LA, CA

❦ Kate ❦

I sat on my couch, arms wrapped around my knees, as I tried to gouge out the reaction on Peter's face. I had just told him about the hotel project and he hadn't said anything so far. By the frown on his face, I knew he was deep in thought.

Peter had flown in from Chicago for the weekend and as soon as he arrived, I had told him about the offer from Jason.

"I don't understand why Jason Perez would want to hire you for this." He said finally.

That was not what I expected him to say. Was he doubting my ability? "And what does that mean?"

"I'm not saying you can't do it." He said noting the edge in my voice. "It's just that you don't have much experience in handling such huge projects. But if he thinks you are the perfect person for the job, then it doesn't matter."

"So you're okay with me working for him?"

"Well, you already accepted his offer without consulting with me first, didn't you?" He said it with a smile but I could sense the disapproval in his voice. I hated to admit it but Hal was right. Peter felt as if he could dictate everything in my life. Maybe the fault was mine for letting him get away with it for the past two years.

"I don't actually feel fine with you working for him, considering he is your ex-boyfriend." He continued. "But it's a golden opportunity for your career and I understand how important that is. And it's not like I have anything to worry about."

"What do you mean?"

"If this was any other man, I would have been worried about him coming on to you." He laughed as if he was telling a joke. "But he's Jason Perez. I've seen his picture splashed all over tabloids with different women on his arm. So it's not like he's going to be interested in someone like you when he has all those women at his service."

"Someone like me?"

"Oh, you know what I mean, honey." He said quickly. "He's well known for dating actresses and models. You both might have dated a long time ago but I think it's safe to say you're definitely not his type anymore."

I wondered if he knew how insulting his words sounded. But then I pushed the thoughts away. He was right anyway.

Peter's phone rang at that moment and he answered it instantly. "Yes. I'm about to leave. I'll see you in twenty." He ended the call and reached for his overnight bag which was on the floor beside the couch.

"You're leaving?" I asked incredulously. "But you just got here."

"I told you some colleagues from work are also here in LA. I told them I would join them for lunch today. And after that we are meeting up with some lawyers who work in a firm here. I'll be back before dinner."

Disappointment rolled through me in waves. "We haven't seen each other in over a month, Peter. I thought this weekend was supposed to be our time together, just us."

"We'll spend the day together tomorrow. I promise." He took out a small velvet box from his bag. "Here, this is for you. I know I forgot our anniversary, and I'm sorry about that, but I hope this makes up for it."

I opened the box to find a pair of silver earrings nestled in the black velvet. It was shaped like a heart with a diamond in the center.

"Don't you like it?" Peter asked when I continued staring at it.

"It's beautiful. Really. Thank you. But..."

"But what?" He asked impatiently.

I sighed meeting his gaze. "I'm allergic to silver, remember?"

"Dammit. I'm sorry. I completely forgot to tell Athena about that."

The mention of his assistant made me frown. "She picked it up for me? Not you?"

"You know I don't have time for mundane tasks like jewelry shopping. I asked her to choose something. Women are more knowledgeable when it comes to jewelry anyway." He took the box from me. "I'll get her to exchange this for a gold pair."

He couldn't even be bothered to take time out of his schedule to choose an anniversary gift for me. Another sign how his work was more important to him than me. Or maybe I was just overreacting. He was a busy man.

"There's something else I want to tell you." I said as Peter got ready to head out for lunch with his colleagues.

"Can't it wait till I get back? I don't want to be late."

"Later then." Despite what Hal told me, I wasn't going to hide the fact that I kissed Jason. I wanted to come clean with Peter, even if there was a chance that he would tell me to give up the hotel project.

He dropped a quick kiss to my lips. "I'm sorry I have to go now. But I'll make it up to you tomorrow. Okay?" When I nodded, he kissed me briefly again.

❦ ❦ ❦

I should have known Peter couldn't follow through his promise of making it up to me. He spent the whole of Sunday glued to his laptop and phone. His excuse was some new evidence had come up in a case he was defending so he needed to prepare himself before he appeared in court Tuesday.

On Sunday evening, Jason's assistant called me to set up a meeting for the next day at 9.

