Page 22 of Just One Fake Date

“It was Cassie’s idea. She calls it a living billboard for the club.” Ty watched a trio of climbers on the wall, their belayers calling encouragement to them from below. There was, as usual, a small crowd of onlookers both inside the lobby and on the street outside the club. Shannyn wandered away, taking more pictures, and he refused to feel slighted.

She was doing her job.

When she circled back to him, he took her to the front desk. Sonia was gone for the day and Raylene was on the desk. She quickly set up a pass for Shannyn and gave her the link to install the club app on her phone.

“I’m not joining so I’ll just have to delete it,” Shannyn protested.

Ty wanted to grind his teeth. She wouldn’t even do something simple like install an app to make it easier for her to find the resources she might need. The woman must live to challenge expectations.

“It has the floor plans and the class schedules,” Raylene explained. “And some really cool ways to track your fitness.”

“You don’t have to delete it,” Ty said firmly. “It’s free forever to everybody. Of course, you can do whatever you want.”

Shannyn flicked a playful glance at him and seemed to be fighting a smile. “And that’s the problem, isn’t it?” she murmured, then tapped her phone before he could agree. It was true. He’d never met anyone less likely to go with the flow. “Open at six on Saturday.” She smiled at Raylene. “See you then.”

“Not me,” Raylene said, pointing at Ty. “Maybe him. I just work nights but these guys are here all the time.”

Ty walked Shannyn to the doors, wishing he knew what to say to turn this around.

“I can find the way out all by myself,” she said in that teasing tone.

“I was being nice.”

She snapped her fingers. “That’s what confused me.”

Ty couldn’t keep silent. He tried to sound temperate and wasn’t sure he succeeded. “You can’t just leave. I don’t even know where you live.”

“No, you don’t, because it doesn’t matter.”

“I thought you were going to say I hadn’t negotiated for it.”

“That, too,” she acknowledged, fastening her coat so that he couldn’t see her eyes.

“Do you want me to hail you a cab? Or do you want a ride?” She spun to face him halfway across the lobby, well out of the earshot of Raylene at the desk or anyone coming into the club. Ty recognized the combative look in her eyes and he held up a hand in anticipation of her response. “Not because I think you can’t do it yourself. I was taught that a gentleman offers to help a lady. I was taught that wasnice, not that it was a judgment upon any woman’s ability to perform a mundane task.”

She frowned slightly. “You have a car?”

He nodded, wondering where this was going. She didn’t think he should have a job, and clearly didn’t think he should have a car either. “I have a car.”

“Why? Most people don’t in the city.”

“Because I want to. Because I like it.”

“Because you have more money than you know what to do with,” Shannyn concluded with a shake of her head. She leaned closer to whisper and the unexpected scent of her body lotion was like a punch in the gut. He wanted her again, wrapped around him, sitting on top of him, moaning and then shouting as she came. His entire body went taut with the memory and the need. “Maybe your mom’s got it in one. Maybe you do need a wife to keep watch over that checkbook.”

“I don’t think so,” he started to protest before he heard a familiar feminine voice.

“Ty-lair! I knew I would find you here!”

Four

“No,”Ty whispered, closing his eyes and hoping for strength.

He was aware that Shannyn spun to look across the lobby. He winced at the quick click of high heels on the stone floor of the lobby, his heart sinking at the inevitable confrontation.

“Not Giselle,” he whispered, wishing something would go right on this evening. Everything had gone to shit after awesome sex, which wasn’t how the world was supposed to work.

Ty was well aware that Shannyn’s gaze was flicking between him and Giselle. Once again, he couldn’t read her thoughts, but he didn’t have time to guess. Giselle was closing fast and there was no escaping her this time. He took a deep breath and resolved to be polite.

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