Strictly Business: Hooded Pleasures, Book 1 (17 page)

Alex gave a shrug and smiled, holding up his hands.

Mike laughed. “You can take the man out of the workaholic, but you can’t take the workaholic out of the man.” His forehead furrowed. “Doesn’t roll off the tongue, does it?”

“Not really,” Alex said. “But I got the drift of it.”

Jane snorted her annoyance. “At least you’re dressed decently. I’d have dragged you right back into the house if you’d tried wearing jeans. If you’re going to be talking to these types of folks, you need to look the part.” She looked at Alex via the rear-view mirror. “Remember, it’s for charity. Smile, press the flesh, whatever you have to do to get them to either write a check for a straight donation or bid on one of the silent auctions.”

“Roger that.” Alex felt a tang of guilt at leaving all the work to Jane. “Thanks for making this happen, sis.” He blew her a kiss.

“Damn it.” Jane smiled and shook her head. “Why can’t I stay mad at you? Even when you deserve it?”

Alex adjusted his collar, making sure his tie was straight. “Because I’m so darned smart. And cool.”

Jane laughed outright as she backed the car out onto the street. “Watch out, Monica. He’s one of those sweet-talking men who’ll have your panties off before you know it.”

Alex turned his attention to the woman beside him. Monica wore a lovely red dress and a neutral smile. He doubted she even remembered the wedding, much less the man who had turned her down.

“Hi,” she said, giving him a weak wave. “Pleased to see you again.”

Alex nodded, pasting on a smile. He wasn’t going to be a miserable date for the evening and punish Monica for—

Not being Kate?
his inner voice grumbled.

To distract him from that line of thought, he turned to Monica and smiled. “Sorry. Thinking too much.” He extended his hand. “I’m Alex. Again.”

She grinned and shook his hand. “Thanks for the reminder. I was pretty blitzed at the wedding, so I appreciate it.” Her grip lasted a second longer than it should, a gentle squeeze accompanying her comments. “I’ll stay sober this time.”

Alex extracted his hand with a neutral nod.

It was going to be a long evening.

Kate felt her fingers start to cramp around the thin glass stem, the effort of holding the single drink beginning to show. She’d nursed the same white wine for a good hour now so as not to be tempted to overindulge. Even though Ann was driving, she didn’t want to be tipsy in an environment like this.

It also kept potential suitors away. If she didn’t have a drink in her hand, someone would offer to get one for her, and it’d be a natural opening for conversation and so forth.

She wasn’t here for sex.

If it weren’t for Ann, she wouldn’t be here at all.

She’d be back in her condo, snapping pencils in half and trying to figure out what to do about Alex.

Her fingers itched, and she tightened her grip on the glass stem.

She tried not to look too bored. It’d attract attention, and that was something she didn’t need.

Kate looked around the ballroom again. An overhead banner announced the Alzheimer’s charity, and they had no shortage of generous donors. The ballroom was nearly filled to capacity, lines of well-dressed people shuffling in to peer at the various tables and finally congregate around the buffet table in clusters.

Pretty Petals had done a fantastic job on the centerpieces and floral arrangements. Kate didn’t know much about flowers, but she saw the approving smiles and nods from the attendees, many of them reaching out to touch the delicate lilies and roses. A number of paper pinwheels dotted the creations as well, the unofficial flower for those dealing with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

One table held a number of baskets, all stuffed with expensive items, from delicate china to caviar to rare first editions of popular books, set up for a silent auction where you put down your bid on a paper and had to wait to see if someone walked up and bid higher than you did.

She guessed it was so no one had to stand up and yell out numbers or wave frantically in the air to get noticed to have their bid count.

The buffet table displayed enough sweet treats and delicacies to take her off her diet for life. The mandatory fruit trays were well-stocked with a white- and dark-chocolate fountain ready to provide a sweet dipping. Cheesecakes of multiple varieties teased her, along with enough nibble-sized bits of cookies and cakes to push her well over the edge into sugar shock.

For those who had such tastes, a variety of cheeses and crackers were set out along with the never-ending wine bar. Kate found herself drooling, having nibbled on and off during the day in anticipation of the evening’s menu.

