Chapter Fourteen

“Call it a weakness,” Ty admitted when they were driving back to the city. “But I can’t manage complicated tonight.” He cast a glance at her, hoping she wasn’t too disappointed.

The air between them was charged with sexual energy, and he couldn’t drive back to F5 fast enough. The last thing he wanted was a ticket, though, so he used the cruise control. Amy had packed a small bag while he’d put out kibble for Fitzwilliam.

He couldn’t wait to peel her out of that hideous dress.

Maybe he’d rip it off her. She’d packed a change of clothes, after all.

She might like that.

“Why not?” she asked now, and the way her eyes sparkled told him that she knew the answer already.

“I’m too relieved,” he confessed. “I won’t last.”

“I see.” Amy crossed her legs very deliberately, and Ty growled a little that she kept messing with him. She sighed with mock forbearance and trailed a fingertip up her own thigh, pulling up her skirt. “Then maybe you’re not the man for me, after all.”

Ty looked and the car swerved. He looked back at the road, then at Amy’s delicious thighs again. “Are you wearing stockings?” he asked, hearing the tightness of his own voice.

It wasn’t as tight as his trousers.

Amy pulled up the hem of her skirt to reveal the lace tops of her stockings—and the expanse of soft, bare thigh above them. Ty’s gut clenched.

He wasn’t going to last two minutes.

“I thought I’d give you something to look at.”

“We’re going to end up in the ditch.”

“I hope not. That’s a different kind of complicated.”

“You were wearing those all day?”

“Preparation in the spirit of optimism,” Amy said. “If you hadn’t gotten all serious…”

Ty accelerated, needing to get her home as soon as possible. “Timing appears to be an issue for me tonight.”

Amy laughed. She trailed her fingertips over his hand where he held the gear shift. “I’m still wrapping my mind around the fact that you were Matteo. I had no idea you could be so dangerous.” She leaned over and kissed his ear, her breath sending a jolt through him. “So hot.”

“I’ll show you hot.”

“Did you at least keep his hood?”

Ty stopped at a red light and gave her a look. “Yes.”

Her smile was playful and her eyes danced. “Good.”

Joe gave a low whistle when Ty parked in the drive to the garage again. “Had to guess it’d be a woman.”

Ty tossed him the keys and ignored the older man’s comment, waved, then guided Amy to F5.

Amy looked up at him in confusion. “What are we doing here?”

“Going home.”

“You live here?”

“Yes. Penthouse.”

“Of course,” she murmured beneath her breath.

They walked through the empty lobby of the club, past the closed gift shop and the vacant reception counter. Their footsteps echoed on the tile and he could smell the salt from the lap pool. The bar was closed and the building was silent. He tried not to think about the fact that he had the keys to the naughty shop in his pocket.

Simple first.

“It’s my favorite time to be here,” he told her. “I love having the place to myself.”

“Is that when you work out?”

“Not always. But I often swim laps late at night.”

“There’s no one else here?” she asked.

“Maybe a janitor or two.”

“Who else lives in the building?”

“No one, yet. We’re going to sell apartments but are still waiting on permits. Then there will be contractors to schedule and the nightmare will begin.” Ty led her to the private elevator to the far right, and pushed another card into the slot. “This one services the higher floors,” he said. The buttons for the floors above the ninth floor only illuminated after he inserted the card in the panel inside the elevator. He pushed the button for the penthouse and the elevator began to smoothly ascend.

Amy slid her hand into his and leaned against him, her breast crushed against his arm. “How many people have keys to this elevator?” she asked in a whisper so wicked that he felt he was being warned.

“Just me, right now,” he said, wondering. “Eventually, there will be other tenants…”

Ty didn’t have a chance to finish because Amy ambushed him. She pushed him against the elevator wall, caught his face in her hands and kissed him thoroughly. Ty might have been surprised, but he didn’t hesitate to respond. She wanted naughty and sexy, and he was going to ensure that she knew he’d deliver. He lifted her against him so that only her toes were on the floor and their kiss turned incendiary. She wrapped one leg around his thigh and he thought about those stockings, or more precisely where they ended and the bare skin began, and groaned.

“We could do it here,” Amy whispered when he broke their kiss.

