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Tyler had no interest in talking about Russell, either, but he wasn’t ready to be done with Nya. She was stunning, and her kiss had stirred a desire in his gut that had long since been repressed. Oh, he definitely wasn’t ready to be done with her. He wanted to take her out on Friday night, make her forget this Russell character for good.
“I don’t want to talk about the guy, either,” Tyler said. “But don’t you want to quash his effect on you once and for all?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It’s clear he still gets to you.”
“Not because I’m hung up on him.”
“The problem is,” Tyler went on, “if you don’t go to the premiere on Friday night, he’ll know he still has power over you The power to make you upset, or afraid...or to simply get under your skin. Why don’t you flip the script on him?”
“Flip the script?” Nya asked.
“Yeah.”
* * *
As Nya looked up into Tyler’s dark eyes, she wasn’t altogether concentrating on what he was saying. She was distracted by the fact that he was the definition of smoking hot. A firefighter being smoking hot...how appropriate was that?
“Russell is completely full of himself,” Nya said. “He’ll always feel he has power over me.”
“Especially if you avoid the event on Friday night.”
Tyler turned to the bar and took a pull of his beer. His blazer jacket slid back as he moved, giving Nya a glimpse of his physique beneath his white dress shirt. Damn, the man was fine. Even with clothes on, she could see that his body was well sculpted.
There was no doubt that he was exactly her type. And kissing him...she’d felt her body warm in all the right places.
Which was exactly why she couldn’t go out with him on Friday night. After her last disastrous date, Nya had finally decided to go on a dating hiatus. Indefinitely. She’d examined her behavior and realized that she’d been going about trying to find love with a sense of desperation. Which of course had led to disaster.
The problem was, Nya didn’t really know any other way to go about dating than to jump headfirst into a relationship. So she’d sworn off dating and was now trying to get to a place where she could accept being happy on her own.
Nya had analyzed why every relationship she’d had since Russell—and including her relationship with Russell, for that matter—had ended badly. And the glaring reason why things didn’t work out was because Nya went for looks first, character later. If a man looked good and sounded smooth, Nya fell for him like a fool.
And Tyler had the kind of looks that could have her brain cells going on strike. So Nya didn’t even want to put herself in the path of temptation.
She tried another tactic. “Obviously, you’re a very attractive man. And you were gracious enough to...to kiss me back...and go along with my ruse. But a man as attractive as you must have several women vying for your attention. I don’t expect you to give up a Friday night for me when you can spend it with someone you want to. I’ll come up with a reason why we can’t go to the film. You know what, it doesn’t even matter if I have a reason or not. It’s not like I have to answer to Russell.”
“Then it’s going to look like you’re chickening out,” Tyler said matter-of-factly. “Russell’s going to know you made up an excuse not to see him again, and he’ll see right through it. He’ll think you’re still hung up on him.”
Nya felt a spasm of fear. She wished Tyler would stop saying that, because it was the one thing that was weakening her resolve.
“I can see that the truth is getting to you,” Tyler went on. “And trust me, that’s how guys think. You went to the trouble of kissing me to make a point to him. Seems as though it would be rather foolish to abandon the plan now when we can drive the point home on Friday night.”
Nya bit her inner cheek as she thought. She hated to admit it, but Tyler had a point. Russell was that kind of guy. Even when he’d dumped her, he’d rubbed salt in her wound by saying that she would never find another decent guy because she was too clingy.
He had been right about her not being able to find another man, but the part about her being clingy? Nya wasn’t clingy, and he had hurt her deeply when he’d said that.
And still, she had foolishly reached out to him during a time when she had been weak and needed a sexual fix. She had remembered only the good times between them and forgotten the hurt. It was her selective memory that had led her to call Russell nine months earlier when she had been lonely. She’d invited him over, telling him that there would be no strings attached, that she just wanted him for one night. He’d come over, and they’d made love. But in the morning, Russell had humiliated her by telling her that the sex hadn’t meant anything. And that he knew in his heart she wasn’t the woman for him.
The memory left a bitter taste in her mouth, even now. She knew that it shouldn’t matter to her what Russell did or what he thought, not after the callous way he had treated her. The week before he’d dumped her, he’d played things up with her, being even more romantic, not arguing with her over the little things, and telling her he wanted to surprise her.
She had been surprised, all right. And then she had run out of the restaurant in tears.
There were far better ways to break up with someone. Heck, she would have appreciated a text more. But after dating for two years and talking about moving in together, talking about his plans as a director, and her being there to support his every dream, it had stung for him to—without warning—shatter her world.
Russell was clearly a pig. Even when he had slept with her that one night, he had obviously been involved with Topaz. Which meant he had been cheating on Topaz, as well. The arrogant jerk believed he was God’s gift to women.
