Ty stood and his tone turned as cool as the night breeze. “What is it about?”
She took off his wool socks and slipped her feet into her heels. Her feet felt cold and cramped against the smooth material. “I don’t know exactly. But now that you mention it, we should probably keep this professional.”
“I didn’t mention that, and I don’t think it’s what you want.”
“Maybe not.” She bundled up the socks and set them on the chair before glancing at him again. “But I can’t get distracted. This story is too important.”
He continued to study her, as if he could see how much more she wanted from him. A buzzing started low in her belly at the look in his eye. “Stop doing that.”
“What am I doing?”
“Looking at me.”
He smiled. “We’re having a conversation.”
“I can barely form a sentence when you’re looking at me like that. It’s not fair.”
His gaze dropped and her nipples hardened.
“Don’t look there either.”
He laughed, a slow sexy sound, then made a show of covering his eyes with his hands. “You may need to lead me into the house.”
She groaned. “Never mind.” Pulling his hands away from his face, she tried not to notice the way the muscles of his arms tensed under her fingers. “But no more looks like you’re imagining me naked.”
“How do you know what I’m imagining?”
Her response lodged in her throat as her own imagination ran wild.
“Are you thinking of me naked?” Ty asked.
She swallowed. “Of course not. I need to go. Now.” She picked up the socks and blanket.
As she turned for the door, Ty rounded on her without warning, dragging her against him and sliding his mouth over hers. Of their own volition, her arms wound around his neck.
They stayed that way for several minutes, teasing with their tongues, taking turns commanding the kiss. With a shake of his head, Ty dragged his mouth away from hers. “I guess that’s the trick,” he rasped, dropping his forehead to press against hers.
“What trick?” she asked, still dazed from the embrace.
“When your hackles rise, I’m going to have to kiss you into submission.”
She lifted her head and threw him a glare.
“Or be kissed into submission,” he amended.
“That’s more like it. About this crazy chemistry between us . . .”
He touched a fingertip to the center of her lips. “We’ll handle it, Kendall. We’re both adults. You’ve told me you’re leaving, and I don’t do complicated. Let’s enjoy the ride and not worry about the destination.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Letting things ride isn’t really my strong suit.”
“This is a break from the norm, remember?
“I knew that would come back to bite me.” She groaned, thumping the heel of her hand against her forehead.
Ty wiggled his eyebrows. “That’s not the only thing that may come back to bite you. But right now, you need to get home. Beauty sleep and all that.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“It’s the upside of working off camera. We laborers can just throw on a baseball cap and be done with it.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not even going to go there. Speaking of on camera, we got some great interviews yesterday with the Silver Creek residents. There are several inspiring stories of families rebuilding their lives that the viewers will love, but the land development plan I told you about is shaping up to be a real hot button.”
Ty’s shoulders tightened as he led her to the front door. Pulling it open, he turned to face her. “What’s the consensus with the locals?” he asked, his casual tone at odds with the muscle ticking in his jaw.
“As far as I can tell, it’s a mixed bag. Some people feel like it’s not right to turn over any of the forest for development, but a few of the homeowners I spoke with thought it would be worth a small sacrifice if it meant money for their families and future wildfire prevention efforts. There was one woman in particular, Helen Bradley, who has close to fifty acres backing up to the restoration site. The land has been in her family for years, and she’s really struggling with her decision. If she sells to GoldStar, most of her neighbors will follow suit.”
Ty mumbled something Kendall couldn’t understand.
“What did you say?”
“Those residents will never see a dime of the money that’s being dangled in front of them. GoldStar is as crooked as they come. Trust me, the company will find a way around any financial obligations they make to the locals.” He flipped on the porch light. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Whoa, there,” she said, trying to read his hooded features in the dim light. “That’s a bold accusation, and you sound very sure of yourself when you make it.”
“I am.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the front steps. “Let’s not talk about this tonight. I’m still savoring the fact that you showed up on my doorstep. I don’t want anything to ruin that.”
Kendall relished the feeling of being pressed so cozily against him, but the reporter in her couldn’t resist digging for more information. “I can’t let this go after a bombshell like that. I’ve done my homework on GoldStar, Ty. They’re a big player in land contracts around Colorado, but there’s nothing shady in any of their deals.”
“Have you researched the company’s owners?”
“According to public records, GoldStar is run through a holding company, ERB Investments. The proposal for selling the land is a recent development. Silver Creek isn’t an investigative report, unless you’re willing to give me some facts to back your insinuations.”
“Not tonight.” He opened the driver’s side door, and gave her a gentle push.
She inserted the key into the ignition and rolled down the window. “Fine. If you’re too chicken to tell me what you know, I’ll go to the source.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, eyes narrowed.
“I’ve been dealing with GoldStar’s media contact. My next step is to see what the CEO of ERB Investments has to say.”
“Don’t bother,” he said through clenched teeth.
