Page 34 of Sensuous

When she doesn’t answer, I ease myself around her to prevent her from leaving. She won’t look at me now either. Instead, my floor seems to interest her more again.

“Kat, what happened? Did I say something to offend you?”

She shakes her head but doesn’t look up at me or say anything to answer my questions. It’s like the sweet person she became when we finally talked has disappeared. But why?

“I should go,” she says, her head still lowered so our gazes can’t meet.

“Would you look at me first?”

For a long moment, she doesn’t move, but finally, she tilts her head back to look up at me as I asked. Her blue eyes are glassy like crystal blue pools of still water.

“What did I do?”

“Nothing. I have to go. Thanks for being cool about my being an ass.”

I give her a smile, and then the next thing I know, her mouth is on mine and I’m on the receiving end of a kiss that takes my breath away. At first, I’m so in shock that I don’t kiss her back. My surprise disappears in a few seconds, but it’s too late. She’s out the door, and I’m standing there watching her run down the hallway toward the elevator.

Smiling, I press my lips together to keep the delicious feeling her kiss gave me going. I can’t figure this woman out.

Even worse, I think Cade was right. She has gotten under my skin, and now I know why.

I guess I won’t have to pretend to want her for the show now.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Kat

I shakeSadie’s shoulder to wake her, dying to tell her about what just happened. Laid out on the couch like usual after falling asleep to some show, she grumbles something about not wanting to wear water wings. She must be dreaming.

“Sadie! Wake up,” I whisper hoarsely in her ear. “I need to talk to you.”

She turns her head to look at me with an expression of utter confusion. “Is it morning? Do I have to go to work already?”

“No. It’s around two. I need you to wake up. I want to talk to you about something.”

Her face goes through what appears to be calisthenics as she comes back to life. Alternating between squinting and wincing like she’s in pain, she slowly begins to wake up.

“Two o’clock in the morning? Is the building on fire?” she asks in a groggy voice as she sits up to face me. “Did the Prescotts let their firepit get out of hand again?”

“No, the building isn’t on fire. Everything’s okay. Well, it’s more than okay, and I need to talk to you about it.”

She nods, but I know she’s nowhere close to being able to understand what I want to tell her yet. I can’t give her coffee to wake her up or she’ll be up all night and falling asleep at her desk by noon. Maybe water. That might help.

Jumping up, I hurry off to fill a glass with water for her. On my way back to the living room, I look around our kitchen and wish it was as nice as Alex’s.

Oh, God. Sadie liked Alex that night. Actually, she liked his uncle twice her age the most, but she seemed to like Alex too. I get it. Those dark eyes and that dark hair of his make for a great look on him. I hope she isn’t going to be upset that I kissed him.

Jesus. Oh, God. I kissed him. I closed my eyes, got up on my tippy toes, and pressed my lips against his and kissed him. And it was a great kiss, even though I think I sort of surprised him with it.

Talk about taking the bull by the horns.

I walk back into the living room and find Sadie a little more cognizant than when I left. Handing her the glass of water, I say, “Here, drink this. It will help you. I think those vodka and orange juices did a number on you.”

She takes the glass in her hand and looks up at me like she wants to kill me. “What’s doing a number on me is you waking me up in the middle of the night.”

Crouching down in front of her, I plead, “Don’t be mad at me. Please? I wouldn’t wake you up unless it’s important.”

With a grunt, she nods and takes a sip of water. “Okay, let’s do this. Tell me if he was great in bed or not because that’s what this is about, isn’t it?”

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