Foreign Affair (8 page)

He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against him, then brought his mouth down on hers, fierce and possessive.

She parted her lips and let his tongue take control of hers. She groaned, wanting to savor this final taste of him.

How was this possible? Despite her own efforts, she’d still gotten a little attached to him.

He pulled back after a moment and took a deep breath. “There. Now that was a proper good-bye.” His smile seemed tight. “Now, go or you’ll miss your flight.”

And then he left her. Lena sat down in one of the plastic chairs, not quite ready to check in for her flight. She buried her face in her hands, trying not to think about going back to reality. Back to everything as it had been before—in all its appalling glory.

Her stomach churned.

Keith was still in Maui and wouldn’t be back for another week. At least that was the impression Keith’s mom had given her. One week of analyzing their relationship. To decide whether they should get counseling and continue with the marriage plans, or call off the whole thing.

Stephanie had all the luck to be in the Caribbean. Why hadn’t she considered taking up Steph’s offer to use the apartment in Paris?

Maybe it wasn’t too late…

“Ma’am? Did you need to check in?”

Lena blinked and looked up at the airline employee behind the counter.

“Check in?”

“Yes, check in,” he repeated with obvious patience. “Where are you flying to?”

She paused and then gave a slow shake of her head. “No where, at the moment.”

“I’m sorry?”

“No.
I’m
sorry.” She turned on her heel and ran through the airport.

Her legs pumped hard, and her breath came out ragged. She caught him just as he was climbing into a taxi.

“Tyler!”

He paused and glanced around, a frown marring his face.

“Tyler,” she screamed again, running toward him.

He caught her just before she slammed into him like a tornado and held her a couple inches away.

“Lena?” His eyes narrowed with concern and another emotion she couldn’t name. “Is something wrong, what happened?”

“I…I need to ask you something.” She struggled to get a breath in, still winded from the run.

“What? What do you need to ask me?” He glanced over her shoulder into the airport. “Lena, you’re going to miss your plane. What are you thinking?”

“I’m not. I’m not thinking at all.” She gave an uneven laugh as she looked up into his eyes. “I’m going to Paris, and I want you to come with me.”

Chapter Six

Tyler’s grip on her elbows tightened. “You didn’t get on your plane?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Lena, you just missed your plane home.”

“Deliberately missed it,” she emphasized. “Look, I’m not
going
home right now. That’s why I didn’t get on that flight. Did you hear the question I asked you?”

“Yes, I did.” He turned to the taxi driver and waved him on to another waiting customer.

“And?” Trying to think about how nuts she had to be right now, she waited, her breath locked in her chest.

“Lena, it’s an amazing offer.” He hesitated. “I would love to go to Paris—especially with you. But I’m scheduled to be back at work in a couple days. Back at work in New York.”

“Oh. Right. I-I didn’t even think of that. I’m such an idiot.”

Turning away from him, she walked over to a bench by the windows and sat down, pressing her trembling fingers against her knees.

“You’re not an idiot.” He came and sat beside her. “The timing is just a little off.”

“Of course.” She shook her head.
Try and salvage a little pride here,
girl.
“I know it was a real last-minute decision. Completely spontaneous.”

“I think it’s great. Spontaneity makes life more exciting.” His words seemed to be a poor attempt to comfort her.

“Okay. But I still come out looking like a moron.”
So much for pride
.

“You’re not a moron. So, what are you going to do now?”

“What am I going to do?” Lena frowned. “Well, I’m going to go to Paris, of course.”

“Alone?” His eyebrows shot up.

“Well,
you
can’t come with me, and unless I happen to meet
another
hot guy that I want to take to Paris… Then I guess it’s just me.”

He made a quiet harrumph, not looking thrilled. “Don’t pick up a strange guy. You might get into trouble.”

“Hey, you were a strange guy.”

“Point taken, but still, I don’t like that visual of you picking up a stranger. Have you got a place to stay?”

“I do. Stephanie rented an apartment in the city, and she’s given me free use of it for the next week and a half.” Here tone lightened. With or without Tyler, she still planned on going to Paris. “You know what? This is going to be wonderful.”

