Page 42
Story: Ms. Temptation
“Phew. That man. Great ass.”
Busted. Shelly might be a mind reader after all. She jabbed me with her bony elbow. “I can’t wait to hear what he picks. He looks like he can sell it.”
I scribbled down the first song I believed I could pull off. I needed a win. Something about Ty’s swagger had me worried I’d bitten off more than I could handle with our challenge.
Sam took the stage for a rousing rendition of “Firework” by Katy Perry, and then the grizzled attendant called Ty up. Sam slapped him on the back as he handed over the microphone, and I pressed my thighs together when Ty grinned across the crowd at me, his dark eyes sparkling.
I laughed as I recognized the opening beats and Ty started swinging his hips. He belted out the lyrics to “The Man” by The Killers with soul.
I covered my mouth to hold back my laugh. He wasterrible.Awful. It was such a high-pitched song for his voice and his attempts at a falsetto made me feel much better about my musical talents. But Ty’s moves sold it to the crowd. He swiveled his hips and strutted around the stage like he didn’t suck, clearly loving every minute.
I had no idea he was such a ham. Competitive Ty, I’d become familiar with. Grumpy Ty, sure. Even sweet and caring Ty didn’t take me by surprise any longer. But I’d never seen him goofy and relaxed.
And as he finished the last lyric about being the man, I knew it was true. He wastheman. For me.
My heart raced, and I fought to control my breathing. Shelly was too alert to my interest in Ty, and I didn’t need her blurting out my feelings for him before I could.
I was falling for Ty Sheldon.
Too fast and yet still so slow, given how long we’d known each other. Tonight’s performance, the revelation of his silly side, only made me more eager to keep learning about him, peeling back the layers.
I stood and wolf whistled as he finished with a flourish and a bow, grinning like a maniac. I couldn’t help myself; I threw my arms around him in a tight hug as he reached his seat.
“That was fantastic,” I crowed.
Ty wiggled his brows at me. “I can’t wait to see what you do.”
He’d been ridiculously bad, and it bolstered my courage.
“You’re on.”
My legs were wobbly as I made my way to the stage to drop off my pick. It’s not every day you decide you’ve met the man you want to love.
All the wishes in the world couldn’t make him love me in return if it wasn’t how he felt. But there was hope. A chance to make things work with Ty. And I’d take it.
The DJ collected my paper with a nod while another juror, Angie, belted out “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson. A forty-something mother of two, she sang with soul, and I couldn’t help but be impressed.
Our group gave her a supportive round of applause as she finished, and the DJ called my name. I gave Shelly, Sam, and Ty a nervous smile, covering the certainty that I’d make an absolute ass of myself. Pushing my shoulders back, I strode to the stage, taking the mic with a smile.
“Whatever It Takes” by Imagine Dragons flooded the speakers, and I took a deep breath before bringing my voice into play. Maybe I didn’t have Ty’s swagger, but I did my best approximation. And I felt those first few words down to mysoul. Falling too fast.
Tongue-tied by the fast wording, I lost my place more than once, but our group pitched in to help me out and I was able to laugh off the mistakes, focusing on belting out the chorus. Maybe it hadn’t been a world-class rendition, but I’d overcome my nerves and had fun. That in itself was a victory. That rush carried me back to my seat, grinning as our fellow jurors applauded my performance.
Ty doffed an imaginary hat to me as I regained my seat, and the warmth of his approval washed through me. It may have started as a bet, but in this little game between us, there were no losers, only respect.
We continued to take turns assaulting the airwaves, and Ty scooched his chair closer and closer as the evening wore on. Aware of every inch of his big body next to mine, adrenaline sparked in my bloodstream. How much trouble would we be in if we snuck back to one of our rooms? Looking around at the assembled faces, expressions relaxed and good-natured, I had a feeling they’d turn if we tried to leave. It was all fun and games until someone screwed with the trial that had taken center stage in our lives.
A faint touch traced along my thigh beneath the table, and I cast a startled glance at Ty.
If that wasn’t him, someone had some ‘splaining to do.
He tilted his head, as if asking permission, and in answer, I covered my hand with his. Briefly, I debated returning it to his own lap, but the rush of knowing he wanted me and the possibility of discovery, stalled me. How far would he go?
I stroked a finger down his hand, releasing it while staring steadily into his face, challenging him. He smiled with his eyes, no doubt trying to hide our flirtation from the others at our table and slowly traced a pattern along my thigh as the last strains of “Summer Nights” faded.
Every soft caress sent new tingles radiating along my thighs. Pretty soon, I wouldn’t be able to hide that I was squirming with desire. But maybe two could play his game. I reached a hand over to Ty’s thigh, glad we were sitting close. His warm heat bled through the soft fabric of his pants, and the firm muscles beneath my fingers flexed as the DJ called another song.
