No Reservations (14 page)

Because she’d been pining for him too.

Shoving her hands in his hair, she caught the short strands between her fingers and
tugged. Not to pull him away but to feel him resist.

He slid one arm beneath her ass so he could hold her up then let his free hand stroke
up her side to her breast. Cupping her, he kneaded the soft flesh until she moaned
into his mouth and lifted her legs to wrap around his waist.

His groan echoed through her small bedroom and sank deep into her body, making her
thighs tighten and her hips thrust forward to press his erection into her clit.

Ah, God, just a little more pressure, a little movement, and she swore she’d come.

As if he’d read her mind, he pressed forward, catching her clit on the seam of her
jeans until she thought she’d scream.

And when he pulled away, she muttered a frustrated sound that made him smile against
her lips before he set her on her feet.

“Glad you’re happy to see me too.”

She wanted to glare up at him but it dissolved under the sexual need driving her crazy.

Hell, for those few minutes he’d been kissing her, she’d forgotten another man sat
in her living room waiting for them while she wanted to rip off Tyler’s clothes and
throw him on her bed.

“You didn’t call.”

Damn it, she
did
sound like a petulant teenager.

“I wasn’t sure you’d want to hear from me.”

His expression indicated it wasn’t something he wanted to talk about, so she let that
slide. “I
did
miss you, Tyler.” More than she wanted to admit.

“Then why didn’t
you
call?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows. “Why didn’t you?”

His lips curved in that half smile that made her knees weak. “An impasse. I can deal
with that. For now.”

Turning, he walked to her closet, opened the door, and just stood there.

She walked over to stand next to him. “Are you really going to tell me what clothes
to wear?”

He gave her a wry look. “Of course not. But if I stood like that any longer, I might’ve
had you naked and pinned to the door with my cock inside you. I’m not sure you were
ready for that with Greg sitting out there.”

Oh.

Images flashed through her mind, making her hot and breathless. My God, it just wasn’t
fair what he could do to her with only his voice. But two could play that game.

“Maybe I would’ve been okay with that.”

He turned to face her completely. “Would you?”

She knew he was asking about what had happened last Sunday. And since she’d had some
time to think about it, she’d realized she didn’t want to give up on Tyler quite so
fast.

She didn’t want to lie to herself. She’d enjoyed it. And she didn’t want fear to rule
her life.

Smiling, she turned to her closet. “Tell me a little about this party.”

**

Since Greg couldn’t fit comfortably in the back of his Mercedes and Tyler had sobered
up enough to drive, Kate sat in the back.

He’d wanted her beside him but she’d laughed when Greg had grudgingly offered to fold
himself into the backseat then slid into the backseat herself.

He could see her in the mirror and he knew she watched him as much as he watched her.

He knew she could tell he had something weighing on his mind. His father’s bombshell
earlier today felt like a concrete block on his shoulders.

The bastard was going to sell the GoldenStar chain unless Tyler took over chairmanship
of the board.

Tyler still felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He’d left his father’s office
in a seething rage that he’d only managed to douse with a trip to the gym to punch
the bag for an hour and a bottle of Patrón before dinner with Greg.

Dinner had helped sober him but nothing had erased the need to see Kate.

When he thought of her, all the other shit in his head settled.

Greg had offered to drive and Tyler wasn’t far enough gone to not realize that was
probably a good idea. His head wasn’t on straight.

But he’d known exactly what he needed to take his mind off everything else.

He needed
her
.

After that kiss, he’d managed to keep his hands in his pockets, even though she tempted
him with each article of clothing she pulled out of the closet.

A dress for tomorrow night’s reception that looked like nothing more than a tube of
black velvet with two straps to hold it up. A pair of black slacks and a baby blue
blouse he assumed she’d wear with it. A T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

Then she’d opened the chest of drawers and threw tiny bits of silk and lace on the
bed. Underwear and bras.

His mouth dried and his hands curled into fists in his pockets.

He wondered what she was wearing right now. Although, if he had to guess, he didn’t
think she was wearing anything under that T-shirt.

