Captured Secret (The Captured Series) (18 page)

Ty: I understand. Definitely get some sleep Stel. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Me: See you tomorrow, Goodnight.

Ty: Night Stella

M
Y
INTERCOM
LINE
RINGS
and Danielle, our front desk receptionist asks me to come up front. My heart kicks into overdrive just at the sight of him. Ty stands, leaning on the desk in jeans, a black t-shirt and black combat boots. He sees me come fully around the corner and the smile that spreads across his face is contagious. I’m all grins when he says, “Hey you.” When I first saw Ty, his eyes were what caught my attention, along with that blond hair that he sticks up in a mess of hotness. His body is amazing, and you would have to be blind not to notice that he is the total package. However, what has been turning me inside out lately, is when he flashes that stunningly beautiful smile my way. His mouth drives me wild. Maybe it’s because he keeps it from me that I find myself staring at his lips, teeth and tongue. When he edits, sometimes he drags his tongue on his lower lip and I feel like a guy who has a case of boob lock. I just can’t look away. I find myself mimicking that sweep of tongue sitting next to him. Thank God, he hasn’t caught me yet.

“I want to take you to lunch, have you gone yet?”

“No, I was planning on working straight through to make up for being sick, and the lost time yesterday.”

Ty lifts his eyebrow, letting me know he disapproves of my plan. “Well, then I’m glad I was in the area to save you from overworking yourself today, now let’s go.”

“Let me get my purse, I’ll be right back.”

“Do you really need it, Stella?”

“No, I guess not. But I do need my debit card…”

Ty pulls me by the hand out of the building, “The less you have the better.” I laugh out loud because he catches me off guard. We walk along the sidewalk and I don’t see his Escalade. He stops near a huge Harley. It’s large and very manly. I know nothing about bikes.

“Have you ever ridden before?”

I know my face is surprised. “This is yours?” He nods yes. “I’ve never seen it before.”

“I store it on the first floor. Every time we’ve been together we’ve needed the Escalade. Come here let me put this on.” I know I look nervous. I have never ridden on a motorcycle before. He slips the helmet over my head and secures it at my chin. He explains to me how to load on. “Stella, you trust me, right? I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” I nod, my belly is doing somersaults. I load on and when I get to wrap myself around him, the nerves go away. I push my thighs wide and push up against his rock hard ass so I can tuck my dress in between us. We only ride for about five minutes and he pulls into Chili’s. I would have been content just riding for an hour feeling the freedom from the office, and Ty up against me, in control.

He helps me off the bike. “That wasn’t bad, right?”

“No, it was very nice. I would have enjoyed just riding for the hour. I don’t really need lunch.”

“After two days of not eating, I was going to make sure you have something in your stomach at some point today.” He grabs my hand and we seat ourselves in the bar area.

“So, you were in the area?”

“Yeah, I met with the owner of a wing joint. He wants calendars that will feature his girls. He wants the months to match what the girls wear. They assured me they’d find suits for the fall and winter look. It’s was just over by Universal Studios.”

Our waitress takes our order and I lean on my elbows his way. “First, Universal Studios and the Orlando Airport area are not in the area. Second, how did you get out of there without eating and a smoking hot waitress attached to your hip, boss? I can only imagine that you lit up their day, sitting there, being all sexy and smelling delicious.”
Oh, my God, did I just effing say that out loud?

“Hmmm, do I hear a hint of jealousy? I did have to threaten to call the cops if they didn’t let me leave. More importantly, I told you I wanted to make sure you had something to eat after being sick and scaring the shit out of me.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about me. This extremely attractive male nurse took over and nursed me back to health very quickly.”

“I thought you were going to only be with me? And if you wanted to fuck someone else, you were going to tell me.” His reply is in a sultry and grumbly voice. “Is there anything you want to tell me about this amazingly built, smart, and gorgeous male nurse?” He raises an eyebrow awaiting my answer.

I can’t help but giggle. “I never said that he was amazingly built, smart, or gorgeous. I said extremely attractive.” Very matter of fact, I add, “But, I don’t have anything to tell you. I told you, if I wanted to sleep with anyone else, I would let you know. Well, this guy didn’t want me sexually. I take that back, he got me all hot and bothered and left me aching because I was sick. So I guess, adding to extremely attractive, I could add that he is very gentlemanly for not taking advantage of a sick girl like me.”

“I’m sure he would have felt like a dick, shoving in and out of your perfect little body while you were running a fever.”

“Well, if I talk to the male nurse again, I will tell him that I am a big girl and can make my own decisions. If I could have gone back, Ty, I would have been more persistent and gotten what I wanted from him.”

He rubs one of my fingertips in between his. “You were persistent, and it made the decision all the more difficult.” He almost looks sad.
Don’t laugh, Stella. He’s in serious mode.

The food is good and my tummy is full. We climb back on his bike and find Sam is sitting on a bench outside the front door of our building. I smile at her because I know she is sitting there to meet Ty. I introduce them, tell Ty thank you, and reluctantly remove myself from his hug to go back inside. Now I have a fake, sad look, and he smiles at me as I mope away.

The rest of the day goes quickly, and it takes everything I have not to leap into his arms the second I walk into the studio. He’s finishing up with a client, and while they talk, I start a load of laundry. We had a lot of dirty sheets and towels from me staying over Monday night. The young girl and her mom leave, and I could not be happier to have Ty to myself. I envision us having a nice dinner and talking the rest of the night. One can only hope that he wants to shove in and out of my body, as he says.

Ty returns from walking them out of the studio. He looks my way, his face is not warm, and his eyes are flat. “Emily wants you to call her. Can you also call Tia? She was the attractive girl on Saturday. Tell her that I can meet with her tomorrow, late afternoon for her preview. She needs her portfolio shots soon, and I would like to see what she decides so you can order them. Also, the QuickBooks need to be updated. I know you’re new to entering my numbers, so just text me if you have any questions.” Ty grabs his keys and heads to the door.