“Ty, honey. It’s your turn again,” Shelly urged.
Busted. Shelly might be a mind reader after all. She jabbed me with her bony elbow. “I can’t wait to hear what he picks. He looks like he can sell it.”
I scribbled down the first song I believed I could pull off. I needed a win. Something about Ty’s swagger had me worried I’d bitten off more than I could handle with our challenge.
Sam took the stage for a rousing rendition of “Firework” by Katy Perry, and then the grizzled attendant called Ty up. Sam slapped him on the back as he handed over the microphone, and I pressed my thighs together when Ty grinned across the crowd at me, his dark eyes sparkling.
I laughed as I recognized the opening beats and Ty started swinging his hips. He belted out the lyrics to “The Man” by The Killers with soul.
I covered my mouth to hold back my laugh. He wasterrible.Awful. It was such a high-pitched song for his voice and his attempts at a falsetto made me feel much better about my musical talents. But Ty’s moves sold it to the crowd. He swiveled his hips and strutted around the stage like he didn’t suck, clearly loving every minute.
I had no idea he was such a ham. Competitive Ty, I’d become familiar with. Grumpy Ty, sure. Even sweet and caring Ty didn’t take me by surprise any longer. But I’d never seen him goofy and relaxed.
And as he finished the last lyric about being the man, I knew it was true. He wastheman. For me.
My heart raced, and I fought to control my breathing. Shelly was too alert to my interest in Ty, and I didn’t need her blurting out my feelings for him before I could.
I was falling for Ty Sheldon.
Too fast and yet still so slow, given how long we’d known each other. Tonight’s performance, the revelation of his silly side, only made me more eager to keep learning about him, peeling back the layers.
I stood and wolf whistled as he finished with a flourish and a bow, grinning like a maniac. I couldn’t help myself; I threw my arms around him in a tight hug as he reached his seat.
“That was fantastic,” I crowed.
Ty wiggled his brows at me. “I can’t wait to see what you do.”
He’d been ridiculously bad, and it bolstered my courage.
“You’re on.”
My legs were wobbly as I made my way to the stage to drop off my pick. It’s not every day you decide you’ve met the man you want to love.
All the wishes in the world couldn’t make him love me in return if it wasn’t how he felt. But there was hope. A chance to make things work with Ty. And I’d take it.
The DJ collected my paper with a nod while another juror, Angie, belted out “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson. A forty-something mother of two, she sang with soul, and I couldn’t help but be impressed.
Our group gave her a supportive round of applause as she finished, and the DJ called my name. I gave Shelly, Sam, and Ty a nervous smile, covering the certainty that I’d make an absolute ass of myself. Pushing my shoulders back, I strode to the stage, taking the mic with a smile.
“Whatever It Takes” by Imagine Dragons flooded the speakers, and I took a deep breath before bringing my voice into play. Maybe I didn’t have Ty’s swagger, but I did my best approximation. And I felt those first few words down to mysoul. Falling too fast.
Tongue-tied by the fast wording, I lost my place more than once, but our group pitched in to help me out and I was able to laugh off the mistakes, focusing on belting out the chorus. Maybe it hadn’t been a world-class rendition, but I’d overcome my nerves and had fun. That in itself was a victory. That rush carried me back to my seat, grinning as our fellow jurors applauded my performance.
Ty doffed an imaginary hat to me as I regained my seat, and the warmth of his approval washed through me. It may have started as a bet, but in this little game between us, there were no losers, only respect.
We continued to take turns assaulting the airwaves, and Ty scooched his chair closer and closer as the evening wore on. Aware of every inch of his big body next to mine, adrenaline sparked in my bloodstream. How much trouble would we be in if we snuck back to one of our rooms? Looking around at the assembled faces, expressions relaxed and good-natured, I had a feeling they’d turn if we tried to leave. It was all fun and games until someone screwed with the trial that had taken center stage in our lives.
A faint touch traced along my thigh beneath the table, and I cast a startled glance at Ty.
If that wasn’t him, someone had some ‘splaining to do.
He tilted his head, as if asking permission, and in answer, I covered my hand with his. Briefly, I debated returning it to his own lap, but the rush of knowing he wanted me and the possibility of discovery, stalled me. How far would he go?
I stroked a finger down his hand, releasing it while staring steadily into his face, challenging him. He smiled with his eyes, no doubt trying to hide our flirtation from the others at our table and slowly traced a pattern along my thigh as the last strains of “Summer Nights” faded.
Every soft caress sent new tingles radiating along my thighs. Pretty soon, I wouldn’t be able to hide that I was squirming with desire. But maybe two could play his game. I reached a hand over to Ty’s thigh, glad we were sitting close. His warm heat bled through the soft fabric of his pants, and the firm muscles beneath my fingers flexed as the DJ called another song.
“Ty, honey. It’s your turn again,” Shelly urged.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80