She’d already fulfilled her duty to Ann by running interference for at least two men so far who had seen her chatting to business friends and started to orbit her, ignoring the wedding ring blatantly displayed on her hand.

It’d taken only a few minutes of moving next to Ann and smiling and talking while giving the stink-eye to the possible suitors to scare the men off. They thought Ann and Kate were a couple, and that was just fine with her.

There were also a few men giving her the once-over, dragging their eyes over her dress with such intensity that she swore she felt the fabric tug and threaten to tear away.

She glared at one young man and saw him shrivel up.

You wouldn’t last five minutes with me, kid.

And that’s before I get out the cuffs.

Kate allowed herself a smile as the prospective suitor beat a path to the other end of the ballroom.

You still got it, girl.

Along the wall lay a series of tables and chairs, just what she needed with her aching feet. They weren’t new shoes; she wasn’t used to standing still for so long in one place.

If she could have only worn her high leather boots—

Kate chuckled. That would have definitely captured everyone’s attention.

She sat and slipped her shoes off with a choked sigh.

Better.

Kate wriggled her toes before reaching for the top napkin from a pile strategically placed for easy access for those away from the buffet table.

She pulled a pen out of her purse and began sketching in an effort to appear busy and unapproachable.

It was a lightweight drawing, an elf with long lovely pointed ears. A few ink strokes, and he was smiling, an impish grin daring the viewer to make up an origin story.

Kate returned the grin. It was hard not to, and it gave her a few minutes of relaxation.

Maybe all she needed to break her creative block was a night out.

She hoped it’d last until she got back home again.

Ann took the chair beside her. She let out a weary sigh.

“I’m almost done for the night.” She raised her hand and waved at a distant figure, her smile painfully perfect. “Another regional manager. He loves to talk shop, and I’m really, really not in the mood.”

“Tell him you’ve got to take me home before midnight, or I’ll turn into a pumpkin,” Kate offered. “Besides, you haven’t eaten yet. We’re not leaving until you get some serious food in your belly.”

“True,” Ann admitted. “Let me go press the flesh with this windbag for a few minutes, and I’ll be right on over to the buffet table.” She put her hand to her stomach. “The growling’s getting pretty loud.”

“I’ll go do recon and grab a plate for myself. See you back here.” Kate slipped her shoes back on and got up, holding the napkin.

There was a gap in the rush for the buffet table, allowing her easy access to take a small china plate before heading down the line, her eyes on the petite sandwich squares of smoked salmon.

Just two—or twenty.

She stopped before she reached the first platter, the hairs on the back of her neck tingling. It took a concentrated effort not to spin around.

It’d draw attention to her, and right now she didn’t want to be noticed.

Someone’s here.

Someone I know.

She forced herself to stay calm.

Kate strolled back to the table and placed the empty plate and napkin down on the table, using it as an excuse to put her back to the wall.

Kate scanned the audience. She’d caught someone out of the corner of her eye, someone familiar enough to set off her internal alarms.

She forced herself to breathe normally, caught between curiosity and panic at being noticed, being watched.

It could be someone she met at one of Ann’s parties. An online buddy she’d chatted with using the webcam.

Someone from the club.

Fuck. If it’s Carl—

Kate swallowed hard, holding the bile at bay.

Her mind snapped into gear detailing why it couldn’t be him.

Carl managed a small electronics store. Or he did, a year ago. Hardly an economic powerhouse that would have management sending him here to schmooze and cruise the floor.

He wouldn’t be here. The bastard had a fit when she gave a few bucks to a homeless man on one of their rare nights out. There was no way he’d attend a major charity event.

The logic helped tamp down the mixture of anger and fear swirling through her mind.

Okay. Not Carl.

Her mind dredged up the next possible worst thing.

Is
she
here?

Kate pressed her lips together. If Lily was here, Kate would have to put up a strong face and walk away from any confrontation. She was here to support Ann, not to have a catfight with the bitch who stole her man.

Her inner voice reminded her it’d been as much Carl’s decision to leave as it’d been Lily’s to accept him as her new sub.

He wouldn’t have left if he was happy—

The flood of emotions punched her in the gut.

