Tangling With Ty

4

NICOLE’S HEART pounded in her chest as pleasure swept through her. She didn’t know how she could be attracted to this man in this way, when he was the last person she figured she should want to feel such aching desire for.

They were polar opposites, for God’s sake. She was tense, an overachiever, dedicated to her work over and beyond all else.

He was laid-back. Easygoing. Not exactly forthcoming with his real self.

Okay, so maybe they shared that last trait.

But what was it Taylor had said about him…he was willing to let life take him where it would. Here. There. Anywhere. Not her, she knew exactly where she wanted life to take her. She’d always known.

And where she wanted life to take her had nothing to do with a man. With sex. With feeling.

She wanted life to take her right along the same path she’d been going. She wanted to be a great doctor. She wanted to try new and innovative surgeries, and be successful at them. She wanted to save people’s lives.

And not think about her own.

Yet there was no denying, he did something to her, something to her insides. He made her yearn and burn for human contact. Physical contact.

And that was something she rarely allowed herself because it made her open. Vulnerable.

She didn’t like to be open and vulnerable.

But that’s exactly what he did, without even laying a finger on her. He could have done it with just his eyes, but he had his hands on her now. She wanted to hate him for that, even as she wound her arms around his neck, even as she tilted her head for better access and kissed him back with everything she had.

Her body’s immediate reaction surprised her. Consumed her. She certainly hadn’t planned on feeling this aching desire, and for a man she hadn’t yet decided to trust. Her fingers ran over the sexy tattoo on his arm, then up his slightly rough jaw. He ran his down her back. She slid her fingers into his short hair and gripped hard. He rocked their bodies together.

“This is insane,” she decided.

“Yeah.” With a sexy growl deep in his throat, he slipped his hands beneath the edging of her top so that his fingers played at the base of her spine, stroking over bare skin, while his mouth danced over hers again, making her do just what he’d said he could do. Making her forget today, forget the stress.

Forget her name.

She wanted to pull away, wanted never to have goaded him into this embrace. Hard to do, since she’d practically climbed up his half-nude body in a desperate attempt to get even closer.

End it, she told herself.

Instead, she continued to kiss him back with every thing she had. Her tongue encouraged his, her hands claimed his sleek, muscled chest, while her insides melted at the hard, hot feel of him beneath her fingertips. She clung crazily to him as the only solid object in her frenzied world. And his lips…Lord, his lips! They were warm, firm and deliciously demanding. She could have said the same thing about his hands, which were at her waist now, his thumbs lightly caressing the quivering flesh just beneath her belly button. A knot deep inside her tightened. Her legs wobbled. And her nipples had long ago hardened to needy points, as if he’d already touched her there.

But he hadn’t, and that she wanted him to more than she wanted her next breath no longer shocked her. She wanted this man.

Then, from somewhere behind them came the ping of a computer snapping her back to reality. For those glorious few moments he’d actually made her forget that she stood in his house, mewling all over him, practically begging him for something she was not prepared to give.

“Your computer is calling you,” she said far more unevenly than she would have liked.

Still leaning over her, his mouth wet from hers, he slowly blinked, giving her a heavy-lidded look that made her want once again to melt all over him. “What?”

Pulling all the way free of his hands so she could get her brain functioning again, she stepped away, disturbed by how devastating one simple kiss had been.

Bottom line, when he laid on his easygoing charm, he was dangerous to her mental health, and this power seemed such an innate part of him she just needed to stay the hell away, period. “Your computer,” she repeated, licking her lips and tasting him on her. “It’s calling you.”

It took him a while because first he watched her tongue dart out to lick her lips, but finally he turned his head and looked at his computer screen.

His breathing wasn’t even either, Nicole noticed, just as she’d noticed every little detail about him. Like his bare chest, lightly tanned and hard with lean muscle. Or his faded, soft jeans, and the not-so-soft bulge behind the zipper.

She turned him on. The unexpected knowledge, along with the overwhelming and equally unexpected power of that, blew her away.

She turned him on. She, the original geek, turned on the sexiest, most erotic, most sensuous, passionate man she’d ever met. And that shouldn’t have been so…thrilling. “You have mail.” Her voice sounded breathless again. Not good. If she wasn’t careful, he’d notice and take it as an invitation. “Aren’t you going to look?”

