“That could have been worse,” Katie ventured a few moments later. “At least Jason didn’t get involved.”
“For good reason,” Blake said shortly. “He and Penny are apparently seeing each other. He’s probably not sure how much I know about it and isn’t interested in hearing my opinion.”
“Penny? Your sister Penny is dating Jason Foley?”
“That’s what she calls it. But I doubt he sees it that way.”
“I have a hard time believing Jason and Penny—” Katie broke off with a rueful grimace. “I’m sorry, that didn’t come out the way I meant it.”
“It’s okay, I have a hard time believing it, too.” Penny was her twin sister Paige’s opposite, quiet and shy, hardly the type to be attracted to a brash womanizer like Jason Foley. She wasn’t his type, either. “I’m certain Jason is trying to use Penny to get any scrap of information he can about my plans for McCord Jewelers. I just can’t convince her of that.”
“You could be right,” Katie said slowly. “But that’s between her and Jason.”
They stopped short of the dance floor, facing each other. “If you’re telling me to butt out, I can’t. Not when it involves my business.”
“Give Penny some credit. I doubt she’s going to betray any family secrets. I’m sure you hate the idea of anyone in your family in a relationship with a Foley, but Penny has to make her own choices, without your interference.”
“I thought you’d be on my side with this.”
Katie sighed. “It’s not about taking sides, Blake. I understand what it’s like to have families meddling in your relationships. Look at Tate and me. I grew up never having to decide for myself what I wanted in a lover or a husband because our families told us we were perfect for each other. Now I have no clue what I want or need or how to have a relationship with someone who isn’t Tate. I wouldn’t wish that on Penny or anyone else.”
“Even if you knew she was making a big mistake?” Blake shot back.
“Even then. It’s her mistake to make.” Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, Katie hesitated then touched his arm. “I know you think you know best, but this is one time you have to let someone else deal with the situation. If you keep trying to interfere, you’re only going to make things worse.”
He didn’t want to admit she could be right. His mistrust of the Foleys was too ingrained, and Penny’s involvement with Jason Foley seemed almost as much of a betrayal as his mother’s affair with Rex. “I see your point,” he finally conceded.
“But—?”
“But I don’t know that I agree.”
“At least promise me you’ll think about it.”
“I promise,” he said, unable to deny her appeal with her so close and looking into his eyes. Then she smiled and he knew he was lost. He held out his hand to her. “You promised me a dance.”
A new melody started, slow and sensual. As he took her in his arms she yielded, malleable to his touch and the rhythm of the music. Somewhere, at the edge of perception, Blake could hear it, feel the brush and heat of other bodies, but it all seemed removed, as if time had caught them in a suspended moment.
He became very aware of how close he held her, how her hand curved against his shoulder, the other clasped in his. Of how, with her dark hair framing her face, in a dress that shaped her curves, and the movement around them shifting shadow and light against the ivory of her skin, she looked like his fantasies personified. And that, with the slightest motion, a simple slide of hands and bodies, the tensions between them would twist into a different fire that had nothing to do with the evening’s frustrations.
Sliding his arm further around her waist, he pressed her closer, his cheek against the silk of her hair, and she leaned slightly nearer, her breath brushing the hollow of his throat. Their coming together wasn’t a conscious thing on his part, or it seemed hers, and the fact they didn’t seem to have any control over it made it all the more bewildering.
The music came to an end on a soulful, lingering note, leaving them looking at each other for seconds—minutes? hours?—while the other couples moved around them, and the band began another song.
Katie’s lips parted but nothing came out and Blake had a pretty fair idea of how she felt. They’d started something but, like her, and for the first time, he didn’t have a clue what was supposed to happen next.
“We should go back and mingle, or I should at least,” she said finally.
“We should,” he agreed, though he made no move to let her go.
“Uncle Peter and my parents will be wondering where I am.”
“Probably.”
The music wove around them and she shifted closer again. “You’re becoming a bad influence.”
“Me?” They swayed together and Blake’s attention fixed on Katie, making him ignore everything else. “No one’s ever accused me of that before.”
“Yes, you, and your ‘do things your way and to hell with what anyone else thinks’ attitude.”
“I was in trouble for that a little while ago,” he reminded her.
“That was different. Here and now, I like it.”
“Maybe you should try it yourself more often.”
“Maybe I should,” she echoed softly. “Who knows what might happen?”
Blake didn’t have an answer so he simply held her, and for a little while, that was all that mattered.
Chapter Six
Blake didn’t need to be told there were repercussions from his night with Katie; one look at his mother, Paige and Tate’s faces when he walked into the dining room the next evening said everything. He’d managed to avoid any confrontation up until now by leaving the house before breakfast, but that was only a delaying tactic.
Forgoing any usual greetings, Eleanor held out a newspaper section to him, turned to a story on Peter Salgar’s fund-raising efforts. The report was accompanied by a photo of Peter and his wife in conversation with a congressman and a high-profile attorney, Katie and Blake standing to the side. “This was an interesting way to start the day. Adam called me to ask what it meant and I had no idea how to answer him. If you were going to put yourself in a position of appearing to support Peter Salgar, I would have appreciated an advance warning.”
