The roofer’s estimate made her wince.
And it was two years old.
Amy couldn’t move, though. She couldn’t ever leave this house. It was too filled with memories and love. It was her sanctuary. But it appeared that she couldn’t forgo basic repairs for much longer. Her job wasn’t great, but she didn’t have the credentials for anything much better.
It wasn’t in Amy’s nature to sulk about things she couldn’t change. She solved things. She had to find a solution to this. Selling the house was out of the question.
Maybe Jade’s suggestion had been a timely one.
While she took care of a thousand details, Amy was thinking about the kind of story she’d most like to read.
It should be a story that only she could write.
One that no one else had written yet.
The strange thing was that Amy knew exactly what the story would be. It would be a dark fairy tale, one featuring a scarred prince with dark desires, many secrets and complete authority over his subjects.
He’d pick one to be his sex slave, thinking she’d just be his pet. But in the end, she’d be the one brave enough to challenge him, then win his heart and heal him forever.
And if the prince in question looked like Ty McKay—albeit with a scar—that would be her little secret.
After dinner, Amy took a fresh pad of paper. She made a fresh pot of coffee and found her favorite pen, then sat down at the kitchen table under Fitzwilliam’s watchful eye.
Her Dark Prince, she wrote, tapped the pen, then wrote some more.
I first saw the crown prince two days before Midsummer.
We knew he had come to the palace, of course, and that he was the king’s nephew and chosen heir. No one had seen him since he had ridden through the castle gates at Midwinter and those who had glimpsed the lone rider on his approach had long been embellishing their brief observations beyond all recognition. He was rumored to be solitary, fierce, and harsh. I could not blame him, not if he had been so disfigured in war as he was whispered to be.
I dreamed of him, even knowing nothing of him. I was curious beyond all. No one came to Euphoria. No one left Euphoria. It was my greatest dream to abandon the monotony of the only life I had ever known. I was prepared to pay any price to see beyond Euphoria’s borders, to be more than the sole daughter of a peasant said to be a witch. I created tales about him and spun dreams of a shared future and yearned so fiercely to just see him once that I halfway thought I’d summoned him to me.
Like one of those old tales that I have never believed.
Maybe if I had believed them, I would have attributed his appearance to sorcery instead of coincidence. Or boredom.
It mattered little. I saw him and my life changed.
* * *
Ty knew it wouldn’t be long before his phone rang again and he was right.
He came up from his evening workout to discover that he’d missed two calls by leaving his cell phone in his apartment. It rang again when he was checking that all the calls had come from the same number.
His mom.
Who was calling again.
He figured he might as well get it over with. “Hi, Mom.” He stood at the window and looked down on the traffic in the city streets below. It was raining and the lights were reflected in the puddles. He hoped Amy was safely home, wherever she lived.
“Tyler McKay, I have one question to ask you and one question only.”
“Don’t be shy, Mom,” Ty said. “You know how that confuses me.”
His mother exhaled. “Amy.”
“Amy?”
“Amy,” his mother repeated. “You were meeting her for lunch and I want to know all about her.”
“You’ll meet her on Sunday.”
“I should hope so, but I need to be prepared. Who is she? Where is her family? How serious is your relationship? What does she do for a living? Where did you first meet?” His mom took a deep breath. “Why haven’t you mentioned her before? And what happened to Giselle?”
Ty grimaced and strolled into the kitchen to get a glass of water. He leaned against the counter and tried to tell his mother as little as possible.
That way she’d have less to use against him.
“It didn’t work out with Giselle. I was optimistic, but we broke up.”
“When?”
“A while ago,” Ty said. “I didn’t want to disappoint you. I know you liked her.”
“Thank you, dear,” his mom said. “But really, if she didn’t see your merit, she wasn’t worth your time.”
Ty smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”
“And Amy?”
“She’s cute and very sweet. Smart.” It was true. Every time Ty talked to Amy, he found more to like and admire. He was going to have another late night, re-examining his assumptions, but it would be worth it to have another conversation with her. Lunch was quickly becoming the highlight of his day.
“How long have you been seeing her?”
Ty chucked Kyle’s advice and went with the truth. It was easier. Less complicated. “Not that long, Mom. I wasn’t sure whether it was too soon to bring her to a wedding…”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Ty. We’re so welcoming and friendly. Why, we’ll be planning your wedding before Katelyn heads for her honeymoon.” His mother laughed, but Ty shook his head.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Nonsense. You’re always too protective of women, Ty.”
“You taught me that, Mom.”
“I know, dear, but we’re a little tougher than you imagine.”
“That doesn’t mean she’s ready to be engulfed by a huge noisy family like ours.”
“I bet she’ll love it.”
“Provided you don’t all terrorize her.”
“Ty!”
“Or smother her.”
“There you go, being protective again. In this case, dear, I think it’s a very good sign.”
