Jack grabbed Kat by the arm and led her over to Sasha and Carr. He could feel that her whole body was tense. She certainly had reason to be apprehensive. Sasha was unpredictable.
“Jack Hunter,” Sasha said as they got closer. “When Orson told me that Gray Tower had a representative here, I didn’t think it would be you. But now that I know it’s you, I’m glad. It’s been a while. Hasn’t it?”
“It’s certainly a surprise to see you too,” Jack said, trying to let annoyance show in his voice.
“Oh, I didn’t realize that you two knew each other,” Carr said.
“And I didn’t realize that you were going to bring in competition while I’m still here,” Jack muttered.
“In hindsight, I probably should have told you,” Carr admitted. “But now that you’re both here, I can make the best decision possible. I’m taking security here very seriously.”
Jack had wondered why Carr was trying so hard to beef up security in this place. Yeah, it wasn’t great as it was, but the man was demanding things as if he thought the island was going to be invaded.
Sasha’s eyes flicked to Kat who was currently digging her well-manicured nails into the skin of Jack’s arm.
“Who do we have here?” Sasha asked slyly. “Another flavor of the week?”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Did the bitch really have to go there?
“Watch it, Sasha,” he growled. “I’m not fucking around here.”
Carr flinched at the language but said nothing. A smile crept across Sasha’s face.
“My apologies,” she said, though he knew she didn’t mean it. “I’m Sasha Parker, by the way.”
Sasha held out her hand for a handshake, and Kat began to timidly hold out hers.
Jack grabbed Kat’s arm instead and said, “Don’t give her the time of day. She’s not worth it.”
“My, my, Jack,” Sasha replied. “That’s not what you told me five years ago when we were fucking each other.”
Carr cleared his throat loudly and said, “I should be the one apologizing. I didn’t realize that there was a history between the two of you.”
“It’s no problem,” Jack said to Carr. “My report is done. I hope that you find Gray Tower’s proposal satisfactory. Let me know soon, though. I’m done with enough bullshit for one day.”
With that, Jack nudged Kat over to a table where some of the other guests were seated and prepared for an incredibly awkward lunch.
✽ ✽ ✽
Kat had done a heck of a job holding back tears all through lunch. Once they got back to suite, she had even kept it together until she got to the bathroom and shut the door. Jack didn’t need to see her have a breakdown.
When the door was closed, she slumped on the floor and began sobbing.
From the gist of the conversation, she had figured out quickly that Sasha Parker worked for a competitor of Gray Tower and that she and Jack had had sex at some point. Kat had also been reminded that Jack had gotten around with a lot of women. Now, she was second-guessing what was even going on between her and Jack.
Who do we have here? Another flavor of the week?
Kat winced as those words echoed in her mind. She had really thought that things were different with Jack. They had made a connection, especially last night when they had both opened up a bit. Jack had made it sound like he really cared for her. This Sasha woman had made her question everything now. It certainly hadn’t helped that the woman was smoking hot.
Unfortunately for Kat, Jack was astute when it came to reading people. He gave her almost no time before barging in the bathroom.
Kat glanced up at him and waved him away.
“Go away, please. I need a moment.”
“Like hell you do,” he replied, bending down and sitting next to her. “I’m so, so sorry that you had to deal with that bitch. Sasha’s a pain in the ass to deal with. I honestly had no idea that Carr was going to pull this crap. Bryant’s going to shit a brick when he finds out.”
“She must not have been that much of a pain in the ass when you had sex with her,” Kat pointed out, though she regretted it a soon as she said it.
Who was she to judge him on his past sexual partners? He was a grown man. He could do what he wanted.
Jack breathed in sharply and said, “I have to admit that it was poor judgment on my part.”
“Am I poor judgment too?” She asked suddenly.
He brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face and said, “No. The only thing that was poor judgment with you was not making a move sooner. I’m still sorry for that, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re a keeper.”
Kat perked up when she heard that.
“You mean you want to keep this going after we get back?”
“Yes,” he said firmly. “I’ll be honest here. In the past few days, I haven’t been this happy in a long time. I want more of this.”
He cupped her face and kissed her gently. She melted into the kiss, sighing into his lips at the delicious feeling. When he pulled away, she blinked back tears.
“We are going to have to work on this self-esteem thing, though,” Jack said, grinning. “You apparently have no idea how hot you are. Sasha only said those things because she was jealous.”
“Really?” Kat asked, starting to smile.
“Yeah. Why lash out otherwise?”
Kat hadn’t thought about that. She had immediately gone to doom and gloom as soon as she hit a rough spot. Unfortunately, she did that a lot—unless it came to her work; she never had anxiety issues with that.
“Come on,” Jack continued, getting up and hoisting her up with him. “I’m taking you to bed.”
He led her out to the bedroom and shucked his clothes in a few quick movements. Sitting on the bed, gloriously naked and penis erect, he pointed at her clothes.
“Off,” he commanded.
She smiled, tugging her capri pants down and unbuttoning her blouse. When she was left in just her underwear, Jack grinned, then pointed at her bra and panties.
“Off.”
