I shivered. “No,” I murmured. “You don’t need to. But if you want to tell me, you just go right ahead.”
He laughed, warm and full of life. “Tempting. But no.” He took my hand and started to draw me across the room. “Let’s get out of here, shall we?”
I hesitated, suddenly unsure in the face of reality.
He came to a stop, his eyes on my face. “Change of heart?”
“I—no,” I said, too quickly if the smug expression on his face was any indication. “I was just—nervous,” I admitted.
There was a sharpness in his eyes as he moved closer to me, his proximity both calming and rattling me. “Some say that nerves add to a moment’s excitement.”
I managed a wry grin. “Not possible,” I said. “My excitement quotient is all maxed out.”
“Sweetheart, there’s always more.” He took my arm. “With me. Now,” he said, and continued toward the exit.
“Tyler!” The deep voice boomed out from somewhere behind us. “Hold up a minute, man.”
Tyler pulled me to a stop, and I found myself standing hand in hand with him while Cole August closed the distance between us in three long strides.
“What’s up?”
“Just checking. We’re still on for tomorrow?”
“Absolutely,” Tyler said. He glanced at me. “Sloane, meet one of my business partners. Cole August.”
I held out my hand, and it disappeared into Cole’s huge one. Despite the man’s size, his touch was surprisingly gentle. “I won’t keep you. I’m sure Tyler has plans for you.”
His expression remained perfectly pleasant, but his tone held something dark, and as he released my hand, I couldn’t shake the sense of trepidation.
Instinctively, I stepped closer to Tyler, relieved when his arm eased around me.
“Catch you later,” Cole said, his attention shifting back to Tyler. “You’re good?” he asked as his eyes flicked quickly to me.
“Five by five. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“I’ll pull Evan into the loop.” He turned to me, and though his smile was brilliant, his eyes revealed nothing. “Nice to meet you, Sloane,” he said, then turned away, leaving me feeling strangely confused. As if I was missing the subtext.
But then Tyler took my hand and raised it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to my palm, and despite the gentleness of the touch, it set off a riot of sensation inside me.
“Come on,” he said, then drew me toward the exit, stopping only long enough to retrieve my purse from the check stand. Once out of the Palm Court, he led me through the lobby. It was a beautiful area. Ornate without being pretentious. Well-appointed. Comfortable yet elegant.
I barely saw the damn place.
He steered me to the right and down the stairs to the entrance. We stepped through the doors, and he signaled to the valet. A moment later, a sleek black Lexus pulled up, and the valet opened the door.
Tyler gestured for me to get in, and once I did, he rested his hand on the hood, then bent down. He slid his hand around the back of my head, his fingers twining in my hair. He drew me close, then closed his mouth over mine, the force of the kiss rumbling through me, making my body clench and my pulse quicken.
“Tyler,” I murmured when he pulled gently away.
His eyes were warm as he nodded to the driver. “Give Red your address and your phone number. Tomorrow,” he said. “Be ready for me.”
I gaped at him. If he’d tossed a bucket of cold water all over me, I couldn’t have been more surprised. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Anticipation, sweetheart,” he said smoothly. “It’s the most potent of aphrodisiacs.”
“Yeah?” I said, and then flipped him the bird. “Anticipate this.”
He laughed, which really wasn’t what I was going for, and his smile was just a little too smug. “Oh, yeah,” he said, in a voice that burned like slow, smooth whiskey. “I’m going to like fucking you.”