Reckless (8 page)

Ty awarded her with a mega-watt grin and kissed the back of her hand. “Thank you for sayin’ so.”

No doubt about it, Ty McCall was going to have legions of female fans standing in line for concert tickets. “Since you’re already late, I’d rather not waste any more time, Mr. McCall. We have a lot of work to do.”

Ty dropped Lisa’s hand and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I’m ready when you are, Avery.”

She didn’t wait for him to follow before marching into her inner office. “Can I get you a coffee before we get started?”

He looked at the small beverage cart tucked away in the corner. “I can help myself, thanks. I really am sorry about being late. My alarm didn’t go off because of a power surge, then Luc called and traffic was a bear on the...”

“I’m not interested in your excuses. Just pour the damn coffee so we can get down to work.” She bristled at her own offensive words. Under normal circumstances, she would never consider speaking to a client that way. She had to find a way to deal with her anger toward Ty so they could form a mutually beneficial working relationship. She claimed the swivel chair behind her desk and set a legal pad in front of her.

“Can I get you anything?” he asked.

“No.”

Avery waited for him to cross the spacious office and claim the guest chair across from her. She tried not to notice the hint of spicy cologne that wafted between them or the way his hair curled over his collar or the way his faded jeans fit his...

“Avery, you okay?” he asked, leaning forward.

She took a deep breath and cursed herself for allowing her mind to wander into such dangerous territory. “I’m fine.”

He took a drink of strong black coffee and closed his eyes on a sigh. “Ah, this is just what the doctor ordered.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Not feeling well this morning?”

A hint of color stained his cheeks beneath his golden tan. “I, uh, had a few too many last night. I’m afraid I’m payin’ for it this morning.”

She folded her hands on her desk and leaned forward. “Listen, Ty, a lot of people are investing their time and money into branding you, myself included. If you step out of line, we all stand to lose, big time.”

He set his mug down on the small table between the guest chairs and pulled his chair forward. “Listen, Avery, about last night...”

She picked up her pen and positioned it over her notepad. “If this is about your marriage, it will be on the record, just so you know.”

He gripped the armrests until his knuckles turned white. “Damn it. Don’t do this. Don’t shut me down until you’ve at least given me a chance to explain my side of the story.”

She tossed her pen down on the desk and leaned back in the leather swivel chair, glaring at him. “Are you or are you not married?”

“Yes, but...”

“Then I know all I need to know on the subject.” She picked up her pen and scribbled a note about his marital status.

He got up and began to stalk the room, making the spacious room seem smaller somehow. “You’re gonna hear about it, whether you want to or not.” He turned to face her. “You said yourself that you demanded full disclosure so there wouldn’t be any surprises down the road.”

She cursed him for using her own words against her. “Fine, go ahead, but we can’t waste time on this. We have a press kit to compile before the end of the day.”

“Abby was my high school sweetheart.” He sighed. “Prettiest little thing you ever did see.”

Avery rolled her eyes. “I’m sure she was lovely. Can we get on with this?”

“She reeled me in, hook, line, and sinker.”

Avery’s patience was wearing thin. Too little sleep, too much caffeine, and raging hormones tended to have that effect on her. “And?”

“And she got pregnant.”

Avery dropped her pen, shocked by his admission. “So not only are you somebody’s husband, you’re somebody’s daddy? This is unbelievable.”

She glanced at the framed photos lining her credenza. Most were of her with friends and clients, but there was one with her sandwiched between her parents on the day of her college graduation. She felt anger on behalf of Ty’s child. She knew what it felt like to have a father who put his own needs above all others.

“No, Avery. I don’t have a biological child. I wish...”

Avery immediately felt the guilt wash over her. She couldn’t even fathom the pain of losing a child. “I’m sorry. Did she have a miscarriage?”

Ty sank onto the sofa beneath the window and dropped his head into his hands. “No, she had the child. I just came to find out it wasn’t mine.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “That must have been difficult for you.”

He looked up and their gazes locked. “You have no idea how much I loved that little girl. She was eighteen months before I found out she wasn’t mine.” His voice cracked. “Damn near ripped my heart out.”

She crossed the room to claim the chair beside him. She knew how difficult it must be for him to talk about this. She felt she owed him a show of compassion, as a matter of human decency. “How did you find out?”

“Abby finally told me. Not because she was feelin’ guilty, but because she wanted to hurt me. Seems Melanie’s father was the drummer in my band. Hell, they’d been carryin’ on for years. Guess I was too damn stupid to see the signs, huh?”

Not sure how to respond, Avery chose to ignore his comment. “Is Melanie with her mother now?”

Ty scowled. “Hell no, Abby never wanted to be a mother. She just wanted to trap me ‘cause she thought I was goin’ places.”

“I don’t understand.”

He sighed. “I got a record deal a while back. Small label, they went bankrupt before my debut album even hit stores. Anyways, she was all about getting famous. She saw me as her ticket.”

“But what about her little girl? Where is she now?”

“She’s livin’ with her grandparents. They’re good people; they love her a lot.”

“Do you still see her?”

Ty grinned. “Every chance I get. That little girl’s got me wrapped around her finger.”

Avery felt her resolve slip. “Her dad’s not a part of her life either?”

Ty rolled his eyes. “Are you kiddin’ me? That guy’s a deadbeat. He didn’t wanna be a parent any more than Abby did.”

“Thank God Melanie has her grandparents,” Avery said quietly. “And you.”

He smiled. “I may not be her biological father, but in my heart, she’s still my little girl. She always will be.”