Ty inhaled sharply. He thought about pulling out the key, making the elevator stop, having her against the wall of the elevator, and nearly lost it completely.

“Not the first time,” he replied tightly as the elevator doors opened. “I’ll make sure the cameras are disconnected before you add another episode to our elevator stories.”

Amy might have argued, but he tossed her over his shoulder and headed for his apartment. She kicked her feet playfully, clearly pleased with her situation. Ty had the door open and locked behind them in record time, then Amy was sliding down his chest in a pile of tangerine. She looped her arms around his neck and held his gaze, smiling as he tugged down the zipper at the back of her dress. She slipped her arms out of it and let it drop, then stood before him in creamy lingerie and thigh high stockings.

It was a much better view than the orange monstrosity.

Ty swallowed and hooked a finger under one garter. “Complicated,” he said and she laughed at him.

“You think everything is complicated.”

“I think skin is simple.” Ty shed his jacket and tie while Amy watched him. “I think having you naked and wet and ready is simple.” His shoes, socks, and trousers were cast aside, as he held her gaze. “I think making you scream with pleasure is simple.” He took off his watch slowly, then tugged his T-shirt over his head. “I think ensuring that you can’t think about anything other than this, or me, is simple.”

He stopped in front of her and lifted off her glasses, setting them on the coffee table. Then he freed her hair, pushing his fingers through it with a proprietary ease that thrilled Amy. He caught her close and kissed her deeply, holding her on the tips of her toes, and kissing her until she shivered with pleasure. Then he ran his thumb across her swollen lips and felt her tremble.

“That’s my kind of simple,” Amy whispered.

“Then come here, Angel,” he invited in his Matteo voice. “And let me give you the pleasure you deserve.”

* * *

Amy felt as if she’d stepped into the heart of the sun.

And she wanted to stay there.

Making love with Ty might have been slow and sweet that first time, but this time was hot and fast. He was tender and tough, gentle and strong. He felt so good, filling her up and stretching her, moving with exquisite control.

And rubbing her in all the right places. She was on the verge of orgasm for longer than she would have believed possible.

She did scream when she came.

And he roared just a moment later.

They collapsed onto the couch, limbs entangled, and their breath coming quickly. He laced his fingers between hers and kissed her palm, then put her hand over the thunder of his heart.

Amy sighed contentment, then really looked at his apartment. The furniture was substantial and simple, but she could see with a glance that it was high quality. One wall was almost all windows, with a fabulous view of the city to the south. She wondered how far she’d be able to see into Brooklyn on a clear day. There was a pair of black leather couches in the living room, a large television mounted on the wall, a glass coffee table in between. The layout was open, so she could see the stainless steel appliances and granite counters in the kitchen to the right, and the massive four-poster bed in the bedroom to the left. The floors were dark hardwood with creamy Persian rugs in the living room and bedroom. It was neutral and elegant—and fastidiously clean.

Except for the clothes tossed all over the living room, and her own bag dropped just inside the door. Amy smiled as Ty stirred. He pushed the hair back from her temple and gave her a kiss. “Okay?” She could feel his voice rumbling in his chest below her breasts. “Or too fast?”

“Perfect. I like that you were almost but not quite out of control.” She nestled against him. “It made me feel sexy.”

“You are sexy.” He rolled over so that she was beneath him, then kissed her slowly. “Maybe we can try simple one more time before we get complicated.”

Amy teased him, just because she could. “I want to call Matteo. He likes complicated.”

“I can’t believe you invited him to your home.”

“I had an intuitive trust of him,” she admitted. “I wonder why.”

Ty stole a kiss. “About those phone calls…”

“That’s what it was,” Amy said, snapping her fingers. “The phone calls. Mmmm. I’d have to invite any man to my house who talked dirty to me like that.”

“Consider it done,” Ty growled with mock ferocity, then stood up and lifted her in his arms.

“Another round so soon?”

“Won’t take me long.” He squeezed her in his embrace a bit. “I love doing it in the shower, don’t you?”

“I don’t know. My shower’s too small for two people.”

Ty raised a brow. “I see renovations in your future.”

Amy’s surprise must have shown, because he gave her another one of those bone-melting kisses. “I’d never ask you to give up the house,” he whispered. “I know what it means to you.”

