A few moments later, Taylor approaches, as Kat is towel drying her hair. “Hi again.”
Kat inquires, “Did you enjoy your walk?”
“Yes, I did.”
“That’s good.”
Walking over to the cooler, Tony reaches in to the ice, withdrawing a couple of Shock Tops. “Are you ready for a beer, Taylor?”
“Thanks Tony, that would be great.”
Handing first Kat, then Taylor, a chilled brown bottle, he invites her, “Pull up a chair and join us.”
“Thanks, Tony.” He nods in response.
“So, are you here on vacation?” he asks.
“No. I recently moved to the area.”
“Oh that’s nice, do you like it here?’
“So far.”
“Where are you from?”
“I moved around a lot, but most recently from San Diego.”
“Oh, it’s beautiful out there. I’ve been there a couple of times,” says Kat. “Why did you leave? Do you have family here?”
“No, not exactly. I left because my mom recently passed away and I didn’t really have any reason to stay in San Diego after that.”
With compassion in her voice, Kat offers, “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Where’s your dad? Is he in the picture or did he pass away, too?”
Not wanting to have this discussion Taylor mumbles, “I don’t know. I never knew my father.”
“So you moved out here not knowing anyone? No friends, no family?”
“I came out here to start over. I never said I didn’t know anyone here.”
“Well, that’s good that you have someone you know in town. It makes adjusting to a new life easier,” Kat responds, looking into Tony’s eyes.
Finishing her beer, Taylor stands up, thanking Kat and Tony.
“I really should be getting back. I have some things I need to do today. Thanks for the cold beer and it was really great seeing you both again.”
“Nice to see you too, Taylor. If you’re on the beach again, don’t be a stranger, stop by.”
“Thanks Kat, I think I’ll do just that.” As she turns to leave, a devious grin appears on Taylor’s face as she steps away.
“Bye Taylor.”
“See you around, Tony,” she calls out and heads down the beach, disappearing into the crowd.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
After spending the hottest part of the afternoon in town running errands, Kat and Tony relax with a couple of drinks as Tony fires up the grill and prepares for dinner.
“I’m so glad my parts were in for the Camaro.”
“Yeah, that gives us plenty of time after dinner and tomorrow to put them in and deal with any issues that might come up. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your car is dialed in perfectly by race night.”
“I wonder if we’ll end up having to race one another this time.”
“I don’t know babe, but if we do, I’m not gonna go easy on you.” Giving her a sideways grin, he quips, “You’re going to have to earn that win.”
“Hmm, that sounds fun. Maybe a little side wager?”
“Oh, I’m game, baby. I’m sure I can come up with something interesting.”
“I’m sure you can.”
Taking her by surprise, Tony wraps his hands around her waist. Spinning her towards him, he kisses her. When they separate he smiles down at her, “Hungry?”
Biting her bottom lip, she nods
Tony grabs the steaks and seasoning off the kitchen counter, ready to head outside. “How would you like your steak cooked?”
Still trying to recover from the kiss she whispers, “Medium rare, please.”
“You’ve got it.”
“I’ll throw together a nice salad to go with the steaks. Is there anything you don’t like in your salad?”
“Nope, whatever you put in there is fine with me.”
“Okay.” Opening the refrigerator, Kat takes out two kinds of lettuce, a red bell pepper, a perfectly ripe tomato, cucumber, some Italian olives, and goat cheese. While cleaning and cutting the vegetables and placing them in a large bowl, she thinks about everything that’s transpired over the last few days.
What am I doing? I just slept with that bastard, Gage, last night. What a mistake that was. And today all I want to do is jump Tony and tell him to fuck me until I can’t walk. Does that make me a total skank? I guess so, I mean I can’t seem to keep my legs closed around either one of these guys and the most confusing part is, I don’t know exactly how I feel other than horny whenever either one of them is around. Then I find that file that Gage has and now I have to worry about my dad forcing me back to New York against my will. I’m so glad Tony’s here and has agreed to stay with me a few days, but did I do the right thing by asking him? God, I don’t know. There are some times when I worry if I even know what I am doing and who I am anymore…No, stop, that’s the old Katrina. Geez, whether I’m the old Katrina or the new one, I’m still freaking over thinking things, carrying on a conversation with myself in my head. Still crazy enough to need a shrink.
