Читать книгу Purchased For Pleasure - Nicola Marsh - Страница 6

‘AREN’T you the dark horse? Fancy waiting to the end to bid and snaffling the best of the lot.’

Kate had been grateful Di had waited for her after the auction. And, clearly realising her boss needed some space on the trip back to the office, Di hadn’t asked her any questions. Apparently now, though, she was fair game.

‘Don’t you have work to do?’ Kate shuffled papers around, hoping to get rid of Di pronto.

Predictably, it didn’t work. The woman had an inquisitive nature worthy of an up-and-comer in the publishing business.

Di perched on the edge of her desk and shoved aside the papers Kate had been fiddling with. ‘Nothing that can’t wait. Come on, spill the beans. Where did you two disappear to after the show? In a cosy little friendship bracelet, no less.’

Kate sighed, pushing the thought of Ty’s dynamic kiss to the far recesses of her mind.

‘There’s nothing to tell. We unlocked ourselves, had a chat to establish boundaries and that was it.’

Di pounced on her. ‘Aha! I knew it. Why would you need to establish boundaries? Did something happen between the dishy SEAL and my intrepid boss?’

‘Ex-SEAL,’ she corrected automatically.

‘How do you know that?’

Great, she thought. Slip up number two in less than a minute. Di was no slouch, which was why she’d hired her.

She could’ve fluffed her way out of it and rambled on about the announcer saying he was an instructor these days, but she knew Di wouldn’t let up until she had nothing less than the truth.

‘I know Tyler James.’

A deafening silence followed her revelation till Di let out a squeal. ‘Ooh, I knew there was more to you than meets the eye. Here I am feeling sorry for my workaholic old boss and she’s out there running around with hot sailors.’

‘Hey! Enough of the old stuff and I’m not running around with anybody. I met Tyler about six years ago when he was a SEAL. He isn’t just an instructor. He’s had his fair share of action.’

Both in and out of uniform and lucky for her she’d been privy to Ty at his best.

‘I just bet he has,’ purred the younger woman.

‘For heaven’s sake, get your mind out of the gutter.’

‘Why, when it’s so much fun?’

Di slid off the desk and wandered around the office, trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably. ‘Is that why you put in a bid, boss? Looking for a little action?’

Kate threw a pencil at her. ‘Out. Now. Get back to work before you’re fired.’

‘You wouldn’t dare. I’m your right-hand gal.’

Di smirked and flounced out of the room, her bright orange skirt swishing around her ankles.

Kate sat back and laughed. Di was right. She was the best PA she’d ever had and, what was worse, the young woman knew it. However, why did she have to be so accurate in her assumptions about Kate’s nonexistent love life?

Seeing Ty had awakened her dormant hormones in a big way; her skin still tingled at the memory of his hands rubbing her wrist. No man had ever affected her as he did.

He’d been a dynamite lover, her first, but despite that mind-blowing kiss earlier she had no intention of revisiting that part of her life.

Though in all honesty if she hadn’t been bound at the time there was no telling what her hands would’ve been tempted to do and she squirmed in her seat at the recollection. For a twenty-seven-year-old at the top of her game, her little ‘let’s get reacquainted’ experience with Ty had hot-wired her libido and how.

The phone ringing brought her back to the present.

‘Kate Hayden speaking.’

‘So, you did go back to the office. I thought that was just an excuse to escape.’

Ty’s husky tone did little to calm her racing pulse. If anything, the sound of his deep voice fuelled the fantasy she’d just been indulging in. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

‘You think I was trying to escape?’

His low chuckle fired her nerve-endings. ‘Oh, call it a feeling. You weren’t exactly falling all over me earlier this evening.’

She kept her voice deliberately cool, trying to ignore the erotic memory of their entwined bodies reflected in the mirror that leaped to mind. If that wasn’t falling all over him she didn’t know what was.

‘It isn’t every day a girl acquires an Odd Bod. Perhaps I was just nervous?’

She doodled on the pad in front of her, almost falling off her chair when she realised she was drawing large hearts with the initials K.H. and T.J. intertwined.

‘Yeah, right. The Kate I know is never nervous. Confident and bossy maybe. Nervous? No way.’