“Which reminds me,” she said. “I need to find another tenant. Lisa left me a note that she and her mom are moving out.”

“Found. I’ll move in.”

She smiled that he was so resolute about it. “And renovate my shower.” She kicked her feet playfully. “Your sisters are right. You are bossy.”

“And you like it.”

“I do.”

“You must have plans for what you’d do to the house if you didn’t have tenants.”

“Of course.”

“So, carte blanche. Do whatever you want. My only request is a shower like this one.” He stepped into the bathroom and set her down, then flicked on the lights with a fingertip. It was a large bathroom, tiled in marble, with a huge walk-in shower in one corner. There were two big showerheads and a lot of smaller ones mounted in the walls. Amy could imagine many interesting possibilities, but she couldn’t resist the chance to tease him.

“I don’t know,” she said with a frown. “It looks so complicated.”

Ty caught her close. “Let me convince you,” he murmured in her ear. A second later, Amy was crushed into the wall and kissed until she moaned. She closed her eyes and surrendered, forgetting all about the shower as Ty eased one finger between her thighs and caressed her. She sagged against the wall when he stepped away, shook his head and watched him turn on the water.

“It takes up an awful lot of space,” she said, not wanting to give him an easy victory. She could already imagine turning the smallest upstairs bedroom into a shower similar to this one. “I’m not sure it’s really necessary…”

Ty glanced over his shoulder and gave her a very green look. “It’s critical.” He beckoned to her with one finger, his smile turning wicked. “You’re going to really like some of these side sprays. Let me show you.”

Amy wasn’t surprised that she found herself readily convinced.

* * *

Amy awakened on Sunday morning with the delicious awareness that she’d been savored. She stretched, realized she was alone, then saw the note beside the alarm clock. Her glasses were there, too, although she knew she hadn’t left them there and she smiled at Ty’s thoughtfulness when she put them on.

Back in Five was what he’d written.

It was just seven, which proved that she’d wake up early no matter what happened during the night.

There was a brand new toothbrush on the lip of the sink that Amy broke out of its package. She got the hair brush from her bag and laid claim to a soft bathrobe that was hanging on the back of the door. It was much too large for her, and smelled of Ty’s cologne. She was knotting the belt when the lock on the door clicked.

Ty smiled at her when he stepped into the apartment. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and a pair of loafers. He was carrying a shopping bag, but Amy couldn’t see what was in it.

It wasn’t take-out coffee.

“Good morning,” he said and backed her into the wall, spearing his fingers into her hair before he kissed her with the thoroughness that made her heart race. Would she ever get enough of him?

“It is a good morning,” she agreed when she had a chance. “You taste minty fresh.”

“Mmm, so do you.” He kissed her again, taking his time about it.

“And all dressed,” she complained, plucking at his T-shirt.

“That can be fixed easily enough. I couldn’t scare the locals when I went shopping, though, could I?”

“Where did you go shopping at this hour?”

He kept his arm around her waist. “I was feeling ready for complicated.”

Amy met the twinkle in his eyes. “Really?”

“Really. You?”

“I’m always ready for complicated,” she admitted and blushed when he grinned.

“So naughty. What am I going to do with you?”

“Teach me a lesson?”

“Great minds think alike.” He guided her to the coffee table and put down the bag, then carefully reached into it so she couldn’t see the contents. He was holding a pair of black leather wrist shackles when he removed his hand. They were lined with soft fur, and about four inches wide, with heavy buckles and embedded d-rings. They weren’t clipped to each other.

Yet.

Just the sight of them made Amy weak in the knees. She swallowed and took one from Ty, feeling how smooth and strong it was. She had to sit down on the couch, and couldn’t stop stroking it.

“I figured I should go for the top of the line, since they’ll likely get a lot of use.”

“Yes,” Amy whispered.

“I hope I got the right size.”

“Me, too.”

“They did have a pair of handcuffs lined with pink fur, like the ones on that book cover. I liked the idea of them, since that was how we met, but they felt flimsy to me.” Ty locked the second cuff, then tugged on it. Hard. “The way I see it—the whole point is that you can’t break free.”