“It looks more like he’s supporting Katie,” Paige commented, directing the attention away from politics to a potentially more dangerous topic. She darted a quick grin at Blake, not in the least quelled by the scowl he returned. “What’s going on between you two, anyway?”
“Nothing that you’re imagining,” Blake said, unable to keep his irritation from showing. “We’re friends. She needed an escort. I volunteered.”
“Yes, that—” Paige gestured to the newspaper photo “—looks very friendly.”
Blake silently admitted that their pose—his hand curved around Katie’s waist, her leaning slightly into his arm—suggested they were closer than friends. It was his expression, though, that clearly betrayed him. The photographer had caught him in an unguarded moment, his eyes on Katie as she smiled at her uncle, and even he recognized the desire and what, in another man, he might have even called tenderness.
Giving the photograph a brief appraisal, Eleanor turned a watchful gaze on Blake. “You and Katie have been spending quite a lot of time together. Do you think that’s wise, considering the circumstances?”
“What circumstances would those be?”
“The timing—” Eleanor glanced to Tate.
“Doesn’t matter,” Tate interrupted. “No one can accuse Blake of taking Katie away from me.”
“Or of cheating on someone else,” Paige muttered darkly.
Eleanor’s face constricted but she said nothing in response to her daughter’s not-so-subtle reference to her affair with Rex Foley. Paige, like Blake, hadn’t made much of an attempt to hide her resentment of what both of them considered Eleanor’s betrayal.
“I hate to spoil the perception of drama, but everyone’s making much more of this than it was.” Blake kept his
voice level. “I didn’t declare my undying loyalty to Peter Salgar, and Katie and I aren’t a couple.” No one at the table looked convinced, prompting Blake to deliberately change the subject before he lost his temper and told his family to mind their own business. “Where’s Penny tonight? I expected she’d be here.”
“She said she was going out,” Eleanor said carefully, not quite meeting his eyes.
“Meaning she’s seeing Jason Foley.”
“I don’t know that for certain. But it’s likely. She refuses to talk about it with anyone. And it’s no use you stating the obvious, that you don’t approve.” Eleanor went ahead before Blake could say anything. “I’m not sure I do, either. But Penny’s a grown woman. None of us can make her choices for her.”
It was essentially the same thing Katie had said to him. He didn’t like hearing it any more now than he had then. But it was remembering Katie asking him to stay out of it that kept him from arguing his opinion that Jason Foley was using Penny.
It was a relief, less than an hour later, to escape the strained atmosphere that pervaded the remainder of dinner. Blake was on his way to the study, intent on checking some e-mails, when Tate stopped him.
“I hope you know I meant what I said,” Tate told him.
“I know it. And—thanks.” He and Tate had heatedly argued more than once in recent weeks, mostly over Katie, but Blake appreciated his brother’s support.
“I also hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I always know what I’m doing.”
“With business, and probably with any other woman you’ve known. But Katie is different.”
“I don’t need you telling me that,” Blake snapped, suddenly angry. “I’ve been telling you all along how special she is. You’re the one who let her go.”
Tate surprised him by not responding in kind. Instead he studied Blake for a moment before saying, “I don’t think you do know what you’re doing this time.”
“I’m not interested in your opinion.”
“Probably not. But I don’t want Katie to get hurt.”
“And the assumption is I’m going to do that?” The implication stung because Blake knew he could easily do that. He’d never committed himself to any relationship. His expectations with women were as high as his certainty that he would end up disappointed, and consequently he refused to let himself get more than superficially involved. But, irrationally it seemed, he still resented Tate automatically deciding Blake’s involvement with Katie would end badly.
“I didn’t say that.” An aggravated note worked its way into Tate’s voice. “I’m just saying to be careful with her.”
“Like you were?”
Tate blew out a breath. “I don’t want to get into this with you again. We’ve done it enough over the past few weeks and it’s getting old. I’ll just add one thing—if this is your way of proving, once again, that you’re the best man for the job, then get out now. Like you keep telling me, Katie deserves better.”
Not giving Blake time to counter him, Tate swiftly turned and strode away, leaving Blake alone with the unwelcome thought that when it came to him and Katie, his brother might be right.
In the middle of the majestic ballroom, the sunlight dancing stars on the crystal of the chandeliers set in the high ceiling, Katie half listened to the woman detailing the amenities of the room. The woman’s voice was slowly becoming a background drone as Katie’s attention kept wandering as she tried to figure out Blake’s mood.
He’d agreed readily enough to accompany her here, to the historic music hall where the Halloween ball would be held, to settle some details about the event and the location of various activities within the hall itself. But he’d been tense and withdrawn, cold almost, so very different from the man who two days ago had danced with her, held her close, looked at her in a way that had stirred to life desires she’d barely recognized.
Her name and the words wine tasting penetrated her distraction and she gave a slight start, realizing she’d completely missed the last few minutes of conversation.
