Page 41 of Revenge

Thomas smiled and pulled me against him.

As we danced, I could see my mother with two of my stepfather's associates and she was enjoying the attention; her eyes sparkled as she giggled between sips of champagne. If Gerard had been there, he would have shut that down immediately. He was like a possessive maniac around my mother.

Turning away, I pushed away the concern I felt. I just hoped she didn’t overdo it. Shit like that always got back to the big boss man and then he’d be cross. A mad Gerard was worse than the octopus version. I thought about the last time he had cornered me in the pool house. I’d been getting changed and he’d ordered me to leave my bikini top off, saying how I needed some colour to my skin.

“You need to get some sun on your tits, Ava; so, they match the rest of your body. No boys will want to suck a pair of white pointers with no fucking colour.” Luckily, the man we hired to clean the pool had been there and interrupted us. I’d always wore a one-piece after that.

Shaking off those ugly thoughts, I closed my eyes and placed my head against Thomas’s chest, imagining he was Kai.

Eventually, other couples started to join us and the DJ played another slow song. Thomas and I spoke briefly about school and how he was starting an apprenticeship with his father’s company. I didn’t ask for details but I attempted to look interested. Women in the organisation were not encouraged to be too inquisitive.

As I was wrapped up in the music and half suffocated by the aftershave Thomas had bathed in, a low significant cough broke us apart.

“Do you mind if I cut in,” Kai said, his deep voice rolling nicely across my bones. My dance partner's arms dropped to his sides and I could see that Thomas knew exactly who Kai was. “I need to dance with my stepsister on her birthday?” he added. I hated that the word ‘sister’ was in there. We all knew I was anything but.

“Yeah, sure,” Thomas nodded and took the blonde woman’s offered hand. From her expression, she didn’t seem bothered that Kai was ditching her. She was looking at Thomas like he was her next meal. Maybe she was one of those cougars that Anton spoke about.

My brows pinched as I stepped back and looked at my stepbrother’s perfect face. The party lights bounced shadows across his skin, making him appear almost Godlike. His presence was impossible to ignore and I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. The force of my crush on him rose above the alcohol I had consumed and I felt a twinge of awkwardness. He was so much more sophisticated than me, even when I was fully made up and wearing the sexiest dress I owned.

Those dark, penetrating eyes, washed over me. I could see he appreciated what he saw, “Shall we?” he said, taking my hand and tugging me into his arms. His sudden movement forced a squeak from my lips and his expression switched to dark amusement. As I fell against his masculine warmth, I was sure I’d seen a hint of possessiveness in that look. My pulse took off as his arms closed around me. This was the closest I had been to his body in months. Kai’s scent teased my nostrils as my torso was melded flush against his.

“You don’t have to look so surprised,” Kai whispered against the cuff of my ear, his strong chest pushing against my breasts. He must have felt how hard my nipples were against his frame.

I drew my head back, allowing him to guide us around the small space. One that was now littered with other couples. How I wished it was just me and him. I knew the alcohol I had consumed was giving me more courage than usual but his closeness made me feel extra flirty.

“I’m just surprised your date didn’t mind being cast aside,” I said.

“Hardly. It’s one dance, Ava and she understands. It’s your birthday, I’m supposed to dance with you at least once,” Kai explained, drawing back, his hands dropping from my back to my waist. I kept mine loosely on his biceps, loving the feel of his muscles beneath his tux.

His words would usually have wound me up but I was suddenly in too good a mood. “So, this is a pity dance?” I replied, watching him from beneath my lashes with a slight smile. “Or should I say, a dance of duty? Is that the excuse you gave your date?”

His lip curled in amusement, “She’s not my date.”

“Have you told her that?”

“What do you mean?” Kai’s eyes sparkled with mischief. He was toying with me on purpose.

“Well, she can’t seem to take her hands off you,” I pointed out, managing to sift out my narkiness.

He shrugged his massive shoulders, “What can I say, I’m irresistible,” Kai batted back with a cheeky wink. OMG, I think one of my ovaries burst at his wicked expression. He was flirting back!

“Who is she then?” I questioned, gently pushing my breasts further into his chest, I needed to be subtle about it but the friction there was generating a fiery heat between my thighs.

I heard his intake of breath and knew I’d scored a point.

“She’s the woman I’m currently sleeping with.”

And BOOM! It felt like he’d thrown a bucket of ice-cold water over me. I went to pull away but his hands tightened on my hips.

“Stay. You don’t need to strop off because I told you something you didn’t want to hear,” Kai said directly into my ear. He was now holding me quite tight and I had no choice but to follow the rhythm he set.

I didn’t struggle as that would cause a scene and I knew I wasn’t going anywhere until he let me, “I’m just surprised by your honesty when you’re usually so full of shit,” I huffed, continuing with the dance.

Kai’s grin was sexy in the extreme and I wondered if he knew the effect he had on me. Of course, he did. That’s why he’d shamelessly told me he was fucking that girl; to piss me off so he could continue to keep me at arms-length. To hide from the chemistry, that sexual pull between us.

On this occasion, I wasn’t going to let him win. I purposefully pushed up on my toes, my heels giving me extra height and slid my hands around his neck. This brought the bottom of my body flush against his.

“Stop doing that,” Kai said with a swallow. I liked the way his Adam’s apple bobbed.

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