❦ Kate ❦

"You son of a bitch." Jason bit out viciously, his eyes flashing with anger. He pulled his hand back ready to punch Peter but I was already moving between them.

"Don't." I pleaded desperately grabbing his hand. "Please." His icy gaze focused on me and for a moment I thought he was going to push me away. Clenching his jaw, he reluctantly dropped his hand.

I let out the breath I was holding and faced Peter. "I want you to leave. Now." It took all I had to hold on to my control. I was furious at him for hitting Jason and humiliating me like this.

He glared at me in contempt. "I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers. What the hell is he doing in your bedroom?"

"I don't owe you any explanations, Peter." I snapped, not caring that Jason was there. "We are not together anymore so I don't think it's any of your business who I have in my room." The words just spilled out of me and I ignored the guilt I felt when I saw the hurt on his face.

Silence followed after my statement. Peter was staring at me with a look of hurt and disbelief. My back was to Jason but I could feel the tension emanating from him.

"I can't believe it took me this long to see you for who you really are." All trace of hurt had vanished from Peter's face and it was now replaced by disgust. "You're really your father's daughter, aren't you? A whore who would sleep with just anyone."

His words were like a hard slap on my face. Before I knew what was happening Jason was moving like a flash and he slammed his fist into Peter's face. "You ever talk to her like that again, and it will be a hell lot worse than a broken nose." He growled, his face contorted with stark, raw fury.

Peter clutched his face with a groan of pain. Blood spluttered from his nose and the sight of it pulled me out of the shocked state I was in. Grabbing the tissue box on my nightstand, I rushed to him but he held out a hand stopping me.

"I don't need your fucking help." He glared at me and fished out a white handkerchief from his pocket. Pressing it against his nose, he walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

I felt Jason move behind me. He touched my arm and gently turned me around to face him. "Are you alright?" He asked softly. His blue eyes were filled with concern and I nodded, not trusting my voice. I didn't want him to know how shaken up I was or how much Peter's words had hurt. I couldn't believe any of the things that had happened just now. Peter had no right to come in and start all this.

"You shouldn't have hit him." I said finally.

He frowned darkly. "Look, I'm not sorry for punching him. He was the one who started it and we both know he deserved it."

"He didn't deserve to have his nose broken."

"Well, he should have kept his mouth shut then."

He looked so arrogant that I couldn't help wanting to burst his bubble. "He is a lawyer. He can sue you for assault."

He chuckled as if I had just told him a joke. "I'd like to see him try." I sighed in exasperation. I was forgetting that he was one of the most influential people in the world. He could probably destroy Peter's career with a snap of his fingers.

"So how long have you and him been split up?" I was caught off guard by his question. He cocked an eyebrow at me when I didn't answer immediately.

"Just a little over a day." I mumbled not wanting to talk about it. My mood was suddenly off and I wanted to be alone.

He seemed to understand that. "I'd better head back to the hotel." He said finally, thrusting his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans.

We went outside and mom came towards us. Jason turned on his full charm on her. He complimented her on her food and thanked her for having him over. Mom looked absolutely delighted with him.

I walked him out and saw that a red Ferrari was parked in front of the house. Ben was standing next to it.

"Thanks for having me over." Jason said with a boyish grin that made my heart flutter. "I really had a good time."

"Thanks for coming." He really did seem to have been enjoying up until Peter turned up. "I had fun too." I added and he seemed really pleased at my admission.

He bent his head down and kissed me on the cheek. The soft touch of his lips sent a wave of awareness flashing through me. My skin prickled with goosebumps and I inhaled sharply.

"See you, Kate." He said before getting into the car. When they drove off I headed back inside.

Later that night, after everyone left, I was in my room getting ready for bed when there was a knock on my door. It was Paige.

She smiled, gesturing to the two mugs she was carrying. "Thought you'd like some hot chocolate."

I couldn't remember the last time Paige and I sat together alone, talking like normal sisters did, but that night we did just that. It wasn't until after we finished our hot chocolates that she finally asked me that question she obviously had been dying to ask.

"So what happened with Peter earlier? I saw him leaving." She paused for a second. "With a bloody nose."

