❦Jason❦

I had screwed up. I thought furiously as I watched her go. Why did I have to act like a horny idiot all the time around her? Even as I chastised myself I knew the answer to that. Whenever she was near all I could think about was touching her. Lust was a dangerous thing, I knew but I couldn't stop myself from wanting her the way I did.

Walking into the adjacent bathroom, I splashed some water on my face in an attempt to calm myself. My throbbing lip stung and I glanced at the mirror, noting that my lower lip was swollen from her bite. There were faint red lines on my neck from where her nails had dug in.

She was so responsive to my touch, so wild, and I felt my body tightening again. Cursing under my breath, I wiped my face with a face towel and walked back into the cabin.

I was trying to go through some paper work when Andrea walked in with some documents I had asked. Her gaze lingered on my swollen lip.

"Can I get some ice for you, sir?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No, that's alright."

She nodded and didn't say anything else.

Andrea was one of the most professional people I had ever worked with. She minded her own business, never flirted, and did all her work efficiently. When I held the interviews for my assistant position, she was the only one who didn't seem intimidated by me and that was why I had hired her. Over the last three years she had shown me that I had made the right choice in choosing her.

"Is there anything else, Sir?" She asked before leaving.

"Cancel all my appointments for today."

"Very well, Sir."

I knew it was useless trying to work when thoughts of Kate wouldn't leave me alone. I was afraid that after what happened between us today she wouldn't accept the hotel project. I had to apologize to her and make her accept it. Since I didn't have her address, I told Andrea to find it out.

Ten minutes later, I was in the car heading over to Kate's place. When Ben pulled over in front of her building, I jumped out of the car and walked inside. As I rang the bell of her apartment, I realized I was nervous. It was a feeling that was so foreign to me I frowned.

It was how Kate found me when she opened the door. She looked shocked to find me on her doorstep. I saw her entire body tense and she gave me a wary look. "What do you want?"

It took a moment for me to answer. She was wearing an oversized hoodie and frayed jeans. Her red hair was pulled into a messy bun high on her head and loose tendrils framed her face. She looked so beautiful that I ached to touch her but I shoved that thought away.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" I asked finally.

She gave me a look that said that was the last thing she wanted.

I sighed. She wasn't going to make this easy on me. "I just need two minutes of your time."

She glowered at me before holding the door wide open. Relief flooded through me and I walked in. For a moment there, I thought she was going to slam the door in my face. The apartment was small but it was decorated tastefully with vibrant colors. It matched her personality. A couple of candles were lit and the whole place smelled of vanilla.

"Nice place."

She folded her hands across her chest. "How did you get my address?"

"Never mind that. You and I need to talk."

Her lips thinned at my dismissal of the question.

"I want to apologize for what happened today." I started and when she still remained silent I continued. "I know I promised not to touch you and I went back on my word. I'm sorry. Can we just forget about all that and move on?"

"This isn't a game, Jason. I'm not your plaything. You can't just do whatever you want and then apologize."

I clenched my jaw in irritation. She was making it sound like I had forced her to kiss me. Okay, so I made the first move but she sure as fuck didn't resist. I sighed rubbing a hand on my face. But it was more my fault than hers. I hated to admit it but it was true.

"Look, I said I'm sorry. It's never going to happen again."

There was a finality in her eyes that made me wary. "Yes. It's never going to happen because I don't ever want to see you again."

"What the hell does that mean?" I tried to hold on to my temper.

"Okay let me make this clear for you. Stay. Away. From. Me."

I had never seen her so angry before. She looked so damn beautiful. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shone and her mouth...! Fuck! Her mouth was parted, and her usually pale lips were red, no doubt caused by the flush of anger. I was instantly distracted, an image of her on her knees forming in my mind. Startled at the thought, I immediately tore my gaze away from her mouth. How could I even think something like that in a situation like this?

Clearing my throat, I pushed my hands deep in my pant pockets. "What about the hotel project?"

She hesitated, her expression showing how much she wanted it. "I can't work for you anymore." Her voice wavered.

I stared at her, stunned that she said no to me. Didn't she know how many people would kill for a chance to do the interior of one my hotels? Moretti Interiors was currently the world's best interior firms. One call from me and they would drop everything to jump at the chance to work for me.

I chose Kate not because my dick wanted to keep her close to me. I chose her because I liked her work. She had the talent and energy that I wanted. Her ideas were fresh and unique and she was passionate. Her style was a mixture between modern and classic, thrown in with a hint of bohemian style. And that was exactly what I was looking for.

