❦ Kate ❦

I peeled the covers off my body and checked the time from the digital clock on the nightstand. The green neon light showed me it was 3 in the morning. Jason and I had come back from the dinner party around a little after midnight. He asked me to join him for a drink but I declined saying I was too tired.

Truth was I didn't want to be alone with him. Seeing him with Delia had aroused unwanted feelings in me and after what happened in my room earlier that night, I was afraid. I was afraid that I would throw myself at him the minute we were alone. I felt ashamed of my feelings and I didn't know how to stop them.

After a restless night, I woke up around eleven in the morning. I was planning to wake up early and work a bit but the events of the previous day had worn me out and I slept through my alarm. After getting dressed in a pair of black distressed skinny jeans and a white slogan tee, I grabbed the velvet jewelry case on the nightstand. It was the necklace and earrings Jason had given me the previous night. I had forgotten return it last night.

As I rushed downstairs, I almost bumped into Molly, who was carrying a basket of white linens up the stairs.

"Good morning, Miss. I hope you slept well?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you." I smiled. "Is Jason up yet?"

"I don't think Mr. Perez has slept at all. He is in the library working."

"Oh." He really was a workaholic.

"I'll inform the chef that you're up. Is there anything specific you would like for breakfast, Miss?"

"Toast and coffee would be good. Thank you." I didn't want anyone going to any trouble for me.

I found Jason sitting behind the huge mahogany desk in the library. Dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a light blue V-neck t-shirt, he had his feet up on the desk as he tapped away on his laptop. His hair looked as if he had run his hands through it several times and he looked exhausted.

"Did anyone ever tell you you're a workaholic?" I asked walking into the room.

He looked up startled and a slow grin spread on his gorgeous face. "My mom calls me twice a day just to tell me that." He swung his feet down and put the laptop on the desk

"Well she is not wrong. How about breakfast? You must be starving."

"I am." His drawled lazily, his gaze lingering on my lips before raising them to meet mine. "Are you on the menu?" He smirked.

I felt my cheeks grow warm. "Very funny." I rolled my eyes at him even though my heart raced up at his words.

He chuckled and stretched his neck from side to side. I tried not to stare as he flexed his shoulders.

I held out the jewelry case. "Here. I forgot to return this last night."

He made no move to take it from me. "It's yours."

"What?"

"I got it for you."

"You got me a ruby and diamond necklace and earrings."

He smirked seeing the look on my face. "You don't seem happy about it."

I felt like smacking his head with the case. "I can't accept this."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not appropriate." I said praying for patience. "I work for you. You can't just so casually give me something so expensive."

"Nothing is too expensive for me."

I scowled at him in frustration. "That's not the point." I placed the jewelry case on his desk. "I'm sorry but I can't accept this."

He looked as if he was going to argue but then sighed getting up. "You're so damn stubborn."

"And you're so damn bossy."

"Oh, you have no idea." His grinned getting up.

Breakfast was served outside by the pool. My mouth salivated when I saw the food laid out on the table. There were fresh fruits, variety of pastries, sausages and bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, buttermilk pancakes, and Belgian waffles.

Halfway through the meal, his phone started ringing. Since it was on the table I was able to see who was calling. It was Delia.

"I'll be right back." He grabbed the phone and walked towards the end of the pool. I watched as he talked on the phone, my appetite gone suddenly.

The same burning jealousy I felt the previous night returned and I put my fork down and pushed away my plate. Why did it matter to me so much? I had no right to be jealous. He was not my boyfriend and I shouldn't care this much about whom he talked to or who he dated.

Jason laughed at something Delia said and I couldn't stay to watch any longer. Pushing my chair back I walked down the steps that lead to the garden. I spotted a white garden bench under a Cyprus tree and sat on it. The air around me carried the fragrant scent of orange blossoms, citrus and roses. That should have relaxed me but I was too tense.

Rubbing my hands on my face, I tried to make sense of my jumbled-up emotions. For the millionth time after that drunk kiss on the cruise, I questioned about my feelings for Peter. Have I been confusing safety with love all this time?

I felt emotionally safe with Peter. He made me feel secure. I thought I loved him but ever since Jason came back into my life I was having doubts. I had never experienced the intense attraction I felt for Jason with Peter.

If I was being honest with myself, my feelings for Peter were lukewarm. His ex-girlfriend was a colleague of his but I never got jealous when they worked late into the night or went off together to business seminars. But here I was all worked up because Jason was on the phone with Delia.

I groaned putting my head in my hands. How did everything get so complicated?

"There you are." Jason's voice cut through my thoughts. He came and sat down next to me. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I managed a smile.

He gave me a doubtful look. "You look far from fine. What's wrong?"

When I didn't answer, he touched my shoulder and turned me around to face him. "Talk to me, Kate."

"I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"It's nothing." I mumbled not meeting his gaze. " I just need a moment alone."

He frowned and stared at me intently. "I'm not moving until you tell me what's wrong." He said stubbornly.

"God, you're so exasperating. Why can't you leave me alone?" I snapped my temper flaring.

"I just want to make sure you're okay." He said calmly.

"You want to make sure I'm okay?" I repeated his words with a sarcastic laugh. "Well guess what? I haven't been okay ever since you walked back into my life." My mind kept telling me that I should stop talking but I was suddenly angry and couldn't stop myself. "I was happy and content but you had to show up and ruin everything."

