The Safe Bet

by Brittney Sahin

  But it was his experience before Operation Knife—

  “Kate!”

  Kate stopped reading the article and looked up to find Joseph approaching her. She pressed against the table and stood up, feeling like she had one too many to drink. As soon as she was standing, she found herself lifted into the air as Joseph spun her around.

  He planted a kiss on both her cheeks when her heels found the ground again. “Nice to see you, too,” she said. Laughter filled her voice as she looked up at the bright-eyed chef. She’d forgotten how attractive he was. “How’s everything going?” she asked as they began walking toward the hotel’s industrial kitchen.

  “Fantastic,” he remarked. “I procured all of the fresh food we need for tomorrow, and we’re good to go. My team is practicing the menu as we speak. The hotel servers seem competent and professional. Everything is going smoothly.”

  “That’s great news. Anything I can do for you? Anything else you need?”

  “We’re good. I’m just looking forward to seeing you in an evening gown tomorrow. You will dress for the occasion?” His green eyes widened with his smile.

  “Yes, of course. I’m torn between red and navy. You know . . . I want to dress in our countries’ colors since the fundraiser is for veterans.” Navy would match Michael’s eyes, though.

  “Red,” Joseph said. “Definitely red. With your long, golden locks, you absolutely must wear red.”

  She gave Joseph a genuine smile and looked around as they entered the busy kitchen. “Smells fabulous,” she commented.

  “Then my staff is doing an excellent job,” he replied. “I was wondering, instead of waiting until tomorrow to see you, maybe we could catch up over a drink tonight? I would love to take you to dinner, or even make you dinner, but I know I’ll be working in the kitchen all day.” He reached for her hands and held them in his own, keeping his eyes on her.

  His touch suggested he had yet to give up on dating her, even though she’d lost count of how many times she had told him she wanted to keep their relationship professional. “One drink won’t hurt, I guess.” She squinted one eye at him, and her lips puckered, giving a playful warning that she suspected his intentions.

  “I’ll be on my best behavior. Chef’s promise,” he said before leaning forward and kissing her hand.

  *

  “I should get back to the hotel.” Kate looked at her watch. It was close to ten, and she wanted to get an early start on the day tomorrow. Plus, she didn’t want to traipse around the city at night if someone really was keeping tabs on her.

  God, she was eager to leave Charlotte on Sunday and carry on with her normal life.

  Her father would be pleased when she told him she wasn’t going to consider Charlotte for a third location for the company. She had no intention of telling him why, but he wouldn’t care, as long as the topic had been shelved.

  “One more drink.”

  Kate looked up from her empty wine glass, feeling a little lightheaded from the alcohol. She had nursed only two glasses of Chardonnay in the last two hours, but the pours here were absurdly deep. “I need to get some sleep. I’m beat,” she said before faking a half yawn.

  Joseph shifted on his barstool and motioned for the bartender. They were in the Epicenter, at a restaurant that turned into a nightclub around eleven. “Come on, Kate. I rarely see you. And one more glass will help you fall asleep that much easier.”

  His Italian accent sounded thicker than normal. Perhaps it was the whiskey he was drinking. “Fine,” she agreed, wrinkling her nose. “You win.”

  He clapped his hands together before tapping her on the shoulder like a sister. Good. She hoped he would start treating her like one more often.

  “Another round,” he said, waving his hand in the air. He adjusted his seat so he could better face Kate. His dark brows lifted as his attention shifted to something or someone behind her. “Did you invite Maddox?”

  Kate’s hand rushed to her throat as if she was going to choke, and she shifted in her seat to check if Michael was, in fact, on approach.

  “Isn’t that the supermodel, Jamie Landon?” Joseph arched his shoulders back in obvious excitement.

  “Yes, it is,” Kate said under her breath. The sight of Jamie with her arm wrapped around Michael’s as they walked toward the bar like a power couple had her stomach flipping, which was ridiculous, she knew. How many times did she have to remind herself that she was the one who turned him down? It was her fault that she’d never experience his hands on her body, or discover the way his mouth would feel on her skin.

