An Heiress For The Bear (Sarkozy Brothers 2) (8 page)

K
AT
HAD
THE
MORNING
OFF
the next day, spending it chatting with Carson.

Kat regretted even mentioning Ursus Major postponing their tour. She was signed up for their newsletter, and she'd seen it while scanning her email.

Carson had rolled her eyes, pretending it had no effect on her. And although Kat had settled into her morning yoga routine, she hadn't missed Carson's odd reaction when she'd wondered what the name meant.

She'd suspected that Carson already knew, but Kat had dutifully confirmed that it meant something akin to 'Big Bear.' She was a little annoyed with Carson though, feeling that by now she should have pulled herself back together. Marek hadn't miraculously appeared on her doorstep to make up, and Carson didn't seem likely to be doing the same with him.

When Kat had showered and changed, she'd found Carson practicing at the piano in their private lounge, and she'd left her be.

Music would heal Carson.

Kat headed to the office at midday, as usual finding a place to park her silver Lexus three blocks away. The vehicle had been bought at the insistence of her overbearing father.

According to H. Carter Jr., cars were a status symbol, meant to imbue confidence. She'd bought it just to appease him, knowing he hadn't been impressed with her choice to go pro bono and wanting to keep the peace. She hadn't intended to use it for work until she'd given in to the reality that the bus commute to A&L was ridiculous when she actually owned a car.

So she parked in a lot a few blocks away and walked to work. So far nobody had cottoned on.

Once at her desk, she ran through the terms of the contract, updating it as she went. She printed out the final version and signed on the dotted line, before sliding the document into an envelope and sealing it.

The rest of the day passed in a blur: a new client needed relocation, and another claimed she wanted to keep her husband away from her pre-teen daughter.

The last case had taken up pretty much all of the afternoon, and at the end of the day, Kat was wondering if that case was going to be a relocation too. The father happened to be a prominent senator with strong connections within the legal system. Not advantageous for a mother who wanted to keep him away from his daughter.

With the air-conditioning going on the blink again, it all made for a tiring day. Good thing she'd worn a skirt suit today, in lieu of her usual pants. It was still Armani, of course, another thing her father had insisted on when it came to her dress code. He'd said that a professional bearing would imply success. What met the eye was far more convincing than reality, so she had to work on her image before her job.

He'd been on to something, because Kat seldom lost a case, and her clients always thought the world of her. That could have also been a result of Kat's additional cash assistance when her clients were in need.

It was ironic, though, that she was funneling her money into something that benefited these women. It wouldn't stop her from helping Bianca Hawthorne with her rent payments this month, or from paying for Ada Menon's son's field trip.

The grin on her face disappeared when she caught sight of the time. It was after nine, and Lukas had implied he'd come to her if he was late. No way was she going to let him come to her apartment. Not when Carson was there.

She'd drop it off at his place on the way home.

That would be the safest option.

Fiona, Lukas's personal assistant, kept his address on her Rolodex, and after rifling through it, Kat punched it into her GPS and made a note of the code for the front door. Lukas had some fancy security system that meant his front door didn't need a key. All he did was punch in a code, and he'd had one especially created for staff, so he'd know when it was being used.

Apparently the man loved his privacy.

It didn't matter, though. She planned on getting in and out within seconds. He wouldn't even know she had been there except for the envelope.

She'd be quick.

In and out.

Fast.

E
NTERING
L
UKAS
'
S
APARTMENT
WAS
EASY
enough, despite her stupid fear that the code wouldn't work or that she'd set off the alarms like a bumbling idiot.

Once inside, she smiled. The hallway was large, the décor muted, the paint a warm cream, the walls covered in paintings and artwork of various styles. If Lukas had been the one to select his artwork, then she'd guess he went for whatever suited his eye, rather than sticking to a particular style.

Along the left wall of the wide entrance hall sat a long sideboard, filled with bowls and platters of various sizes. Already she could tell that Lukas used them for a number of functions: key holders, letter holders, pen and paper holders.

She spotted a bare space just large enough for the envelope and was rummaging through the bowl of pen and paper for a blank sheet when a sound emanated from within the apartment.

Kat froze, listening hard for the sound, wondering what on earth would make such a wild, feral sound in the middle of the city. She hoped it was the neighbors TV, and scribbled a note to Lukas before heading for the door.

In and out, fast. That had been the plan.

But as she touched the handle of the entrance door, she hesitated. What if something had happened? What if Lukas was somehow in the apartment, hurt and needing help? That sound had made the hair on the back of her neck rise. It had sounded like a wounded animal, and Kat didn't think it was responsible to leave without checking.