“Mom…”
“Stop worrying. You bring Amy and we’ll make her feel welcome.” There was a sound on the line to indicate another call coming in for his mom and Ty realized he’d been saved by the click. “Oh, look, there’s the florist. What could possibly be wrong now? I’ll see you both on Sunday, Tyler. Two o’clock at Aunt Teresa’s.”
“I know.”
“Well, don’t forget. And don’t be late.”
“I’m never late,” Ty protested, but his mom was gone.
The fake date was a go.
For better or for worse.
* * *
Amy stayed up half the night, her imagination on fire and her hand racing across the page. Fitzwilliam gave up on her at midnight and went to sleep on her pillow. When the flow of words finally stopped, she looked up digital publishing online and researched the possibilities. It was only when she had been reading for over an hour that she realized she was just as convinced as Ty that preparation was the key to success in any endeavor.
She awakened to Fitzwilliam batting her cheek in a playful demand for breakfast, the alarm clock buzzing, and the realization of one big stumbling block. There was another thing she had to research. She’d thought of it the day before, but in the morning, it seemed an insurmountable barrier. No one had ever tied Amy up and spanked her, and she had a pretty good sense that Ty wouldn’t be up for it, even as a joke.
Or a fake seduction.
It wouldn’t be hot if he treated it as a joke, anyway.
She did agree with him in a way, though. Doing that with a complete stranger would require that Amy be a lot dumber than she was. She thought about it all the way to work, knowing there had to be a solution. She got off the train at an earlier stop so she could walk past the Museum of Sex and there it was, taped to the window.
A notice that could have been just for her.
Pain and Pleasure 101.
They were teaching BDSM classes at F5—no sex, just sensation. Forty dollars a session, come in yoga clothes and prepare to learn something new.
Amy marched to work, thinking furiously.
Did she dare?
Why shouldn’t she dare?
When she saw a second similar notice in the window of the bookstore where Jade worked, she pulled out her phone and scanned the QR code before she chickened out. In about fifteen seconds, thanks to Paypal, she was registered for the Saturday afternoon class.
Amy was unable to believe what she’d just done, yet thrilled to bits about the possibilities. Her heart was racing as if she’d run a marathon.
One thing was for sure: she’d never ever tell Ty about it. He’d probably go ballistic.
On the other hand, it might be worth telling him just to see his composure slip.
* * *
Something was different. Ty recognized as much immediately.
Amy came into the common area at lunch with a verve that was unusual for her. Her eyes were sparkling and she almost bounced as she walked. Ty dared to hope that it was because she was coming to sit with him, and certainly, his pulse leaped at the sight of her.
She was dressed the same and the loafers were still spoiling the view. It was her attitude that was different.
And that smile. It was radiant.
She was radiant.
The sight of her melted Ty and heated him at the same time.
“Hi!” she said, sitting down in a rush. She dropped her tote bag, the one that apparently never left her sight, on one seat. “Sorry, I’m late.” She dug in that bag for her lunch and he wondered if she was like Mary Poppins, carrying around the solution to everything in one enormous bag.
“It’s okay. I wasn’t going anywhere.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“Nope. True.”
She blushed then and looked down at her lunch. The way she blushed was disconcerting. It made her look vulnerable and soft, completely at odds with the bright-eyed woman who fearlessly argued with him. Ty pretended to be fascinated with his ham and cheese sandwich, but it was Amy who intrigued him. He had the book on the table beside him, the one that Jade had gotten from the back for Amy. Had she liked it?
“Something good happen at work?” he asked.
She laughed. “As if.”
“You don’t like your job?”
“I like that I have a job, such as it is, but the job itself?” Amy shook her head. “No, I don’t think much of it.”
“Get another?” Ty suggested, not wanting to think about her disappearing from his sight completely. He was acutely aware that he had no way to find her other than meeting in the food court at lunch, and needed to figure out a way to fix that.
Amy pursed her lips, then put down her sandwich without unwrapping it. “The thing is that I have crappy credentials. I only finished high school, so in the job market, I take what I can get. My neighbor helped me get this job. She knows the owner.”
Ty was surprised. Amy was so clever and articulate. “You didn’t want to go to college?”
“I wanted desperately to go to college, but I only lasted two weeks.”
“That’s pretty early to chuck it in,” he said gently. He knew college wasn’t for everyone, but he was surprised that Amy had abandoned it so quickly. “Maybe you should have given it more of a chance.”
“Oh, that wasn’t it. I loved it. But my mom got sick, and my dad couldn’t take care of her, so I came home to help.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. Cancer sucks.”
Ty nodded silent agreement.
Amy frowned and unwrapped her sandwich with care. “And by the time she died three years later, my dad had been diagnosed with cancer, so I stayed home to help him.” She met his gaze, her own so clear and level that Ty knew she wasn’t looking for sympathy. “And by the time he died, I learned that there was just about no money, so I got a job.” She took a bite out of her sandwich and looked philosophical. “I’m lucky to have it, really, even though I’m just a receptionist. It’s allowed me to keep the house.” She shrugged. “Well, sort of.”
