He shook his head inwardly. Once wouldn’t be enough for him. It would only serve to increase his longing for her. She was like a drug to his senses that he would have to take over and over again. And before he knew it, he would be a slave to her every whim again.
With just one afternoon spent in her intoxicating presence, he had thrown away the years of pain she had caused him. Tyler gritted his teeth at his stupidity. Even though she was all grown now, she was still the same woman on the inside.
He could never make the mistake of hooking up with her again. Never!
***
Stung by Tyler’s icy tone, Kaiya wondered what had gone wrong. A minute ago, he was kissing her as if she was the only woman in the world, devouring her lips as if he would never let go. And now he was staring at her with icy contempt.
Her lips still tingled from his kisses, and her whole body had become awake from his touch. She had never felt this way before, not with Marcus.
What a kiss! What an explosive kiss! It was nothing at all like the first kiss they had shared, which she had thought was magical then. This was certainly volcanic in comparison.
Self-consciously, she walked to the door and thrust it open, aware that Tyler was walking behind her. Her thoughts were all over the place as she walked through the foyer.
“Are you going to the Gala next weekend?” Their family’s annual charity gala was coming up, and since he now worked with Finn, he was probably given an invite.
“I’m not sure yet. I probably won’t attend, to be honest. You?”
“I have never missed one, and I don’t intend to this year.”
Wasn’t it insane of her to want him to kiss her again and again till he never stopped? Her body was hot and tingling from the effect of the devastating kiss. It was just like that night together in the park when she had lost every sense of reasoning after he kissed her. All she could think of was him moving inside her, which was exactly how she felt now.
Twin red spots stained her cheeks at her erotic thoughts. Even after so many years, she still lusted after Tyler’s body. What a shame!
Shaking off the effect of the drugging kiss, she tried to bring back the resentment she had for him. Even though they shared chemistry that could light up the whole of Montreal, it didn’t change the fact that he had chosen Lena over her and abandoned her when she was pregnant with his baby.
The kiss, the chemistry between them, the urge to have him make love to her had to be forgotten because he was still a jerk.
Besides, she felt as if she was breaking the promise she had made to her deceased son a long time ago. She had promised not to love anyone else; to keep his memory fresh forever in her mind and never to let anyone else in.
Unfortunately, she was beginning to lose focus of that resolve simply because she met Tyler again. As a teenager, she had been enamored by Tyler, unable to stop thinking about him even when they were right beside each other.
The feeling that she was being sucked into Tyler’s web again plagued her. He had been sweetness itself all day until a few minutes ago when he turned to Ice Man.
For the umpteenth time, Kaiya wondered about the animosity she usually sensed in him. What did he have to be angry about? She was the injured party here who was still finding it hard to forgive him for what he did to her. Possibly if their son had lived, she might have been able to accept him. But she hadn’t even told him about their son.
Did he have to know? Not that it would change anything. She was certain that he would come up with a flimsy excuse to explain what happened years ago. She wasn’t in the mood to listen to lies.
“Thanks once more for a wonderful evening.” She turned when she got to the front door.
For a moment, she wondered if he wasn’t going to respond. He just stood there looking at her with an unreadable expression and his hands in his trouser pockets.
“Thank you, too,” he simply replied.
As Kayla whirled around to open the door, she knew she wouldn’t be back here, ever. It was best if they stayed away from each other.
Climbing into her black BMW M240i Cabriolet, Kaiya acknowledged that while she had had a spectacular day with Tyler and the kids, it had ended in disaster. She should never have stayed back, and she should never have allowed him to kiss her. Now he probably thought she was all hot for him. Even if she was, he didn’t have to know.
Angry with herself that she couldn’t control her emotions where he was, she turned the key in the ignition, revved up the engine, and drove away as if the hounds of Hades were after her.
Chapter 7
Classic music sounded in the hall where the Anderson Realty Gala was being held. Kaiya, taking in the gay atmosphere, decided she would love to be someplace else, probably at home, trying to sculpt something. But since she was an Anderson, she had to be in attendance.
She sipped from her champagne and looked around at the Anderson employees and friends who were having a nice time. Some were dancing to the music and generally having fun.
Kaiya wished she could share in their enthusiasm instead of struggling to push Tyler from her thoughts.
