by Kitty Cox
"Davi?"
"Davina Huber. She's one of the models we use in our advertising."
Kate lifted her chin and asked the next question. "How long were you dating?"
The corner of Adam's lip turned up. "Never."
"And what makes you think you can just tell the staff downstairs that I'm your girlfriend?"
And a laugh broke free. It was just one, but he didn't look sorry at all. "Darlin', you can't be jealous and pissed at the same time. Not for this. Either you're my girlfriend and I'm in shit for having gone out in public with another woman while you were still turning me down, or you're pissed that I used a term the staff can wrap their mind around, and couldn't give a shit about who I spend time with in front of the cameras." He moved closer, the smile on his lips slanted sideways. "So, which is it, Kate?"
"Uh..."
His hands found her hips, pulling her deeper into his home. "Drop those on the sofa and let's figure this out. Pretty sure that not even I can completely destroy things on the first day." Steering her toward the living room, he plucked the shopping bags from her hands. "We gonna go back to being just friends?"
"No, I..."
He chuckled, well aware that she hadn't really finished a sentence. "Or maybe you're just a little freaked out?"
She was. She was definitely freaked out about all of this. She'd barely been able to wrap her mind around the fact that both of the men she had a crush on were the same guy. Was it morning after regret? Shame? What the hell was wrong with her?
"You can't just decide that I'm your girlfriend," she said, latching onto that one coherent thought.
Adam eased her onto the sofa, sliding in right beside her. "I believe our arrangement was friends with benefits. I only told the staff you were my girlfriend because that sounds a little more respectable." He pushed a spiral lock of hair away from her neck. "I like the friends part. I definitely like the benefits, but I'm planning to convince you that girlfriend is a much better relationship. I didn't decide without talking to you. I just told the staff to make sure that my friend, who is a girl, gets a key to her outfit mate's place because you're always welcome, just like Nancy."
"Oh."
His fingers traced the tendon at the back of her neck, sliding up until they followed her jaw, slowly turning her head to face him. "I guess I'm moving too fast, huh?"
"A bit," she breathed.
He nodded, but his eyes never left hers. "I like you, Lith. You're this mix of innocence and intelligence that I just can't get enough of. I keep thinking about how much you understand me - me, Kate, not Mr. Degrass - and I like it. It makes me feel a little too comfortable. Like you're meant to be a part of my life, and I've waited a long time to find someone who can do that."
"But I've only known you a month!"
"I know." His thumb caressed the scar along her neck. "And you have plenty of reasons to want to play it safe, but this is ok. A couple of gamers hanging out and living it up at a fancy art gala? It's fun. It's ok. I don't expect anything at all from you except a friend." Then his smile returned. "But I'm gonna try to convince you that a bit more would be fun, too."
"I did have fun last night," she admitted, flicking her eyes to the ground.
"And we still have dessert and champagne to enjoy. Darlin', you've been quietly freaking out ever since I handed you my card. Why?"
Just like always, Adam Degrass cut right to the chase. He'd not only figured out what was bothering her before she had, he hadn't shied away from it. Closing her eyes, she leaned into the feel of his hand.
"Because I'm not a gold digger. I don't want to be a thing for you to possess. I just want to be happy, Adam, and I don't deserve all of this."
"Fuck," he grumbled under his breath, pulling her into the crook of his shoulder. "You do, Kate. You deserve all the things money can buy because they're just things. They aren't the important shit." She looked up to find him staring at the view outside his massive windows. "It's like the things in game. You can buy the fancy camo or the shiny gun color, but it doesn't make you a better gamer. All of this is just bullshit meant to make life a little more entertaining while we make our way through it. None of it says shit about what a person is worth, ok?"
He had a point, and she had nothing to counter it with, so she said, "Adam, I spent about three hundred dollars."
The tip of his tongue darted through his teeth and his lips tensed. For a moment, he didn't move, but when he finally looked down at her, his eyes were sparkling. "Did you even buy a dress?"
"Yeah, and shoes, plus a few things to wear if I get caught without a change of clothes." She leaned back to see him better. "And a toothbrush."
