Her Man in Manhattan

NINETEEN



The second the words left his mouth Tyler regretted them.

When Miranda flinched it wasn’t outwardly visible but he could see it in her eyes.

‘You’re trying to push me away again, aren’t you?’ she said with a hint of uncertainty that almost broke his resolve. ‘It’s what you do when someone gets close to you.’

He had to stay strong. Encouraging her anger would be better for both of them. ‘I’m on the couch now, am I? Okay. I’ll take a seat.’ He moved over to one of the benches at the edge of the path, sat down and stretched his arms along the back. ‘Don’t you need a pen and paper to take notes for the rest of this therapy session?’

Miranda shook her head in a way that suggested she was disappointed in him. ‘All you had to do was say you weren’t ready to talk about it.’

Reminding him how close he’d come to spilling his guts wasn’t the best tactic. ‘What makes you think I’d talk to you when you have no idea how the world works?’

‘If there weren’t so many people trying to protect me from it I might have a better idea.’ She arched a brow. ‘You think I can’t handle whatever you tell me?’

Good question. He knew she had guts and bravado. She’d demonstrated she had compassion, warmth and understanding. When added to her sensuality and the way she could turn him on with just a glance, it made him realize she was exactly the kind of woman a less tainted guy might want to build something with if things went well.

But the truth was it didn’t matter if she could handle it. Simple fact was she shouldn’t have to try.

Clearly seeking an explanation for what had gone wrong when they’d been getting along better she came up with, ‘I’m certain getting personally involved isn’t something you’re encouraged to do during working hours.’

‘What makes you think I find it difficult to avoid?’

She sighed. ‘No one is that detached.’

‘It’s my claim to fame. Kinda like yours is being your father’s mouthpiece by day and a closet rebel at night. That’s what this is—’ he lifted an arm to wave a forefinger between them ‘—another rule for you to break.’

‘Deflection—you invented that, right?’

‘I’m sure the mayor would be overjoyed to discover you’re doing the nasty with one of your bodyguards.’

‘What a delightful way to put it.’ She lifted her chin a defiant inch. ‘But even if I was, what happens between us has nothing to do with my family. It’s not like this could go anywhere. They won’t have to size up your suitability for a future son-in-law.’

Just as well, wasn’t it? He could imagine how great he’d fit in at fancy dinner parties and how happy he’d be to traipse out his firstborn for the cameras. He’d create more negative publicity inside a couple of appearances than she had in years. ‘Which is another part of the attraction, isn’t it?’

‘Unlike someone I could mention I didn’t know who I was kissing that night in the hall. So what’s your excuse for breaking the rules?’

‘I needed a way to get you out of there before you were identified. It was the first thing that came to mind.’ If he’d known how it would feel he might have thought twice, but when he tried to regret it, he couldn’t.

‘You hate that you’re attracted to me, don’t you? I’m probably not even your type.’ Her chin lifted another, more defensive inch. ‘What was she like—your one who got away?’

When the thought she was jealous immediately made him want to reassure her she had nothing to worry about on that score, Tyler frowned. ‘Not going there.’ He pushed to his feet. ‘This is just another example of you getting mad at me because you’re not getting your own way.’

‘That’s not why I’m— You know what? I’m not going to be goaded into an argument with you. Back on the boardwalk I thought...’ She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head. ‘Obviously not—my mistake. I get it now.’

Tyler bunched his hands into fists at his sides so he wouldn’t reach out to her.

He couldn’t tell her that she was the first woman he’d danced with or that while he did he’d experienced his first moments of peace in longer than he could remember. He couldn’t tell her when she’d asked if he had someone in his life he looked forward to seeing the first person he’d thought of was her. The number of things he couldn’t say increased with each passing day. But they’d known each other for two weeks. Even if they had a future he wouldn’t be telling her how he felt after two measly weeks.

What was next—a marriage proposal inside a month, quickie ceremony at six weeks and divorce a couple of weeks later? He wasn’t that kind of guy. If he ever got round to putting a ring on a woman’s finger it would stay there.

She rolled her eyes. ‘I mean, how silly of me. You’re obviously totally oblivious to me in that way. I could strip naked right now and you wouldn’t even notice.’

The hell he wouldn’t.

‘I could date a string of guys while you’re forced to watch and you wouldn’t care. Better still, I could spend the night at their apartment while you stand outside the door and listen to every sound.’

The hell she would.

‘Not that it would matter to you if I slept with every guy in the city...’

Something savagely territorial twisted hard in Tyler’s gut. He’d kill every one of them with his bare hands.

‘I could take every sex fantasy I’ve had about you since the night we met and try them out with whoever feels like getting down and dirty—’

That did it.

A single stride took him to where she stood. Then his hands were on her face and his mouth was on hers. There was nothing hesitant about it: a brazen mating of lips and tongues that sent him up in flames. The pent-up frustration of the past week, knowing what it was like to touch her and being unable to do anything about it, was released in a flurry of kisses.

If they’d been within striking distance of a bed she wouldn’t get to leave it until he’d shown her no other man would put as much effort into making her feel better than she’d ever felt before. He would find a way to brand her, bind her to him and make sure the world knew she was his, all the reasons he couldn’t claim her forgotten in a red haze of desire.

‘The things I said,’ she mumbled against his lips. ‘I would never do that to you.’

‘I know,’ he mumbled back.

The suggestion had been enough.

‘I don’t want you to think—’

‘I don’t.’

When he dropped his hands so he could wrap his arms around her waist and fit her soft curves to his body a moan vibrated in the base of her throat. ‘You drive me crazy.’

Then they were even.

As he lifted his mouth to place worshipful kisses on her closed eyes and her forehead in an attempt to slow things down she sighed contentedly. ‘Can we call the “who’ll crack first?” competition a draw now and progress to the kissing marathon?’

Tyler brushed a waving lock of silky hair from her cheek, committing the softness of her skin to his memory. ‘We don’t have that luxury with your schedule.’

‘We could try making time for it,’ she suggested.

‘How about we see how it goes for the next while?’ Having stepped over every line he’d tried to draw between them bar one, it was the only concession he could make.

‘I’m okay with that.’ She rocked forwards onto her toes, crushing her breasts tighter against his chest as she lifted her chin and demanded, ‘More.’

Tyler was happy to oblige, picking her up off her feet as he slanted his mouth over hers.

After several minutes of kiss-filled silence she mumbled, ‘You think I don’t know you’re carrying me back to the house right now?’

‘If you’d shut up I could distract you better.’

‘You can’t carry me the whole way there.’

‘Says who?’

Carrying her he could do. Looking after her while they were together he could do. Touching her and kissing her he could definitely do—wasn’t as if he’d managed to stop himself from doing either one. Making love to her—no matter how desperately he wanted to—he still had to avoid. She’d thank him in the long run, especially if the alternative was living with the fact she’d given herself to a man who became a cold-blooded murderer.

He could protect her from that.

Even if it was the last honourable thing he did.