when Tyler reached across the seat and took her hand. “Tell me what happened.”

  “No. Let it suffice to say, I was young and foolish and made some dumb mistakes. End of story.”

  “You must have been hurt.”

  A nervous laugh escaped her, and she covered her mouth with her hand. He’d said similar words at the pool house. She was playing a dangerous game, and it was wearing on her.

  Tyler frowned at her. “Was that funny? I think I missed the punch line.”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. It’s just...yes, I felt bad about it at the time. But as you can see, I got over it. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

  His hand tightened on hers, and he appeared disgruntled. “You know, you should probably be really careful about hooking up with anyone again. I mean, guys can really take advantage. You deserve to be treated special.”

  Carlie looked at him questioningly, seeing that he was agitated, but not understanding why. He smiled.

  “You want to go home first to change and get dried off?” he asked.

  “Yes. But you should know right now, Tyler, you won’t like my change of clothes any better than you like this outfit. I refuse to dress up on Sundays. It’s my day off, a day for comfort.” And besides, the sloppier she looked, the less likely Tyler was to recognize her. Not that he had the slightest suspicion now.

  “Fair enough. But can I at least request you avoid shades of green? It makes my stomach churn.”

  Carlie flashed a crooked grin. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Ah, just what I like. A submissive woman.”

  That comment earned him a playful smack.

  After they reached Carlie’s house, she disappeared into her bedroom to change and Tyler nosed around her living room. Carlie emerged minutes later, her hair only slightly damp and combed into place, her wet jogging suit replaced with a dry one. It was blue, and hopefully less objectionable, at least in color; the fit was still very loose and concealing.

  A short while later, they were back in the car, on their way to Tyler’s house. The
storm intensified, covering the streets with debris and filling the car with a steady drone of raindrops hitting the roof, interspersed with rumbling thunder. Carlie was relaxed in her seat, unconcerned with the weather.

  “The storm doesn’t bother you?”

  She lazily swiveled her head toward Tyler, not raising it from the back of the seat. She was exhausted from too little sleep, and mind-weary from fretting about things she had no control over. “I love storms.”

  He grinned. “I should have known better than to think they would frighten you.”

  She smiled, her eyes still on his profile. “When I was a little girl, I used to sit on the porch and listen. The rain would blow under the overhang, wetting my legs and sometimes my face. But the smells...so clean and fresh. I’ve always thought of storms as being peaceful, despite their noise.”

  Tyler glanced at her, his eyes drifting over her face. He grinned teasingly. “I’ve always thought storms were sexy.”

  Carlie’s heart jerked, memories of the storm the night they’d spent at the pool house flooding into her memory. She cleared her throat, but still her words emerged as a dry croak. “Is that right?”

  He laughed. “Hmm. They have one hell of an effect on me.”

  “Good grief.” Carlie had to joke to cover the heat that surged through her. A vivid mental picture had surfaced with his words, and she had to rely on wit to hide her feelings. “You won’t embarrass me by attacking some poor, unsuspecting female at the movies, will you?”

  His grin was wicked. “You’re not concerned for your own safety?”

  She snorted.

  “You do that really well, you know? I don’t think I’ve ever heard another female snort with quite your flair. It’s very descriptive.”

  “Thank you.”

  Tyler laughed at her dry tone, then shot her a narrow-eyed look. “Have you ever made love during a storm?”

  Forcing herself to breathe normally, Carlie peeked at him, then quickly looked away. She felt hot from the inside out, her skin tingling, her stomach coiling tight. She had to lie. She shook her head, then realizing he was watching the road, she whispered, “No.”

  That should have ended it, but she couldn’t stop herself from asking, still in a whisper, “Have you?”

  Tyler glanced at her again, his look unreadable. His words were quiet and carefully measured. “I thought you didn’t want any details on my exploits.”

  She felt disgruntled by his evasion after she’d summoned up the nerve to ask. “No details. Just a statement. Yes or no?”

  He stared straight ahead. “Yeah.” He sighed. “Yeah, I have.”

  Carlie turned away. His husky tone nearly melted her, and she said without thinking, “It would probably be nice.”

  Tyler’s eyes skipped quickly to Carlie and then back to the road again. “Carlie?”

  “Hmm?”

  Her head was laid back against the seat, her eyes closed. She could never have another sexual interlude with Tyler, but just being with him was nice, too. Maybe she should let that be enough, she thought. Maybe she should try to relax and enjoy her time with him, even though it was risky.

  She didn’t see his incredulous expression, or the way he was watching her.

  “Carlie, did you mean you thought it would be ‘nice’ to make love to me during a storm?”

  Her eyes shot wide open, her relaxed position shot to hell. She felt tense from her toes to her eyebrows, her heart going into spasms. She peered at Tyler, totally speechless.

  They stopped at a traffic light and he turned to face her, bracing one arm on the back of the seat. “Well?”

  Her laugh sounded a bit forced. “I didn’t mean you specifically. I meant...the storm in general. Someone who really enjoyed sex would like it in this kind of weather.” She was babbling, but she couldn’t seem to stop.

  His gaze was disturbingly intent. “You don’t enjoy lovemaking?”

  “I never said that!” She was flustered and had to struggle to keep from looking away. “I just meant there are a lot of people who don’t. But someone like you, someone who appears, by all accounts, to like it very much, probably would enjoy it during a storm. I...I think I would, just because I love storms, I mean.”