It didn’t take her long to pack a bag though she’d probably spent more time picking
out her shoes and jewelry than she had her clothes.

She’d also stopped just before they were ready to walk out the door and said she’d
forgotten something. He had no idea what but she’d taken her overnight bag with her
and when he’d picked it up again, it was heavier.

“So, Kate.” Greg turned so he could address her after they’d reached the turnpike.
“Tyler tells me you’re considering taking a boutique in the spa. I gotta say, it sounds
like a great opportunity for you.”

She surprised him by saying, “I think so too.”

“So you’re going to do it?” Tyler caught her gaze in the mirror for a few brief seconds.

She smiled. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about it this week but there are a few
things I need to figure out before I say yes.”

He wanted her to say yes but knew he couldn’t pressure her into making this decision.
He settled for a restrained, “I’ll answer any question you have.”

Her smile did weird and wonderful things to his insides, and he knew he should probably
be worried about that. He knew what happened when he let himself get out of control
and he didn’t want to ever feel like that again.

“I know. I just . . . need a little more time.”

Greg steered the conversation away from the subject after that, drawing out Kate and
keeping her engaged. Tyler added a little here and there, though he was more than
content to listen to Kate.

Who didn’t seem at all attracted to Greg. He couldn’t help feeling superior about
that. Yes, it was juvenile. He’d have to watch that.

What she was interested in was costume design. He knew that’s what she’d studied in
college and what she’d hoped to pursue after graduation. Until her mother’s death
had interrupted those plans.

When he finally pulled into the garage at Haven, she and Greg were laughing about
a recent Broadway production they’d both seen and the amazing costumes.

“Her use of color to show character was brilliant,” Kate said as Tyler helped her
out of the car. “It was amazing how much emotion a simple blue handkerchief in his
pocket could convey.”

Since Tyler hadn’t seen the show, he had no idea what they were talking about. And
he didn’t care. He simply enjoyed listening to Kate and watching her talk about something
she obviously loved.

When they reached the fourth floor, though, the conversation came to a halt as the
elevator doors opened. Greg was staying in one of the suites and he nodded at Tyler
and said good night to Kate before he disappeared into it, leaving them staring into
each other’s eyes.

“Would you like your own room, Kate? Or will you stay with me this weekend?”

He heard no hesitation in her voice when she said, “I’d like to stay with you.”

Which was exactly what he wanted so he didn’t bother to hide his smile. “Good.”

Opening the door to his apartment, he waved her in then headed to his bedroom to drop
off her bag.

He hadn’t realized she’d followed him until he turned and found her standing in the
doorway, her gaze taking in everything.

“You decorated this room yourself, didn’t you?”

How did she know that? “Pretty much, yes.”

Her gaze returned to him and she smiled. “I like it.”

“I’m glad. But how could you tell I decorated it?”

“It feels like you.”

Navy blue walls decorated with the framed conceptual drawings he’d made of the atrium.
Sky blue silk drapes at the windows. Cherry mahogany furniture, including a king-size
bed, a double chest, and a night table.

No clutter. No mess.

Not much personality.

“So I’m boring.”

She laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners until they almost disappeared. “I don’t
think you’re boring, Tyler. Not at all. You’ve got hidden depths. You’re straightforward.
I like that.”

Closing the distance between them, he stopped only inches away, close enough that
she had to tilt her head back to look at him.

He wanted to reach for her but kept his hands to himself. For now, anyway. At the
moment, he wanted to know why she’d agreed to come. Before, it hadn’t mattered. Only
that she had.

“I’m glad you came. I believe you’ll have a good time at the party. I believe Annabelle
will be there, too, at least for a little while.”

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. “She didn’t say anything. Then again, we didn’t
get to talk much this week.”

He saw that didn’t sit well with her. “Did you have a busy week?”

She sighed and nodded. “Yeah, busier than normal. And I spent most nights working
on designs.”

Heat began to build low in his gut. “Lingerie designs?”

A mysterious look crossed her face. “And others.”

“More wedding dresses?”

She shook her head. “It’ll probably be easier if I show you.”

“Are you going to model?”

“Would you like me to?”