“I’m sorry,” she said hastily, avoiding Blake’s sardonic glance in favor of the woman’s slightly affronted face, “I let myself get sidetracked imagining how lovely a setting this is going to be for the ball. A wine tasting would be wonderful.”
The woman beamed, mollified by Katie’s explanation and her apologetic smile. “If you don’t mind waiting a few minutes, I’ll get that set up for you.”
“Lovely, is it?” Blake asked after the woman had gone. He glanced around them, frowning as if he was inspecting the ballroom and it had fallen short of his expectations.
“Yes, it is. Which is more than I can say for your mood,” Katie said before she could stop herself. “If you didn’t want to do this today, you should have said so. I could have handled it myself.”
He stared at her a moment then shook his head and for the first time in the last hour appeared to relax. “So you could have. But I wanted to be here to help. We’re supposed to be a team.”
“Supposed to be…?”
“Okay, we’re a team.”
“Mmm…considering how much you dislike the whole idea of depending on someone else, that must have hurt to admit.”
“A little.”
She smiled and drew an answering half smile from Blake.
“Now if you’re through forcing me to inflict pain on myself,” he said, “maybe you can explain again how we’re going to manage nearly a thousand people, a string ensemble, and all these activities in this one lovely ballroom.”
“There’s plenty of room,” she assured him. Laying a hand on his arm, she directed his attention upward. “We’ll have all the balcony space, as well as the ballroom, and there’s seating and standing space just outside by the bar—” Katie broke off when she realized he wasn’t following her gestures but watching her face. Her breath hitched and the room suddenly felt warmer but she tried to hang on to her composure. “Don’t ask for explanations if you aren’t going to listen.”
“Balcony, ballroom, outside by the bar,” he repeated. He took a step closer and slowly ran his hand over her shoulder and up the curve of her throat until his fingers threaded into her hair. “Got it.”
She didn’t doubt it but when he leaned in to kiss her she didn’t care. Ballrooms, space and wine retreated and she yielded to what she wanted—uncaring of where they were, no space between them, reveling in the taste of him. Maybe it wasn’t wise, as everyone around them kept reminding her, but reason had nothing to do with the electric feelings that sprang up between them every time they got within touching distance. Blake didn’t deny them, either, forgoing any gentle, exploratory caress and kissing her deeply, pulling her closer when she wrapped her arms around his neck and urged him in that direction.
“We’re ready for—oh.” The woman’s voice broke them apart, although Blake didn’t quite release her. “The wine tasting…we’re ready—if you…” Waving her hand in the general direction of the door, the woman avoided looking directly at them.
Katie bit her lip against laughing, caught the amusement in Blake’s eyes, and had to glance away from him for fear it would burst out anyway.
“We probably shouldn’t be doing this before lunch,” she murmured half an hour later, when they were nearly finished sampling the array of wines and deciding which they wanted available at the ball.
“Worried you’ll get tipsy and I’ll take advantage of you?” Blake asked as he leaned back in his chair, eyeing the sample of burgundy he was trying.
“You do that without the benefit of wine,” she lightly accused. “And who says it wouldn’t be the other way around?”
His brow lifted slightly. “I promise not to object.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Annoyed at the warmth that crept over her throat and face, Katie glanced at their checklist. “We just need to decide on the champagne and then we’re done.”
“You’re on your own there.”
“You can’t tell
me you don’t like champagne.” She affected to look shocked at his shrug. “I don’t see how that’s possible. Some of my favorite fantasies involve it.”
She’d definitely gotten his attention with that one. He straightened, a now familiar glint in his eyes. “Would you care to elaborate?”
“No,” she said, laughing, “you’ll have to be satisfied with imagining.”
“That could be dangerous. I can imagine quite a bit.”
“Really? I never took you for the creative type, Blake.”
“If you’d like a demonstration—”
Katie studied the list a moment before checking off a selection of sparkling wines she was familiar with and then got to her feet. “Not here. I think we’ve embarrassed the staff enough for one day. And I really am ready for lunch.”
“Then I’ll take you to lunch,” Blake said, rising with her.
“How about I take you?” She was pleased at being able to surprise him with the offer, pleased overall with the light, flirtatious mood between them, a welcome change from that morning. “It’s Saturday, the sun is shining and I don’t feel like anything fussy. I have just the place in mind.”
“Then I’ll let you lead the way.”
“You will?”
Putting his arm around her waist, Blake brushed his mouth against her temple and murmured, “Just this once.”
Katie chose a small, quaint café on a quiet backstreet that she’d stumbled upon one time when searching out a specialty shop in the area. It was a distance from her and Blake’s usual haunts—the elegant, expensive restaurants and upscale nightclubs—and they were unlikely to run into anyone they knew, the reason she liked it best.
“This was a good choice,” Blake said, settling back in his chair after they’d given their orders.
“You like it?”
He smiled a little. “You sound surprised. Yes, I do like it. It feels like an escape.”
“That’s exactly how I feel, too. I’ve always come here alone for that reason,” she added.
The Texas CEO's Secret Page 6