  Carlie ground to a painful halt, her rambling finally at an end. Tyler stared at her, and Carlie didn’t want to know what he was thinking.

  He cleared his throat, but the words came out sounding husky. “You should definitely try it sometime.”

  Conversation, after that bit of advice, was nil. When they arrived at the video-rental store, Carlie gaped. “What are we doing?”

  “Renting a movie.”

  Uh-oh. “Renting a movie, to watch...where?”

  Tyler shot her a grin. “My place. You said you didn’t want to dress up, so I thought you’d be more comfortable at home.”

  Her home, maybe. Not this. She didn’t want to go to his...

  “Wait here, and I’ll run in and get it. No reason for both of us to get soaked.”

  Carlie sat in his car, stupefied. How could she refuse without looking ridiculous? How could she explain the difference between being in a crowded theater and being alone with Tyler?

  She was still pondering that problem when he returned, the DVD tucked inside his jacket, his dark hair glistening from the rain. “All set.” He took his seat and started the car. “You’re gonna love this movie.”

  She had her doubts.

  There was an underground garage at Tyler’s building, so they didn’t get wet going in. Carlie walked slowly, hesitant to enter his private domain. But, like his office, Tyler’s home was fairly generic. It was large, with a fantastic view, and very tastefully decorated. But everything looked...cold and impersonal. He explained it was a furnished apartment, and a cleaning crew came in weekly.

  Carlie thought that was a sad way to live.

  Tyler must have picked up on her sentiments, because he said, “Not exactly ‘home sweet home,’ is it?”

  “If you don’t like it, why did you move here?”

  He shrugged, looking around the apartment. “When I was a kid, we lived in a dirty little hellhole with ratty furniture and peeling paint. I decided that when I picked a place of my own, I’d make sure it was nice.” He shook his head. “At the time, I suppose I thought this place was nice.” He winked at Carlie. “But I like your house much better.”

  She grinned. “Thank you. I like my house, too. I picked it because it’s small. Grandfather had a huge old farmhouse. It was always cold and empty. I hated it.”

  “You said your parents died when you were young. Your grandfather raised you?”

  Carlie nodded, but looked away. “My brother was already old enough to be on his own, and I didn’t see him much. It was just me and Granddad.”

  “Were you lonely?”

  “I suppose.” Then she changed the subject. Talk of her childhood always made her melancholy. “So, are we going to start this movie or not?”

  Tyler took her hand, gave it a soft squeeze, then left the room. After fetching colas and pretzels from a sterile kitchen, he turned off most of the lights. “A scary movie has to be watched in the dark...for effect.”

  Carlie relaxed, settling herself into the soft leather sofa. “I know why you wanted to come here to watch the movie.” She waved a finger at him. “You didn’t want witnesses when you get scared and start screaming.”

  “Perceptive girl.” After putting in the DVD, Tyler took his seat next to Carlie. He sat very close, his damp hair pushed back from his face, his long legs stretched out.

  Unexpectedly, Carlie leaned toward him and nudged him with her shoulder. “You’re all right, Tyler.”

  He stared at her, grinning crookedly and looking very pleased by her offhand compliment.

  He gently touched her cheek. “I’m glad you think so.”

  It was such an easy and natural thing to do. She leaned into his hand, and his fingers found a stray wisp of hair escaped over her temple. He toyed with
it, running it through his fingers, then giving her a gentle tug.

  He could make her stomach flip with just a word or a look, but he also made her feel accepted, made her a part of things in a way she’d never been. Being raised by her grandfather had left her sheltered but alone. Brenda had been her first real friend.

  Now she had Tyler, too.

  “I like you, Tyler. I’m...really glad we’re friends.”

  “I am, too. Though I’ll admit, I’ve never been just friends with a woman before.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “And by the way, this is another date. Try to remember the rules.”

  She immediately put on her best vacant expression, removed her glasses and batted her eyelashes. “Tyler,” she whined, looking pathetically vulnerable, “I’m scared of the dark. Hold me.”

  He grinned and reached for her. She promptly shoved him back into his seat. “You’ve got the basics down right, but you’re supposed to be clinging to me right about now.”

  “You big coward.” She shook her head at him. “You better control yourself during this movie, Tyler. I mean it. Date or no date, I don’t want you crawling all over me just because you chose a movie you couldn’t handle.”

  He smiled slyly, apparently enjoying himself. “Did I tell you, I’ve seen this movie before? I’d be willing to wager that about halfway through, you’ll be crawling all over me.”

  “I’ll take that bet.” She grabbed his hand and pumped it. “What will you give me when you lose?”

  “I won’t lose. You will. Then you’ll invite me over for another home-cooked meal. Agreed?”

  “Fine. But when I win? What do I get?”

  “A kiss?”

  “Ha! Why play if the stakes aren’t worth much?”

  “You’re saying my kisses aren’t to be devoutly sought?”

  “Not by Carlie McDaniels.”

  “Carlie, Carlie. You’ve already forgotten that this is a date. You should have been more determined to win, with a kiss as the prize.”

  Carlie twisted her lips into a wry smile. “How about you help me grade tests next Friday night when you lose? You’re college-educated. You could probably handle third-grade math.”

  “I would, of course, endeavor to do my best—if I lost, which I won’t. Now, hush, the movie is about to start.”