Just One Fake Date: A Contemporary Romance (Flatiron Five Fitness Book 1) Read online

  Ty reached the club and held the door open for a woman who got to the entrance of the club at the same time as him. Probably a member coming to work out, judging by the size of her messenger bag. He smiled politely but she didn’t look up. She was a lot shorter than him and her big hood hid her face. He barely heard her murmured thanks before he shook out his umbrella and continued, striding through the lobby. “Gotta go, Mom. Work calls.”

  “And that’s another thing, Tyler. You work too much...”

  “I’ll talk to you later, Mom.”

  “You certainly will, young man. You might have grown up but that doesn’t mean you can evade a question...”

  “Bye, Mom.” Ty ended the call, telling himself he’d given his mother fair warning. This had been her third call of the day. Sadly, he couldn’t predict whether there would be rain on the day of Katelyn’s wedding—a matter of huge concern for his mom—much less guarantee that the entire day would go perfectly. In his experience, if something went wrong at a wedding, it would be an unanticipated surprise and they’d have to improvise. If nothing went wrong, then it was all good.

  His mom preferred to fret.

  One thing was for sure—Ty needed an answer to the endless questions about his date to Katelyn’s wedding. Tick tock. He wasn’t seeing anyone. He didn’t want to see anyone. He certainly didn’t want to be fixed up. He didn’t have time to invest in a relationship right now. And it seemed that every casual encounter left him with another woman in his life who wanted more than he was prepared to give.

  Giselle texted him again.

  She must be hungry.

  Ty turned off his cell phone and dropped it into his pocket. He might not turn it on anytime soon, at least not until he got through the previous month’s financial reports for the club.

  If he went alone to any of the events leading up to Katelyn’s wedding—never mind the wedding itself—an entire army of well-intentioned female relations would be determined to play matchmaker.

  His mom would be first in line.

  The prospect made him shudder.

  He needed a plan. Fast.

  Ty’s friend and partner, the one who could be relied upon for advice about women that was inevitably disastrous for Ty, was lounging at the front desk to the club. Kyle was wearing his yoga gear, and looked as much like a toned and tanned beach bum as ever. He worked a lot of hours, but his lighthearted manner meant that many underestimated his total commitment to the club.

  He was teasing the receptionist, which was perfectly predictable. Sonia was tall, blond, serene and efficient—but she also didn’t take any crap from anyone. Ty thought that was her best trick, especially since Kyle was a merciless tease.

  “It’s all your fault,” Ty said, pointing at Kyle.

  “Me?” Kyle straightened and grinned with his usual confidence. “What did I do this time? Was it worth it?”

  Sonia shook her head then answered the phone.

  “I’m not taking advice from you ever again,” Ty continued as he headed into the offices behind the reception desk. He hung up his coat and left his umbrella to drip, waved to Jax who was working on a spreadsheet for the next month’s classes, then continued into the conference room. He didn’t have an assigned office at the club, and the big table meant he could spread out his files.

  Kyle laughed, unrepentant, and followed. “I’m the only reason that you ever have any fun. Without me, your life would be as dry as dust.” He pretended to blow dust from his open palm.

  Ty hardly thought it would be that bad. “But I’d never end up in these tight corners. I can do without that.”

  “This sounds juicy. Which particular tight corner are we talking about?”

  Ty slung his suit jacket over a chair and gave Kyle a look. “I have to tell my mom about Giselle.”

  “Oh, the non-existent-relationship corner.” Kyle nodded wisely but his eyes twinkled. He was enjoying this too much.

  He always did.

  Maybe he gave Ty bad advice on purpose.

  “As if you know anything about navigating that one.”

  “I like to keep things simple.” Kyle flung himself into a chair and spun, his manner expectant. “No relationships at all, and no information sharing with my family about my personal life.” He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “It works much better if your mom lives thousands of miles away.”

  “No such luck there. I should never have suggested that Giselle was still around. It should have been enough that they met her once.”

