Perfect Together by Carly Phillips

last.” But he had been the catalyst that made her realize what she had with Tyler wasn’t enough. Still, why tell him and dig at his pride?
    Tyler ran his hand through his closely cropped hair. “I’m not going anywhere, you know. I’m staying until you come to your senses.”
    Nicole stiffened. Such extreme behavior was not Tyler’s normal MO, and now she had to wonder—again—whether there was more to him being here. What did he know? Was he aware of his father’s activities, and on what side of theillegality did he fall? She knew what her heart told her, but she couldn’t risk her safety by mentioning she knew his firm was money laundering. What if he suddenly turned on her, or, worse, called in the Russian mob to handle her if he couldn’t?
    “I don’t . . . You can’t . . . What?! Why would you stick around?” Nicole finally sputtered.
    Completely unruffled, he replied, “Because we belong together.” He reached across the table in an attempt to place his hand over hers, but she was quick enough to shift her shaking hands to her lap.
    His eyes flickered with disappointment.
    “I’m happy here,” she told him.
    He raised an eyebrow in an arrogant expression she knew well. Tyler was many things—a gentleman, yes, but also occasionally entitled. “We’ll see.”
    She shook her head. “I’m going to go about my life,” she warned him. And that meant seeing Sam.
    “You do that. And I’ll be here to remind you of everything you left behind.”
    Why? Because he thought they were such a love match? This determined behavior in the face of her rejection was so unlike him, she believed to the depths of her soul there was more going on than he was saying.
    “Go home,” she tried once more.
    He shook his head and pinned her with a steady, certain,
determined
glare. “I’m not going anywhere without you. There’s too much at stake.”
    The morning crowd kept Macy busy after her friends left, but not so busy that she didn’t notice that Tyler remainedbehind for a while, obviously thinking over what had transpired between him and Nicole. Nicole, she’d noticed, had looked for Sam when she left, and had been disappointed to find him already gone.
    What a tangled mess, Macy thought. Something the likes of which Serendipity hadn’t seen since . . . well, since Jenna left Sam at the altar for Brett, his best friend. Sam had had a rough time then. He’d been so humiliated and embarrassed, and everyone in town had gossiped about it for months. She shook her head, glad Sam was on the winning side of things this time around.
    The rest of the day passed quickly, but Macy was embarrassed to admit she’d thought of Tyler Stanton more than a few times. He wasn’t her usual type, too buttoned up for Serendipity, but that didn’t seem to matter when he was so darned sexy. She sighed, wondering how many boundaries she’d be crossing by flirting with him. Just a little. Nicole was happily involved with Sam—or wanted to be—so what could it hurt?
    She was pondering that very question around five P.M., knowing she could leave soon to head home and change before the seven P.M. softball game.
    Tonight the cops were playing the firemen.
Hot
didn’t begin to describe the field, she thought with a wry grin. Too bad she’d known all these guys since they were boys, dated a few, and was interested in none. She lifted her gaze at the same moment
he
strode into the restaurant.
    “Hello, Ms. Donovan.”
    “Macy,” she reminded him. “And we’ve got to stop meeting like this.”
    He shook his head, obviously unsure what to make of her. Which was fine. Many had that initial reaction. She saidwhat she thought, joked even if only she understood, and tried to enjoy life.
    “I’d like a seat. Counter or a table is fine,” he said.
    “Take your pick.” She gestured to the line of empty booths.
    He chose the first table closest to the hostess stand, and she eyed him with pure female appreciation as he took the few