Sawyer shrugged. “I don’t know what you were thinking. It does seem pretty convenient, though, the more I think about it. Nothing you were doing was yielding any results. If angry calls and letters didn’t work, sympathetic news articles didn’t work, protests didn’t work...why not try a little honey instead of vinegar?”
“I did not go to that party with the intention of giving you any...honey! I went to that event to talk to you, because you wouldn’t return any of my calls. It was the only way I could think of to pin you on the spot and make you listen to my side of the situation.”
“And yet somehow you ended up sleeping with the man who claimed to be me. Sounds like you’re quite the overachiever.”
The steam was practically coming out of Kat’s ears, and he found he quite liked her when she was angry. The flushed cheeks, the bright eyes, pursed lips...he imagined it wouldn’t be much different from how she’d look in the throes of passion. He could just envision her auburn hair across the pillowcase, her sharp nails digging into the flesh of his back...
“Of all the arrogant, insulting things you could say!” Kat sputtered for a moment, at a loss for words before she shook her head. “I was a damned fool to go down there that night. A fool to think that you could be reasoned with. All you rich people care about is your bottom line. The people here are just walking, talking rent payments to you. You don’t give a damn about what this place means to the tenants here. You don’t care about the community that’s grown here over the years, or how you’re going to destroy it to make a buck!”
Her anger suddenly wasn’t so attractive anymore and she was starting to rub Sawyer the wrong way. She wanted to know why he was doing what he was doing? Well, he was going to tell her. He closed the gap between them and spoke with cold, quiet anger, mere inches from her face. “And you don’t seem to care that the rent I’m currently collecting barely covers the utilities for this place. There certainly isn’t enough left over to do any repairs and it’s falling down around you.”
Sawyer pointed to the peeling plaster overhead. “That’s going to come crashing down on you sooner or later. The sewer lines are going to fail and flood the ground floor. That wood lathe of yours could overtax the electrical circuits at any moment and set the building on fire. Who is going to fix that? Who is going to pay for all that? The previous owner just ignored the place and cashed the checks. Sure, rent was cheap, but there’s a cost, and the building has paid the price for all of you. It’s your turn to pay up, and no amount of sweet-talking or seduction is going to change that.”
* * *
Kat was at a loss for words. It didn’t happen very often, but Sawyer seemed to be able to render her mute. Especially when he stood this close to her. Yes, his words were icy cold with restrained anger and frustration, but she could feel the heat radiating off his body. His words were just static noise in the background, with her pounding heart drowning out everything but its sensual rhythm. She knew she should take a step back, reclaim her personal space and counter his argument with more pointed words, but she couldn’t make herself do it. Her body wanted to move nearer and close the gap between them.
It was ridiculous. Foolish. But she couldn’t help but be confused whenever she was around Sawyer. She was haunted by memories of a night in a downtown hotel room...memories of a man who looked like Sawyer. A man she’d thought was Sawyer. Somehow it felt like the most natural thing in the world to reach out and touch him like she had before. Her libido couldn’t tell the difference between the two identical men.
But her brain knew. And it knew that was all a lie. Those memories, that man... It wasn’t Sawyer she remembered. And no matter how familiar those dark eyes or that dimpled smile, it wasn’t the same person. This man was a stranger. A stranger who intended to take away everything she held dear to make a buck. Sure, he wanted to make necessary improvements, but the fancy, downtown art scene he had in mind was a far cry from what the tenants truly needed. The necessary repairs weren’t the changes driving the rent out of the realm of possibility for most of the artists. It was the coffee shop, the concert venue, the paved parking lot and the high-end landscaping with dancing fountains.
It was a great response, exactly what she wanted to say, but the argument eluded her when Sawyer gazed at her this way. It wasn’t how Finn had looked at her. And yet it was the way she’d always wanted a man to look at her. Like he wanted to consume her, body and soul.
Even in his anger, Sawyer seemed almost as though he was on the verge of kissing her. A part of her wished he would, even if just to end this fight.
Okay, not just to end the fight.
Kat’s gaze met Sawyer’s. In the quiet stillness between them, they seemed to be even closer now. She could feel his breath softly brushing over her skin. Something had changed in the silence and it seemed that he noticed it, as well. It was almost an electricity.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked.
“What do you want me to—”
That’s when his lips pressed into hers and a warm tingle shot down her spine. His heat spread quickly through her veins, making her aware of every feverish beat of her heart. Kat didn’t pull away from Sawyer. She couldn’t even if she wanted to. Her body leaned into him instead, craving more even though it was the last thing she needed right now.
His arms slipped around her waist and pulled her tight against the hard wall of his body. It was then, with every inch of her curves molded against his hard angles, that Kat knew for certain appearances were deceiving. For one thing, Sawyer might look like Finn, but he certainly didn’t kiss like him. His twin might have the reputation of being a playboy, but Sawyer had obviously gone for quality over quantity where women were concerned. As he deepened the kiss, his tongue slid leisurely along her bottom lip as though he had all the time in the world to study every inch of her. It elicited a groan of pleasure deep in Kat’s throat—a sound she didn’t even know she could make until that moment.