Amy nodded, her mouth dry. “For someone who doesn’t like complicated, you really get it.”

Ty chuckled. “I also think that it’ll be hotter if you help.”

“Help?” Amy repeated.

“Help me to tie you up. That way, you’re choosing it.” He lifted a brow. “Participating.”

“Surrendering.”

Ty kissed her temple then spoke a little more roughly. “Put them on.”

Amy flicked a glance at him, liked how hot his gaze was, and did as she was told. They were snug but not tight, the fur making them feel luxurious against her skin. She felt captive even without them being secured to each other or anything else. “Tender and tough,” she said, barely recognizing her own voice. “The perfect combination.”

“They make you look delicate,” Ty said, his voice husky, too. He ran a fingertip over them. “Captive.”

Amy’s gaze clung to his. “Yes.”

“Chances are good that you’ll like these, too.” Ty presented a matching pair of ankle shackles. They were larger and looked meaner somehow. Amy felt a little bit dizzy at the sight of them.

“Where did you go?”

“The gift shop for the club.”

“It can’t be open yet.”

“No, but I have keys. And a standing account.” He handed her the ankle bonds. “Put them on,” he commanded.

Amy decided to surprise him. She untied the belt of the robe, then removed it, flinging it across the leather couch. She perched on it, nude, giving Ty something to look at as she fastened the ankle shackles. She preened before him, liking that he didn’t even seem to blink. “What else did you buy?”

He removed a black velvet hood from the bag, like the one she’d tried in the class. “I thought you liked this.”

“I did.”

“And this.” He had a black leather paddle.

Amy caressed it, remembering how smooth and cool it felt against her skin. How it smacked and burned. “Yes,” she whispered.

“And these.” He removed two hanks of the silky bondage rope, both blue, from the bag. “I’m starting to realize why nightstands have so many drawers.”

Amy laughed. She hurried to her purse, though, and got out her pink lipstick, then went back into the bathroom. The sight of herself in the mirror, wearing only the cuffs with her eyes sparkling, was exciting. She applied the lipstick and put her hair in a ponytail in anticipation of their games. Her hands were shaking but she was thrilled already.

And Ty hadn’t even touched her yet.

He was leaning in the doorway, watching her. He’d taken the last item out of the bag. It was a small box, like one for cufflinks, but he didn’t open it. “And a surprise.” He arched a brow. “Red light?”

“Green, green, green light,” Amy said, not troubling to hide her enthusiasm.

He pointed to the bedroom. “You’re going to be tied up this morning.”

Amy could hardly wait. “How?”

“On your back, legs wide, hands over your head.”

“Yes, sir.”

They shared a hot kiss then, one that Amy thought would melt more than her knees, then Ty lifted his head and growled. “Now. Take everything with you.”

“Yes, sir.”

In moments, Amy was perched on the smooth sheets of Ty’s bed. She eyed the windows.

“Tinted glass,” he said. “No one but me will see how wicked you are.”

“Good thing you have the perfect bed,” she said, admiring the steel-framed four-poster again.

“Must have had a premonition,” Ty said, then his voice hardened again. “Kneel and put your wrists together.”

Amy watched him tie the cuffs together with the blue rope, then she was urged to her back. The other hank of blue rope was cast over her waist, and she loved how it spilled loose around her. The rope binding her wrists went to the top of the mattress and was secured so that her hands were stretched over her head.

“You wanted to be stretched taut before,” Ty murmured and she saw him look over her in admiration. She knew by his expression that he’d noticed how her nipples were beaded.

“Yes.”

He tugged back the top sheet and duvet, casting them to the floor, then claimed one ankle. Once he’d tied the end of the blue rope to the shackle, he tugged it slowly to the lower corner of the bed on that side. Amy enjoyed the feel of sliding over the smooth sheet and the sense that she could struggle but not escape. Ty stretched her out before knotting that ankle down. She struggled, but she couldn’t break free.

She was already desperate for him.

“Time for your present,” he said softly. He placed that small box on the mattress. It did look a bit like a jewelry box, but Amy couldn’t figure out what might be inside it.

“I thought you needed your own set,” he murmured, then leaned over to open the box and show her.

