by Sabrina York
“Aw, come on, Katherine.” He tried to edge a little closer but she resisted.
She remembered what Savage had told her and the thought of Jack having any kind of designs upon her person was, well, untenable. The last thing she wanted to do was encourage his interest.
But apparently breathing was enough to encourage his interest. As the music swelled, he spun her around and in the process drew her closer until she was nearly up against him, close enough to feel his…his… Oh dear.
And then he grabbed her ass.
Adam wended his way through the knot of partygoers at the door of the banquet hall and greeted Shannon and Sara, who were handing out name tags to employees and their dates. “Beautiful evening.”
He made a quick scan of the crowd for Kat as he headed to the bar for a drink. He’d been thinking of nothing but her all afternoon, pondering their dilemma. And he’d hit on a solution. It was perfect. It would allow them to continue seeing each other in a way that wouldn’t affect her career or his. They could be together every day and every night for as long as they both should live…and it would make Tristan happy.
Heaven knew, that was critical at this point.
Something about Adam’s relationship with Kat had put Tristan in a nasty mood. It couldn’t be that Tristan harbored a secret passion for Kat, could it? Adam scoped out the growing crowd, searching for his brother as he waited for his drink. He spotted Tristan leaning against a column by the plate-glass windows that opened out on the valley below.
The expression on his face made Adam freeze. Tristan was staring at something across the room. Adam followed his gaze and suddenly, everything fell into place. Well, nearly everything.
Tristan was watching Sara and Shannon as they laughed and chatted with the newcomers. The burning expression in his eyes made it clear he wanted one of them but his own rule—thou shalt not fish in the company pond—made such a liaison impossible.
No wonder Tristan was so annoyed Adam had found his passion swimming in that pond.
Adam wondered which of the women was his brother’s Achilles’ heel but the mention of Kat’s name in a nearby conversation captured his attention, and his curiosity over his brother’s love life dissipated in a flash. He narrowed his focus on Kenny and Billy.
“Oh, yeah.” Kenny crossed his arms and snorted. “It’s done.”
“You really think he’s going to seal the deal tonight?”
“The bet is all but won. I mean, she’s dancing with him, isn’t she?”
Billy shrugged. “I dunno. Lots of girls have danced with me but I’ve still never gotten laid.”
“Dude. Totally don’t tell anyone that.”
“Dude,” Billy agreed. “But still—”
“Look at them out there.” Kenny jerked his head toward the dance floor.
Adam followed Kenny’s nod and his heart stopped—literally stopped—in his chest. There was Kat in Jack’s arms. And Jack’s filthy, miserable, wormy fingers were on her ass.
He choked on his own breath, frozen with fury at the sight of another man’s hands on Kat’s luscious butt. He saw red as the urge to march over to Jack and Kat and rip them apart possessed him. And then maybe rip Jack apart.
Why was she dancing with him? How could she allow him to touch her so intimately? What on earth was she thinking?
Memories of Betsy roiled, making his knees shake. Agonizing emotions battered his soul.
Could it be that Kat was really like Betsy after all?
He couldn’t accept that, refused to believe that, but the proof was right there before his eyes. The woman he had fucked so thoroughly that afternoon was in another man’s arms, allowing him to paw her posterior.
He got a hold of himself, his rage, quickly, and took a quick swallow of his drink. Kat wasn’t like that. She wasn’t. And besides…that was Jack.
Even as his sanity returned, he saw Kat forcibly remove Jack’s death grip on the globes of her ass.
She said something to him, something accompanied by a furious frown, but Jack laughed and pulled her closer again. His hands came around and clasped, once more, on a bit of real estate Adam considered his own private property.
Yeah, he thought. He was definitely going to kill Jack. But before Adam could take a breath, before he could say anything, before he could take Jack to task or do him bodily harm, Kat did it for him. She pulled back and with the lethal spire of her high heels—the heels he’d given her, he noticed with a rush of possessive pleasure—she ruthlessly gored Jack’s instep.