“You don’t think some big shot owner will talk to a local reporter? I’ll have you know—”
“You’ll meet him on Sunday.”
“What do you mean?”
His voice was hard and flat. “The crook who owns ERB Investments and GoldStar is my father.” He turned on his heel and stalked toward the house. “I’ll pick you up at three,” he called over his shoulder.
Kendall stared, mouth agape, into the darkness where he’d stood moments before. Fumbling for the door handle, she wrenched it open and shot out of the SUV.
“Ty, wait,” she yelled, rounding the Jeep’s bumper just as the front door of his house slammed shut. She thought about following him and pounding on the door until he let her in. But she was too shocked to know what to say.
She climbed back into the SUV and closed the door. His father owned ERB Investments? It didn’t make sense. The holding company was one of the largest in the state, with at least thirty companies in its portfolio. GoldStar had built dozens of subdivisions throughout Denver and its outlying suburbs.
Kendall tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. Ty called his father a crook but had done his best to act disinterested in the land development piece of the Silver Creek story. It didn’t make sense.
He was a member of one of the wealthiest families in Colorado. And now the story they were working on had taken on a deeper meaning, both in terms of her career and what his accusations might mean for the Silver Creek community. Ty might not want complications in his life, but she was about to change all that.
Ty heard the front door of the small office open. His atte
ntion remained focused on the computer.
“Hey, what’s going on? You look like hell.”
He dragged his eyes away from the data on the screen. Jenny’s willowy frame filled his door. Her short denim cutoffs barely skimmed the top of her thighs and a tight yellow T-shirt made her red hair look even more vibrant.
“You go to the job site like that and some fool’s bound to drive up on the McPherson’s yard when they pass.”
She shimmied her hips. “Just doing my civic duty. What about you? You look like you didn’t sleep last night.”
“A couple of hours. I’m doing some research on GoldStar’s proposed land development deal up in Silver Creek.”
Jenny’s eyebrows lifted. “Are you going up against your dad? I thought those days were over.”
“They are.” He saved the document he’d been working on and swiveled his chair away from the computer. “Silver Creek is a beautiful area. I don’t want to see GoldStar ruin it. I’m running some data for the Forest Service, that’s all.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I mean it,” Ty growled. “And don’t look at me that way.”
“Someone swallowed a grump-ass pill today.” Jenny planted her hands on either hip. “Don’t project six years of anger and resentment onto me, buddy. Besides, I’m thrilled to see you getting involved with the Silver Creek development, even if you’re doing it to score on the hot news lady. It’s high time you used the degree that put all those fancy letters behind your name. How long are you planning to hide your head in the dirt?”
“Who’s hiding? I’m running a business here. One, I might add, that has kept you gainfully employed for these past six years.”
“I’m eternally grateful,” she said. Her tone softened. “You made a mistake, Ty, and you’ve paid in spades. It’s time to move on.”
“I have moved on. Rocky Mountain Landscapes is my job. I’m good at it, I enjoy it, and I have yet to let down one of my clients. Life is great.” He locked gazes with his old friend for several long moments. “Let it go, Jenny.”
“Fine.” She gave an annoyed sigh. “Speaking of not letting down clients, did you finish the specs for Lakeside Park?”
“Shit,” Ty whispered. “When is the meeting?”
She glanced at her watch. “Two hours. What happened? I thought you were going to work on the plans last night.”
Ty shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He reached for the canvas case where he had stuffed the unfinished plans. “Yeah, well, something, uh, came up. I didn’t get to the drawings.”
Jenny bounded across the room. “You’re blushing.” She plopped into one of the upholstered chairs in front of his desk. “It has to be Kendall Clark. Tell me everything.”
He pulled a roll of plotting sheets from the case and set them on the desk. “You’re nuttier than a fruit cake. Men do not blush.”
Jenny tapped one finger to the center of her mouth. “The last time I saw you blush I was twelve and caught you and Carol Dison in the back of your dad’s Mercedes. As I remember, you were giving the full moon a run for its money.”
“You were such a brat.” Ty laughed. “I spent most of my Christmas vacation earning money to have that car detailed after you told on me.”
“I was an impressionable child,” she protested. “You freaked me out. Carol was making some scary noises.”
“She was a screamer.”
“Is Kendall Clark a screamer?”
Ty thought about the sweet, husky sounds Kendall had made against his mouth when he’d touched her last night. His body grew heavy at the memory. Shit. “I am not going to discuss Kendall with you.”
Jenny smiled knowingly. “It must have been good. You’re as red as a tomato. I’ve decided I like her. She seems kind of prissy on TV, but she was nice when I drove her from Ray’s the other day. I bet she warms up in the right setting, huh?”
“Jenny.” His tone held a warning note.
“All right,” she said, not quite hiding the smile that played at the corner of her mouth. “More importantly, you like her.”
Ty nodded. “I’m taking her to Easter dinner at my parents’ house.”