  “Don’t be so negative,” Kyle chided. “My brilliant idea kept your family from fixing you up for almost eight months. Don’t tell me you didn’t love that.”

  “I did, but the reprieve is at an end.”

  “I thought technically she was still around.”

  Ty nodded. “Every time she lands at JFK, I get a message.”

  “Haven’t you broken off with her?”

  “Repeatedly with no effect.” Ty braced his hands on his hips. “I need a date for my sister’s wedding, and I need it as soon as possible, or the matchmaking will go into overdrive.”

  “You could ask Giselle.”

  “No. I’m not going to encourage her.”

  “Because it’s a wedding date?” Kyle was gleeful. “Isn’t that pretty much a proposal in itself?”

  “Don’t remind me.” Ty turned on his laptop and started to pull files out of his briefcase.

  Kyle spun slightly in his chair, his mood more buoyant than Ty’s. “What is this obsession your family has with matrimony?”

  “What is this obsession your family has with divorce?” Ty countered and Kyle laughed.

  He leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees and his gaze intent. “So, keep it simple. Ask Cassie. She’d step up for you.”

  Cassie was one of the other partners in the club, and Ty had known for a long time—well, always—that she was interested in him. Ty liked Cassie but only as a friend. Just Kyle’s suggestion made him twitch at the prospect of more expectations.

  “See our earlier comments about a wedding date pretty much being a proposal.”

  “Cassie would be totally on board with that.”

  “It would be mean,” Ty said, punctuating his words with a warning look.

  “There is that. Lovelorn is better than heartbroken.” Kyle shuddered. “She might cry.” He pouted and made sad eyes, which was a wildly improbable reaction from Cassie.

  “She’d be more likely to try to kick my ass.”

  “True.” Kyle looked thoughtful. “There’s a whole gym full of gorgeous women here. Ask one out.”

  Ty was skeptical. “That has so many potential implications, never mind the conflict of interest of a partner approaching a club member...”

  Kyle shook his head. “You make me grateful that I have no principles.”

  “It could be misconstrued...”

  “Right,” Kyle interrupted him. “We have to always be cautious and think things through. Impulse is bad. Risk is worse.” He waved a hand at Ty. “Don’t worry, I know your mantra after all this time.”

  “It’s not a mantra. I’m not that uptight,” Ty argued, annoyed that Kyle made him sound like a grump. He heard women’s voices in the office and assumed that Jax was talking to Sonia before she left for the day.

  “You’re nice and despite all my efforts to the contrary, you remain nice.” Kyle shook his head and sighed. “It’s tragic.”

  “It’s not tragic! I just think about my sisters and how I’d like them to be treated. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing, but it makes me glad I don’t have sisters.” Kyle continued before Ty could remind him again that his sisters were off-limits forever. “Make a deal then,” he suggested. “One duty date for another. Two against the world. Safety in numbers. A fake date, even to a wedding, isn’t that complicated and negotiation is in your skill set.”

  “Thank you very much.” Ty glanced up suddenly from his laptop screen, which was fille
d with the financial reports for the club, as he considered Kyle’s suggestion. “Should I be frightened that makes sense?”

  “Don’t tell me he’s trying to lead you astray,” Sonia interjected from the doorway.

  “That’s definitely a possibility,” Ty agreed.

  “Astray?” Kyle protested. “I offered a practical solution. Ty likes practical solutions. And really, you know how to get what you want from women.” He nodded then got to his feet. “Think about it, Ty. Time is of the essence.”

  Sonia gestured and Ty realized a bit late that there was someone standing behind her. Given her height and that her bag and coat were wet, he figured it was the woman he’d met at the entrance to the club. She was dressed in black and that messenger bag was massive. She held a camera in one hand now.

  She’d also pushed back her hood and Ty could see her face. She was tiny, her eyes blue and thickly lashed. Her black turtleneck and coat made her look paler and more delicate than she probably was. Her hair was black and cut short, and she wore no make-up. He could see the end of a tattoo peeking out from beneath the cuff on the hand that held the camera. She also wore a heavy silver ring on that index finger.