When she had complied, he leaned forward and grabbed her, pulling her so that she straddled his lap. His dick stood straight up between their torsos, pressing again both of their stomachs.
His lips claimed hers. His hands gripped her hips as his mouth explored hers. She could feel moisture against her belly from droplets of pre-cum. Her hands trailed down his strong arms, and she dug her nails into his skin.
Jack leaned back on the bed and let her straddle atop of him. He hoisted her hips up a bit with his hands and then slowly guided his cock inside of her. The fullness overwhelmed her, and the pressure of his pelvis on her clit was driving her insane.
“I want you to take your pleasure, beautiful,” he said huskily. “I want you to know how damned sexy you are.”
Kat moaned as he thrust up into her as deeply as he could. She began to move slowly at first, sliding up and down on his cock and grinding her clit against him. Then, her pace quickened as she found her pleasure. It was building quickly, and all she could think to do was keep moving, faster and stronger.
Meanwhile, Jack let her ride him, his hands on her hips as he guided her up and down. His pelvis pushing up into her as she continued to move. The look on his face was of pure admiration. Kat felt amazing, both physically and emotionally. She didn’t want any of this to stop, yet she was coming close to her orgasm.
A few moments later and she came in a glorious spasm, all while Jack pumped into from the bottom. She collapsed on top of him, sighing with pleasure. Jack kissed her forehead and ran a hand down the length of her back.
“That’s my sexy Kitty Kat,” Jack whispered in her ear.
Kat propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him.
“What did you just call me?” She asked.
“Kitty Kat,” he said with a smirk on his face. “I hope you don’t mind.”
She laughed and said, “No. I like it. I just wasn’t expecting a nickname from you.”
He grabbed her and pulled her to her side, his softening penis sliding easily out while a bit of semen came with it. There was something highly erotic about looking at his seed. She knew that she had been the one to cause him to come, and that made her feel sexy for once.
“I could get used to this, Kitty Kat,” Jack said, kissing her gently.
She thought about her new nickname, and then started laughing hysterically, thinking back to the name she had used for him.
“What’s wrong?” He demanded.
“I was just thinking of the nickname that I gave you.”
He raised his eyebrow and asked, “You gave me a nickname? I haven’t heard it before.”
“That’s because I’ve never said it out loud,” she said, grinning.
“Uh-oh. Do I want to even know it? Actually, you’re going to have to tell me anyhow.”
“It was—uh—Jack the Jerk,” she told him hesitantly.
He stared at her, his expression blank. For a moment, she thought that he was mad at her. She had gotten more comfortable with him over the last couple of days, but perhaps she had pushed it too far?
Then, Jack laughed, long and hard.
Relief washed over Kat, knowing that he found her nickname as amusing as she did.
“I suppose I deserve that one,” he admitted. “I do concede that I’m not always the nicest person. I hope that I’ve at least made some progress with you?”
“You’re doing better,” she said. “You’ve only made me cry once today.”
“Damn it, Kat. I’m sorry.”
“Well, today was really my own insecurities, but there have been other times where you’ve been an ass.”
“You know I was just teasing, right? I meant no harm.”
“I know that now, but I still remember the first time we met. You were…less than kind.”
Jack frowned and said, “What did I do?”
“I think it was something along the lines of, ‘Holy shit. They made more of them.’ That was in reference to me being a nerd, apparently.”
“Oh,” Jack said and rubbed along his jawline. “Well, you have to admit that you are a bit of a nerd.”
Kat slapped him playfully on the chest.
“I’m not denying that. I guess it was the way you said it that bothered me.”
“I see,” Jack said. “Well, I’m sorry for that. The only thing I remember when I first saw you was how cute you looked.”
“Really? Because you also made a snarky comment about what I was wearing.”
“Look, Kat, I’m sorry. I run my mouth a lot. Sometimes things just pop out. I’ll work on that, okay?”
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips and then said, “Okay.”
“I think that’s the first time you’ve taken the initiative to kiss me. That’s progress right there.”
Kat thought for a moment and realized that he was right. She had the hottest man she had ever known at her beck and call. It was time that she took what she wanted for once.
She watched as Jack leaned over the bedside and grabbed at something. When he pulled back up, he had Mr. Snuggles in his hands. She had been so busy that she forgot to hide him. The well-worn teddy bear looked ridiculous in Jack’s hands.
Oh, no. She thought.
“Put him down!” She told him a little more frantically than she had wanted.
Kat tried to grab the little bear away from him, but he pulled it away from her reach.
“Jack!” She scolded, but he held firm.
“Okay. I’ve got to know why you have this thing. How old are you, again?”
“I’m twenty-six. Now, give him to me,” Kat demanded as she sat up in the bed.
“Eh, shit,” Jack mumbled. “I forgot you and Alex were friends in high school. I feel like I’m robbing the cradle with you.”
“You are?” She asked.
He reluctantly handed her Mr. Snuggles, while she tried to think about how old she thought Jack was. Wasn’t he in his thirties like Logan?
“I’m thirty-seven, beautiful.”