  She needed to keep her heart guarded, to keep her plans intact.

  Business first.

  Boyfriend later.

  And preferably fall for a man who actually wanted a relationship.

  She shut her eyes for a second, hoping she could blink the two of them away. When her eyes opened, Michael was staring back at her, shy of her by a couple feet.

  “Kate,” Michael said her name while giving her a curt nod.

  She stood up and closed the short gap between them. “Hi, Michael. This is Joseph, the caterer for the gala. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Are you following me? I already have someone doing that, her inner voice surprised her with a joke. She looked over at Jamie, who began to touch her bottom lip with a bright red fingernail as she tilted her head slightly.

  “So, you’re the one who managed to get Michael to throw a party. Thank you.” Kate detected a slight Brooklyn accent beneath Jamie’s polished tones.

  “And thank you for participating in the auction.” Kate glanced over her shoulder at the bar and became a little pissed that there happened to be two empty seats next to where she and Joseph were sitting. It’s a Friday night. Seriously? This place should be packed.

  Hiding her annoyance, Kate motioned her hand, inviting Michael and Jamie to sit. When she looked over at Joseph, she found him staring at Jamie with his mouth ajar.

  Michael glanced at the empty bar stools before his gaze swept back to Kate. “We have reservations. Late dinner. Jamie’s flight arrived an hour ago. But thank you for the offer.”

  Kate shot him an awkward smile, hating the stir of jealous inside of her. She wished for one night she could let go of her principles—her plans . . . and be with Michael. But it was the morning after that had her entirely too fearful of being so daring.

  “Well, you two have a good night. We’ll see you at the ball tomorrow.” Michael shook Joseph’s hand and looked back at Kate. His body appeared rigid, and his eyes gave no indication of what he was thinking.

  “Bye.” Bye? Really?

  “Wow, she’s gorgeous.” Joseph sat back down at the bar.

  “Sure, if you like long legs, big boobs, flowing brown hair—” Kate stopped herself and took in a deep breath.

  “Do you have a thing for Maddox?”

  Kate’s eyes widened. “What? No way.”

  Joseph smiled as he reached for his whiskey. “Sure. And I don’t want to see you naked.”

  Kate slapped his arm as she sat down and shook her head. “Joke around with me one more time, and I’ll deck you.” Her lips quirked up. She could always count on Joseph to lighten her mood. She started to reach for her drink, but she could still feel his eyes on her.

  She looked over and saw Michael standing near the entrance to the hall that led to the restrooms. He cocked his head to the side, beckoning her. She looked back down at her drink, feeling confused. “I need to use the ladies room. Be right back,” she told Joseph before rising to her feet and heading toward the ever-so-dangerous tiger of a man.

  She stopped in front of Michael. “What?” she hissed, not meaning to sound so angry, or so jealous.

  He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. She hated how casually sexy he looked in black slacks and a polo shirt. “Something going on with you and the chef?” he asked as his eyes focused on Kate’s lips.

  She took a step back and threw her hand to her cheek. “You’re kidding, rig
ht?”

  “I thought you didn’t date at work—”

  “And why do you care? You’re here with a supermodel.” She took another step back, but there was no room in the narrow hallway. She couldn’t breathe.

  He angled his head and moved toward her, placing his hand against the wall above her shoulder. “You know that you’re the one I want.”

  The sexy sound of his voice almost caused her to lose balance. “And you know how I feel,” she said through gritted teeth, feeling angry with herself more so than with him.

  “You want to be with me as much as I want to be with you. That much is obvious.” He moved away from her, giving her some breathing room, but the look in his eyes was dark. “So, are you into the chef?”

  “Are you into Jamie?” she challenged, folding her arms.

  His eyes shot down to the curve of her breasts. She was exposing more flesh than she wanted to at the moment. “I want you, Kate.”

