“Kat, really? Language, please,” Mom huffs, making me sigh out loud.
Now I have to solve this shit again. Why the hell would she give him my address? Goddammit, she’s so gullible sometimes. Always trusting the wrong people … just like me.
I quickly sift through my purse, looking for the phone, but it’s not here.
“Where is it?” I ask her.
“What?”
“The phone!”
I know I’m yelling, but I need to call him before he gets here.
“It’s on the kitchen counter,” she replies.
I run like my ass is on fire, grabbing the thing to immediately dial his number.
But it’s too late … because my doorbell rings at the same time the telephone is beeping.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“Oh, food’s here!” Mom casually says, getting up from the couch with a smile on her face. “About time.”
I’m stunned. Completely in shock as the doorbell rings again and my mom walks over to it like she owns the place. “You grab the plates, honey,” she says. “I’ll let him in.”
“No, don’t!” I say in a last-ditch effort.
But it’s too late. She’s already opened the door.
Declan’s standing right there with two bags in one hand and his phone pressed against his ear in the other. And when he opens his mouth to speak, I can hear it on the other end of the line, echoing through my own phone.
“Hi, KittyKat.”
Fuck.
Chapter 22
Declan
I slowly lower the phone in my hand when she does too, tucking it into my pocket. The twitching on her face makes me grin like a motherfucker. I’d say she’s angry, but that’s probably an understatement.
“Hi there,” I say to her mother to defuse the situation. “You must be her sister, right?”
Her mom chuckles as her cheeks glow rosy. “Oh, nonsense. You know I’m her mother.” We shake hands. “I’m Meredith.”
“Nice to meet you, Meredith. Name’s Declan Porter.”
Meanwhile, Kat looks like she’s about to turn into an exploding volcano.
So I hold up the bag filled with Chinese takeout as a peace offering. “Hungry?”
“Mom, close the door,” Kat says through gritted teeth.
“Why would I do that?” her mom says. “He brought us food. That’s more than you’ve done today.”
I snort, trying to hide the laughter in my sleeve. Why do I have the feeling they don’t get along very well?
Kat winces as she marches toward me. “Mom, let me talk with him, please.”
As her mom steps aside, she clutches the door and holds it tight. “What are you doing here?”
“Bringing food to hungry people, what else?” I muse, shoving one of the bags into her hand. “And your clothes.”
She blinks a couple of times. “What—”
“The ones you left at the hotel. From the event,” I interrupt. I wink, which makes her eyes twitch in annoyance.
“Stop. Just stop,” she says, throwing the clothing bag in a corner of the room. “All this?” She points at me and the bags. “I see right through this.”
“Great. Do you like what you see, or should I have bought some more stir-fry?” I jest while holding up the Chinese. It’s hard not to when she’s looking at me with those vulture eyes. It makes me want to push her buttons to see how far she’d let me go before she explodes.
“You know what I mean,” she hisses. “You think you’re clever? Figuring out where I live by calling my place and having my mom pick up?”
“Hey, that’s not my fault,” I say, raising my hands. “I only passed on the message.”
“No, you lied,” she whispers.
“Did I?” I show her the bag again. “I have food, just as promised.”
“What are you even trying to do?” she asks, putting her hand against her side.
“Nothing. I’m just here to make peace,” I say, licking my lips. She definitely reacts to that because her eyes follow my tongue.
Fuck, I love it when she does that.
“For what?” she asks. “You were pretty clear last time.”
“Because I know I was an ass,” I say, shrugging. “I admit it.”
“You’re always an ass,” she retorts.
“Kat!” her mother shouts from the living room. “I heard that.”
“I deserve that,” I reply.
“Just let the gentleman in already. He’s your … friend, right?”
The way her mom says the word friend like it’s some special status only important men get makes me snort, and Kat immediately retaliates by slapping my arm. “Stop doing that!”
“Stop what?”
“Stop pretending we’re some kind of happy couple or some shit for my mother. We’re not,” she mutters under her breath.
“I never said we were,” I say. “I’m just here to bring food. That’s it.”
“Great, then can we eat already?” her mom hollers.
“Gladly. If you’ll let me in,” I say, gazing directly into Kat’s eyes.
She rubs her lips together a few times, mulling it over while staring at me intently.
“Food’s getting cold,” I whisper.
She sighs out loud, on purpose, probably to let me know how badly I fucked up again, but this time, I did it on purpose. I knew there was no other way to get her to talk to me than to find out where she lived and just come over.
At first, I was going to track her down online using the number, but when I called and her mom picked up, it was the perfect excuse to find out more.
Am I a stalker? Maybe. But so is she, considering all the things she did to find me, so I call this an eye for an eye. Besides, I’m not here to act like an asshole again. I’ve learned that doesn’t get me far with her.
And I don’t want to give her up just yet.
“So are you going to let me in?” I ask, cocking my head while holding the bag up.
“Ugh, fine.” She opens the door wide. “But”—she places a finger on my chest, stopping me halfway through the door—“don’t tell my mom anything about any of the shit we’ve done.”