A yelp resounded through the room and Kat’s move had the desired effect. Jack let go of her and staggered back. Then Kat, regal and proud, swept from the dance floor.
“Dude,” Billy breathed. “Jack is totally not winning that bet tonight.”
Adam glared at the two interns. “He’s not winning that bet any night.” He slammed his drink down on the table and followed after Kat.
He found her outside the front doors, her flushed face tipped up to the cool breeze.
“That was interesting,” he said in a soft purr.
Kat spun around. Her mouth dropped open. It was a pretty sight. “Adam. You came.”
“It is my party.”
She smiled. God, she was something when she smiled. “I wasn’t sure. After this afternoon and all.”
“I was an ass.”
“I was an idiot.” They both spoke at the same time.
He smiled. “What a pair we make.”
“We are a pair.”
They gazed at each other through the velvet shadows. A soft zephyr tangled with the skeins of his hair and teased the fringe on her hem. The stars were out, he noticed. She outshone them all.
“Kat…” Emotion ravaged his voice.
This was it.
She was here and he was here and the night was perfect.
The only thing lacking was a ring but he could take care of that detail later.
“Yes, Adam?”
Gazing into her eyes, he took her hand. “Will you—”
“Oh, there you are.” Jack’s brash voice completely shattered the moment. Adam rounded on him with a dark glower. Jack, perilously unaware of how close he was to death, continued. “We didn’t get to finish our dance.”
Kat frowned and set her fists on her hips. Adam could see how annoyed she was but obviously Jack could not. “Our dance is finished.”
Uh oh. She used that tone.
“But you promised me a dance. That means a whole dance.”
“Our dance is over.”
Jack frowned and narrowed his eyes. “If you don’t give me the dance you owe me, maybe I’ll just tell Adam here why you promised me a dance in the first place.” He folded his arms over his chest and favored Kat with a smug look.
Kat smiled just as smugly. “Fine. Go right ahead.”
Jack blinked, his arrogance slipping just a tad. “He’s your boss, Katherine. Think about this.”
“Tell him.”
“I’ll do it. Don’t think I won’t.”
Kat glanced at Adam, who was watching this byplay with amused interest. “Go right ahead.”
Jack stomped his foot on the ground and pouted. “That’s not fair. You promised me a dance and you only gave me half a dance.”
“You grabbed my ass,” Kat reminded him.
Jack seemed genuinely confused. “But that’s part of dancing.”
“Only for guys who want to get smacked,” Adam murmured in an aside.
“I didn’t like it.” This, Kat said rather gently in Adam’s opinion. “I told you I didn’t like it and you did it anyway. That’s not the way you treat a woman.”
“But I thought you liked it rough.” Jack’s bald statement caused both Adam and Kat to blanch.
Her eyes met his, limned with horror and mortification. His heart lurched. He knew what she was thinking and it wasn’t true. He’d never said anything to anyone about their risqué love play. And he never would.
He stepped forward and sn
apped, “Where the hell did you get an idea like that?”
Jack stepped back, probably intimidated a little by Adam’s vehemence. Okay, probably intimidated a lot. “Well, Stan, of course.” His eyes flicked from the right to the left, as though he was searching for an escape.
“Stan?” Adam searched his memory to match a face with the name. Then he had him. A short, skinny kid with a raft of pimples sprinkled over his countenance. “And what did Stan tell you?”
“It was that vest, you know, the one she wore the other day? Jesus, Adam. Back up, will you?”
“What about the vest?” Kat spoke with deliberate softness, the way a woman did when she was trying to keep one guy from ripping another guy’s face off.
“Um, yeah.” Jack sidled away from Adam toward Kat. “That vest came from a boutique Stan knows. They specialize in, well, submissive clothing.”
Kat’s jaw dropped. “I had no idea.”