  “Well, I’m sorry, but you can’t have me.” She turned to exit the hallway, her hair swishing over one shoulder. The sound of her name from his lips caused her to stop. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck.

  “I need to go,” she insisted. She wondered if he could tell how weak she felt—that if he pressed a little more, she would succumb.

  She sucked in a breath as his body brushed against hers, and he walked past her, never turning back.

  CHAPTER NINE

  KATE STOOD BY THE AUCTIONING stage, transfixed by the warm, romantic lighting and the silky sounds of the saxophone. The night was going as planned, except that Michael hadn’t shown up yet. She had managed to keep herself busy enough to avoid thinking about her stalker, or whether or not Michael had slept with the model—well, she hadn’t thought about it every hour of the day.

  “You look positively ravishing. Glad you listened to me,” a voice said behind her. She turned around. It was Joseph, of course. He leaned in and kissed her on both cheeks.

  Kate wore a strapless, red taffeta mermaid gown with a sweetheart neckline and origami pleating. The seams of the dress hugged her curves, and her exposed back showed her toned and tanned body. Her hair cascaded over her one shoulder in soft, shimmering waves. She wore more makeup than usual, having enhanced her eyes with black liner and charcoal eye shadow. “Thank you,” she replied. “But you’d better get back to the kitchen.” She didn’t want him mentioning her weird reaction to seeing Michael at the restaurant last night.

  “Save me a dance,” he reminded her before hurrying away.

  Kate looked around for Julia, who had managed to get an earlier return flight to Charlotte so she could go over the last-minute details with Kate. She finally spotted Julia standing in a crowd of men who were donning military uniforms. Julia looked polished and exquisite in her long, flowing white gown with shoulder ruffle. Kate admired the way Julia carried herself. Her confidence and success probably threatened many men—perhaps that was why she was still single. Either that or she had been too heartbroken to move on when her ex died years ago.

  Where are you, Michael? She scanned the room, knowing that when he arrived, he would be hard to miss.

  And then she saw him. He was wearing an impeccable single-breasted tuxedo. Could the man get any hotter?

  Yes, she realized when she saw him tilt his head back and laugh with one of the veterans to which he was speaking.

  She wanted to approach him and say hello but found her feet frozen. She stared across the room at the enigmatic man and wondered what he looked like beneath the suit. She mentally harangued herself for having such a thought, yet again. It was getting exhausting beating herself up all the time. She needed to get back to New York.

  Michael’s attention switched from the Marine to Kate. He patted the serviceman on the back before stalking with purposeful strides toward her, ignoring several other people who attempted to catch his attention as he passed.

  “Kate.” His voice was husky. His eyes flickered with an intensity that doubled her heart rate.

  She took a breath, hoping to calm the overwhelming desire that was pouring through her veins. He didn’t look pissed over last night’s rejection. That was a relief. “You clean up nicely,” she managed at last. She rubbed her hands against the sides of her dress, not sure what to do with them. She was too afraid she might press them against his hard chest or run them through his perfect hair.

  “And you look . . .” He paused, running a hand through his hair (Not fair, she thought, that he gets to muss it but I don’t), “well, you shouldn’t be dressed like that,” he spat out, shaking his head.

  “Gee, thanks.” She peeked over his shoulder to see Julia heading their way. She took a few steps forward to meet her.

  Michael caught Kate by the elbow. “I won’t be able to think straight tonight with you in that dress,” he whispered.

  Kate flushed with embarrassment. Things were still stirring between them, despite last night’s rejection—despite the fact that he’d probably gone home with Jamie Landon. “Hi, Julia. What’s wrong?” She noticed the frown on Julia’s face.

  Julia looked at Michael with an expression of pained irritation. “I just got a call from Jamie Landon. She’s not coming, and she said to tell you to go to hell.”

  “Shit. I didn’t think she’d take it so damn personally.”

  “What did you do?” Julia asked.

  “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done,” he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking around the dance floor as if nothing earth-shattering in the world of event planning had happened. “We don’t need her, anyway.”