“Yeah.” Blocking the screen with his big body, he read the e-mail, then put the computer on sleep mode. And though his face was carefully creased in one of his trademark easy, slow smiles, tension came off him in waves. “Where were we?” he asked in a light lilt that could have melted Iceland as he reached for her.

“Oh, no,” she said, backing up, right into a wall. “Not so fast.” She slapped a hand to his chest, his bare chest, which radiated heat. Her fingers started to curl into him, wanting more, so she wrenched it back. “I’m out of here.”

“You going to let a little kiss bother you then?”

She lifted a finger and pointed it at him. “You are not going to goad me into another one.”

“Because that would be…mind-blowing?”

“Because that would be…stupid.” She ducked beneath his arms and moved to the center of his office. “I came here to give you the plans and tell you I’m not attracted to you.”

“Which we’ve proved is a lie.”

“Okay, so I don’t want to be attracted to you,” she amended. “And now I’m gone.”

He waited until she got to the door. “Would it be so bad, Nicole, if we gave in to it?”

Not turning to him, not daring to, because at one look from him, she’d cave. Instead she tipped back her head and studied the ceiling. “Yes.”

“Because…?”

“Because. Just because.”

“We’d heat it up good, darlin’, you know that.”

Since her body was still heated up good, she had no doubt of that. Then his computer beeped again, accompanied by a surprisingly low and vicious oath from Ty. Turning back, she caught his unguarded expression as he reached for the keyboard.

Fury, plain and simple.

Wondering what was wrong, she sidled up behind him almost without realizing it, so that when he whipped around hiding the screen, she would have fallen backwards if he hadn’t grabbed her around the waist.

Fingers gripping her tightly, he lifted a brow. “See anything interesting?”

“No.”

His voice had lost all of its warmth. “You were right to run, Nicole. You should run. Now.” He let go of her, and she stumbled back. By the time she regained her balance, he had turned away, hands fisted on the windowsill as he stared outside.

She stared at his stiff back. “I didn’t see anything.”

“You’ll have to be quicker next time, huh?”

His temper stirred hers. Whirling, she stalked through the door, then down the hallway, and was reaching for the front door when he wrapped his long fingers around her elbow and spun her around. He had both his hands on her arms now, holding her still. He towered over her, her dark-haired, blue-eyed mystery man with the low, gruff voice and the sexy mouth that she was attracted to only every breathing moment she looked at him.

She struggled to free herself, but he wasn’t having it. “I can bring you to your knees with one well-placed kick,” she warned him.

“A moment ago I might have been in the mood for an all-out, drag-down, dirty fight, but not now.” His hands gentled, and he used one to cup her face. “I snapped at you and I’m sorry.”

“Fine.”

He sighed at her unbending, rigid stance. “Look, I was feeling nasty, all right? And I tend to take it out on anyone around me.” He sighed again. “Which is why I don’t often have anyone around me.”

She wanted to stay mad. Mad gave her energy to leave. But with him looking at her in that disarming way, with his hands still on her…it all dissolved.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated softly.

“I said fine.”

“Forgiven?”

She had to shake her head. “I’m usually so nasty when I’m not working, no one wants anything to do with me. My own family would rather I just- Damn it. Damn it.” She slapped her forehead. “I forgot to go to the family dinner my mom planned. There’ll be hell to pay for that.”

“Why?”

“You don’t have a family like mine, I take it,” she said wryly. “Big, bossy, noisy and more demanding than any work schedule I ever face.”

“No, I don’t have a family like that.” His eyes were curiously flat again. “I don’t have one at all.”

No. No, that wouldn’t tug at her either.

“I really am sorry,” he said very quietly, cupping her face, letting his long fingers stroke her skin. “Don’t let me and my foul mood chase you off.”

“I…need to go.”

“You know, I never would have pegged you for a chicken,” he taunted softly, and stopped her in her tracks.

She put her finger to his chest. “Take that back.” No one called her a chicken, and- And his chest…damn! His chest was captivating her all over again.

His smile reached his eyes again, when instead of continuing to poke him she ended up dragging her finger in slow circles from one pec to the other. “I am not going to sleep with you,” she said, but mmm, he had the best body. When her fingernail scraped over his nipple, he made a little hiss through his teeth. The sound shot straight to her good spots. “I’m not.”

“There you go, your mind in the gutter again.” His voice was a little rough around the edges now, even rougher when her finger ran over his nipple again.

“You weren’t thinking it? Not even a little?” she whispered.

“Well, I know you were.”

“I can lust after you and still keep my distance.”

