And there it was. “No, Tyler offered to take me home.”
That caught Britt by surprise. “Really? Randy and I can do it.”
Tyler picked up Lanie’s purse off the picnic table and handed it to Lanie. “She lives less than a half mile from me, so it’s not a problem, but we need to leave now or I’ll be late for my dinner plans.”
“And since he’s being so generous, I don’t want to keep him waiting,” Lanie said. “So I’ll see you at your barbecue tomorrow, Britt.”
“Okay.”
Britt was surprisingly quiet about their departure, which made Lanie suspicious as she walked with Tyler toward his car. “Why didn’t she ask more questions?”
“Because we gave her a good reason for me taking you home…?”
He started to head toward the passenger side of the car, and she shot him a glare. “No. You can’t open my door for me. You’re just a casual stranger giving me a ride home.”
He stopped and looked down at her with an amused expression. “News flash: I would open your door whether I wanted to take you home and sleep with you or not.”
A tingle ran across her skin. “So you’re claiming to be a gentleman as well as a player.”
He grinned. “And how do you think a player gets the women?” He continued toward the car and opened the passenger door. “It will be more out of character if I don’t open your door.”
She started to get in but cast a quick glance toward Britt. Sure enough, she was watching with open curiosity.
Tyler shut the door after she got in, and when he got inside, she said, “Britt’s suspicious. Not that I can blame her. She probably noticed us being all handsy. We can’t do that again.”
He backed out of the parking spot and laughed. “You really are paranoid about her interference, aren’t you?”
“She’s devious.” The way he shook his head proved he didn’t believe her, but she had no plans to let him find out firsthand with her.
“Then I’ll have to be more careful.” He rested his hand on her leg and began to caress her thigh through the lilac satin.
Electricity shot straight to her core, and she sucked in a breath.
“Besides, Britt was too busy with the photos to notice us.”
She hoped so. She’d gotten so caught up in the moment with Tyler, she hadn’t even considered who was watching, which was totally out of character for her. Sleeping with a guy two nights in a row also fit that out-of-character category. But then she remembered his excuse for their quick departure. “Do you really have dinner plans?”
“I do,” he said as he focused on the road, returning his hand to the steering wheel. “I have lots of plans with you, and dinner is only one part of them.” He turned to her and flashed her his sexy smile.
Her stomach fluttered and caught her by surprise. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy had given her butterflies. “You’re not taking me to my apartment, are you?”
His gaze turned hungry. “Not a chance in hell.”