I didn't want to talk about it but I told her what happened. She was silent, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Is Jason the reason why you broke it off with Peter?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Look, I know we are not close, but you're my sister. And I know you better than you think. You obviously like Jason. I saw the way you were with him today. You couldn't take your eyes off him." She grinned. "And I don't blame you. He's entirely too gorgeous."

I couldn't help smiling at that. She was right. Jason was too gorgeous. Too sexy. Too intense. And too much of a temptation. "He's not the only reason why I broke it off with Peter." I started. "It wouldn't have worked out with Peter." I didn't know how to explain it to Paige. All these years I thought I was in love with Peter. Maybe I did at the beginning. I didn't know when I stopped.

Long before Jason appeared back in my life, my relationship with Peter had been on the rocks. I just had been too stubborn to admit it. Peter claimed to love me but he never made me feel special. His work always came first to him. And he liked to control me. I had thought it was because he loved me and I let him get away with it.

But then Jason appeared in my life, and made me question everything about my relationship with Peter. I found myself comparing both of them. Like how Jason remembered my favorite food, remembered that I was allergic to Silver even after six years when Peter couldn't remember those details about me despite the fact that he had been with me for two years.

It might be small details but those things mattered to me.

And Jason was supportive, believed in me, and encouraged me to go after my dreams whereas Peter was the opposite.

Paige listened while I told her all this and when I finished, she said softly. "I think you did the right thing by ending things with Peter. Nothing is worth it if you aren't happy. He obviously wasn't making you happy."

"Yeah, he wasn't. It just took me a long time to finally admit that to myself." I sighed. "But I don't want to make him out to be the bad guy here. I hurt him too and he deserves better than me." When Paige, raised her eyebrows in question, I told her what happened between me and Jason while I was still with Peter. And then I ended up telling her about my history with Jason from six years ago.

She looked as shocked as Hal did when I finished the whole story. "I don't know what to say. Your love life sounds like a soap opera, really." She was laughing.

I grinned throwing a pillow at her.

"So what now?" She asked a while later. "I mean, you're single now. Nothing's stopping you from being with Jason."

She was right. There was nothing stopping me from giving into the attraction between us. My mind went to the moment I had with Jason earlier that day where he was about to kiss me before we were interrupted. That moment, I had realized that I was done trying to fight him, done wanting to stay away from him.

The logical part of me kept telling me to stay away. That if I let him in, he'd definitely end up hurting me. I suspected I liked him a whole lot, maybe more than I even realized and getting involved with him would only heighten those feelings.

But the other part, the part that was, perhaps, reckless, kept telling me to go for it. I knew it was just one night Jason wanted. He hadn't said it but he didn't need to. I knew the type of man he was. One night was all he could offer.

And maybe, just maybe, it was exactly what I needed right now. One night to burn out this crazy intense lust between us. Trying to fight it was obviously not working. And then hopefully, we could put it behind us and go our own ways.

❦❦❦

❦ Jason ❦

I stared at the sketch in my hand. It showed a man with thin lips and a balding head. The artist who had done the sketch had managed to impart a sense of menace to the face with hooded eyes that were devoid of any human warmth.

"He looks familiar. As if I've seen him before." I said glancing at Nik, who was sitting across from me. We were in my suite at the Chicago Hotel. Nik had come over to show me the sketch his artist had done based on the description Ricardo Soto had given about the man who paid him to carry out the bombing.

The hotel phone rang suddenly, startling me out of my thoughts. "Yes?" I answered it briskly.

"Miss Lewis is here to see you, Sir." It was from the hotel reception.

"Send her up please." After hanging up, I took a sip of espresso enjoying the strong taste of it. Nik wanted to show the sketch to Kate and see if she recognized him. Instead of going over there, I had called her and asked to come to the hotel with Alex.

The anticipation I felt about seeing Kate again was ridiculous. It was absurd because I had spent almost two hours with her yesterday and yet I wanted to see her again.

I went to the barbecue knowing that Kate would help me take my mind off work for a while. She was the only one who could distract me from work and I wasn't disappointed. During the couple of hours I spent at the barbecue I didn't, even once, think of the bomb explosion or any of the other responsibilities that were stifling me.

