Knowing the work he did allowed her imagination to run riot with dozens of horrific scenarios, all of which resulted in him getting hurt.
That no one would think she needed to know if he was didn’t exactly help.
Reaching for an assortment of mismatched gold bangles to accompany the chunky squares dangling from her ears, she stood up, pushed her feet into a pair of waiting Jimmy Choo’s and stepped over to the full-length mirror for a final inspection. The fashion police would be out in force on the red carpet but, for the first time since they’d started tearing apart everything she wore, she didn’t care what they said. So long as the short shift of cap-sleeved emerald-green material overlaid with fine black lace got Tyler’s attention nothing else mattered.
The flutter of tiny wings tickled the inside of her stomach with anticipation as she lifted her purse from the end of the bed and crossed the room. It wasn’t a date they were going on but it felt like one.
He was effortlessly taking the stairs two at a time when she walked down the hall, his gaze lifting to tangle with hers. As always, her breath caught. Now it really did feel like a date. He wasn’t wearing a suit. Instead his long legs were encased in black jeans and he’d layered the top half of his body with a dark sports jacket worn over a V-necked sweater with a white T-shirt underneath.
They met at the top of the stairs, his gaze slowly caressing her from head to toe before he quirked his brows and rewarded her efforts with, ‘Wow.’
A smile blossomed on her lips. ‘Exactly the response I was aiming for.’ She angled her chin. ‘Are both your suits at the dry cleaner’s?’
‘I heard bodyguards were supposed to blend in at these things. And for the record, I have more than two suits.’
‘Are they all navy and black?’ She resisted the urge to reach out and brush her fingertips over the lapels of his jacket while they were under the scrutiny of the security cameras. ‘Now that I think about it, do you even have any colour in your wardrobe?’
To her delight he looked amused. ‘You gonna start dressing me now?’
Au contraire; while he looked as mouth-wateringly good as he did, she was much more interested in undressing him.
When he read the message in her eyes he shook his head and inclined it towards the stairs. ‘Let’s go, princess.’ They were halfway down before he lowered his voice to ask, ‘You’re wearing underwear under this one, right?’
‘Only one way you’re going to find out,’ she replied in an equally intimate tone. ‘And did I mention this is supposed to be kiss-proof lipstick? We might need to conduct a consumer test later.’
As they stepped onto the foyer the weight of a large hand on the inward curve of her spine drew a sharp breath through her lips. She could feel each long finger, her body aching in all the places she wanted him to touch. Then the door to the vestibule opened, her father appeared and Tyler’s hand dropped a split second before he took a noticeable step back.
She hated that he had to do that.
‘I thought you were speaking at a dinner this evening,’ Miranda said to her father with a smile.
‘Came back to get your mother,’ her father replied. ‘Where are you off to?’
‘Movie premiere in Times Square. I’m afraid Detective Brannigan will have to suffer his way through a rom-com.’
Her father leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. ‘Have fun, sweetheart.’
‘You, too.’
He nodded at Tyler. ‘Detective.’
‘Sir.’ Tyler nodded in reply.
They continued across the foyer and into the vestibule as her father made his way upstairs. When Miranda used one of the tricks she’d learnt and slowed her pace so Tyler would touch her again the outer door opened and Lou Mitchell walked in.
‘Miranda.’ He smiled.
‘Good evening, Lou. How’s the family?’
‘Great, thanks.’ He looked at Tyler. ‘How’d you get on this afternoon?’
‘Might have something,’ Tyler replied. ‘I’ll talk to you tomorrow.’
Miranda lowered her voice as they stepped outside. ‘This place is like Grand Central.’
‘Yeah, I’d noticed that. But at least we’ll get some peace and quiet in Times Square.’
The combination of dry humour and the thought he might be as frustrated by the lack of privacy as she was made her smile. ‘What were you doing this afternoon?’
‘That’s on a need-to-know basis.’ He stopped at the front of the SUV. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’
‘I