“It’s Sara’s vest,” Adam snapped.
“Really?” Jack blinked several times in rapid succession. “Dude. Sara? Huh. Imagine that.” Distracted by this new information, he sidled toward the restaurant—apparently intent on searching for Sara.
Kat called him back. “Oh, Jack?”
“Um, yeah?”
“Isn’t Stan the guy who convinced you I was a lesbian?”
He answered with a slow, “Yeah.”
“Well, he was wrong about that. He may be wrong about this too. And by the way, if you’re going to approach Sara, be a gentleman, will you?”
“Oh, sure.” Jack nodded vehemently and hightailed it into the restaurant.
Kat watched him go. She smiled at Adam. “So. Where were we?”
“Finding a more private place.” He led her farther into the shadows, around one wing of the restaurant into a moonlit garden. They could hear the music and low rumble of conversation from the banquet hall, along with the occasional laugh and tinkle of ice in glasses, but the garden, nestled in the “L” of the building, was private.
“It’s lovely.” She gazed out across the moon-kissed plants and stones to a small pond and gazebo in the distance.
Adam nodded his assent but he wasn’t taking in the view. His eyes were fixed on Kat. She caught his expression and blushed.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said on a breath.
She reached up to adjust his lapel—though it was perfect as it was. “You’re quite handsome yourself.” Their eyes met. They shared a smile.
With great effort, Adam tamed the demons clamoring within him. All he wanted was to take her in his arms and kiss her. But they had something to discuss. Something important.
“Are you going to tell me what Jack has over you?” The curiosity was killing him.
Kat quirked a brow. “Are you sure you want to know?”
He stared at her in silence, just taking in her beauty, wrestling with the emotions swirling in his gut…and he grinned. A year ago, hell, a month ago, his jealousy would have torn him apart. There was just something about Katherine Hart that put him at ease, something that made him feel safe with her.
Perhaps it was the enthusiasm with which she approached their lovemaking or knowing she never, ever, looked at another man with lust in her eyes. Or perhaps it was her aura, so loving and warm and calm, or that she’d told him, straight-out, she didn’t see the point of marrying someone if you didn’t intend to be faithful. Whatever it was, he had no doubts about her. None at all.
“Absolutely, I want to know.”
“Well,” she said playfully. “It seems the company I work for has a very advanced VoIP system.”
“Is that so?” His lips twitched as he recalled some of the fun he’d had with that program.
“Yes. And someone—who shall remain nameless—demanded I get a hold of a copy of that program.”
“I see.”
“So I went to Jack. I asked him for a copy and he gave me a beta of the new version.”
“And you promised him a dance.”
“I was rather desperate. I mean, I was getting carpal tunnel in one wrist.” Her smile warmed a cold place in his heart. “Can you ever forgive me? If it’s any consolation, it was a miserable dance.”
Adam chuckled and pulled her into his arms. “There’s nothing to forgive. Although I did go a little primal when I saw his hands on your ass.” He slipped his hands down the satin of her dress and gently cupped the same two slopes.
Kat murmured in pleasure and went up on her tiptoes to nibble on his neck. “You taste good.”
“You smell divine.” He leaned in to suck on her earlobe. As he grazed, he reveled in the feel of her against him. It didn’t take long for his passion to rise. “God, I want you.”
She rubbed her hips against his, even as she whispered, “Not here.”
His hunger sharpened. “No one’s watching.”
“Umm. I know. But Adam, we should talk.”
He frowned a little. “The last time we talked we got into a fight.”
“I know. But I wanted to talk to you about that. I found a solution to our problem.”
“Really?” He smiled, stroking her back, moving her surreptitiously out of the moonlight and into the shadow of the building. He leaned closer and pressed against her. She gasped at the incontrovertible proof of his arousal. “So did I.” He bent his head to nuzzle her ear until she shivered. “You go first.”
