The Seduction Game (13 page)

“I can’t read the future, Kate. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. All I know is what I want today. And I want you.”

She couldn’t fault him for his honesty. She placed her glass down and went to get her purse. “We need to go. It’s getting late.”

He reached for her arm and pulled her around to face him. “Aren’t we even going to talk about this?”

“I thought you didn’t believe in talking. Besides, having sex with you was never part of our deal.”

His brow rose. “Sex? Is that what you think I want?” He let go of her arm.

“Yes.”

“I see.”

She watched a shutter fall over his face. She desperately wanted him to deny it.

Instead, he said, “And this has nothing to do with him, the guy who broke your heart?”

Simon? Kate almost laughed. Since her talk with her mother and the realization she was falling in love with Adam, something inside of her had completely shifted.

“No. Simon is a part of my very distant past. A past I’ve moved away from.”

He looked like he wanted to say more, but he simply placed his glass next to hers on the coffee table and straightened. “Fair enough. Let’s go.”

* * * *

Once they reached the club and went inside, Kate realized they hadn’t even gone over their game plan. She fell away from him and went to the bar. Moments later the bartender made his way towards her.

“That guy said all your drinks are on him. What are you having?”

Kate looked over at Adam, smiled at him and ordered a wine. When she got her drink and looked over at Adam again, her stomach lurched. A tall blonde wearing a glittery black tank top and tight jeans was talking to him. Kate was annoyed. He was supposed to be observing her!

Kate hated the green-eyed monster. She was more annoyed with herself than Adam. The blonde put a hand on his arm, smiling up at him, and Kate frowned. Jealousy was unattractive at best, and she willed herself to tear her gaze away from them.

“Mind if I squeeze in?”

She turned to the man beside her waiting politely for a response. “No. Go right ahead.” She moved to the side and watched him hail the bartender. Once his drink arrived, he drank it one gulp and set the glass down with a thud. His hand went up to his dark hair, smoothing it back, and then to his tie.

He looked about twenty-four and he reminded her of a groom on his wedding day. “Waiting for someone special?” she asked with a friendly smile.

He gave her an inquiring look. “Am I that obvious?” He seemed embarrassed. “Can you believe I’ve known this girl most of my life and I’m scared to death?”

Kate liked him already. “Does she know how you feel about her?”

“Not a clue. I’m telling her tonight.” He paused and studied Kate. “You know, you look a bit familiar.”

“I have that kind of face.”

He smiled, seeming to relax a little. “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” Kate laughed and he groaned. “Sorry. That sounded pretty lame.”

“Not at all. I didn’t think people said that anymore.” She sipped her wine. “I’m meeting some friends.” She gave him her hand. “I’m Kate.”

He shook her hand. “Steve. You know, you really do look familiar. Have I seen your picture somewhere before? Are you a model?”

Kate stifled a laugh. “No. I’m a psychologist. You may have seen me on the cover of my first book.”

His smile widened. “I’m sure that’s it. Zoe buys those books all the time.” He cleared his throat, embarrassed. “You wouldn’t want to give me some professional advice, would you?”

Anything, she thought, to get her mind off Adam and that blonde, who was probably draping her whole body over him by now. Kate was dying to look over at him, but refrained. “Sure. Ask away.”

He leaned in closer to her. “Should I tell Zoe how I feel? We’re best friends and I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship.”

“Let me ask you a question. Is she interested in anyone right now?”

“No. She hasn’t been in years. Zoe’s very independent and she enjoys her freedom. On the other hand, she tells me she wants to get married and have children. She contradicts herself. On one hand she refuses dates, and believe me, she gets asked out a lot, and on the other, she keeps telling me she wants to settle down.”

“What does your heart tell you to do?”

“Tell her the truth. I want her to know how I feel. That I want to be the man she settles down with.”

Kate smiled. “Then tell her. I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.”

His brown eyes lit up. “You think so?”

“Absolutely. Call it woman’s intuition.”

He returned her smile and surprised her by leaning close to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks. You’ve just given me the confidence boost I needed.”

She was about to wish him good luck when she felt a vice grip on her arm.