Amy swallowed at the shiny pair of nipple clamps nestled inside. They glittered coldly, looking both mean and wonderful.

“Oh,” she whispered, her voice trembling a little.

“New arrivals,” Ty said. “They have fur inside.”

“Oh,” Amy whispered again, and felt her cheeks heat.

“I was thinking of how you wanted the other ones on when you were stretched taut.” He went around the bed and picked up the other end of the blue rope. It slid across Amy’s belly in a slow caress. “How about I make sure you can’t get away first?” He tied it to the other shackle, then tugged her foot toward that corner of the footboard.

She’d be spread wide when he was done.

Tied down.

Exposed.

Amy’s face heated. She’d be open and available to him, unable to move away. “Yes, please,” she whispered, so he had no doubt that she was loving this game. She had only an inch of leeway or so, enough to feel the limits of her bonds.

“I read that it’s more of a tease if you can move a little.”

“It’s perfect,” Amy admitted, thinking it was very good to have a partner who did his research.

Ty tugged off his T-shirt as he walked around the bed, just looking at her. She had a great view of him, and the chance to admire him again. He kicked off his shoes, then his jeans and briefs. Amy smiled at the evidence that he was enjoying their game as much as she was. “I thought you found this complicated.”

“You’ve converted me,” he said as he stretched out beside her. “But then, I told you before that there was nothing hotter than a partner who wanted you badly.”

“I do,” Amy whispered.

“I know. But let’s make you want me even more.” Ty’s thumb landed on her mouth, caressing her bottom lip in that possessive way that drove her wild. “You relax when you know you’re helpless,” he murmured, his gaze locked upon her. “It’s like you surrender to sensation.”

“To you,” Amy corrected.

“It’s very hot,” he said and slid his thumb across her mouth again.

“So’s that.”

Ty’s dimple made an appearance. “And I can do this in public.”

She groaned a little. “It’s bad enough that you put your hand on my back and move your thumb there.”

“You like that.”

“It makes me melt.”

“So, you’ve said. I’ll have to do it more often,” he mused and she knew he would. He ran his hand down the length of her, then circled her navel with his thumb. Amy squirmed and he speared his fingers into her pubic hair. He didn’t touch her, though, and she bucked her hips a little, impatient for the pleasure he could give. “Naughty, naughty.”

“You knew that ages ago.”

“True. It wasn’t the first surprise you gave me, though.” He smiled. “Hood or not? It’s your choice.”

Amy’s heart skipped. “Will you smooth it down with your hands?”

“You like that?”

Amy nodded again. “It makes me feel like a possession.” Ty slid the hood over her head and fitted her ponytail through the opening in the back. She was engulfed in darkness and felt as if every other sensation was heightened. She could smell his skin and feel the sheets, the fur in her shackles, the tightness of her bonds, the wetness of her sex. Amy inhaled deeply in pleasure when Ty’s hands bracketed her head, smoothing down the velvet. He gave the elastic at the back a little tug, ensuring that it was snug and she shivered with delight.

He rolled over her, crushing her a little bit, trapping her beneath the heat of his body from shoulder to knee. He kissed her then, one of his slow and potent kisses, the ones that made Amy’s heart race and she kissed him back hungrily, wanting only more. His hand landed on her breast and he rolled her nipple between his finger and thumb, teasing it so that it tightened even more. He pinched it a bit and Amy moaned, then he broke their kiss and took her nipple in his mouth. He tormented her even more, drawing his teeth over that tight peak and flicking his tongue across it, driving her crazy with need. Tender and tough.

She thought about those nipple clamps and wasn’t sure how she’d stand it.

She moaned Ty’s name and he lifted his head. She felt his weight move and knew he was getting the box. Her heart leaped as he rolled the nipple again, and she gasped when he gently fastened the clamp onto her nipple.

Amy froze. She choked. She felt heat surge through her veins and knew she was impossibly wet.

“Nothing like the satisfaction of a perfect gift,” Ty murmured. “Comes with a chain and some weights, too, but maybe we should work up to that.”

The idea made Amy dizzy. Weights?

“Maybe,” Amy managed to agree.

“Maybe you can wear them to the wedding,” he suggested and panic slipped through Amy. “It would be our little secret.”

