He’d enjoyed the evening more than he would have believed possible.
He’d found her incredibly intriguing and, yes, he’d admit it, he found her sexy as hell.
But that didn’t mean he had any intention of seeing Eleanor outside the hospital. Something told him she wouldn’t be a love-’em-and-leave-’em-smiling kind of experience.
He didn’t do any other. Which meant he should sta
y away from the good doctor. Which was why he hadn’t made any move on her at the end of the evening, despite the fact that he’d wanted to kiss her repeatedly. Hell, he’d wanted to do a lot more than kiss her.
But he’d settled for a goodbye hug and he’d gone home alone.
The senator had nothing to worry about.
The elevator ride to the penthouse of one of Manhattan’s most prestigious apartment complexes overlooking Central Park was an experience in and of itself. Ty had to smile at the seat along one wall and wondered if he was wicked for thinking of all the fun ways that seat could be used by him and …
He stopped, realizing that rather than some random hot babe popping into his head, the woman making use of that seat with him was Eleanor.
Which shocked him. Hadn’t he just reminded himself that she wasn’t his type?
Senator Cole Aston’s daughter.
How had Eleanor ended up shy, sweet, compassionate and hardworking when she’d grown up in the lap of such luxury?
Then again, thinking about what he knew of Cole Aston, perhaps Eleanor’s childhood had been more hellish than his own.
Which wasn’t exactly fair, because his childhood hadn’t been bad. Not really. It hadn’t been until he’d gotten older, known his life was going in a different direction than his family envisioned that the problems had started with his father. The rest of his family was … things he wasn’t going to think about. Not right now when he was about to get his butt chewed for latching on to Eleanor the night before.
The Aston penthouse suite was something straight out of a magazine on luxury living. The fancy living quarters probably had been featured in a magazine. Several of them. Ty almost felt as if he should take his shoes off before stepping onto the shiny hardwood floors.
Following a well-dressed woman who’d introduced herself as the head housekeeper, he entered a large room containing a long mahogany table, with Senator Aston sitting at the head and Eleanor to his right. Fresh flowers adorned the elaborately set table.
The bright red splash of color that infused Eleanor’s cheeks and the quick way she averted her gaze told him she hadn’t been behind his summons.
Perhaps she didn’t even want him here.
Was that disappointment shooting through him?
No way. He hadn’t really thought Eleanor had sent for him. He hadn’t even expected her to be here as she’d told him the night before that she lived in an apartment of her own. Ty had known it was her father planning to whip out the shotgun and tell him to keep his good-ole-boy hands off his precious daughter.
No worries. He’d already decided to do that.
“Glad you could make it, Dr. Donaldson.” The senator stuck out his hand and Ty shook it firmly. “Have a seat. Next to Eleanor, of course.”
Senator Aston had a future in acting should he ever opt out of politics because no way was that welcoming tone real. Had he really just invited Ty to sit next to Eleanor?
Wondering what he’d gotten himself into, he sat.
“Can we get you some breakfast, son?”
Son? What the …?
“No, thank you, sir. I’ve already eaten.”
“Coffee, tea, juice?”
What was with the host with the most?
Eleanor was now shooting daggers at her father.