The Dirty Series 1(16)

He gives Marie a roguish smile. “We just stopped to see your collection, Marie. We're on our way out.”

Marie's eyes twinkle in the lamplight. “Is that so? Well, I won't keep you. It was so nice of you to come to my little party. I'll let you know about the next one.”

She's at his side, kissing his cheek and then mine while I stand there dumbly, my heart pounding in my chest. I feel like a teenager who just got caught in her parents' couch.

Suddenly my head is throbbing with the champagne, with the incredible risk of doing this with Jax, with the overwhelming fear that I've missed a call from Sandra, I've missed something I was supposed to be doing, and everything I've worked for could crumble to ashes.

As soon as we're out the front door and back in the summer heat, I shake my head to clear it of the last of the champagne. I don't want to, but I put a little distance between me and Jax. This can't go any further.

The valet brings his car around and Jax opens my door for me. “Come home with me.” His voice is full of authority, of command, and I want more than anything to give in.

I can’t do it.

The heat between us—the overwhelming, agonizing, molten heat—is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. But Jax doesn’t want me for his girlfriend, no matter how skilled he is at flirting, at breaking down my defenses. He’s looking for a quick fuck, a plaything, and I can’t risk a broken heart…or my job.

“It's late,” I say, as firmly as I can. “Please take me home.”

His jaw juts forward, but he doesn't argue.

It's the right decision.

So why am I so crushed?





Chapter Eleven





Jax



It’s been years since a woman turned me down.

Years.

My instinct is to press her—I know she’ll cave if I sweet talk her a little more—but I don’t. I can’t believe, after the day we had, that she didn’t immediately agree.

Instead, I sit two feet away from her in silence as I drive her as quickly as I can back to her building in Manhattan.

It’s not a comfortable ride.

We’ve been so close all evening that the distance between us seems cavernous, and Cate draws herself away from me, her body curled against the door.

I hate it.

But after she’s disappeared behind the lobby doors of her building, it’s agony.

I thought taking her to this party, getting to know her a little, kissing those lips just once—I thought it would be enough to get her off my mind. To prove to myself that I’m not missing anything.

All it proved was that she’s the sweetest thing I ever tasted.

The way she tested me against the library shelves, then relented, letting me have my way with her while I made her mouth mine—fuck. The memory of it has my cock straining painfully against my pants.

I don’t know why I thought that some shitty dieting advice would apply to this situation. Giving in to a moderate amount of my craving has backfired spectacularly.

Back at my penthouse, I pace the living room floor and run my hands through my hair. I can’t stand to turn on the television, to have any distraction.

I have to see Cate again.

My cock twitches at the thought of her face.

Any other man would call her, apologize for whatever it was that happened at the end of the evening, and ask her on a second date.

The issue is that Cate isn’t interested in dating. I got the impression today that being Sarzó’s assistant is everything to her. It was an impulse decision, coming with me, the same way inviting her was a crazy impulse on my part.

I can hardly admit it to myself, but she’s not like other women.

This is not a game to me.

I need to see her.

My entire body burns with it.

I just need a reason.

An excuse.

If I’m right, Cate spends almost all of her waking hours at the Basiqué offices catering to Sarzó’s every whim.

That’s where I need to be.

The idea comes to me slowly. I get into the shower and wash the party off of me, watching the soap spiral down the drain. Bit by bit, a plan forms in my mind.

It’ll seem ridiculous to anyone on the outside. I’m a billionaire businessman—it’s the kind of thing I normally wouldn’t dirty my hands with.

But it’ll get me closer to Cate.

I’m going to do it.

I towel off quickly and head back out into the cool dark of my bedroom, snatching up my phone from the bedside table. Even while I tell myself Don’t get in over your head, Hunter, my fingers work the keyboard.

I send a series of emails that set everything in motion.

By tomorrow, I’ll be by Cate’s side.

And this time, I’ll be the one in control.





Chapter Twelve





Cate



“What happened to you yesterday?” Carl steps back three paces and drops his hands to his sides. He’s barely sweating. I’m not much of a challenge this morning. My head feels heavy from so much champagne and heat, and a tight knot of disappointment weighs down my stomach.