Her expression had turned flirtatious and the way she stared up at him made his cock
swell. The remnants of alcohol in his system burned away from the look in her eyes.

“I guess it depends on what you’re going to model.”

With that same mysterious smile, she walked to the bed, where he’d set her bag on
the floor next to it.

“Lingerie and wedding dresses aren’t all I’ve been working on. I was trained as a
costume designer. I’ve had a few requests recently for costumes.” She paused. “Role-playing
costumes.”

His heart began to pound. “Like the fairy costumes you made for you and Annabelle.”

Her smile turned wicked. “Kind of, yes. But not the kind you can wear outside of the
bedroom. Unless it’s down the hall in the Salon.”

Oh, hell yes.
He definitely wanted to see whatever she had in that bag.

He’d never really considered the idea of dress-up before. It wasn’t something Mia
had ever suggested, and it’d just never popped up on his radar. Some of the women
who attended Jed’s Salons did dress up, but he’d been there so infrequently in the
past several years that it had never really registered.

Now, he couldn’t think of anything he wanted more.

Kate picked up the bag and set it on the bed. “Why don’t you go sit in the living
room and I’ll be out in a few minutes?”

He nodded. “Would you like a drink?”

She took a deep breath and he saw the slightest hint of nerves hit her. But then she
nodded and the nerves disappeared. “Sure. Something light.”

“Champagne?”‘

“Okay.”

He forced himself to leave slowly, not run for the other room like a horny teenager.
Shutting the door behind him, he stopped to take a deep breath, trying to rein in
the excitement roiling through his gut. He didn’t want to rip the clothes off her
the minute he saw her. But his control was pretty damn shoddy at the moment.

And that was the one thing he couldn’t lose.

Nine

Kate watched the door close behind Tyler and breathed a sigh of relief.

She couldn’t believe she was going to go through with this. Couldn’t believe she’d
actually had the nerve to stuff the clothes in her bag.

It’d been a last-minute idea and she had no idea where it’d come from.

Okay, maybe she had a little bit of an idea where it came from.

She’d done a lot of thinking after her meeting with Dinah about the job in New York.
Actually, all she’d been doing was thinking. So much so, she’d been fending off a
headache since last night.

Now, she wanted to play so she pushed everything out of her mind except Tyler.

And the pleasure she wanted to experience with him.

Opening her overnight bag, she pulled out the pieces she’d brought.

Am I really going to do this? Dress up in these clothes and parade in front of that
man?

Yes, damn it.
She was.

Because she wanted to.

Stripping her T-shirt over her head, she tossed it on the bed, quickly followed by
her jeans and undies. Standing there naked, she caught sight of herself in the cheval
mirror in a corner.

She had her share of body issues, same as any other woman. She wished she wasn’t so
flat-chested and she definitely wished she had anything in the way of hips. She knew
other women would kill to look the way she did, but truthfully, she wished she could
put on a few pounds. But only in the right places, of course.

And since that wasn’t going to happen, she figured she should be grateful for what
she did have.

Decent legs, for one. And beautiful hair. The perfect combination of her mom’s mahogany
color and her dad’s sleek shine. It set off her pale skin perfectly.

And Tyler seemed to love it. He always had his hands in it.

Now, what to wear first?

Should she start tame and work up to raunchy?

Pulling the French maid costume out, she held it up to her body. And caught back the
laughter trying to break free.

How corny could she get?

She’d originally designed this for a college play. Of course, the one worn on stage
had actually covered the actress’s ass. This one was made to expose the bottom half
of her cheeks. And the little white lace apron that attached to the frilly black skirt
with concealed Velcro left most of her breasts exposed.

She’d even remembered to toss in the feather duster.

It only took her seconds to put it on, but when she did a final check in the mirror,
her lips curved in a smile.

Okay. You can do this.

The one thing she didn’t have were the right shoes. She hadn’t brought the black patent
stilettos sitting in her closet gathering dust.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

And had to work hard to control her smile when Tyler turned away from the window where
he was standing and his mouth dropped open for several seconds.

Yes.
This was exactly the response she’d been looking for.