  Ty stood up, wishing he hadn’t taken off his jacket. It wasn’t because she was attractive or that her steady gaze was locked with his. What made his mouth go dry was that he recognized her.

  Shannyn Hawke had been pretty in college, but now she had more verve. She seemed both more guarded than he remembered and more audacious. More importantly, Shannyn was the one woman in the world who had told Tyler off, then disappeared before he could set her straight.

  She hated his guts.

  He’d never expected to see her again, but here she was at F5F, as wary as a street cat, holding his gaze like she’d dare him to remember.

  Time hadn’t changed her opinion of him, that was for sure.

  But twelve years had taught Tyler to seize opportunity when and where he found it. For a long time, he’d wished for a chance to replay that conversation or argue his own side better than he had. It was one of the moments he’d always wanted to fix.

  Ty liked fixing things.

  Opportunity was knocking.

  “Shannyn Hawke,” Tyler said immediately, much to Shannyn’s surprise. He stepped out from around the conference table to offer his hand, all smooth elegance and poise.

  He remembered.

  Worse, he was as sexy as ever—but more so. So much more so. He exuded power in a way Shannyn didn’t remember. And he was dressed a lot better. His suit was perfectly tailored, a shade of dark blue that was both conservative and sexy. She would have bet it was Italian and custom-made. He was trim, but then he was the partner of a fitness club, and he had bulked up since college. She remembered Tyler being more lanky, but now he was all man.

  Mmm hmm.

  His hair was short and he was clean-shaven, neither of which were different than her recollection. That mouth. She still wanted to reach up and touch his lips with one fingertip, to feel them soften into a smile beneath her touch.

  Apparently, some things never changed.

  He’d always been handsome, but now he had polish. When he stood in front of her, she was reminded just how tall he was. And those shoulders. She caught a whiff of cologne and her toes curled in her boots. It should be illegal for a man to look so good in real life.

  Never mind to know it.

  Never mind to have the ability to take command of a situation so fast.

  Shannyn’s hand was engulfed in the warmth of Tyler’s before she could think twice. She felt a sizzle of awareness that shot through her, driving out the chill of the rain, reminding her that she was alive. Her heart fluttered and she felt like a star-struck fan-girl all over again.

  The man had the greenest eyes and the steadiest gaze on the planet.

  And he was looking at her.

  Really looking, like he could read her thoughts and secrets. The feel of his hand around hers fed a little lick of desire heat deep inside her and Shannyn liked that just fine.

  But he didn’t need to know about his effect on her.

  A man like Tyler would just use that knowledge against her, to get what he wanted.

  Shannyn withdrew her hand and held his gaze as coolly as she could.

  “What brings you to Flatiron Five Fitness?” His voice was lower than she recalled, a little rougher, and that was another good change. His gaze flicked to her camera.

  “The alumni magazine,” Shannyn said. “They must have done an interview with you successful grads. I’ve been assigned to take the photos.”

  He nodded, then gestured. “Do you remember Kyle Stuyvesant?”

  Kyle, too, looked bigger and broader, his hair various shades of blond and his blue eyes filled with mischief. She’d bet he got his hair colored professionally, but he was easy on the eyes. That smile had melted more than one set of reservations in a long-ago English Lit class, never mind the sound of him reading nineteenth-century poetry aloud.

  Shannyn had much preferred Tyler’s recitations to Kyle’s. Kyle rushed through the verses to her thinking, but Tyler had paused in all the right places, as if savoring the words.

  She felt warm just remembering that.

  She’d wondered then what else he savored.

  She still did.

  Shannyn straightened and tried to pull her thoughts out of the gutter. This was work. So long as Tyler didn’t recite any poetry, and she kept her mind on the job, she should be able to keep this businesslike.

