Tempting Kate

by Jennifer Snow

  She shook her head. “The details about you two hooking up are none of my business.” Or anything she was eager to hear. The thought of Scott with another woman made her jealous, and she had no right to feel that way.

  He released a slow, deep breath and sat silent for a long time. “Do you remember that Airways Travel plane that landed in the Caribbean two years ago?”

  She thought for a minute. She remembered hearing something about it. “Airways Travel? The destination charter?”

  He nodded.

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God—you’re the Pilot Angel?”

  He cringed at the name. “No. I was the lucky-as-hell pilot who somehow remembered his training in an emergency.”

  His tone was cool, and she hesitated before saying, “A lot of lives were saved because of you.” Making the man sitting next to her the hottest man on the planet. Her attraction to him skyrocketed to a whole new level of unhealthy.

  “Anyway, Liz was a passenger on the plane. We met briefly in the airport restaurant before the flight, and then after the crash...”

  “Found comfort in one another,” she finished. Jeez, this wasn’t at all the way she’d pegged the situation. Jealousy aside, she could actually understand their need to be together after such a traumatic experience. Maybe Derek might understand, too...

  Not that she would stake her career on that.

  Scott was silent in the seat next to her as she stopped at a red light. Reaching across, she touched his forearm, a tingle racing down her spine at the small but intimate contact. “You were a hero to a lot of people that day. And I don’t think you or Liz should beat yourselves up over what happened.”

  “She still betrayed my brother.”

  Kate nodded. There was that...

  “And that’s why I’m going to see her.”

  She sighed. While she could see his side, him going to see Liz would really piss off the bride-to-be, and Kate’s job was to keep her client happy. How was she supposed to stop him? Remembering his playful suggestion about keeping him occupied all afternoon, she reached across the seat and placed her hand on his thigh, sliding it higher as the light turned green and she returned her attention to the road.

  “Are you trying to suggest a detour first?” he asked, reaching across to brush her hair away from her shoulder, then letting his fingers trail the length of her arm. Electricity ran down her spine, and suddenly it wasn’t just trying to keep him away from Liz that had her sliding her hand farther to cup his crotch.

  “My place?”

  “You think distracting me will take me off course?” he asked, sliding his hand down her chest, into the opening of her blouse.

  Her mouth went dry. She hoped so. She also hoped she could remember her own game and the fact that she was in the driver’s seat. It was so hard to tell who was winning these little battles of wills when her own body was reacting to the temptation as much as his. “Weren’t you the one who wanted a second shot at that half star?” she croaked as his fingers dipped below the edge of her bra to pinch her nipple.

  “Oh, I’m getting that half star, and then I’m going to see Liz,” he said.

  The first one he just might be right about, she thought as she clenched her thighs closer together, but the second one—not going to happen.

  * * *

  KATE HESITATED AT her door ten minutes later. “Wait here. Count to a hundred, then follow me,” she said, slipping inside.

  Scott laughed. “A hundred?”

  “Or ninety-nine, whatever you want,” she said, closing the door. Tossing her purse onto a chair in the living room, she ran to the kitchen and, opening the dishwasher, she quickly threw in her breakfast dishes and slammed the door. Seeing all of the self-help and relationship books she’d bought and consumed like chocolate that year, she grabbed them and stacked them behind less embarrassing books on a shelf. Then, running to her bathroom, she replaced the towels with fresh ones, misted a vanilla-scented room spray and checked her medicine cabinet for anything suspect.

  Everyone checked everyone else’s medicine cabinets. It was the quickest way to know a person. Tampons, razors, painkillers...heavy sleeping pills from right after the failed wedding... She took the bottle from the cabinet and tossed it into the wastebasket.

  In her bedroom, she quickly pulled the sheets up over the pillows as Scott appeared in the doorway. “Why are you bothering to make it up? I plan on destroying that bed in record time.”

  “That wasn’t ninety-nine seconds,” she said, smoothing her skirt as she straightened.

  “I’m a fast counter,” he said, walking toward her and reaching for her waist. “Nice place,” he murmured as he lowered his mouth to her neck.

  She closed her eyes, breathing in his manly, outdoorsy scent mixed with a soft aftershave. She’d never claimed to love the great outdoors, but if everything in nature smelled as amazing as Scott, she just might be converted. “Would you like a tour?”

  “Of the bed? Yes. I’ll see the rest later. Much later,” he murmured against her collarbone as he lowered the side of her blouse over her shoulder. He bit her skin gently, and she swallowed hard, already feeling her panties getting wet.

  He could turn her on so quickly, with the simplest of touches, the gentlest of kisses.

  Unbuttoning her blouse, he stepped back to remove it, then unclasped her bra and tossed it onto the floor. He sucked in a breath, seeing her exposed breasts.

  “I have had recurring thoughts about these all week,” he said, cupping them and placing his face between them. He kissed the right one, then the left as his fingers rubbed over the hardened nipples. She closed her eyes and held his head in place, savoring the feel of his stubble along her sensitive skin, the rough, callused hands massaging and caressing her breasts.

