Bad In Boots 02 - Ty's Temptation (16 page)

“Hey, Dad.”

Her father looked up at Ty as he put his arm around her shoulders. “No arrests?”

Ty shook his head.

“What are you two talking about?” Evan asked as her father steered her out of the stables and back toward the festivities.

Jake chuckled. “Nothing. Just men-speak.”

As Ty watched Evan walk away with her father, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Evan was the most independent woman he’d ever met. Despite the fact her father was the town sheriff and overprotective to boot, he had a feeling she’d skipped the crawling stage and went straight to walking on her own two feet just as soon as her legs would hold her weight.

He should be relieved he didn’t have to kick the shit out of Chad—everything his aikido training had ingrained in him focused on self-defense only, that he should never take the aggressive offensive. But he wasn’t relieved. Instead, seeing the evidence Evan had taken care of herself caused his male pride to take a hit. Frustration built inside him like a storm brewing to full throttle fury. Why he felt this way, he didn’t have a fucking clue. All he knew was he wanted to see Evan’s vulnerable side. Hell, he wanted to know she had one. If nothing else, he wanted her to trust him enough to tell why she’d lied to him.

He climbed off his horse and retied both horses’ reins back to their posts to await the bride and groom.

* * * * *

Ty clasped Evan’s hand tight and tugged her up the stairs and into the Double D ranch house. She followed him, unsure of his quiet mood. After she’d walked away with her father from the stables, Ty had had more wedding duties to fulfill, so they didn’t see each other again until Harm and Jena rode off at the end of the wedding reception.

“Ty, what is it?” She tried to get a response from him, but he remained stoic.

When he tossed his jacked on the back of the couch and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them, Evan tugged out of his hold, her chest tightening in apprehension. “What’s wrong?”

Ty flipped on the shower then turned her around. When he unzipped the back of her dress then moved his fingers to the straps on her shoulders, Evan held onto the scraps of material before he could pull them down her arms.

She cast a serious gaze over her shoulder. “Talk to me, damn it, or these clothes aren’t coming off.”

Ty’s hooded gaze remained on hers as he let go of her straps and began to unbutton his own shirt. Evan couldn’t resist. She turned to face him while he shrugged out of the cotton shirt. Broad, tan shoulders, a mouthwatering chest and cut abs she’d never get tired of seeing surfaced as his shirt landed in a heap on the floor. Evan had to press her lips together to keep the anger she felt in the forefront of her mind.

Heat began to fill the room. Steam hung in the air around them like a physical manifestation of the sexual tension that vibrated between them.

Ty’s fingers moved to her straps once more. Evan’s breathing turned shallow. The man literally made her achy and breathless and he’d yet to touch her. She was so caught up in his deep green gaze she let her hands fall to her sides.

When her dress slid down her body to pool at her feet, Ty’s line of sight lowered to her bare breasts as he pulled the bowstring untying one side of her underwear, then the other.

Evan’s gaze followed the filmy black material until it fluttered to land on top of her dress. She realized that underwear was the only sexy piece of underclothing she owned. She’d have to remedy that sad situation. Her heart raced at the sight of Ty’s fingers lightly brushing the strawberry-blonde curls between her legs.

He hooked a finger under her chin and applied pressure until her gaze met his once more. “You trust me to take away your clothes—a physical protection of your body. I want you to trust me enough in your heart to tell me the truth.”

Evan’s chest lurched at Ty’s words. Each time they were together, the man dug a little deeper into her heart. She knew if she opened up to him it would hurt so much more when he left, but she’d never felt so close to another. It just felt right to share with this incredible, complex man, but she’d do it her way.

She smiled as she unbuckled his belt and then unbuttoned and unzipped his dress pants. “You sure know how to get right to the heart of things, don’t you?”

As she hooked her thumbs on the waistband of his boxers, a warning tone entered Ty’s voice, “Evan.”

Evan pushed his boxers down his thighs, kissing her way down his abdomen.

