Black Kat Read online

  “You?”

  Alexander looked both amused and offended at her disbelief that he could handle himself in those situations. “Yes, me. Don’t think I employ security because I can’t protect myself, Katya. I assure you I have the skill set to get the job done. Whatever that job may be.”

  Kat met his eyes and held the eye contact as she mulled over his words. “Fine. I will let you know what I’m doing. But don’t you dare try to stop me.”

  His eyes softened as he regarded her. “I would never try to stop you, Katya. I only want to help you.”

  The tenderness in his gaze was a complete one eighty from the intense anger a few minutes ago. It was unsettling.

  “Why?” Kat whispered. “Why do you want to help me?”

  Alexander reached out his hand, slowly so to give her time to pull back. When she didn’t, he brushed his knuckles softly over her bruised cheekbone. “I have no idea,” he answered honestly.

  Kat found herself captivated by his dark eyes and the gentle touch on her face. On pure instinct she leaned her head into his touch and closed her eyes.

  The movement was so slight, it was almost inconsequential. But to Alexander it was a momentous turning point. A small sigh slipped from between her lips as Kat tilted her head and closed her eyes. Alexander spread his fingers to cup her face in his hand. Her skin was smooth and flawless, the only imperfection was that damn bruise coloring her cheekbone.

  He didn’t want to push her, but the impulse to lean in and brush his lips against her was almost overwhelming. Although he cursed the intrusion into this sacred private moment, he realized it was probably a good thing he was interrupted from his impulses by the limo driver announcing they had arrived at their destination.

  Kat immediately snapped her eyes open and raised her head from his hand. Her aqua eyes were alight with confusion, a touch of fear and desire. She might not recognize it, but Alexander certainly did.

  The limo driver opened the back door, and Kat busied herself with grabbing her clutch and arranging her dress so she could step out of the limo. Alexander followed her out and offered his arm. Kat looked at his crooked elbow for a moment before lightly threading her arm through his. Just like the touch she allowed in the limo, this felt as if she was giving him a gift of epic proportions. Alexander had read her file. He knew she had not had a single relationship or allowed anyone close to her, save Agent Lewis. That she trusted him enough to allow him to touch her, even so casually, was huge. Alexander wasn’t completely sure why he cared so much, but the fact was that he did. This beautiful creature by his side was the only woman who had ever sparked this much interest in him.

  The flashbulbs started going off as they walked toward the entrance to the hall where the event was being held. Alexander worried that Kat might be disarmed by the attention of the media, but she held her head high and wore an expression of bored indifference. As if this was an everyday occurrence for her. With a small shake of his head, Alexander marveled that she was full of surprises. And he looked forward to uncovering more.

  “Mr. Petrovsky!” a photographer near the entrance shouted.

  Alexander leaned down to whisper, “Do you mind?”

  Kat shook her head and turned with him to face the media head-on. They stood in the blinding glare as pictures were taken from every angle. Alexander recognized the fake smile on Kat’s face as the one she had worn while waiting on customers at The Garden of Eden. To everyone else it would be a lovely smile on a lovely face. But to him it was contrived, and made him wish for the real thing.

  After a minute, Alexander held up his hand to signal they were done. “Thank you,” he said to the media while guiding Kat through the doors.

  Chapter Twelve

  The room was spinning. Oh, wait. It was Natasha who was spinning. With a drunken giggle, she reached out to steady herself on Allison, who was equally as drunk. Shiloh laughed at the two girls trying to hold onto their balance as they danced. Shiloh was drunk enough to feel good but still had full control of her limbs.

  “Whoa…I need to take my shoes off,” Natasha declared, thinking her lack of coordination could be blamed on her heels.

  “You’re not wearing shoes,” Allison pointed out and then collapsed in another fit of giggles.

  “Oh, right,” Natasha answered as she looked to the edge of the dance floor. There were her shoes, sitting on top of the table being guarded by a very sober looking Luke Wells. He lifted his glass of water to his mouth, his eyes on her over the top of the glass. Every time she looked over, which was increasingly more often with every drink she had, he was watching her.

