Page 6 of Worth Every Penny

“Oh. That’s great. Good for you. Definitely better than plastic surgery,” I reply flatly.

“I’m so glad you agree, because”—she takes a deep breath and for a moment I think she’s going to tell me she’s getting married—“he’s moving in with me.”

What?She’s only known him a month. He’s younger than Jack. What does he want with her? I don’t have time to process this bombshell before Curtis notices Mum and bounds towards us as though his gold trainers have springs in the soles.

“You must be Kate,” he purrs against my cheek when he reaches me. He’s leaning in far too close, one hand snaking round the small of my back. Saliva makes a wet click in my ear as he whispers, “Aren’t you a beauty?”

I’m too stunned to speak, and immediately after Curtis slides his hand off my back, something touches my bum. Gentle… no more than a misplaced stroke.Did he fondle my arse?

Maybe I imagined it. Imusthave imagined it.

He’s grinning when he steps back, but his gaze lingers on my tits. I cross my arms as a barrier.

I have no idea what to do or say. My mother has a toy-boy who felt me up and is currently staring at me as though I’m a piece of meat.

Tearing his gaze from me, Curtis tugs Mum against him. “Shall we have a drink before the party, just you and me? A quickie?” He waggles his eyebrows, and bile rises up my throat.

“Oh yes, let’s,” Mum chirps, before turning to me, “You don’t mind, do you? Tell Jack we’ll be there soon.” She gives my arm a squeeze and leans in, her head slightly tilted towards Curtis as she whispers in my ear, “Isn’t he a delight?”

A delight?No, Mum. He makes my skin crawl.

She turns away, focusing on Curtis before I can respond. “One quick tipple,” she announces. “After that, you must meet Jack. He’s absolutely my pride and joy. Apple of my eye. No mother could wish for a better child. He’s a real self-made man. Worth a fortune. And he’s so sweet to me. I don’t know what I would do without him.”

Mum and Curtis drift away, arm in arm. Neither of them looks back and I’m sure Mum has already forgotten I was standing beside her and that we were supposed to arrive at Jack’s party together.

I expect to feel deflated, but I don’t. Maybe the pain of having a mother who constantly finds me lacking is wearing off, or perhaps I’ve repressed it so long that I can’t feel it anymore.

I nod to the doorman and pass through the grand entryway to the bar. It’s calm in here compared to the bustle outside, and the tension falls from my shoulders. I head towards the lift, which opens as soon as I press the button. I step inside, but right before the doors close and seal me in, they jerk to a standstill and begin to open again.

A tall man, at least six foot two, maybe three, appears in the gap. He’s in a tailored suit, broad shoulders swathed in a cashmere overcoat that’s so perfectly cut it looks like he was born in it.

But it’s the sight of his ridiculously handsome face that hits me like a sucker punch. Seeing those cheekbones and smolderingdark eyes in print is one thing, but when the man himself is within touching distance, it’s quite another.

He drags his gaze up my body, causing tingles to erupt over my skin, and when his eyes lock onto mine, my lungs turn to concrete.

Nico fucking Hawkston.

Jack’s best friend. One of the richest men in the world.

And the man who caused my father’s death.

3

KATE

Nico hesitates on the threshold of the lift, as if wondering whether being sealed in this small space with me is a good idea. But the flash of indecision disappears almost instantly, and he strides in, clearly realising there is no socially acceptable way to back out of this scenario.

I can’t stop staring. While he was breath-taking at twenty-six, at thirty-four he’s exactly as Mum described.Spectacular. And yet the word isn’t enough to encapsulate the power emanating from him as he steps towards me. A ruggedness has replaced his boyish good looks, and he’s broader than he used to be.

As he takes his position beside me, I’m still struggling to catch a full breath.Damn it. The last thing I want is to be physically affected by him, but old habits die hard, and his sudden proximity is asphyxiating.

I remind myself that his actions caused my father’s death. I cannot have feelings for him. Not anymore. I will never forgive him for what he did.

We stand in silence as the lift closes and begins to rise, and I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced a more awkward moment in all my life.

Nico is the one to break the stand-off.

“It’s been a long time, Little K.”

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