The smile won, proving how hard he'd been struggling not to laugh. "Gonna sleep over tonight, then?"
"Adam! I just told you how much I spent!"
"And I don't give a shit." Suddenly his face softened. "What would Marshall have said?"
"That I already had shoes and didn't need anymore."
Again, he watched her while his hand swept the hair away from her neck. "Yeah. I'll have to remember that. Would they match the dress, or would you be insulting Mycah if you showed up in some hodgepodge outfit for her big night?"
"I guess they would have been close, but these were perfect - and only forty bucks."
"Then you needed them." He kept looking, his face a little too serious. "You deserve nice things, Kate. If I had to choose what to spend my money on, you or me, I'll pick you every time. That's how Nancy raised me." Then he dipped his head, a serious expression in his eyes. "I'm not Marshall. I will never be anything like Marshall. I won't hit you, I won't make you feel bad for being yourself - even if it means you're screaming and cussing at me - and I certainly will never put money between us. Do you understand?"
She bobbled her head, assuring him she did. "I told you I'm no good at this."
"Bullshit. You're great at this. See, it's weird. Sometimes we know the truth, but it's hard to convince our hearts to feel it. There's a very big line between the two. I get that. I get you. Just keep telling me when I screw up and we'll figure everything else out."
"You didn't screw up," she insisted.
He just cocked his head to the side. "I think I did. I forgot that you're not used to being treated like you deserve. That's always when the quiet Kate shows up. No looming, right? Well, I was kinda looming my life all over the one you're used to, and to me, that's kinda in the screwing up category."
Her gaze flicked to his lips. "I dunno. Sometimes looming might be ok." Then she met his eyes. "Like last night. Last night was very nice."
"Yeah," he whispered, leaning closer. "Last night is something we're going to have to do a lot more." When he kissed her, Kate forgot why she'd ever been worried.
Chapter 26
The sky was dark when the limo pulled up in front of the small downtown art gallery. That didn't stop the press. Cameras flashed, and people pressed closer even before the car door opened. Smiling, Adam Degrass stepped out then turned, offering a hand to his date. Kate accepted, sliding to the edge of the seat before placing her long, sparkly heels on the asphalt. With a gallant gesture, Adam escorted her toward the open doors.
It was a small affair, so the presence of not just one, but both of the top Executives from Degrass Industries made it something worth covering for the local papers. The bright lights, swept sidewalk, and hum of gossip reporters made it feel a bit like a dream, but Kate could do this. She lifted her chin and fell in at Adam's side. Then he slipped an arm around her waist. Without thinking, she smiled up at him - and the cameras went crazy.
"Adam!" A girl called from beside the doors.
Following the sound, Kate saw a lean black woman with the most luxurious spiral-curled hair. It fluffed around her shoulders, the ends a half shade lighter than the roots. Her cat-eye makeup only made her appear more elegant. While she looked nothing at all like Nancy, it was obvious the woman waving at them had to be Mycah.
"Hey, Mikey," he called b
ack. "Where's Mom?"
Mikey? Mom? She'd never heard him refer to Nancy like that, but the girl flapped a hand over her shoulder. "Sampling the wine. Darius and Janelle should be here, too. I was just waiting for you to get here." Then she turned to Kate. "Hi, I'm Mycah Macintosh, the photographer."
Stepping away from Adam, Kate offered her hand. "Kate Gaskill. It's a pleasure. Your mother's told me stories that I'm sure I should forget."
"Kate? Like Firecracker Kate?" Mycah's smile turned into a blinding grin. "I'm so glad you came!" Then she wrapped her arms around Kate's shoulders and hugged.
Kate hugged back, mumbling, "Wow," into the girl's shoulder.
"Come in, come in. I can't wait to hear what you think." Smiling one last time, Mycah led them inside the studio and gestured at the walls.
Frames covered every possible surface. Some pictures were in color, but most were black and white. All of them were lovely. And Kate wasn't the only one looking. Around the room, smartly dressed people wandered with a flute of wine or champagne in one hand and their eyes glued to the art. Evidently, Mycah's first showing was going to be a major success.
