“Thanks.”
“You were really worried?” He sounded surprised.
“Well, I did tell you I wouldn’t look here. I just don’t want you to think I’m like…”
“The other women in my past? I know you’re not. Relax.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
“Have you heard from your boss since you sent your resignation?”
“No, but she’s on the West Coast. I know it’s coming.”
“Stay strong. Let me know how it goes.”
“Thanks.”
The call came two hours later, but it wasn’t from Eve. It was from Eve’s boss, the senior VP, Michael Hunt.
“Lanie,” he said in a good-natured tone. “I was hoping we could chat about your e-mail to Eve.”
“Sure.”
“I have to say, I was surprised to read your letter.”
Lanie steeled her back. “I meant every word I said.”
“And that surprises me even more. You’ve been with us for ten years, and your performance had been exemplary.”
“This is my fourth VP in five years, Mr. Hunt. Some have been good and some have been bad, and I’ve had to adjust and cater to them, and frankly, I’m done with it.”
“I’m sorry you’ve felt neglected.”
“Neglected isn’t the word.”
“Lanie, I’m going to be direct.” He was silent for a moment. “We’ve been unhappy with Eve and how she’s managed…some things. You’ve handled her amazingly well; in fact, you’ve handled all the other VPs amazingly well, not to mention all the construction crews you hire in every location you move to. Contrary to how it looks, I’ve been watching, and I’ve been impressed for some time, which is why I want to offer you a new position.”
Lanie blinked. “Excuse me?”
“We’d like to make you a VP over the western region. You can set up an office anywhere you like, and while you’d have to travel every so often, you’d be able to establish a home base.”
“Anywhere I want?”
“You’d have an office and a small staff, and you’d oversee existing stores as well as the stores we’ve got plans to open.”
“Isn’t that Eve’s job?”
“Not anymore.”
Oh. Wow.
“Obviously, you’ll want to give this some consideration,” he said. “So take some time to think about it. You can work out the remainder of your notice, then give me an answer the day of the grand opening. I’ll even come to Kansas City and be a part of it.”
“Thanks…I’ll definitely consider it.”
“Good. Good. Then I’ll be seeing you in three weeks.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Somebody’s in a good mood,” Randy said, stopping in Tyler’s office doorway and leaning his shoulder into the frame.
Tyler grinned, his heart feeling lighter than it had in months, maybe years. Lanie had not only called him, she’d told him she was looking for a position in Kansas City. Things were looking brighter. “Yeah. I am.”
“You must have had a good day with your brother.”
Tyler’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know I saw Eric?”
“Lanie. She told Britt.” When Randy saw Tyler’s confusion, he took several steps into the room. “Britt was worried about you. You weren’t yourself at the photo shoot on Sunday night and she—”
Tyler held up his hands. “Whoa. Back up a step. What do you mean, I wasn’t myself?” Crap. He’d known Lanie wanted to keep them under wraps, and he should have been more careful. But this confirmed that he’d made the right decision in not going to the barbecue.
Randy tilted his head. “Before we started the photo shoot, you were anxious and pacing. And then you cancelled with us last night. So, since you drove Lanie home, and she was the last person we knew who had seen you in between, Britt quizzed her,” he said. “She asked how you’d been during the drive. What you’d said.”
Tyler grinned. If Britt only knew what had happened during the drive…“And Lanie said I told her I was going to see Eric.”
“Yeah.”
“And Britt’s curiosity was met?”
Randy chuckled. “We both know she’s always got questions, but Lanie convinced her there was nothing more going on with you two. Especially when Lanie told her about Aiden.” He paused, his smile fading a bit. “You’ll never guess who showed up—Victor.”
“You’re kidding.” At the moment, he didn’t give a damn about Victor. He was more interested in what Lanie had told Britt about Aiden. He suspected it wasn’t about the job offer.
“Nope. I invited him like I always do, but this was the first time he made an appearance. He was bragging about his big case,” Randy said, but his mouth was drawn, like something about Victor’s presence had bothered him.
Tyler shifted in his chair. “You know Victor. He loves to talk himself up.”
“He was talking about a sensitive case in a public setting.”
That got Tyler’s attention. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his desk. “It was mostly just people from the law firm there, right?”
“And a few of Britt’s friends. And Lanie.”
“You have to tell one of the partners,” Tyler said. “They need to know about this right away. This isn’t the first time he’s shot off his mouth off in a social setting. Talk to Roger Hughes. He’ll be the most receptive.”
“That was my thought as well. Which is why I already talked to him. He wants you to take over the case.”
“What?”
“It could be a high-profile case. Lots of press. You’re bound to piss off a lot of women.”
“How the hell would I do that?” Tyler asked.
“It’s one of those Margo Benson Boutiques, and once women find out you’re trying to shut it down, you’ll be public enemy number one with women in a hundred-mile radius.”
Tyler forced a grin. “I think I can handle it.” He sat back in his chair. Under any other circumstances, he’d jump at the chance, but all he could think about was all the time it would probably demand. Time he could otherwise spend with Lanie before she left.
