HellKat (13 page)

Henry scooted his heavy chair from the table and surveyed the slack-jawed group. “I am a tired old man, and I am going to bed now.” He ambled out of the room with a dismissive wave at his stunned family.

Kat remained frozen as her father’s words and startling compliments replayed on a loop in her head. She’d never seen him like that, heard him speak that way, to anyone.

Something had to be wrong …

“I need to leave. I have somewhere to be.” Kyle slipped his smartphone into his pocket, ready to make his getaway.

“Not yet, Kyle. We need to discuss this situation with Margo.”

“No, Mother.
We
don’t need to discuss it. It’s done. It’s over. It’s not happening. Just let it go.”

Sarah James reacted with mortification at her son’s unusually brusque tone.

As she geared up for her rebuttal, Kat cut her off. “We’re leaving too, Kyle. We’ll ride down with you.” He nodded, barely able to make eye contact.

As the three of them crossed the threshold of the ornately hand-carved archway, Sarah James called out authoritatively, “Kathryn Diane. I need a moment of your time. In private.”

Kat’s fists clenched. Her mother still talked to her as if she were three.

“Just wait for me by the elevator—both of you,” she said, the comment aimed at Kyle. “I won’t be long.”

She reentered the dining room, her sisters-in-law already absent through the staff door. Now she was left with her mother standing rigidly next to the table, her brothers observing with keen interest. They had undoubtedly been quite shocked, displeased even, and maybe a bit jealous. Henry James didn’t give compliments, or affection, easily. No one had been more surprised by his praise than Kat.

Now she waited for the other shoe to drop.

“You are well aware I am quite disappointed with your decision to bring that man here tonight. Why you would have anything to do with someone like
that
when you had—” Sarah stopped, shook her head, and diverted her attention. “Well, it’s just beyond me.

“I have done everything possible for you, Kathryn. Grant Collins was—
is
—perfect for you, and you know it. You simply relish fighting me on everything, even when it hurts you in the end. I feel terrible, embarrassed, for ever having involved him in this.”

Kat digested the perplexing statement. Then a sickening revelation sunk deep in her belly. “Wait a minute. Do you mean for inviting him here tonight? Or something else?”

Sarah James couldn’t cover her misstep quickly enough; her eyes had betrayed her.

“Oh my God! It was a setup from the beginning, wasn’t it? The way we met, the day in the park was no accident. He already knew all about me. You coached him, didn’t you?” Kat’s eyes darted to her mother’s partners in crime. “And you both vetted him, right? He got a big thumbs up from both of you. Why?”

She stalked to the table, braced her palms on the top, and then eased across. Charlie seemed uncomfortable with her proximity and looked to their mother for support.

“Tell me, Charlie. What’d you promise Grant if he closed the deal? Huh?” She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “A swanky hotel room for him and his mistress of the month?” Charlie’s eyes widened in shock and understanding. Kat knew things she wasn’t supposed to.

Parker spoke up. “You’ve always thought you could enjoy the benefits of this family without actually being a part of it. We’ve all made sacrifices. It’s time for you to follow the same rules as the rest of us.” He angled forward, challenge and enmity rolling in waves off his suited body.

His cool, clipped tone tightened Kat’s resolve, focused her fury. She met his challenge head on and bent closer to him. “I guess you didn’t get the memo, Parker. I make my own rules. I’m not a follower like you.” She could see, feel, the rage boiling beneath his surface. He’d have her in a chokehold right now if it weren’t for witnesses; she was certain of it.

What the hell was his problem?

“What were you going to get from my match made in heaven?” She tilted her head. “The Collins family is old money, much older than our family. Was it for the connections, the networks that go deeper, reach farther than ours?” Her eyes narrowed in contemplation. “Or was it because Grant’s father is a federal judge?” The cold sheen of his eyes lit with fire for only an instant, but that was long enough. “What the hell have you done, Parker?” She uttered the question with genuine worry.

Silence. A blank canvas. The perfect poker face staring back at her, daring her.

“Well, you’ve got me curious now. Do you know what happens when I get curious?” She paused. The slight tug of a sneer marred his mask. “I look for answers. And I don’t stop until I get them.”

“That’s quite enough, Kathryn!” The shrillness in Sarah’s voice echoed, belied her usual impeccable self-control.