Guilt was eating me up alive as I got ready on Monday morning. Since Peter had been too wrapped up in work, I hadn't got a chance to tell him anything that happened on the cruise. The worst part was, there was a small part of me that was glad that I didn't get the chance. My subconscious kept telling me that I was horrible for choosing my career over being honest to Peter.

Pushing the guilty thoughts away, I got dressed in a pale pink, long sleeved silky blouse tucked into a grey pencil skirt. Slipping my feet into a pair of nude stiletto pumps, I grabbed my bag and walked out of the bedroom.

Peter was sitting at the kitchen counter and he looked up from his coffee. His eyebrows furrowed in disapproval. "Whoa, honey. Don't you think that's a bit inappropriate for work?"

I glanced down at my skirt which rested a couple of inches above my knee. Honestly, I couldn't see anything wrong with it. The skirt and shoes showed off my legs but I looked decent and professional. It was not like I was wearing a mini skirt.

The last thing I wanted was to start the day off with an argument. So, I pulled down on the hem of the skirt and glanced at him. "Do you want me to change?"

"There isn't time." He frowned. "But you're not wearing that again."

I bit my tongue. Now was not the time to tell him I was fed up with him dictating my life.

Peter always rented a car when visiting and since I didn't own a car, he dropped me off at Perez Enterprises on his way to the airport.

I walked to the entrance of the imposing tower and took a deep breath before walking inside through glass revolving doors. I looked in awe at my surrounding and took in the cream and gold marble mosaic floor and the big chandelier hung above. The interior of the reception was done in vibrant colors, patterns and styles of Roman and European architecture.

Clutching my bag tightly, I went to the huge marble reception counter.

A beautiful brunette who looked as if she had just walked out of a glossy magazine looked up and gave a professional smile. "Good morning, ma'am. How may I help you?" Her voice even sounded exotic.

Clearing my throat, I smiled at her politely. "Good morning. I have a meeting with Mr. Jason Perez. I'm Kate Lewis."

She tapped on the keyboard of her computer and then handed me a visitor pass. "You can take the elevator to the 50th floor, Ms. Lewis." I heard her on the phone letting someone know I was on my way as I walked away.

I got off of the elevator at the 50th floor and found myself in another reception area, which was decorated in shades of white and black and gave off a modern and sleek look. The walls were white and devoid of any artwork.

"Ms. Lewis. Welcome." Another beautiful woman approached me. She offered me a professional smile. "I'm Andrea Stannis, Mr. Perez's executive assistant. He is expecting you. If you'll follow me, please."

"Thank you." I croaked out, intimidated by her beauty. Was this a modeling agency that I had walked into?

Andrea ushered me into Jason's cabin which was at the end of the hallway. Jason was sitting behind his deck, staring intently at his computer screen.

"Kate." He looked up and came around the desk to greet me. Dressed in a dark navy suit and white crisp shirt, he looked so incredibly sexy that for a moment, I forgot to even breath.

On the cruise, he had seemed approachable with his casual clothes and windblown hair. But seeing him now, from his impeccably styled hair to the tip of his Italian shoes, he looked every inch the billionaire CEO that he was. There was an intimidating aura around him and he looked dangerous and formidable.

"You okay?" He asked when I remained gawking at him. There was a hint of amusement in his brilliant blue eyes. I nodded quickly, but couldn't stop the flush that spread on my face.

He led me to a set of black lush sofas at one end of his cabin. The spacious room was decorated in black and white and the glass wall behind his desk gave a spectacular view of the city below.

We spent an hour further discussing the project. He told me I would be provided with a team of five employees who would be working under me. "They are all temporary employees specifically hired to work on this project. They will be reporting to you personally. You'll get to meet them in our next meeting."

He handed me a file. "This is the contract. Go through it and see if there's anything you would like to be changed."

I opened the file and scanned the pages. The project duration was 10 months as discussed. My eyes widened when I saw the payment clause. Jason had asked me about the fee in our previous meeting but I had told him it was up to him to decide what to pay me. "I think there's a mistake."

He frowned. "I went through it personally. What is it?"

I showed him and he chuckled. "There's nothing wrong there."

"But it's too much, Jason." I chewed on my lips worriedly.

