“It won’t be much of a weekend. I need to catch up on all the work I couldn’t do during the week since a demanding client wants me to work from his office.” Her smile softened the scold.
“If you’re trying to make me feel bad, it’s not working.” Tyler stepped toward her. Only an arm’s length separated them. “But I am curious. Why are you spending your Friday night alone?”
“Why are you fixated on my love life?”
“I’m not.” He suddenly felt like the awkward teen he’d been: founder, president and sole member of his high school’s computer club. The credential hadn’t made him popular with the girls in his school.
Iris straightened from the wall and paced away from him. “First you warned me not to use Anderson Adventures for hookups.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Now you want to know why I don’t have a date on a Friday night.” Iris stopped beside the table. “You sound pretty fixated to me.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just curious.” Curious about everything to do with you.
“Why?”
He should never have said anything. “I would’ve thought a woman like you would have men breaking down her door.”
“A woman like me?”
“You know what you look like.” Tyler gestured toward her. “You’re beautiful. You’re intelligent, interesting and your chicken salad tastes like the featured dish at a five-star restaurant.”
Iris gave him a dubious look. “You had me up until the part about my chicken salad. That was over-the-top.”
“Then maybe it’s more about the woman who made the salad than the food itself.” Tyler slowly closed the distance between them.
That quickly, the mood in the room changed. It went from stilted and awkward to basic and undeniable. Tyler answered his instincts.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Iris’s words were barely audible.
“Neither do I.” But Tyler closed the gap between them and lowered his head to hers.
* * *
Iris parted her lips in a silent gasp. Tyler’s tongue swept in. His taste was warm, spicy and maybe a little bit wicked, like a half-remembered dream from the deepest part of the night. His touch was bold in a way she hadn’t imagined he could be. Her body trembled against him as though her muscles were overwhelmed by the torrent of feelings inside her: surprise, confusion. Desire.
Tyler wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. He was big, lean and hard against her. His was definitely not the body of a stereotypical desk jockey. From the way he wore his clothes, she’d suspected he kept fit. Now, up close and personal, she could confirm her suspicions.
Iris wanted to feel this body. To explore it all over. To learn its secrets and share her own. She wrapped her arms around his do-me-baby shoulders, rose on her bare toes and pressed herself against him. Heaven.
Tyler growled deep in his throat. The sound was the sexiest thing Iris had ever heard. She shivered against him again. Tyler drew his mouth from hers. He nibbled and kissed his way across her cheek, over her jawline and down her neck. Iris felt cherished by his soft feathered caresses. Her breath shortened. Her pulse raced as her senses came alive. She bent her head back, offering him more of her skin. She wanted these feelings to last. His large, strong hands stroked her back and cupped her waist. How could his touch soothe and excite her at the same time? The man was a mystery.
He slipped his hands past the hem of her garnet jersey, his palms hot against her bare skin. Iris gasped, digging her fingertips into his muscled shoulders. She wanted to touch him. She needed to feel him against her. But when he captured her lace-covered breast, they both froze.
Tyler lifted his head from her neck. His eyes burned with a need, a demand and a question. Iris responded to all three with the smallest movement of her head. A barely noticeable shake that she managed with her last thread of sanity. Tyler released her.
“You’re my client.” Her words shook. Her throat was dry. Iris willed her arms to drop from his broad shoulders. Have I ever made a tougher decision? She couldn’t recall.
“You’re right.” Tyler stepped back. His voice was rough, graveled. “I’m sorry.”
“So am I.” Iris paced farther into the dining room, giving Tyler plenty of space. She sensed his struggle to hold his desire in check. It was no easy feat for her, either. Her thighs ached with the need for his heat. But he was off-limits.
“I’d better go.” Tyler’s footsteps sounded across the hardwood flooring behind her.
Iris followed him. “I’ll get yo
ur coat.”