“Hello Kat. Earth to Kat.”
“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“Where were you?”
“Just thinking.”
“About?”
Batting her eyes, she smiles up at him, “About you fucking me until I can’t walk.”
Tony pulls her to him. Standing front to back, Kat can feel his stiffening cock straining against her ass. Holding her close, he runs his tongue along the spiral of her ear and whispers, “Oh, that can definitely be arranged,” then bites her lobe, sending shivers down her spine.
Leaning into him, Kat wraps her arms around his neck, tilting her head back on his shoulder. Using her tongue, she parts his lips and consumes him. Breaking the kiss, she turns in his arms, grinning, and then ruins the mood when she notices flames shooting out of the top of the grill.
“I think you’re burning the steaks.” Turning, he lets her go and dashes outside to pull the steaks off the grill.
Dinner now finished, they clean up the kitchen and head upstairs. “The steaks were fantastic and mine was cooked perfectly. Thanks Tony.”
“It was my pleasure.”
“Really? Well speaking of pleasure…” she lets her words trail off.
Raising his eyebrow and stopping her on the steps, he turns on his deep sexy voice asking, “Hmm, what kind of pleasure are you talking about, little girl?” Suddenly feeling a bit nervous, Kat looks down at her feet and begins fidgeting. Taking his index finger, Tony lifts her chin, forcing her to look at him.
“Come on now Kat, don’t be shy. Look at me and tell me what you want.”
Slowly running her tongue along her now dry lips, she looks him in the eye, tilts her head to the side and offers, “You…for dessert.”
Desire flares in his eyes. “I think that can be arranged.”
Placing one arm under her legs and the other behind her back, he lifts her in his arms and runs the remaining way up the stairs. Removing her clothes, Tony leans her over the bed, using his legs to spread hers wide. Plunging into her, he takes her from behind. After drowning themselves in every form of debauchery imaginable, they lay sleeping in the nude, bodies entwined on the bed.
In complete silence, the intruder enters the room from the open balcony door of Katrina’s second floor bedroom. Pleased with the scene in front of them, the intruder takes out a tiny camera and starts snapping pictures from every angle of Kat and Tony in bed together. Grinning, the intruder quickly and quietly exits the same way they arrived.
2:30am The Pit
The bar is finally empty except for a few employees who are helping with the cleanup. It’s been a long day and I am so ready to get out of here. Thinking back on how his morning started, Gage is perplexed at Katrina finding the dossier and abruptly leaving. How? How did that file get left out on my kitchen table? I haven’t had it out since the night I saw her at the track and I could tell by her reaction that she was not the one who
went through my locked desk and found it. “Mother fucker,” he mumbles to himself. “Some son of a bitch has been in my house.” Looks like it’s time to step up the security at home. When I catch the bastard, they’re going to pay for invading my privacy and causing me problems. Now she thinks her father hired me to find her and she’s so pissed, she won’t return my calls. Every time I called her today, her phone was off and went directly to voicemail. Maybe I should have chased her down and forced her to listen to me when she left this morning.
Gage’s eyes begin to darken and his heart rate increases at the thought of going after Kat. Yes…chase her, run, change, go after her, she’s prey, take her down, make her obey.
Shaking his head to try to clear his thoughts, he chastises himself, “No! She’s not my prey. I had to let her go. I would have changed. I would have taken her down. I would have changed back and taken her body against her will.”
Wiping the sweat that formed on his brow, Gage walks over to the bar and pours himself a stiff drink to calm his cravings. God, I can’t ever do that. I can never let myself lose control with her in that way. Pouring and downing a second drink, Gage hears his cell phone buzzing on the top of the bar. Picking it up, he sees he has several text messages. Oh thank god, maybe they’re from Kat.