On the other hand, it would be equally responsible to leave and call the cops. But Lukas wouldn't appreciate being molested by the police if there wasn't anything wrong.

Damn.

She had no choice but to investigate the noise.

Still gripping the envelope, she slipped out of her high heels, thinking it wise in case she had to flee for her life, then strode toward the small hall along the left hand wall of the main living area.

Kat stopped in her tracks. What if it was a burglar? She'd need to defend herself. Kat scanned the living room and found a short Japanese blade on the far wall.

Perfect.

She rose on her toes to shimmy the blade off the wall, noting the blunt blade with a little disappointment. Probably a good thing. She didn't need a jail term for defending Lukas's property. Not worth it.

Holding the knife with tight fingers, she headed down the hall, her feet making not a single sound as she reached what looked like the main bedroom. The door sat ajar, and she elbowed it open, her feet sinking into deep, cream-colored pile.

The wall across from her was painted in a red and black satin stripe, a nice feature to set off the mahogany headboard. It seemed rather gothic, but from what she'd read on him and his grandfather, the family did originate from the land of the vampires.

The plush carpet helped to hide her footsteps as she moved further into the room, the knife held out in front of her. Empty.

A sound at her back drew her attention, and she spun on her heel. Bright light slid through the space in the partially open bathroom door. Was the burglar inside the bathroom?

What would a burglar be doing inside the bathroom?

And why the hell are you contemplating tackling a burglar for freak's sake?

Kat stared at the doorway, gathering her courage. She wasn't made for this type of stuff, yet she stepped closer, clutching the crumpled envelope in one hand and the blunt sword in the other.

She tiptoed to the door, her heartbeat roaring in her ears, and nudged the door aside with her shoulder. Inside, the bathroom was all grey slate tiles, chrome, and porcelain. And filled with steam.

What the heck?

Was the burglar showering? Or was Lukas home?

Now that would definitely end badly.

But she had to check. What if it was a murderer instead of a burglar, and they'd showered off the blood from bludgeoning Lukas to death? She couldn't leave, just in case.

And you now want to tackle a murderer head on?

Kat shook her head, her heart tripping in her chest. She really was going crazy. Her footsteps made no sound on the tiled floor, and she walked toward the glass shower cubicle, the knife held out in front of her like a rapier. Pity it couldn't even cut through skin, let alone an entire person.

A gigantic bath towel was hooked beside a shower of a size she'd never seen before. The space must have been the size of most peoples' entire bathrooms. The man must like things in extra-large sizes.

The shower glass was steamed up, and she couldn't see inside. Ugh. She swallowed hard. This was perfect. She'd always hated shower scenes in movies. Someone usually ended up either murdered or boned. In her case, murder seemed the more likely option.

Kat stopped a foot from the door, holding on to the contract with her fingers so her free thumb could hook around the shower door handle. Why had she not left the damned thing on the entrance table?

Her thumb moved an inch from the handle when the shower door opened, and Kat had to backpedal fast so she wouldn't get hit in the face with the glass. It was a wonder that she'd managed to stay on her feet, but she had to admit, having her knees locked with fright did wonders in the not-falling-down department.

A man emerged from the shower. A very naked man.

He reached for the towel hanging from a hook beside the shower and wrapped it around his waist. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on whether he was an axe-murderer or if he was a certain sexy boss, the steam billowed around him in clouds and hid her view of certain interesting areas of his anatomy.

When he moved to step out of the shower, Kat realized the point of her very useless deadly instrument was dangerously close to his face. He realized it too, but instead of backing away, he came at her.

Lukas jumped out of the steam, one large hand closing over her wrist, tightening until she gasped and dropped the sword. It hit the tiles with a harsh clatter, and she winced, wondering if her pay would soon be docked for damage.

That was when it hit her. She was standing in Lukas's bathroom, staring at his body.

And all Lukas wore was a towel.

I
T
MUST
BE
A
DREAM
, he thought.

He was tired from the long drive to the Klamath Mountains to see Marek. He'd left yesterday after he'd spoken to Kat and spent the night at the cabin, roaming the forest and allowing his bear some freedom.

He'd given Marek the news from the lab and empathized at the look on his cousin's face. The Legion had moved their efforts from abduction to assassination, so they'd decided to have Delta Corps actively seek to 'acquire' a member of the Legion for interrogation. They had to know what the fucking Legion wanted.

Lukas had left after breakfast for another long drive and had headed straight into the shower. Maybe he was too tired, and was seeing things.

So it must be a dream.

Lukas blinked and stared at the vision before him. Clouds of steam billowed within the bathroom, and Kat emerged from it, aiming the blunt point of his Japanese sword at his eye.