  Next, he reached around her to unzip her skirt and, grabbing the waistband, he lowered both the skirt and her underwear down over her legs. She stepped out of the fabric at her ankles and kicked her shoes off.

  “You’re still too dressed,” she said, reaching for the top button on his jeans. She popped it and lowered his zipper, reaching inside to cup him through his underwear. Feeling his erection and a slightly damp spot near the tip of his penis, she laughed. “Doesn’t take much, huh?”

  He grabbed her and pulled her into him with one arm, sliding his other hand between her thighs to insert two fingers into her. She gasped in a mix of pleasure and shock. “So wet. You’re not exactly slow to arouse yourself,” he said before kissing her.

  Her tongue tangling with his, she lowered his jeans and underwear over his hips and he stepped free. Then she reached for the buttons on his shirt, unbuttoning quickly and removing it to reveal abs, chest muscles, strong, sculpted shoulders...

  He pushed her onto the bed, placed his knees between her thighs and urged them apart. His feet still on the floor, he lowered his hips to place his cock against her stomach, using the leverage to rub it hard and fast against her.

  Reaching for it, she took it in one hand and began stroking while pleasuring herself with her other hand.

  Scott watched, his desire blazing in his eyes. “That is so hot,” he said, his voice husky. He placed his hands on her breasts and squeezed the hardened nipples.

  His grip tightened even more, and she found herself desperately craving the painful pleasure. “Harder,” she said.

  He complied, and she let out a small gasp as she arched her back, pushing her breasts forward, the intensity of the ache between her thighs increasing with each tightening of his thumb and forefinger.

  She played with the tip of his cock, rolling her thumb over the moistened skin, feeling the strain of his erection. She moved her hand back and forth over her pelvis, then slid a finger into her own body. The pressure did nothing to ease the throbbing ache, so she slid a second one inside. She moaned and he
r body trembled on the bed. Scott released a string of curse words she barely heard as her body rippled, already so close to release.

  “No way,” he said, letting go of her nipples. Stopping her hands, he held them firmly over her head. “This time I want to come inside you. Tell me you have condoms.”

  “Bedside table,” she said, her voice more of a pant.

  He retrieved a condom and tore open the package, sliding it on quickly over his erect length. Moving her body farther up on the bed, he flipped her over onto all fours, facing the headboard. “I want to watch this sexy ass when I come,” he said.

  She nodded as she felt him insert his cock into her. Her breath caught as the angle of her body allowed him to reach depths that incited intense pleasure as he pushed in and out, deeper each time. Grabbing her hair with one hand, he yanked gently as he rocked back and forth. “Touch yourself,” he said, taking her hand and placing it on her folds as she balanced on one hand.

  Keeping his on top, he guided her fingers to flick and stroke her clit. His hands, her hands, their fingers pleasuring all of her erotic zones had her gasping for air as he rocked faster and harder, panting for breath.

  “I’m going to come, Kate...” he said, stopping all movement of hips, hands, bodies as he gave a final thrust and let out a deep groan as he fell forward onto her back.

  She was still panting, so close to her own release, desperate for it, when his fingers started moving again. She clenched her muscles around his still-hard cock, feeling him fill her, so thick... His fingers were driving her crazy—fast, hard, increasing the mounting sensations until she was climaxing. She fisted the bedsheets in her hands as her orgasm took over, making her unsteady on her knees.

  “Damn, that was amazing,” she said, falling onto the bed as he collapsed next to her.

  Removing the condom, he stood and left the room. She heard water running in the bathroom, then a moment later, he was back, wrapping her in his arms. “You are amazing,” he said, burying his head against her neck and pulling her into his warm body.

  She snuggled closer until every inch of her connected with every inch of him and allowed herself to enjoy it for all of three minutes before he checked the clock and moved away.

  She couldn’t suppress a grin as she propped herself onto one elbow. “In a rush?”

  He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before standing and reaching for his clothes. “I told you, now that I have redeemed myself, I have somewhere to be.”

  She stood and picked up her own discarded clothes from the floor. “You won’t find Liz at her office,” she said, sliding her arms into her bra.

  He frowned. “No?”

  “Nope.”

  He took a step toward her, and she grinned. “And how do you know that?”

  “Because she’s meeting me—at an undisclosed location—in less than an hour,” she said, kissing the look of defeat on his face.

  * * *

  WITHIN AN HOUR, Scott stood in the elevator, halfway to the HighRes Media offices on the fifteenth floor, hoping he could catch Liz before she left to meet Kate.

  Naked Kate could be quite persuasive, and he deserved a medal for ignoring her attempts at seducing him into another round. The woman played to win. Not that he believed for a second that her motivation that afternoon had been purely a delay tactic. Their attraction to one another was undeniable, and he wondered how much of it had to do with the head-to-head battle they were locked in.

  He tucked in his shirt, then yanked on his fly when he saw that it was down. Kate had driven so slowly back to her office, where the Jeep he kept in LA was parked, that he wasn’t sure his speed across town had made up for it and he hoped he’d made it in time.