He looked taken aback by my outburst. "I'm sorry." He said finally. "I didn't mean to make things difficult for you."

"Just like you didn't mean to break my heart six years ago, huh?"

"Kate..."

"It took me years to get over you. I loved you, you know. I was so hopelessly in love with you."

His face went pale with shock. "I didn't know that."

"It doesn't matter now." I pressed my fist against my temple.

"It matters to me. If I had known that you were in love with me back then, I wouldn't have let you walk away from me."

"Oh, please, Jason. We both know the only reason you asked me out was because you wanted to impress your friends."

He was silent for a minute then he reached out and took my hand. My immediate reaction was to pull away but he held on tight. "Look at me." When I didn't he squeezed my hand. "Please."

I finally glanced at him. I couldn't read the expression on his face but his eyes were soft, almost pleading.

"I admit I asked you out because of the bet I made with them." He said slowly. "I was young and cocky, wanting to show everyone that I could have anyone I wanted. But then after our first date, I realized I actually liked you."

I swallowed hard, not daring to believe what he was saying.

"I was going to tell you about the bet, I swear. I was just too afraid you'd leave me. I was waiting for the right moment, but you found out before that." A sad smile touched his face. "And then you just walked away from me. Just like I had feared. You didn't even give me a chance to explain. Didn't give me a chance to prove that my feelings for you were real."

For a brief moment, I almost believed his words. I pulled my hand away. "Stop it. I can't believe anything you say. Two days after we broke up, I saw you kissing another girl. Shows how real your feelings were."

"I was just trying to get you to notice me."

"By parading a line of girls in front of me?"

"Dammit, Kate. I was young and dumb. I thought if I made you jealous then you would realize you still wanted me." His jaw was clenched and a look of frustration came over his face. "I was just eighteen. I didn't know any better."

For a moment, we were both silent. I thought over his words wondering if he was telling the truth. Maybe he was, but it didn't matter anymore. It was too late. Six years too late to be having this conversation.

"There's no need of talking about this anymore. Let's just forget about it" I muttered getting up. I just needed to be away from him. I had taken only two steps when he grabbed my elbow and swung me around to face him.

"I know it's too late to say this." He said softly, his tone full of regret. "But I'm sorry for hurting you. It was never my intention to."

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"It matters to me." He let go off my elbow and cupped my face. I knew I should have pulled away but couldn't. Bending his down, he pressed a soft kiss on my lips.

His lips were so soft and warm against mine, so achingly gentle. It was so different from our previous kisses. There was tenderness and affection in it. I could feel something changing, some unexplainable emotion charging between us as we kissed.

I tried not to react, not to give in but I couldn't resist it. Couldn't resist him.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer. He groaned low in his throat and deepened the kiss, sliding his hands into my hair. The gentleness disappeared within a heartbeat. The kiss turned demanding and we both lost ourselves in the burning intensity.

But then suddenly he dragged his mouth away and rested his forehead against mine. We were both breathing rapidly and from the way his hands shook, I could tell he was struggling with control.

"What are you doing to me?" He whispered, his voice hoarse with desire. "I can't seem to stop wanting you, no matter how hard I try."

My heart was thumping wildly and I desperately tried not to be seduced by his words. "Stop."

"Stop what? Wanting you? I don't think I can."

I jerked away from him, needing the distance between us because as long as he was touching me, I couldn't seem to think. "We can't, Jason." I said shakily. "We can't do this."

His jaw tightened and he looked away without saying anything. Tension seemed to roll off him in waves. "You're right." He said finally. "We can't. You're engaged. I'm sorry." He looked as if he wanted to say something more but then he started walking away, without giving me a second glace.

I watched him go feeling as if a fist was squeezing my heart. I couldn't understand why it hurt.

And he was wrong. Peter wasn't the reason why I didn't want anything happening between me and Jason. I didn't love Peter, I was sure of it now. If I did, I wouldn't feel this way about Jason.

My feelings for him ran too deep. I had been too much of a coward to admit that but now I knew. And the extent of my feelings scared me.

Sleeping with him would only heighten those feelings and I didn't want to risk falling for him again. He had broken my heart once. I wasn't going to give him the opportunity to do it again.

❦❦ ❦

❦Jason ❦

Sitting out on the terrace of my penthouse apartment in LA, I watched the city lights spread out before me. It was a view that usually relaxed me but it wasn't the case tonight.

It was almost three in the morning and I wanted nothing more than a couple of hours of sleep but the thoughts of Kate kept me awake. Most specifically our conversation in Palm Beach the previous day.

I still couldn't get over the fact that she had loved me six years ago. What I told her was true. If I had known I would have fought for her. But now it was too late. Now she belonged to another man.

The jealousy that had been eating me alive for the past 24 hours resurfaced again. I didn't do jealous. Never had before. But the thought of her with him sent my blood boiling.

I just didn't understand why she was still with him. If she loved him like she claimed, then she wouldn't respond to my touch like she did.

A part of my mind told me I could get her if I wanted to. I could seduce her and make her change her mind about us. But after that what? Sex was all I had to offer. Although I could see myself in a relationship with her, that was all I could give her. But she deserved more than that.

She deserved marriage, kids and all that stuff women seemed to want. Things I couldn't give her. Not that I had an aversion to marriage or kids. I just couldn't see myself settling down ever.

And she already had a man who was willing to give her all that. I had no right to ruin it for her any more than I already had. The best thing to do was stay away from her like she wanted me to.