Taylor, Nicole said in a warning voice that turned into a squeak when Ty suddenly joined them.
On the bed.
His long denim-covered legs brushed hers. There were the covers between them, but given the electric zap she felt at the brush of his warm, hard body, and given the way the current continued to run through her, there werent enough covers in all of South Village to keep between them.
And then there was how her heart gave a little leap when he turned his head and pierced her with those amazing eyes of his.
Instant lust. Shed heard about it but had never experienced the phenomenon firsthand.
She didnt like it.
Gripping the sheet to her chest for all it was worth, Nicole watched as her two uninvited houseguests helped themselves to the tray of food balancing on her knees.
It was an unreal feeling having Tys long fingers hover over the plate only inches from her very naked body as he decided on a slice of apple.
It crunched between his white teeth as he looked at her.
Unreal, she decided, and definitelyarousing, if the way her body tingled was any indication. Ineed to get up.
Taylor used the fork to bite into the homemade hash browns, then moaned. Oh, these. These are to die for. Ty?
Leaning in, he opened his mouth to the forkful Taylor was offering him.
Fabulous, right? Taylor said as he chewed.
He licked his lips, and for an instant, as he looked at Nicole, something hot and dangerous flashed in his eyes. Oh yeah.
More? Taylor asked. A man your size, who works as hard as you do, needs to keep up his strength.
Still gripping the sheet, Nicole grated her teeth. I really need to- Hey! she said around the bite of warm hash browns Ty shoved into her mouth. And not too gently either. She had to open quickly and use her tongue to keep from spilling them down her front.
His electric-blue eyes never left hers. She would have opened her mouth and blistered him if she hadnt had it so full of the food. And oh man, the food. Heaven.
Not that she was going to admit it. I dont eat breakfast, she said, trying not to moan in pleasure as the food started to hit her stomach. Just-
Coffee, Ty finished for her, bending so close his lips almost brushed hers. Weve heard. Its here. She could feel his body heat, the warm breath that caused goose bumps to skitter down her side. Youre going to give yourself ulcers the way you eat. He tsked. And you claim to be a doctor.
Oh, I definitely like you, Taylor said to Ty, who grinned at her. We can tag-team her. I know you like to move around a lot, but I dont suppose after this job youd stay on and reprogram my friend here?
I really have to get up, Nicole said, jaw clenched. So if you could She gestured to the door.
Go ahead. Tys eyes were lit with the dare. Get up.
Nicole thought about how very naked she was under her sheet and gripped it tighter to her chest. Shed never been shy, had never felt anything but comfortable in her own skin. This came from years of no privacy in a tiny house with too many family members, then college dorms, and more recently, the locker area at work, which wasnt much bigger or more private than her bedroom happened to be at the moment. But in front of this man, she suddenly feltinadequate. He was red-blooded, through and through. She figured she knew his type; big boobs and breeding hips, with lots of hair to drape over his chest, thats what hed want.
Her virtual opposite.
Not that she cared. She just didnt plan to flaunt her small boobs and small hips anywhere near him.
Then, from across the small bedroom, under a mountain of clothes and more medical journals on a chair, came the unmistakable sound of her beeper going off.
Taylor held out her hand to keep Nicole in bed. Its your day off.
I cant just ignore it. But it was a shame she hadnt piled more clothes on top of the beeper before last night. A few more days worth and no one could have possibly heard the thing go off. Okay, funs over. You guys did good, you fed me. Now get lost.
Nicole, Taylor said sternly, still sitting on the bed. Do not get that pager.
Nicole turned to Ty, whose daring, smiling gaze had never left hers. I have to.
Sure you do, darlin. He lifted an inviting hand. Go right ahead, if its meaning that much to you.
You have to move first.
Generous to a fault, he scooted down on the bed a tad, giving her enough room to leave the bed if she so desired. Go on now.
With as much dignity as she could muster, which wasnt much, she grabbed the sheet and held on to it for dear life as she slid from the bed. Standing was a bit tricky, but she wrapped the sheet around her so fast her head nearly spun. Surely no one had gotten a glimpse of anything. Still, she didnt quite dare to look back and catch a peek at Tys face as she headed, chin thrust high, toward the chair.
She had to shove the medical journals and clothes to the floor to verify, but yep, it was work.
Dont tell me. Taylor stood up. Youre going in. Youre hopeless, you know that? With a dramatic sigh, she headed toward the door. But well be there, Nicole, if you fall.
We?