  “Of course, I do.” She couldn’t resist the urge to tease Kyle a bit, especially as it meant she’d be averting her gaze from Tyler. “Even though I wasn’t one of the multitudes of women who moved in beauty like the night.”

  Kyle, to her surprise, didn’t seem to have a comeback. He opened his mouth, shut it again, then ran a hand over the back of his neck, which was getting red. “Oh, yeah. English Lit 101. Those were the days.” His gaze flicked to Tyler with a kind of desperation and Shannyn was amused by his reaction. “Looks like you’ve got this covered, Ty,” he said, clearly intending to bolt. “I’ve got a lap swim session to supervise. Nice to see you again, Shannyn.”

  Then Kyle was gone, as if fleeing the scene of the crime.

  A bell rang at reception and the blonde woman went back to work, leaving Shannyn alone with Tyler. Was the air between them pulsing? Or was that her heartbeat going crazy? Either way, she felt more vital than she had in a long time. There was no going through the motions in this conversation.

  Being alone with Tyler made her feel tingly.

  And a little bit reckless.

  But then, following impulse was supposed to be her new mantra.

  “Congratulations,” Tyler murmured and she watched his lips curve into a smile. “There aren’t many women who spook Kyle, but you appear to have made the short list.” His eyes were twinkling. “But then, I remember you being fierce.”

  Shannyn was surprised. “Fierce? Hardly.”

  “Fierce,” Tyler insisted, his tone hinting that it wasn’t a flaw. She figured he was thinking of that drunken exchange, then he surprised her. “Passionate. Idealistic.” He shook his head and sighed in a way that shocked her. “Very cute.” His admiring little smile gave her palpitations.

  But cute? Very cute? “I didn’t expect you to remember anything about me.”

  Tyler’s eyes widened slightly. “Not even the last time we talked?”

  “The only time we talked.” Shannyn hoped the heat rising over her skin didn’t mean she was blushing. She was talking quickly and tried to slow down. “I was drunk. I was sure you’d forget that. Or dismiss it. It was the schnapps talking.”

  “Maybe the schnapps was letting you say what you really thought.”

  Shannyn was definitely blushing now. Her face felt like it was on fire. “No one said it was the truth...”

  “But it was your opinion and you delivered it with enthusiasm.” Tyler leaned back against the desk, watching her. His le
gs were insanely long, but his move put them more on a level. She couldn’t look away from his intense gaze. “That moment has haunted me,” he confessed and a few of Shannyn’s reservations melted even as she tried to fight her reaction.

  He had to be messing with her.

  Didn’t he?

  “Why?”

  “Because I wanted to defend myself and never had the chance.” His gaze was warm and Shannyn felt herself being charmed.

  But then Kyle said Tyler was good at getting what he wanted from women.

  The last thing she wanted to be was predictable.

  “Oh, please,” she said with disdain and saw that her tone surprised him. “I have a listed number and there is the alumni association. It would have been easy enough to call me up and argue your case. Twelve years is a long time to not get around to it.”

  He looked at her so hard that Shannyn wondered whether anyone ever told him off.

  “It is,” he finally said, his tone crisp. He was offended, which was probably safer if it meant he’d turn off the charm. Tyler reached over to shut down his laptop, as if some decision had been made. He picked up his suit jacket, moving with an athletic grace that made Shannyn’s mouth go dry. What did he look like naked? One enquiring mind really wanted to know. “And there’s no time like the present. What would you like to see?”

  “Everything,” Shannyn said in her surprise, but he took her words at face value.

  “How long do you have to take the pictures?” He was polite now, shrugging into his jacket, but his gaze continued to simmer.

  And he was still watching her, his gaze assessing.

  Like he was trying to figure her out.

  It was more than a little disconcerting to have his undivided attention, but Shannyn guessed it wouldn’t last.

  “Until Saturday,” she said. “I just got the job twenty minutes ago, so it’s a bit of a rush. The hired photographer has apparently disappeared.”

  “Happens, I guess.” He nodded and indicated the door. “Tour?”