“Oh,” she said, hugging Mr. Snuggles tightly to her bare chest. “Is that an issue?”
“Nah. I just apparently really lucked out. Now, how about you tell me about the teddy bear?”
She shifted in the bed uncomfortably. Why did he have to ask about this? Why did he even care?
“That’s—uh—Mr. Snuggles,” she started hesitantly. “I’ve had him since I was little.”
“Okay. That’s fine. But that doesn’t really tell me why he’s here.”
Drat. He had caught that, hadn’t he?
“I just have a lot of anxiety. He’s comforting.”
Jack nodded and said, “I’ve noticed that. Well, we’re going to have to do something about that.”
He grabbed the teddy bear from her and chucked it off the bed. Then he leaned in and kissed her, pushing her down on the mattress and climbing on top of her, his penis now erect.
“Let’s start working on that right now,” he mumbled into her ear.
She smiled, feeling that for once in her life, everything was going right.
Chapter 13
At dinner time, Jack and Kat got dressed and returned to the dining room. Carr had the proposal now, so the only thing they could do was wait and see if Gray Tower won out. Jack was still pissed about what Carr had done, and now, Bryant was fully apprised of the situation. If Carr kept this shit up, Gray Tower would pull the deal completely.
Jack was at least pleased to see Kat in a better mood than before. Of course, the two rounds of sex they had had that afternoon may have had something to do with it. That had sure mellowed Jack out. But it wasn’t just that. He was really enjoying getting to know her on a deeper level. The more he knew about her, the more he liked her.
That notion may be dangerous, though. There seemed to be an agreement that this physical relationship would continue even after they got back from Faraway Cay. Besides the issue of working together, Jack wasn’t quite sure how he would handle trying to have a real relationship with someone. Hell, he hadn’t had an actual relationship since he was in the Army, and that had been a disaster when his drinking started getting bad. He wasn’t sure how any of that type of shit worked anymore.
Still, he couldn’t help but be amazed by Kat’s beauty. She looked stunning tonight in a pale pink dress with her platinum hair. He was still having a hell of a time getting used to her new look.
Sasha was also there at dinner, unfortunately, but it didn’t look like Kat was as bothered with her anymore, which was good. Nothing like having a former fling meeting the one you want to keep.
Dinner went smoothly, though Carr was a little less chatty than normal. Maybe he realized how pissed Jack and Bryant were at him? It may turn out that Carr needed Gray Tower a lot more than Gray Tower needed him. Plus, if any of the information that Kat had gotten showed Carr as dirty, then there was definitely going to be some trouble.
After dinner, Carr’s guests congregated by the bar and the balcony. Some were new, while some of the people Jack had met were gone. He’d have to check out the newbies when he got back to the room. Jack liked to keep tabs on everyone on the island.
Sasha sauntered over to him in a black cocktail dress and smiled.
Here we go again, Jack thought.
She just didn’t know when to quit. That made her a great agent, but a terrible ex-lover to have.
“Jack, you look dashing,” she said, giving him a once-over with her eyes. “You clean up well.”
He grunted, trying to sound and look annoyed. Kat was talking with Veronica Carr and hadn’t noticed that he was talking with Sasha yet. He was sure she’d flip if she saw him with her alone.
“I don’t suppose I could have a word with you privately for a moment?” She asked, red lips pouting slightly.
Those luscious lips were almost the same color as her hair, and Jack sudden
ly remembered why he had slept with her in the first place.
Shaking the thought out of his mind, he continued.
“What are you playing here?” Jack asked pointedly.
Sasha played too many games, and he was tiring of it quickly.
“Look, I know your mad at me for being here. I didn’t realize Carr was ballsy enough to have both companies here at the same time. And even if I had known, I certainly wouldn’t have dropped in on your assessment.
“That being said, I do really need to talk to you. It’s important.”
Jack debated on what to do. Sasha could have some nasty little tricks up her sleeve, or she could have an important piece of intel. He never knew when it came to her, but he was going to have to make sure he didn’t miss any information.
“Make it quick, Sasha,” he grumbled and led her out of the dining room to a balcony and down a set of steps to a garden area.
It was quiet there. The only light available was from the balcony and surrounding windows, making the area dim. The space was also quite private, which was what they needed. Sasha turned to him and grabbed his jacket collar, pulling his head in close.
“Listen,” she began. “I know things aren’t good with us right now, but I thought I’d give you the professional courtesy to let you know that there’s something wrong here.”
“What do you mean?” Jack demanded.
“I mean, here, like on the island,” she replied. “I’m having my team pull me out as soon as possible. You should do the same.”
Jack immediately went into business mode. He had Kat in mind when it came to this mission, and he didn’t want to screw around when it came to her safety. He cared for her way too much to allow that to happen.
“What’s wrong here? What’s the threat?”
“Just some little birds talking here and there. They’re saying to clear out or watch out.”
“That’s all you have to go on?”
“Jack, just trust me on this one. Get out of here with your little friend. I’m asking for an extraction right now.”
“Have you told Carr?” Jack asked. “He’s got guests and staff here.”
Troubled Paradise (Gray Tower Book 2) Page 11