Slow Burn (The Blake Boys Book 7) Read online

  Tyler stretched to get rid of the knot that was forming at the base of his back. All that was left to do was to clean up the paint; the store was delivering the new stove in the morning. He removed the drop cloths and supplies with lightning speed— he really needed some sleep. By one in the morning he went into the living room to find Michelle cuddled on the couch in her pajamas.

  She didn’t budge when he scooped her up into his arms and headed towards the bedroom.

  He laughed to himself. He wasn’t going to tell Michelle, but this was the most fun he’d ever had with a woman. Who else could say they’d been kidnapped and handcuffed, had rescued a damsel in distress, and had got to work on a kitchen renovation all in the same week? He didn’t know what her intentions were when this started—at least not exactly. He knew she was mad about the kiss after the race, and about him telling off that pompous yoga instructor. And in general because he wasn’t ready for the kind of relationship Morgan and his brother had. But she’d succeeded in showing him why it was important to spend time together. He stopped in the hallway. Except for the calls to his brothers for help, he hadn’t tried to get away.

  Michelle’s soft breathing brought him out of his stupor so he continued down the hall and placed her in bed. Once she was settled in he went into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and stripped.

  The jets of the shower pulsating on his body felt like heaven, but thinking about Michelle in the other room in her soft pajamas and even softer heart made him hard.

  Tyler gripped himself as the water beat down onto his face, washing away the grimy paint and dust. As the memories of his time as Michelle’s captive replayed in his mind, his strokes came harder until he was breathing heavy and his body felt weak. Being consciously celibate until his developing feelings for Michelle were resolved had taken him to highs and lows he’d never imagined. Tyler’s breath hitched at the memory of Michelle’s climax. It evoked a longing in him that he’d never had before, a desire to be with her after they had their clothes back on. He continued to pump into his hand and leaned against the shower wall until an explosive release finally came. When he finally got his energy back, he finished washing up and got out of the stall.

  A half hour later he crawled into bed beside Michelle, hoping not to wake her. He gently tickled her and what do you know, she rolled over and cuddled up to his side. Sleep came over him almost immediately, but when Michelle’s hand moved under the bed covers and landed on his penis, he got hard again. She caressed him and smiled in her sleep. He smiled too and kissed her on the forehead. It was a cozy feeling that felt dangerously like happiness.

  Chapter Seven

  The reminder on Michelle’s cell phone prompted her to move her butt on the audition reel. Tyler did such a good job cleaning up last night she decided to spend the morning rehearsing. Once the new stove was delivered and installed, she decided on spaghetti with meatballs and sausage. A simple classic that would showcase the vibrant colors of the tomatoes she’d gotten from the market the other day.

  By early afternoon she was nervous and anxious to get it done. Tyler was watching more racing footage. He’d been unusually quiet since they woke up in bed together. She was surprised that he didn’t try anything, and instead they actually spent an hour awake in bed talking. When she brought up the audition, he volunteered to help with the filming.

  She wanted to stand out, so she changed from the jeans and sweater she’d put on that morning into a form fitting red dress that accentuated every curve. When she walked into the living room, Tyler whistled and turned off the television.

  “What do you think?” she said as she twirled around. The lustful look in Tyler’s eyes confirmed she’d perfected the look she was going for, but she still felt uncomfortable.

  “You look gorgeous, as always. But why get so fancy for cooking?”

  “I want to attract viewers.”

  “The only viewers you’re going to attract are men who aren’t interested in cooking.” He folded his arms over his chest.

  “There are plenty of sexy chefs.”

  “True, and it’s exactly the male response you don’t want.”

  “What’s wrong? Jealous?”

  “I just want you to be yourself. And as pretty as you look right now, this is not you. The everyday Michelle is sexy as hell in a pair of jeans and T-shirt.”

  “You think so?”

  He rubbed his thumb across her chin. “You could make a burlap sack look good.”

  “OK. I’ll go change.” She hustled back to the bedroom.

  Three hours later, dressed in jeans and a cute top, she felt better about the wardrobe change. But she was making mistakes like crazy.

  “Ugh!” Michelle groaned and threw the spatula across the room. “Let’s start from the top.” She’d just pronounced the word spaghetti as spotghetti. She blamed Morgan’s adorable kids for the slip up, their kiddie-lingo had seeped into her brain. She was grateful for Tyler’s patience, trying to capture audition gold on a cell phone must have been difficult.

  “I still think take two was great.” He smiled.

  “I was too wooden.”

  “You were adorable. You have this sexy librarian thing going on,” he said.

  “I don’t want to sound preachy or like some know it all. To tell you the truth I’m feeling my way through. There’s so much to know about nutrition and planning when making meals.” Michelle sighed.

  “Showcase that you’re learning too. I read your blog. You like to talk about the bumps and bruises along the way to a perfect dish. Add that to your commentary. Like how you found out why you shouldn’t leave a pot unattended. But you could leave out the part about me being handcuffed.”

  Michelle giggled.

  “People are drawn to you because you are a breath of fresh air. That’s the reason I was attracted to you when we first met. You don’t need a gimmick. Just be yourself.”