‘You forgot gorgeous,’ she murmured, wondering where the breathy voice came from.

She shouldn’t flirt with him, she really shouldn’t, but somehow he brought out that side of her without trying and she heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line.

‘That goes without saying.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Are you flirting with me, sweetheart?’

The endearment thrilled her, though she knew it was a game with him and suddenly, just like the old days, she joined in with gusto.

‘What if I am? I’m a woman, you’re an Odd Bod. Why not?’

‘Lady, you’re a chameleon. One minute you can’t get away from me quick enough, the next you’re sounding like Mae West. Why don’t I come up and see you some time?’

She leaned back in her leather chair, crossed her ankles and stared out at the twinkling lights of downtown LA, spread out like a fairyland forty storeys below. She adored this view, loved the hip city vibe, yet somehow sitting here chatting to Ty inspired her more than the vista she admired on a daily basis.

Playing with him was fun, even if she had no intention of following through, and it had been so long since she’d had any fun. How far could she push him?

‘What are you doing right now?’

Once again, silence greeted her.

‘Ty, still there?’

‘Yeah. Where did you say your office was?’

His voice dropped lower, reminding her of the intimacy they’d shared all those years ago when she’d hung on his every word.

‘I didn’t. Though if I let it all go like I mentioned earlier, I could invite you for a coffee at my place…’

Yeah, like that was going to happen. There was only so much her hormones could take and teasing him like this, flirting with him, was bad enough.

‘Do you mean coffee…or coffee?’

A delicious tingle ran up her spine and she knew for a fact he would give her a better buzz than any caffeine fix: rich, warm, addictive. And the high would last a heck of a lot longer.

‘Boss, I’m leaving.’ Di’s voice startled her as she stuck her head around the door.

Kate sat up straight. ‘Can you hold on a sec?’ she said into the receiver and covered it with her hand.

‘Sure thing, Katie,’ he murmured, sending heat flooding into her cheeks.

‘Who’s that?’ mouthed Di.

‘Nobody important. You head off.’

‘Whatever you say, boss.’ With a wink and a blown kiss, Di left the office.

Kate took a steadying breath, almost relieved at the reprieve, and removed her hand from the phone. ‘Sorry about that.’

‘So, I’m nobody, huh? Nice.’

She smiled at the thought of bruising Ty’s ego. ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’

‘What did you mean, then? If I’m not nobody I must be somebody?’

His probing question sent doubt spiralling through her. What was she doing encouraging him when she’d already made up her mind to ditch him first thing tomorrow morning when she’d had time to gather her wits?

Damn it, he’d always had the power to do this, to tie her up in knots till she couldn’t think straight.

‘Look, I’m tired. It’s been a long night and I’ve got one more article to edit before I leave. We’ll catch up tomorrow, okay?’

His silence did little to soothe her frazzled nerves.

‘Ty?’

‘You’re running scared.’

She swallowed, trying to ease the sudden dryness in her throat. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

He chuckled, deep and low, the familiar sound skittering across her skin, raising tiny goose-bumps.

‘Yeah, you do. Shame. I thought you might want to pick up where we left off.’

‘You wish.’

The image of their parting six years ago flashed into her mind. It had been touch and go; he’d touched her all over her body, initiating her into pleasures she’d only dreamed about before pulling away from her by running back to his precious job, and she’d gone the same way, burying herself in a new job as far away from him as she could get.

Now he was back. Just as gorgeous, just as charming and just as dangerous to her peace of mind as ever if she was foolish enough to let him in.

‘Oh, yeah, I wish.’ He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. ‘By the way, why are you working after eleven?’

‘The usual. Deadlines to meet. Nothing out of the ordinary.’ She sounded weary, even to her ears.

‘Don’t you have a life?’

Her brittle laugh echoed around the empty office. ‘This is my life.’

She didn’t add that it was about all she had.

‘You really need to get out more. I’m going to make it my personal goal to ensure you live a little over the next week. Deal?’

‘It’s not going to happen.’

Her brisk reply sounded strained and, though the thought of Ty helping her to ‘live a little’ conjured up some wild images, she’d done enough fantasising for one evening and had to put an end to this ASAP.