Suzanne and I, of course. Ornery as you are, youll need us to stick by you. So go. Go work yourself to exhaustion again. Enjoy.
I will, thanks. Half amused at the genuine compassion and worry that shed seen on Taylors face, she turned back to face Ty. Dont let the door get you on the ass on your way out. Im taking a shower.
Maybe youd better take your caffeine with you. He held out a mug of coffee.
Thanks. Grateful but not about to admit it, Nicole held on to the sheet for dear life and hobbled into the bathroom. She shut the door harder than she should have, and clicked the lock into place with what sounded like a gunshot.
She might have had to wake up with an audience, then eat with one, but hell if shed shower in front of one, no matter how pretty he was.
Still, the hot steam worked wonders, and she stayed there for a good long time, until the hot water turned warm, then tepid. Finally, she stepped out and sighed.
Damn, shed been looking forward to a day off.
There was one dry towel left on the rack, which meant she needed to seriously consider the pile of things behind her bedroom door as well as the pile now on her floor, both of which she so lovingly referred to as Laundry Mountain Range. Tucking the towel beneath her armpits, she studied herself impassively in the mirror.
Not bad, shed give herself that. And though shed prefer to be taller than so damn short, her bones werent bad either. Thanks to her workouts, she was a lean, mean, fighting machine.
But breasts would have been nice.
Laughing at herself, she turned away. What would she have done with cleavage? It wasnt as if she had dates lining up.
Still smiling, she opened the door and marched into her bedroom, dropping her towel as she went.
Because she had excellent eyesight, she therefore had a front-and-center view of Ty sitting on her bed, holding a glass of orange juice.
He had a front-and-center view, too. Of her.
The glass slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor in tune with her shriek as she bent down for her towel. What are you doing?
I
Straightening, she studiously avoided looking into his face as she refastened the towel. I thought you left!
Yeah, I
You said that already!
Ty knew that, but he was still flummoxed by the sight of her tight, lean body all dewy and damp from her shower. Standing now, he wasnt reassured by the fact his knees wobbled.
What was wrong with him? She wasnt his usual type, meaning stacked and blond and soft. There was nothing soft about Nicole, not her tough, angular body, not her voice, and most definitely not her eyes.
So why couldnt he stop thinking dirty little thoughts? Or take his eyes off her? Sorry. I just wanted to be sure you at least drank some juice.
Cant do that now, can I? With jerky movements, she tightened the towel even further over her breasts.
Breasts that he now knew were a perfect handful, tipped with tight rose-colored nipples. Somehow he managed to walk to her, lift her chin and look into her furious anddamn it, very embarrassed, eyes. Im sorry, he repeated softly.
Yeah.
He gazed at her grim mouth, and unbidden, his thoughts turned to kissing her until she was soft and pliant, until she sighed and gave herself over to him and the pleasure he could give her. He, Ty Patrick OGrady, no-good bastard, black-heart. You should know Im attracted to you in a way I cant quite seem to get over.
And yet youve seen me naked. Imagine that.
She didnt believe him. He sucked in a breath and inhaled the scent of her shampoo and ridiculously, his body reacted.
Perfect.
Now all his thinking had taken him to a place he had no business going, not with this woman. She wasnt the type to put up with a man afflicted with a serious sense of wanderlust, a man who never knew when he was going to decide to up and relocate.
Hell, hed never found any woman, on this continent or otherwise, whod put up with that.
Not that he wanted one to.
Youre beautiful, Nicole, he heard himself say as he stroked a finger over her cheek, her jaw. So damn beautiful.
It wasnt until he got down the stairs and into his car that he let out the breath hed been holding and stared off at nothing.
Hed meant what hed said. He was attracted to her in a way he couldnt get past. And she was beautiful, with or without that mouthwatering body and all that creamy, creamy skin exposed. So damned beautiful he ached.
Not a good thing, not a good thing at all.
3
NICOLE WORKED so many hours over the next two days she managed to forget Ty had seen her very naked. At the end of a particularly long, atrocious shift, she stood in front of her locker in the doctors lounge and realized she actually had the next day off.
Not a good thing, not a good thing at all.
3
NICOLE WORKED so many hours over the next two days she managed to forget Ty had seen her very naked. At the end of a particularly long, atrocious shift, she stood in front of her locker in the doctors lounge and realized she actually had the next day off.
Sleep, here she came.
That was an interesting sigh, said a male voice from behind her. A voice that made her wish shed gotten out of here five minutes ago.