“I’m jealous.”

“And you should be. You need a real vacation where you don’t have to work all the time.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day,” he admitted and thrust a hand through his hair. “Well, Lena, have a good time in Paris. Maybe I’ll see you around some time.”

No, he wouldn’t. And they both knew it. She sighed and gave him another searching look.

“Hey. I, umm, hope I didn’t just make things weird with this whole running after you bit.”

Tyler laughed and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “No, you didn’t make anything weird. You made me lose my taxi, but nothing’s weird. Actually, I’m flattered.”

“Good. You should be.” Her pulse skipped at his touch. “Well, take care of yourself, Tyler.”

“You too.” He stood and gave a small salute, and then turned to wave down another taxi.

Go get your luggage, you idiot
. She stood up and headed back into the
airport, hoping her luggage was where she’d abandoned it.

She pressed the back of her hand against her forehead, trying to ignore the lump of disappointment in her throat. A few minutes later she found her luggage in the same spot, but with a security official glowering at her and waiting to give her sharp reprimand.

She debated getting on a flight to Paris, but decided to take a train there tomorrow. That would be cheaper. Which meant she’d be spending another night here, and she didn’t have a room. Visions of showing up at Tyler’s hotel room weaved through her head, but she quickly dismissed them. There was no way she would embarrass herself in front of him again today.

She’d just check into the small hotel that she and Stephanie had used before.

Lifting the suitcase off the ground, she turned to head toward the exit and rammed into somebody.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Lena glanced up, then stepped back, her mouth open in shock.

“You know, I don’t really
remember
Paris.” Tyler plucked her suitcase from her hand. “I partied too much and wasted my time trying to pick up cute French girls.”

“Is that so?” Her heart pounded, and her smile felt big enough to leave cracks on her face.

“Yeah. Come to think of it, I don’t remember the last real vacation I took. I’ll call my office in New York and let them know I’ll be staying for some vacation time.”

“And you can just do that?” Lena raised an eyebrow.

“Of course.”

“You’re that powerful?”

“I make people tremble with fear.”

“You make me tremble,” she admitted. “Although not with fear.”

Tyler paused, whatever he’d been about to say apparently forgotten. He laughed and shifted his weight to his other foot.

“When are you leaving for Paris? Tonight?”

“No, I want to take a train and see the countryside. It leaves tomorrow.” Her smile turned wry. “I’d offer to buy your ticket, but then I’d have little left to shop with.”

“I can buy my own ticket, sweetheart.” He steered them outside to where a taxi waited. “And if you’re good, maybe I’ll buy
you
something in Paris.”

“Hmm, how good?” She glanced at the protective hand that he’d settled on her hip. “That must be some job back in New York.”

He gave her a brief glance. “I guess you’ll never know. That is, if you want the same rules to apply in Paris as in Amsterdam.”

“Oh. Right.” Did she still want that? No…but yes. It’d have to be that way to be safe. To protect her heart. “Silly me. What on earth was I thinking?”

“I don’t want to know anything about you.” He quoted her earlier words.

The taxi pulled away from the curb and sped off toward the city.

“You’re just using me for sex?”

He leaned over and kissed her hard, his fingers threading into her hair. “Does that answer your question?”

She glanced up at him through her lashes and managed to whisper, “I can’t wait, stranger.”

Tyler came out of the bathroom and paused in front of the mirror, rubbing his hand over the stubble on his cheek. He stifled a yawn and splashed some water on his face to wake himself up.

They’d stayed up almost all night eating Chinese food, chatting and watching a movie on the hotel television. Not to mention more amazing sex.

He shook his head, unable to believe he’d at first turned down her invitation to go to Paris. How much more of an idiot could he be?

Lena’s sexual response to him was a constant surprise. Her passionate intensity made him curious about her sexual history and love life in general. But he knew better than to delve into those waters. If she decided to open up, she’d share when she wanted to.

Her voice traveled from the bed. “Come and have some of this almond chicken.”

When he came out of the bathroom, she sat up, the shirt he’d loaned her falling around her knees. Even in his shirt, she looked damn sexy.