It gave her the courage to saunter out into the living room. The air brushed against
her exposed skin, pebbling her nipples until they peaked beneath the lace.

He held a glass in his hand, though the clear liquid appeared to be water. She noticed
how his fingers flexed around the glass before he set it on the closest table.

As his mouth closed, his gaze made a leisurely trip from her bare feet up to her eyes.

“Do you like this one?” She posed with her feet together and her hands clasping the
feather duster just below her breasts, looking at him from beneath her lashes. “I
got the idea from a costume I made for a play in college.”

As she breathed, the feathers brushed against her breasts, the sensation intensifying
the lust pulsing through her body.

A flush spread across Tyler’s cheeks and his eyes glittered in the dusky light of
the room. Without saying a word, he lifted his hand and drew circles in the air with
his index finger.

She complied with his request—at least, she chose to think of it as a request—and
did a slow spin. “So what do you think?”

He walked forward, and she thought he’d come to her. Instead, he stopped at the couch
and sat down.

Sprawled would be more like it. He slung one arm on the back of the couch and let
the other rest on the cushion next to him. With his dark hair tousled, as if he’d
been running his fingers through it, and the casual jeans and tight T-shirt that clung
to his broad chest, she wanted to go over and sit on his lap and lick him. Everywhere.

“I think I’d like to see what else you have in that bag.”

His voice had deepened to a low rasp and she was glad she’d added a thong to the ensemble.
It would be soaked by the time she was finished but that was okay.

She pouted and put one hand on her cocked hip. “Don’t you like it? I would have thought
this would be right up your alley, being in the hotel business and all.”

The corners of his mouth barely moved in a smile but she knew he was. “I’m all for
letting you design the next round of service uniforms, sweetheart. But I think I’d
have a riot on my hands.”

She sighed dramatically and turned on her heel to head back to the bedroom. But just
before she closed the door behind her, she looked over her shoulder. “Then I guess
we’ll just have to try something a little less . . . frilly.”

With the door closed, she practically skipped back to the bed and the pile of clothes
she’d laid there.

Shimmying out of the maid’s costume, she let it drop to the floor as she picked up
a leaf-green piece of chamois deliberately made to look torn and jagged. She tied
that around her breasts then tied a slightly larger, dark brown chamois piece around
her waist.

She didn’t bother with the headband. He’d get the general idea.

“I always did want to be Tarzan when I grew up,” he said as she stopped just in front
of him this time.

“He certainly has that beauty-and-the-beast thing going for him. What do you think
of this one?”

“I think it’s sexy as all hell. And I think you should come over here and let me take
it off you.”

Right then she realized she wanted him to come after her. Wanted to break his rigid
control and entice him off the couch and to her.

“Hmm, no. I don’t think you’re all that interested in this one. I guess we’ll just
have to try another.”

When she returned the next time, she swore he turned a deeper shade of red.

She hadn’t been sure what he’d make of this one.

“I’m missing the boots but I think you get the general idea. What do you think of
this one?”

He didn’t say anything right away, his gaze glued to her body. He stared so long,
she wondered if she’d actually shocked him.

Finally, he stood, closing the few feet between them.

He towered over her, hands at his sides as he circled around her.

“What was your inspiration for this one?”

She actually shivered at the sound of his voice, couldn’t control it. “I had a huge
crush on Keanu Reeves in
The Matrix
. I wanted to be Trinity.”

“I think her clothes were a little more . . . concealing.”

He still hadn’t touched her, yet she could feel the heat of his body like a caress
against her skin. Her fingers curled into her palms to keep from reaching for him
when he stopped in front of her again.

“I took a few liberties.”

“I see that.”

Yes, this costume was made of leather, but it probably only used the same amount of
fabric as one pants leg of Trinity’s outfit.

The black shorts were no more than six inches at the widest point and, though he couldn’t
see it, the crotch was missing. Well, not missing, she just hadn’t made one.

Her breasts were mostly bare, although her nipples were covered by crisscrossing,
two-inch strips of leather that attached at her neck and behind her back.

Another intricate pattern of straps crossed her stomach and attached to the shorts.