  That’s because it’s his job, she reminded herself. But the alcohol was shushing the rational part of her brain. The part of her that ached for his hands on her thought maybe those hazel eyes were watching her for an entirely different reason.

  “Hello!” Allison shouted, waving her hand in front of Natasha’s face. “Why don’t you just go over there and jump him. It would be much more satisfying than eye fucking him from across the room.”

  “Allison!” Natasha squealed, slapping her friend on the arm. “I’m not eye fucking him!” she asserted in a harsh whisper. At least she hoped it was a whisper. Along with coordination, volume control was a somewhat of a challenge at the moment.

  Allison and Shiloh kept moving to the beat of the music. Well, Shiloh did. Allison was flailing around a bit. “You totally are. And if you’re not going to make a move, I will. He is one fine piece of…”

  “Stop!” Natasha demanded, clapping her hands over her ears. “He doesn’t think of me like that. I’m just Alexander’s annoying little sister.”

  Allison rolled her eyes. “You have to be blind not to see that the eye fucking is mutual.”

  With a twirl and a shimmy of her hips, Shiloh added her two cents. “She’s right, Natasha. He’s been staring at your ass all night. You should make a move tonight. If it doesn’t work, you can brush it off as a drunken mistake. Or pretend you don’t even remember it happening.”

  “Ooooh, good idea!” Allison agreed.

  Liquid courage in the form of the Cosmos she had been drinking all night, had Natasha considering the idea. One last glance at Luke’s broad shoulders, strong jaw and piercing eyes sealed the deal.

  “Okay! I’ll do it. Now I need a plan.”

  “To the ladies room,” Allison ordered, linking arms with Natasha and Shiloh. “He can’t hear us in there.”

  Luke checked his watch and wondered what the hell they were doing in the ladies’ room for the past twenty minutes. One more minute and he was going to have to go in there and make sure they weren’t passed out on the floor or draped over the toilets.

  He had been monitoring Natasha’s alcohol intake all night, telling the bartender to decrease the amount of alcohol in her drinks as the night wore on. She was drunk enough to have a good time, but not so far gone she’d be regretting it tomorrow.

  Just as he stood up to go find them, Natasha emerged from the back hallway. The sight of her striding toward him, her cheeks flushed from dancing and her feet bare had him sitting back down. He was going to have the single worst case of blue balls after tonight. Watching her dance, moving her petite lithe body sensually to the music had him sporting a perma-hard-on all night.

  Allison and Shiloh were giggling as they approached and there was a curious gleam in Natasha’s eyes as they approached him. She didn’t say anything as she reached for her shoes and slid her small feet into them.

  It was Allison who spoke first. “Soooo, Shiloh and I want to meet up with her boyfriend and some of his friends over at Caesar’s. But Natasha is tired. Can you take her home? And we’ll catch a cab.”

  Luke’s eyebrows drew down over his eyes. “Are you feeling alright?” he asked Natasha. She looked okay, her color was good and she seemed a little steadier than she had earlier.

  “Mmm hmm. I’m just ready to call it a night.”

  The other girls weren’t his responsibility, but he
did wait outside until they were in a cab. Then he opened the door of the limo for Natasha. After she slid across the seat, Luke hesitated for a moment. He really should shut the door and sit up front with the driver. But maybe he should sit in back just to make sure she was okay. Yeah….right.

  Luke got in and sat next to Natasha. She looked so small and adorably sexy curled up against the seat, those warm brown eyes watching his every move as he wiped his palms on his denim clad thighs.

  “Thanks for taking me home,” Natasha murmured, and she scooted slightly closer. Close enough that her breath washed across his neck.

  His shoulders immediately tensed, as did his cock. Knowing he shouldn’t, but unable to stop, Luke turned his head to face her, putting their mouths mere inches apart. Natasha’s eyes dropped to his mouth, and her pink tongue darted out to lick across her bottom lip.