“All right,” I say. “Wasn’t even contemplating it.”
“And take off your shoes,” she says, gazing down at them.
It takes me three seconds to kick them off. “Anything else, milady?”
“Don’t call me that,” she hisses, almost like a real kitty. I’m amused.
“Got it, KittyKat,” I say as I pass her, ignoring her obvious growl. I place the food on the table and say, “Nice place you’ve got.”
“Thanks,” she replies, closing the door loudly.
“He’s never been over?” her mom asks.
“No, Mom. He’s a friend from … work.”
I turn my head so she can see my obvious confusion at what she means with work, but she doesn’t seem to care.
“From the office?” Meredith asks.
“Yeah, from the office, Kat?” I ask, raising a brow while I go through her kitchen in search of plates.
“No, different … work. Please, don’t ask, Mom,” Kat says, as she sits down at the table while trying to pretend I’m not here.
“Okay.” Her mom makes a difficult face.
“It’s complicated,” I say, winking at them as I place the plates and cutlery down.
“Ooh …” Her mom chuckles.
Kat takes a sip from her glass of water and rolls her eyes.
Meredith gasps. “So you’re her boyfriend?”
Kat almost chokes on her water. “No, no!” she repeats. “Not boyfriend.”
“Then what?” Her mom unpacks the food while I sit down too.
“An acquaintance,” I fill in to make it easier.
“Oh … Well, I must say, I’m happy for you to join us,” Meredith says, smiling.
“Glad to be of service with some tasty food.”
“Hmm … Tell me about it,” Meredith mumbles, t
aking a sniff. “It smells lovely.”
Kat can’t stop rolling her eyes. She’s probably wishing tonight was already over, but I’m not going anywhere right now. Not until we’ve had a chance to talk in private. And until then, I’ll continue to play my part.
“Kat, would you like some crunchy wontons?” I ask, grinning as I hold them out to her.
She doesn’t even seem remotely happy about it as I place them on her plate, but I know she wants them. Her stomach is growling, and I’m sure her mouth is watering by now.
“What would you have done if I hadn’t come?” I ask.
“Ordered takeout myself,” she growls.
Her mom laughs. “We had a dinner date, and she forgot.”
“Ouch,” I say. “Can’t forget about your mom, Kat.”
“Shut up,” she says.
“Kat, be nice,” her mom interjects.
“It’s just food,” I add, giving her the sweetest smile I can muster, but all I get back are death stares, which only makes me want to laugh more. I don’t know why I love it so much when she’s upset. Why it makes me hunger for the time when her mother leaves and I’m alone with her … so I can strip her naked and lick her skin.
But first … dinner.
Kat
When everyone’s full, Declan brings the plates to the kitchen and starts washing them off while I help Mom out.
“Let me know if you need any help with Dad, okay?” I say.
“It’s fine, honey. I can handle him myself,” she says with a smile. “Besides, you have other … business to take care of.” She gives Declan the side-eye. Kissing me on the cheeks, she turns toward him, saying, “Lovely to meet you, Declan!”
“It was great meeting you too, Meredith,” he replies with a big smile, making me wanna vomit. But that would be a waste of the good food.
“Such a sweet young man,” she says, nudging me in the side with her elbow while winking.
Declan snorts, but when he sees me glare, he immediately turns his head toward the sink and continues washing the dishes.
I’m not finished with him. Not by a long shot.
As I march over to him and tap him on the shoulder, he puts down the fragile plates and glances at me over his shoulder. “Enjoy the food?”
I fold my arms. “Really? That’s what you’re going to ask?”
“What else?” He shrugs, casually avoiding the actual problem, which he knows damn well.
“Why are you even here?” I ask, licking my lips.
“You didn’t answer my calls, so I figured I’d stop by with some food. You were hungry, no?”
“That’s not the point,” I say even though I did eat my fair share. “You used my mother to get to me.”
“I didn’t, really. Like I said, it’s not my fault she picked up the phone,” he jests.
“Seriously?” I lean against the counter beside him, waiting until he finally stops doing the dishes to look at me. “Last time we spoke, you were a complete asshole. Just like all the times before.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here,” he replies, glancing at me with those sexy eyes of his again.
Goddamn, I can’t even stop thinking about him that way, despite wanting to so badly.
“No, you said you didn’t want a relationship. Why all this wooing?” I ask.
“Who says I’m wooing anyone?” he says, smirking like he always does. And fuck, it actually makes me want to kiss him. But I shouldn’t. Fuck him and his fucked-up sense of judgment.
“Listen, dude,” I say, clearing my throat. “I don’t like getting fucked.”
“You sure about that?”
The way he says it immediately makes my heart drop, and I know I’m turning red, but I don’t care. “I mean the emotional way, not the literal.”
“Oh …”
God, he’s really getting under my skin now, and it’s making me grind my teeth.
“The point is, you’ve been stalking my ass, and I don’t like it one bit,” I say.
“Likewise,” he retorts, throwing in another smirk that makes me want to punch him … or kiss him. I’m not sure yet which one is more accurate.