Nya looked up at Tyler. Gorgeous, tall, sexy as hell... She knew that her kiss with Tyler had gotten to Russell. She’d seen the surprise in his eyes. Russell was the kind of guy who wanted to feel that he had one-upped you and left you devastated.
“It’s no doubt he was flaunting Topaz to get to me,” Nya muttered, glancing away.
“What was that?”
Nya faced Tyler. “Topaz. I always suspected that she was sleeping with Russell while we were together. And just now she pretty much admitted it.”
A look of utter confusion came over Tyler’s face, and he shook his head. “Clearly, Russell’s missing a few screws.” His eyes roamed over Nya from head to toe, leaving her feeling flushed. “For him to dump someone like you...” He made a face.
Nya swallowed. “Thank you,” she said. “You’re very kind. Why do you even want to do this?”
“I have a sense of adventure,” Tyler said. “And I happen to be free on Friday night. Movie premiere, a swanky after party. At least we should be able to have a good time.”
Nya regarded Tyler with more than a modicum of suspicion. Did he really want to go to the premiere for the adventure?
Whatever his reasons, it was clear that Tyler was going to insist that they go. And how could Nya insist that they not? After all, she’d brought this situation on herself.
“Okay,” Nya said. “We’ll do this.” And she would play it up for Russell’s benefit, because she wanted him to know that he hadn’t crushed her forever. Russell would be jealous just thinking about how hot things were with her and Tyler between the sheets.
Oh, he would regret how he had treated her.
“I can pick you up at five, if that works for you,” Tyler said. “Take you to dinner first.”
Dinner first? The mere suggestion caused Nya’s stomach to flutter. Sheesh, this wasn’t a real date.
“Why don’t you call me at the studio on Thursday?” Nya suggested. But she knew that she would not be going to dinner with him. She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. “On Thursday, I’ll be able to have a look at my schedule and make plans then. Sometimes I have to stay late if Sabrina’s got a booking.”
Tyler nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
“All right.” Nya placed her hands on her hips, not sure what to say. “Talk to you later, then.” She lifted her drink from the bar, downed the rest of it and walked off in search of Sabrina. She had a headache and wanted to leave.
Chapter 3 (#ulink_a2ffa5bb-8f25-53ec-9fdd-147577b73c49)
The next morning, besides waking up with a headache, Nya was overcome with a profound sense of embarrassment. Had she really kissed a virtual stranger in public last night?
She sat up in bed, and reality settled over her like a wet blanket. No, she hadn’t had a nightmare. And she couldn’t even claim to have been influenced by alcohol. She had kissed Tyler McKenzie, all right.
“What was I thinking?” she asked herself. It was completely unlike her to have done something so spontaneous and reckless. How foolish of her to try to prove anything to Russell.
“You utter idiot,” she mumbled. No wonder Tyler had baited her with the comment that she had been looking for an excuse to kiss him. What girl past high school would do something so juvenile to get back at a boy who’d dumped her?
Despite the throbbing pain in her skull and the desire to lie in bed for another couple of hours, Nya threw off the covers and stood. The tile floor was cold beneath her feet, jolting her awake.
She had a mission today. And that mission was to apologize to Tyler and cancel their fake date for Friday night. For some reason, Tyler had pressed the idea of going out with her, perhaps just for the entertainment value of seeing what would happen next. But Nya would not be attending the screening with Tyler or anyone else.
A night of sleep had driven home the point that proving something to Russell simply didn’t matter. She was over him, and she had been petty and immature to even try to make a point to him. It was just that she’d been alarmed to see him at the event and had had a knee-jerk reaction. But she was over it now.
Nya showered, which made her feel better. Then she got dressed. Along with her resolve to stop dating and become comfortable being on her own had come a change in attire. Her sexy outfits were in the back of her closet, and she’d opted for jeans and sensible skirts coupled with conservative blouses. Her dresses now went well past the knee and weren’t too low at her cleavage.
No point in attracting the wrong kind of attention.
And the flats she wore these days were far more comfortable for her ten-minute walk to the studio than the heels she used to wear. Not to mention the fact that wearing flats had allowed her to walk to work much more, which had contributed to her twelve-pound weight loss over the past few months.
Nya didn’t know if Tyler was working at the firehouse today, but luckily Sabrina, who had met sexy firefighter Mason Foley months ago and was still dating him, could relay a message to Tyler. It was Wednesday. There was still time to cancel their date for Friday night.
Nya stopped at a local coffee shop a block over from the studio, where she worked as Sabrina’s receptionist and secretary. She got a large cappuccino for herself and a large caramel latte for Sabrina. The single-serve coffee brewer in the studio’s kitchen was nice, but there were days when a girl needed something stronger, and this was one of them.