“Can you?”

“Watch me.” She whirled to the door, put her hand on the handle, and…hesitated. “Are you…going to be okay?”

“Okay?”

“After that e-mail.” She glanced at him, but he’d perfectly shuttered his expression.

“Don’t you worry about me, darlin’.”

She had the feeling no one did. He had no one, which was almost beyond her comprehension. Her own family was a regular pain in her ass. But they were also always there for her, no matter what, and always had been. She couldn’t imagine being totally alone.

“I can see those wheels turn, doctor.”

“I was just wondering how it was you came to be all alone. What happened to your family?”

“Personal questions? From you?” His smile seemed a little off. “Tell you what. I get a question for every one of yours. Let’s start with this one. How is it you’re so beautiful and sexy, and yet the fact that we turn each other on makes you nervous as hell?”

Beautiful? Sexy? Those weren’t adjectives she attributed to herself. Brainy, yes. Technically minded, yes.

But sexy? The man needed glasses. Only there didn’t seem to be a thing wrong with those amazing eyes of his. She opened the door to his soft laugh.

“Let me guess…you have work?”

“Right,” she said. “Work.”

All the way home it wasn’t that mocking laugh of his that Nicole thought about, but the flash of a shocking emotion she’d never imagined from Ty Patrick O’Grady.

Vulnerability.

TY WORKED the next few days as if he had a demon on his heels, and he did.

Her name was Dr. Nicole Mann.

But he was a man used to ignoring his emotions, and he could continue to do so through this job.

So why he made more trips to Taylor’s building than was strictly required, he had no idea. Today was no exception. It was late afternoon, three days after The Kiss.

And damn, it had been some kiss. Truth was, he wanted another taste. He wanted her gripping him tightly, wanted her weak for him. He wanted her to care.

Odd, when he didn’t want to care. God, how he needed not to care.

TAYLOR CAUGHT Nicole sneaking up the stairs to her loft apartment after a long day of work. “Hey, come in for a sec.”

“Um…well…” As always, she thought longingly of her bed, and of her plans to be in it within ten minutes. Of the new medical reports in her arms that she was dying to dig into.

“Oh, save the puppy-dog eyes, I’m immune. You can’t just work, read about work and sleep.” Taylor crooked her finger, a gesture she expected to make people come running. “Come on and take your medicine like a woman, Dr. Mann. I’ve got Suzanne inside and she’s so excited it’s almost making me think there’s something to this love crap after all.”

“Then why don’t you go get married?”

“Not in this lifetime. I told you, you and me, single forever. Now get in here. It’s time to try on the dresses I got us for the engagement party.”

Nicole wished she’d taken a double shift. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did. You’d have never gone to the store with me to try them on, and I know damn well you don’t have a single dress worth a damn in your closet.”

“Nicole, is that you?” Suzanne stuck her head out Taylor’s door and grinned, her red hair piled on top of her head, her gorgeous lush body zipped into some shimmery black cocktail dress that made her look like a sex goddess. “What do you think?” She spread out her arms and turned in a slow circle. “Is Ryan going to like this?”

Having rarely seen Suzanne in anything other than her usual catering uniform of black bottoms and a white blouse, or her gauzy sundresses, Nicole shook her head in amazement. “Are you kidding? He’s going to attack you on the spot. I’m attracted to you wearing that.”

Suzanne laughed and pulled Nicole inside. “This is so much fun. Now for you…”

Rule number one, never let them take you inside.

“This is going to be good.” Taylor rubbed her hands together and looked Nicole up and down. “Strip.”

Nicole merely laughed at the command, but Taylor just crossed her arms and waited expectantly. Nicole’s smile dissolved. “No. No way.”

“Yes, way.”

“Hey, stop that.” Nicole held on to her shirt as Taylor tugged at it. “Get your paws off me.”

“I got the perfect dress. Don’t worry, it was on terrific sale at a discount outlet, since I know how cheap you are.”

“How do you know that?”

“You live here, don’t you? The dress is emerald green, sparkly and designed to drive men wild.” She held up a shimmery piece of material that was far too small to possibly be a dress. “It’ll show off your great body, though you’re going to need a hell of a push-up bra.”

“Gee, thanks.” Nicole pulled off her shirt.

“You ought to think about buying a set of boobs,” Taylor said, making Suzanne choke on her soda.

Nicole glared at Suzanne, who pressed her lips together and wisely refrained from so much as smiling.