“I wasn’t stalking you,” I say. “You sent me that picture. Wasn’t my fault I found out where you work.”
He stops washing the dishes and steps closer, placing his hands on the counter right beside me. “I didn’t ask you for your address. Wasn’t my fault your mom picked up to tell me anyway.”
The grin that follows makes my heart flutter … and my fist tighten.
Well, fucking touché to him.
He inches closer again, this time placing his hands right beside my body so I can’t escape. “As a matter of fact, I still don’t know if Kat Bronson is really your name, considering you have two cell phones and all,” he muses. “Are you ever going to tell me?”
“Maybe,” I say, cocking my head. “Or maybe not.”
“Hmm … secretive …” he murmurs. “Which is strange, coming from a slutty kitten like you.”
I gasp, and my immediate reaction is to dunk my hand in the water and throw it at him. By the time I realize I actually did it, half his shirt and face are soaked.
I put my hand in front of my mouth as I notice his white shirt has become see-through, partially revealing his thick pecs and ripped abs. Lord, give me strength.
When he opens his eyes again, he seems mildly pissed off.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin—”
Out of nowhere, water splashes all over my face and shirt.
I sputter it out. “Really?”
“You started it,” he says.
Jesus, we’re like a bunch of kids.
“I like the view, though,” he murmurs in a low voice.
Only when I look down do I remember I was wearing a light blue shirt … with no bra underneath … and my nipples are poking through right now.
“Likewise …” I reply, raising a brow. “But my eyes are up here.”
“Oh, I know,” he says, still not averting his eyes.
He’s not even ashamed of blatantly staring, and it’s making me blush like crazy.
Fuck. How do I stop this?
Suddenly, he lifts his face and presses his lips onto mine, catching me by surprise.
I don’t even know what’s happening right now. Only that he’s kissing me, and that it feels so, so fucking good. And that, for some reason, I’m kissing him back too.
Crap.
I nudge him away. “Wait, this isn’t supposed to happen.”
“It shouldn’t … but it did,” he replies. Always so smooth, like his voice and hair, and just about everything else about him, goddammit.
“And I don’t regret it,” he says.
Immediately, he lunges in for a second taste, but I stop him right before his lips touch mine.
“I can’t do this.”
“You’ve been trying to screw me ever since you met me, and now you’re suddenly having second thoughts?” he says.
“I am, considering our history. You said it yourself … This is all about the sex. No relationship.”
“Exactly,” he says, licking his lips.
“Then why are you kissing me?” I ask, frowning, confused.
He pauses, cocking his head ever so slightly. “Because I like doing it.”
“That’s it?” I make a face.
“Yeah.” He shrugs.
Well, that was simple. So simple that I don’t even get it.
“No, no, there has to be more to this,” I say, laughing a little. “You’re trying to fool me into doing something, aren’t you?”
“No,” he says. “Unless you count sex as fooling you. Then yes.”
I narrow my eyes. “Just sex …”
“Yes,” he says.
“What about the other time—”
He places a finger on my lips. “I don’t want to talk about last time. Or any time before that. I just want to enjoy this for what it is at the moment. Understand?”
I nod softly, but I’m not even sure what I’m agreeing to.
When he takes his finger off my lips, he murmurs, “I don’t want to make this any more difficult than it already is …”
He’s still so close I can taste his breath on my tongue.
But I have to remind myself what type of guy he is, and what’s at risk. He doesn’t know where I work, what I do for a living, and I want to keep it that way … for now.
“I’m not going to tell you anything if that’s what you’re after,” I reply, trying to hold my ground. “And I want to see what else you do in that hotel of yours.”
“Oh, so you’re demanding things now?” he asks, biting his lip.
“I’m not demanding things. I’m just saying that it’s a perfect way for you to make up to me.”
“Really …?” He makes a funny, scrunched-up face, and it’s hard for me not to laugh, but I do my best.
“Yes, really. I want to see what else there is. Beyond the events,” I say. “I don’t want to go any further unless you trust me.”
That was a bold move, but I need to know more about him and what he does before I let him kiss me again. Before I let these feelings get to my head.
He leans away, sighing, his face darkening. “Are you sure you want to? There’s no going back. I don’t know if you can handle seeing it all.”
“Yes, I’m ready for more,” I say. No question. I want to experience it all. “Can I participate?”
His eyes widen. “Participate? With others?”
“Why not? I almost did it before, if it wasn’t for—”
“That was different,” he interrupts, his tone suddenly shifting. “That was before …”
“Before what?” I ask.
He takes a deep breath as he turns his head toward the floor and sighs. “Never mind,” he says, before looking up at me again. “The point is this hotel is my job. My life. If what we do comes out …”
“I’m only there for the experience,” I say. “Nothing more.”
It’s a lie, and I know it. I just don’t want to admit it, neither to him nor myself.
My curiosity is just too big to stop myself from wanting to know more. Is that so wrong?
“Okay …” he says. “My office. Tuesday evening. Eleven sharp. Bring a sexy outfit and a mask.”
Hotel O Page 16
