Paige. Amy bit back a smile, knowing she’d nailed it in one.
She surrendered the parcel and her raincoat, glad that she liked babies.
* * *
Ty wasn’t kidding about the Mommy Test. He would have bet his last buck that his mother would be hovering by the door, waiting to pounce on Amy. She would interrogate his date in his absence and throw her toward Paige and Derek—no, she would put Ethan in Amy’s arms, preferably with a dirty diaper, and see how Amy responded.
When he was driving away, he realized his mistake. He should have given Amy a better warning. He should have thought of it sooner. He’d been thinking they’d walk into the shower together and that he’d be able to defend her, but of course, there were dozens of cars. Ty blamed his uncharacteristic agitation, and the fact that Amy had surprised him again by abandoning those loafers.
He parked the car two blocks away and strode back toward the house as quickly as he could. On the way, he saw his cousin Maxine again, and he paused at her gesture to guide her into a spot that was a tight fit. They walked back to the house at a crisp pace, Maxine practically trotting to keep up with Ty.
She told him some story about something, but he barely listened.
He’d left Amy for almost fifteen minutes. Ty rang the bell and his Aunt Teresa opened it, then cooed over him in the foyer. He was surrounded by relations, and there was no prospect of immediate escape.
Ty scanned the assembled guests, only to discover that his suspicions had been right on the money. His mother was talking with great animation to a woman in a navy dress with white polka dots, a woman who had her back to him and her hair twisted up to show her sleek neck to advantage. The dress was very flattering to the woman’s slender curves—which were familiar to him, thanks to the class the day before.
Amy turned then, as if she sensed his arrival, and looked over her shoulder at him. Their gazes locked from across the room. Her smile was full of mischief, as well as the conviction that she’d surprised him, and the sight sent heat through him. Ethan was in her arms, trying to grab her glasses, but her expression filled him with relief.
She’d guessed and played it well.
Ty smiled and raised a fist to his heart. Amy laughed. He eventually made his way across the room, shaking hands with relatives and being hugged by cousins. He scooped Ethan from Amy’s arms when he reached her side and held him high, which made his nephew chortle.
Then release a huge gob of saliva.
“Spit string,” Paige cried and grabbed it out of the air before it could collide with Ty’s suit or tie, then laid claim to her son. She made a face. “Oh, that diaper!” Ethan giggled and blew some bubbles. “I’m sorry, Amy! Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” She gave Ty a kiss on the cheek before she left and whispered the word “keeper” in his ear before she carried her son away.
“Tyler!” his mom said from behind him, her voice warm with predictable approval.
“I thought you weren’t going to be mean to Amy,” Ty complained as his mom hugged and kissed him.
“Mean?” She laughed at him. “What’s mean about introducing her to the newest member of the family?” Her gaze was knowing, though. When Ty sighed and shook his head, his mother laughed again. Her delight was clear. “Are there small children in your family, Amy?”
“I have friends with babies.”
Ty shook hands with Derek, waved to his dad, then dropped his hand on the back of Amy’s waist. He bent down to whisper into her ear. “I’m guessing you aced the test,” he murmured.
Amy gave him a disparaging look. “Is there a shred of doubt in your mind?” She arched a brow. “The stakes are considerable, after all.”
Ty smiled. “I thought you’d be surprised.”
“I figured it out on my way up the driveway. We’re at Aunt Teresa’s house, after all.” She scoffed, her eyes dancing. “Piece of cake.”
“I’ve been dating dumb women, clearly.”
“Time to lift your game.”
Ty met Amy’s sparkling gaze, then looked down at her lips. He wanted to steal a kiss, a celebratory one, but tried to satisfy himself by keeping one hand on her waist. A pair of young kids raced past them, one in hot pursuit of the other, and several wine glasses were nearly spilled.
“Two of nine,” Ty murmured. “My mom is already crazy for you.”
“I’m feeling richer,” Amy teased in a whisper.