  A low groan rumbled in Luke’s throat as Natasha stared at his mouth. That was all the incentive she needed to throw caution to the wind and close the distance between them. She just prayed she would get a taste of him before he pushed her away. Or maybe he wouldn’t push her away, and she would finally get what she wanted. What she’d been saving herself for. With other guys, she just hadn’t felt ready. But the second her lips touched his, Natasha knew Luke was the reason she hadn’t been ready before. She wanted sex to be special, and she wanted it with him.

  For a split second after the initial contact, Luke froze, and Natasha braced herself for rejection. But then he moaned against her mouth and grasped the back of her head to keep her from pulling away.

  Not that she would have. This was heaven. Luke’s mouth was pure heaven. When he licked her bottom lip, she opened her mouth for him. Plunging his tongue deep into her mouth, he kissed her like she had never been kissed before. The heat he ignited in her body threatened to consume her, and Natasha squirmed in her seat, wanting to get closer. Needing to be closer.

  Grasping his broad shoulders, Natasha swung one leg over until she was kneeling astride Luke’s lap, her knees on either side of his strong thighs. Luke grabbed her hips, his fingers flexing against her flesh. It seemed as though he was simultaneously pushing her away and pulling her closer. Natasha only wanted to be closer, and as she settled herself down onto his lap she felt his erection straining against his jeans. When she pushed her hips forward, creating a friction that sent pleasure spiking through her body, Luke’s grip tightened on her hips.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, Natasha plastered her body against his, only vaguely aware that her skirt had been pushed up by her current position. Luke was well aware and his rough hands left her hips to smooth over the silky skin of her bare thighs. When he reached the curve of her ass and the silky panties that barely covered her, a groan rumbled through his chest and his hips jerked up against her.

  Natasha broke contact with his mouth on a gasp and threw her head back, arching her body into his. Desire clouded her mind and a few seconds passed before she realized Luke was eerily still underneath her. His hands weren’t touching her anymore, and his body was tense and rigid.

  He was sober. With her lithe body pressed to his and her lush lips fused with his, the realization that he was stone cold sober and Natasha was not hit Luke with the force of a sledgehammer. That was the only reason he was able to summon the strength to stop.

  With his hands gripping the headrest behind his head, Luke eyes roamed over the column of Natasha’s throat as she threw her head back in ecstasy. God, how he wanted to lick up her neck. Push her down on the seat, ease between her legs and worship every inch of her.

  And she would let him do it. He knew from the way her body reacted to him that she would give him anything and everything. And that’s why he couldn’t do it. She wasn’t just another easy fuck. She was Natasha. The woman he would never be worthy of.

  As if in a daze, Natasha slowly straightened her neck and looked at him from hooded eyes. Her dark lashes batted as she blinked like she was trying to make sense of what had just happened. Luke’s fingers dug into the headrest to keep from touching her again.

  The limo stopped and the driver’s door opened and shut. Not wanting to be caught with his boss’ little sister on his lap, Luke grabbed her around the waist and gently moved her off his lap. Natasha opened her mouth, but whatever she saw in his eyes caused her to shut it. When the limo driver opened the door, Natasha yanked her dress farther down her thighs and scrambled to get out like the car was on fire.

  She teetered unsteadily on her heels as she hurried through the entrance to her condo building. With a sigh, Luke rubbed his hand roughly over his face and got out after her.

  “Wait here,” he said to the driver.

  The elevators were closing with Natasha inside as he approached. She didn’t make a move to catch the door and neither did he. They just looked at each other. Her eyes were filled with tears and shame. His were filled with regret.

  Luke took the stairs two at a time. Natasha was fumbling with the key at her door when he walked down the hallway.

  “Natasha…”

  She held up her hand but didn’t turn around. “Don’t. Let’s just forget it, okay? I’m drunk. I don’t know what came over me.”

  The tremor in her voice reached into his chest and squeezed his heart. He should have told her it wasn’t her fault. He should have told her that he wanted her with every fiber of his being. He should have told her that stopping had nothing to do with her and everything to do with him not being good enough for her.