“I’d be careful, if I were you. You know, the
cat
and curiosity ...”

She considered her brother. Even with their shared family history, the man was a stranger to her.

“You don’t scare me, Parker.” The threat in his eyes told her she should be.

How had it gotten to this point? What piece was she missing?

“Enough!”

Sarah’s apparent alarm caused Kat to whirl around and step toward her.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Kat said. Sarah appeared confused. “Shocking, isn’t it? You and I agreeing on anything.” She closed the gap between them. “I don’t even have to ask about your motivations. I’ve been a disappointment you’ve had to explain away for years. Too smart for my own good, too independent for my own good. Too focused on my shitty, second-rate company, right?” Sarah blanched. “Too driven to take the time to marry a man, a rich man you hand pick, and become his baby factory, his dutiful trophy wife, satisfied to ride the coattails of
his
achievements.”

Something else troubled Kat, though, questions that demanded answers.

“What was in this for the Collins family? Why would Grant ever agree to such a thing?” Sarah remained mute, her eyes wandering along the details of the Oriental rug beneath their feet. “It doesn’t make sense. Grant is a handsome, successful man. A good man. He certainly doesn’t need any help, from either family, to find a woman.” Sarah fidgeted, her discomfort palpable. Kat gasped at the flash of insight, the sting of clarity. “Unless he does.” The puzzle came together. “Because he doesn’t want a woman at all, does he?” The recent conversation with Kyle pushed to the front of her mind.

Fury knotted like a ball in her chest. “You knew! You
all
knew!” Charlie wouldn’t look at her. Parker, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to tear his eyes from her.

Sarah regained composure, squared her shoulders, and lifted an accusatory finger. “That man you brought with you this evening is
not
welcome back in my home.”

“Want to change the subject, huh? Sweep it under the rug.” Kat’s arms locked across her chest before her hands could encircle her mother’s throat. “How can you live with yourself? Play with people’s lives this way. You’re pathetic, disgusting. And I want nothing to do with you.” She leveled her rage at the duo seated behind the table. “Any of you.

“I’m going to clear my calendar of any future family dinners, social events, photo ops, and any other pointless shit you have planned.” Sarah’s mouth dropped open, her hand clutched to her chest. “Lose my number.”

Kat took a few steps back, passed judgment on the conniving trio, then settled on Parker and aimed a finger at him. “You have always had a problem with me, and I am going to find out why.”

Tucker didn’t know what to make of the current situation, or Kat’s odd behavior in the elevator. She’d grilled Kyle about Grant, had seemed unusually relieved to hear Kyle hadn’t met the guy until tonight; only knew what she’d told him in phone conversations. Then the tension between them had escalated when Kyle refused to talk about the problems in Nebraska. He’d escaped his sister as fast as he could once the doors had slid open.

Now she sat strangely quiet in the cab, away from him, not next to him and touching him, as she had on the ride to the penthouse earlier in the evening. He couldn’t read her right now, which unsettled him. He liked feeling connected to her. Hell, he needed the connection. Headlights and streetlamps flickered across the shadows on her face, the strain obvious. She was probably evaluating whether he was worth the fight, the aggravation.

The past few hours rewound in his head. The night had been a near disaster until Henry James had pounded his fist and stunned his family. Tucker bet if given a fair chance, the two of them could get along.

Would he get the chance?

He watched storefronts and people pass by his smudged window. He’d have to convince her he was worth it, that
they
were worth it. He’d make her understand, somehow, what he’d done tonight was necessary. He’d had plenty of experience with this. Knew he couldn’t appear weak when pushed. Even more important, he’d had to show them he wasn’t afraid to push back.

They climbed silently up to Kat’s apartment. She tossed her keys on the kitchen counter and dropped her bag next to them, keeping her back to him. Then she braced her hands against the counter and lowered her head. Tucker angled back against the door, his heart pumping wildly. He wanted her to say whatever she needed to, then he’d tell his side after he knew how much damage he’d done.

“I’ve made a decision, Tucker.” Her voice was quiet but firm.

He stiffened from head to toe, ready to deflect whatever she was about to fling at him.

“I want to go to Montana with you for a while.” She lifted her head, scanned the world lit and in view through the panes across the street. “I’ll need three or four days to get some things cleared up at the office. I should be able to do most things remotely.” She finally faced him. “We could leave next week, if you want.”

