Page 98 of Just One Fake Date

“It made perfect sense to me at ten. I was determined to stay with Aidan, although I had no idea how it could be done.”

“You’d gotten used to him.”

She smiled a little. “He wore me down.” Ty wished she was talking about him. “When my mom called us into the kitchen after the funeral, I was convinced that the moment had come. I took my suitcase with me. I was packed. I was ready.”

Ty could just imagine, this fierce little girl with her chin held high, her suitcase in her hand and her heart filled with fear.

This was why Shannyn always waited for people to let her down.

They often had.

Including Cole. He didn’t have to know the details to recognize that.

“Instead, she told us that there wasn’t going to be a lot of money, that she’d have to work hard and that she’d need our help. She told us that we would make it work together, because we were a family. It was Aidan who said the words out loud, who said he’d thought she would throw us back, and she was so horrified that we’d worried about that, even for one minute. She was the one who unpacked my suitcase and put everything away.”

“That’s why you’d do anything for her,” Ty concluded quietly.

She took an unsteady breath. “She saved us both, but mostly me. Without her, I’d probably be dead by now, or in serious trouble somewhere. I would do anything for her, anything at all. She can have both my kidneys, every cent I possess, anything she asks for, because I owe her my heart and soul.” She gave him a raw look, tears spiking her lashes, and her eyes dark with passion, and Ty couldn’t look away.

It was ten times the confession he had expected and it explained so much.

He wanted to reach for Shannyn, to take her hand, to gather her close. He wanted to slay all her dragons and make sure no one ever betrayed her or disappointed her again. But even as he had the impulse, he knew Shannyn wouldn’t allow that.

She tore her gaze from his and visibly composed herself. “I guess you got two answers for the price of one, even though I didn’t plan it that way.” She wiped her eyes and ate another bite of her dinner. Her tone was cool when she continued. “This is very good.”

Ty thought the next bite would taste like dust after that. “I like this place,” he said easily. “I’m glad you do, too.”

They sat in silence for a long moment. “You’re way too easy to talk to,” Shannyn complained and Ty knew she was making a joke to cover her emotional vulnerability. “I didn’t mean to tell you all that.”

“I can tell. Thank you for trusting me with it.” Ty meant it. He held her gaze when she looked, wanting her to see that he understood, at least a little bit. “You’re right. That does make a sewing machine look like small stakes.” He was humbled by her confession and didn’t care if she knew it. “You make me appreciate how lucky I’ve been.”

“It’s not your fault,” she said. “Every kid should grow up with every advantage. That would make the world an ideal place.”

“But I can see why you’d hate me.”

A ghost of a smile touched Shannyn’s lips. “It’s okay. You’re redeeming yourself.”

Ty would take victory where he found it, however incremental it was. He changed the subject, wanting her to smile more. “How good was it?” he asked, indicating her plate. “Enough to be inspiring?”

“It is,” she said, clearly falling on the excuse to talk about something else. She tasted a bit of the sauce again. “The chef has done something different with this than I do, and I can’t figure it out.”

“Then let’s ask him,” Ty suggested and summoned the waiter. It wasn’t busy and he was a regular. He was ready to use any and every connection to make Shannyn smile.

It also would give him a few minutes to decide how to proceed.

Dangerous man.

Tyler didn’t need poetry to undermine Shannyn’s defenses. His penetrating gaze and his curiosity were obviously enough—along with a delicious dinner. It was seductive to have the undivided attention of this particular sexy man, never mind to realize that he remembered pretty much everything she’d ever told him. Shannyn had never been with a man who was so intent upon her, and she liked it a lot.

Too much.

She was embarrassed by how much she’d confided in him and felt exposed as a result. But Tyler seemed to understand. That he’d asked the chef to come out and talk to her was a perfect distraction.

And just a nice thing to do.

She suspected Tyler was trying to make her feel better but was surprised by how well it worked. A big part of it was noticing how he just watched her discussion with the chef, that little smile curving his mouth, his eyes showing his pleasure in her enthusiasm.

Dangerous, dangerous man.

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