sure.’ Tyler pushed back his chair. ‘Sorry, guys. Much as I’d like to hang around, I have to go. Early start. O-six hundred.’
Suddenly, his need for company had vanished. He’d come here to erase Kate from his memory bank, not discuss her, and he knew the boys. Once they got started they would want to hear every last detail. He waved and walked away, leaving his two closest friends grinning in his wake.
‘See you in a week, TJ. If you survive, that is.’
Ignoring Jack’s final taunt, he headed out into the balmy Californian night. There was no doubt in his mind that he would survive. After all, he’d handled tougher missions and come out unscathed.
Once again, a vision of Kate’s gold-flecked hazel eyes flashed into his mind, closely followed by the memory of their searing kiss.
He just hoped this mission wasn’t about to become his nemesis.
Kate prided herself on being cool, organised and professional at all times. To do this she needed at least eight solid hours of sleep a night. Without it she turned into a monster, as all her staff knew. Unfortunately, last night hadn’t been conducive to sleeping and she was paying the price now. So would anyone else who crossed her path today.
‘Good morning, boss. Sleep well?’ Di strolled into her office, all blonde spikes and cheerfulness.
‘Is it? And no. Where’s that damn article on homeless shelters?’
She shuffled around her desk, sending papers flying in all directions while making a frantic grab for her take-out skinny latte.
What happened to organised and professional? Right now her desk resembled a second-grader’s with the writing strewn across it probably making about that much sense.
‘Didn’t sleep too well? Can’t blame you.’
Kate didn’t like the twinkle in her assistant’s eye. Besides, how could Di be so darn chirpy every morning? Didn’t she ever wake up with a sore head?
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
Kate finally stopped rummaging around and sat back, draining the last of her coffee, lobbing the cup in the bin and rubbing her temples. She rarely drank and the three glasses of champagne last night combined with the haunting image of Ty looking better than ever had kept her tossing and turning all night.
‘Oh, nothing.’ Di’s grin broadened. ‘Though if I had the prospect of some sexy sailor trailing after me all week I wouldn’t be able to get any shut-eye either.’
‘He’s not trailing after me,’ she snapped, her headache intensifying by the minute.
‘Oh, yes, he is. He’s just stepped out of the lift and is heading this way.’
Kate sat bolt upright in time to see Ty honing in on her office.
Great. Just great.
Di wiggled her fingers in a saucy wave and strolled away, giving Tyler a similar wave, and Kate tried to ignore the absurd jolt of jealousy that shot through her. Ty was her past and she shouldn’t have to remind herself of that fact.
He walked straight into her office as if he owned the place. ‘Hi. Got a minute?’
How dared he look so good at this hour of the morning? Faded denim jeans hugged his long legs and a white T-shirt moulded his muscular torso like a second skin, delineating every single layer of taut, hard muscle beneath it. The type of muscle she used to love running her hands over, caressing, skimming, relishing.
Okay, maybe good was an understatement. Try delectable and she struggled not to drool.
‘What are you doing here?’
Though she tried to keep her voice cool, it came out all high and squeaky.
A smile tugged at the corners of his delicious mouth. ‘Still not a morning person, huh?’
She shook her head and wished she hadn’t as the pounding in her brain increased.
‘I’m surprised you remember.’
‘How could I forget?’
He flashed his trademark killer smile, the one that always made her knees go weak. Thankfully, she was sitting down.
‘So, what else do you remember?’
He closed the door and strode across the room in one lithe movement. She loved how he walked. Correction, how he stalked, all stealth and fluid lines, and her pulse accelerated in anticipation as he perched on the corner of her desk less than two feet away.
‘I remember plenty.’
He tipped up her chin, stroking her cheek with his thumb in the barest of touches as she stared, trapped beneath his scrutinising gaze, his thumb doing crazy things to her insides as it grazed her skin slowly, repeatedly.
‘Yeah, well, I do too.’
She leaned back, breaking the tenuous contact that was wreaking havoc with her senses. ‘But that’s all they are, just memories.’
His eyes narrowed to slivers of electrifying blue. ‘Yeah, but they were good. Damn good. And you know it.’
She glared, the jackhammering in her head intensifying as she tried to put words together in a coherent fashion, her brain befuddled by his closeness, his touch.
‘All I know is I’ve got a lot of work to do and sitting here talking about ancient history is wasting my time.’
Thankfully, his thumb had stopped stroking her cheek. On the downside, he re-established contact by trailing his index finger along her jaw-line, setting her nerve-endings alight.
‘What’s with the attitude? You said we’d talk in the morning. Aren’t you glad to see me?’
She pulled away from his blazing touch. ‘We’ll talk later. I haven’t got time for this now.’
He grinned, sending her pulse rate into overdrive. ‘You didn’t answer my question.’
‘About the memories, the attitude or being happy to see you?’
There was no way she would answer any of his questions. She’d made a fool of herself last night. Questions only led to answers and they led directly to trouble.
‘How about all of the above?’
‘Look, I’d love to chat but I’ve got important deadlines to meet.’
She tried to stare him down. It had been a game with them, a battle of wills to see who would look away first. She’d always lost but not today.
He sat back and folded his arms, looking way too cocky, the corners of his mouth curving into a tempting smile.
‘Surely Lois Lane can take a break for a few minutes?’
‘Nope, sorry, no can do. I’m busy.’
She