Opening his message window, he sees they are from a blocked number, and they all have the same subject line: You’re not the only one.
He looks at the first message and finds a picture of Kat and Tony on the beach. He’s rubbing lotion on her body. In the next picture he’s got his mouth over her breast on the outside of her swimsuit while massaging her nipple under her top with his hand. Feeling the rage building inside him, he opens the next text. He sees Tony lying on top of Kat, and they are passionately kissing.
“What the fuck,” he growls. The next message shows Tony carrying her and heading into the surf. Next, they’re kissing in the water, pressed together like glue. His control slipping, he runs his hands through his hair and slams his fist down on the bar. The last few messages show Katrina and Tony in her bed asleep, naked. Bodies, legs, arms wrapped around each other. The pictures are taken from every angle. Losing it, Gage throws his phone against the back wall of the bar.
“She fucked him. I knew it. She actually fucked him after being with me last night and this morning. What the fuck am I going to do? She’s mine. All of her. Her body, mind, and soul belong to me. I told her I don’t share. That pussy is mine.”
Infuriated and no longer able to hang on to his human form, he growls, “I’ll teach her. I’ll show her who she belongs to.”
Racing out the back door of the club, Gage strips off his clothes as his body changes. He takes off through the woods at the back of the bar, nothing but a shiny black blur streaking into the night.
Chapter Thirty
Friday
Startled awake, Gage sits up straight and looks around. He is disoriented and surprised to find he is in his own room, lying on top of the covers, completely naked. How did I get here? The last thing I remember is closing up at the club and…and…those fucking pictures on my phone, changing into a panther… running through the woods, wanting to go after Kat to possess her, make her beg me to fuck her, to teach her a lesson, to make her mine. Shaking his head to clear the memories away, Gage climbs out of bed, heads to the kitchen and takes a beer from the refrigerator. Running his fingers through his hair, he thinks back to his reaction to the pictures on his cell phone and grumbles, “Aw fuck! Now I need a new phone…again!”
After picking up a phone, Gage heads to the track to blow off some steam. He leaves his bike at home and pulls his barely street-legal Cobra out of the garage. Rubbing his chin with his index finger and grinning, he thinks, Tonight I’ll race the car and if little miss hot pants is there, I’ll enjoy beating her ass. And I mean that in more ways than one.
Gage arrives at the track, checks in, and waits for his number to be called. Looking sexy as hell in his snug, button-fly stone washed jeans, a wide, black leather belt with a silver buckle, and a black, short-sleeved, form-fitted shirt, he leans back against the car with his feet crossed at the ankle, observing the competition. Scanning the vehicles, he focuses in on one in particular, a blue, Super Sport Camaro with the number18, written in white grease pencil on the side window…Kat’s Camaro.
“Good, so she’s here.”
Upon further inspection, he notices that Kat is not waiting with her car, but is further back in the field with Moretti. The sight of the two of them together gets his blood boiling.
After twenty minutes, his number is called to race. He burns out and pulls up to the line. Looking over at his competition, he grins. The Cobra is up against a Challenger with a Hemi in it.
“Piece of cake.”
Watching the tree, the lights change from red to yellow and finally green. Gage takes off, shifts to second, and by the time he hits third, he’s well ahead of the Challenger. The guy in the Hemi is giving it all he’s got, trying to come back, but Gage has him. He crosses the finish line as the winner and shuts it down. Grinning, he pulls around to the pit area and climbs out of his car so he can get it ready for his next race. Since he never had to hit the NOS, he doesn’t have to switch over the tanks. While going through his car, a crowd of women forms around him, as always. A beautiful blonde with rare violet eyes approaches him.
“Congratulations. Nice run.”
Gage flashes a provocative smile while eyeing her up and down, “Thanks.”
Placing her lips up to his ear she whispers, “I’m Taylor,” then runs her lips from his ear to his cheek, giving him a congratulatory kiss.