Not your fault.

He’d chosen to go with her. He wanted a change, something new.

Someone new.

Kate chewed her bottom lip, trying to push the memories and emotions back into the mental box she’d stuffed them into months ago.

After two years together, he’d walked away. With her.

She forced herself to look around. If Lily was here, she’d deal with it.

If it was Carl, she’d deal with it.

No more running.

She spotted him at the same time he saw her.

Kate gasped, unable to hold back her shock.

Alex.

Chapter Twelve

Kate.

He began to say her name and realized where he was, who he was with.

Alex coughed, the effort grabbing at his throat.

Monica, standing beside him, frowned. “Are you okay?” She patted his back to help him stop.

“I—” His heart felt like he was on a treadmill. “I’m fine.” He smiled at her, not sure how to even begin to explain. “I’m fine,” he repeated.

I’m fine considering the Dominatrix I paid to paddle my ass every week is standing right over there.

He’d spotted Kate at the buffet table, plate and napkin in hand as she studied the sandwiches. Before he could figure out what to do she’d retreated to her own table, studying the crowd.

“I’ll get you a drink,” Monica offered. “You stay right here.” She trotted off toward the bar, casting glances over her shoulder.

Probably worried I’ll faint and she’ll end up being blamed for it somehow.

He looked at Kate and saw her focus in on him, her intense stare raking him from top to bottom.

Alex shivered. It was like he was standing there naked with the entire room watching, waiting for her.

It took a concentrated effort not to touch his neck and imagine the collar there, waiting for her to give the commands.

He shifted from one foot to the other, trying to tamp down the arousal at the mental image.

She rose from the table and walked toward him, gliding along the floor. The black dress she wore wasn’t anything like what she wore for their sessions but it was just as sexy, if not more. Her face was unreadable, emotions tucked away from view.

Alex could only guess at what she was feeling, but he sure as hell knew what he was feeling.

Scared. Terrified.

Turned on. Just the mere sight of her had desire tearing through his body.

He thought he’d never see her again.

But now Kate was here, advancing on him like a juggernaut. A sexy, seductive juggernaut.

She stopped in front of him. “Alex.” Her tone was steady and measured as if they’d rehearsed this meeting.

“Kate.” He paused. “Katherine.” He lowered his voice, drawing it out.

I know who you are.

He remembered how she’d sounded, how she’d tasted. How she’d pressed against him, how she’d moaned into his mouth.

She might not know what she wanted, but he did.

He wanted her.

And he’d be damned if he was going to let her go without a fight. She might not know it yet, but he was the right man for her, the best one she was ever going to get.

He wasn’t going to let her walk away without letting her know he wanted her more than ever, wanted her in every which way possible. Needed to give himself to her totally and to hell with anything or anyone else.

He wanted her.

All of her.

She locked eyes with him and he knew he’d gotten through the armor.

Katherine.

The single word sliced through her mental shields like a laser, letting him into her inner sanctum.

Damn.

She drew a deep breath as she tried to put the emotional mask back on.

“Alex,” she said again, forcing her tone to remain low and steady. “What a surprise to see you here.”

“Not as much as it is for me to see you.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I thought you were sick. That’s what I was told every time I called.” He glared at her. “I told them to pass on a message. I hoped you were feeling better. I see you are.”

The accusatory tone bashed at her defenses. It was an odd feeling, a tingling under her skin growing to itch and burn.

Kate wasn’t used to being on this side, being interrogated instead of being the interrogator.

“I—I needed some time off.” She fiddled with her small purse, not having any pockets in her dress to hide her hands in. “I had some other commitments I needed to fulfill.”

It wasn’t a total lie.

It wasn’t the total truth either.

It’d have to do.

“What did I do wrong?”

Her mouth fell open, the question stunning her into silence.

Alex stared at her, and she saw the fire in his eyes, the desire mixed with anger.

“I said, what did I do wrong? I followed all your instructions. I did everything you asked. I let you into my house, into my dreams, into my needs. Into my world.” He moved closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Why did you leave?”

Kate shook her head. “It’s not like that.”