This buttoned-up businessman was hiding a skilled lover beneath that boring exterior. And the longer he touched her, the more she wished that it really had been Sawyer Steele in her bed that night three months ago.
But it wasn’t.
The thought that was like a lightning bolt of reality. What the hell was she doing? Kissing Sawyer Steele when she wanted to marry his brother?
It took every ounce of determination she had, but she pulled away from his embrace and stepped back out of Sawyer’s sphere of influence. Once she got some distance between them again, it was easier to control her impulses and regain what little composure she had left.
This was the wrong Steele twin. They looked alike, but they acted very differently, and like it or not, Sawyer was not the one she needed in her life. Finn was her baby’s father. Kissing his brother did nothing but muddy the waters and make an already complicated situation even more so.
Kat covered her lips with her hand, hoping she could somehow wipe away the tingle that lingered there from Sawyer’s kiss. It didn’t work.
“Did I do something wrong?” Sawyer asked, seeming almost startled by her sudden retreat.
No. Somehow he’d done everything right. Yes, Finn was charming, but Sawyer had different powers that Kat couldn’t resist. “No, you didn’t. I just... I think that was probably a mistake.”
She watched Sawyer’s jaw flex and tighten as if he was holding something in. She wished he would just say it, but he didn’t seem like that kind of man. He knew when to use restraint, unlike his twin, who did or said whatever he wanted whenever he liked.
His gaze followed her hand as it dropped protectively to her belly on reflex. Then his eyes squeezed shut for a moment and he nodded. “You’re right. I overstepped.”
“You didn’t. We both—”
“No.” He held up his palm to halt any further argument from her. “It’s my fault. You’re having my brother’s child. There’s no excu
se for my behavior.”
“And my behavior is okay?” she asked. It had been only a moment since they kissed, and her memory still served her pretty well. Whether or not she should’ve been an active and enthusiastic participant, she was.
“It’s not your fault. You were attracted to my brother, obviously. I look exactly like him. I can imagine it’s confusing. It’s an easy mistake for you to make in the moment, feeling like you’re attracted to me when you’re not.” Sawyer stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a step backward.
“I’m not so blinded by desire as to not know who I was kissing. You two don’t look exactly alike,” Kat argued.
Sawyer hesitated a moment and shook his head. “We’re identical twins.”
Kat shook her head in turn. “Maybe genetically, but there are subtle differences. You’re mirror images of each other. Your dimple is on the opposite cheek from Finn’s. And your eyes...” Her voice drifted off. “There’s something there that I didn’t see in him.”
She wasn’t sure what it was yet. He was the more serious, responsible brother, but that wasn’t it. Beneath all that there was a kindness in Sawyer’s eyes. A softness when he looked at her that faded when he looked at anyone else. Finn’s eyes had reflected only desire. At the time, that had been enough. Now that she was hoping for a future and a family with Finn, she wished she would see more when she looked in his eyes.
More like she saw in Sawyer.
That was a dangerous thought. There was no way to go back in time and choose a different brother. No way to go back and stop this whole pregnancy from happening to begin with. She had made her bed, as her mother used to say. Now she had to lie in it. With Finn.
“I’d better go,” Sawyer said, as though he’d heard the thoughts in her head.
Before Kat could say another word, Sawyer Steele turned on his heel and vanished from her shop, leaving her more confused than she’d been when he arrived.
* * *
Well, that hadn’t gone the way he’d intended. It had started out well enough, but kissing Kat was one of the dumbest things he’d ever done. This woman was his nemesis at the District. She was having his brother’s baby through potentially nefarious means. She couldn’t be trusted.
And yet, he’d done it anyway.
Sawyer walked quickly out of the building, trying to ignore the disgusted looks from the tenants as he went by. They knew exactly who he was with his expensive suit and his dark sunglasses. He was the one who was ruining everything.
As he stepped outside into the summer sun, he could finally breathe again. As hot as it was in the parking lot, the old building was stifling without air conditioning and only a few old windows for a cross breeze. He didn’t know how anyone could work here in the summer. That was number one on his list of things to fix, and if he was a tenant here, he’d be happy to pay more not to sweat to death.
As he climbed into his Audi, his cell phone rang and his brother’s number came up on the screen. “Finn,” he said as he answered.
“Twin,” Finn responded. “How are things going at home?”
“Hmm...let’s see... Our parents are badgering me relentlessly about the mystery woman at the wedding. Grandma Ingrid is home from Europe for good. Oh, and it turns out the mother of your child is the one trying to shut down my District renovations.”
“Really? That must’ve been why she kept asking me about it that night. I dodged the questions because I didn’t know the answers.”
It would’ve been nice if his brother had bothered to mention the inquisitive woman from the party three months ago. “Yes, apparently she came there looking for me to talk about changing my plans. Sleeping with you was just a...”
“Bonus?” Finn suggested.
“I was going to say mistake, but use whatever word you like.”
“I’ve been talking to my lawyers. They recommend coming in with a high offer to keep things quiet, so they’re working on a package now.”
