The Seduction Game (12 page)

Kate shifted uncomfortably in her seat and kept her gaze fastened before her as he turned and swung the car back to double park. Without saying a word, he got out and came to her side before she had time to undo her seatbelt.

He held out his hand and helped her out. Kate murmured a polite thank you and walked stiffly up her path, feeling his strong, solid presence behind her.

At her door, she turned around and faced him, her heart not quite beating its regular pulse. The moon cast a glow on her quiet street, the only sound the sporadic clicking of crickets. She held her breath as she stared up into his handsome face.

A warm evening breeze caught a strand of her hair and settled it on her arm. Adam reached out and played with a lock of her hair.

“Beautiful,” he murmured. His gaze met hers. “You’re beautiful. What are you doing to me, Kate?”

She felt a thrill of excitement. Her mind reeled at the look on his face. “Nothing. We just met,” she whispered, realizing that was the crazy part. They
had
just met.

“I know,” he replied. “I-I can’t believe I—” He broke off suddenly.

“What?” Kate asked, afraid and exhilarated at the same time. She knew she was falling for this man. She also knew she shouldn’t because he would never commit to her, never commit to any woman. He was attracted to her, but how long would that last? “What can’t you believe?”

His hand fell away from her hair. “Nothing.”

Her face was warm and she withdrew from him, embarrassed. “Thank you for dinner, Adam.” She hadn’t known what she had expected him to say, but it hadn’t been that.

“It was part of the deal.”

Kate tensed and tried hard not to show him how much that comment hurt. “Good night.”

“Good night.” And he turned around and walked away.

She fumbled in her purse for her keys and was about to unlock her front door when she realized she hadn’t heard his car start. Slowly, she turned around and saw him standing next to his car, holding his door open, watching her. Even in the evening light she felt his intense gaze on her, his coiled tension, his warring thoughts. She gasped softly when he slammed his door shut and strode towards her. As he neared, she could see determination on his handsome face.

She exhaled a shaky breath as he drew near. His hands reached out for her, and his mouth descended on hers.

His mouth was warm and firm as he coaxed and nudged her lips apart, and she melted. Before the kiss even started, it ended as he lifted his head and let her go.

“I’ve wanted to do that since this afternoon. I should be sorry, but I’m not, even if you’re still in love with your ex-boyfriend.”

She wanted to deny what he’d said, that there wasn’t another man between them, but she couldn’t. She knew a brief fling with Adam would ensue and she would end up nursing the worst case of a broken heart in the history of the world.

But he likes you
, a nagging voice persisted.
You, not Katrina.

“Kissing wasn’t part of our deal,” she managed to say.

He took a step back. “It won’t happen again. Good night,” he said and turned on his heels and left.

This time Kate didn’t wait to see if he left. Hurriedly, she unlocked her door and went inside. She shut the door behind her and placed her hand on her lips and closed her eyes.

She didn’t have time to contemplate Adam’s kiss because her phone rang and she went to answer it.

“Why haven’t you called me? I haven’t heard from you in two weeks.”

Her mother. “Sorry, Mom. I’ve been really busy. How are you?”

“Never mind how I am. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t nothing me, young lady. I’m your mother. Now tell me why you sound like you’re ready to fall apart.”

Kate sighed wearily. “Mom, I said it’s nothing. Bad day at the office.”

“It’s ten o’clock. You left work five hours ago. Now tell me what’s bothering you. Were you out tonight?”

Kate shut her eyes, trying to block the image of Adam’s face from her mind. “Yes.”

“With a man?”

“Yes.”

“A date.”

“Sort of.” Her mother was the one person in the world she couldn’t hide anything from.

“I take it that it went sour.”

“You could say that. Mom, please, it’s late and I really have to go to bed.”

There was a pause on the phone. “You’ll find him, Kate. The right man is out there for you.”

Kate laughed but it sounded hollow to her ears. She thought of Adam and how she hadn’t felt this strongly for a man in years. He had awakened something in her she thought had died, but the knowledge came with the sad realization that physical attraction alone wasn’t enough. Kate wanted love. She wanted what her sisters had.