Overcome by her perfume, he chokes out, “What was that for?”
“Your win, of course.”
At that moment, Gage sees that Kat’s number is up and she’s staging her car at the line. The lights turn green and she takes off, running against a modified Mazda. Impressed at how perfectly she handles her car, Gage grins as she crosses the finish line in front of her opponent.
As she pulls around to the pit area, she chooses a spot and shuts off the car. Kat climbs out of the Camaro as Taylor wraps her arms around Gage’s neck, weaving her fingers together. Gage presses his mouth down to hers. She kisses him aggressively. In the moment, Gage runs his tongue along the crease of her lips and Taylor opens her mouth, making her tongue accessible to him.
Positioning herself in front of him, she presses her body against his. He reaches out, grabbing her hips and holding her in place against him. Enjoying this unexpected pleasure, he opens his eyes and looks up just in time to see Katrina running into Tony’s arms. In her excitement, she grabs his face and passionately kisses him. He responds, kissing her back and running his hands down her side, stopping to hold on to her ass.
Furious, Gage breaks the mouth-to-mouth contact with Taylor and gently separates his body from hers while mumbling an apology.
“Sorry, but I’ve gotta get ready for my next race.”
Without so much as a second thought, he takes off, leaving her standing there in shock.
Angry, Taylor turns in confusion to see what caused his sudden departure. The sight of Kat and Tony in a lover’s embrace, kissing and pawing at each other, gives her the answer she is looking for. So, it’s because of her. Little miss perfect. Well Gage, we’ll just see how long you can resist me for her.
Stomping off in the other direction, Gage heads over to the race official’s box like a spoiled little boy who was just told no by his mommy. Curling his lips into a smile that does not reach his eyes, he calls out, “Hey Kenny.”
“Gage. Nice run tonight.”
“Thanks. Hey man, I need a favor.”
Gage reaches out his arm, initiating a handshake. Kenny reciprocates, and Gage greases his palm with a hundred dollar bill, tossing his head in the direction of Kat’s Camaro.
“The number eighteen car; put me up against her in the next round.”
Grinning, Kenny responds, “You got it bro,” and tu
cks the bill into his pocket.
The windows on the Cobra are tinted black. Pulling up to the line, Kat cannot see who her competition is behind the wheel. Both cars stage and ready themselves for the race. The tree changes from red, to yellow, and finally, to green. They both take off, getting a pretty even jump at the line. As they go through the gears, the Camaro and the Cobra are neck and neck. Once the Cobra hits third, it starts pulling away. They both hit fourth gear, then fifth, at which time Kat hits her spray. She surges ahead, but not for long. She was early. Gage hits his NOS and blows by her, crossing the finish line as the winner.
Totally disappointed at the loss, but happy it was at least a close race, Kat pulls around to the pit area and parks the car. Sitting there, she waits for her adrenaline rush to abate. The Cobra pulls into the pit area, drives past her and gets in line at the back of the pits. Climbing out of the car, she decides to be a gracious loser and walks down to congratulate her opponent on his win.
As Kat approaches the front of the Cobra, the driver side window goes down and a muscular set of arms, dark head of long hair, a perfectly put together midsection, and long, lean legs appear through the opening. Now standing, the driver turns his head in her direction and with a sideways jerk of his head flips his hair out of his face. He looks over at her, just as she is a step away…Oh fuck, it’s Gage!
Blindsided, Kat stands there like an idiot with her mouth hitting the ground, eyes wide with shock. With that slow sexy grin, Gage tilts his head to the side, staring at her.
“Kat,” he smirks, then intentionally runs his tongue over his lips in a suggestive manner.
Snapping her mouth shut, she narrows her eyes in a murderous look, turns on her heels and begins charging off in the opposite direction. Fuck you, bastard. If looks could kill you’d be on the ground dying a slow, agonizing death right now. That’s what I get for trying to be gracious!
The Tower (The Tarot Series Book 1) Page 21
