No Reservations (25 page)

God, she just wanted tomorrow to be over.

“Kate,” Sabrina called from the next room, which they were using as a dressing room.
“I can’t get this damn buckle done.”

Kate turned to go help but Sabrina walked out, head down as she fiddled with something
at her side.

And walked right into Greg.

“Oh, jeez, I’m sorry. I didn’t see . . . you.”

It would have been funny if Kate had been in a laughing mood. For once, Sabrina had
nothing to say. She just stared up at Greg, like he was the most handsome man she’d
ever seen. Or he was an alien from another planet.

Greg’s smile didn’t falter as he patted Sabrina on the shoulder like a child. “No
harm, no foul, kid. Nice costume.” Then he turned back to Kate. “You make this? Honey,
you can come work for me anytime. That’s camera ready.”

She smiled, but she knew it was strained. “Thanks, but there’s no way I’m moving to
LA. I’m really not much for big cities.”

And you’re going to move to New York?

She shoved the thought out of her mind. “Greg, this is Sabrina. Sabrina, Greg.”

She didn’t add anything to the introduction. If Greg wanted Sabrina to know who he
was, he could fill her in. Otherwise, she was going on the assumption he’d prefer
to remain just Greg the photographer and not Greg the hot Hollywood producer.

Sabrina took the hand Greg stuck out, finally rousing enough to realize she was staring
at the man.

“Hi. Sorry, I just . . . You look really familiar. Have we met before?”

Greg smiled again and took a step back. “Don’t think so.”

Sabrina tilted her head, studying Greg for another few seconds, as Greg turned to
address Kate.

“Are we ready to shoot, Kate?”

“Whenever you are.”

“Then come here to me, Sabrina.”

As Greg gave Sabrina directions on where to stand and how to pose, Kate stepped back
to Tyler’s side.

“That’s a work of art, Kate.” Tyler’s voice was pitched low enough that only she could
hear. “If they don’t hire you for the position, they’re fools.”

She heard his sincerity and wondered if he was going to let her go without a fight.
Maybe he didn’t care for her as deeply as she cared for him. Maybe she was reading
too much into what had, so far, been a mostly sexual relationship.

How would he respond if she told him she loved him?

“Thank you for the vote of confidence. But . . .”

His gaze narrowed on hers. “What?”

She had no clue what he was thinking at the moment.

“What do
you
think I should do? Should I pack up and leave my dad and my friends and . . . everyone
I know to go live in a huge city in an apartment on the top floor of a five-story
walkup with no air-conditioning that costs me three times what my apartment does here?
What if I hate it?”

“And what if it’s everything you’ve ever wanted and you love it?”

The words sounded forced, as if he didn’t want to say them but had to. Still, his
expression remained placid. Unmoved.

What was it going to take to rattle that calm? She wanted him to show something, anything,
of the emotions he was feeling, give her some clue as to what he was thinking.

But why should he? She hadn’t told him how she felt. And now wasn’t the time. Not
with the others here.

One day at a time. Just take it one day at a time.

She turned back to watch Greg shoot Sabrina, not answering his question because she
didn’t know how.

Greg had Sabrina standing with her back to the wall, head tilted up as she looked
at the camera.

“That’s good, babe. Now smolder.”

Sabrina burst into one of her unrestrained laughing fits, and even with everything
on her mind, Kate had to join her.

“I bet you say that to all the girls.” Sabrina’s hands went to her hips as she sent
Greg a look that definitely didn’t smolder. “Smolder, my ass. What the hell does that
mean anyway?”

Kate was about to answer when Greg took a few steps forward until he was close enough
to Sabrina that, if she took a deep breath, her breasts would brush against his chest.

Sabrina’s eyes widened and she looked as if she wanted to take a step back but she
was already up against the wall.

“I want you to look at me like I’m the man you want to throw down on the ground and
screw his brains out.” Greg reached out to take one of Sabrina’s curls in his hand
and draped it over the curve of her ample breast, enhanced by the leather corset.
“Can you do that?”

Now, twenty-two-year-old Sabrina was not a virgin. Kate knew that because Sabrina
the motormouth told her everything. But Kate also knew that the girl’s few sexual
encounters hadn’t prepared her for Greg.

