Ty hadnt slept well either, mostly from the memories of Nicoles mouth on his, from the feel of her body beneath his hands, from the little needy sounds that had escaped her throat before theyd broken apart for air.
Under the circumstances, with his own dark circles beneath his eyes, he didnt really feel he had the right to say anything.
If I want a mother, Ill call mine, Nicole said.
Which reminds me, yours came by. Taylor lifted a brow. Checked me out. I must have passed muster, as she told me to make sure you get your sleep, eat your veggies and dont take extra shifts at the hospital.
Ty lifted his own brow at Nicoles impressive and colorful opinion of that. Then watched her very fine ass sashay to the door.
Dont ruin that dress yanking it off, Taylor told her. And use a hanger!
Dont ruin that dress yanking it off, Taylor told her. And use a hanger!
The door slammed, and Taylor snickered.
Suzanne sighed. You shouldnt have baited her that way.
Are you kidding? If I didnt, shed never have put the dress on, much less agreed to wear it. And she really does need to eat more veggies, you said so yourself.
She didnt agree to wear the dress, Suzanne said.
Oh, shell wear it. Taylor tossed them both a positive smile. Shell wear it with bells on.
Ty was just thankful he wouldnt have to see it. In fact, he was still thanking his lucky stars when Suzanne turned to him and said, Youll be invited to the engagement party, of course.
Me? Panic was a taste he hadnt eaten in a good long time.
Yeah. I think youre going to be around a while. Suzanne gave him a little smile.
Oh, boy. There were matchmaking plans in those eyes. Unintentionally, he backed up, making both women laugh.
Dont tell me a man who wears clothes as well as you do has an aversion to dressing up like Nicoles? Taylor said.
No, but I do have an aversion to being set up.
Set up? Taylor cocked her head to the side. Most men would be drooling to go out with a woman who looked the way Nicole just did.
Not me. I get my own women, thank you. Didnt you want to show me your contractor bids? You wanted my opinion, right? He could hear the desperation in his voice. Can we get back to that?
Were not talking marriage here, Ty. When he didnt relax, Taylor just sighed. Fine. Ill let you in on a little secret I think will help the situation here, all right? Nicole and I? We plan on remaining single. Forever. No white dress, no white cake and no diamonds on our ring fingers. If theres any hooking-up going on, its of the one-night variety only. Follow?
But telling him that only gives him an unfair advantage over Nicole! Suzanne protested.
Taylor kept her amused gaze on Ty. I have a feeling hes the one who needs the handicap. Hurt her though, she said casually. And well hurt you.
Oh, definitely, Suzanne agreed.
They werent serious, Ty thought. They couldnt be serious. He laughed to prove it.
They didnt laugh back.
Actually, Taylor said seriously, if you hurt her, well hunt you down and cut off your balls. So She clapped her hands and smiled. Ready to get to work?
American women were insane, he thought. Completely insane.
TWENTY MINUTES later, Nicole ran back out of her loft. She needed to lose herself in something, and the first thing to come to mind had been the hospital. Her mind was now firmly on work.
Okay, not true. Her mind was still wrapped around the way Ty had looked at her in that dress. Oh, man, how hed looked at her in that dress. Her knees still were a little weak. Whod have thought a man could have such heat in his eyes? Shed nearly imploded on the spot from the intensity.
But she was absolutely not going to waste time thinking about that, or analyzing her reaction to it. She was going to concentrate on work-
She came to an abrupt halt in front of her car. The streets were filled with shoppers and diners, with people who had nothing to do all day other than wander.
But Nicole had plenty to do. And shed get to it, if sitting on the hood of her car hadnt been Taylor andand the man shed just promised herself she wouldnt think about.
Heads together, they were poring over an opened manila file and laughing. Until they saw her.
Well, Taylor kept laughing. But Tys smile slowly faded. You changed, he said.
Yeah, its hard to operate in a cocktail dress.
Taylor, who had her feet propped up on the bumper of Tys car, which was parked right in front of Nicoles, waved her closer. Ty is trying to help me decide on a contractor. These two right here? She held up two different bids. Theyre young and cute. And expensive. But very good at what they do, apparently. She looked at Ty for approval, who nodded. And these two She switched papers around and held up two more bids. Theyre a tad bit older, more experienced, slightly cheaperbut I guaran-ass-tee you, theyll have beer bellies and plumber cracks hanging out the backs of their low-riding jeans, and it wont be pretty.
Ty rolled his eyes. Tell me youre not hiring a contractor based on his ass.