Sawyer was surprised his brother was moving so quickly with his attorneys. He’d asked his future brother-in-law, Harley Dalton, to run a background check on her, but the report wasn’t back yet. “This seems awfully premature. Are you sure you want to do that before you know if the baby is yours?”
“Well, actually, that’s why I’m calling. I could use your help. They can do a prenatal paternity test with a blood sample from the mother and the father. But to speed things along, it would help if you could pop by the lab and do that for me.”
Sawyer shook his head in the empty cab of his SUV. “Are you serious?”
“Come on, for a standard paternity test, we share all the same markers as identical twins. It’s not a murder case, it’s a baby, so unless you’ve slept with her, too, your DNA would be enough to determine if I’m the father. Doing the testing in China and trying to send the sample to the States would be a hassle and would take forever. This can’t wait until I get back either.”
“Finn...”
“Please. I’ve got an appointment all set up if you can swing by. I’ll text you the lab address. Just donate some blood and I’ll handle the rest. I just need to know for certain before I tell Mom and Dad.”
Somehow Sawyer doubted that Finn would be handling much of anything. “When is the appointment?”
“This afternoon at three.”
Sawyer glanced at the console of his car. It was almost two, so Finn expected him to drop everything for him, per usual. “You have no idea how much you owe me for this, Finn.”
“If it’s a boy, we’ll name him after you,” Finn offered brightly.
In irritation, Sawyer hit the button to hang up the phone. “You’re welcome,” he snapped as he drove the car out of the District parking lot and headed for the lab.
Four
Kat came home to find a FedEx package on her doorstep. She hadn’t ordered anything, so when she picked up the envelope, she eyed the return address with curiosity.
Carson, Turner and Leeds. Attorneys at Law.
Lovely. She’d been expecting this package since someone from the lawyer’s office called and asked her to take a paternity test. She’d complied but thought perhaps she might actually speak to Finn before she received anything else from them. Guess not.
With a sigh, she carried it in and let the hand-carved wooden door to the piazza swing shut behind her. Dumping her things onto the nearest patio chair, she sat down on the chaise and looked at the envelope again. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the tab to open it and removed the contents.
A thick pouch of paperwork slid out, clamped together with a heavy-duty binder clip. Her eyes scanned the cover letter, but it was what she expected. Finn’s first volley in the legal battle ahead. She could’ve saved him a lot of time if he’d just called her instead of running to his attorneys at the first word of a child.
Flipping through, she eyed the paragraph about the paternity test results—surprise, it was Finn’s baby. Then she moved on to the topics of shared custody arrangements, monthly financial support, a trust fund for the baby, and even an offer to purchase and maintain a residence for them both. To say that Finn was being generous was an understatement. She was stunned by the numbers she was seeing. He wasn’t a man to walk away from his responsibility, but was the kind willing to pay enough to keep everyone quiet and happy. This was more than she ever expected. And absolutely nothing she wanted.
Maybe she was stupid and naive to hope for more, but she did. Not just a weekend daddy and a big check for her child. She wanted a family. A real, legitimate family. If she had to choose her future husband from a catalog, no, Finn wouldn’t be the one she would pick, but she had to play the hand Fate had dealt her.
Hearing her cell phone ringing inside her purse, Kat tossed aside the paperwork with disgust and reached for it. It wasn’t a number she recognized, or even a local number, but she answered, figuring a telemarke
ter might be a welcome distraction.
“Hello?” she answered with a heavy sigh.
“Um, Katherine?” a man’s voice asked with uncertainty. “Kat?”
“Yes?” It wasn’t a telemarketer. They never called her Kat. Only her friends and family called her by that name. She pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the number again. It wasn’t local. It wasn’t even a US number, from the looks of it.
“This is Finn Steele,” she heard, as she pressed the phone back against her ear.
“Oh.”
That wasn’t what she expected to say. Or what she’d planned to say once she finally got in touch with the father of her child, but that was what came out. “I got the love letter you sent.”
“The what?”
“The offer from your attorneys.”
“Oh.” Finn chuckled nervously. “I was hoping it hadn’t arrived yet. I wanted to talk to you first and let you know it was coming, but my lawyer is more efficient than I expected for someone paid by the hour.”
“I’m sure he has a standard template he uses for all his rich clients and their pregnant mistresses.” Kat couldn’t help the bitter tone from leeching into her voice. She even winced at the sound of it, compared to Finn’s friendly, conversational tone. No matter what, being ugly to him wouldn’t help matters. Slapping Sawyer certainly hadn’t. “I’m sorry,” she stated, when he didn’t respond. “It’s the pregnancy hormones. And calling me just as I was reading the legal paperwork didn’t tip things in your favor.”
“What’s wrong with it? Patrick said he was going to put together a very generous offer.”
“It was. Very generous. Maybe too generous, under the circumstances. I can’t help but feel like you’re trying to sweep us under the rug. You can’t write a check and make this all go away, Finn. This isn’t a fender bender. It’s a child. Our child. And it deserves a family.”
There was a long silence on the line. Kat was tempted to keep talking, but stopped herself. It was the truth and he needed to hear it, understand it, and respond accordingly. So she waited for him to answer.
From Seduction To Secrets (Switched! Book 3) Page 4