Minutes later, Nya was at the studio. It amazed her that the place looked almost exactly as it had before the fire, only better. Five months ago, fire had raged through the lower half of the studio when Sabrina’s father’s wife, Marilyn, had thrown a Molotov cocktail through the front window. Consumed with jealousy and anger toward Sabrina, who had been the product of an affair, Marilyn hadn’t wanted Sabrina reaching out to her children—Sabrina’s half siblings—and had tried to get rid of her. Just last month, Marilyn had pleaded guilty to attempted murder and had been sentenced to fifteen years in prison. She’d been given a lighter sentence for admitting her guilt.
The community had rallied around Sabrina, perhaps in part because of the media attention but also because of Mason’s status as a well-respected firefighter. People donated their time and their products and got the studio reconstructed and renovated in four months. The interior now looked better than before, with a more modern feel, new marble flooring and an exit door in the back that would allow for easy escape if there was another fire. Mason had seen to it that the building would never be a possible death trap again.
Sabrina was a workaholic, and Nya was certain that she would find her already in the office. Sabrina lived in an apartment right above the studio, which had largely been untouched by the fire. She was at work earlier and earlier these days, because business had tripled after the firefighter calendar project.
But as busy as Sabrina was, she was definitely making time for love with Mason.
The front door chimes sang as Nya unlocked and opened the door. It was just before nine-thirty, and the office opened at ten, so Nya left the Closed sign in the window.
“Hey,” she called out.
When Sabrina didn’t reply, Nya made her way down the hallway that led to the studio in the back. Opening the door, she found Sabrina at her desk in front of her giant Mac computer screen—exactly where Nya expected to see her. Her hair was piled in a loose bun, and she was still wearing her pajamas.
“Morning,” Nya said.
Sabrina turned, her eyes registering surprise. Then she pulled the earbuds out of her ears.
“Morning,” Sabrina said with a warm smile.
“How long have you been up?”
“I came down just after seven.”
“Ouch.” Nya winced.
“I’ve got to get those pictures together from the Miller wedding before they come in later this week.”
“You’ve got time,” Nya said.
“Not when more work keeps piling up,” Sabrina countered. “If I don’t keep on top of it, I’ll be buried fast.”
Nya walked toward her, extending the cup tray as she did. “Yours is on the right. A large caramel latte with soy milk.”
Sighing happily, Sabrina lifted the coffee from the tray. “Thank you. I need this today.”
“You’re welcome.”
Suddenly, Sabrina eyed Nya suspiciously. “Everything okay?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Well, for one thing, you’re bringing me a large latte. You always do that when you want something.”
“I’m offended,” Nya huffed. And to prove that she didn’t want anything, she changed the subject. “Did you spend the night with Mason at least? Or did you send him home because you had to get up early to get to work?”
“Oh, he was here,” Sabrina said, and a smile danced on her lips. “But he had to work at seven. So he was up early. Which worked out, because I needed to be up early, too.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re not putting work before your man.”
“Definitely not. Now that I’ve found Mason, I’m not about to take him for granted. But it does mean a lot less sleep.” Sabrina sipped her latte. “So I definitely appreciate this.”
“Nothing like a strong jolt of java to get you started for your day.” Nya sipped her own coffee and drew in a deep, satisfied breath. Wow, did she ever need this. Between thinking about the encounter with Russell and the kiss she had planted on Tyler, she hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep.
Wandering around to stand behind Sabrina, Nya looked at the photos on the screen. Once again, Sabrina had captured some elegant photos that this couple would cherish.
“Those are beautiful,” Nya said. “Oooh, the ones at the pier... I love them. Especially that one.” Nya pointed at the screen. In this particular photo, the bride’s veil was flowing in the wind, and the camera had captured it beautifully.
“Thank you.”
“You just keep getting better and better,” Nya said.
Nya had begun toying with photography in her spare time. But she hadn’t dared to tell Sabrina about her newly piqued interest.
“Everyone loved the calendar,” Nya went on. “That picture of Mason, with his chest glistening, was particularly sexy.”
Sabrina grinned. “It’s possible I put a little more effort into his photos.”
“Speaking of Mason,” Nya began cautiously, “I do have a favor to ask.”
Sabrina flashed her a knowing look. “I knew it! You always bring me my favorite latte when you want something.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“Only to me. What do you want? And what could it possibly have to do with Mason?”
Sighing, Nya sank into one of the two chairs opposite Sabrina’s desk. “Remember I told you that Russell showed up at the gala last night?”
“How could I forget? He’s the reason you left early.”
“Well, I need you to talk to Mason. Tell him to tell Tyler McKenzie that the date for Friday night is off.”
Sabrina blinked a couple of times as she stared at her with a quizzical expression. “Okay, maybe I need to drink this coffee first, because I’m not making sense of what you’re telling me.”