He ignored her rebuttal, his low chuckles sounding way too confident.

‘I’ll call you tomorrow. Pleasant dreams, Katie.’

As the dial tone hummed she knew that dreams would be impossible tonight. She needed to sleep in order to dream and she seriously doubted that she could nod off after the evening she’d just had.

Tyler James was her history.

Then why did he feel startlingly like the present?

Tyler was too wound up to sleep. Shrugging into a bomber jacket, he picked up his keys and headed out the door.

Living near the base had its advantages. Dropping into the rec hall for a drink meant he was bound to run into someone he knew and, though usually reticent, he felt like company tonight. Perhaps trading a few jokes with the boys might take the edge off?

He doubted it. Only one thing could take the edge off and she was buried in some uptown office, her nose to the grindstone.

Kate’s hot little act on the phone had pushed all his buttons. If only her assistant hadn’t interrupted he could be holed up in her house right now sharing more than coffee.

And, boy, did he need it.

Seeing her again had him remembering all too well the contours of her curves beneath his hands, the eager sounds she made during sex, the way she made him feel as if he were the only man in the world for her.

Unfortunately, that couldn’t be true. He wasn’t a total idiot and a vibrant woman like her would have had a string of guys panting after her since they’d parted.

He clenched his hands into fists, hating the irrational surge of jealousy stabbing through him. He’d moved on and hadn’t exactly lived like a monk himself in the last six years so what did he expect—for a stunner like Kate to sit around twiddling her thumbs?

Gritting his teeth, he picked up the pace and entered the rec hall. He didn’t need this complicating his life. Never had.

What Kate did with her life and who she spent it with had nothing to do with him. He valued his independence and answering to number one suited him just fine and, despite the unexpected pleasure of having Kate reappear at this point in his life, he had no intention of getting sucked back into the confusing whirlpool their relationship had become towards the end.

Instead, he’d consider this chance encounter as a surprise gift dropped in his lap, one he had every intention of unwrapping and enjoying at his leisure over the next week before he had his annual physical and potentially had his career ripped out from under him.

‘Hey, TJ. What’s happening?’

He looked up, more than glad to see the big guy in front of him, and stuck out his hand. ‘Hey, Bear. What’re you doing here? Thought Team Eight was on leave at the moment?’

‘Nah, got called back last night. So much for a little R and R.’

Tyler laughed. ‘The Chief pushing you too hard these days, huh? Want a beer?’

Bear nodded and pulled out a chair, turning it backwards before sitting. He’d never seen his giant friend sit any other way.

‘Yeah, the Chief is always pushing for more. You know the drill.’

Tyler nodded and placed the drinks on the table. ‘Yeah, I do. Cheers.’

They clinked bottles and lapsed into silence. As Tyler took a long swig of icy cold beer he thanked the Lord that Evan ‘Bear’ Bridges had chosen tonight to walk into the rec hall. He could do with a friend.

‘What’s up? You look like hell, man.’

Tyler set his bottle down. ‘That obvious?’

‘Uh-huh. Tell old Bear all about it.’

He leaned back and crossed his arms. ‘It’s the orphanage. Looks like it’s going to shut down.’

Bear’s eyes widened. ‘No way. With the amount of cash you donate out of your wages each year the joint should be open into the next century.’

‘’Fraid not. Looks like the place is in trouble.’

‘Anything I can do?’ His friend reached towards his back pocket as if ready to pull out his wallet.

‘Not unless you can rustle up a quick half-million dollars.’

Bear shook his head. ‘No can do, bro. Sorry.’

‘I’m the one who’s sorry,’ he muttered, feeling helpless for only the third time in his life and not relishing the emotion one bit. The first time had been when he’d walked out on Kate, the second when he’d blown his knee, and he felt just as useless now.

SEALs were renowned for their innovation, their ingenuity, their persistence. So why the hell couldn’t he do more for the one cause that meant everything to him?

At that moment, their chief, Jack Crawford, strolled into the bar and headed straight towards them.

‘Howdy, Bear. Thought you were on leave, TJ?’

Tyler grabbed the proffered hand and shook it. ‘I am.’