“Is
The Matrix
the only inspiration you had for this?”

She knew what he was asking. “I had a personal request for this one.”

His gaze finally connected with hers. “From someone who wanted you to wear it?”

Was that jealousy she detected in his tone? “From someone who wanted to wear it herself.”

He nodded, and she knew he’d totally dismissed the thought. “Do you have any more?”

“Only one.”

“Am I going to get to see it now?”

“Do you want to?”

“Do you have other designs at home?”

“Yes.”

His lips barely moved but she could tell he was smiling. “Then let’s see the last
one.”

She’d saved her favorite for last. Wondered if he’d realize why. The man seemed to
be able to read her mind.

As she changed, she drew in a sharp breath as the leather pulled away from her oh-so-sensitive
nipples. At least when she drew the shorts down nothing rubbed against her clit. Though
she wanted something to.

God, if he didn’t grab her and throw her on a flat surface soon, she swore she’d spontaneously
combust.

Which didn’t make a lick of sense considering she’d spent half the past week worrying
about losing herself to him.

Of course, she’d spent the rest of it pining after him.

She needed to get out of this circular thinking pattern. It wasn’t helping at all.

Picking up the pieces of the last costume, she smiled. She’d made this one for herself.

The tiny, see-through white blouse gaped open to expose the neon blue bra, barely
covered the bottom curve of her breasts, and left her entire midsection exposed. The
seven-inch-long, pleated plaid skirt barely brushed her hips at the top and almost
covered her ass in the back. The blue thong that matched her bra left her ass exposed
but its strings were visible above the skirt’s waistband.

The line of tiny buttons up the side required concentration to work through the holes.
Though if you were in a hurry, you really didn’t need to remove the skirt at all.

Damn, she was going to soak through the panties in seconds.

Speaking of which . . . She pulled the thong on first, nearly moaning at the feel
of the silk string between her cheeks and against the lips of her pussy. All he’d
have to do was touch her and she’d explode.

Next, the bra. The lace felt almost abrasive against her skin, heightening her already
burning lust. By the time she’d pulled on the skirt and shirt, she wanted to run back
to Tyler and let him rip it all off of her.

She was going to need a shrink by the time this relationship came to an end.

Which she refused to even think about right now.

At the mirror, she gathered her hair into two ponytails over her ears, leaving a few
strands to brush her cheeks.

Stepping back, she checked her appearance. And nearly chickened out.

It might actually take more strength for her to walk out to Tyler wearing this than
it would to go out naked.

Did she look ridiculous? Would he find her sexy dressed like this? Some men had hang-ups
about stuff like this. She didn’t think Tyler was one of them, but how did she know
for sure? They didn’t really know each other all that well, did they?

And you’re making excuses because you’re scared. Now or never.

She went to the door and walked through.

**

She’d been in there longer than she had for the other costumes and Tyler couldn’t
help but let his imagination run a little wild.

He’d been shocked speechless when she’d walked out in that first outfit. Not because
he didn’t like it but because he hadn’t expected her to do anything like that.

Obviously, he didn’t know Kate as well as he thought he did.

And he wanted to, so badly he could see it becoming something of a problem in the
future.

A future he hadn’t imagined with anyone since he’d lost Mia.

One that—

The door opened and his brain stuttered to a stop for a full thirty seconds.

Holy shit.

He wasn’t sure he was going to be able to breathe without choking.

She looked . . . so fucking hot. And he’d never before been one for the whole naughty
schoolgirl thing.

But holy hell, he was beginning to see the appeal.

At least on Kate.

The skirt made her legs look amazingly long and the top and bra accentuated her somewhat
meager attributes. Not that he’d ever complain. He was more a big-picture guy than
a breast or ass man.

And this picture . . . Christ, put a bullet in him now. He was done.

As she strolled over to stand in front of him, she had one hand on her hip and twirled
the end of one ponytail with the other.

All she needed was a lollipop to suck on and he might as well just melt into a puddle
right here.

Then he’d give her something else to suck on.

Very soon.

First, he forced himself to lean back into the couch though he never took his eyes
off of her.