She hissed as his tongue danced into the bell of her ear. He loved the way it felt when she arched against him. “Oh, Adam. Yes.”
“Hmm. I like your idea.”
She turned her head—so he couldn’t continue such delightful torture—and fixed him with a scolding expression. “Behave.”
His palm skimmed down her thigh and back up, on the underside of her dress.
“I am behaving,” he insisted. “Tell me your idea.”
“Are you listening or… Adam!” She shuddered as he danced closer to the damp heat of her center.
“I’m listening.”
“Okay. Here’s my idea. Monday, I’m going to call Parkinson–Whitney.”
Adam’s hands stilled, along with his heart. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “What?”
“It’s perfect. They wanted to hire me three years ago. I’m sure the offer will still be good. I saw Charles Whitney at a conference last year and he asked me if I was interested in making a change.”
“You’re not leaving.” Adam’s fingers clenched on her thigh. All passion evaporated in a wave of panic. She couldn’t leave. God. No.
“But it will solve everything. We can continue seeing each other. I’ll just work elsewhere.”
“No.”
“What?”
“No. No. No. God. No. For one thing, Tristan would kill me if I let you leave.”
“Tristan? He has nothing to do with this.”
“More than that, it would kill me not to see you every day. No.”
“But Adam…”
“But nothing. I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”
“Your argument doesn’t make any sense. If I go to work for Parkinson–Whitney, you won’t lose me.”
“The company would lose you. Tristan would lose you.”
“I don’t care about Tristan. Will you stop talking about Tristan?”
“What do you care about?”
“I care about you, Adam. If I have to choose between my job and you, I choose you.”
Her words sent a shaft of hope through him. “My idea is better.”
“All right.” She sighed. “What’s your idea?”
“Marry me.”
“What? Adam, that’s crazy. We’ve only been seeing each other a week.”
“Wrong. We’ve been seeing each other for two years. And ‘dating’ for over a month.”
“What?”
“Our online conversations were more intimate than any you or I have ever had. And you know it. I know you better than I ever knew Betsy when I married her. What’s more, I trust you
, Kat.”
“Those aren’t valid reasons to get married. For heaven’s sake, Adam—”
“Come on, Kat. It makes perfect sense. This way, you and I can see each other every day and sleep together every night. And no one—especially Jack—would dare to write you into a macro.”
“Write me into a… What are you talking about?”
He frowned. “Never mind about that. Just say you’ll marry me.”
“Adam.” She fit her palm to the contours of his cheek. Stroked him with her thumb. “People don’t get married because they know each other or trust each other or even because they want to see each other every day.”
“I know. There’s more to it than that.”
“What?”
“Don’t you know?”
She dropped her eyes, shook her head. “No.”
He tipped her face back up and looked her directly in the eye. “I love you, Kat.”
She didn’t respond. Not at all. Her expression was blank. Panic was beginning to roil in his gut when she finally spoke. Through stiff lips, she whispered, “Are you sure?”
He nodded, watching every emotion flit across her face. “I love you. I adore you. I want you every moment of the day. But there’s more than that. I feel at home in your arms. Can you understand that?”
“Yes.” A brilliant smile unlike any he’d ever seen flooded her face. She stood on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss on his lips. “I do. I feel the same way, Adam. I love you too. Madly.”
Halle-frickin’-lujah.
Joy and relief and a powerful surge of lust swelled within him and he swept her into his arms for a long, passionate kiss. “Thank God we have that settled.”
His hand skated back up her thigh, where he had unimpeded access to her crotch. He realized, with a shock to his system, she was wearing the thong he’d given her. And it was wet.
His cock snapped to attention.
“Oh, it’s not completely settled.” Kat sent him a mischievous glance, reaching down to mold the bulge she’d created.
He hissed through his teeth as a shudder racked him. “What do you mean?”
She licked her lips and tightened her grip, nearly bringing him to his knees. “I’ll marry you under one condition.”