‘Then what are you doing here?’

Tyler downed the rest of his beer. ‘Business.’

‘I bet.’

He couldn’t fathom the reason behind Jack’s sly grin.

‘Been to any auctions lately?’

Though the question seemed innocuous enough, combined with Jack’s smirk, Tyler knew his secret was out.

‘Ha, ha. How did you find out?’

Bear’s head turned from side to side as if watching a tennis match. ‘What are you clowns talking about?’

Jack’s grin widened. ‘Didn’t you hear the news? TJ’s latest mission involves being shackled to a woman for a week doing all her odd jobs.’

Bear guffawed loudly. ‘You’re kidding me, right? Why the hell would you do a fool thing like that?’

‘For charity, of course.’

Tyler glared meaningfully at Bear, hoping he’d get the drift. His friend was the only one who knew about his upbringing at the orphanage and he wanted to keep it that way. He’d had enough pity to last him a lifetime growing up, he sure as hell didn’t need any from his colleagues now.

Bear cottoned on quickly. He merely quirked an eyebrow and chugged on his beer.

Thankfully, Jack relented. ‘Yeah, I agree that the orphanage is a good cause. Though I reckon there’s more behind this, TJ. I reckon you like being at the beck and call of some fancy dame.’

‘Who told you she’s fancy?’ Tyler chuckled, envisaging how Kate would respond to being described as ‘fancy’.

‘Leila was at the auction. She just got home, bursting with the news about you and that magazine editor. Said that sparks were flying and that was before the shackles went on.’

Tyler’s gut tightened. The image of being bound to Kate did it. At least thinking about the orphanage had distracted him from her memory. For a good ten minutes, anyway.

He leaned back, trying to instil a measure of casualness into his voice. ‘I think Leila has a great imagination. There were no sparks. I’m just donating my time for a good cause.’

‘Yeah, right. So what if this editor looks like a supermodel? All part of the job, huh?’ Jack’s cheesy grin grew wider by the second.

‘Damn sure.’ Tyler pushed back his chair. ‘Sorry, guys. Much as I’d like to hang around, I have to go. Early start. O-six hundred.’

Suddenly, his need for company had vanished. He’d come here to erase Kate from his memory bank, not discuss her, and he knew the boys. Once they got started they would want to hear every last detail. He waved and walked away, leaving his two closest friends grinning in his wake.

‘See you in a week, TJ. If you survive, that is.’

Ignoring Jack’s final taunt, he headed out into the balmy Californian night. There was no doubt in his mind that he would survive. After all, he’d handled tougher missions and come out unscathed.

Once again, a vision of Kate’s gold-flecked hazel eyes flashed into his mind, closely followed by the memory of their searing kiss.

He just hoped this mission wasn’t about to become his nemesis.

Kate prided herself on being cool, organised and professional at all times. To do this she needed at least eight solid hours of sleep a night. Without it she turned into a monster, as all her staff knew. Unfortunately, last night hadn’t been conducive to sleeping and she was paying the price now. So would anyone else who crossed her path today.

‘Good morning, boss. Sleep well?’ Di strolled into her office, all blonde spikes and cheerfulness.

‘Is it? And no. Where’s that damn article on homeless shelters?’

She shuffled around her desk, sending papers flying in all directions while making a frantic grab for her take-out skinny latte.

What happened to organised and professional? Right now her desk resembled a second-grader’s with the writing strewn across it probably making about that much sense.

‘Didn’t sleep too well? Can’t blame you.’

Kate didn’t like the twinkle in her assistant’s eye. Besides, how could Di be so darn chirpy every morning? Didn’t she ever wake up with a sore head?

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

Kate finally stopped rummaging around and sat back, draining the last of her coffee, lobbing the cup in the bin and rubbing her temples. She rarely drank and the three glasses of champagne last night combined with the haunting image of Ty looking better than ever had kept her tossing and turning all night.

‘Oh, nothing.’ Di’s grin broadened. ‘Though if I had the prospect of some sexy sailor trailing after me all week I wouldn’t be able to get any shut-eye either.’

‘He’s not trailing after me,’ she snapped, her headache intensifying by the minute.