And I wanted her to have this chance to make a name for herself in her field. When we were dating in high school, she would spend hours telling me about her dreams of being one of the best interior designers in the world. I remembered being impressed with her talent and passion even then.

"I'm offering you a golden opportunity here, Kate." I said finally, hoping she would change her mind. "This would make your career. You can't seriously be thinking of letting this chance go." When she remained silent, I exhaled in frustration. "You've always wanted to be a renowned interior designer. It's what you wanted ever since you were a kid. Just don't let what happened between us get in the way of your dreams."

Her posture was still stiff and tension rolled off her in waves. Raising a hand to her face she pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes for a second.

When she looked at me again, there was a haunted look on her face. "You know, my father used to cheat on my mom all throughout their marriage. It wasn't just one woman. He had numerous affairs. Mom went through sheer agony when she found out. It completely broke her apart. And I promised myself I would never be like him. Never hurt anyone I loved like that."

I had a feeling where she was going with that and I was suddenly very uncomfortable. "Kate..."

"But now I know," She continued with a shaky breath, "I'm exactly like him, a cheater. If I weren't then I wouldn't have let you touch me. I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did."

Hearing her say she enjoyed my touch was so damn satisfying but I ignored it. There was so much self-disgust on her face and knowing I was the reason for it made me feel like shit. "I'm sorry. I can't change what happened between us but I'm giving you my word now. I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to do. "

"I don't trust you or your word."

That was a low blow. I kept my sudden anger in check and decided to ignore her jibe. "You're making too much of a rash decision right now. Just take a couple of days and think about it."

"There's nothing to think about."

"Two days, Kate." I said firmly. "I'll be expecting your call." And with that I walked out of her apartment.

❦ ❦ ❦

❦Kate❦

I watched Jason leave, feeling a mixture of anger and frustration. I didn't need to think about my decision. Working for him was out of the question. And despite how much I wanted it, I knew the right thing was to walk away before it was too late. Before I did something I stupid.

Because as much as I hated to admit it, I knew if Jason were to touch me again, I wouldn't be able to resist him. When I was with him I seemed to forget everything. I seemed to forget that I was engaged. When I said I didn't trust his word, it wasn't entirely true. It was me I didn't trust. I didn't trust myself around him.

Groaning, I flopped down on the couch and pressed my face to a cushion. I hated myself for what I had done to Peter. And I knew when he learned the truth about me, about what I had done, he would hate me as much, if not more.

❦ ❦ ❦

The next day, I sat curled up on the couch watching an old movie that was showing on HBO. It was late in the evening. James Dean's handsome face stared at me back from the television screen but my mind was not on the movie.

I was thinking about how I was going to come clean to Peter. He had flown back to LA earlier that afternoon for a sudden meeting with an important client. He was still at the meeting and when he came home I was going to tell him everything.

As if on cue, I heard the sound of a key in the front door. "Honey?" Peter's voice came from the hallway.

"In here." I called back.

He came in and dropped his briefcase on the coffee table before sitting next to me. "Hey." He pressed a quick kiss to my lips. He looked distracted as if something was on his mind.

"How was the meeting?" I asked knowing that was the reason for his serious look.

"It didn't go too well."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "I'm too exhausted. I want to sleep. Let's talk tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

"You coming to bed?" He asked standing up.

"Yeah." I turned off the tv and followed him. After he finished using the bathroom, I went into freshen up. I stared at myself in the mirror as I brushed my teeth.

I looked tired and haggard. But it was the guilty look in my eyes that stood out. I wanted to talk to Peter but he was in no mood to talk. And after how his meeting went, I didn't want to make him feel worse than he did at the moment. He had told me he was staying for one more day in LA so I still had time.

Peter was already in bed when I stepped out of the bathroom. He was using his phone but he put it away when I approached.

"I forgot to ask. How did your meeting with Jason Perez go yesterday?"

I was glad the light in the room was dim because at his question the blood drained from my face. Here was the perfect opening to tell him everything but I felt myself getting cold feet. "It was..I.." I trailed off not knowing what to say but luckily, I was saved by an incoming call on his phone.

He glanced at it and then pulled the covers off him. "It's my boss. I need to take this." He said hopping out of bed and walking out of the bedroom. The relief that surged through me was so great I felt ashamed. I promised myself I would tell him everything the following day.