Page 25 of Just One Fake Date

She was going home to feed the cat and work. She’d go to the club Saturday and finish the job for the alumni magazine. And when she knew the time and date of Tyler’s sister’s wedding, she’d enlist her mom’s help with her dress, show up, keep her part of the deal, and never see Tyler McKay again.

The plan was perfect.

Which only meant it should have been more satisfactory than it was.

Ty couldn’t shakehis conviction that nothing with Shannyn was going as planned—and that she had somehow engineered that. He couldn’t recall any date ending so badly, much less one in which his efforts to repair the situation had fallen on deaf ears.

She was the most stubborn woman alive.

It drove Ty crazy when he couldn’t figure something out, and he really couldn’t understand Shannyn. Why would she suggest such a deal when she had such a low opinion of him? How could sex be so great when she didn’t even like him? What had happened to her in the past twelve years?

Who was the asshole who’d broken her heart?

There was no artifice in Shannyn and maybe that was what intrigued Ty the most. She had secrets, but when she confessed something, Ty knew it was true. She didn’t try to manipulate him. She told him what she wanted and that was that.

What he saw was what he got. Ty found that refreshing.

And unusual.

Fascinating.

He was crunching monthly expenses, trying to focus on work, when Kyle appeared. Kyle leaned in the doorway and surveyed Ty with a sad shake of his head. He’d changed into dark jeans and a black T-shirt with the F5F logo, obviously on his way home for the night.

“Always working,” he said with a sigh, as if that was pathetic.

“Problem?” Ty asked. The last thing he was going to admit to Kyle was that he was having trouble concentrating. He spared his partner a glance.

“I came to thank you for dealing with Shannyn, but it looks like you have a problem. Who is she?”

“Who is who?”

“The one who got away.”

Ty put down his pencil and looked up. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve changed suits. New tie. Clean shirt.” Kyle leaned closer. “Second shave!” His brows rose. “Come on, tell. Who is theamour du jour?”

His use of French wasn’t welcome.

“There isn’t one.” Ty closed a file and opened the next one.

“I heard about Giselle dropping by.”

“She left.”

“I heard that, too.” Kyle leaned on the table. “I even heard you sent her away.”

“Why do we have staff on the front desk?” Ty muttered. “Is this place just one big gossip mill?”

“Of course!” Kyle shook a finger at him. “But that means you intended to be with someone else. Who?”

“Leave it.” Ty used his stern voice, which anyone other than Kyle would have realized was a command to end the conversation.

Kyle sat on the table instead. “You mean she cancelled? She looked upon all that is good in male sartorial flair and declined to partake of the feast?”

“Shut up, Kyle.”

“And you were left with no plans for dinner, despite having expectations. After dismissing the delicious Giselle, too. Who is this paragon of restraint? I want a name. Maybe a number.”

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