  “Thanks.” A pink sheen spread across her cheeks.

  “Want to try again?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Michelle went back to her mark but Tyler just stood there looking at her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I was thinking after we finish up here that we could go out to dinner,” he said in faint voice.

  He looked like he was doubtful she’d say yes. It was refreshing to see this Tyler Blake, instead of the cocky version he played in public.

  “I’d like that.” Michelle smiled and gave Tyler the cue to resume filming.

  * * *

  When Tyler went to the bedroom to freshen up for dinner, it occurred to him that it would be their first real date. A simple running of the hand through his hair simply wouldn’t do so he took a shower, shaved and dug through his leather duffle for something to wear. He settled on a tan sweater and a pair of black jeans. He threw on some cologne, then texted J.J. for a local restaurant suggestion. Now that the stage was set, he was a nervous wreck.

  Tyler walked into the living room, anxious to go. Michelle was applying lipstick in the hallway mirror, and she’d changed too. She had on a nice pink sweater dress with a toggle button on the side and a pair of knee length black leather boots.

  “You look nice.” Tyler smiled.

  “You too.” She put the cap on her lipstick and stuffed it into her purse.

  Tyler reached for her coat on the rack and helped her into it. Once it was on her shoulders, he turned her around and slowly zipped up the jacket. He wanted to kiss her but he stopped himself. Instead he put on his coat, grabbed the car keys, and ushered her out the door.

  The light snow fall only made their drive to the restaurant more romantic. Michelle was quiet most of the ride, so Tyler talked about the weather, the restaurant J.J. had recommended, anything that would get her to jump in and do that bubbly chatter that he loved so much. For a woman who had an opinion about everything, she was oddly quiet. He turned on the radio when he ran out of things to talk about. When they finally arrived at the restaurant, eve
n the great scenic view didn’t evoke a response.

  “I’ll have a scotch on the rocks and the lady will have a glass of Moscato,” Tyler said to the waiter who approached to get their drink order. He reached across the table and caressed her hand. “I’m not comfortable with you being this quiet.”

  She shrugged. “Just thinking about how my attempted seduction turned into the raging inferno.”

  “I don’t think it’s been that bad.”

  “This has been a great big disaster. What kind of dates do you usually have?”

  “The kind that only last one night.” He waggled his eyes.

  Michelle rolled her eyes at him.

  “I think things have turned out alright.”

  There was a loud noise and then a cough. They looked up to see a man standing next to their table.

  “Sorry to interrupt. Are you Tyler Blake? I saw you win the Ripley Classic. Your driving was awesome. You’re really making a name for yourself.” The fan beamed at Tyler.

  “Thank you. It’s been a lot of hard work but it’s finally starting to pay off.” Tyler smiled.

  “You’re a Blake, making it to the top is in your DNA. I knew for sure you’d excel in racing. Can I have your autograph?”

  “I don’t really have anything to sign with.” Tyler held up his hands.

  Michelle pulled a Sharpie out of her purse and handed it and the linen napkin on her plate to him.

  “What’s your name?” Tyler took the items from her.

  “Roger.”

  “Always glad to meet a fan, Roger.” Tyler scribbled a few words on the napkin and handed it to the guy. He shook his hand and bade him a good night.

  “You handled that really well,” Michelle said.

  “I’ve had plenty of practice watching my brothers in action.”

  “How is it always being surrounded by three famous brothers?” She sipped her wine.

  “Stifling. Exhilarating. It was even worse when Seth went pro because we look so much alike. People would stop me in stores, women would”—he bit his lip to stop the wicked grin from forming—”do some very interesting things to get an autograph.”

  “So what happened when they found you weren’t him?”

  “It didn’t matter. They’d gotten close to him somehow. You’d be surprised at how many people think that’s enough.”

  “That wasn’t good for your self-esteem.”

  “When a woman is standing naked in front of you saying she wants to show Seth’s little brother a good time, it’s kind of hard to assess morality.”

  “But still, you were being used. You’re a hell of a guy even if you’re not Seth Blake.”

  “So me looking a lot like Seth doesn’t matter to you?” He raised an eyebrow.

  Michelle blushed. “OK, when we met I noticed the resemblance, and I’ll admit I thought it was kind of cool that you looked like him. But after you spend ten minutes in a room with you two, it’s apparent that’s about all you have in common. Both you and Seth have wonderful qualities, and I’m sorry if I ever made you think you were some kind of tangible fantasy replacement for him. I don’t want Seth, he belongs to Morgan. I like Tyler Blake just fine. The man who’s literally chasing his dreams around a race track. That man is confident, freedom-loving, and has the ability to be crass and charming all in the same breath. He also has no idea what he does to me.”

  “What exactly do I do to you?” Tyler leaned forward.

  “You drive me to distraction in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine.” Michelle ran a finger along the back of his hand. “And if we weren’t in this restaurant, I’d show you.”

  “Want to get this to go and head back to the house?” Tyler said.