“It’s all yours, but if I give it to you here, people will get ideas.”
Amy laughed. “Very bad ideas.”
“Completely inappropriate ones.” Ty grinned and traced a circle on the back of her waist with his thumb before he realized what he was doing. Amy froze, then she took a breath and stepped a little closer to him. Her gaze flicked to his, her eyes glowing, and he couldn’t have cared less whether his mom was watching them. He stared down into Amy’s eyes and his heart thumped. He bent and touched his lips gently to her temple. “I’m officially in awe,” he whispered and she giggled.
Then she blushed.
There was absolutely no missing his mom’s satisfaction with that.
“Let me get you a glass of wine,” he said and Amy nodded.
“Thank you.”
“You’ll need it. We’ve got three hours to go, easily.” He made a face. “But I’ll be leaving you at their mercy.”
“I’ll survive, even without a champion.”
“But then you won’t miss me.”
“Oh, but I will.” Amy’s smile flashed as their gazes clung again. Ty left her side reluctantly, well aware that his mom brought Maxine to be introduced.
He had fourteen seconds at the bar to feel smug about the likely success of his plan, before his sister Lauren appeared at the bar by his side. She had a determined look about her, and Ty had a very bad feeling.
His feeling got worse when she topped her wine glass to the rim. He could see by her eyes that it wasn’t the first, or maybe even the second glass.
What was going on? He gave Lauren a kiss of greeting and complimented her, well aware of how her gaze was following Amy on the other side of the room. Amy was talking to Derek about something, her house maybe, and she looked animated. Happy.
Gorgeous. Ty could have watched her all day.
But Lauren was watching him. “Kind of amazing, big brother, that you have this great girlfriend no one has heard anything about until now.”
“You can’t blame me for wanting to defend her from all of you.”
“Or is it the other way around?” Lauren murmured. She turned a smile on him before he could answer. “So, how did you two meet?”
Ty remembered a little too late that he and Amy hadn’t worked out all the details of what she called the meet-cute yet. Caught without a plan, he did the only thing a team player could do.
He tossed the question to Amy.
“You’ve got to ask Amy that,” he said cheerfully. “She tells the story so much better than I do.”
Lauren gave him a considering glance. “You’ll have to introduce us, then.” She crossed the room with the focus of a heat-seeking missile and Ty’s heart sank like a rock. If Lauren was determined to dissect their so-called relationship, his fake date plan didn’t have a chance.
He really hoped Amy could think on her feet.
Chapter Seven
Amy hadn’t counted on Ty acting like they were dating.
No. She hadn’t counted on him acting like they were in love.
In hindsight, it was a stupid oversight. Of course, he would stick close to her, put his arm around her, stare into her eyes and even kiss her temple. Of course, he would act as if he was crazy about her. It probably wasn’t a bad thing that his touch had such a powerful effect on her, given how closely his mom was watching them.
But still. Amy was rattled. She felt as if she had a full-body blush from the moment he arrived, and it wasn’t fading at all. Having his hand on the back of her waist, his thumb tracing those little circles that made her skin heat, was
more distracting than anything she could imagine him doing. When he’d given her that survey across the room and his gaze had heated, her mouth had gone dry. When he murmured to her, her heart leaped for her throat, then raced like crazy. She could have lost herself in his eyes, and even thought about dragging him into her house when she got home and having her way with him.
Her nipples were tight, for goodness’ sake.
And other bits of her were similarly…aroused.
How would Tyler McKay kiss? Amy really wanted to know. She realized that if he had ever been set on courting her—or even seducing her—she wouldn’t have had a chance.
But this was a fake date.
And she was smart enough to not forget that bit.
Maybe.
Even if her body wasn’t.
The thing was, she’d been sure Ty was a lousy liar, and that disconcerted her even more. Had she misread him? He couldn’t be really attracted to her, could he? That would have been an introduction of new information—even though he had admitted the night before that he liked their lunch conversations.
