❦ Jason ❦

I want to know if you want me as much as I want you right now. If you have thought of me at all these past six years. I thought, trying hard not to stare at her lips. The lips that had been distracting me all night.

She looked beautiful as usual with her hair hanging in waves around her shoulders. The white dress she was wearing complimented her tanned skin.

My control was hanging by a thread when she made that comment about mistaking me for her fiancé and it had snapped. It was too satisfying to find out that her response to my kiss was as intense and wild even when she was sober. She wasn't as unaffected by me as she pretended to be.

I almost smiled at thought of what followed after the kiss. Her slap had caught me totally unaware. I could still feel the power of it on my face. Who knew such a small hand could hold that much power? Despite her denial, I was sure her palm had stung, but knowing she didn't want to show any weakness in front of me, I had let it go.

My mind went to the drive over to the restaurant. She had been so excited when I asked her if she wanted to drive. With her eyes shining and her cheeks flushed with exhilaration, she had looked so very tempting. It had taken all of my control not to pull her into my arms again and kiss her.

I hadn't meant to tell her that her smile was worth more than my car. Even though it was true. But it had just slipped out. She could have crashed the damn car and I wouldn't have cared. The only thing that mattered was seeing that happy look on her face as she drove and knowing I was the reason behind it.

A part of my mind warned me to keep her at an arm's distance, both physically and emotionally. But the more time I spent with her, I was beginning to realize I still had a soft spot for her even after all these years.

Even knowing she was engaged to another man hadn't doused the attraction I felt. I stayed the hell away from women who were married or taken, but with Kate, I was finding it hard to.

In the car I had almost given into temptation and kissed her. And I was damn sure she wouldn't have stopped me. I had seen the desire reflected in her eyes. But having given her my word that I wouldn't touch her again, I immediately got out of the car before I did something she'd regret.

"Jason."

Her voice brought me out of my thoughts and I realized I had been staring at her all this time. Her face was red and I was ready to bet it wasn't at all from embarrassment. There was no mistaking the flush of desire. She was as aware of me as I was of her.

I cleared my throat. "Tell me about work."

"Well, I was working as an interior designer at an architecture firm but I resigned two weeks ago."

So she had pursued interior designing. I remembered her telling me she wanted to be an interior designer when we were in school. "Why did you resign?"

"I've always wanted to work on my own. Taking independent clients and as long as I was working under someone else, it wasn't possible. So I decided to quit and work for myself." She shrugged and the movement dragged my attention to her cleavage. I groaned in my head and tore my gaze away. Was it not possible to have a conversation with her without getting turned on?

The food came and we continued talking throughout the main course. She told me about the projects she had done while employed in the architecture firm, and I was entranced as I watched her talk. Her eyes were sparkling, her voice animated and it was clear that she was extremely passionate about her work.

I was curious to know more so I asked her what her goals and dreams were.

"I want to open my own business one day." She said enthusiastically. "After that, I'd really like to work on a huge project. Like a hotel or resort maybe."

The more I talked to her the more I wanted to see her work. "Do you have an e-portfolio?"

"Yeah I do."

"I'd like to see it."

She looked surprised. "Um. Sure." She opened her purse and took a card out. "Here's my card. You'll find the address on this."

I took it from her and put it in my jacket pocket. She didn't ask me why I wanted to see her website and I was actually glad. I had an idea in my mind but I wanted to be sure of it. I would go back to my suite and check her e-portfolio, and if I liked her work then I would tell her what I had in mind.

While we waited for dessert, Kate leaned forward in her seat and smiled. "Let's talk about you."

Was she aware that I could see her cleavage so well when she leaned like that? I struggled to keep my eyes firmly on her face. "Nothing much to tell. I wake up at 5, work twelve to fourteen hours and am usually in bed by midnight."

"What about your social life?"

"Are you asking me if I'm dating anyone?" I smirked at her, enjoying myself.

She blushed and bit her lips. Heat shot straight to my groin and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "I don't have time for dating."

"Really? Then who are those women you're so constantly photographed with?"

I grinned. "Acquaintances."

"Yeah, right." She tried to fight the smile threatening on her lips but failed to do so.

Because I didn't want to talk about myself, I steered the conversation away from me. "Tell me about Peter." Maybe it was a too personal question and the way her eyes widened told me she thought so as well.

"How do you know his name?" She asked frowning.

"You told me during your very drunk conversation with me." I smirked and had the satisfaction of seeing her blush again. "So how long have you both been together?"

"Well, tomorrow is our two-year anniversary."

"Why isn't he here with you then?"

She hesitated, then shrugged. "His boss arranged a camping trip at the last minute so he couldn't come with me."

Despite how much she was trying not to show it, I could see she was disappointed. Her tone even suggested she was not happy. What type of man ditched his fiancée on their anniversary?

The waiter appeared with the dessert at that moment. Kate took a spoonful of cheesecake and made a disturbingly erotic sound in her throat. "This is unbelievably delicious."

She licked her lips slowly, making my body tense. God, everything she did was a hell of a turn on for me. No woman had ever affected me the way she did. Was it possible that she still had some sort of power over me like she did in school?

No. That couldn't be. I had loved her once but that didn't mean I was going to repeat the same mistake again. I wasn't a boy anymore but a man, who had no time for love or any crap like that.

Whatever I was feeling for her was lust. Raw intense lust that made me want to rip her clothes off every time I looked at her. Too bad she was taken and unavailable because there was nothing else that I wanted as much as I wanted to fuck her.

I forced the thoughts out of my head and continued making idle conversation while we finished dessert. When the check arrived, she reached for it but I beat her to it.

She tried to protest. "I can't let you pay for me."

"I can afford it, believe me." I shot her an amused look as I retrieved a credit card from my wallet and tucked it inside the burgundy leather case along with a couple of hundred dollar notes as a tip.

She sighed in exasperation, not hiding the fact that she wasn't happy. Ignoring her, I signaled to the waitress and handed her the check. Our fingers accidentally brushed as she took it from me and she blushed to the roots.

As she walked away, Kate raised one eyebrow at me. "Do all women act like that around you?"

The answer was yes, almost always, but if I said that she would think I was being cocky and vain so I just smirked. "You're a woman. You tell me."

"I don't act like that." She muttered defensively but even as she said that, a faint blush stained her cheeks.

I was tempted to fluster her more but I decided to let it go. She was trying so hard to pretend she wasn't affected by me and I didn't want to let her know I saw through it.

On the drive back to the ship, we had an easy conversation flowing between us. As we climbed aboard the ship I realized I didn't want the night to end. "Do you want to go to the bar and get a drink?" I asked her.

"I think I'll have an early night. I promised Hal I'll go swimming with him early in the morning."

"I'll walk you to your room then." She opened her mouth to protest but then nodded.

We walked in silence but I could sense she was suddenly tense. When we reached her door, she stopped and gave me a small smile. "Thanks for dinner. I had a lovely time."

"Me too." I flashed her a smile and her eyes flared in awareness instantly. I was used to getting that reaction from women to my smile, but seeing her react that way pleased me entirely too much.

I suddenly wanted to push her against the door and kiss her senseless. I wanted to see those lips bruised and swollen from my kisses. The rush of need that flashed through me made my dick twitch in my pants and I groaned inwardly.

I reminded myself that she was engaged and off limits. "Good night, Kate."

She smiled. "Good night."

I gave her a quick smile and walked away before my body won the argument it was having with my brain and kissed her.