Nicola Marsh - Purchased For Pleasure

NIGHTS OF PASSION

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EPILOGUE

THE minute Kate Hayden saw Tyler James again, her world turned upside down.

Okay, maybe nothing quite so dramatic, but it sure seemed as if her axis tilted way off kilter as the gut-wrenching desire that had been a feature of their brief relationship eons ago was back, overwhelming in its intensity.

It had been six, long years since she’d last seen him so why were her hormones going haywire at the sight of him now?

She’d gotten over him a long time ago.

She’d prepared for this.

She’d psyched herself up for weeks ever since she’d seen his name on the list of ‘Odd Bods’, the rather quaint name given to the charity man auction the magazine was sponsoring, and known she had to see him.

So she was curious? No big deal. She’d been nosy her whole life and the trait served her well in her job, giving her a head-start on the next big story, helping her make a name for herself.

But this insatiable curiosity about Ty was different and she’d known it the minute her tummy had tingled at the sight of his name on the auction list.

This wasn’t just the natural curiosity of an investigative journalist. Uh-uh.

This was the intense burning curiosity of a woman who’d walked away from the best thing that had ever happened to her.

First loves weren’t supposed to last and she’d moved on a long time ago, but somehow seeing his name on that list had brought back a rush of memories, all good, and she had to see him.

She’d hoped he’d be shrunken and balding and his muscles had wasted away. Although where would the fun be in that?

She sipped her champagne, hoping the bubbly liquid would ease the sudden dryness of her throat as the guy she’d once thought she’d spend the rest of her life with strutted across the stage.

Oh, my.

The champagne momentarily soothed her thirst but it did nothing for her erratic pulse, which skipped all over the place at the sight of the sexiest guy she’d ever met standing on display to a room full of women as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

Ty looked incredible, far hotter than she remembered—and she remembered a lot! If anything, the years had enhanced his rugged good looks. Fine lines radiated from the corners of his blue eyes doing little to detract from the tanned, hard planes of his face, his high cheekbones hinting at arrogance. Rich brown hair streaked blond by the sun, cut in the traditional short-back-and-sides he favoured. And those finely shaped lips…

Oh, yeah, she remembered those lips all too well, seducing her with their skill, giving pleasure, wreaking havoc.

The memories still lingered, imprinted on her brain, branded there, utterly indelible. She’d deliberately blocked them over the years, concentrating on her career, trying to build a life for herself in a new country.

Leaving Sydney for LA had been a huge decision for a twenty-one-year-old. But meeting Ty shortly after she landed in the US had made that transition a lot less scary; in fact the guy had lit her world back then.

Squirming in her chair, she took another sip of champagne. This wasn’t the time to get caught up in memories of Ty. She had to focus her attention for the next ten minutes, at least till she’d given her speech. Senior editors needed to be cool and poised, not hot and bothered while practically drooling over an old flame.

‘So, without further ado, ladies, I present our last Odd Bod for the evening. Though from where I’m standing there’s nothing odd about this particular bod!’

A soft twittering swept the room as all eyes turned to the stage. Kelly Adams, the glam local TV station presenter, gestured to the man on her right as she continued her spiel.

‘I know you’ll like what you see, ladies. Tyler James is a Navy SEAL instructor. By the way, SEAL stands for Sea, Air and Land, for those of you who don’t know, and they’re an amazing bunch of Special Forces guys. Tyler stands at six feet four with muscles to die for, has amazing blue eyes, is equipped to handle anything and likes to take charge!’

Catcalls and whistles filled the air while the man in question squared his broad shoulders and grinned, not in the least embarrassed.

‘So, what am I bid for Tyler? Come on, ladies, dig deep. The Ramirez Orphanage is a good cause that needs your help to stay open. Besides, who wouldn’t want this man doing their odd jobs for the next week? Perhaps a spot of gardening? Car washing? Cooking? Housework? Your call, ladies. I’d bid myself though I think my husband would have something to say about it. Who’ll start the bidding?’

As Kelly’s announcement sank in Kate pondered his change in career. Ty had become an instructor? When they’d first met he’d been a proud SEAL, resplendent in his uniform and bristling with macho ideals. No behind-the-scenes action for that guy. He’d been committed and passionate with a genuine love for his career. Why the change of heart?

She stared at the man on stage, questions swirling through her head.

Why hadn’t they given it a go?

Had chasing their careers rather than following their hearts been worth it?

Had growing up changed them?

Needing a distraction from her futile questions, she glanced around the table and noticed every woman’s attention riveted to the stage. Not that she could blame them, considering what was on show up there.

They were a great bunch of girls to work with, all highly talented in their own right: journalists, editors and photographers. Diane, her personal assistant, had organised this gathering in support of the magazine’s sponsorship of the orphanage. In fact, Di had been in charge of choosing this year’s worthy cause and had taken care of every detail and all she’d had to do was turn up.

As if sensing her gaze, Di turned towards her.

‘Why don’t you put in a bid, Kate? About time you had some excitement in your life.’

Excitement? Her? No way. Been there, done that and still had the SEAL scars to prove it.

To her mortification, the rest of the girls turned to look at her so she schooled her features into her best ‘I’m too busy to have fun’ look.

‘Sorry to disappoint, everyone. No time for excitement. What would I do with an Odd Bod anyway?’

Though her voice remained steady the idea of Ty trailing after her for a week did strange things to her insides.

Things she shouldn’t be feeling…or remembering…

‘My point exactly,’ Di smirked. ‘If you don’t know what to do with a total hunk like that you need more help than I first thought. Why don’t you live a little and show us you’re human after all?’

The rest of the table joined in, goading her into bidding and she shook her head, chuckling at their enthusiasm.

So Di had a point. She did bury her life in her work, determined to show that effort and dedication were the keys to success. However, being a workaholic had its downside and she hadn’t had any fun in ages. She’d been fun and impulsive once, and she was too young to be living the sensible ‘all work no play’ life. Maybe a brief catch-up off-stage with an old ‘friend’ could be an antidote to that?

What harm could placing a bid do? It wasn’t as if she’d be the only one. Just one look at Ty and every woman in the room would be reaching for their cheque books.