Stress and The City

Drew’s face was hard, his lips a thin line. “I’m Drew.”

“Drew who?” Ty began twirling his fingers in the soft tendrils of hair hanging beside Cassie’s neck, an intimate action that wasn’t missed by Drew. Or by her. She felt as if her knees were going to buckle. Never had Drew’s touch made her feel like all her bones had melted. Never had anyone’s touch made her feel like this. Like…like wow.

Drew sighed impatiently. “I’m Drew.”

Ty glanced blankly at Cassie. “Should I know who he is?”

Hide the grin, Cassie.

Drew’s cheeks were turning an interesting shade of purple, making his head look sort of like a gigantic red grape. “I’m Drew Smothers. The man she was supposed to marry three weeks ago.”

Ty didn’t even react. “Oh. Well, nice to meet you.”

Okay, there was a new definition of the word “hero” in her dictionary. It was Ty. Not only had he recognized a maiden in distress, but he’d also vaulted onto his white steed to rescue her. Not that she needed rescuing, but she certainly wasn’t going to turn down the offer.

She definitely owed him a free de-stressing session or two.

Or maybe she’d just sign over her entire savings to him.

Or maybe she’d pay with her body.

Yeah, right. As if she could even be that wanton. That wasn’t her nature, even for a modern-day knight.

Drew lowered his voice and scowled at Cassie as if Ty, leaning over her shoulder, wouldn’t be able to hear him. “How could you go to another man already? Didn’t I mean anything to you? After four years together, you can just forget about us?”

“Forget? About us?” She was so stunned, she couldn’t string more than two words together at a time. “How can…but you…with her…”

“It was a mistake. A one-time thing. Prewedding jitters. I still love you. It’ll never happen again.”

The absurdity of his claim released the dam and the words came tumbling free. “Prewedding jitters is sitting up all night unable to sleep, wondering if you’re doing the right thing. Prewedding jitters is calling up your fiancée to remind yourself of all the things you love about her. Prewedding jitters is not having sex with another woman the night before your wedding!”

She heard Ty suck in his breath and make a sound as if he was choking.

Okay, so he hadn’t known about the Incident. He did now.

Drew grabbed her hand, ignoring her when she tried to peel his fingers off hers. “Cassie! I love you! I’m not going to give up fighting for you.”

Cassie yanked her hand free, trembling with rage. “Get away from me.”

“Not until you give me another chance.” The lascivious jerk had a glint of cockiness in his eyes as if he knew she’d fall victim to his carefully orchestrated plea, as she always had in the past whenever he’d irritated her.

But this time was different.

It wasn’t about being annoyed.

This was about the essence of her soul.

Of her pride in being a woman.

“Cassie, just give me a chance. Lunch tomorrow. We’ll start over. I’ll prove you can trust me again.”

Ignoring Drew, she turned to face Ty. His eyes were too dark to read in the dim light. He was like a mysterious black hole that could hold danger, intrigue, friendship, passion.…She had no idea.

It was a risk she had to take.

With Drew’s incessant blathering rattling in her ears, she threw her arms around Ty and linked her hands behind his neck. She was uncomfortably aware of the look of surprise on his face, but she wouldn’t stop. Not with Drew standing there.

She pulled Ty toward her and kissed him. Hard. With all the passion of someone who wanted to prove she was stronger than she really was, and who was totally undone by the handsomeness of the man she was kissing.

2

TY FELT AS IF HIS WORLD was exploding. He’d seen the kiss coming and been ready for it.

Or so he’d thought.

He hadn’t been prepared for his blood to crash through his veins like a tidal wave trying to burst out of his body. He hadn’t been ready for the fire that was instantly ignited down south, for his hands to snap around her, anchoring her against him while he returned her kiss with a fervor more appropriate for a clandestine affair between lovers than a kiss engaged in only to make her ex-fiancé feel like the bastard he was.

Ty couldn’t stop himself from spreading his hands across Cassie’s back, feeling her shoulder blades move under his fingers as she tightened her grip on him, pressing herself closer. And when the delicate murmur of pleasure echoed from her throat, Ty couldn’t stop himself from responding with his own masculine growl of possession and passion.

He could feel Cassie’s breasts flattened against his chest through his suit jacket and starched shirt, felt his own body rise in response. And when the kiss became intimate in a way that an outsider could never see, his response was for her alone, for only the two of them. Only they knew he could feel the smooth surface of her teeth with his tongue and that she was responding with her own exploration, each touch sending the fire in his body escalating to new heights.

“He’s gone.” Leo’s amused voice broke through his fog.

Their lips froze, locked in the kiss like a pair of teenagers wearing braces.

“I said, Drew is gone.” Leo’s voice was louder now and even more amused.

Finally, Ty broke the kiss, but didn’t let go of Cassie. She kept her hands around his neck, staring at him with a look of startled awe. “I know,” he said.

Cassie blinked and finally appeared to realize what she was doing. Color rushed into her cheeks, turning them red through the bronzed tint of her skin, and she released him so quickly it was as if she’d been burned. Which was exactly how he felt. With regret, he let his hands slide off her soft sweater as she stepped away from him.

Leo moved into his line of vision, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “That looked like one hot kiss.”

Cassie’s cheeks turned even redder, though he wouldn’t have thought that was possible. “Um…Drew was being a jerk, so I, um, you know…I couldn’t let him…and Ty was being so nice…and Drew…idiot…so I guess I had to do something.…”

How could a woman capable of delivering a kiss like that be so genuinely embarrassed and cute afterward? There had been nothing “cute” about that kiss, yet now he wanted to wrap his arms around her and snuggle up with her to watch a movie in companionable intimacy. And then he’d take her to bed for some of that lovin’.

Hell, what was he thinking? He had no business letting his mind wander in that forbidden direction.

Cassie turned toward him, her eyebrows puckered in mortification. “Um, Ty, I’m really sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize.” No need at all. He’d take that kiss with him to his grave.

“No, really. I’m not the type to molest men I don’t know.”

“Or even men she does know,” Leo chimed in.

Cassie nodded. “Right. I don’t attack men. I swear.” She pressed her thumb and index finger into her forehead and shook her head. “I’m so embarrassed.”