She slid between him and the counter, forcing him to set the wine down and look at her. “I don’t care where you’re from or what you do. I meant what I said. I think you’re a good guy, Ty. I like you.”
He wanted more. He wanted her to tell him that she felt what he was feeling. “That’s real nice of you to say.” His hands spanned her waist as he set her aside.
“Come on. Don’t be like that,” she said, stroking his bare back.
“Go on in and enjoy the fire. I’ll be in there in just a minute.”
“You sure I can’t help you with anything?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.” He waited until she left the room before setting the bottle and corkscrew aside and gripping the edge of the granite countertop. He had to get it together or she was going to walk out on him before he had a chance to convince her that he was worth the risk. He may be well outside of her comfort zone, rough around the edges compared to most of the guys she dated, but he would treat her the way she deserved to be treated.
After setting the wine and glasses on a tray with grapes, cheese, and crackers, he carried it into the great room. He set it on the stone hearth and sprawled out on the blanket beside her.
“Okay. Now I’m really impressed.” She giggled. “Do you always keep this stuff on hand for those occasions when you intend to seduce a lady?”
He hated that she was teasing him about it, as though she couldn’t care less whether he did this with a different woman every night. He grabbed her hand when she would have reached for her wine glass.
“Avery, I’m not sleeping with anyone else right now. Just so you know.”
She looked uncomfortable. “Uh no, I wasn’t asking. You don’t owe me...”
“Shhh. I just wanted you to know. I’m strictly a one woman man, darlin’.”
Avery sat up suddenly, pulling Ty’s shirt down when it hiked up her thigh. “Listen, I think you’re a really nice guy, but...”
He leaned over to kiss her, anxious to halt her words. He didn’t want to give her the chance to shut him out before she even let him in. He kissed her mouth thoroughly, surprised when she pushed him back on the blanket and straddled his waist. Her hair fell like a silk curtain on either side of them, sheltering them from the sights and sounds of the world around them.
“God, I want you,” she whispered, sliding down to kiss his chest. Quickly working the button and fly on his pants, she pushed all thoughts of conversation out of his mind.
He wanted what she wanted, to get lost in this incredible moment. “I need to get something,” he whispered, thinking the bedroom was too far to walk for the protection they needed.
“No need,” she said, reaching for the handbag she’d left on the table. “I’ve got you covered.”
A sick feeling overtook him and he wondered whether he had been right to assume that Avery was looking for a willing body just to make her boyfriend jealous. He grabbed her shoulders. “I should have asked you this before. Do you have a husband, boyfriend, fiancé...”
She sat up, looking affronted by the question. “Would I be here with you if I did?”
“I don’t know. Would you?”
She pushed him back as she got up. “Screw you. I don’t need this.”
“Where the hell are you going?” He watched her stalk off to the bedroom. “Shit,” he muttered as he got up and followed her. “Avery, get back here. I’m sorry, okay?”
She took his shirt off and threw it at him. “Go to hell.”
He started to panic when she reached for her dress. He crossed the room until they were mere inches apart and said, “Don’t go, sweetheart.” Taking a step forward, then another, he forced her to step back until she toppled onto the bed. He eased over her, pinning her with his body as he brushed her hair off her face. “I really am sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have said that, but I’ve gotta tell you the truth. I’ve never felt like this before and it’s makin’ me kind of crazy.”
She swallowed as she looked up into his eyes. “You keep saying that. What do you mean?”
“There’s something about you...” He moved her hair so he could kiss her neck. “I want to be with you, not just for tonight...” When she would have objected, he reached down to push her thong aside. Slipping two fingers inside of her, he knew she was ready to oblige him. She wasn’t going anywhere, not until he’d given her a night she’d never be able to forget.
She rolled her head from side to side and let her legs fall open. “Oh God. Oh that feels good, Ty.”
He licked her breasts as he thrust his fingers in and out in a steady rhythm that had her panting and writhing beneath him. “That’s it sweetheart,” he whispered, watching the ecstasy play over her face as the tension coiled in her body. “Just let go for me.”
She did, on command. “Oh Ty, yes, yes...”
He waited until the throbbing had subsided before slipping off the bed to strip off his pants. He watched her open her beautiful blue eyes as a smile tugged at the corners of her sensuous mouth. He’d been with a number of beautiful women, but none who compared to her.
“What’re you thinking?” she asked, slipping her thong off and tossing it to the floor.
He climbed on top of her. “You’re gorgeous,” he whispered.
She smiled. “So are you.” She slid her hands over her abdominal muscles. “I wanna return the favor, Ty. Let me taste you.”
He shuddered at her provocative request and chastised himself for letting her see the effect she was having on him with mere words. “Later, I promise. I need to be inside of you right now, or I’m gonna embarrass myself here.”
She laughed. “We wouldn’t want that now, would we?”
He reached over to grab a condom from the nightstand. He made quick work of rolling it on as she watched him, licking her lips.
“I am so gonna make you pay for that,” he said, gritting his teeth as he reached between their bodies. He coated her to make sure she was ready before sliding inside of her. He waited until he was fully seated before looking her in the eyes. There was no doubt in his mind; he was falling for this woman.
“That feels so good,” she said, wrapping her legs around his waist. Squeezing him with her inner muscles, she drew him further inside.
He threw his head back and started driving into her with wild abandon as he braced his hand on the headboard. He couldn’t think past the fact that sex had never felt like this before. It felt like this was the woman he’d been waiting for.
“Oh God,” she whispered. “Oh Ty, you’re gonna make me come again.”
He concentrated, drawing on every ounce of self-control he still possessed so he could slow down and see to her pleasure. He eased in and out slowly, watching her climb the heights of passion until she finally leapt off with his name on her lips. Leaning over her, he whispered in her ear, “Avery, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I’m fallin’ for you, big time.”