Her lips parted but no sound came out.

He wouldn’t.

He couldn’t.

He might.

And she would adore it.

Meanwhile, Ty’s hand moved to her other breast and he braced his weight on his elbow to watch her. “You like this.”

“You’re getting really good at complicated.”

“I’m motivated. I’ve done my research.”

“Don’t we have to go somewhere today?” Amy whispered.

“Nowhere at all.” She inhaled as he teased the second nipple a little more roughly than the first. “Does that possibility of being trapped here worry you?”

“A little.”

“Should I stop?”

“No!” Amy gasped.

Ty continued to torment her as he talked. “You know, I was thinking about that Oscar Wilde quote and you might be right.”

It took Amy a minute to recall the quote he meant. That Ty took her nipple in his mouth didn’t help.

That he grazed it with the edge of his teeth, then flicked it with his tongue, really didn’t help.

“‘Everything in the world is about sex except sex,’” she managed to say. “‘Sex is about power.’”

“That’s the one.” He applied the second nipple clamp with care and Amy had palpitations.

She squirmed a little, then struggled outright against her bonds, discovering that she couldn’t do anything about her situation. She was trapped in the most exquisite way, and would be for as long as Ty wanted her that way.

She hoped it was forever. She felt him move back and hoped he was looking at her.

Savoring her as his prize.

“But maybe sex isn’t always about power,” Ty mused. “Maybe when sex most appears to be about power, it’s actually about trust.”

The mattress dipped, as if he got up.

“You aren’t going to leave?”

“Of course not. I’m just going to look.” She heard his steps as he walked around the bed, as if considering her from every angle. Amy found herself arching her back a little and displayed herself to him. “What do you think?”

“About this? I like it.”

“About the quote.”

“I think you’re right.”

“What do you think I’m going to do next?”

Amy smiled. “I don’t know, but I trust you. I’m pretty sure I’ll like it.”

“I’m thinking we’ll both like it,” Ty murmured, then she felt his hands on her knees. “I’m going to practice my alphabet.”

Amy couldn’t make any sense of that.

“You’d better hang on until we get to z, Angel,” he growled in his Matteo voice. “Because we’re going to do the alphabet over and over until you get it right. And if you’re really naughty, we might miss work tomorrow.”

“Practice,” she whispered.

“Discipline,” he corrected.

Amy sighed when Ty’s mouth closed over her and pleasure flooded through her body. His hands were on her thighs, his shoulders against the inside of her knees. Then the tip of his tongue moved against her clitoris. The pattern wasn’t accidental although she was too excited to make sense of it right away.

The first leisurely stroke started at the top then eased down one side. It took a million years, give or take, and sent a thousand shivers through Amy by the time it was done.

The second stroke was even slower and much more agonizing. Ty traced a little circle, from that side across her clitoris and below it, to join the end of the first stroke.

Amy gasped aloud when she understood.

He’d drawn an ‘a’.

The alphabet.

She was already on fire and there were still twenty-five letters to go.

Maybe she’d call in sick all week.

* * *

It was a glorious week.

Amy couldn’t remember ever being so happy.

She had lunch with Ty each day and spent each night with him, either at her place or his. They read each other’s books and cooked for each other, and Ty began to explore her dad’s book collection. Fitzwilliam tolerated his presence. She teased Ty as he fielded calls from his mother, and accepted an invitation from her aunt Pauline to bring him to dinner. She taught him some Italian phrases and wasn’t surprised that he learned quickly.

He said he was motivated.

On Thursday, she knew from his expression when he came to lunch that something was up. “Dinner tonight?” he asked, and Amy knew her answer was more important than he was letting on. She agreed, and was surprised that evening when he guided her to F5.

She thought again about jumping his bones in the elevator, but Ty gave her a warning glance.

She could smell something delicious when they got off at his floor and immediately saw that the door to his apartment was open. He had his hand on the back of her waist when they entered and she caught her breath at the sight. Hundreds of candles had been lit, more of them clustered around the table and chairs by the windows beside the kitchen. The city sparkled, seemingly at their feet. The table had been set for two, with a long white tablecloth and gleaming china. A chef lit the candles on the table at their arrival and removed a casserole from the oven. Ty hung up Amy’s coat and checked the arrangements before the chef left.