“Let’s go,” Adam growled over her head. Startled, she turned around and stared up into his face.

He looked furious.

* * * *

Adam pulled her away, giving her only a few seconds to say good-bye to a startled Steve. By the time they got into his car and drove away, she was fuming with indignation. She shot his rigid profile a frown.

“What was that all about?”

“You got what you wanted,” he began, his tone hard. “That guy was obviously interested in you. I didn’t see any reason to stay. Kate, the nice girl, was a success.”

“You mean the young man I was talking to? Steve?”

“Yes. Steve,” he replied dryly.

“I don’t recall discussing with you who would decide to end the experiment. Actually, I would have thought it would be me since I’m the one writing the book and I’m the one conducting the experiment.”

“I was supposed to observe you and when I saw him kissing—”

“He kissed me on the cheek to thank me. He knew who I was and he wanted my advice. He was going to tell a girl he loved her tonight.”

He shot her an inscrutable look. “Are you telling me he wasn’t hitting on you?”

Kate let out a weary sigh. “Yes. He’s in love with a girl he’s been best friends with for years. She has no idea how he feels and he was very nervous about meeting her.” A realization dawned on her. Was Adam jealous? She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. “Besides, you seemed to have your own hands too full to notice anything. You were supposed to be observing me, not talking to other women.”

“That woman was Noelle Deveraux. I dated her a few months ago. To tell you the truth, I couldn’t get away from her fast enough.”

That woman was his ex-girlfriend? No wonder Kate didn’t feel confident jumping headlong into a relationship with him. Noelle was gorgeous. Kate recalled the tall, lithe blonde with the killer body and worried her lower lip.

“She’s very attractive,” Kate said.

“Yes.”

Curiosity made her ask. “Do you still keep in touch?”

“No. I was surprised I bumped into her tonight. Actually, when I last saw her, she missed her aim with a vase and I was one inch away from getting a concussion.”

“Oh.” Kate fell silent for a moment. “Well, she certainly seemed like a bad girl, in looks anyways.” She saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel.

“Kate, has it ever dawned on you that men may be looking for both qualities in a woman? The bad and the nice?”

She wasn’t so sure. “Some men may, however I’ve already conducted three other phases of research for this book and my results point to something different. Men will more likely settle down with a nice girl, someone who’ll meet them on the same intellectual and spiritual level. A woman who won’t use provocative measures to get what she wants.” She looked away from his hard profile. “A woman,” she added quietly, “who will love them unconditionally.”

“Is that what you’re looking for? Unconditional love?” His voice was tinged with cynicism.

Their eyes met for a second before he returned his gaze to the road. What had made him so derisive about love? she wondered. Kate suspected it had a lot to do with his parents, but there must have been more. Perhaps a woman who hurt him so badly he steered away from anything remotely resembling commitment.

“I used to,” she replied honestly. “Now I just want love. Something warm and caring. Something that can touch my soul.”

“Your soul? That’s a tough requirement for any man to fulfill. What would touch your soul, Kate?”

She smiled a little sadly. “Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it? Only the man who truly knows me would be able to answer that question. Only the man who truly loves me would be able to touch me in such a profound way.” She shrugged, feeling a bit too exposed to him. Their line of conversation had taken a turn she hadn’t expected. “Funny thing is, I don’t even know how he would be able to touch my soul,” she murmured, “but I’m sure I’ll know it when he does.”

He gave her an interested look. “Are you certain you’ll know when your soul has been touched?”

“I hope so.” She wondered if Adam could touch her like that. If he could go beyond the physical and intellectual and reach deep down inside to her spiritual side and…and stir her, make her feel whole and alive.

“Here we are,” he said as he pulled up in front of her home.

She was so deep in thought she was surprised they had already reached her house. Quickly she undid her seatbelt and opened her door.

“Please don’t get out. I have it,” she said, giving him a small smile.

“When do you want to complete our bargain? Do I pick you up tomorrow night?”

Kate was exhausted and she realized she needed some time to herself. One more night with Adam and it would be over between them. She wasn’t willing to end it so soon. “How about the evening after?”