Okay, I wont tell you. Grinning, she popped up, hugged Nicole, and started toward the building.
Well, gee, I guess were done, Ty said to her back, standing up himself.
Turning around, Taylor smiled. I just figured, since Nicole didnt really have to be at work, and since Id bet the bank she hasnt eaten, that the two of you could go out.
No, Nicole said quickly. Too quickly, but damn it, she couldnt help it. Eat with Ty? No. No way.
But Taylor danced her bossy butt into the building and vanished.
Ty reached for Nicoles hand, tugging her close enough that he could look into her face. Hey, he said softly.
Hey.
Sorry about upstairs.
You mean about staring at me in that dress?
His mouth quirked. Not for staring, no. Sorry you were so uncomfortable in it. You lookedamazing.
Yeah. Funny what a low-cut, tight number like that does for a man. Did you lose a lot of brain cells?
He let out one of those slow, dangerous smiles. Dangerous, because she couldnt take her eyes off it. That, combined with his warm hand in hers, and suddenly she stood there on the sidewalk, completely forgetting she didnt want to stand there with him. Staring at him.
Darlin, he said, I lose brain cells every time I look at you.
His voice melted her all the more. Unfair, very unfair. Well, if this does it for you She gestured down to her military-green cargo pants and plain white T-shirt. Then you have even bigger problems than I thought.
His see-all blue eyes never left hers. It has nothing to do with what youre wearing. Or how you look.
Oh, God. Why did he say such things? No one had ever said such things to her, and she had no idea how to handle it. If shed been hands deep in an emergency surgery, or up to her eyeballs in X raysthose she could handle.
But this wasnt work, this was far more personal than work had ever been, and she was at an utter loss. She inhaled a breath and held it.
Yeah, he said. Scary shit, huh? Lets go eat, Nicole.
Because Taylor said to?
Because I cant get you out of my head. We might as well spend some time together and see where it goes.
Its going nowhere.
He smiled again. Lets go see.
No. She fumbled for her car door, slid in. Ive really got to go. She turned the key.
And the engine simply coughed.
She turned it again, with more force, but she got that ridiculous wheezing noise that told her the battery was dead. Again. Damn it.
Sounds like battery trouble. Easy as he pleased, he opened her door, tugged her out. Lucky for you, my car runs like a sweetie. Ill drop you off at the hospital, then charge your battery while youre at work.
I dont want-
Its no trouble.
Naturally he didnt take her right to work, but stopped at a cute little sidewalk café a few blocks away. For sustenance, he explained as he got out and came around for her.
Came around for her. Nicole stared at him as he led them to a table, while she tried to remember the last guy whod opened a door for her.
Or put his hand lightly on the base of her spine, touching her as they walked.
Her skin still tickled. That it wasnt an entirely unpleasant experience had her head spinning. Who are you? she said over the table, bewildered, which wasnt a common problem for her.
He lowered his menu and smiled. What you see is what you get.
Why do I sincerely doubt that?
I dont know. What about you? Is what you see what you get?
She glanced down at her plain clothes, ran a finger over the silver hoops in her ear and lifted a shoulder. I think so.
Tell me about the earrings. What do they mean?
How do you know they mean something?
A hunch, he said, which she didnt like, because it was true.
How did he seem to know her so well? Theres one small hoop for every year of medical school, she admitted. Her own personal badges of honor, during a difficult time when shed been struggling to survive in a fast-paced, adult world while still in her late teens.
With a slow smile that bound her to him in a way she didnt understand any more than the ease with which he seemed to know her, he lifted the sleeve on his own shirt, revealing the tattoo shed seen before. It was a narrow band around his tanned, sinewy bicep in a design that was incredibly sexy. Just like the rest of him.
I got a part of it for every year I made it through college, he said. Finished it when I graduated and started my internship in Sydney.
Badge of honor, she whispered, and at this unexpected common ground of a deep, soul-felt connection, she felt herself warm to him in a new, different way.
The waitress came, and when Nicole tried to order just coffee, Ty took over and ordered enough food for an entire third-world country.
Im a growing boy, he said with a shrug and a big, unrepentant grin. And besides, I promised Taylor Id feed you.
Is that why were here? Because you promised Taylor?
His smiled faded, but before he could speak, the waitress came back with bread and butter. When she was gone, he grabbed a piece of bread and said, Were here because I wanted to spend time with you. He slathered butter on the hot bread. And I think, behind all that cool-as-ice stubborn orneriness, you want to spend time with me as well. He handed her the bread.