Randy started to leave the office, but then stopped and turned around to face him again. “What do you think of Lanie?”
Tyler blinked, trying to figure out where that question had come from. He shrugged. “She seems nice. Britt is clearly happy that she’s back.” He was surprised his pulse had picked up and his palms were sweaty. “Why do you ask?” He reached for his bottle of water and took a swig.
Randy’s face was expressionless. “Britt thinks there might be something going on with you two.”
Tyler choked on his water and slammed his bottle on the desk, spraying water onto the papers strewn over the surface.
“Are you okay?” Randy asked, sounding alarmed.
“Yeah,” he said through a cough as he tried to clear his airway. “Went down the wrong pipe.”
“Does that mean there is or there’s not?”
“I really can’t believe we’re having this conversation. You know I haven’t dated since Nina.”
“This is serious, Tyler. I need to know. Do you like her?”
Jesus. What was the right way to answer that question?
He shrugged. “She’s all right. Seemed a little flighty on Saturday night at the art museum lawn, you know, with the drunken entrance and the shoe thing.” Feeling like a traitor, he shrugged again and grabbed a couple of tissues.
Randy’s eyes bugged out. “She was drunk?”
Shit. “No. I don’t think she was drunk. I think maybe she’d come from having drinks with someone. I could smell alcohol on her breath. But she took an Uber, right? So it wasn’t like she endangered anyone.”
Randy grinned. “Except for you.” He pointed to Tyler’s forehead. “Since that happened over the weekend, you must have gotten a lot of questions today.”
“Why do you think I’m hiding in my office?”
Randy turned serious again.
“You’re sure nothing’s going on between you two?”
“You must be drinking Britt’s Kool-Aid.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
This was more than idle curiosity. He hated to lie, but he’d promised Lanie. “No. Nothing’s going on between us. Why are you so relentless about this?”
Randy stayed in the doorway, pausing as though he was considering his words carefully. “Britt’s worried about her.”
Tyler forced a grin. “Britt’s worried about everyone.”
Randy’s mouth lifted into a small grin. “True, but she can’t help worrying about the people she cares about.”
“I feel lucky to be included in that camp.” He started mopping up the water droplets, then, before he had time to think it through, he asked, “Why is Britt worried about her?” If Lanie was in trouble, he wanted to know.
Randy walked back into the room and lowered his voice. “Her job situation is shaky…But it’s more than that. After Britt quizzed her about you, they had an argument.”
Tyler’s throat tightened. Lanie hadn’t mentioned an argument with Brittany. She hadn’t mentioned anything about the party at all. “What about?”
“Lanie’s job.” He hesitated. “She moves around a lot, and Britt hates it. She wants her to stay here. But then Britt dragged out a bunch of shit about Lanie’s past relationships, and all in our backyard. During the party.”
Dammit. Why hadn’t Lanie told him? But then, why would she? They didn’t really share their personal lives, but he wanted to change that. “That doesn’t sound like Britt.”
“It’s not. The only thing I can attribute it to is wedding stress.”
“She’s not the first woman to be hit with a touch of Bridezilla. But it’s Britt. She’ll be fine.”
“I hope so.” Still, he hesitated.
Tyler stood and looked his friend in the eye. “Something’s bothering you. What’s going on?”
“I think I did something I shouldn’t have.” Then he turned and walked out the door.
What could Randy possibly have done? But after hearing about Lanie’s argument with Britt, Tyler was more worried about her. He picked up his phone and texted.
Have lunch with me.
What would she think? Would she blow him off? He decided this would be a good gauge to what she was looking for in their relationship.
She answered seconds later.
Today?
Yes. I’m free until 2:00.
From the bubble in the text space, he could see she was typing, but thirty seconds later, she still hadn’t sent a response. Finally, she sent:
I can’t be gone very long.
He wondered why that had taken her so long and then he got it. She thought he wanted a nooner. But then, why wouldn’t she? Up to this point, everything between them was built on sexual chemistry. He was sure there could be more. This was the first step in proving it.
Lunch. Capital Grill. Forty-five minutes. Tops.
12:30? she asked.
See you then.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tyler was waiting for her when she walked in, not that she was surprised. He was sitting in the bar and stood when he saw her, moving straight for her with appreciation in his eyes.
When he reached her, he slipped an arm around her back and gave her a gentle kiss. “Thanks for meeting me.”
“Thanks for asking.”
“Since you only have forty-five minutes, I thought it’d be faster to eat in the bar. If that’s okay with you.”
“Sounds good.”
He led her to a booth in the bar and gestured for her to sit on one side. She slid onto the leather seat and hid her shaking hands under the table.
Why was she so nervous?
“It’s a good thing I dressed up today,” she said. “It’s not every day I eat at the Capital Grill.” She’d always been a believer in “dress to impress” with her job. She wore a fitted, sleeveless black dress with a pencil skirt and a deep V neckline, along with three-inch black patent-leather pumps. Her hair was up in a twist, but a few wisps had escaped around her face.