“You just have to stop being so picky, dear,” Nora Moore continued. “Men aren’t perfect. They have ample faults and sometimes you just have to live with them. You know I loved your father deeply, but you also know I had to put up with his faults.” There was a pause on the line. “Don’t you want to get married and have children?”

“Yes. I do, but not with the men you set up for me.” Kate tensed. “I hope you haven’t called me because you want to set me up with another date. The answer will be no.”

“What do you want, then? Not Simon, I hope,” Nora said, her voice tinged with distaste. “I’ve been hearing through the grapevine that his marriage isn’t going too well. He was a weak man when he was with you and he’s a weak man now. I heard he’s been running around behind his wife’s back.” Nora paused. “He was never the right man for you, dear.”

Kate didn’t have time to register that Simon’s marriage was in trouble. She was too astonished to discover her mother thought Kate still harbored feelings for him. “Mom, it was over with Simon a long time ago.” And for the first time, Kate actually believed it. She was really and truly over him. For the first time, she realized, she didn’t feel a smidgeon of regret or hurt. Just…nothing. “Mom, I deserve what Gail and Barb have. I deserve something good and beautiful.”

“Whoever said you didn’t?”

“You did,” Kate replied quietly. “After Simon and I broke up, you said I should have settled for someone less attractive, less popular.” She didn’t know why she brought that up after all these years, but she was glad she did. Her mother was silent and Kate almost regretted her honesty.

“I think you misunderstood me,” Nora said. “What I meant was you should have chosen a man who was sincere and kind, someone who really knew you, the real you. Someone who could touch your heart in ways no other person could. Someone as wonderful as your father was with me.” Nora sighed. “My dear, your sisters are lovely girls and I love them to death, but they never possessed your strength or compassion. You always had a strong will, a passion to help, and I always wanted you to find someone very special.” There was a pause. “I wanted you to find someone beautiful on the inside, and Simon was not.”

Tears pricked Kate’s eyes. All these years and she hadn’t known that’s how her mother felt. It had been different with her father. He had always told her she was special. That she would amount to something big in her life. That she deserved a deep, special love with a man who could give her what she had been giving to everyone else. Love, compassion, understanding.

Then, as if her mother had read her mind, “Honey, I may have never told you as often as your father did, but that doesn’t mean I loved you any less than he did. I always thought you were special. That you deserved
something special
. Maybe that’s why I was harder on you than your sisters. I always expected more from you.” She paused. “Your father always believed in you, Kate. He always wanted the best for you, as I did.”

“I know,” she said quietly. “I’ve always known. It’s just been hard without dad all these years.”

“Oh, honey. I know. It’s been hard for all of us in our own way.”

Kate’s gaze went to the envelope with the photograph that was still on the hall table. “I…I received another dead end today.” She picked up the picture. “It’s a pretty painting though.”

Nora made a sympathetic sound. “I thought you stopped trying. Honey, let it go. You’ll never find that painting. It’s been years.”

“I know. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, honey. Goodnight.”

The next morning, as soon as Kate walked into her office, her cellphone rang.

“I’ll pick you up at nine,” Adam said.

She was still groggy and in desperate need of a second cup of coffee. “Nine?”

“Yes. We’re going to Fantasies for your nice girl debut.”

“Oh. Right.” Kate rubbed her eyes. God, she was exhausted. She’d been up most of the night thinking about him, her mother, her life. “All right.”

“I have to stick to my end of the bargain. Ed’s coming in at ten to sign the contract and the staff are going out for a celebratory lunch.”

“That’s great, Adam. I’m…I’m glad I could help.”

“And I thought I’d let you know that Pete Weathers is coming in for that interview at eleven.”

Her spirits lifted. “That’s wonderful. I’m sure he’s excited about it.”

“He is.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “He told me he’s been studying his C-Plus-Plus manual.”

“C-Plus-Plus?”

“It’s a programming language for software developers.”

Kate smiled, thinking how happy Pete must have been this morning. “I hope the interview goes well.”

“I’m sure it will. See you at nine.”

