“You lied,” she whispered, her breath ruffling the hair covering the tops of his ears.
He was dying inside. So hard he ached, he couldn’t think straight. A part of him warned him to back off, but the other part puffed up by male ego, champagne, and sexual desire, couldn’t stop fantasizing. He wondered what she would do if he rubbed up against her, let his hand slip beneath the black fabric of her dress. What would happen if he slowly let his mouth and tongue wander down the delicate column of her throat?
As if she understood his need, she lolled her head to one side, exposing more of her white skin, showing off just a little more of her gorgeous bosom.
“Mind if I cut in?” Witt’s voice seemed to reverberate through the ballroom and Zachary started, dropping his hands guiltily. He tried to put some distance between his body and Kat’s but she held him close.
Turning slumberous eyes toward her husband, her lips twisted into a wicked grin, she whispered, “Thought you’d never ask.”
Witt’s face was flushed. His eyes thinned on his rebellious son as Zachary took a step back and London, who was still clinging to her father, was plopped into Zach’s empty arms. “Stay away from the champagne,” Witt said. “It would be a hell of an embarrassment if Jack had to arrest you here. Now, give London a spin on the floor and ask one of the Kramer girls to dance—they’ve been watching you all night.”
Gulping, Zachary wished he could knock the old man’s lights out. When he glanced at Kat she was laughing, her eyes twinkling with naughty amusement. At his expense. His fingers clenched into fists and if it wasn’t for the fact that he was holding London, he might have made an already ugly situation worse. It was as if his father and stepmother had conspired together to make him look a fool.
His shoulders tensed and heat surged up the back of his neck to spread through his face. Though several girls in expensive dresses were trying to capture his attention, Zach didn’t even give them the time of day. He handed London to her nanny, and wished he could hit something…anything.
Ripping his tie from his neck, he wanted nothing more than to leave the goddamned hotel and cool off. Spoiling for a fight, he left the dance floor. How could he have been such a fool? How? Because of Kat. Damn the woman! His fists curled in angry impotence. He had to get out of here.
Jason, drink in hand, found Zach insolently leaning a shoulder against one of the pillars near the door as he plotted his escape. “Don’t let her get to you,” Jason advised.
“Who?”
“Kat.” Sipping his drink—bourbon straight up—Jason smiled.
“What do you mean?” Zach asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
Jason snorted and cocked his head toward the dance floor. “I saw that little exhibition.”
Mortified, Zach gritted his teeth.
“Christ, she can be a bitch.” Jason raked an impatient hand through his thick, chestnut-colored hair. “I know what she’s up to, saw her coming on to you. She damned near laid down and spread her legs right in the middle of the dance floor.” He took a swallow of his drink and stared at Kat and Witt. “It’s some sort of game with her.”
A muscle worked in Zach’s jaw. He felt the angry tic and couldn’t control it.
“She did it on purpose, you know. Decided you needed putting in your place, which, I might add, she did.”
“I hate her.”
“Don’t we all?” Jason replied, his eyes following his stepmother as she danced. “But she might just be the most incredibly sexy woman on this planet. I wonder what she’s like in bed.”
“I don’t want to know.” Zachary scowled and refused to look at the object of their discussion.
“Sure you do. Every man here would like a little piece of the Kat.” He flung a brotherly arm over Zach’s shoulders. “But she doesn’t play her games with them. No way. For some reason she’s picked you to toy with. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she might have her sights set on you.”
“Oh, Jesus! No way!” Zach said, though his heart skipped a beat.
“I’m not so sure. She sure hasn’t come on to me like she just did with you and I’ve seen her, when she thinks no one’s watching. The way she looks at you. Christ, it’s hot.”
“Stop it.”
“But you can’t mess with her. If Dad ever found out—”
“Cut it out, Jason,” Zach said, suddenly anxious. First Kat and now his brother. “I’m not going to mess with her.”
Jason lifted a shoulder. “Everyone’s always said you were different—I guess Kat just wants to find out if it’s true.”
“God, Jason, listen to what you’re saying! No, don’t! It’s sick.”
“You know what you need to do?”
Zach didn’t answer.
“Go out and get laid.” Leaning closer to Zach, he pointed a finger at a swarm of teenaged girls, their makeup and hairstyles right out of Seventeen magazine. Compared to Katherine they seemed young and gawky and…desperate. “But not with Kat. Like I said, the old man would tan your hide if he found out. But Alicia Kramer is so hot for you she can barely stand it. I’ll bet she’s creaming all over herself just looking at you.”
“Stop it!” Zach hissed, but Jason laughed, obviously pleased that he’d gotten such a violent reaction.
“I’m telling you, sliding into her would be like sticking it into hot pudding.”
“For Christ’s sake, cut it out!” Zach slid a glance in Alice’s direction and caught her hopeful gaze. She was a petite girl with big boobs and a bad complexion she disguised with thick makeup. Her teeth were straight, compliments of the braces she’d worn for two years. She wasn’t bad looking. She giggled and blushed when she caught Zach’s eye. But Zach wasn’t interested in the daughter of some big-shot banker. No way. Compared to Kat, Alicia seemed like a child.
“She’s so horny she can barely keep her dress on. Look, I can tell you from my own experience that the Kramer girls are definitely hot-blooded. My guess is Alicia will give you a ride you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”
“No thanks,” Zach replied.
“I’m telling you, little brother, it’s time. I can hook you up with—”
“Forget it, Jason.”
Jason grabbed his arm. “Really, Zach. I know how you feel, like a powder keg ready to explode, and believe me, you can only take it so long.” His voice lowered a little. “There’s a girl I know…well, a woman, really. She…well, she knows just what to do to make a man feel good. She’s expecting me tonight.”
“A hooker? Are you talking about a hooker?” Zach demanded, shocked, yet a little intrigued. Did Jason really know a prostitute? Holy shit!
Jason took his arm and steered him to a quiet corner of the room, far away from the guests and the linen-clad tables of food and drink. “Now, just listen. This girl, Sophia, she’s…well, believe me, you’ll like her. She’s a good person.”
Zach snorted. “Good people don’t sell their bodies.”
“She’s not a streetwalker. In fact, she does this because she likes it. She’s always ready.”
“Oh, God—”
“She’s pretty and clean and will only do what you want to do. You can fuck her brains out if you want to, or, if you’d rather just talk…she’ll listen. Really. It’s up to you.” Jason’s voice was filled with brotherly concern.
Zach knew he should walk away, but he couldn’t. An honest-to-goodness hooker. Waiting for Jason? A hooker who would just listen?
“I know you and I don’t always see eye-to-eye, but this time, for the love of Christ, listen to me. You need a woman. Bad. And it can’t be Kat.” Frowning slightly, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a room key, and pressed the cool metal into Zachary’s sweating palm. “Three blocks down. The Orion Hotel. Sophia. Don’t worry about money. It’s all been arranged.”
“I don’t want—”