Bad In Boots 02 - Ty's Temptation (11 page)

Ty heard the knowing smile in her tone. He didn’t bother looking down at her when he responded. “I’m not the same person I was back then.”

“I’m sure you aren’t. You’re a grown man now.” She tugged on his arm. “You seem so tense. Come dance with me for old times’ sake.”

Ty allowed her to pull him out on the dance floor. He felt like a piece of hard metal bent to its limit, ready to snap, but the sensation of her hand on his arm told him he needed to find out for sure if he’d finally gotten over her. How would it feel to hold her in his arms again after all these years?

As he put his arm around Lily’s lower back and held her other hand to lead, he noted just how small and fragile she was. Even wearing three-inch heels she just reached his chin. Tonight she’d worn her straight black hair down. The soft strands landed just over her shoulders. Her black spaghetti-strapped dress scooped low to reveal her ample cleavage—cleavage he’d very much appreciated as a randy teenager.

“This suit looks custom-made.” Lily’s gaze followed her hand as she ran it across his shoulder to feel the expensive black fabric. A pleased smile crossed her features as she met his gaze. “So you’re an architect who owns his own business. You’ve done very well for yourself.”

He raised his eyebrow at her comment. “You’ve been checking up on me?”

She laughed. “How else was I supposed to find out? It’s not like you were forthcoming with your background information.”

Ty shrugged. “It wasn’t relevant.”

“True. But I was curious. Weren’t you ever curious about me? Curious to know how I turned out?”

His entire body tensed. How many times had he wondered what had happened to Lily? What type of man it took to make her happy? “Not really.”

A hurt expression crossed her face. “You asked me to marry you once, Ty. Are you saying I meant so little to you?”

Ty’s jaw tightened. “That was a long time ago.”

Her lips thinned as if she were irritated by his abrupt tone before a smile settled on her lips. “Yes, it was a long time ago. We were both very young, but one thing has stayed with me all these years.”

“What was that?”

Lily slid her arm up his shoulder and cupped the back of his neck. Pressing her chest against his, she pulled on his neck until he moved close enough for her to whisper in his ear.

“You’re the best lover I ever had.”

Shock ricocheted through Ty at her revelation. All the time he’d spent thinking he didn’t measure up. All those years of sexual self-doubt in his early twenties, wondering if his performance in the sack was the reason he couldn’t convince Lily to marry him.

At the same time he straightened to look Lily in the face, he caught sight of Evan standing ten feet away, staring at him.

Evan started to walk away, but Chad grasped her elbow. The jerk-off whispered something in her ear before he clasped her hand and tugged her out onto the dance floor.

Lily’s soft fingers turned Ty’s jaw until his gaze met hers. “Did you hear what I said?” Her dark gaze searched his as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Ty stopped dancing and pulled her arms down from his neck. “Like you said…we were just kids.”

Lily gave him a siren’s smile. Her seductive gaze swept over him, assessing and appreciating every inch. “Oh, I know that. If you were good back then with no sexual experience, I can only imagine what you’re like now.”

Her words landed on him like a load of wet cement, heavy and sticky but quickly turning hard and stiff. And here he thought she’d dumped him because he was a lousy lay. He closed his eyes for a brief second.

As anger swept through him, Ty opened his eyes and his gaze drifted back to Chad’s arms around Evan’s waist. The jackass had started massaging her back. Her wavy hair just brushed her exposed back where her navy dress plunged all the way to the base of her spine.

When Ty looked at Evan, his pulse raced and he instantly went hard…no matter what she wore. Then again, he liked her best wearing nothing at all. The better to enjoy her long legs and miles of sweet, honey-toned skin.

“Ty.”

He forced his gaze away from Evan and Chad at the pout in Lily’s tone. As he narrowed his gaze on the woman before him, Ty realized two certainties—just how much he wanted Evan and just how fucking over Lily he was. She didn’t hold a candle to the way Evan made him feel…made him burn with the need to touch her.

“You got what you wanted in life…no one to hold you back from your professional goals, Doctor Shelton. I hope you’re happy with it.”