  But in the end, he said nothing. Luke let Natasha go into her apartment and shut the door behind her. Leaning against the door that had just been shut in his face, Luke slid down until his ass hit the floor. With his head in his hands he listened to the muffled sounds of Natasha crying through the door.

  It was better that she not get any ideas about them together. It was better this way. Too bad he didn’t believe one fucking word of it.

  Two hours later, Luke was still sitting in the same position when Allison walked on unsteady legs of her own down the hallway. The sight of him on the floor seemed to sober her up some. Allison narrowed her eyes at him as he got to his feet.

  “Just make sure she’s okay,” he said as he walked toward the stairs with his head down.

  Chapter Thirteen

  In the lobby of the Western Lights banquet hall, Robert Bass reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a pack of Camel Lights. The sign across the way clearly stated No Smoking, but what the hell was his badge worth if he couldn’t break a few rules. It certainly hadn’t made him rich, and with the way his current investigation of Alexander Petrovsky was going, it wasn’t giving him any job satisfaction either. Maybe he could get himself on the guy’s payroll. At least he would be making bank while wasting time until retirement.

  “No smoking in here, Bass,” clipped his partner.

  Bass rolled his eyes and stuffed his cigs and lighter back in his pocket. This kid was going to drive him insane with all his above board, All-American shit. There was no real reason to be at this damn gala tonight, other than to let Petrovsky know that they knew where he was. This seemed to be their only strategy at this point.

  A couple of weeks back they had snagged a known associate of Petrovsky’s in the act of bribing an official on the Gaming Commission. But the little fucker had refused to talk. Well, no shit. Petrovsky could do worse to him than the Feds ever could. The Gaming Commission employee was likewise mute, denying any relationship with Petrovsky. Another dead end.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Bass saw his partner go on full alert with his jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists at his side. Here we go again, Bass thought.

  Following Lewis’ line of sight, Bass zeroed in on Petrovsky striding through the entrance. All black hair, black tie, the guy was the epitome of class. And the looker on his arm was….wait, that was Lewis’ side obsession. This shit was about to get interesting.

  Lewis was vibrating with tension as he crossed the lobby with a purpo
se and planted himself in front of Petrovsky. But his eyes weren’t on the man. Lewis was solely focused on the girl. Bass followed him, only to get his nightly dose of entertainment. And to physically restrain his partner if it came to that.

  “What are you doing here, Kat? With him?” Colin bit out sharply.

  The girl seemed a bit taken aback by the blatant violence that Lewis was emanating from his pores.

  “I told you about my…business arrangement with Mr. Petrovsky,” she said in a hushed voice.

  Bass looked for Petrovsky’s reaction to her admitting this. His mouth quirked up slightly as if he was fighting a smile and enjoying this tense interaction every bit as much as Bass was.

  “Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?” Lewis commanded more than asked as he reached for her arm.

  Kat recoiled from his touch, which put her in closer contact with Petrovsky. The arm that had been formally offered to her now snaked around her waist and drew her against him. That threw Lewis completely off his game.

  The kid just stared, dumbfounded, at Petrovsky’s hand on Kat’s waist.

  “Colin, please, don’t make a scene. I’m fine. You know I can take care of myself. And this is…none of your business.”

  Lewis just stood there as Petrovsky whisked the girl away and into the ballroom. Bass almost felt sorry for the guy. It was clear he was in love with her. It was written all over his pretty boy face. But the vibe she was sending back to him was in no way romantic. Poor schmuck. To lose the girl to the very guy you despised with everything you had.

  Bass clapped Lewis on the back. “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.”

  The ballroom was enormous and filled with men in black tie and women dripping diamonds. Flowers covered every surface and the scent was delicious. But Kat noticed none of it. She was focused on the look of utter betrayal on Colin’s face as she had pulled away from him and into Alexander’s embrace. It wasn’t at all unusual for her to shy away from Colin’s touch. What had put that look on his face was that she allowed Alexander to touch her. It was as baffling to her as it clearly had been to Colin. She had no explanation for it other than she didn’t mind Alexander’s hands on her. It simply felt right. And didn’t that thought confuse her even more.