“Smells like osso buco,” she said when they were alone.

Ty was removing the cork from a bottle of red wine. “I’m sure yours is better.”

“From your favorite restaurant,” she guessed.

“A perk of being a regular.”

“We could have just gone there again.”

“Not tonight,” Ty said. “I wanted this to be a dinner to remember.”

She had no chance to ask why because he turned to her and caught her hand in his. “Marry me, Amy,” he said and her heart stopped.

“Is that a question or a command?” she teased and Ty smiled.

His gaze was serious, though. “A request, because I love you.”

“Since when?”

“The first day, when you told me off,” he admitted. “We might have met because of a plan for a fake date, but I would have asked you out even if no one was getting married.”

Amy smiled. “Book, line, and sinker.”

“Colpo di fulmine.” His fingers trailed over her cheek. “I’m a sucker for a clever woman who defies expectation.”

“Will I defy it if I accept?”

“No, but I can live with that.”

“Good. Because I’d love to marry you, Tyler McKay.”

Ty kissed her sweetly then, with that mix of tenderness and force that she was finding addictive. When he lifted his head, Amy smiled at him. “When you came to the bookstore, I knew I was in trouble,” she whispered.

“Oh, you are in trouble, now, and will be for a long time.”

“That’s just the way I like it.”

“Good.” They shared a simmering glance, then Ty removed a small box from his pocket. “I hope you like it.”

Amy opened the box to find a ring with a large sparkling square-cut diamond. It was surrounded by little sapphires and was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She offered her hand and swallowed as Ty slipped the ring onto her finger. “I think we should put that casserole back in the oven,” she whispered.

“Not hungry?”

“I want to celebrate in another way first,” she said, then pulled his head down for another hotter kiss. She backed him toward the bedroom and Ty didn’t fight her at all.

“Now, who’s bossy?” he teased, but then he couldn’t say anything for a very long time.

* * *

Ty was the luckiest man in the world.

There was no disputing it.

He sat with Amy with candles flickering all around them and served the dinner that would have been better an hour before. Neither of them cared much. She was wearing his bathrobe and her hair was loose. He thought she looked fabulous. Her eyes were sparkling and he knew that under the bathrobe, she wasn’t wearing anything except his ring.

That suited him just fine.

“I was thinking…” he began.

“I doubt that,” Amy replied. “You’ve been too busy to think.”

Ty grinned. He leaned over the table to run a fingertip down her cheek, liking how she glowed with satisfaction. “I’m thinking a good philosophy might be to do unto others before they do unto us.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You’ll be going to my sister’s wedding with that ring on your finger.”

“Your mother!” Amy whispered in understanding.

Ty grimaced. “As soon as Katelyn drives off into the sunset with Jared on Saturday, less than forty-eight hours from now…”

“Your mom will have a new project.” Amy nodded. “We need to make plans first, if we’re going to make the plans at all.”

“Exactly.” Ty flicked a finger across the end of her nose. “Brilliant and beautiful. I didn’t have a chance.”

“Any particular ideas?”

Ty sighed. “As much as I’d love to elope, I doubt we can really evade the big family wedding.”

“You can’t steal all the fun from your mom.”

“So a big wedding it is. Can we manage sooner rather than later?”

Amy nodded. “September is nice for a wedding.”

“And in October I’ve got a trip to Europe.” He filled her wine glass. “You could come along.”

“But my job…”

“Seriously? You don’t have time for that job anymore.” He gave her a stern look. “Don’t tell me it’s going to break your heart to quit it?”

“No, it’ll just be odd, not to have a pay check.”

“So, how about this? You take time off to plan the wedding, start the renovations on the house, and finish your book, then when we come home from Europe, you can decide what you want to do.”

“Do you always plan everything?” she asked, not looking very troubled about that at all.

“Preparation in a spirit of optimism,” he admitted and she smiled. He lifted his glass to her. “To September weddings, successful books…”

“And fake dates that lead to happily-ever-afters,” Amy concluded, raising her own glass. “Whether the participants are naughty or nice.”

“Maybe that’s what makes them simply irresistible,” Ty said, loving when Amy laughed.