“Hey,” Taylor said, lifting her hands. “Just thinking out loud here.”

“Why in the world would I want to do such a stupid thing as buy a set of breasts?” Nicole asked. “To catch a man? I don’t want a man.”

Taylor lifted a brow. “If you tell me you’re interested in women-”

“I’m not a lesbian, you idiot.” Nicole stepped out of her pants. “I’m just happy being alone, that’s all.”

“Yeah.” For a moment Taylor looked inexplicably…sad. Because that was so unusual, Nicole almost asked her about it, but Taylor held out the green material. “Luckily, as I’ve always said, you don’t have to be celibate to be single.”

“Who said I was?” Nicole looked at the dress in her hands, and realized she had no idea how to get into it.

“So you’re telling me you’re getting some?” Taylor snatched back the dress, straightened it out and slipped it over Nicole’s head. “You’re too uptight and grumpy to be getting any. Unless you’re giving him his and not getting yours.”

Nicole pulled her face free. “What?”

Suzanne cleared her throat. “I think she means maybe you’re giving him orgasms but he’s not giving them to you in return.”

Nicole divided a glance between the two woman, each watching her with such pity in their eyes, she had to laugh. “You’re both nuts.” She yanked the dress down her hips and quickly ran out of material.

“I see Ty looking at you,” Taylor said casually, tapping a well-manicured nail on her perfectly painted lips.

Nicole pretended not to hear that.

“Ty?” Suzanne fussed with the straps of the dress at Nicole’s shoulder. “Who’s Ty?”

“My architect,” Taylor said. “Remember? I told you about him. But since you were kissing Ryan at the time, you might have missed it.” Taylor never took her eyes off Nicole. “He’s tall, dark and sexy as hell. Not to mention his delicious, eat-me-alive accent.”

“An accent can’t be delicious,” Nicole said, and both women laughed at her. “What? It can’t.”

“She’s ga-ga over him,” Taylor decided with delight.

“We’ll have to invite him to the engagement party,” Suzanne agreed.

“What?” Nicole got a bad, bad feeling as she smoothed down the dress. “Now why would you go and do that?” Both women were staring at her. “What now?” Self-conscious, she crossed her arms. “What are you staring at?”

“My God.” Taylor shook her head. “I can’t believe it.”

“Wow.” Suzanne sighed dreamily. “Just wow. You’re beautiful, Nicole.”

Nicole just stared at them, then laughed.

“You are,” Taylor said softly.

Nicole shot them a last fulminating look, then stalked over to look into the antique stand-alone mirror Taylor had in one corner. What she saw made her jaw drop.

It wasn’t often she slowed down enough even to look in a mirror. She dressed for comfort, wore little makeup and had her hair cut short for convenience. If she had to think about her looks, she saw herself in a white coat. Sexless, really.

She didn’t look sexless now. The emerald color made her skin glow and brought out her eyes. Even her hair, usually worthless in the way of obeying or looking good, seemed…well, decent. Maybe more than decent. And her body…she actually had one.

“You have to wear it.” Taylor said of the dress that clung to every inch of Nicole’s form. The spaghetti straps held the snug bodice up in front, crisscrossed over her slim spine in back, where the dress dipped sinfully low. The hem came high on her thighs, and slipped higher with her every movement.

“You almost look like you’ve got boobs and hips,” Taylor noted.

“You look gorgeous,” Suzanne said, with a long look at Taylor. “You have such a beautiful body, Nicole.”

“A little skinny.” Taylor sniffed, but then smiled. “But some men go ape for a toned body like that.”

Someone knocked at the front door, and while Taylor went to answer it, Suzanne said quietly, “You really do look amazing. This is going to be so much fun.”

How to tell her she’d rather have a root canal? “I’m not wearing stockings or heels.”

“Okay.”

“I mean it. I-”

“You’ll never guess who I found,” Taylor said, coming back into the room. “A man. And just when we wanted a man’s opinion, too. He just wanted to drop off some papers, but…” Smiling the smile of a cat with the canary’s tail still hanging out of her mouth, Taylor moved aside.

Ty stood there, looking sweetly baffled. Until he saw Nicole, then all that sweet bafflement turned to heat as his eyes slowly took in the crazy dress she wore.

“What do you think?” Taylor asked Ty innocently. “Good enough for an engagement party?”

“Good enough to eat,” Ty said, the Irish heavy in his voice.