Page 69 of Adam’s Obsession

“Now?”

She looked him in the eyes. “It’s now or never.”

“Oh baby.” He yanked her into his arms.

She went with a yelp, falling inelegantly against him. Shecouldn’t help remembering the time she’d danced with Adam and fallen against him—whata difference. Adam was hard and warm and smelled wonderful. Jack was doughy andsweaty and he smelled vaguely like old cheese. Katherine found her balance andpushed back, ignoring Jack’s cry of dissent.

“There.” She held him in a perfectly respectable embrace—anarm’s length away. “That’s better.”

“Aw, come on, Katherine.” He tried to edge a little closerbut she resisted.

She remembered what Savage had told her and the thought ofJack having any kind of designs upon her person was, well, untenable. The lastthing she wanted to do was encourage his interest.

But apparently breathing was enough to encourage hisinterest. As the music swelled, he spun her around and in the process drew hercloser until she was nearly up against him, close enough to feel his…his… Ohdear.

And then he grabbed her ass.

Adam wended his way through the knot of partygoers at thedoor of the banquet hall and greeted Shannon and Sara, who were handing outname tags to employees and their dates. “Beautiful evening.”

He made a quick scan of the crowd for Kat as he headed tothe bar for a drink. He’d been thinking of nothing but her all afternoon,pondering their dilemma. And he’d hit on a solution. It was perfect. It wouldallow them to continue seeing each other in a way that wouldn’t affect hercareer or his. They could be together every day and every night for as long asthey both should live…and it would make Tristan happy.

Heaven knew, that was critical at this point.

Something about Adam’s relationship with Kat had put Tristanin a nasty mood. It couldn’t be that Tristan harbored a secret passion for Kat,could it? Adam scoped out the growing crowd, searching for his brother as hewaited for his drink. He spotted Tristan leaning against a column by theplate-glass windows that opened out on the valley below.

The expression on his face made Adam freeze. Tristan wasstaring at something across the room. Adam followed his gaze and suddenly,everything fell into place. Well, nearly everything.

Tristan was watching Sara and Shannon as they laughed andchatted with the newcomers. The burning expression in his eyes made it clear hewanted one of them but his own rule—thou shalt not fish in the company pond—madesuch a liaison impossible.

No wonder Tristan was so annoyed Adam had found his passionswimming in that pond.

Adam wondered which of the women was his brother’s Achilles’heel but the mention of Kat’s name in a nearby conversation captured hisattention, and his curiosity over his brother’s love life dissipated in aflash. He narrowed his focus on Kenny and Billy.

“Oh, yeah.” Kenny crossed his arms and snorted. “It’s done.”

“You really think he’s going to seal the deal tonight?”

“The bet is all but won. I mean, she’s dancing with him,isn’t she?”

Billy shrugged. “I dunno. Lots of girls have danced with mebut I’ve still never gotten laid.”

“Dude. Totally don’t tell anyone that.”

“Dude,” Billy agreed. “But still—”

“Look at them out there.” Kenny jerked his head toward thedance floor.

Adam followed Kenny’s nod and his heart stopped—literallystopped—in his chest. There was Kat in Jack’s arms. And Jack’s filthy,miserable, wormy fingers were on her ass.

He choked on his own breath, frozen with fury at the sightof another man’s hands on Kat’s luscious butt. He saw red as the urge to marchover to Jack and Kat and rip them apart possessed him. And then maybe rip Jackapart.

Why was she dancing with him? How could she allow him totouch her so intimately? What on earth was she thinking?

Memories of Betsy roiled, making his knees shake. Agonizingemotions battered his soul.

Could it be that Kat was really like Betsy after all?

He couldn’t accept that, refused to believe that, but theproof was right there before his eyes. The woman he had fucked so thoroughlythat afternoon was in another man’s arms, allowing him to paw her posterior.