His eyes lingered on my lips and I saw something flash in his eyes before he tore his gaze away. "It's a big project and I expect you to spend every waking moment on it for the next 10 months. You'll be so over worked I think you'll even demand a higher payment than that." He teased.

"I'm not afraid of the work load. It's just that I don't deserve this amount."

"Kate." He sighed. "Why do you have such a low opinion of yourself?"

I opened my mouth but couldn't say anything.

"You have the talent and I trust you to do an excellent job so I'm paying you what I know you deserve. So just shut up and go through the rest of the contract."

I sent him a frosted look and continued to read it. "Where do I sign?" I said coolly after I finished it. was still sitting next to me and I refused to look at him.

He leaned in close and a whiff of his cologne teased my senses. Without even being aware of what I was doing, I took a deep breath, taking in his scent deeper.

His arm was almost brushing against mine and I told myself I should shift away but couldn't move. I glanced at him but his eyes were on the contract as he pointed to the place where he needed my signature.

It occurred to me that if I moved my head only a few inches, my lips would be touching his jaw. Awareness prickled my skin. My gaze dropped to his mouth.

He had such beautiful lips. The bottom lip fuller than the top. The kind of lips that brought wicked thoughts to my mind. Thoughts a woman engaged to another man had no business thinking.

I tore my gaze away from his mouth quickly and flushed in embarrassment when I saw him staring at me. The heat in his eyes sent my temperature rising. It was so intense.

Warning bells went off in my head. I knew I should have moved away but it seemed as if he held me in a trance.

He suddenly reached out and tucked the wispy tendril that was flying around my face behind my ear. I shivered as his fingers brushed against my ears.

"Jason." My voice came out sounding breathless. I wanted to tell him to stop but the words were stuck to my throat. How could he do this to me with such a simple touch?

He slowly brushed his thumb over my lower lip all the while holding my gaze. I had to bite the inside of my cheek hard to stifle the gasp.

The air between us crackled with static and his blue eyes darkened. His hand slipped behind my neck, drawing me forward.

"I love the way your breathing changes as soon as I touch you." He whispered before closing the distance between us and capturing my bottom lip with his teeth. The gasp I was holding in escaped and my pulse went wild. He started nibbling on my lips lazily, leaving little bites and sending sharp stings of pleasure straight to my core.

I couldn't think, my body was consumed with his scent and the feelings his kiss was arousing in me. I didn't remember moving my hands but they were fisted in his hair as I pulled him close, silently demanding he deepen the kiss.

With a groan, he pulled me across his lap and gave me what I wanted. One of his hand was in my hair while the other hand slipped under my shirt and claimed my breast roughly over my bra. The sudden jolt that went through me had me moaning into his mouth. His lips were rough on mine, kissing me hungrily and greedily. When his fingers trapped my nipple between them I bit on his lip to stifle the cry of pleasure.

I was so lost in the feelings he aroused in me that the sound of the phone ringing took a while to register. With a gasp, I broke the kiss and as my mind started functioning again, the enormity of what I was doing came crashing down on me. Guilt came in multiple folds and I scrambled away from him as if stung.

"Kate."

I didn't look at him as I adjusted my clothing. Oh God. What the hell have I done?

Strong hands gripped my arms and he turned me around to face him. The self-disgust and anger I had inside me was momentarily forgotten as I stared at his face in shock. His lower lip was red and swollen where I had bitten.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." I automatically reached out touched his lip tentatively. He inhaled sharply and he had a look of pain on his face. "Does it hurt?" Idiot. Of course, it did.

"If you continue to touch me like that then I'll have no choice but to drag you back to that sofa and finish what we started."

I drew my hand back immediately and flushed. "This is wrong."

His face was tight and he looked angry. "Why are you scared of admitting that you want me as much as I want you?"

"I don't want this. "Because it was so easy to lessen the guilt by blaming him I looked at him accusingly. "You promised me that you wouldn't touch me."

"I didn't hear you complaining when you were moaning my name." He shot back furiously.

Shame filled me and the anger I felt for him evaporated like smoke. He was right. I could have pushed him away but as soon as he touched me I melted against him. I had to get out of here. I needed to be alone.

"Where the hell are you going? We are not done with this conversation." Jason growled as I took my bag and headed to the door.

"There's nothing to talk about." I didn't look at him as I walked out of his office.