“Then tell me what it’s like,” Alex snapped, startling her. “Because from where I’m standing, I see a woman who liked being with me and who I loved being with and who stopped it because of something I either did or didn’t do. So tell me what happened.”

“It wasn’t you.” She scrambled to put her jumbled emotions into words. “It wasn’t anything you did.”

She couldn’t leave him like this, mad and pissed off. It’d make things even worse than they were already.

“It wasn’t you,” Kate repeated. “It was me. I fucked up.”

“What?” Alex frowned. “What did you do? What could you have possibly done?” He glanced around the room to make sure no one was close enough to overhear their conversation. “God, Kate—you did nothing wrong.” He drew a ragged breath. “I never felt so good, so alive before. It was like you opened up a part of me I never knew existed and let it all flow out, flow in and around me. I don’t know how I lived before you came into my life, and I don’t know how to do it without you.” Alex closed his eyes. “When I kissed you, it was like nothing I’d experienced before. It was perfect, so perfect.”

He opened his eyes and locked her in place. “It was the same for you. I know it. You know it.” He pulled his fingers into a fist. “Why are you denying yourself?”

The words choked the life out of her, grabbed her heart in a vise grip and refused to let go. It took a concentrated effort not to grab him right there and now, kiss him and bend him to his knees, show him how much she cared for him.

She couldn’t.

She wouldn’t.

“No,” Kate said. “It’s not me. It’s the experience.” She snapped her fingers. “You can get it from any woman, any Domme. Danielle—”

“She was okay, but she wasn’t you,” Alex retorted. “It’s not the same. Only with you, Katherine. Only you.” The firm tone in his voice caught her soul in a stiff grip, squeezing the life out of her.

He was breaking her heart, and she couldn’t stop him.

She forced the words out past the pain. “Forget about me. Go find your perfect Domme at the club, any club. You’re ready to go out there. You know what you want. What you crave.” She waved him off. “You don’t need me anymore.”

“I—” He stopped as a woman carrying two glasses of white wine strode toward them, coming within earshot. Her expression gave no illusion about what she thought of Alex talking to another woman.

Kate put on her neutral smile to try to calm the situation. The last thing she needed right now was some woman pulling her into a catfight. It’d draw attention to them, and she didn’t want to deal with that.

“Hello.” She nodded at the blonde. “I’m Kate.”

Time to disarm this bomb before it goes off.

“I worked with Alex on a project some time ago. I wanted to touch base with him. Glad to see he’s doing well.” She turned and made a point of waving at Ann, who gazed at her with a bemused look, holding her small buffet plate. Ann was at the table Kate’d recently vacated, waiting for her return.

“I’ve got to get back to my friend.” Kate nodded to Alex. “So good to see you.” She walked away before he could say anything and possibly turn this into more of a disaster than it already was.

It took every ounce of control to keep her steady pace the entire way back to Ann. When she arrived at the table, Ann studied her intently, nibbling on a slender cookie.

“I thought you didn’t know anyone here.”

“I thought I didn’t either.”

“Ex-boyfriend?” Her eyebrows rose, the concern on her face evident.

“No.” The response came out faster than she’d planned, making it sound frantic. “Just someone I didn’t expect to see here. An old friend, work buddy.”

“Yeah. Sure.” She studied Kate’s face. “You’re still one hell of a lousy liar.”

Kate forced a smile. “Hasn’t changed since high school.” It took everything she had not to turn around and see what Alex was doing with his date.

Let him go.

He deserves better.

“I’ll tell you all about it later, promise.” She shook her head. “Don’t push me.”

Ann studied her face for a second before nodding. “Okay. Here.” She pushed the loaded plate at Kate. “Don’t make me eat this alone. I picked up a little bit of everything, and now I feel like a pig.” She shoveled some of the tiny snacks onto Kate’s empty plate. “I was shoving these into my mouth before I got back to the table.”

Kate sat and picked up one of the petite cucumber sandwiches. “So how’s the evening going? Is it going to make your boss happy?” It took a concentrated effort to force herself to eat, her stomach churning from the encounter.

“Good, good. The centerpieces are getting a lot of compliments, and there’s an excellent chance we might get a few jobs out of it.”