‘Oh, yes, he is. He’s just stepped out of the lift and is heading this way.’

Kate sat bolt upright in time to see Ty honing in on her office.

Great. Just great.

Di wiggled her fingers in a saucy wave and strolled away, giving Tyler a similar wave, and Kate tried to ignore the absurd jolt of jealousy that shot through her. Ty was her past and she shouldn’t have to remind herself of that fact.

He walked straight into her office as if he owned the place. ‘Hi. Got a minute?’

How dared he look so good at this hour of the morning? Faded denim jeans hugged his long legs and a white T-shirt moulded his muscular torso like a second skin, delineating every single layer of taut, hard muscle beneath it. The type of muscle she used to love running her hands over, caressing, skimming, relishing.

Okay, maybe good was an understatement. Try delectable and she struggled not to drool.

‘What are you doing here?’

Though she tried to keep her voice cool, it came out all high and squeaky.

A smile tugged at the corners of his delicious mouth. ‘Still not a morning person, huh?’

She shook her head and wished she hadn’t as the pounding in her brain increased.

‘I’m surprised you remember.’

‘How could I forget?’

He flashed his trademark killer smile, the one that always made her knees go weak. Thankfully, she was sitting down.

‘So, what else do you remember?’

He closed the door and strode across the room in one lithe movement. She loved how he walked. Correction, how he stalked, all stealth and fluid lines, and her pulse accelerated in anticipation as he perched on the corner of her desk less than two feet away.

‘I remember plenty.’

He tipped up her chin, stroking her cheek with his thumb in the barest of touches as she stared, trapped beneath his scrutinising gaze, his thumb doing crazy things to her insides as it grazed her skin slowly, repeatedly.

‘Yeah, well, I do too.’

She leaned back, breaking the tenuous contact that was wreaking havoc with her senses. ‘But that’s all they are, just memories.’

His eyes narrowed to slivers of electrifying blue. ‘Yeah, but they were good. Damn good. And you know it.’

She glared, the jackhammering in her head intensifying as she tried to put words together in a coherent fashion, her brain befuddled by his closeness, his touch.

‘All I know is I’ve got a lot of work to do and sitting here talking about ancient history is wasting my time.’

Thankfully, his thumb had stopped stroking her cheek. On the downside, he re-established contact by trailing his index finger along her jaw-line, setting her nerve-endings alight.

‘What’s with the attitude? You said we’d talk in the morning. Aren’t you glad to see me?’

She pulled away from his blazing touch. ‘We’ll talk later. I haven’t got time for this now.’

He grinned, sending her pulse rate into overdrive. ‘You didn’t answer my question.’

‘About the memories, the attitude or being happy to see you?’

There was no way she would answer any of his questions. She’d made a fool of herself last night. Questions only led to answers and they led directly to trouble.

‘How about all of the above?’

‘Look, I’d love to chat but I’ve got important deadlines to meet.’

She tried to stare him down. It had been a game with them, a battle of wills to see who would look away first. She’d always lost but not today.

He sat back and folded his arms, looking way too cocky, the corners of his mouth curving into a tempting smile.

‘Surely Lois Lane can take a break for a few minutes?’

‘Nope, sorry, no can do. I’m busy.’

She picked up a few papers and rattled them for good measure, needing to look away from his intense stare and that sexy smile. He still had the power to reduce her to a blathering mess with just one look—not that she’d let him know that.

‘Aren’t you the least bit curious?’

‘About?’

‘Why I’m here. Where I’ve been. What I’ve been doing. You must be otherwise you wouldn’t have paid a small fortune to have me last night.’

Sighing, she pushed away from the desk, grateful to establish some distance between them. ‘You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?’

His smile couldn’t get any smugger if he tried. ‘Not on your life.’

Her heart clenched at the seductive glint in his eyes, the same twinkle that had prompted her to do all sorts of crazy things six years earlier.

He’d always had this power over her, teasing her, infuriating her, making her fall in love when it was the last thing she’d expected.

Unfortunately, it looked as if he still held that same power to make her contemplate all sorts of nutty things, like make her bid for him when the last thing she wanted was to have him trailing after her for a week.