She stilled under him, not even releasing a breath, and he knew he’d chosen the wrong moment to confess his feelings to her. Obviously, she wasn’t ready for a heartfelt declaration; she just wanted a man who could bring her pleasure.
And pleasure her he did, multiple times that night. Which is why he was shocked when he woke up the next morning to find a rumpled bed and an empty driveway. There was no trace of Avery, not even a note. Had it not been for the scent of her expensive perfume lingering on his pillow, he may have been able to convince himself that she had been nothing more than an erotic dream that left him with a dull ache in his chest.
Ty McCall eased his pick-up truck through the iron gates at the foot of the circular driveway and waited behind an impressive line of expensive and exotic cars awaiting the attention of the parking attendants.
Ty looked up at the stately mansion and realized that he was embarking on an adventure that could allow him to join the ranks of wealthy and powerful men like his new boss, Luc Spencer, and the headlining act on their upcoming country music tour, Trey Turner. These men had paid their dues and had paved the way for artists like him who had spent years playing in dive bars, hoping that a man like Luc or Trey would finally take notice.
Finally that day had come for Ty when Luc offered to sign him to his new record label. The signing bonus alone had allowed him to buy the new truck he had his eye on for the better part of two years. According to Luc, that was only the beginning. The checks would continue to get bigger and more frequent. When Luc imparted that bit of news, Ty responded with the appropriate amount of enthusiasm, so as not to insult his new boss, but Ty’s simple lifestyle would change very little with an influx of cash. He still loved life on the ranch, but now he would have the opportunity to travel the world while indulging his passion for music.
Ty stepped out of the truck and handed his keys to the uniformed kid paid to park cars for the evening. The young man handed him a ticket in return and Ty slipped him a bill, not because he felt obligated, but because he had worked as a bartender throughout college and he knew how hard it was to earn an honest buck.
The young man tipped his hat. “Thank you, sir.”
Ty took a deep breath before starting up the stairs. His appearance was usually low on his list of priorities, opting for standard cowboy attire most days, but tonight was important and he hoped he had dressed to impress. He had chosen a new high-end menswear store in downtown Nashville that catered to those who were able to afford their outrageous price tags but wanted to maintain that authentic country look. Ty hoped spending more on one outfit than he had on clothing for the entire year would suitably impress Luc’s invited guests, who, according to Luc, were some of the biggest names in country music.
Ty stood in front of the impressive mahogany doors, trying to decide the proper protocol, when the door opened and a middle-aged couple stepped outside. The man, who Ty instantly recognized, tipped his cowboy hat in greeting.
Ty’s first impulse was to shake the man’s hand and reveal the fact that he had been a fan of the artist forever, but if expected to be counted among them, he would have to quash his enthusiasm and simply treat these artists with the respect they had earned. “Evenin’, sir, ma’am,” Ty said, smiling.
A uniformed lady stood in the doorway with a leather-bound book in her hand. Ty stepped forward to greet her, assuming he would have to be cleared as a guest before gaining access to the party.
“Evenin’, ma’am,” he said, smiling at her.
“Name please,” she said, without looking up from her book.
He cleared his throat, feeling uneasy as he looked around at the A-list musicians milling about with practiced ease. Men and women whose faces he had seen only on TV and in magazines were drinking, laughing, and talking to fellow artists they had probably known for years.
“Sir, your name please,” the woman said again.
“Oh, uh, sorry. The name’s Ty McCall.”
She checked her list and nodded, marking his name off her list. “Enjoy the party, sir.”
“Thank you.” He took a step forward, feeling like a fish out of water as he tried to decide where to go and what to do.
Trey Turner approached him and extended his hand. “Hey, Ty. Good to see you, buddy.” Trey laughed. “You look like I did the first time I attended one of Luc’s fancy shindigs.”
Ty accepted Trey’s outstretched hand and groaned. “Was I that obvious? So much for playin’ it cool.”
Trey chuckled. “They’re all people, Ty. Just like you and me.”
Ty raised his eyebrows. “Just like you maybe. I’ve got a long way to go before I can count myself among this crowd.”
Trey sipped his drink. “I don’t know about that. By the end of this tour, if things go as planned, you’ll be a major player in this business, man. Think you’re ready for that?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. I’ve wanted this forever, but now that it’s finally happening, I’m scared shitless. What if people think I’m a talentless hack?”
Trey threw his head back and laughed. “Luc doesn’t make mistakes. He wouldn’t put his reputation on the line unless he knew you could deliver. Just do what he says and you’ll be fine.”
Ty noticed a pretty blonde in a low-cut red dress sizing him up, probably trying to decide whether he was someone worthy of her time. “If you say so, man.”
Trey slapped him on the back. “Just remember something. Every person in this room has been where you are. We’ve all battled nerves, fear, insecurity, but we’ve all had to overcome it. It’s just part of the game and you need to figure out how to play it.”
Ty allowed Trey’s words to sink in. He was right. Everyone had started at the bottom and worked their way to the top with hard work and determination. He was prepared to do the same and he was lucky enough to have men like Trey and Luc in his corner to show him the ropes.
Someone came up from behind, putting an arm around his shoulders. “Luc told me he signed you. Congratulations, Ty.”
Luc turned to see his brother Derek’s best friend, Josh Cooper. He extended his hand and smiled at the man who had been a permanent fixture at their house throughout his teen years. Josh was ten years his senior, but the two men had developed their own casual friendship because of their connection to Derek. “Thanks, Josh. I should’ve known you’d be here. You quit the force to take the job of Trey’s head of security a while back, right?”