They sat there and ate, Kate grateful for the silence. She couldn’t dispute Ann’s adoration for the food—the caterers had done a fine job of making even simple sandwiches and finger treats into tasty morsels that would tempt anyone to break their diet.

Ann popped the last crab puff into her mouth. “Okay I’m done for the night.” She put her near-empty plate next to Kate’s dish and napkin. “Let’s say our goodbyes and blow this pop stand. I need to get out of this outfit. My feet are aching, and my girls need to bounce free.”

Kate nodded. “I’m good with that.”

She needed to get out of here as soon as possible. It took all her self-control not to look over at Alex.

“So you worked with her?” Monica asked. She handed Alex a glass, keeping a tight grip on her own drink.

Alex could see the imaginary wheels spinning in her mind:
Why am I here if he worked with
her
?

“I guess you could say that.”

It wasn’t a total lie.

It wasn’t the total truth either.

It’d have to do.

He swallowed a mouthful of wine, hoping the alcohol would help calm him down.

He’d forced Kate to give him an answer.

It wasn’t the one he wanted.

“Ah.” Monica nodded. She gave him a knowing smile. “I get it. You like her, but she’s your boss so you don’t think you can ask her out.” She sighed. “Been there, done that. It’s a bitch. You’re doing the right thing, in my opinion.” Monica gestured with her glass toward the retreating pair. “Not worth the trouble. That sort of thing can really screw with your mind.”

“Yeah.” He finished off the glass of wine in a single gulp. “It sure can.”

He kept up a running conversation with Monica, nodding and agreeing with her on a variety of topics from fashion to footwear. Alex discovered she loved cowboy boots over runners and felt the recent clothing trends didn’t work for the majority of women because they used anorexic models.

He agreed with her on that point.

His attention shifted every few minutes back to Kate and her companion.

Are they a couple?

I didn’t think she went both ways, but—

He held back a snarl, unable to keep his imagination from visualizing them in bed together.

It was a typical male fantasy, and he’d read more than his fair share of novels with that theme, most recently a graphic novel involving two women with a BDSM connection. His imagination recalled the images, substituting Kate for the Domme—

He coughed, pushing the unwanted pictures from his mind.

No. Not Kate.

Not my Mistress.

Alex forced himself to look bored, concerned Monica would notice and ask questions he wasn’t ready to answer.

He continued to watch the two women, forcing himself into an observer role and judging them by their actions as he would any other couple.

No. Definitely not a client.

Not the way she nudged her with an elbow and laughed; a private joke for them alone. There was an intimacy there, but not that of lovers. The body language was different, the way they touched each other giving their relationship away.

Friendship.

The two were friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

She’d come here without a man. Without a boyfriend or a client.

The thought lessened the weight on his heart. If Kate was already in a relationship the guilt would have put him off, forced him away. He wasn’t one of those selfish men who would destroy someone’s happiness to get what he wanted.

But as far as he knew, she was single and available.

He still had a chance.

Alex discreetly kept watching them, sipping his drink and continuing the bland conversation with Monica.

Finally, the two women moved off after thanking the event organizers edging toward the exit.

“Excuse me,” he said to Monica. “Can I get you something to eat?”

“That’d be great. Thank you.” She smiled and took the empty glass out of his hand. “You get the food, and I’ll get a refill on the drinks.”

As she moved off, Alex headed for the table Kate had just vacated.

He wasn’t sure what he was looking for. Maybe something had been left behind, something to let him track her down without looking like a creepy stalker.

He snooped around the two plates, searching for something, anything that might give him a clue to who she really was outside of Hooded Pleasures.

Nothing.

No business cards, no ticket stubs to the charity auction, nothing to show who had been there.

Except—

A dark line peeked out from under the china. He reached out and pulled the napkin free.

The puckish elf smirked at him.

Holy…

He stuffed the paper into his pocket as Monica approached him, holding fresh drinks.

“Just wanted to save the table for us. You stay here, and I’ll get the munchies.” Alex grinned and headed for the buffet table. He twisted his head to see Kate and her friend leave, shaking hands as they made their escape.