Amy did, too. She needed time to sort through everything he’d said and done to decide what the truth was, but instead she was at a bridal shower with his family. She had to make it look good and remember what she’d studied.
She’d have to analyze Ty’s words later.
Amy tried to have a coherent conversation with Derek, as Ty went to get her a glass of wine, and was sure she failed. It seemed that everyone in the room was checking her out, and Amy wasn’t used to being the center of attention. On the other hand, it was reasonable to expect her, as a new arrival, to be a little overwhelmed by his family.
“Do you live downtown like Ty?” Derek asked, when Paige had left to change Ethan’s diaper.
“No, I have a house,” Amy admitted. “And it’s close enough to the city that I can commute.”
“Good for you.”
“It was my parents’ house,” Amy admitted. “I inherited it.”
“Even better,” Derek said with an easy smile. “How old is it?”
She recognized that he was trying to put her at ease and appreciated it. “It’s Victorian. It was built in 1899.”
Derek’s eyes brightened. “Go on! I love old houses. Paige is determined that we’ll buy one and renovate it completely.” He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know where she thinks I’ll find the time. I’d have to run my crew hard to even afford one of those places, then there’s the cost of the renovations.”
“Tell me about it.”
Ty returned with her wine and Amy tried not to jump when he put his hand on her back again. She smiled up at him, knowing that her cheeks were warm. His eyes were twinkling and his dimple was in view, so she knew he was just waiting for another chance to tease her.
If only he knew that her reaction wasn’t very sisterly.
“Where is your house?” Derek asked. Paige returned and they traded off, her taking his glass of wine and him lifting Ethan out of her arms. “Amy has a house built in 1899,” he said to his wife, who gasped with delight.
“I’m officially jealous,” Paige said. “Tell us all about it.”
“Well, it needs a lot of work right now.”
Derek waved this off. “All the keepers need work. But the bones of the old places are incredible.”
“And the details,” Paige added. “Where is it?”
“In Brooklyn,” Amy said, well aware that Ty was listening. “Flatbush, actually.”
Derek and Paige exchanged a glance. Paige asked if it was on a street, which was Amy’s street, and named a cross-street.
Amy was startled. “Well, yes, it is.”
Derek leaned closer. “Tell me it’s not number 304.”
Amy looked up at Ty, a little bit freaked out. He appeared to be interested but there was something else. What did that gleam in his eyes mean? He seemed more focused than he’d been before. She realized that there was another woman with similar eyes standing behind him, watching her avidly. “What if it is?” she asked.
“That house!” Derek and Paige cried together.
“I love that house,” Paige said. “I want that house.”
“Hey,” Ty said as Amy stiffened and she felt him draw her a little closer. “Take it easy, Princess Paige.”
“I just love it, that’s all,” Paige said, her voice rising with her enthusiasm. “It has that porch, which is wonderful and the bay window and the little turret roof.” She sighed with rapture. “Oh, it’s perfect in forty-six thousand ways.”
“Hardly,” Amy said, feeling uncomfortable to hear her house discussed in such terms by strangers. “As I said, it’s due for a lot of work.”
“Like what?” Derek asked. “The porch? Those wooden porches are always in need of maintenance.”
“Yes, that. The most urgent thing is that it needs a new roof.”
Derek reached into his jacket pocket and removed a business card. He beckoned to Ty, who gave him a pen, and he wrote another phone number on the back. “Ty must have told you that I have a construction company.”
“He did.”
“We do a lot of renos, including roofs and porches, but I really like working on the older houses. My goal is to build a reputation for sympathetic renovation of those places.” He handed her the card. “So, I’d be honored to have a chance to bid on your roof.”
Paige nudged him hard.
“And I’ll give you a family discount, just to sweeten the deal. Name the day and I’ll come and have a look.”
“And Paige will come, too, so that she can poke around inside your house,” Ty said wryly.
“Ty!” Paige protested.