Avery felt her heart melt just a little. A man who wanted to take on the responsibility of fathering another man’s child couldn’t be all bad. “I don’t understand why you’re still married to Abby. You said you haven’t seen her in years?”

He leaned back and set his hands on his thighs. “That’s where things get kind of complicated.”

Avery leaned back, relaxing into her chair. “I’m listening.”

“Abby was a real wild child, always gettin’ into trouble. Her parents were worried about her, especially after we split.”

Avery allowed a small smile. “I take it they thought you were a good influence on her?”

“Somethin’ like that. Anyways, they weren’t too keen on us getting a divorce.”

“Why’s that?”

“They’re very wealthy people, oil money. Abby was a spoiled brat, impulsive too. They were worried she’d run off and marry the first guy that came along, which would mean they’d have to pay a hefty settlement just to get him outta her life. She sure as hell wouldn’t have the good sense to have him sign a prenup.”

“Did you? Sign a prenuptial agreement, I mean?”

“Of course. I wasn’t marrying her for her family’s money. I loved her and I loved that baby she was carrying. I was young, but I was prepared to take responsibility for my family.”

Avery found it hard not to respect him, despite his omission about being married when they slept together. She sensed he was a good man, who had tried hard to do right by his wife and child. “I still don’t understand why you decided to stay married to her.”

Ty closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the sofa before responding. “Her parents asked me to. If she was still married to me, she couldn’t get herself into trouble by marrying some scam artist who was only after her family’s money.”

“And she didn’t want to divorce you?”

Ty chuckled. “I’m sure she did. But her daddy told her that if she filed for divorce, he was gonna cut her off financially. She wasn’t about to risk that so she just kept her mouth shut and went along with it.”

Avery shook her head, shocked at the lengths some people would go to in order to maintain their lifestyle. “What about you? What’s in this for you?”

He looked her in the eye. “Money.”

She got up, feeling disgusted with herself for being taken in by him again. She’d almost allowed herself to feel sorry for him; meanwhile, he was bilking his in-laws out of their hard-earned money. She hated opportunists almost as much as she hated adulterers. It seemed this guy had all the bases covered. She stood at the window, staring out over the bustling city.

He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She struggled against him, but he held her tight, refusing to loosen his grip. “Damn it, Avery. You have to let me finish. I’m not keepin’ a dime of that money for myself.”

She turned to face him. “What’re you talking about?”

“My parents fell on hard times a while back. They were at risk of losing the ranch. It’s been in our family for four generations. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“So you took the money from your in-laws to help your parents?”

“No, it wasn’t a hand-out. It was a loan. They couldn’t secure a bank loan at the time because of their debt to equity ratio, so Abby’s parents stepped in with a loan offering very favorable terms.”

“And in exchange you would stay married to their daughter?”

He nodded. “It seemed like a small price to pay at the time. The loan was for ten years, which means it’ll be paid off in a couple of years. I’ll be free to move on with my life.”

“So you intend to divorce her when the loan’s paid off?”

“Hell yeah.”

“And her parents are okay with that?”

Ty sighed. “I think this arrangement bought them some time. They thought after ten years Abby would have grown up enough to start making good choices. Maybe even want to be a mama to that sweet little girl.”

“But that hasn’t happened yet?”

“I’m not sure that it ever will, if you wanna know the truth.”

Avery shook her head, still trying to process the implications of his arrangement with his in-laws. If she were to believe his story, this was nothing more than a marriage of convenience, in name only. Still, he was technically a married man. “What makes you think Abby won’t fight the divorce?”

He shrugged. “I don’t see why she would. I don’t think she ever loved me, not really.”

“I’m sorry. That must’ve been difficult for you to accept.”

“Not really; I don’t think I ever really loved her either. I thought I did at the time. But I was young. What the hell did I know about love, right?” His eyes travelled from her eyes to her lips. “But I’m older, wiser now, and I sure as hell know what it feels like have the woman I love share my bed.”

She swallowed at his provocative words. She was still attracted to him, in spite of the fact that he was technically married, in spite of the fact that he was her client and it went against her professional ethics. She still had to resist the temptation to lean in, meet him halfway, and accept the kiss he offered.

Thankfully, a knock on her office door interrupted them and he loosened his grip so she could step out of his arms.

Avery cleared her throat. “Come in.”

Lisa poked her head in the door. “Avery, I’m so sorry to interrupt, but Jeff’s on the phone. He said you two had dinner plans tonight and he needs to confirm the reservation.”

Avery cast a glance at Ty, whose grim expression hinted at his reaction to the news that she was having dinner with another man. It was too bad if he didn’t like it. They weren’t involved and she certainly didn’t owe him an explanation. “Put his call through.”

“Will do,” Lisa said, closing the door behind her.

Avery pushed the button to connect the call. “Hi, Jeff, how are you?” She listened politely as he filled her in on his latest business trip and the new client he’d acquired since they last spoke several weeks ago.

“Listen, I’ve got to run,” she said finally when he allowed her to get a word in. “I’m with a client. How about I just meet you at Emilio’s at 7:00? Great, see you then.”

Ty raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Jeff?”

Avery walked toward her desk, feeling the need to put a solid barrier between them. “Just a man I’m seeing.”

He walked toward her desk. He braced his hands on the desktop and leaned over until his face was inches from hers. “Seeing… as in you’re sleeping with him?”

She tried to stand her ground in the face of his inappropriate questioning, but getting too close to him meant staring down the face of temptation and she wasn’t sure she was ready to do that. Instead, she reclaimed her seat and opened her laptop. She hit the power button, trying hard to ignore his looming presence. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”