"Wow," Kate said again, making her way to an image that caught her eye. Standing before a ramshackle house was a perfect family. Sort of. There was no father, the mother's afro was wildly out of control, two girls stood prim and proper, but one young man had another in a headlock. The pale skin of the trapped boy made it clear exactly who the picture was of. This was the family that had raised Adam. The mother had to be Nancy, back when she was younger. Darius and Mycah were obviously siblings, but Janelle's darker skin and angular face proved that her father was Nancy's first husband, not the second, yet they definitely all belonged together. They looked happy. They looked normal.
A woman's chuckle made her pry her eyes away. Nancy moved to her side, offering a glass of pale wine. "That was a long time ago. I think it's the first picture she ever took."
Kate looked between the young mother Nancy had once been and the sophisticated executive she'd become. "It's perfect."
"And my hair," Nancy groaned. "Dunno what I was thinking back then. I was in this natural hair kick, but mine never looked as tame as Mycah's."
Kate just bumped her shoulder gently. "I kinda like it. Was that your home or one of the places Adam fixed up?"
"Our home, honey. We were real poor back then. I had four kids to raise, and Adam's dad barely had enough to toss in some to feed his boy. My exes sure didn't have any interest in paying for the kids they were more than happy to make." She chuckled. "Back then, it seemed like such a big deal, but looking back, we were so happy. We've been real lucky, and I think a whole lot of that has to do with Adam. He never would accept it when someone said something was impossible."
"You know he called you Mom earlier?"
Nancy smiled, still looking at the picture. "He calls me that when we're not at work. Like I said, I had four kids to raise. Adam's been one of mine since he was about five years old."
"Lucky man," Kate said.
"Yep." Nancy finally looked at her, but the smile proved she was up to no good. "Honey, you wanna tell me why you showed up as his date? Your gamer boy not work out like you wanted? Figured you'd still be in bed. That's the only reason I didn't invite ya."
Glancing back to where Adam stood across the room, Kate giggled. "Let's just say that there's not a whole lot of conflict when the two guys I was trying to choose between are one and the same."
Nancy squealed loud enough to make a few people look over then dropped her voice, leaning in for dramatic effect. "So how was the date? You walkin' bowlegged?"
Kate's face was growing warmer, but she couldn't stop smiling. "Little bit."
"Ha! How'd it go? C'mon, honey, I am gonna need all the details."
"All?" Kate asked, giving Nancy an incredulous look.
"About the date, not the happy-time after. I mean you were all set to meet this guy you didn't know, and Adam just showed up?"
So Kate gave her all the details. Nancy kept them moving, slowly meandering from one picture to the other, but she not only listened, she was thrilled. As Kate talked, she kept glancing over to her date. At first, Adam's attention was locked on Mycah. Eventually, others joined the conversation. Too many of them were gorgeous women smiling a little too sweetly. Some of them looked pretty enough to be those underwear models Nancy had mentioned a few days before. Others could have been minor celebrities for all she knew. The problem was that all of them were prettier than her.
Half an hour later, she and Nancy were sampling the hors-d'oeuvres when a man's rich baritone interrupted the small talk. "Well, well. What do we have here?"
"Oh hush," Nancy chided, smiling at the tall, dark, and shockingly handsome man who'd spoken. "Darius, this is Kate, my admin."
Kate managed to keep her mouth shut, but she couldn't quite stop the warmth from hitting her face. Nancy had some gorgeous kids! Darius filled out his suit in a way that strained the seams. His broad chest looked rock solid and his arms? She wrenched her eyes away and put on her professional smile.
"Pleasure to meet you."
He lifted a thin brow, but his dark eyes were playful. "Right. You know I just figured out a couple of days ago who you are?"
"Huh?"
Darius grinned, shifting closer to press the advantage. "Yep. My momma was ranting about some asswipe messin' with her girl at work, and my little brother was plannin' to commit some murder. Then the strangest thing happened. That night, this chick named Lithium hopped in game and said something about having a rough day." He offered his fist, clearly expecting a bump while his other hand tapped his chest. "Fizz, babe. I've been starin' at your ass for weeks now."