Ty didn’t know what to say to that. He couldn’t imagine being without his parents, even his mother’s relentless interference. He hoped Amy had sisters and brothers, but guessed from her manner that she didn’t. He didn’t want to rub salt in the wound so he didn’t ask.
He also couldn’t explain how much he wanted to help her.
Well, money was one thing he understood. “Sort of?” he echoed, trying to sound casual. “You have a big mortgage?”
“No. I’m lucky that my parents paid it off.” Her smile flashed. “Although I would never have imagined when I was a kid that one day I’d be glad they lived on such a tight budget.”
“Taxes and utilities, then?” If the house was anywhere near Manhattan, that could still be a considerable monthly bill.
Amy nodded. “The thing is that it was built in 1899 and needs some work.”
An old house. Interesting. Ty was mentally mapping the region around Manhattan for potential locations of Amy’s house. “That’s understandable. Maintenance wouldn’t have been first on anyone’s list when your parents were sick.”
“Exactly.” She smiled quickly and he felt rewarded for understanding, but that smile faded too quickly. “But things need to be done, and no one is going to give me more credit. Not with this job.” She met his gaze and smiled sadly. “And we’re back to job prospects again.”
Ty didn’t know what to say for the second time in rapid succession. He wasn’t used to that. He realized how accustomed he was to the affluence of his family. Even before he’d built his own investments, he’d always been able to ask his parents for a loan. His life would have been pretty different if that option hadn’t been available.
He admired that Amy didn’t complain about her situation, but made the best of it. He wished he could fix things for her.
All the same, he sensed that she would be surprised and maybe insulted if he offered to do so. People thought sex was the big taboo topic of conversation, but Ty was pretty sure it was money.
He decided to take a chance.
“Are you sure no one will give you a loan?” he asked gently. He pulled out his phone before she could argue. “I don’t want to pry, but I have a buddy from college who works in personal finance.” He named a big bank as he flipped through his address book. “He consolidates debt to make the burden more manageable, or to free up capital.” He showed her the contact info for Red. “He does free consultations, I know.”
Amy put down her sandwich and blinked at him. “Really?”
“A lot of people think they can’t borrow what they need. Red says people seldom realize how many assets they have or their worth. You have a house, so maybe there are more possibilities than you realize. He prides himself on finding solutions.”
She considered him for a minute. “Free consultations?”
Ty nodded. “Can’t hurt to ask.”
Amy tapped Red’s information into her phone, then smiled at him. “No, it can’t.” She looked at the number as if she didn’t dare to hope. Her expression made everything clench within Ty—then doubled his determination to help her. “Thank you.”
“Money is what I do. I hope Red has some suggestions.”
“Me, too.” As if to prove that she regretted confessing as much as she had, Amy pointed to his book and changed the subject. “Anyway, we were going to talk about that today.”
“Right. Have you finished it yet?”
“Of course.” Her eyes twinkled. “The big question is whether you finished it or not.”
Ty shook his head. “I was thinking that castration would be too good for this guy,” he admitted, just to make her laugh.
She did and he smiled back. “You’re just kidding me.”
“I am,” he agreed easily. “But you’re smiling again.”
She blushed as their gazes locked, then suddenly leaned closer, eyes alight. “But it was hot. Didn’t you think so?”
Amy was delighted, though. “And he was redeemed, don’t you think?”
Ty wiggled his hand. “Maybe. I wish he’d done something for her, instead of insisting upon his own fantasy to the exclusion of all others…”
“That’s exactly what I said to Jade!” Amy declared. She looked around them, then leaned closer again. Her intensity was compelling, and Ty found that he couldn’t look away from her. He wanted to reach across the table and take off those glasses, then loosen her hair… “I said to Jade that it would have been so much better if he had thought of her needs instead of just his own…”
Ty listened, as entranced by Amy’s enthusiasm as the revision she suggested to the story. He guessed that her version was a lot more naughty than the book had been even though she skimmed over details, blushing. Mostly she talked about story and structure and character arcs. Ty was fascinated.
He wanted to do more than speculate on the ideas she didn’t express aloud. He wanted her to tell him all of them, and he wanted to keep talking to her, long after their lunch breaks were over. He should have started a conversation with her ages ago, and regretted all the boring lunches he’d endured alone when she was just a dozen feet away.
Ty was starting to think that dinner was going to be very interesting, when a woman shouted Amy’s name.
Amy paled and sat up straight, falling silent as she looked back toward the elevators. Her manner changed right before Ty’s eyes, and she was transformed back into the quiet Librarian who had nothing to say to anyone.
He wanted his Amy back.
“I have to go,” she almost whispered, hurriedly jamming her things back into her bag.
“Why?” Ty turned around and saw the caller, waving frantically at Amy. Ty had seen her on the elevator before, an older woman with what seemed to be a permanent frown between her brows.
Simply Irresistible Page 6
