Almost Like Love(5)

Kate patted her shoulder. “Comic-Con wasn’t so bad. You said you got some great costume ideas there.”

“I also got propositioned by some very weird people.”

“You get propositioned everywhere.”

Simone grinned at her. “Tonight I think you’re the one who’s going to get—”

She stopped short, staring at something over Kate’s right shoulder. Wondering if Comic Book Guy had changed his mind about the bathroom break, Kate turned her head to look behind her.

For a moment she thought she was seeing things. She didn’t usually drink hard liquor—maybe the alcohol in her system was making her hallucinate. Why else would she be seeing Ian Hart, the man responsible for cancelling her show? The universe couldn’t be so perverse as to put her face-to-face with her archnemesis tonight, could it?

“Kate,” he said, and she was forced to acknowledge that this was reality.

“I don’t like you,” she heard herself say.

Damn. She should have gone with something much stronger. Something like, “I’m going to reach down your throat, pull out your beating heart, and feed it to my cat.” That’s what Red Sonja would say.

Or would if she had cats, which she probably didn’t.

Ian winced. “I know I’m not your favorite person right now.”

“You should be her favorite person,” Simone said, sliding off her barstool. “You’re my favorite person, and I don’t even know you.”

Kate glared at her. “Simone, this is Ian Hart.”

Her friend’s eyes widened. “The evil bastard with no soul?”

“In the flesh.”

Simone looked him over. “I was picturing someone less . . . yummy.”

“The devil comes disguised as a gorgeous man.”

Ian’s eyebrows went up, and she could have kicked herself. She’d meant to insult him, and instead she’d called him gorgeous.

Which he was, unfortunately. It was one of the most annoying things about him.

She could still remember the first time she’d seen him, almost two years ago now. In the blissful minutes before she’d known who he was, she’d figured he had to be an actor, even though he was dressed like a corporate suit.

He was too good-looking to be anything else. He was well over six feet tall and had a perfect body, but it was his face that made a woman struggle not to drool. Rugged features framed by dark hair, and a smile that—

A smile that concealed a microscopic heart. Ian put a price tag on everything, and the only value he recognized was monetary. In Kate’s eyes, he was the very definition of evil.

It wasn’t fair that a man she despised so much should be so damn hot.

He looked even hotter than usual tonight, curse him. She’d never seen him dressed so casually before. He was wearing jeans and a worn leather jacket, and with his dark hair all tousled and a little rough stubble on his jaw, he looked good enough to eat.

The smug, insufferable bastard.

She folded her arms. “Go away, Hart. I’m trying to enjoy myself.”

He sighed. “I know you’re not thrilled to see me, Kate. But I came over here with good intentions.”

“Really.”

“Yeah. I’m not going to let you make a stupid mistake just because you had a bad day.”

For the first time since he’d come over here, his eyes dropped to her cleavage. It was only a second before his eyes were riveted to her face again, but a flash of heat went from her toes to the top of her head.

She was more than a little tipsy, and she’d been concentrating on a) not punching Ian in the face and b) not letting him know she thought he was sexy. Because of that, she’d actually forgotten what she herself was wearing.

What must Ian be thinking right now?

Not that she gave a damn what he thought. Red Sonja never had any qualms about putting herself out there, did she? She used her unique fashion sense to say to the world, This is my body. I use it to crush my foes.

Instead of hunching her shoulders or slouching down, Kate stood up straighter. In her heels she was almost eye to eye with this particular foe.

“I didn’t have a bad day, Hart. I had an apocalyptic day. The kind of day that entitles a woman to make a stupid mistake.” She paused a moment. “Just to clarify, though—what stupid mistake are we talking about?”

“Going home with Arthur.”

“Arthur? Who’s Arthur?”

“The guy you were just talking to.”

Comic Book Guy?

Kate shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no. I’m not going home with him. He’s great, but we have too much in common. And he’s too sweet.”

Ian stared at her. “Too sweet?”