“You look gorgeous.” His gaze drifted to her cleavage then quickly returned to her face. “But you always look gorgeous.”
She flushed, and he grinned, but it looked more boyish than rakish and she couldn’t stop her own huge smile. It felt like they were on new ground.
“I’ve never eaten here,” she confessed. “What’s good?”
He named several items, keeping his eyes on her the entire time, never letting them leave her face until the waiter appeared a couple of minutes later, leaving menus and taking their drink orders.
“Water for me,” Lanie said. “I need to head back to work.”
“Same,” Tyler told the waiter.
After he left, Tyler’s gaze turned concerned. “Randy stopped in my office this morning.”
She froze and tried badly to recover. Randy must have told him about the Aiden fiasco with Britt. “Oh?”
“He told me that you and Britt had an argument.”
Her face flushed, but this time in utter embarrassment. “Oh, God. What did he tell you?”
He reached across the table and covered her hand with his own. “Lanie. It’s okay. Nothing hurtful or embarrassing. He just said Britt went off the deep end and blasted you about your job and your past relationships.”
“Did he give you details?” she asked in horror.
“No. And I would have stopped him if he had. That’s for you to share with me, if and when you feel comfortable telling me. I don’t want to hear it second- or thirdhand from Randy.”
She nodded.
“But he did say she’s worried about your job situation.”
“I haven’t told her I turned in my resignation and I’m not going to until I know what I’m going to do. Which is part of the reason I contacted the headhunter. To make Britt happy.”
“The only person you need to make happy here is you.”
“Thanks. But I wanted to do it too. It would be nice to be able to see her more often and hang out on random occasions.”
The waiter came and took their order, and Tyler told her about his afternoon and evening with Eric, but none of the messy personal details, like why he hadn’t spent much time with his brother in recent years.
“I’m taking him out to dinner on Wednesday night. I’d like to start seeing him weekly so he knows I’m not just blowing smoke up his ass.”
She smiled. “I think that’s a good idea.” Wondering if she was sticking her nose where it didn’t belong, she decided to ask—he could tell her to mind her own business if he didn’t want to answer. “What spurred this decision to start spending time with him?”
“His principal called me last week. He couldn’t get ahold of my dad. He said Eric was blowing off his classes and skipping school. Mr. Carter was concerned because he’s been a good student until this year.” His mouth twisted in amusement. “Unlike me. In any case, the principal’s call made me realize I hardly knew the kid. Getting Royals tickets from my colleague was a good way to break the ice with Eric.”
“So you could ask him why he was acting out?”
“No. Just to let him know he wasn’t alone.”
“Did he tell you why he was behaving out of character?”
“No.”
“Has he improved?”
“I think he’s just testing boundaries. All teens do it. I’m hoping he’ll see that I’m here for him and really give a shit and he’ll straighten his course.”
“But you talked to him about it?”
She worried he’d get pissed, but he gave her a grin. “I did.”
“Okay.”
He looked confused. “You sound like you care about him. You don’t even know him.”
“He’s your brother.”
His expression suggested he didn’t understand that, but he didn’t ask any more questions. Typical man. She found it reassuring he wasn’t perfect. He’d seem
ed too good to be true up to this point. “So…” she said with a slow smile. “Your Wednesday night is busy. But what about Thursday?”
His smile turned seductive. “I’m going to be very busy.”
“That’s too bad,” she said in a sultry voice as her nerve endings sprang to life. “I had plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
She raked her top teeth over her lower lip, and his gaze followed. “It might involve one of your ties.”
She could see he was fighting to keep his breath even. “What are you doing tonight?” he asked.
“Seducing you.”
He released a barely audible groan. “You’ve already begun.”
She laughed. “I can cook dinner, but I don’t have any food at my place.”
He shook his head. “Come to mine. I have food. I’ll cook.” He paused. “Bring a change of clothes. I want you all night.”
A wave of heat washed through her. This man, she wanted to tell Britt, this man did crazy things to her body with only his voice.
“Do you want me to pick you up?” he asked.
“No. Just send me the street address and let me know what time.”
“Seven. I’ll be home by then.”
“It’s a date,” she said, surprised at how happy that made her.
They finished lunch, and Tyler paid the bill and walked her outside, his possessive hand on the small of her back until they were on the sidewalk. She turned to face him, and his hand remained in place on her back while his other hand cupped the side of her face.
He searched her eyes for something before he lowered his lips to hers, giving her a gentle kiss that quickly turned ravenous.
She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and clung to him. How had this man gotten under skin in only a week? But sex with him was the best she’d ever had, and with the expiration date looming in the near future, she needed to make the most of it.
But she also realized she was making out with Tyler in broad daylight on a Tuesday afternoon.
She stepped back, but he still held his hand on her back.
“Sorry,” he said. “I swore to myself I wouldn’t touch you at lunch, but I find you so fucking irresistible.”
Until You Page 18
