Secret Seduction (7 page)

“Oh no! If you think I’m going to walk to Rome, you’d better think again.” She walked over to the side of the road and sat down in the dirt. Then she removed her left shoe and started shaking it until a few pebbles dropped out.

“We are not walking to Rome.” He laughed and rolled his eyes. He wanted to tell her about the large body of water that sat between them and Italy, but instead he said, “We’re walking to Patra to catch a plane to Brindisi, then maybe hop a bus or train to Rome. And we’re going to miss the flight today if you don’t get your butt out of the dirt and back on the road.”

Katie’s mind snapped. “I am NOT going to Rome! I know who’s in Rome, I’m not stupid you know.” She threw her shoe at him. He ducked, but it barely missed his head. She walked over to him and pointed her finger into his chest. “Is this what it comes down to? Loyalties! Me or her, Jason. Choose.” She was so close to his face, her eyes shot metaphorical daggers at him, and he could feel the heat vibrating off her.

“Katie…” What could he say? He hadn’t planned on the words, how he would tell her. “We’re heading to Rome because your father is there.” That’s it, lie to her, Jason. That will get her moving.

“What? No he isn’t. Damiano Cardone is in Athens. I should know, since I was supposed to have a meeting with him today, remember.”

She walked over and picked up the shoe she had thrown at him and put it back on her foot after dusting off her sock.

“Well, he’s there now. I told you he wasn’t in Athens anymore.” He continued walking.

She hurried up and grabbed her bag again, jogging to catch up with him.

“I won’t see her, you know.”

“I know, Katie. I think she knows it as well.” He put his arm around her shoulder as they walked towards town.

“I don’t think I can ever see her again. How can you forgive someone who spent your whole life lying to you?”

He stopped and pulled her shoulders until she looked at him.

“She might have her own reasons for doing what she did. Until you hear her side of things, you need to try to keep an open mind.”

“I can’t, Jason. I just can’t.”

“You judged me without hearing my side of the story.”

She tilted her head in question.

“About the kiss. You had assumed that I didn’t think about you in that way, but upon hearing my side of things, I hope you understand how I feel about you now.”

He could see understanding in her eyes now and a little excitement.

“What if she doesn’t have a reason for doing what she did? What if she is just some big slut who likes to sleep around and hurt people?”

“Katie, I think you know her a little better than that. Plus, you heard they got married right?”

“Yes.” She dropped her head and started looking at their shoes. “But, that doesn’t change anything.”

“Why not? If Damiano was forgiving enough to marry her, the woman who had lied to him all this time, maybe you should be as open-minded.”

“I don’t think I can. Please,” she tried to pull away. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.

He watched as she turned and started walking again. They walked in silence the rest of the way.

They made it into Patra just after the sun had set and stopped at the first hotel they found, where they got a small room with two large beds.

Katie stood in the shower and let the water wash away the day’s dirt and sweat. She tried not to think about their discussion earlier. Instead she chose to think about their relationship.

She’d always been jealous of Jason’s girlfriends, but one had always stood out more than the others. Kimberly had been a thorn in Katie’s side. The busty redhead had Jason wrapped around her finger for almost a year. He’d started dating her shortly after Katie had moved into the two-bedroom apartment with him. She’d been trying to help him out with rent and, to be honest with herself, she’d been hoping the close proximity would spark some interest in her.

Instead, he’d started dating Kimberly. Katie remembered the first time they’d been left alone in the room together.

“I know that you have a crush on my boyfriend.” Kimberly hadn’t even looked at her.

They’d been sitting in the living room, getting ready to watch a movie. Jason had excused himself to go make the pop-corn.

“I’m sorry?” Katie had been shocked at the girl’s tone.

“Don’t play coy with me.” She turned her body and Katie got the full view of her size D breasts popping out of her tight pink shirt. “I know you have a crush on Jason. I don’t like that you live with him and I will do everything in my power while I’m with him to get him to change his mind about your living arrangements.”

Katie had almost wanted to laugh. Jason and Kimberly had been dating for less than two months at that point. For this redheaded bimbo to think that her Jason would choose this girl over their friendship was laughable.

But when Jason had walked back in with a large bowl of popcorn, Kimberly had stood up and faked a cry.

“Really, Jason. I don’t know how you can live with this girl.” Jason almost dropped the bowl of popcorn. He’d looked between the pair and then back at Kimberly. Katie just watched Kimberly with amusement.

“I want to go home. I won’t be insulted like this. Especially by someone like her.” She had pointed at Katie, and then Katie watched in horror as Jason rushed over and set the bowl of popcorn down and hugged Kimberly.

“I’m sorry, did Katie say something to upset you?”