Ty walked off the dance floor and headed straight for the bar. “Shot of whisky, straight up.”

The bartender nodded and poured him a drink.

Ty watched Chad lean close and brush his lips down Evan’s neck. He picked up the shot glass and downed the drink in one swig. Fury, unlike anything he’d ever experienced in his life swept through him, burning just like the alcohol did going down. Everything he’d learned, breathing techniques, focus, emotional control—gone. All because a man dared to touch the woman he wanted.

Wanted.

Hell yeah, he wanted Evan. Wanted to feel her long, shapely legs wrapped around his hips, wanted to hear her moaning as he slid inside her, then screaming when he began to thrust deep. He wanted her to come over and over…all because of him.

Gritting his teeth, he was glad his jacket covered the raging hard-on that pushed against the fly of his pants.

Lily chose that moment to walk up and order a glass of white wine. Her gaze followed his line of sight. After the bartender poured her glass, she picked it up and took a sip.

She turned to walk away, but paused just a moment to glance at him over her shoulder. “Since I doubt you’ll be coming by my office to have your stitches removed, why don’t you ask Doctor Masters to take care of removing them for you.”

Ty frowned at the sarcasm in Lily’s voice. Was she jealous that he was interested in someone who didn’t hold a professional job? Evan seemed very dedicated to her career, regardless if she didn’t have initials by her last name. Even though he used that as an excuse to give Lily a hard time, Ty didn’t give a shit about the professional part. It all boiled down to the fact he was a selfish bastard. He didn’t want a woman who sent him to the backseat for her career.

Jena’s voice drew his attention. “You’ve put in an appearance, big brother. You can leave any time you’d like.”

Ty slid his gaze her way. “What makes you think I want to leave?”

She gave him a sisterly smile. “Oh, I dunno. Maybe because you haven’t taken your eyes off Evan since she walked in the room.”

Ty looked down at the shot glass he rolled in his palm. “You afraid I’m going to make another scene?”

“Are you?”

When he snapped his gaze to hers, mischief danced in his sister’s vivid blue eyes.

The slow song was coming to the end. A devilish smile tugged at Ty’s lips as he set the shot glass on the counter. “Not as long as I can pry Evan out of the cocky bastard’s tight clutches.”

“Allow me.” Before Ty could say a word, his sister started across the dance floor toward the couple.

“Chad, I’m so glad to see you could make it.” Jena walked up with her hand outstretched and a broad smile on her face.

Chad shifted his gaze to their hostess and put his hand out to shake Jena’s hand. “Hey, Jena, or should I say, Soon-to-be Mrs. Harmon Steele. Thanks for the invitation.”

Jena tugged on Chad’s hand. “Your dad wanted me to introduce you to my family. My Uncle Rick’s an attorney. I told him you’d just passed the bar. Come and meet him.”

Chad’s grip on Evan’s waist started to slip as he allowed Jena to tug him toward her. Evan knew Chad planned to follow in his father’s political footsteps. He was also the kind of guy who never passed up an opportunity to make another contact. In that respect, he was definitely his father’s son.

“You finally made it.” The sound of Ty’s deep voice made Evan’s heart skip several beats.

Chad’s grip on her waist instantly tightened when he heard Ty behind them. He turned and narrowed his gaze on Jena’s brother. “Evan’s here with me.”

Evan stepped out of Chad’s hold, angry with both men. “I’m not ‘here’ with anyone.” Nodding toward Jena, she smiled. “I take it the rehearsal went well?”

Jena laughed as she tucked her hand around Chad’s arm. “Of course, but despite a great rehearsal, I know one should never expect everything to go perfectly on one’s wedding day.”

Evan smiled her understanding then looked up at Chad. “Go with Jena.”

His blue gaze darted between Evan and Ty before it narrowed. “I’ll go if you promise me a dance tomorrow after the wedding.”

She felt the weight of Ty’s heavy gaze on her, but she refused to look his way. “Okay, I’ll dance with yo—”

Chad pulled her close and kissed her hard, cutting off her words. Evan didn’t even have time to react. Chad broke their kiss and cast a triumphant smirk Ty’s way before he walked off with Jena.