Ty’s stomach muscles flexed underneath her lips. His fingers shot through her hair when she let his boxers fall the rest of the way down to his ankles as she blew her hot breath across his erection’s sensitive skin.

“Evan, stop trying to distract me.”

Evan smiled at the tension in his tone, then ran her tongue from the base of his erection all the way to the tip in a slow, leisurely lick. “There’s no distraction going on, Ty. Just a two-way street.” She straightened and faced him square-on. “I don’t plan on venturing down it alone.”

Ty’s fingers curled in her scalp, his touch tense, possessive…affected. He pulled her flush against his body, his lips a breath away from hers. Her stomach tightened at the exhilarating sensation of his hard cock pressed against her lower belly and the coiled tension in his muscular arms around her.

“Why do you always challenge me?”

The mix of emotions churning in his eyes surprised her. Evan stood on her toes and kissed his mouth full-on. “Because you need it.”

The truth of Evan’s words pierced right to his heart, making his chest constrict. Not only did he have to have the sexual attraction, but he needed the stimulating banter. He wanted a woman who gave as good as she got, but deep in his heart he also knew he needed a woman who gave him as high a priority as he did her. Lily had definitely left her mark on him. She’d taught him what he didn’t want in a woman.

Ty lifted Evan in his arms and stepped under the warm, hard shower spray. Setting her on her feet, he grasped her upper back and lowered his mouth to her breast, capturing the nipple. He sucked hard on the sensitive nub until Evan’s fingers tightened in his hair.

She arched her back and moaned, clutching him closer. Ty nipped at the pink tip and moved his hands lower to clasp her sweet rear.

The sensation of the water sluicing over them and her soft skin rubbing against his erection made his cock throb to be inside her as soon as possible.

He kissed his way to her other breast and applied the same attention. “Tell me, Evan,” he mumbled before he rolled her nipple between his teeth.

Evan’s breath came out in short, rapid pants as her fingers grasped the muscles along his hips. “Not…fair.”

Ty slid his hand down her belly to her mound while he rubbed his five o’clock shadow across her nipple, swollen from his kisses. “Who said I was a fair man?”

Evan grabbed his balls. He shuddered at her touch and the fact her aggression turned him on even more.

She slowly trailed her fingers up his cock. “All’s fair…” she shot back.

He chuckled at her moxie. The woman yanked his chain better than any female he’d ever been with.

“My IQ ranges from 140 to 155 depending on what IQ test I’ve been given.”

Ty met her gaze, surprised by her statement. Before he could speak, she continued, “I went to college when I was sixteen and had my vet’s license and MBA by time I turned twenty-four.” She grimaced. “Let’s just say, growing up the sheriff’s daughter, combined with the ability to spin intellectual circles around men, was a deadly combination in the relationship department.”

“Translated…it’s a huge turnoff.”

“Yep, except to Chad, apparently.” She shrugged. “From past experience…well, that’s why I lied.”

Ty gathered her close and buried his nose in her neck. “Baby, your ability to improvise and adapt has impressed me both intellectually and sexually, and I’m sure as hell not intimidated by your dad.”

Evan laughed as she stroked his broad shoulders. “I definitely think we’re on the same page in the pleasure department.”

“But there’s one thing…”

She raised her eyebrows and held her breath, waiting for him to continue.

“You’ve worked hard for your doctorate. You deserve the respect you’ve earned. Don’t be afraid to ask for it because you started off younger than your peers.”

Her stomach tensed at his comment. “What are you taking about? My patients respect my judgment.”

Ty shook his head and gave her a half-smile. “I can tell they respect you, but have you noticed none of them call you Doctor Masters?”

Evan laughed his comment off. She had noticed, but gave up worrying about it. “That’s because they’ve all known me since I was a kid. They saw me hanging around Doc Peterson’s veterinary office all the time, watching him do his job. He retired the year I got my vet’s license.” She smiled at the memory. “Said he was just waiting on me to finish up my schoolin’ so he could leave his animals in good hands.”