‘Okay, you win. Let’s get this sorted now so I can get back to work. You really can’t be serious about wanting to go through with this odd-jobs stuff?’

He leaned forward, the depth of his blue eyes leaving her breathless as his voice dropped an octave lower. ‘Why not? It’ll be fun.’

She didn’t have time for fun. Maybe the girls were right, she was stuck in her ways and a workaholic: uptight, frustrated and alone.

Logically, she should never have attended the auction if she hadn’t wanted a confrontation with Ty and now that she’d had it, he’d kissed her silly and resurrected memories better left forgotten, she needed to get rid of him once and for all.

‘That may well be,’ she said, aiming for cool and botching it horribly when heat surged into her cheeks at his triumphant expression, ‘but I don’t think it’s a good idea.’

‘I do.’

He slid off her desk and sauntered towards the door, leaving her with a great view of the sexy butt she’d grabbed on numerous lucky occasions, turning to face her before he left. ‘It’s going to be great catching up. Just like old times.’

Kate stiffened.

Just like old times.

Images of fun-filled days at the beach and long, hot, sultry Californian nights spent making love on top of twisted sheets sprang to mind and she wondered if time had enhanced her memories or if it really had been that good between her and Ty.

‘Katie?’

‘My answer is no, Ty.’

She blinked several times, hoping he couldn’t read her thoughts as he used to.

‘I still want you too.’

With that he sauntered out the door, leaving her open-mouthed before she snapped her jaw shut, wishing she’d had the final word.

The guy was infuriating.

The guy was cocky.

The guy was right.

She did want him, with every cell in her oversensitised body, and the feeling was mutual?

Oh, boy.

‘You’re crazy,’ she muttered, sinking into her chair and picking up the overworked stress ball on her desk and squeezing as if her life depended on it. It didn’t help. The rubber ball looked a bit like her, worn out, frayed around the edges, with all the life crushed out of it.

She threw the ball into the bin and leaped to her feet. If she rushed after Ty she just might make it. He hadn’t accepted her refusal and she needed to ram home her point that the last thing she wanted to do was spend the next week with him.

However, as she yanked open the door she ran straight into her boss.

‘Whoa. Where’s the fire?’

Henry Kerr, Femme’s Chief Editor, settled her back on her feet. He always managed to catch her at a bad time. In fact, she was convinced he had radar for trouble and it was tuned in to her frequency.

‘Sorry. In a hurry.’

He quirked an eyebrow. ‘So I see. Got a minute?’

She knew by the serious look on his face that it wasn’t a question, it was an order. So much for chasing after Ty.

‘Sure. What’s up?’

He smiled and she knew she was in trouble. Her boss never smiled unless she’d done something wrong. ‘Come into my office and I’ll let you in on a secret.’

She followed him, slouching along in the same way she usually followed the dentist into his rooms, though she hoped her meeting with Henry didn’t involve anything as difficult or painful as pulling teeth. The memory of her first and last tooth removed as a nine-year-old still rankled.

Henry closed the door and gestured towards a chair. ‘Have a seat and we’ll get down to business.’

Here it comes, the injection and the drill.

Henry sat down behind his desk and rested his folded hands on his paunch. ‘Good work last night, Kate. Real good.’

Huh?

She smiled and nodded, not having the faintest idea what he was talking about.

‘Buying that Navy guy was a stroke of genius on your part. Unbelievable. Pure gold.’

Okay, now she knew something was up. Her boss was impressed with the stupidest thing she’d done in a long time?

Thankfully, she didn’t have to reply as Henry continued, ‘The publicity in the papers today is worth a mint on its own, but have you seen the pictures we’ve got? Amazing. Just what the magazine needs. A real-life story about one of its own. Good one, Kate.’

She didn’t like the sound of this. Clasping her hands in her lap, she counted to ten, slowly. ‘I’m an editor, not a news story.’

He chuckled, a deep belly laugh that caused his three chins to wobble in succession. ‘That’s where you’re wrong. Our phones haven’t stopped ringing all morning. All the reporters want to talk to our newest star and I’ve told them to back off. They can read all about it in the upcoming issue of Femme. Like I said, pure gold.’