Colours spilled across the backs of her eyelids as Tyler’s lips brushed against hers. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then wet his lips, flicking his tongue against her skin. She sighed—audibly—remembering the way he’d kissed her in the kitchen. Hungry and possessive.It had been for show, but—
Tyler’s hands tightened around her, and his body made an impression against her. Hard granite against soft clay. For two weeks she’d convinced herself that she’d stamped these feelings out, but this was oxygen over coals. She was a can of Coke, dropped and shaken, then put back in the cooler lying in wait until some unsuspecting victim popped the tab.
Emma slammed her hands into Tyler’s chest, gasping. Tyler’s eyes seemed to drink in the shadows from every corner of the room. He blinked, heavy-lidded, and she pushed past him, not even thinking about picking up the items that dropped from the shelves.
“That was against the rules,” she hissed, then jammed the baskets into her arms and slipped out of the room.
* * *
When it was finally time to pack up and leave, Emma couldn't get out of the house fast enough. She knew Lindsey and Vaughn noticed her mood, but her anger was too molten hot to talk about it. If she tried, she was either going to yell at someone or start sobbing, she didn’t know which, but it wasn’t worth the risk either way.
She pulled on her coat, slung her purse over her shoulder and stomped toward the front door.
"Emma, wait!" Tyler called after her as she pushed through the front door and hurried toward her car. She refused to stop, clenching her jaw and fumbling with her keys. "Can we talk for a sec—”
"Please, Tyler!" she choked out, not turning to face him. She pressed the button and the car door opened just as Troy stepped onto the street with a wide smile. He held up two tickets in his hand.
"Did I almost miss you?" Troy glanced down at his watch and chuckled. "Nope, I’m just late, but I’m glad you’re here because I have a surprise for you.”
Emma stood frozen, trying to force her face into a pleasant expression. Tyler ran a hand through his hair, and either Troy was oblivious to the tension between them or he didn’t care.
“Rinkside tickets at the Flames game tonight, and I wanted to treat you both to dinner beforehand with Gina.”
What?!Gina was the real estate agent. Emma only knew that because of the two times they’d talked in passing and the one memorable time when she’d seen Troy kissing her neck in the side yard when they were supposed to be discussing zoning permits.
Emma’s brain started to short-circuit. The thought of spending an entire evening with Tyler made her want to walk over the broken glass that probably still littered the storage room floor, butrinkside?She could almost feel the angel and devil taking up residence on opposite shoulders.
Emma drew a deep breath. Troy was her boss, and this was kind. Sort of. More importantly, Gina had a thousand relationships with high-spenders in this city that she’d love to tap into. She’d tried to think of a way to milk that connection and hadn’t found the right avenue yet.
Tyler shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for Emma to respond.
She wasnotdoing this for him. “What time should we meet you?”
Troy clapped his hands together, delighted. “No need to meet anywhere, I’ll pick you both up at six-thirty.”
Emma nodded. That gave her forty-five minutes to get home and change. “Perfect.”
ChapterSeventeen
Tyler sprawledacross the back seat of the car his father had sent to pick him up. He’d thought it was strange that Troy was going to pick them up personally. This made a hell of a lot more sense, but he could guess what Emma’s reaction would be when she saw it was only the two of them in the back of a luxury car. At least the seats reclined and there was still a centre console. She seemed to feel safe with those. He pulled it down between the seats and clicked it into place.
His stomach lurched as the car pulled up to Emma's apartment building. Emma stood waiting outside her apartment texting someone on her phone. Tyler momentarily forgot to breathe.
She wore a little black dress that hugged her athletic figure and hit mid-thigh. Her legs stretched toward the sidewalk.Bare.There was a Chinook, but it couldn’t be warm enough that she wasn’t shivering out there.
The warm wind tossed her loose curls around her face, and she shifted her weight on her peekaboo heels. She had a coat on, at least.
The partition lowered. “Excuse me, sir, but does the other party know we’ve arrived?”
Tyler blinked.Right.Emma had no idea what car would be showing up. Tyler pushed the door open and stepped out on the sidewalk, suddenly self-conscious of his grey v-neck and lined suede jacket.
Emma's eyes widened when she recognized him. She started toward him, and he couldn’t feign nonchalance if he tried. Her eyes were darker, smoky, offset by the light shade of pink on her lips. A sleek bag was slung over her shoulders, not her normal purse.
She peered toward the passenger window and found it empty. “No Gina?” Emma looked disappointed.
"Uh, no," Tyler stammered, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, yes. At the restaurant. My dad sent a car for us."
A small frown creased her forehead. Tyler walked around to the street and got in on the other side, leaving the door open for her. Tension settled around them like a thick blanket as they slid onto the plush leather seats.