Ty’s dark eyebrows drew downward as if he knew she was trying to downplay his comment. “You’ve earned the title, Evan.”

Evan grinned and began to tickle his waist. “And
you
need to loosen up and laugh a lot more.”

Ty grabbed her hands and held them captive. “Stop that.”

The warm water beat down on them and then bounced off their shoulders in tiny spatters as she met his serious gaze. “Why? Because you’ll laugh? What’s wrong with being silly?” she asked as she began to slide her slippery foot up his leg.

Ty’s lips twitched as if he were trying not to fall victim to her antics.

Evan grinned. “Oooh, I think he’s about to laugh. As a matter of fact, I predict a deep-bellied guffaw coming.”

Ty laughed outright and then gave her a brilliant smile. It was the kind of smile that was so engaging, it startled Evan. The man might be handsome as hell with his intense, brooding persona, but he damn near bowled her over when he turned on the charm. Her breath literally caught in her chest at the sight of the first truly genuine happy-go-lucky smile she’d seen since she met him. Evan cleared her throat to cover her surprise. “Now it’s your turn.”

He raised a dark eyebrow. “My turn?”

“To share.”

Ty nodded and pulled her close until she laid her head on his shoulder. “When I was seventeen I fell in love. The girl was the first woman I had sex with. I was her first as well.” He took a deep breath, remembering the pain Lily’s words had caused. “Let’s just say, after a whole summer together, she didn’t think I was the man for her.”

Evan’s chest tightened at the heartbreak she heard in Ty’s voice. She wrapped her arms around his trim waist and hugged him tight. “Was Lily that woman?” she asked in a quiet voice.

Ty’s body tensed for a second before he cupped the back of her head and ran his fingers down her wet hair. “Yeah. She thought pursuing her professional aspirations was more important than us, that I would only hold her back.”

The tone of his voice made Evan’s stomach tense. No wonder he had a thing against sleeping with virgins. It wasn’t what he’d originally told her—that he thought the woman would expect some kind of commitment from the act, but that
he
had thought being Lily’s first had meant more in their relationship. In the end, Lily had chewed him up and spit him out.

Evan had heard her girlfriends talk about their first love…that they’d never forget them. She knew she’d never forget Ty. What had started out as a convenient means to an end had turned into so much more. She realized she’d fallen in love with this deeply intense, fiercely protective yet surprisingly tender man. She’d never forget their time together. Ever.

She took a deep breath. Her heart ached, but she had to know how Ty felt about Lily after all this time. “Do you still love her?”

Ty stopped stroking her hair. A long heart-stopping moment passed before he answered.

“No.”

Relief spread through her. She slowly exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

Tension filled the air between them. She didn’t want Ty’s last night in Texas to be filled with sad thoughts. She wanted him to stay, but he hadn’t said anything to indicate he felt deeper feelings for her beyond their physical attraction. Plus, he had a business to run back in Maryland. The least she could do, as a thank you to Ty for fulfilling her request, was to send the man off with happier memories of Boone.

Picking up the bar of soap, she cast him a wicked grin. “You know, ever since I saw you in the shower the other day, I’ve been dying for a repeat performance. Only this time, I want to stay until the climactic ending.”

Ty flashed her a rakish grin as he took the soap and ran it along her palm. Her heart thundered and her lower belly tensed in sexual excitement as he set the soap back on the dish then guided her hand to his erection. He slowly wrapped her soapy fingers around his cock.

Bending close, he kissed her neck at the same time he cupped her mound in a dominant, possessive hold. As he slid a finger deep in her channel, the low, rumbling register of his voice sent intense excitement straight to her toes. “How about this time we’re both intimately involved in the pleasurable finale.”

* * * * *

The sensation of someone’s lips pressed against her temple woke Evan. Ty’s soap and masculine scent surrounded her. She inhaled, then stretched and smiled.