My mind was entirely too busy warning me to keep my hands-off Kate that it didn't have a chance to remind me of work. How many times had I wanted to drag her away from the crowd and show her how badly I wanted her?

And then there was that moment we had in her room. She had wanted me to kiss her. After our conversation in Palm Beach, I hadn't expected anything to happen between us ever again. She had clearly told me we couldn't. And since I couldn't give her anything more than just sex, I thought it was the best idea to stay away. But just a few seconds with her and all of my good intentions seemed to fly away.

I was saying something to Nik when the private elevator of the hotel suite opened and Kate stepped into the foyer. My voice trailed off and I forgot all about what I was saying.

She was wearing a sleeveless black and white striped blouse tucked into an electric blue short skirt that reached her mid thighs. Her hair flowed freely around her face in soft waves. I swallowed hard, admiring her long-tanned legs which were encased in a pair of black pumps. An image of her on her back with those shapely legs wrapped around me flashed in my mind. Christ, I needed to get a grip on myself.

Standing up, I greeted Kate and introduced her to Nik.

Nik handed the sketch to Kate. "Do you recognize him?"

She frowned looking at it. "Who is this?"

"The man who set off the bomb in the Chicago casino said that he was paid by this man to do it." I explained.

"He looks familiar like I've seen him before. But I can't place him."

"Wonderful." Nik looked satisfied. "That means it's possible this man was on the cruise with you. That would explain why he looks familiar to both of you. I'll have my team run through the profiles of everyone who was on the cruise during your stay and see if we can find a match."

"So you think this man is the one who took pictures of us on the cruise?" Kate asked, a trace of confusion on her face.

"We don't have definite proof yet but I'm guessing so." Nik said. He pulled out another sketch from an envelope. "What about this man? Recognize him?"

She nodded. "Yes. That's the man who attacked Jason in Bali."

When she shot me a look, I explained. "I sat with Nik's sketch artist and gave him the description." Nik had already circulated that sketch but there hadn't been a hit.

"At this point, we have a lot of theories." Nik continued. "Either this bomb incident doesn't have anything to do with the attack in Bali or the photographs and note you received. Or it's all linked. I'm betting on the latter."

When Nik left a while later, I glanced at Kate, who seemed to be in deep thought.

"You okay?"

My voice startled her. "I'm just thinking about all this." She said slowly. "It all feels so unreal. Like I'm caught in a bad movie plot or something."

I understood what she meant. "You have nothing to worry about. Nik is going to find out who is behind all this and it will be over soon."

She seemed to believe me but I could still see she was anxious. From the way she was biting her lips worriedly, I wouldn't be surprised if she drew blood.

Before I could say anything, my phone rang. It was my dad. "Be right back." I told Kate before disappearing into the study. Dad needed an update on the investigation and the call took about fifteen minutes.

When I came back, Kate was by the floor to ceiling glass windows, looking out at the breathtaking view of the Chicago skyline.

She must have felt my presence because she turned around. Our eyes met and I felt a sharp jolt of desire go through me, so elemental it felt almost raw. She was the only one who could send my pulse racing with just a look.

The air between us was charged with sexual tension and from the look on her face, I could see she felt it too. One step at a time, I closed the distance between us, until I was in front of her, so close I could feel her heat.

Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink, her eyes dark with the same desire I was feeling. She tentatively raised a hand and touched my face, completely taking me by surprise.

She ran her fingertips lightly over the stubble on my cheek and my breath hitched, a slight shiver racking through my body. I wondered if she was aware of the power she yielded over me, that she could bring me to my knees with just a simple touch.

She moved her fingers along my jaw, finally burying them in the hair at the nape of my neck.

"Kate..." I started but whatever I had been about to say caught in my throat when she pulled my head down and kissed me. Her lips were so soft, so warm and so inviting. And when she wrapped both of her arms around me, I deepened the kiss, taking control.

She tasted too good, felt too good pressed against me and I knew I was about to lose the last bit of restrain I had. Breaking the kiss, I cupped her face, searching her eyes. "If you want me to stop, now's the time to tell me." I wanted her to be sure it was what she wanted. Because if half way through, she changed her mind, it would definitely kill me.

"I don't want you to stop. I want you." Her voice was barely a whisper when she spoke. "I want you so bad it's driving me crazy."