His mouth hung open but nothing came out; he couldn’t comprehend what he’d just heard.

Kat strode toward him, hands hooked at her hips. “What the hell?” Her expression shifted from uncertainty to amusement. “Have I rendered Tucker Williams speechless?” Her arms crossed in front of her. “Holy crap. I have. I’m marking this on my calendar. Probably never happen again.” She moved closer, teased him with her scent. “What did you think I was going to say?”

He tried to get his foggy brain in gear. “I thought,” he stammered, “you were pissed. The things I said tonight ...” He searched her face.

Before he could utter another garbled word, her mouth claimed his, her tongue demanding entry, as her body rocked against him. He groaned and his skin lit on fire when her soft, warm hands skimmed underneath his shirt, pushed it up, and pulled it off. Her nails scraped across his nipples, traveled down to his belt buckle.

“Do you think I’m pissed now?” she said, her words a sultry tease next to his ear.

Her tongue grazed down his neck as a storm cloud swirled inside his head, and then vanished with the clatter of his buckle against the floor, his pants pooled around his feet.

“I’m gettin’ the feelin’ you’re not.” His voice was raw with need, his hands fisted in her hair.

Her fingers slid around his neck and untied the blond knot.

She whispered a breath away from his lips. “You were magnificent tonight.”

She dropped to her knees, took him in her hands and then into her mouth. His head landed against the door with a thud, followed with a groan. She worked her magic on him, did things that made him a true believer, a devoted follower for life.

Kat James was all the proof he needed that heaven existed on earth.

Right here.

Right now.

When her big green eyes opened to his, he was done for. He lost it. Gave her everything he had, knowing he would never be free again. She owned him. Lock, stock, and barrel.

She rose with confidence, with the presence of a woman fully aware of her power. She was the sexiest damned thing he’d ever laid eyes on. With a seductive shimmy, her dress floated to the floor, bared the scanty black lace cupping her curves. The blush of arousal colored her skin, her eyes dark with desire.

“It’s my turn now, Williams.”

He smiled knowingly as she flaunted her rear and strutted away.

Tucker knew he had two options but only one real choice. After what she’d just done to him, he wanted nothing more than to slide down to the floor and sleep. But one look at her ass in that black thong, baiting him, hooking him, and he knew right then and there: a man’s job is never done. And this woman made him damned glad to be a man.

A devilish grin slipped onto his whiskered face. Then he pushed off the door and headed for his piece of heaven.

****

“Feelin’ more relaxed now, sweetheart?”

His husky voice permeated the haze of her lingering bliss, pulled her back into the present. Kat had never had a spanking in her life. She’d had no idea until tonight how much fun she’d been missing. Her cheeks still stung a bit, but it was all good. Tucker Williams was a man full of surprises, and she couldn’t wait to see what he’d come up with next. Her life had become so much more fun, so much more interesting, with him in it.

“What’re you grinnin’ about?” His finger swept the hair from her face, his self-satisfied tone indicating he already knew the answer to the question.

She lifted one lid, then closed it. Her grin spread wider.

“I always thought spankings were meant as punishment for bad behavior, not a reward for good behavior.”

“It’s only a punishment if it’s done wrong.” He pulled her closer. “You surprised me tonight, so I thought I’d return the favor. I wasn’t expecting what happened after we walked in the door earlier.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “You have no idea how happy I am you’re willin’ to come to Montana. It means a lot.”

She decided to show more of her hand; he’d earned it. “You know how much I enjoy giving you a rough time, but I’m in a weakened state right now, so I’ll come clean. You’ve been a really good sport staying here for so long. I know it can’t be easy for a man like you, used to open spaces and fresh air. I really do appreciate all the time you’ve spent here, Tucker. I mean it.” She lifted her head and planted a grateful kiss on his lips.

“It hasn’t been as hard as you think. I don’t care where I’m at, Kat, as long as you’re there.” He drew the covers up over their cooling, naked bodies. “I just hope you know you’re not gonna run through me, that’s all.”

“What?” She shook her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What your brother, Charlie, said tonight about runnin’ through men.”

Indignation blazed on her face. “If that’s your way of fishing for remorse, or an apology, you can forget it. Not happening in this lifetime.”

“Apology for what?” He seemed genuinely bewildered.