Jenny’s eyes widened. “Holy crap, she’s meeting the royal family? Forget about the bunny. Your mother is going to lay a chocolate egg on the marble floor.”
Jenny had been referring to the Bishops as the royal family for as long as Ty could remember, so he didn’t take offense. His mother, especially, acted as stuffy as nobility most of the time.
“When was the last time you brought a woman home to meet your parents?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Grad school, I guess.”
“Are you serious about this one?”
Good question. Based on the way he couldn’t stop thinking about her and the fact that his chest clenched every time she was near, the answer was yes.
“Not at all,” he said. “She’s working on a story that involves GoldStar. It was only a matter of time before she figured out my connection to the company. I thought I’d cut to the chase and introduce her to Dad.”
“He’ll charm her.”
“I know.” Ty’s father could take candy from a baby. “I told her he was a crook.”
Jenny whistled softly. “That’s a juicy bombshell to drop in a reporter’s lap, even if she is your girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Whatever you say. Did she press for details?”
“She didn’t have a chance. I stormed off right after I said it.”
“How dramatic.”
“And mature,” he added. A ceramic mug sat on the top of his desk filled with pens and pencils. He pulled a yellow pencil out. “Enough about Kendall and GoldStar. I need to get these plans done before the meeting.”
Jenny cleared her throat. “I’ve got drawings ready for Lakeside,” she mumbled, examining the fingernails of her right hand.
Ty unrolled the unfinished sketches. He looked at Jenny, but her eyes were focused on her hand. It was unusual to see her looking uncomfortable. “What are you talking about?”
“They’re not that good,” she said quickly. “I like to practice so I do plans for each of the big jobs. I compare my ideas to yours. It’s silly but helpful for me to learn that part of the business.” She brought her hand to her mouth, nibbling at the side of one fingernail.
Ty stared at her, dumbfounded. “You’ve done mock-up specs for all of our jobs and never showed me? Why?”
“Why should I? You’ve got the flair for design, the big-time degrees, and the clients love your ideas,” she said matter-of-factly. “Everything I know about this business I learned working for you. Hell, I didn’t even finish college.”
“Who cares? This is landscaping, Castelli. We’re not splitting the atom.” When she didn’t respond, he shook his head. He was used to Jenny selling herself short because she’d dropped out of high school when she got pregnant, but it still annoyed him. “Are you going to sit there chewing your nails to the quick or are you going to get the plans? Time is wasting.”
She dropped her hand from her mouth and stared at her fingers. “Hell, I’d been growing these babies out for two weeks without so much as a nibble.” She glared at Ty. “See what the stress of this job does to me?”
“The plans,” he repeated, removing the blank spec sheets to the side of his desk.
She stood, scowling. “They need a lot of work. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Turning on her heel, she marched out of Ty’s office. Moments later she returned with a roll of paper clutched gingerly between her hands. “Lakeside is pretty straightforward. I bet you could whip something together from scratch in time for the meeting.”
He held up one hand, curling a finger toward his chest. “Give ’em up, baby.”
“Don’t call me baby, you jackass. I’ll sue you for sexual harass
ment.”
“Quit stalling.”
With obvious reluctance, she dropped the papers on the space he’d cleared. “They’re not—”
“Sit down,” he ordered, “and shut your mouth for one lousy minute.”
She plopped into the chair. “Your people management skills suck.” Unconsciously, her hand strayed to her mouth.
At least biting her nails would keep her quiet. Ty unrolled the sheets of white paper. He studied the drawings Jenny had created. At one point, he glanced up at the woman sitting across from him. He’d known her almost his whole life but felt like he was seeing her for the first time. “Where did you learn how to draw?”
“I got some books out of the library. Cooper and I made it into a game at night. He picked the things I was supposed to sketch. I was really bad at first.” She flashed an uncharacteristically sheepish smile. “I’m still not that great.”
Ty rested his elbows on the edge of the desk and steepled his hands. “Jenny, this is fantastic. You’ve incorporated the important design elements but done it with a sense of fun that is perfect for a community recreation area and playground. The park board is going to go nuts over this.”
Slowly, she brought her hand away from her mouth. “You mean it? You wouldn’t blow smoke up my butt just because we’re friends, would you?”
“I mean it.” He shook his head in wonder. “I’m shocked. Not that you have this kind of talent,” he added quickly. “That you’ve never shared any of your designs with me.”
Jenny shrugged. “I thought you’d blow me off.”
“You should know me better than that.”
“Let me introduce you to a little concept called ‘fear of failure,’” she said dryly. “Oh, wait, I forgot. You wrote the book on that one.”
Ouch. He made sure she didn’t see how close to home that comment struck. “We’re not discussing me right now.”
A huge smile broke across her features. “That’s right. We’re talking about my brilliant design talent. You’ll use my plans?”
“Without a doubt.”
“Promise you’ll call me as soon as the meeting’s over. I can’t wait to hear what they think.”
Kissing Mr. Right Page 12
