In Forbidden Territory. Shawna Delacorte

“I happen to like pizza and I like movies. That sounds like a perfect evening’s activity to me.”

      And it was a perfect evening. Angie picked out a movie for them to see and afterward they went to a local pizza parlor. It was close to midnight when Ty pulled into Mac’s driveway, then walked Angie to the door. He took her hand in his as he leaned against the wall next to the front door.

      “Thank you for joining me tonight. I really enjoyed it.” He suddenly felt like a teenager who was not sure how to go about ending a date. Should he try to kiss her again? Had it been a mistake to have kissed her the first time? Should he just leave? It had been a long time since he had been so unsure of himself. His dates usually ended in bed, but he knew that tonight would not be the usual. Tonight would be different, tonight he was with a very special lady.

      “It was my pleasure. I enjoyed it, too. Would you like to come in for a few minutes?”

      A quick rush of anticipation darted through his body. He stared at the closed front door for a moment, turning her question over in his mind. What was she expecting? Was he reading something into her invitation that wasn’t there? Was Mac home? So far it had been a stress-free evening without the pressure of trying to impress anyone—just the comfortable situation of two people enjoying each other’s company without the underlying layer of jockeying for control and pursuing ulterior motives.

      He was very unhappy with the internal battle over which he seemed to have no control. He tried to gather his determination and regain the upper hand over his emotions. If her ability to kiss was any indication, Angie was definitely a woman who had not spent her life cloistered away from social situations or men.

      She knew the score and had spent time out there in the real world of men and women despite what her brother preferred to believe. But that did not negate the fact that she was totally different from the women he usually dated. Maybe it was true that she knew the score, but there was no way she promiscuously slept around. She would be selective and when she did take that step it would be because it meant something special to her. A little shiver of anxiety told him she was definitely not the type he was accustomed to.

      And then there was her brother. He had a responsibility to Mac that couldn’t be ignored. The uncertainty ran rampant inside him, creating havoc and indecision, something that did not normally cross his life.

      “Ty?” Her words interrupted his wayward thoughts as she repeated her invitation. “Would you like to come in and have a glass of wine?”

      He searched her face and looked into her eyes. She was all fresh enthusiasm, trusting honesty and an underlying sensuality that had been driving him crazy from the moment he had encountered the adult version of the young girl he had met fourteen years ago. She was just the type who could sneak up on a man and have him fall head over heels in love with her before he knew it. Her type of woman was more dangerous than any predator—two-legged or four-legged.

      As much as he wanted to ignore the realization and avoid the obvious, he knew she scared the socks off him. He also instinctively knew that he would never be able to walk away from her without returning. But as far as tonight was concerned…

      The tremor of anxiety assaulted his senses again. “Well…uh, I think it would be best if I leave.” It was the last thing he wanted to do. “I know Mac has been working long hours and I don’t want to disturb his much-needed sleep.” He may have been able to decline her invitation, but he could not stop himself from leaning his face into hers. But just as he was about to press his mouth to her lips, the front door swung open to reveal an irritated Mac dressed only in his pajama bottoms.

      A startled Angie quickly stepped back, putting some distance between herself and the much-anticipated kiss Ty had started to initiate. She finally found her voice. “Mac…I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to wake you.”

      Mac’s gaze darted from Angie to Ty as he pointed to the wall where Ty had his arm and shoulder pressed against the wood siding. Mac’s words held a caustic edge to them. “It was a little difficult to sleep with someone leaning on the doorbell.”

      Ty quickly straightened up, a guilty and embarrassed expression registering on his features. “I didn’t realize it. Sorry about that.” He glanced at Angie, gave her an apologetic smile and turned back to Mac. “I was just leaving. I’ll see you in the morning.”

      Ty waited until Mac went back inside the house, then again turned his attention to Angie. His voice became soft, matching his warm smile. “Thank you for spending the evening with me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

      Angie watched as Ty returned to his car, backed out of the driveway and drove down the street. She went inside the house and closed the door.

      She turned a questioning look toward her brother who had not gone back to his bedroom. She noted his nervousness and awkward mannerisms. “What is it, Mac? What’s bothering you?”

      “I’m not trying to pry into your life—”

      “Uh-oh…here comes the but.” Angie cocked her head and leveled a steady gaze at him. She made an unsuccessful attempt to suppress the teasing grin that flirted with the corners of her mouth. “But, what? What is it you want to say that really isn’t prying into my personal life?”

      He ran his fingers through his sandy-brown hair, then shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “It’s…uh…it’s nothing really. I just, well, I just wanted to say a couple of words about Ty.” He cleared his throat, a nervous mannerism she had associated with her brother for as long as she could remember.

      Mac tried again to say what was on his mind. “Ty has a certain reputation where women are concerned.” He glanced away for a moment, as if trying to gather his thoughts. “It’s not that he’s really a womanizer in the true sense of the word. He isn’t a love-’em-and-leave-’em type, but he does seem to always be dating someone new and never settles down. He’s the type of man who has had lots of experience with lots of women.” He managed to hold eye contact with her in spite of his obvious embarrassment over the subject. “He’s the type of man you haven’t had any experience with.”

      He gave her a brotherly hug. “I just want you to be on your toes and not be taken in by his charm and smooth lines.”

      “Are you trying to say that Ty would make improper advances toward me and refuse to take no for an answer?”

      “No, that’s not what I’m saying,” he said, a frown of concern wrinkling his forehead, “not exactly. It’s just that Ty travels in the fast lane. What is commonplace for him is way out of your realm of experience. I’m worried about you being able to handle what might be an…uh…well, an awkward situation.”

      She could see her brother’s discomfort in trying to deal with the topic in a dispassionate way. She also saw his deep and sincere concern. Her spontaneous laugh filled the living room. “Do I need to remind you that I grew up with five brothers and learned how to take care of myself around a bunch of unruly guys?”

      “Okay.” He returned her smile. “Enough said.” He gave her a kiss on the forehead and returned to his bedroom.

      Angie hurried down the hall toward the guest room where she was staying. She didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed by Mac’s attempt to protect her. She had almost asked him if he really thought she was still a virgin, but decided against it. She didn’t want to totally shock his sensibilities where his kid sister was concerned. However, his words about Ty’s antics with lots of women did not escape her attention.

      Thoughts of Ty flooded her mind, sensual thoughts that seemed to come from nowhere and insisted on lingering in her consciousness. She felt confident she could get him to help her convince Mac that he needed to hire her, but using her feminine wiles to manipulate a man was not part of her nature and certainly not the way she wanted to approach this problem. A quick stab of guilt poked at her, touching on her deeply buried insecurities. She was not a deceptive person, nor was she dishonest.

      So why was this guilty feeling jabbing at her? She was not using Ty. She would never