“For sowing my oats like every other twenty-something college girl,
and
guy
, that’s what. That ridiculous double standard has always pissed me off.” Kat turned her attention to the ceiling. “You would’ve thought I’d committed some heinous crime when my mother found out I wasn’t the
lady
she’d raised me to be.”

“A lady?” He stifled a chuckle. “I can’t picture that at all.”

“You son of a—” Kat giggled when she read the amusement in his eyes. “Well, suffice it to say I grew up and became more respectable. Once I became a businesswoman, I certainly didn’t want to negotiate a deal with a man I’d had a one-nighter with—
hours earlier
.” Her recriminating stare made him flinch. Good. He should feel bad.

“I wasn’t fishing for an apology.” His knuckles brushed the side of her face. “I can’t imagine you as anything other than wild and free,” he said, admiration apparent in his tone. “A part of me wishes I’d known you back then, but you probably wouldn’t have given me the time of day anyway. And even if you had, well … No, I’d rather be here right now than to have been one of those boys you ran through back then. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have liked that much.”

The emotion in his eyes and thick in his voice made her belly flutter with excitement. It also made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t ready for this conversation, or these feelings. She dodged all of it.

“What do you know about what’s going on in Nebraska?”

He looked disappointed at the change of subject. With a heavy sigh, he rolled to his back, one arm flopped above his head.

“After I screwed things up with you the last time I was here, I went back home and found out everything I could about you—and your family.”

Kat shifted to her side and waited for him to shed some light.

“Your brothers don’t appear to have the same business model as your father did, or his father for that matter. They’re fans of the by-any-means
approach.”

“What’re you talking about?”

He rounded his head on the pillow, scrutinized her. “You really don’t know anything about your family’s business?”

“No.” She didn’t appreciate the insinuation. “I’ve been way too busy with my own to keep track of theirs. And they’ve never discussed anything of substance about the company around me.”

“Well, this deal in Nebraska has been goin’ on for quite a while now. Some nasty chemicals leached into the soil and found their way to the Platte River. Some NGOs think it was on purpose. Not as costly to pollute the land and water as it is to dispose of toxic runoff the right way—that is if you don’t get caught. So far no one can prove it was anything other than an accident.” Tucker gave Kat a sidelong glance. “But I think their actions go a long way in proving their intent. Like setting up shop where there aren’t any regulations. And where workers can be paid pennies on the dollar.”

Kat rolled to her back. “I wonder how much Kyle knows.”

“Kat, you know as well as I do, Kyle has to know everything. He’s general counsel. Hell, he’s flyin’ all over the place to put out fires, seein’ what needs to be done to keep people quiet. And you also know, sister or not, he can’t legally tell you anything. You’re not even a principal in the company.”

“It’s not just Nebraska?” Kat asked. Tucker shook his head. “I can’t believe my father would allow this. He’s still the majority shareholder.” A hard realization punched her in the gut. “Well, at least, I think he is. Shit! I should’ve been more involved. If nothing else, I could’ve been a major pain in the ass for Charlie and Parker.”

Kat ripped the covers off and stormed out of the room.

Tucker looked on helplessly as her bare ass disappeared from sight. He fished around for his pants before following after her. The lit display from her cell phone highlighted the angry planes of her face in the dark kitchen. He grabbed her phone and ended the call before it completed.

She whirled around. “What the hell, Tucker!”

He placed her phone on the counter, then gripped her wrists, held them in front of her before she could scoop up the phone again.

“What do you think you’re gonna accomplish callin’ people after one in the morning? Besides pissin’ ’em off.”

“I want answers.”

“You’re not gonna get ’em like this, Kat.” He looked pointedly at her, said the words she didn’t want to hear. “You’re probably not gonna get any at all—even from Kyle.”

She deflated in front of him.

“I fucked up, Tucker.” Her voice was filled with regret. “I didn’t want to be involved in the business because I didn’t want them running my life, manipulating me.” Her mirthless laughter bounced off the walls around them. “But they found a way to do that anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

The wave of her hand dismissed his question. She didn’t want to talk about Grant.

“It doesn’t matter now. I should’ve just sucked it up back then. I never would’ve let this happen. I can’t believe they have. And how could my father allow it? I know he’s not active in the company like he was in the past, but …” The unfinished thought left her staring at some unseen worry in the distance, only to shake it off.