  The elevator stopped, and now that he was there, he resisted the urge to hit the button and head back down to the lobby. He wasn’t afraid to see Liz. He’d have to eventually, and better it be on his terms, catching her off guard like this, than when she was clinging to his brother’s arm closer to doomsday.

  Stepping from the elevator, he opened the door to reception and nodded at the young woman at the front desk, who was on the phone. While waiting for her to finish, he scanned the posh offices. Fifteenth floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a breathtaking view of the city, modern furnishings decorating the space. He surveyed a row of photos along the wall—pictures of doors from exotic destinations in all shapes and sizes. All so vibrant in color, the light capturing them with warmth. The photos were a contrast to the rest of the environment, but added a further element of sophistication to the space.

  “Those were taken by the company’s owner, Liz Sheffield,” the receptionist said behind him.

  That was a surprise. He thought she was the mastermind behind the business side of the company. He hadn’t thought her to have an artistic flair. Then again, he barely knew her. In two years, he’d made sure of it. “They’re great,” he said simply.

  The young woman smiled, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. Tall and slender, her blond hair tied back in a high ponytail, she actually looked a lot like Liz. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m actually here to see Liz.”

  “Is she expecting you?” she asked, glancing at the computer screen on her desk.

  “No.”

  “She has her calendar blocked off for the afternoon...wedding cake shopping, I believe.”

  Ah, that was where they were headed. How many bakeries could there be in LA? Too many. “Do you know where, exactly?”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t give out that information.”

  Of course not. “Right. I understand... Could you at least narrow down the part of town, maybe?”

  She laughed, the sound smooth and silky, but shook her head.

  It was worth a shot.

  Ms. Wedding Planner had won this round. He blamed his penis for the loss. “I’ll catch her another time.”

  “Who should I tell her stopped by?” The look in her pretty hazel eyes was one of open curiosity and interest. One that in the past might have been enough to intrigue him. Not today.

  Not lately, in fact. The past week, he’d found his gaze glossing over the pretty group of female tourists checking into the resort, not even tempted when one of them had winked at him and bent over, displaying a lovely, curvy ass, while she retrieved her bags. His usual sexually charged morning exchange with his preferred barista had lacked that spark as well...and the only woman who had been a constant in his mind—for good or bad—was Kate.

  Which was bad.

  “I swear I’d forget my stilettos if they weren’t permanently glued to my feet.”

  That snapped him back to attention.

  “This wedding is making me...” Liz’s words died as she entered the office and saw him standing there. She looked suitably annoyed and surprised to see him. “What the hell?”

  The receptionist immediately picked up the phone and dialed out, avoiding eye contact with them.

  “Hi, Liz.”

  “Scott, I’m going to pretend that you’re not here, because I have an appointment in twenty minutes, and I’m not even remotely interested in hearing whatever it is you’re here to say.” She breezed past him, through reception and to the office behind it, reemerging with her iPad.

  He blocked her escape. “Look, we need to talk...before the wedding.”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  “I don’t think it’s necessary.”

  “I do.”

  Liz shot a glance at her receptionist and then, sighing, dragged him into a small meeting room down the hall. “Three and a half minutes, Scott.”

  Okay. He could get straight to the point. “I think you need to tell Derek what happened between us.”

  “You mean the dumb trauma-and alcohol-induced mistak
e that happened two years ago, while I was barely even dating him? No.”

  Why had he thought she’d even consider it? From the media photos of the two of them together, he knew Liz had latched on to his brother and it would take a vise grip to pull her off his Armani’d, Rolexed arm. Any chance that Derek might end things with her if he knew the truth was obviously not one she was willing to take. “He deserves to know that we have a history beyond just the crash before the wedding.”

  At the mention of the crash, she paled. He knew from his brother that Liz had yet to travel by plane since the flight back home. He wondered how their honeymoon would go. “History? Why the hell do you keep calling it that? It was one crazy night that meant nothing to either of us. Let it go,” she said exasperatedly, looking at her watch. “I have cakes to taste.”

  Scott stood, but he held the door closed with one arm when she tried to open it.

  She met his steely gaze straight on, not backing down.

  “If you don’t tell him, I will.” She might be right that it hadn’t meant anything, but it didn’t change the fact that it happened.

  She knocked his arm away and opened the door. “If you were going to tell, you would have by now.”

  * * *

  SHE COULD EAT this entire cake.

  Closing her eyes, Kate almost moaned as the flavors of chocolate and cinnamon and coffee all teased her tongue. Hot sex followed by cake tasting was not a bad afternoon.

  “Delicious, right?” Liz asked, barely licking the chocolate–cream cheese frosting off her tiny fork. Three different cake flavors, and the bride-to-be had barely dipped her tongue into any of them. She also seemed a little distant and disengaged from the process.

  Kate, on the other hand, had practically licked the plate clean. “This one was my favorite.”

  “You said that about all three,” Liz said with a laugh, but it sounded forced.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine...totally fine. We just need to decide so Giovanni can get baking.”