“Tell me that’s not the plan,” he said, and Paige blushed a little.
“Well, it did occur to me that I could talk to Amy while Derek was up on the roof.”
“She’s shameless,” Ty said to Amy. “You don’t have to let her in. Make her sit on the porch.”
“That porch!” Paige nearly swooned.
“Even better, make her stay in the truck.”
“Ty!”
“I have tenants, so I can’t show the whole house to anyone anyway.”
Derek’s brows rose. “Was it always duplexed?”
Amy shook her head, still hating that she’d had to do it. “It was the only way I could keep it.”
“You know, if you ever want to sell it,” Paige began, but Ty held up a hand.
“Give it a rest, Paige,” he said sternly, his tone firm enough that Paige complied. “Amy’s been here five minutes, survived the Mommy Test, and you’re already trying to buy her house from underneath her.” His fingers tightened briefly on Amy’s waist. “And now Lauren wants her turn at the interrogation.” He turned and introduced the woman who had accompanied him.
Amy remembered the list of details.
Lauren. Oldest sister. Ty’s unofficial favorite. Married to Mark in 2014. Hairdresser with her own salon.
But Amy would have guessed that part. Lauren’s hair had that effortless beauty of a fabulous cut and artful coloring. It swung around her shoulders, gleaming and bouncing slightly. It was hair to envy.
Amy swallowed when Ty kept her tightly against his side. She could smell his cologne and that combined with his attention, his heat and his thumb doing those little circles on her back made her knees weak. Her reaction was just about the most inappropriate one at a family event like this, and she wondered whether Ty had any idea what he was doing to her.
“Lauren wanted to know how we met, but I said you had to tell the story.” His hand slid up her side as he smiled down at her in apparent adoration. “You do it so much better than me.”
Amy’s mind went blank. His hand dropped to rest on the back of her waist again and her heart slowed its palpitations. She was aware that everyone in the little group was watching her, waiting.
And she needed a meet-cute involving an elevator.
“In the elevator,” she said, then laughed a little.
“It was really silly, which is why Ty doesn’t want to tell it.” She spared him an adoring look, which prompted his dimple to reappear. “We work at firms in the same building, and one day, we ended up being the only two people in the elevator.”
“So, you started a conversation,” Paige concluded.
“Not until the elevator got stuck,” Amy admitted.
Ty chuckled and the pressure of his hand increased ever so slightly. “What’s a guy to do when he’s trapped in an elevator for ninety-seven minutes with a beautiful woman?”
Amy blushed at his compliment, but his siblings loved it. There was a collective “awwwww.”
“She had a book,” Ty continued, his voice very low. “And I asked her if it was any good.”
Amy’s gaze flew to his only to find his eyes sparkling again. He was teasing her. He was talking about that book. She lifted her chin, more than ready to participate in this version of their first meet. “He couldn’t understand why a woman would read an erotic romance, so I set him straight.”
Paige laughed and saluted Amy with her wine. “Good for you. Taking on Ty the tiger on a first meet.”
Ty the tiger. Interesting.
“Who won?” Lauren asked softly.
“Amy,” Ty said quickly. “I couldn’t summon a word in my own defense.” She glanced up at him again and the twinkle was gone from his eyes. He looked deadly serious. “Book, line, and sinker,” he murmured with such conviction that even Amy considered believing him.
She took a large sip of wine and wondered what the hell she’d gotten herself into.
“Come on, Amy,” Ty said as the conversation continued around them. “Let’s check out my aunt’s garden. She won an award from the horticulture society last year.”
“Really? How wonderful.” Amy excused herself from the others and let him lead her away. She sighed when they were a few steps away.
“Sorry,” he muttered when they were out of earshot.
“I just had complete deodorant failure.”
“I didn’t want to screw up the story, so that seemed a good way to be on the same proverbial page.”
Amy nodded agreement. “Lauren looks skeptical.”
Simply Irresistible Page 13