Evan’s stomach tightened at Ty’s nearness, but anger still welled within her. She’d seen the way Lily had herself wrapped around him. Ty didn’t seem to mind one bit. As a matter of fact, he seemed to have a tight grip on the woman’s perfectly pinched, no-wider-than-the-span-of-a-man’s-hand waist. Grrrr!

“Evan.”

She ignored him as she headed for the entryway. She’d come to the party as she promised Jena she would, but she refused to hang with Ty. It wasn’t like they had any type of commitment or anything, but for God’s sake the man had had his hand inside her, stroking her to climax just a few hours ago. Her heels clicked on the hard floor outside the ballroom with each determined step she took down the hall toward the hotel’s entrance.

“Evan.”

Her stomach fluttered at the sound of Ty’s voice so close behind her. “It’s okay, Ty. I’ve decided to let you off the hook from our agreement.”

Evan gasped when Ty grabbed her arm and opened a door that led to an empty ballroom. Yanking her inside, he closed the door and faced her. The dim lighting in the room allowed her to see the anger reflected in his expression as he jerked his head back toward the way they had come.

“Why? Because you’d rather have that prick’s cock in you instead?”

The sound of Evan’s hand connecting with Ty’s face resounded in the large empty room. “That was outta line.”

Ty grabbed her wrist before she could pull away. His green gaze glittered with anger and something else as he used his hold to yank her toward him.

When his mouth landed on hers, hard and demanding, Evan let out a surprised yelp, which came out sounding like a muffled “hmmmph”. Ty’s lips didn’t just claim hers. He possessed her with his aggressive kiss. His tongue thrust deep in her mouth and his hands moved to her back before they slid down her spine to cup her rear through her dress. It was the kind of kiss that had nothing to do with control and everything to do with unleashed, raw, staking-his-claim desire.

But as excited as Ty’s kiss made her, she wasn’t about to let the man insult her without giving as good as she got. Pushing against his chest, she broke their heated kiss. “Don’t you think Lily will wonder where you went?”

He gave her a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”

She tried to pull out of his arms, but Ty just tightened his hold.

“Answer me, damn it.”

Evan shrugged at the anger in his tone. “Jena told me you and Lily dated a long time ago. I guess when you saw her all dressed up, you decided to pick up where you left off.”

Ty’s gaze dropped to her lips and he backed her up against the door. “There’s only one woman I want.”

With her back flat against the door, Ty pressed his chest against her breasts and finished in a husky tone, “You’re the only woman I’m so hot to get inside of I can’t think about anything else.” He pressed his lips to her neck and lifted her off the floor so he could rock his erection against her mound. “I can’t wait to slide inside your sweet, tight body, Eve.”

His words went straight to her toes and her pulse thrummed in excitement. Evan cupped the back of his neck as his lips covered hers once more. When he set her down and his hands began to lift the hem of her dress higher, her heart hammered and her lower belly tensed in pent-up sexual frustration. Of their own accord, her hands moved to unbutton his jacket then she slid her hands down his tight stomach to unbutton and unzip his pants. She didn’t give a damn if her first time was against a door…so long as it was with Ty and just like this—as passionate at it could be.

His warm hands connected with the back of her bare legs, sending shivers down her spine. Evan moaned against his mouth. Her sounds must’ve spurred him on because he gripped her thighs and lifted her. Before she could utter a word, he rammed his cloth-covered cock against her. Her underwear and his boxer briefs prevented what they both seemed to desperately want, yet the barrier of clothes between them somehow turned her on even more.

As he began to rock against her, she wrapped her arms and legs tight around him, pausing to say between heated kisses, “I think we’re a bit overdressed.”

“Shhhh,” he said then moved his lips near her ear. His thrusts grew stronger as he rode her against the door. “You’re so damn wet. God, I’m so fucking aroused by your heat.” His grip tightened on her buttocks and his shoulders tensed underneath her arms as he ground himself against her. She cried out at the erotic sensations building inside her.