“Fine. Same time. Goodnight, Kate.”

“Goodnight, Adam.” And she shut the door gently behind her.

* * * *

As soon as Adam drove off, he grabbed his cellphone and dialed Dana’s number.

“I need your help,” he said curtly as soon as his sister answered the phone. “Are you up?”

“It’s only eleven. Of course I’m up.”

“How does a man touch a woman’s soul?” he asked. His sister may have been a thorn in his paw the past few years, but he knew she was the only person who could help him.

“Hm. Does this have anything to do with Kate?”

“Yes.”

“And she told you this? She told you she needed her soul to be touched by a man?”

Adam started to feel uncomfortable. He couldn’t believe how his life had changed since meeting Kate. How he had gone from a high-powered corporate mogul to asking his sister how to make a woman like him.

“Yes,” he answered stiffly.

There was a pause on the other line. He pictured his sister frowning. Dana wasn’t making fun of him, he realized. She was taking this seriously. That’s why he called her. If any other woman had told Adam she needed her soul to be touched, he would have presumed it meant more carats, but he knew Kate wasn’t most women. She kept a little boy’s castles encased in glass in her living room. She volunteered at the hospital and footed entire medical bills. And she’d been searching for years for her father’s painting, a painting she couldn’t find, a painting she cherished deeply, a painting that…that…Adam frowned darkly into the night and muttered a harsh curse word. Dammit! That was it!

“Adam? You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he clipped. “Would finding a painting her father made for her when she was ten years old touch her soul?” he asked abruptly, not caring if he sounded like a raving lunatic. “A painting she’s been trying to find for nearly twenty years?”

“Absolutely,” Dana said. “Looks like you figured this one out all by yourself, bro.”

“I have to call Kyle. And, Dana, thanks…just, thank you,” he added, his tone warming for the first time.

“You’re welcome. Good luck, Adam,” she replied, her tone both warm and anxious. “I hope it works out for you. Kate’s really special.”

“I know,” he countered quietly.

Within two minutes of hanging up with Dana he had Kyle on the line. “This is your chance to prove to me you’re as good as you say you are.”

Kyle laughed. “I need to prove it?”

“I have a big job for you and money’s not an option.”

“Two jobs in one week. I gather this one also has to do with Kate Moore?” Kyle asked, his tone taking a serious turn.

“Have you ever done any lost and found?” Adam pulled alongside his high rise.

“That’s one of my fortes, buddy. What am I looking for?”

“A painting. Listen very carefully…”

* * * *

Two nights later, at nine-thirty in the evening, Kate found herself looking up at a beefy-looking doorman, his tight black T-shirt emphasizing his bulky arms. She was trying to give him her most simpering, sexy look as she tilted her head slightly to the side.

This time she and Adam had laid out some ground rules when he picked her up at nine. She would enter Fantasies alone. He would not be too far behind to see if her bad girl persona could get her past the long line of people waiting to go into the exclusive night club.

When Adam had first seen her when she’d opened the door his face had turned a dark shade of red as his dark gaze raked her from head to toe.

“I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” he’d said, his tone hard.

Kate had immediately tensed and brought a hand up to her teased long hair. Her blue contact lenses had fallen into the sink and her blonde wig was in the trash bin because she’d burnt it trying to curl the ends with a curling iron. So, without her disguise, she had had no choice but to go out as herself. She was donned up to the nines in make-up, skimpy, leopard-print mini dress and long, teased, wild hair, all cleavage and legs, compliments of Barbara, who’d spent two hours getting her ready.

“Do I look ridiculous?” Kate had asked, embarrassed and afraid. Going out as the bad girl tonight had filled her with such dread, she’d had to beg Barbara to help her.

“No. I’m afraid I’m going to have to fight off all the men who’ll want to take you home,” Adam had replied, his expression taking a possessive glint.

“Oh.”

Now, as she looked up at the doorman’s gaze resting on her cleavage, she wished Barbara had agreed to take her place. Kate’s logic had been that Barbara was used to wearing skimpy outfits on the runway, so this could have been like a job for her, but her sister hadn’t budged.