❦Jason ❦

I felt the rush of desire that shot through me as I took in the sight before me. Kate looked so beautiful that all I could do was stare. The dress clung to her body, enhancing her curves and the deep V neck flashed the curves of her breasts.

When I had called my personal stylist earlier and told him what I needed, he had several designer labels delivered straight to the mansion. As soon as I saw the short dress, I knew it was the perfect choice for her and I was right.

But despite, how stunning she looked in that, I was filled with the sudden need to tear it off her so that she was wearing nothing but those fuck-me shoes.

"The dress fits." Kate gave me a nervous smile and I realized I was making her uneasy by staring.

"I can see that." I cleared my throat. "You look amazing." Amazing didn't even begin to describe how she looked but that was all my brain could come up with.

"Thanks. So do you." A delicious blush was creeping up her face and she hastily looked away.

Tearing my gaze away from her, I pulled out a long velvet case from my pocket. " I figured you'd need jewelry." The case contained a Burmese ruby and diamond necklace with matching earrings. "And don't worry, it's not silver."

She looked shocked. "You remember?"

"Of course." I said simply. I remembered almost everything she told me six years ago, including the fact that she was allergic to silver. "Turn around."

She hesitated but did as I asked. Closing the distance between us, I gently drew her hair aside exposing her neck. As my fingers brushed against the sensitive skin, I heard the sharp intake of her breath. Ignoring the urge to pull her against me, I quickly fastened the clasp of the necklace around her neck.

"Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful. Thank you." Her voice sounded strained.

I looked up, watching us in the mirror in front of us. Through the reflection, our gazes met and I nearly growled with need when I saw the look on her face. Her face was flushed with unmistakable arousal.

I knew I should step away from her but I couldn't move. And neither did she. Keeping our eyes locked through the mirror, I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against me.

She gasped at the contact, her body going tense. Not wanting to give her a chance to pull away, I bent my head down and pressed my lips to her shoulder.

She shivered, her breath quickening. "Jason..." Whatever else she intended to say faded into a moan when my mouth closed over the curve of her neck, biting at the soft flesh. She dropped her head on my shoulder, giving me more access as I kissed my way up to her ear.

I watched her from the mirror. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted.

I grazed my teeth along the folds her ears, finding pleasure in the way she trembled. "Look at me."

Her eyes fluttered open. The look in them sent a fresh wave of need pumping through my blood.

My fingers tightened on her waist as I pushed my hips forward, letting her feel how hard I was for her. "See what you do to me." I breathed in her ear.

Her moan was my undoing. Turning her to face me, I brought her flush against me and kissed her. She didn't fight it. Instead she melted into me, her arms going around my neck and pulling me even closer. The world shifted under my feet when our tongues met and I had the distinct feeling that I was losing control.

A possessiveness welled out of nowhere and took hold of me. I wanted to mark her as mine, brand her so that all other men were ruined for her. The sheer intensity of my feelings shocked me.

The sound of footsteps outside the room filtered into my mind at that moment. With a groan, I broke off the kiss reluctantly. My breathing was ragged and Kate's fingers bit into my nape in protest.

"Miss Kate? I've brought..." The maid who walked in with a tea tray stopped right in her tracks as she spotted us in each other's arms. She flushed and started backing out of the room. "I... I'm so sorry, sir."

I held out a hand to stop her and then pulled myself away from Kate. She looked dazed as if the kiss had robbed her of rational thought. For a moment, I wanted to kick the maid out and pull Kate back in my arms and give her exactly what I knew she wanted.

Instead, I stepped away from her and walked out of the room.

❦❦❦

❦ Kate ❦

Molly apologized again when Jason left, for walking in on us. I didn't know who was more embarrassed, me or her.

I had completely forgotten that I had rang for tea. Lemon grass tea always calmed my nerves but it seemed as if even a dozen cups wouldn't help me relax anymore.

Molly left after keeping the tea tray on the dresser and I immediately headed into the bathroom. My body was still humming from Jason's touch. I could still smell his cologne and the taste of him still lingered on my lips.

Looking at myself from the mirror hanging above the marble sink, I touched my still tingling lips. They were red and swollen from the not so gentle kiss. My face was flushed and my nipples pushed against the soft fabric of the dress. The throb between my legs refused to fade away and with a groan, I reached under my dress and peeled off the drenched panties.

Changing into a fresh pair, I fixed my make-up again. As I went downstairs, the kiss was still playing in my head. If Molly hadn't walked in, I knew I wouldn't have stopped him. And that thought scared me.

Even though, Peter and I were on a break, I was still engaged to him. But while I was in Jason's arms, it hadn't mattered. Nothing mattered except for the need to be possessed by him.

Jason was in the foyer talking on the phone. He nodded and motioned to give him a minute. I took the time to study the man who had completely turned my life upside down.

He wore a black tuxedo which stretched over his broad shoulders. His hair was styled back carelessly and a frown was on his gorgeous face. He exuded raw sexual appeal, too much in fact. I thought as I watched him walk towards me.

"Ready to go?" His voice was indifferent and his expression was guarded. It seemed like he had already discarded what happened between us from his mind. How could he be so calm when I was still aching for his touch? Had he forgotten that he was ready to tear my clothes off less than twenty minutes ago? What was I thinking? Of course, it didn't matter to him.

He was used to having women throwing themselves at him and a few kisses were not a big deal to him. I chastised myself for being so foolish. He was a certified playboy. I shouldn't forget that.