"Fizz?" No way. His voice kinda sounded familiar, but the voice chat program distorted it just enough to throw her off. Even worse, Adam hadn't said a thing about it!
Darius nodded. "Yeah. Jack and Coke were taken, so we settled on Ice and Fizz."
"Oh my god, it is you!" Kate ignored the fist and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him hard.
He just chuckled and lifted, swaying back and forth with her feet inches off the ground. "Swish doesn't have a clue what he's talkin' about. Redheads are always hot. If my bro dumps ya, just keep me in mind."
"Oh, yeah," she promised.
But a throat cleared just behind her. "Not cool, Fizz."
"Shut it, Ice. You were hittin' on the models."
"I was working," Adam clarified. "And that's my date. Go find your own."
Darius shrugged, dropping an arm on Nancy's shoulder. "Came with my little sister and mama. Now if you're not gonna do anything with that chick in the green? I'm all over that."
"Darius!" Nancy hissed.
"A date, Momma. All respectable like." He glanced back at Kate. "Only because these are my sister's friends. Otherwise..."
And Nancy flicked the back of her knuckles across his gut, proving those abs sounded as solid as they looked. "Do not embarrass me in front of my friends, young man."
"Not more than normal, Momma." He slapped Adam's shoulder then smiled at Kate. "Have fun. No, seriously. I'm gonna go talk to that babe."
Kate watched him saunter off then looked at Adam. "Why didn't you tell me he's Fizz?"
"Who?" Nancy asked.
Adam gestured between himself and his brother's retreating back. "That game we play. Those are our game names. Kate's in the group, too."
"And why the hell didn't you tell her who you were?" Kate knew she wasn't serious, but the scowl on Nancy's face was still impressive.
"Um." Adam swallowed before answering. "I was trying to make sure I impressed her, first. Did Kate bother to tell you how she ran home from her second day at work and told her new game friend that her boss - the guy across the hall - was just so weird?"
Nancy actually giggled. "No, somehow she left that part out. Least it all worked out. Now you two go have fun. I'm gonna convince my daughter to sell me one of these pictures."
"
Already bought one," Adam said, steering Kate toward the other side of the room. His hand easily found the small of her back, sending sparks up her skin. "Since you've already met Mycah and Darius, I wanted to make sure someone introduced you to Janelle."
In the corner, holding the hands of two small children, was a tall, quiet woman looking at a gigantic print. Beside her, the kids pointed, but they also kept their voices down. Adam was headed right for them.
"Jan?"
She turned, her eyes flicking across the crowd before settling on Adam. A calm smile touched her lips, but her eyes kept moving until they found Kate. She released her kids, propelling them toward their pseudo-uncle with a soft push and followed with her hand out.
"Janelle Clark, Mycah's older sister."
Where the others had been loud and boisterous, Janelle was the perfect example of professional cool. In many ways, she reminded Kate of Adam. And he didn't miss a beat, introducing Kate as his date instead of Nancy's admin. From the smile Janelle gave him, Kate wondered what had been said when she wasn't around. Sounded like she'd been the topic of a few family conversations. Oddly, it was kinda nice. The Macintosh clan made her feel not only welcome but like she was a part of it in her own small way.
"Are you gonna buy a picture?" From her side, the youngest child - Kate remembered Adam saying her name was LaToya - asked.
"I dunno," Kate said, bending to look the girl in the eye. "You think I should?"
She nodded emphatically, picking at her lip. "Aunt Mikey's the best photographer ever. I want Mama to buy the bear, but she said it cost too much."
Kate pointed up at Adam. "Then maybe you should ask your uncle to get it for you."
"You think he would?" the little girl whispered a bit too loudly.
Kate beckoned the child closer. "I think if you stick your bottom lip out and ask him with a really good please, he just might - but only if your mother says it's ok."
"I want one too," the boy mumbled.
Kate nodded at him, showing she was taking him seriously. "Well, it might work for you, too. Rumor has it that he kinda likes you two."