  She smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  * * *

  Tyler must have broken every speed limit in Colorado to get back to the house. Michelle kissed him on the cheek as soon he opened the door and told him to give her a few minutes before coming to the bedroom. Once she gave him the all clear, he raced into the bedroom like he was getting ready to open a present. When he got there she was wearing the lingerie he bought her at the mall.

  “How about a game tonight?” he said quietly.

  “OK. What do you want to play?”

  He held up the cuffs. “The kind that will have you…tied up for a while.”

  Michelle swallowed hard. “OK.”

  No one spoke for a moment.

  “Don’t we need to establish some safe words?” she said to break the silence.

  “Safe words?” he asked, amused.

  “Yes, signals so that we know when one of us becomes uncomfortable.”

  “Hmm…”

  “I believe it’s customary when engaging in activities of this nature.”

  “Done this before, have you?” he said with a raised eyebrow.

  Michelle blushed. “No.”

  “For someone who’s never done this, you sure are familiar with the lingo.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I do work in a bookstore. I read and I have a television.”

  “Sounds more like you were doing research. Tell me, you ever think about me tying you up?” He grinned and reached over and ran his hand over her stomach.

  Michelle closed her eyes and whispered, “Maybe once or twice.”

  His hand continued caressing her stomach and rested on her hip. “You have such smooth, beautiful skin.”

  “Thank you.” She coughed. “So if I want to stop, we’ll use the word…”

  “Tyler,” he replied.

  “OK.” She bit her lip. “But if I want more, we’ll used the word…”

  “Tyler.” He repeated his name and winked at her.

  Michelle giggled. “So your name is synonymous with pleasure and pain?”

  Tyler’s hand drifted down to small patch of hair between her legs and he began to massage her there. “I assure you, you won’t be able to tell the difference.”

  * * *

  Tyler felt great when the alert on his cell phone woke him the next morning. Christmas Eve. Their time had flown by and he was sorry to see it end. It was time to get back to real life and there were things he needed to do. Where did they go from here?

  He could stay and find out or high tail it out of there. After watching her deep, even breathing for a few minutes, Tyler reluctantly crept out of the bedroom with his duffle bag. He put it down on the couch and turned up the volume on the television. The weather man said it was going to be in the forties today with a high chance of snow in the evening. It was time to go before the weather got too bad. He slipped on his coat and headed outside.

  He was half way past the garage when he heard her scream.

  “Tyler!”

  He turned and ran back to the house to find Michelle outside wearing her coat over her pajamas and her snow boots.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I thought you’d left.” She panted cold puffs into the air.

  “Do you think I’d leave you here all alone? It’s cold, let’s go back inside.” He took her arm and tried to lead her into the house but she pulled away.

  “No. You’ve bolted before. It’s only a matter of time before you do it again.”

  “I know I’ve done that in the past. A lot. But I just came out to get more firewood.” He pointed to the pile of wood he’d dropped high-tailing it back to the house.

  “I saw your bag on the couch.” She breathed.

  “I was looking for something.”

  “You are such a liar! We were making some progress and now you’re trying to sneak out again? What an immature jerk!”

  He shook his head. “If I’m all those things, why do you bother?”

  “Maybe I was just looking for a good time.” She pulled her hat out of her pocket and put it on.

  “Newsflash, Michelle. You don’t kidnap someone to have a no-strings weekend with them. What do you want?” He came closer to her.

  Michelle looked at him for a while then finally
said, “I want to go home. This was a huge mistake.”

  “You know what I think? I think you’re scared to do what you came here to do. You’re scared to ask the questions you said you were going to ask me on the first day, or maybe you’re scared to hear the answers.”

  “I don’t know why I thought I could ever get you to care about me. It’s stupid. You can’t force someone to care about you, let alone love you. Maybe I’ve been living in the shadow of Seth and Morgan’s romance, thinking something wonderful like that could happen to me too. And maybe you just happen to be the man that crossed my path as I was having that thought.” She shook her head.

  “I did come to Philly the last time I said I’d take you out, but I didn’t come into the bookstore. Instead, I stood across the street like a leering lunatic all afternoon.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “You were wearing a yellow blouse with deep scoop neck that shows off the necklace you said your mother bought you for your sixteenth birthday. You had your hair up in a bun but a lock of your hair kept falling out of it so you finally tucked it behind your ear. You were talking to Seth’s friend Derek. He’d been looking at you the entire time he was in the book store and he tried to ask you out before he left but you turned him down.”

  “How often do you come to town just to watch me?” Michelle started to cry.

  “More than I care to admit.” Tyler closed his eyes and touched her forehead with his.

  “That’s kind of disturbing.” She laughed through her tears.

  “I have something for you.” Tyler retrieved the bracelet from his jeans pocket, pushed up her sleeve and fastened it around her wrist. “The book charm is obvious because you love to read. The football charm is because you’re a die-hard Titans fan. The spoon is for the cooking you love to do. The boat, well you told me you liked going sailing so I thought perhaps we could go out on the water one day. The heart and the key…well they’re more symbolic. I can explain the rest to you in the house.”