She shut her cellphone and sighed happily. It warmed her heart that Adam was so kind to the young boy. She spent the whole day seeing her patients, all the while thinking about Adam. And the more she thought about him, the more she realized she didn’t want him to walk out of her life after her research was done. By the time she started getting ready at eight thirty, she was nothing short of panic-stricken.

She couldn’t lose him.

More than once she wanted to call Barbara and ask her what to do, but she abandoned that thought. Kate wasn’t in the mood for I-told-you-so’s
.

Suddenly, she felt like a curtain was drawn back, exposing the truth, and she finally admitted what she’d been hiding from herself.

She was falling in love with Adam.

Her hands shook as she slipped on her black lace panties and bra. She reached for her black, knee length dress, and stepped into it. After zipping up the back, she slid into her gold strappy sandals.

My God, she
was
falling in love with him.

Her heart raced. She tried concentrating as she applied her berry lipstick and black mascara, but her hands kept shaking.

At nine sharp the doorbell rang and she sprayed some Calvin Klein perfume on the nape of her neck before she went downstairs. She caught a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror and felt pleased with the results. Her hair was down, her lips full with the berry lipstick, and her eyes looked smoky with the charcoal eye shadow she’d applied.

She opened the door, ready to say hello, and her mouth went dry. Adam looked devastatingly handsome in faded, expensive jeans, a white T-shirt, and a jacket made of very soft, very fine black leather. Her hand fluttered nervously to her stomach.

“Am I overdressed?” she asked.

He didn’t say a word as he raked his dark gaze over her. “I thought you were going out as the nice girl tonight?”

“I am.”

His frown deepened. “You look too sexy. Don’t you have anything else to wear?”

“Sexy?” Kate drew back. “This dress has sleeves and a high neck.”

“This dress,” he said as he stepped inside, “is leaving little to the imagination. And you did something to your eyes,” he added, scrutinizing her face.

“It’s eye shadow.” Kate frowned. “I can take it off. Do you think it’s too much?”

“No. It’s…you look perfect,” he replied, his gaze resting on her mouth.

“Thank you.”

His eyes met hers and her breath caught at the look on his face. Desire, appreciation, and something else she couldn’t define. “Why don’t you come in? I thought we could go over our plan before we leave.”

He walked to the bookshelf and browsed the titles. “This is quite a collection.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “Thanks. Red wine okay?”

“Sure.”

She returned with their glasses and found him pointing to a glass encased corner on the wall unit.

“Are these the books you wrote?”

She nodded and handed him his glass.

“
The Other Woman Syndrome,
” he began. “
How To Mend Your Broken Heart, And Get The Man You Deserve.
A Makeover from the Inside Out.
Prim And Proper Can Bring The Sizzle Back Into Your Relationship.
”

Adam fell silent and she held her breath, wondering if he was mentally scoffing at the themes of her books. Did he realize they delineated her own life?

“When did you write the first one?”

“Five years ago.”

“Was that when he left you?” He turned to face her.

He was far too astute. He’d guessed she’d written
The Other Woman Syndrome
right after her break-up. She wasn’t surprised at his perceptiveness
.
Hadn’t he realized she was masquerading as Katrina almost from the beginning? She doubted her own mother would have recognized her that quickly.

“Yes. He…he left me for another woman.”

“Let me guess. A
bad girl.
”

“He didn’t know what hit him.”

“He was a fool.”

His comment warmed her more than her wine did. “No. He was just susceptible to a sexy woman. I was too simple for him. Too plain.”

“You’re everything but plain, Kate.” He stared at the castles on the left of the books. “You’re a little boy’s hero.”

He turned and took her hand in his, staring deeply into her eyes. Kate went still. She had known him only for a short time, but a part of her felt like she’d known him all her life.

“Kate.” He made a move towards her.

“No,” she said, taking a small step back. She may have been falling in love with him, but he was not falling in love with her.

“I know you feel the same way I do.”

“Do I?” she asked softly. “Adam, I…I can’t be one of those girls who take relationships one day at a time. I need more.”