"Are you alright?" His voice startled me out of my thoughts.

I nodded. He looked puzzled but didn't say anything as we headed out through the front door.

The charity dinner was held in the home of Eric Wesley, CEO of Wesley Telecoms. He was one of the most famous faces in the country and I recognized him immediately when we were introduced. The dinner was held to raise money for a cancer foundation.

The pre-dinner drinks were served in the ballroom and the guests mingled with each other. The elite of the country were present in the room including several people I recognized from the tabloids. Jason had this aura of power around him that made him stand out in the crowd.

I noticed he didn't go over to talk to people. They came to him. Men were over eager to shake hands with him and the women were shamelessly flirting with him.

To my surprise, he never left my side. He kept me close to him always, introducing me to the people who came over to him and then including me in their conversation.

They talked about everything from business to politics and I quite enjoyed listening to Jason. It seemed I was not the only one. Everyone hung on to his every word, asking his opinion on different matters.

People flocked to him and we were constantly surrounded by them. It appeared as if everyone in the room wanted to talk to him.

At one point, Jason excused himself from the crowd and guided me out on to the balcony.

"You okay?" I asked him as led me to corner away from the few people out there. I could feel he was tense.

He leaned against the railing, pushing his hands deep into his pockets. "I don't like crowds. I can't stand being surrounded by people for too long."

I stared at him in in confusion "But you're always pictured in different charity functions and parties."

"Yeah but I never stay too long. The only reason I attend these functions is because they are for a good cause." He nudged his head towards the ballroom. "You saw how those people were. It's always like that wherever I go." He flashed me an embarrassed smile. "It's not that I don't like people, but sometimes being the center of attention all the time gets a little uncomfortable."

I thought about it. "It's because they admire you, Jason. They can't help it. I mean, you're a brilliant businessman. The most successful man in that room. I can't really blame them for wanting to talk to you."

A slight smile touched his face. "You think I'm brilliant?"

Behind that smile, I saw a hint of surprise, as if he couldn't quite believe it. Then I remembered him telling me that he knew I had a low opinion of him. And suddenly I wanted to correct him.

"Yes. You're brilliant. Smart, intelligent. You're kind and respectful towards people. And even though, you don't like being pestered by people, you are never rude to them, which says a lot about your character. I think you're an amazing person."

He looked taken aback my words. The look of surprise on his face was entirely too adorable but then he went ahead and ruined the moment by opening his mouth. "Careful. I might be inclined to think you are beginning to like me."

"I don't like you." I said a little too quickly.

He smirked. "Yeah? Didn't you just say you think I'm amazing?" Humor was shining in his eyes.

"You are but that doesn't change the fact that you're also a notorious playboy." I said without thinking. "And I don't like men like that."

He didn't say anything, instead pinned me with that intense gaze. I suddenly wished I hadn't said that. Who was I to judge how he lived his life? It was none of my business anyway.

"Would you believe me if I said I'm not as bad as the media portrays me to be?" He asked surprising me.

I stared at him. He looked relaxed but the look on his gorgeous face made me think he was anxious to know my answer. I thought about his question. He had told me that whenever he was pictured with a woman, the media assumed he was sleeping with her. But he had also told me not all of those stories were incorrect.

"Of course, you wouldn't." He said clearly reading my mind. Was that disappointment I heard in his voice? I couldn't be sure.

"Why does it matter what I think, anyway?"

He was silent again, choosing not to answer my question. I wondered what he was thinking. But then suddenly, we heard voices coming from behind. Jason frowned when he spotted the group of people heading towards us.

I watched in fascination as he quickly wiped the discomfort off his face, slipping into his role of the businessman that he was. He might hate having to be the center of attention and socializing but he was good at hiding it.

After a while, I excused myself to use the powder room. I was retouching my make-up when a woman walked up next to me.

"He is gorgeous, isn't he?" The woman said and I glanced at her. I almost gaped when I recognized who she was.

Delia Costas. The Greek heiress who also happened to be Jason's ex-girlfriend. The pictures in the tabloids didn't do her justice. She was so stunningly beautiful.

"I'm sorry?" I asked wondering if she was really talking to me.

"Don't act like you don't know who I'm talking about." She raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow at me.

I was too surprised by her to say anything and she continued. "We have an understanding, Jason and I. He knows we are meant to be together but he is not ready to settle down yet. Not until a couple of years anyway." She shrugged carelessly. "Besides I live in Greece so it's hard to maintain a relationship."

"Why are you telling me this?"

She snapped her purse shut and turned to me with an insincere smile on her flawless face. "I'm just making sure you know he is taken. He might be fucking you now but don't get your hopes up. He is going to come to me when he is ready to settle down and I don't care who he fucks until then."

With that she walked out of the room leaving me rooted to the spot. I wasn't at all surprised by what she said. Jason was only interested in me for sex and the moment he got what he wanted from me, he would move to the next woman.

But knowing that he had a beautiful woman like Delia waiting for him prickled an unwanted feeling in me. Was I jealous? No. I refused to be jealous. Being jealous would mean that I felt something more than lust for Jason. Lust I could deal with. But developing feelings for him? That was a dangerous and reckless thing to do. I was burnt once and I wasn't stupid enough to let him do that to me again.

But when I walked into the ballroom and saw Jason whispering something into Delia's ear, I felt a sudden sharp pang of jealousy punch me in the gut knocking my breath out.