  Kate bounced her attention between Michael and Julia, trying to mask her concern.

  “Yes, we do,” Julia snapped back. “We can’t just auction you.” She scanned the room, but then her blue eyes widened. “I got it.” She rested her hand on her brother’s arm.

  “What?” Michael asked.

  Julia plastered a huge grin on her face. “We have Kate,” she exclaimed. “Every man in here has been gawking at Kate since the gala started. I guarantee they’d be more excited to have her in the auction than Jamie, anyway.”

  Kate stared at Julia and raised her brows. Hell, no.

  Michael crossed his arms and shook his head before echoing Kate’s inner thoughts. “No.”

  “I agree with Michael,” Kate announced.

  “Please. Kate is a respectable and successful businesswoman—practically famous from that piece in the New York Times. She’s perfect. And she is undeniably stunning. Come on.” She pressed her hands together in prayer pose, standing before her brother, not Kate, as though his answer was the final say.

  “I don’t think anyone will bid much on me. I’m not a celebrity.” Kate felt a little annoyed at being left on the outskirts of the conversation.

  “No,” Michael said again, ignoring Kate’s comment.

  “Why not?” Julia asked him, placing her hands on her hips. “What do you care?”

  “What about you, Julia?” Kate interjected.

  “Thanks, but . . . I think it would be a bit weird having a brother and sister auction,” she said. “This gala is your baby, Kate. Do you want to see your vision fall apart?”

  At least Julia was talking to her and not to Michael. She almost wanted to say yes just to spite him. “My flight is tomorrow, though.”

  “Leaving so soon?” Julia asked.

  “Yes, I . . .” Damn. She didn’t want to burden Julia with the knowledge of her stalker or tell her about the feelings she was juggling for Michael. “Okay. When is the date supposed to happen? Maybe I can come back, or the winning bidder can come to New York.”

  Michael held his hands up in the air and stepped in front of his overeager sister. As he started to speak, Julia stepped around him.

  “You can work out the details with your date. So, it’s settled.” She looked up at her brother, her nostrils flaring a little. She reminded Kate of a large red flag waving in the wind—and Michael was the bull.
>
  Michael didn’t charge, though. He shook his head and stood in silence as Julia thanked Kate and left to circulate among the guests.

  “I understand that you probably don’t think I’ll raise enough money, but I guess I don’t have a choice. Sorry.” Kate looked away from Michael, too afraid to look him in the eyes.

  Michael reached for her face and tilted her chin toward him, demanding her attention. He stared into her eyes for a moment, and his lips parted to speak.

  But no words escaped his mouth. A few awkward and silent moments ticked by before he took a step away from her and removed his hand from her face. “You’ll raise a lot of money. Thank you.” He gave her a slight nod and walked away.

  You are so confusing. She released a breath, trying to control the panic that was now sweeping through her as she faced the harsh reality that she would have to stand in the spotlight while men bid on her. She wasn’t one to be self-conscious or shy, but she also hated being up in front of a crowd.

  Kate forced herself to swallow her anxiety about the auction—there were more pressing matters, after all. She spent the next two hours working the room, making sure that everything was in order, that everyone had a delicious meal, and that all the guests were having a fantastic time.

  As the hour for the auction drew near, Joseph appeared at her side. “May I have this dance?”

  Kate couldn’t help but smile at him. He was a charming and adorable guy, and she liked him, even though he was always flirting. “I guess I could take a break.” She looked over at the dance floor and saw that Michael was with a beautiful, wafer-thin young woman. Kate knew she would never be Michael’s type—not if that was the kind of girl he went for. But why was it that every time he looked over at her, he made her feel like she was the only woman in the room?

  Because he wants to screw me.

  “Do you waltz?” Joseph asked. He took Kate into his arms.

  “I can try,” she replied.

  Joseph moved around the dance floor; his arms angled up, his elbows pointed out, holding onto her hands, clearly skilled in the art of formal dancing.