“I can’t believe I’m eating cold, leftover Chinese food for breakfast in Amsterdam.” She giggled and took another bite.

Tyler smiled and walked over to the bed. After sitting down, he allowed her to feed him a good-sized bite of the greasy food.

He swallowed and then groaned, rolling over onto his back. “I need real food. Steak and potatoes or something. I haven’t eaten this much crap since college.”

“I know,” she said after swallowing a mouthful of rice. “It’s fantastic. I’m sure I’ll gain twenty pounds and die of a heart attack before I turn thirty.”

He rolled onto his side and propped a hand under his head. “What are you, twenty-two?”

She shook her head and then raised her chopsticks in warning.

“It’s just your age.” He realized his error but couldn’t prevent the irritation that picked at him. “It’s really not that much information. I’ll tell you mine. I’m thirty-two.”

“Well. Stop the presses. I’m sleeping with an older man.”

“I suppose I am old.” He raised an eyebrow. “To someone who’s probably never heard of The Rolling Stones.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “I’ve heard of them. Isn’t the singer that guy with the big lips?”

Tyler laughed and sat down on the bed. “Twenty-three?”

“Twenty-six.”

“You look young. I had you pinned for a sorority girl. At least now I don’t feel like a total cradle robber.”

“Ah, come on, Tyler,” she said with a playful grin. “I thought every guy wanted them young and wild.”

“Sorry? What magazines have you been reading?”

Lena’s lips twitched, which turned into a giggle. “Sorry, I just had to give you crap.”

“Give you crap,” he mimicked and grabbed her ankle, pulling her toward him.

She lost her balance and fell onto her side, shrieking as the container of Chinese food spilled over her and the bed.

Tyler bolted up and off the bed, choking back a laugh. “Oh, jeez. I swear, that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Wasn’t supposed to happen?” Lena glared up at him as sauce oozed over her body and the bed sheets.

His shoulders shook from laughing. “Wow, you look hilarious. But really, I’m sorry about that.”

Lena pulled a piece of chicken out of her hair and flung it at him. It smacked onto his forehead before rolling off his face and nestling in the collar of his shirt.

He cocked his head and took a step back toward her. “Well, I’ll be damned if that wasn’t an invitation for a food fight.”

She yelped and made a grab for the rest of the food, but he dove onto the bed and sent the food flying. His sudden weight on the bed had her rolling into the middle, straight toward the growing mound of almond chicken. Her body arched over it, and she swiped a handful of the mess, launching it into his face.

He swore and lurched at her, pinning her against the bed as he scraped the food off himself.

“Beg for mercy,” he commanded, holding the glob over her head.

“I will not.” She writhed under him. “Get off me.”

His dripping hand lowered closer to her. “Beg.”

Lena groaned and eyed the handful of dripping food. “Oh, all right.
Please
, Tyler.”

“Now, Lena, that didn’t sound from the heart.” He clucked his tongue.

“Ugh.” She thrust her hips under him, trying to buck him off. “What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to say, ‘I’m sorry, Tyler. You are a powerful, hot, well-endowed man’.”

“Now, Tyler, I don’t know if I could lie so blatantly.” She gave him an innocent look and then glanced down at his jeans. When his nostrils flared, she squeaked and started to recite his phrase. “I’m sorry, Tyler. You are a powerful—”

“Too late.” He smashed the food into her hair, ignoring her shrieks.

“Oh, you suck.” She struggled to sit up as the sauce dripped down the back of her neck.

Tyler wiped the sauce off her face and kissed her forehead. “You should have just admitted that my dick is big.”

He ducked her fist as it flailed toward him. When her other hand shot out, he grabbed it and pushed it between them, holding them to his chest.

“I am so disgusting right now,” she cried. “And how am I going to get you back?”

“You don’t need to get me back, and I’ll make it up to you.”

She didn’t respond as his mouth closed over the small area where her neck and shoulder connected, but she gave a small shudder. He eased her onto her back, his tongue reaching out to lap up any remaining sauce. His fingers smoothed the pieces of food out of her hair.

“This is so not seductive.”

“Liar.” His hand slid down to cup a breast. “Just pretend it’s massage oil.”