Kate opened her mouth to tell Greg to back off, but Sabrina found her footing.

Planting her hands on her hips, she fluttered her lashes and pouted as she stared
straight up at Greg. “I think I can manage. Why don’t you take a few steps back and
let me show you?”

“Let’s see what you got then.” Greg retreated about five feet then held up the camera.
“Do it.”

Sabrina stood still for several more seconds as Greg snapped pictures. But finally,
she moved.

And damn but the girl could smolder.

It would’ve made Kate smile if she hadn’t had so much on her mind.

The photos would be great. She knew she was qualified for the job.

But would she be losing a more important part of her life if she left?

**

As Sabrina began to loosen up in front of the camera, Tyler felt every muscle in his
body tighten.

New York City. Kate was moving to New York City.

He had no doubt she was fully qualified for the position. The producers would be fools
not to hire her, especially after they saw her portfolio.

This could be a career maker for her.

But it meant she’d leave him. She’d be busy creating a new life for herself. Carving
out a career, settling into a new city.

Hell, he’d be just as busy if he agreed to take the chairmanship of the hotel board.

“Tyler.” Kate had pitched her voice low enough so only he could hear. “Is everything
okay?”

He turned to smile at her. “I’m fine. Is something wrong?”

Her eyes narrowed, focused intently on him. Dissecting his response. “No, nothing’s
wrong. You’re . . . awfully quiet.”

Go ahead. Tell her you love her. She’ll stay.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

Her smile was bittersweet. “I know what you mean. So what’s at the top of your pile?”

Damn it. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but he didn’t want to sway her decision
on this job in any way. He didn’t have the right. And he didn’t want to mess with
her head while she had to make such an important decision.

“Hotel stuff.”

She waited for him to say more, to open up. Share.

But he already felt his walls going up.

Damn it, he wanted her to sign the contract Jed had given her for the boutique. Wanted
a binding legal document between them so she couldn’t leave.

Hell, maybe you should just put a collar on her and make her stay.

Shit. That’s the last thing he wanted to do to her.

After what she told him about her parents, she’d hate him for trying to manipulate
her life. Which is exactly what he’d be doing.

No, she had to
want
to stay with him or the relationship would be meaningless.

“Hey, Kate. Come look at these. Greg must be a damn good photographer because I actually
look good in these.”

Sabrina’s summons broke their connection and Kate turned toward her and Greg.

“I had no doubt you would look fantastic.” Kate gave the girl a bright smile. “I really
appreciate you both taking the time to do this for me.”

Sabrina’s answering grin could light up an entire room. The girl had energy to spare.
Then again, she was probably all of twenty years old.

“You know I’ll do anything for you, Kate.” Then she pulled out a frown that could
rival any two-year-old. “I am
so
going to miss you when you leave.”

As Sabrina wrapped her arms around Kate’s shoulders and gave her a hug, Kate glanced
at Tyler with an expression he couldn’t decipher.

What the hell should he do? The only time he’d been thrown for a loop like this had
been when Mia died.

He’d reached the anger stage and pretty much stayed with that until he hit acceptance.
He’d never really gotten to denial or bargaining. A year after they’d buried his former
fiancée, he’d decided he was done mourning, and he’d managed to live without emotion
since.

No grief. No longing. No love.

He’d stuffed them all away in a deep corner somewhere inside.

Then he’d met Kate, and those emotions had started to creep back into his life.

He didn’t want to lose her. But he didn’t want her to stay and later regret her decision.

Greg stepped in front of him, drawing him out of his thoughts. One look at his friend’s
face and Tyler frowned. He looked visibly tense.

“What’s wrong?”

Greg shook his head and his expression became the one he usually reserved for dealing
with the press.

“Not a thing.”

Which was complete bullshit. Tyler knew something was up. What the hell was he missing
here?

“Are we still shooting, Kate?” Greg asked.

“I assume so. Greg—”

“Then I think we should get started. I need to head back to Philly. I’ve got some
work I need to finish.”

Yeah, right. Greg had told him he had tonight and tomorrow open. What the hell had
changed?

