He grabbed the back of her chair and spun her around until she was facing him. “Don’t play games with me. I want you and I know you want me too. Last night proved that.”
She refused to cave to his high-handed tactics. There was a reason she’d stopped dating Alpha males and he was it. “That was before I found out you were married.”
“Damn it, I explained that. I’m only married on paper.”
“The press will want to know everything there is to know about you, including your marital status. We’re going to have to find a way to spin this.”
“I don’t care about that right now. I asked you if you’re sleeping with this guy. Damn it, I wanna know if it’s serious.”
She could tell he was getting frustrated so she chose to put him out of his misery. “No, we’ve only been out on a few dates. He’s an entertainment lawyer. I like him, very much.” In truth, she thought he was rather boring and probably would have declined his dinner invitation had it not been for Ty’s presence.
He began stalking the room again and it became obvious they were going to get very little work done this morning.
“I don’t want you to go out with him, tonight or any night.”
Avery laughed, appalled by his audacity. “You don’t get to decide who I go out with, or who I sleep with. You’re my client, not my boyfriend.”
He stopped pacing long enough to face her. “I wanna be, your boyfriend, I mean.” He sighed. “Damn it. Just give me a chance here.”
“It would be pretty hard for you to be my boyfriend when you’re already someone else’s husband, now wouldn’t it, Ty?”
Ty knew Avery wouldn’t be thrilled that he and Luc had chosen to dine at her restaurant of choice, but his curiosity about her date outweighed his concern about her reaction.
Once they were seated and they’d placed their orders, Luc asked, “How did things go with Avery today?”
“We made some progress.” In truth, they hadn’t covered nearly as much as she’d intended. “I think she wants to pick up where we left off tomorrow.”
“Good, we need to get a lot of this promo stuff out of the way this week. I’ll need you in the studio working on the album the next few weeks and then you’ll be on the road for some dates with Trey. I think I’ll ask Avery to go on the road for some of these dates too. That way she can set up some local radio and newspaper interviews for you and be there to walk you through it until you get comfortable with the way it all works.”
“Sounds good.” He’d take any opportunity he had to spend more time with Avery.
“We’ll definitely be using some of your material on the album, but I’ve got a few other songs in mind that I think would be perfect for you. I just need you to have a listen and let me know what you think of them.”
Ty glanced across the restaurant to see the hostess seat an attractive, middle-aged man at a romantic, candle-lit table for two. “Yeah sure, I’m looking forward to it,” Ty said, forcing his attention back to Luc. He couldn’t afford to get distracted. His career had to be his top priority, but he knew Avery’s presence would make it damn near impossible to concentrate on anything Luc said tonight. Coming here may not have been one of his better ideas.
Luc waved his hand in greeting and Ty turned to see Avery walk in wearing a sexy blue dress that fell well above her knee and was cut low in the front and back. Definitely the kind of dress a woman would wear if she were trying to seduce a man. Ty turned away, unwilling to contemplate what that might mean for him.
Avery said a few words to the hostess before walking over to their table. “Gentlemen, it’s nice to see you.”
Both men rose to greet her, offering her a polite kiss on the cheek.
Ty felt her tense when he settled his arm around her waist to draw her closer instead of merely accepting the hand she offered. “Always a pleasure to see you, darlin’,” he whispered.
She looked at Luc. “Has Trey left yet?”
Luc scanned the messages on his phone. “Yeah, he left this morning. So Ty tells me you made some progress with the press kit today?”
Before she could respond, the gentleman the hostess had seated earlier walked up behind Avery, slipping his arm around her waist as he kissed her cheek. “Hello, my love. It’s so good to see you again. I’ve missed you.”
Avery blushed as she evaded Ty’s scrutiny. “It’s good to see you too, Jeff. I was just making my way over to our table when I ran into—”
Luc stood and extended his hand. “I think we met at Trey’s house once. Luc Spencer.”
Jeff smiled and accepted Luc’s hand. “That’s right, we did. Good to see you again.”
Avery gestured toward Ty. “And this is Ty McCall. He’s a client of mine. Ty, this is Jeff Cabot.”
Ty stood to shake the other man’s hand. “Nice to meet you.” He bristled at the term Avery used to describe him. If he had his way, he would be more than just her client. He wanted to be her man.
“You’re a singer?” Jeff asked as Ty reclaimed his seat.
“I am.”
“I’ve always admired you artistic types,” he said with a laugh. “I’m afraid I only did well in the math and science-based subjects in school. I guess it’s that whole left/right brain thing.”
Ty didn’t miss the implication that because he was a musician he must suffer from the plight of inferior intelligence. “I don’t know about that,” Ty said. “I was a pretty well-rounded student in school, straight As,” he said, replacing the linen napkin in his lap.
“Huh,” he said, sounding unimpressed. “Well, let me know if you need someone to look at your contract, Ty.” He reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out an embossed business card. “They can get pretty complicated and you really need someone to look out for your best interests.”
Ty looked at the card but didn’t make a move to accept it. “I’ve already got a lawyer, thanks.”
Luc laughed. “And he’s already signed the contract so I’m afraid you’re a day late and a dollar short, Jeff.”
Jeff’s grip around Avery tightened. “I thought I could count on you to keep me in the loop, sweetheart.”
She smiled at him. “Sorry. I guess I’ve been a little distracted lately.” Avery glanced at the table where Jeff had been seated. “We should probably get back to our table. It was nice seeing you both. Oh, Ty, I almost forgot. My friend Andrew is available to do that photo shoot in the morning. He had a cancellation so he was able to squeeze us in as a personal favor to me.” Her eyes finally rested on him. “I’ll text you the details later. Andrew’s a very busy man; please don’t be late.”
