Free Tangling With Ty by Jill Shalvis

that say do me or otherwise.”
    Ty did his best to stop staring as she turned her back on him to chew out Taylor, but as he caught a good sight of the rear view, he nearly swallowed his tongue. Now he could see why the stockings would have to be thigh high, the dress dipped so low he caught a peek-a-boo glimpse of her peach, silky-looking panties.
    Nicole, rough-and-tumble ready, tomboy, warrior of her world…and she wore peach silky panties. If that didn’t completely destroy him, he didn’t know what did.
    â€œI have got to get to work,” she grumbled, bending for her discarded clothes and showing more peach silk.
    Not that he was looking. Nope. Not looking—
    She caught him looking. With a furious glance that singed the hair right off his arms, she stalked by, giving him a quick scent of shampoo and clean, very angry woman.
    â€œHey, I thought you decided to cut back your hours,” Taylor called out to her. “So you don’t kill yourself before you hit the big three-oh.”
    â€œNo, you decided I should cut back my hours. I decided to stop trying to convince you I’m just fine.”
    â€œYou’re not fine.” Taylor stood beside a nodding Suzanne for unity. “You live and breathe that job, without time for anything or anyone else. It’s not right, Nicole. You’re hiding out from life. Tell her, Ty.”
    Nicole dared him to say a word with stormy eyes.
    He lifted his hands. “I don’t—”
    â€œOh, please.” Taylor pointed to Nicole’s face. “See those dark circles under her eyes? Lack of sleep.”
    Ty hadn’t slept well either, mostly from the memories of Nicole’s mouth on his, from the feel of her body beneath his hands, from the little needy sounds that had escaped her throat before they’d broken apart for air.
    Under the circumstances, with his own dark circles beneath his eyes, he didn’t really feel he had the right to say anything.
    â€œIf I want a mother, I’ll call mine,” Nicole said.
    â€œWhich reminds me, yours came by.” Taylor lifted a brow. “Checked me out. I must have passed muster, as she told me to make sure you get your sleep, eat your veggies and don’t take extra shifts at the hospital.”
    Ty lifted his own brow at Nicole’s impressive and colorful opinion of that. Then watched her very fine ass sashay to the door.
    â€œDon’t ruin that dress yanking it off,” Taylor told her. “And use a hanger!”
    The door slammed, and Taylor snickered.
    Suzanne sighed. “You shouldn’t have baited her that way.”
    â€œAre you kidding? If I didn’t, she’d never have put the dress on, much less agreed to wear it. And she really does need to eat more veggies, you said so yourself.”
    â€œShe didn’t agree to wear the dress,” Suzanne said.
    â€œOh, she’ll wear it.” Taylor tossed them both a positive smile. “She’ll wear it with bells on.”
    Ty was just thankful he wouldn’t have to see it. In fact, he was still thanking his lucky stars when Suzanne turned to him and said, “You’ll be invited to the engagement party, of course.”
    â€œMe?” Panic was a taste he hadn’t eaten in a good long time.
    â€œYeah. I think you’re going to be around a while.” Suzanne gave him a little smile.
    Oh, boy. There were matchmaking plans in those eyes. Unintentionally, he backed up, making both women laugh.
    â€œDon’t tell me a man who wears clothes as well as you do has an aversion to dressing up like Nicole’s?” Taylor said.
    â€œNo, but I do have an aversion to being set up.”
    â€œSet up?” Taylor cocked her head to the side. “Most men would be drooling to go out with a woman who looked the way Nicole just did.”
    â€œNot me. I get my own women, thank you. Didn’t you want to show me your contractor bids? You wanted my