The girls were still talking. Well, Sabrina was talking. Kate was nodding and adding
words here and there, but he could see the signs of her distraction in her half-hearted
smile and the way she kept biting on her bottom lip.

When Tyler nodded and said “Sure,” Greg turned to the girls. “Hey, kid. Great job.
Nice to meet you. Kate, why don’t you get changed so we can wrap this up.”

Sabrina’s mouth had dropped open the second Greg had called her a kid.

Her hands went to her hips again and she drew herself up to her full five-two height
and stared straight at Greg. “I don’t think twenty-two is still considered a kid in
this country. Then again, maybe it’s the generation gap.”

The side of Greg’s mouth twitched, and Tyler wasn’t sure if Greg was ready to laugh
or grimace.

He did neither. “When you hit my age, anyone under thirty is still a kid.” Then Greg
turned and nodded at Kate, completely dismissing Sabrina. “Why don’t you go get changed,
hon. I’m not gonna have much time to process these before I have to print them out.”

Kate nodded and took a scowling Sabrina by the arm. “Give me a few minutes to change.”

With one last scowl at Greg, who was studiously changing the lens on his camera, Sabrina
let Kate lead her back to the dressing room.

When the girls were gone, Tyler walked over to Greg. “What’s going on? Did something
happen?”

Greg shook his head but didn’t look up. “Nothing’s going on. There’re a few things
I need to take care of. The pictures shouldn’t need more than a quick touch-up.”

Tyler looked down and saw Greg flashing through the pictures of Sabrina.

“They look great.” And he meant it. Greg hadn’t lost touch of his artistic side since
becoming a producer. He knew how to frame a shot for maximum impact.

Tyler had no idea why Greg no longer directed. Damn shame that he didn’t, because
the guy had a gift. Especially in the close-up shots. Sabrina looked—

Ah.

Tyler looked up at Greg, who stared straight back, as if daring Tyler to say something.

Tyler knew now wasn’t the time. But later . . .

“Thanks for doing this for Kate. I know she appreciates it.”

Greg nodded, knowing Tyler had given him a break. “Have you told her how you feel
about her yet?”

A break Greg apparently didn’t intend to offer Tyler.

“I don’t want to influence her decision.”

Greg’s gaze narrowed. “But you don’t want her to go, do you?”

He was saved from answering the question by the girls’ return. Sabrina had changed
back into her jeans and T-shirt while Kate wore one of the more demure role-playing
costumes she’d brought.

But not demure enough for him not to get aroused just by looking at her.

The top of the outfit was made from strings of fake pearls, draping down to cover
all the right places but with just enough movement to suggest that if she moved the
right way, she’d expose a breast. The bottom was a tiny, purple satin skirt that barely
covered her ass and was encrusted with tiny pearls in a wave pattern.

Christ.

“Wow, Kate.” Greg gave a short whistle. “That’s a stunner, babe.”

Kate rolled her eyes at him but smiled at the compliment. “Thanks. The top gave me
fits trying to get the pearls to drape right.”

Greg’s wolfish smile made it perfectly clear he appreciated the look. “Then let’s
get started. Hey, Sabrina. Nice to meet you.”

The last had been thrown over Greg’s shoulder as he moved Kate into position against
the wall.

Sabrina opened her mouth to say something but must have realized Greg had tuned her
out.

Instead, she turned to Tyler and gave him a smile that held half her normal wattage
before saying good-bye and practically running for the door.

Amazing, really, how attraction could cut you off at the knees that fast.

At Sabrina’s age, she’d brush it off in a few days.

In Tyler’s case . . .

Hell. He wouldn’t be brushing it off anytime soon. Because his feelings had gone further
than simple attraction.

But that still didn’t give him the right to interfere in Kate’s dreams.

**

With a groan, Kate unkinked herself from the driver’s seat of her car and stretched.

Her eyes felt gritty and she kept yawning, although she didn’t feel that tired.

She’d been drained after the photo shoot last night and had fallen asleep only minutes
after Greg and Tyler had left. She didn’t even have time to pout over the fact that
Tyler hadn’t stayed. She hadn’t woken up this morning until her alarm had gone off
at five a.m. Ugh.