The windows were on the wall opposite the headboard and offered an epic view of the city, glittering at night. At this height, the sounds of traffic were distant but audible. Shannyn studied the silhouettes of the lit buildings, and guessed that the view was to the south, toward Staten Island and her own place in Brooklyn. She waved to her cat, Fitzwilliam, knowing he’d be pacing the foyer, impatient to be fed.
She should get home.
Shannyn took a deep breath and stretched, knowing that it wasn’t the high thread count of the sheets that made her feel so good. There was a lot to be said for a man who took his partner’s pleasure as a personal challenge.
Not the least of which was the surprise factor.
But it wasn’t necessarily nice. Tyler was trying to change her mind about him and his motives. He had an end game. She guessed that she was supposed to want more—she did—or become one of Tyler’s fan-girls—she wouldn’t—and refused to follow that script. If nothing else, she’d shake up his expectations.
She wasn’t going to worry about shattering his confidence.
No, she had to take care of herself. His determination was what made Tyler dangerous to her own defenses. It would be easy to relax and slide into whatever he had planned next. He got to her in all the right places, because he wanted to. Shannyn reminded herself that he was on a quest to charm her. There was no doubt that he was a man used to getting what he wanted.
Maybe it was a question of pride that he was so intent on changing her view. She wouldn’t have expected him to make such easy progress, but he didn’t have to know that if he kept on like this, he’d have her on his side and know all of her secrets in a hurry.
Shannyn was never going to be that vulnerable again.
She knew that once he’d won, Tyler would move on.
Being surrounded by picture-perfect luxury did make Shannyn realize that she’d have to nail her dress for his sister’s wedding. She’d ask her mom for advice, once she knew the when and where. Her mom, who had been making exclusive wedding gowns longer than Shannyn had been alive, could wring the most amazing details from just the address or name of the church.
It was darker than it had been and Shannyn checked her watch, unsurprised that it was after seven. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she’d skipped lunch. Fitzwilliam would not be amused and that realization was the one that prompted her to get up.
There was a second door in the wall beside the headboard. It was slightly ajar, admitting a sliver of light. The bathroom was obviously that way. Shannyn realized that there were no clothes flung on the floor anymore, and her bra and panties were on the nightstand closest to the partly-open door.
So, Tyler was neat. Hmm.
No surprise that it was a really large bathroom, tiled in marble, with a nightlight glowing from a plug over the long counter. Absolutely five star. A door in between the marble vanity and the bedroom led to a walk-in closet, which would be behind the wall with the headboard. Shannyn took a peek. Gorgeous suits were hung perfectly, the fabric of such high quality that she wanted to stroke them all. His shoes were lined up and polished, with the trees in them. There was a line of dress shirts and a neatly-hung collection of ties. There were no women’s clothes, so the sharp-dressed Tyler lived alone.
Not that it mattered to Shannyn. Nuh uh. She was just taking the tour of how the other half lived while she had the chance.
She’d lived in apartments smaller than the footprint of that closet and bathroom.
Drops of water shone on the glass walls of the shower and the air was a little humid, hinting that Tyler had used it first. Shannyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn’t miss her ex, but she did miss some of the pleasures of living with a man. She liked waking up with a man’s solid heat against her back, and being able to run her foot down a muscled leg—well, actually, she liked sex in the morning. She liked the smell of the bathroom after a man had taken his shower, the humidity and the scent of cologne. Cole had never used such a good one, though. Shannyn checked Tyler’s brand, thinking she might buy a bottle and spritz it around on those lonely mornings. She’d bought a razor like Cole’s, after all, because his had been better and he’d taken it with him.
Shannyn’s other clothes were folded on the end of the counter, not perfectly but neatly—better than her brother would have done—and her messenger bag was on the floor beneath. There was another door beside the shower, a closed one, that had to lead from the bathroom to the living room.
Not only was Tyler neat, but he’d anticipated that she’d want her stuff.
Was that because he was thoughtful or because she was being given the bum’s rush?
There was a new toothbrush, still in the package, beside the sink, as well as a towel and facecloth, obviously intended for her. His own razor was wet, indicating that he’d shaved again, a hint that he had more plans for the evening.
Probably not with her.
There was no reason to be disappointed: she knew the arrangement.
There were no women’s toiletries on the counter and Shannyn wondered whether he’d left out the towel to keep her from looking further.
That strategy wasn’t going to work. Shannyn looked in the drawers and under the sink. All neat. No women’s things. No stash of new toothbrushes.
Maybe he’d just come out of a longer relationship. There was space in the closet.
There was also a big fluffy robe with the towels on the rack over the toilet, one that she couldn’t imagine Tyler wearing. The logo of a hotel chain was embroidered on it and it still had a blue satin ribbon around it, like it had been a gift. She knew that if she put that on, it would indicate that she intended to stay. That it was on the shelf and not the counter made her conclude that she wasn’t invited to do so.
Tyler’s romantic life wasn’t Shannyn’s problem or her business. One appearance at a wedding and they were done, for good. In fact, she was probably keeping him from a date somewhere. Just because she didn’t have sport sex often didn’t make her choices his norm.
She took a quick shower and dressed, then carried her bag back into the living room. She was intending to get her coat and leave immediately, but curiosity made her look. The apartment had an open floor plan, with an island separating the kitchen from the living room. Of course, the kitchen had granite counters and gleaming stainless steel appliances. It didn’t appear that anyone used it.
Tyler was wearing a different suit, a charcoal grey one, leaning against the counter as he checked his phone. He flicked a glance her way and smiled, straightening as if he’d been waiting for her.
Of course, he had been. He wasn’t going to leave her alone in his apartment.
“Sorry I fell asleep,” Shannyn said. “I didn’t mean to hold you up.”
“You didn’t,” he said easily, but that couldn’t be true.
Like his bedroom, the decor was spare and functional. There was a black leather couch, a coffee table, a television mounted on the wall above the fireplace. A long low bookshelf was crowded with books, to the point of some being stacked sideways on top. It was the only sign of life, to Shannyn’s thinking. The view was amazing.
Once again, she was struck by its similarity to a hotel.
His place was the exact opposite of the colorful, chaotic, quirky Victorian house that Shannyn called home, and she chose to take the differences as proof that she and Tyler had just about nothing in common either.