“Okay.” I’m almost speechless.

“Thank you.” He doesn’t even look in my direction.

“You’re leaving?”
God I sound so pathetic
.

“Yeah, I got shit to do.” He shoots me an emotion filled look. I don’t know if it’s sad, mad, hurt or spent. I still don’t know how to read him sometimes. With that, he walks out the door.

What the hell just happened
?
I feel like getting up, walking out the door and reopening it to see if I came to the wrong studio. I didn’t get, ‘Hey you.’ I didn’t get a warm smile. I didn’t even get a fucking hello! I recall lunch, which was like five hours ago, and the attentive and playful Ty I spent the last five straight days with. I feel stunned. He was just cold, and I can’t control the feeling of overwhelming disappointment. I’m suffering whiplash from the sudden change in his personality. My mind wanders, and I hate this part. It’s the part where you sit and go back through all the time you spent together and decide what you did wrong. Rationally, I know that I didn’t do anything. I just think it’s easier to handle than the truth. In this instance, I don’t know what the truth is. How could I, when he said like twenty words to me? Today at lunch, he worried about my well-being. All of a sudden, my well-being is not so well.

Staring at the computer, I decide I need to do what my boss instructed me to do. Ultimately, I reported for work, not to drool over Ty. My attempt at calling Emily ended up with me leaving a voicemail. I put my best voice forward on the next one. Tia is pleasant, but wants to talk with me about her expectations for the photos. I very politely explain that I can take notes, but Ty is the professional, not me. I open a word document and bullet point every word she says, as it goes on and on. I switch the laundry over and run to the ringing phone. It’s weird, this is the first time I’ve been here alone. It’s crazy that he left me here. Technically, this is his home. When I answer, it’s Bitcholine. She inquires about Ty’s cell number. I would give it to a client, but not some random girl. I feel like if Ty wanted her to have it, he would have given it to her. I write her name and number down and the message of ‘it’s personal.’ When I hang up, I can’t help but wonder how much he talks to other women. I said that I wouldn’t sleep with anyone else, but he never said that he wouldn’t. That wasn’t on the table, now was it?

I’m entering the last entry into QuickBooks when my cell phone rings. Emily’s perky voice asks me how I’m doing. My reply is great, but busy, which was true about three hours ago when the man I’m falling for shut me out. Emily is slowly getting clients and couldn’t be happier. The small talk ends and she asks me the questions she called for. “Please, Stella. I promise I won’t show your face. I’ll crop the pictures and no one will know it’s you. I’m not saying that I won’t photograph your face. I’m just saying that I will angle your body, so I don’t get your entire face.”

“I just can’t, Emily, I just don’t think I can do it. Why me? Ty has unlimited hot girls at his disposal. He can surely point you in the right direction.”

“I know, but, you have this innocent, yet, sexy thing going on, and that is what I want on my website. I have plans to shoot you in so many different angles. I’m thinking that prospective clients will have to look really hard to know I photographed the same model over and over. Do you have sexy lingerie?”

“Uh, yeah, but I could stand to buy some new pieces.”

“Please, it will be just you and me. We’ll do it in Ty’s studio. I want to use the windows as a backdrop. Think about it, Stella. It’s just a boudoir shoot.”

“You asked Ty?”

“Of course! He has no problem with us using the studio as long as he doesn’t have clients booked. I’ve been doing a lot of location work. My small studio is almost done, but I really need to market myself, and Ty has taught me so much. I know business will pick up once the website goes live. That’s where you come in, I need a certain look.”

“Okay.” She’s right…it’s just pictures.

She squeals, “Yay! You’re the best! It will be painless and you are going to love the end result.”

I can do this if we are alone, but I do need some matching sets of bras and underwear. I take a plunge and just ask, “Emily, you told me that Ty was hard to piss off. Did you ever do anything to piss him off? He was real stand-offish today.”

“No, he was always grateful for my help. I mean, I think the women are what irritated me most. I’ll call him and ask him what the hell is wrong!”

“No!” I almost yell at her. “Sorry, no, there is no need for that. He wasn’t mean or anything. It’s more curiosity, and I don’t know him as well as you, so he doesn’t tell me much.”

“Girl, he didn’t tell me shit! I just had to figure him out mood by mood.”

“Okay, let me know when the shoot is going to be.” I want to end the conversation. I’ve lingered longer than I should, waiting to see if he is coming back. All my duties are done, along with the laundry.

“Thank you again. I can’t wait! See you soon, okay? Bye!”

“Bye, Emily.” I get my stuff together and head home.

I couldn’t be more relieved to see Zoey’s car when I pull in to the condo. She and Pierce lying on the couch is comforting. I just didn’t want to be alone tonight. I put my stuff down, change into some comfy clothes, and plop down on the love seat. They are just starting one of our weekly vampire series. The minute Zoey sees me, she knows something is wrong.

“What happened?” She sits up and looks me over.

“Nothing, I think I’m just tired from being sick, you know.” That’s only half of the truth.

“Ty scared the shit out of me by calling me twice about you. I tried to come and get you, and he insisted that he could handle it.” She gets up, grabs a throw blanket, and covers me up.

“Sorry, I hadn’t been sick like that in forever. I thought the symptoms were fatigue.” I didn’t know that Zoey wanted to come get me. I can’t help but give myself a second to ponder why he didn’t take her up on that offer.

“Well, I’m glad you’re better. I was going to come after work and pick you up no matter what he said the next day. But when we talked, he reported your last fever was over eight hours earlier. Then I knew you were on the road to recovery.” She snuggles next to Pierce, who has a concerned look on his face pointed at me.