Jason gave her his best stink-eye behind Kimberly’s back. Katie just looked like she wanted to laugh. He saw the look and immediately knew Kimberly was lying.

“I’ll take you home.” As he was walking the bimbo out, he looked back over his shoulder and mouthed, ‘I’m sorry,’ to Katie.

Every time Kimberly was around, Jason tried to keep them apart. It had only taken six more months for Katie to tire of the game and move out.

To be honest with herself, it was the loud noises that came from Jason’s room at night that had finally made her decide to move out. She knew that Kimberly probably did it on purpose, but she just couldn’t spend another night crying as he made love to her.

Then Katie started thinking about what had happened at lunch today in the woman’s restroom. How Jason’s hands had moved her to somewhere that had always been just out of reach. She was sure she’d sounded a lot like Kimberly had. Her nipples hardened as she remembered his mouth on her neck and his fingers pinching her nipples lightly, rolling them between his fingers.

She ran her soapy hands over her body and wished they were his, remembering how good his callused hands felt running over her soft skin. She ran her fingers over herself, seeing if it felt as good as it had with his. It didn’t feel the same, but still she tried to remember his fingers running over her and mimicked his movements.

She tried very hard to relax and not think of how stupid she felt standing in the shower touching herself, but her mind just wouldn’t shut off. Finally she rinsed herself off, realizing that she would probably remain so wound up that she would explode when he touched her next.

She smiled when she realized she was counting on him touching her again, not saying if, but when. She thought of several ways she could convince him to touch her again; she knew she was up for the challenge. When she walked out, wearing only her shorts and a clean tank top, Jason was on the phone. When he saw her, he quickly clicked the phone off and watched her cross the room. Without saying anything, he shook his head and walked into the restroom, closing the door behind him. She almost stomped her foot in frustration. She had seen the desire flash in his eyes and wondered what it would take for it to be there again.

Sitting down on the side of the bed, she decided to order room service and, because she was very hungry, she ordered almost everything on the menu. Watching television did little to entertain her since everything was in Greek and very hard to follow, so she turned it off and waited for Jason to get out of the shower or for the food to get there.

She thought about his phone conversation; of course, she knew who he’d been talking to. It was obvious, and she didn’t know why he didn’t just come out and say it. Maybe he was afraid of how she would react?

There was a light knock on the hotel door and then the bathroom door swung open quickly. Jason walked out of the bathroom, the small white towel hung low on his hips. He had a razor in one hand and she noticed that half of his face was shaved, while the other half was still covered in shaving cream. He walked over to the door and peeked out the peephole, then turned to her, “Did you order food?”

“Yes, of course I did.” She tried to move him aside so she could open the door.

“Get back, just there.” He pointed behind the bathroom door. Shrugging her shoulders, she moved to where he told her. She figured if it got her the food, she’d pretty much do anything at this point.

Finally, after he rolled the cart of food in himself, he shut himself back up in the bathroom to finish shaving. She sat down and started eating her feast while sitting on the bed. Halfway through her chicken ravioli, he came back out wearing gray shorts and a clean white t-shirt. His hair was slicked back and he looked fresher with his shaved face.

“I ordered you a steak and some pasta.” She nodded towards a covered plate.

They sat in silence as they ate, and she felt like there was some unspoken tension building. She could feel his nerves build and felt her desire triple.

“What?” she finally asked after catching him staring at her again.

“What?” He didn’t even try to hide the humor this time, and she laughed with him.

“I’m sorry about today,” he said quietly.

Instantly her mind flashed to what he’d done to her in the restroom.

“No, God, Katie, not that,” She watched him shake his head. “I’m sorry you had to walk so much. I know my feet hurt. I didn’t know it was that far, I swear.”

“It’s okay, it’s not like a ten mile walk is going to kill me.”

“Well, it was more like fifteen, but if you want to call it ten, I can live with that.” He smiled and set his empty plate down, then watched her. She had just finished her plate of ravioli and had uncovered her desert, which she had ordered with him in mind.

She took the plate with her to the bed and sat down, leaning back against the headboard. She picked up a juicy strawberry and dipped it slowly in the cream, then using just two fingers, she brought the berry to her lips and sucked the cream off it slowly. She heard Jason catch his breath from across the room.

“
What?” She looked at him, smiling.

“You ordered strawberries and cool whip for dessert?” he leaned towards her.

“Yes.” She looked at him and noticed his eyes were a deeper blue than she could ever remember. They roamed over her shirt and she felt her nipples harden. Jason noticed and grinned at her, causing her to get wet between her legs. When did he get the power to do this to her? She had planned on seducing him, how could she have known that he would do the same to her?