Jeff laughed. “Sweetheart, you should know these musicians by now. They rarely wake up before noon.”
Ty glared at Avery’s date. “I grew up on a ranch. We had to wake up before the sun to get the chores done.”
Jeff raised an eyebrow. “A rancher, hmm. I’m thinking that could work in your favor, Avery. Most musicians just play at being cowboys with the boots and the hats. Looks like you’ve got yourself a real live cowboy here.”
Avery looped her arm through Jeff’s. “Yes, well let’s get back to our table, Jeff. Gentlemen, nice to see you.
Ty barely waited until they were out of earshot before he said, “Okay, I hate that guy.”
Luc laughed. “Really, I couldn’t tell.”
Ty scowled. “Was I that obvious?”
“Jeff’s a pompous S.O.B., but Avery seems to like him so I guess that’s all that matters, right?”
“He’s a little long in the tooth, isn’t he?”
Luc laughed. “Avery likes older guys.” He winked. “Maybe she’s got a daddy complex.”
“How old is she?”
Luc thought about it for a minute. “Thirty-five, I think.”
Ty knew Avery would use their five-year age difference as another con on the mental list she seemed to be compiling to talk herself out of getting involved with him. No matter what she said, or how much she protested, he knew women well enough to know she wasn’t faking her response to him last night. She still wanted him as much as he wanted her. He just had to find a way to convince her to overlook the fact that there was a woman out there somewhere sharing his last name.
After enjoying a delicious steak dinner, Ty sat back in his seat and glared at the couple who had been at the forefront of his mind all night.
Luc took a sip of the espresso the waitress set down before him. “Man, you’ve got it bad. You’ve barely taken your eyes off of her all night.”
Ty shook his head. “Man, I’m sorry, Luc. I hope you’re not pissed that I brought you here to do a little spying on Avery. I overheard her making plans with him and I was curious.”
Luc laughed. “It was no surprise to me or Avery, Ty.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t think she wore that dress for Jeff’s benefit, do you?”
“Why else would she wear it?”
“She called me earlier to give me a progress report. I asked her about her plans for the evening and she told me she was coming here with Jeff. She didn’t seem all that surprised when I told her we were dining here as well.”
Ty shook his head and smiled. He should have known better than to think he’d be able to get one over on Avery. She was too sharp to believe that his choice of restaurants was merely a coincidence. Not that he minded being outwitted. He wanted her to know that he was willing to go to any lengths to be with her again.
“What do you know about this Jeff guy?” Ty asked.
Luc shrugged. “Not much, just that he’s an entertainment lawyer. Some of my clients have used him in the past. He seems okay, not a shyster if that’s what you’re asking.”
“You said you thought Avery liked him?”
“She seems to. I don’t think it’s serious, though. Avery dates a lot of guys.”
Ty didn’t like the sound of that. How many times would he have to sit across a crowded restaurant from the woman while another man took her home? “When you say a lot, how many are you talking about?”
Luc chuckled. “Being seen in the right places with the right people is part of her job. That doesn’t mean she’s into any of the guys she goes out with.”
Somehow that did little to put his mind at ease. “She dates a lot of celebrities?”
Luc finished the cup of strong coffee and set his napkin on the table. “This is Nashville, my friend. Most of the celebrities are country singers.”
“Which doesn’t answer my question.”
Luc stood up. “I’m not gonna act as your go-between. If you want the dirt, you’re gonna have to ask her yourself. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my fiancée is waiting for me at home.”
“Your fiancée?”
Luc grinned. “Yeah, can you believe it? I finally convinced Marisa to settle for a schlep like me. So don’t let anyone tell you to give up hope on Avery. If there’s hope for us, there’s hope for you two.”
Ty stood and offered Luc his hand. “Congratulations, Luc. You are one lucky man.”
He accepted his hand and pulled him into a back-slapping half hug. “Don’t I know it, buddy. Hey listen, I meant what I said, Ty. I don’t know the deal with your marriage...”
“It’s over, Luc. It’s been over for years; we just haven’t made it official yet.”
Luc raised his eyebrows. “If you really want a shot with Avery, I think you best be calling a divorce lawyer ASAP.”
“I wish it were that simple.”
“It is, if you want to be with Avery. If there’s one thing I know about her, it’s that married men are off limits, no matter the circumstances.”
Ty grimaced. “Yeah, I kinda got that impression.”
Luc nodded toward the door. “Looks like our boy Jeff just left.”
Ty looked over to see Avery finishing her coffee as she scrolled the messages on her Blackberry. “Can I touch base with you tomorrow?”
Luc slapped him on the back. “You got it, man. Hey, I’m gonna have Marisa send some stuff over to Andrew’s studio for the photo shoot tomorrow, if Avery hasn’t already arranged it.”
“Great, thanks. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
Luc rolled his eyes. “I’m not worried about it. The camera is gonna love you.”
Ty chuckled as he made his way over to Avery’s table. “Can I tempt you into having some dessert with me, pretty lady?”
Avery looked up and smiled. “How did you know I needed a chocolate fix?” She gestured to the chair her date had vacated.
He sat down. “What happened to Jeff?”
“A client in crisis, he had to leave.” She laughed. “In fact, he’d just had a few too many and needed someone to talk him down, but when duty calls...”
“He must be crazy to leave a gorgeous woman like you sitting here all by her lonesome.”
Avery sat back in her chair and studied him. “Are you coming on to me, cowboy?”
He grinned. “Hell yeah, is it workin’?”
She propped her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “I wanted to tell you how much I admire what you did for your parents. There aren’t a lot of sons who’d be willing to put their own happiness on hold to help his family save their life’s work.”