Tempting Kate Read online

  Good.

  “Fine, I’m going,” he said.

  “Wait, not before I do this.” Winding back, Scott delivered a solid right hook to Cooper’s jaw, staggering him.

  Cooper’s hand went to his face. “You just assaulted a police officer,” he said.

  “I don’t see a uniform,” Scott said, guiding Kate into the room, closing the door and locking it.

  Immediately, his arms went around her tight. “You okay?” he asked, kissing the top of her head.

  She nodded. She was, but it still felt wonderful being in his arms. After the initial surprise of Cooper’s attack and her momentary panic, things had come into focus and she’d known one thing—she needed to protect herself at all costs.

  “We should call the cops.”

  “No,” she said, pulling back slightly.

  “What?” He looked at her as though she were crazy.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not letting Cooper get away with this. I’ll talk to my brother as soon as I get back to LA. He’s a police officer. But right now we have a resort full of Hollywood’s finest, not to mention potential future resort guests...no one will benefit from having the cops here tonight. Besides, we need sleep for the big day tomorrow.”

  He stared at her, his expression full of concern but also admiration and respect. “After whatever just happened in here, you’re still focused on this wedding?”

  She knew it was probably crazy, but Cooper had already taken so much from her. She refused to give him the satisfaction of ruining this, too. Besides, Scott probably wouldn’t understand, but Cooper’s attack that evening paled in comparison to his betrayal. As scared as she’d been at first, once she’d taken control of the situation, she’d known she’d be okay. “Yes. The wedding is all that matters,” she said, though her heart was telling her that she cared about so much more.

  Weeks ago, Scott had been nothing but a barrier to getting what she wanted, but things were different now. She was falling in love with him.

  He hugged her close and rested his head on hers. “Does anything take you down, Kate Hartley?” he asked.

  She moved in closer, holding him tight.

  Only him.

  * * *

  HE WASN’T THRILLED that Kate refused to call the police, but he understood and he felt better knowing that her brother was a cop. “I’m staying with you tonight,” he said. It was getting late. In a few hours the sun would be rising, and he didn’t intend on leaving her side until it did. His heart was still thundering in his chest, and he wished he’d arrived sooner.

  Not that Kate had needed his rescuing. She was one hell of a woman.

  “I’m okay now. Really, Scott,” she said, moving away from him.

  “I’m staying.”

  “The wedding is tomorrow. You need your rest. I’m safe. Cooper’s not coming back.”

  He took several steps toward her and wrapped his arms around her again. “It’s not for protection, I know how anti–damsel in distress you are,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’m staying because I want to be with you.” He pulled her into him and held her tight.

  “In that case, you can stay,” she said, standing on tiptoes to kiss him.

  She tasted so delicious and he ran his hands up her back and shoulders through the wet hair at her neck as he held her head in place to deepen the kiss. All night he’d been waiting for this, but... He reluctantly broke away. “Are you sure about this?”

  She nodded as she pulled him toward the bed. Going to one side, she pulled back the bedsheets and climbed in. He removed his clothes quickly, then slid in next to her, turned her to face him and held her in close.

  For the first time he didn’t want to have sex with her. He wanted to hold her. Make her feel safe...and loved. There was no longer any doubt in his mind that he was in love with her. Where they went from here, he didn’t know, but he wanted there to be more to this thing they had.

  She snuggled in closer and he breathed in the smell of her hair, still damp from her shower. “So tell me something...”

  “Hmm?” she mumbled, kissing his chest.

  Her lips felt cool against his warm skin. “Have you always had the ability to drive men insane?”

  She laughed softly. “Who else am I having that effect on?”

  “Me,” he said, tilting her chin up to kiss her.

  She gazed at him sleepily. “Should I be sorry?”

  “No. You drive me crazy in only the best possible way, Kate,” he said, stopping himself before he said any more. They’d both had a long, eventful night.

  Now was not the time to tell her he loved her.

  But he could show her. Suddenly he needed to show her.

  Rolling her onto her back, he placed his hands on her cheeks and slowly lowered his mouth to hers. Her lips were so soft, so inviting... Immediately his earlier anticipation returned. He slid his tongue along her bottom lip, capturing it with his teeth to bite gently.

  She moaned against his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him closer.

  He slid a hand under her sweater, along her ribs, down her stomach, over her hip and all the way back up to cup one breast. Massaging gently, he was careful not to move too quickly or be too forceful. After the incident with her ex, he was already feeling slightly guilty for putting the moves on her, but he was desperate to communicate how he was feeling about her, and words were difficult.

  But she deepened the kiss and clung to him with a passion and desire that melted his guilt quicker than ice in a hot tub, and a second later, he’d rolled them both so that she was on top.

  Giving her the control to stop or keep going, he was relieved when she straddled him and removed the sweater to give him a full view of the body he’d been dying to see all night. “It’s too bad I missed that panty and bra set,” he said, putting his hands on her hips and guiding her back and forth against him.

  “It is. They were really hot,” she said with a smirk, and his heart nearly exploded. Thank God she was okay. He couldn’t help but wish he’d been the one to save her from her ex, but Kate was not a woman who needed saving.

  Staring up at her, he found it hard to breathe as her gaze locked with his. Her hair falling loose around her shoulders and into her face as she rocked back and forth, pushing her pelvis forward, she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.

  How was he supposed to live without this? Without her? She was the only woman in so long that he wanted to spend more and more time with. The more he was with her, the more he wanted to be. Could they try to make things work when she returned to LA? Did she want that?

  Feeling his desperation rise along with his desire, he reached into the drawer next to the bed and retrieved the condoms he’d put there, just for her.

  She laughed, moving off him just enough to open the other drawer in the bedside table on the other side of the bed. Retrieving her own long line of condoms, she held them up. “I think we may be overstocked now,” she said.

  Ripping his open, he slid it on, then removed her underwear, and he pulled her back down on top of him. “Nope. That looks like just the right amount for tonight,” he murmured against her lips as he entered her body. He wasn’t even kidding. He wanted to spend the night making her come over and over.

  She tensed around him and kissed him hard. Then, pulling away, she stared into his eyes as he moved slowly in and out of her body.

  Her expression changed, a look of worry flashing in her eyes. “You okay?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Scott, let’s not tell anyone about tonight, okay?” she whispered.

  He swallowed hard as he brushed her hair away from her face. “Which part? The Cooper thing, or...” The falling in love with her thing? He chickened out, unable to say the words. “Or this?”

  A look of affection r
eplaced the worry in her eyes as she said, “All of it.”

  He nodded as he kissed her again. “Don’t worry, I won’t say a word.”

  12

  HE NEEDED COFFEE. Lots of it.

  And at four thirty in the morning, he’d have to make it himself. Though it was worth it for the quiet alone time. He hadn’t slept at all.

  Lying next to Kate in bed, going back and forth in his mind about what to do about them had been torture. He’d almost told her he loved her. He felt their connection growing stronger, and he knew she felt it, too, but what if she wasn’t falling as fast and as hard for him as he was for her?

  Damn. How had he let himself fall for a woman in this situation? He’d been doing so well keeping women at bay and his life simple, and then one hurricane of a woman had turned his world upside down in a few short weeks.

  He’d meant to tell her that he wasn’t going to interfere with the wedding, but the events of the night had pushed the thought to the back of his mind, and she was still sleeping peacefully when he’d slipped out that morning.

  Strangely enough, he was no longer questioning whether keeping the secret for life was the right thing to do. For so long, he’d been comparing what had happened with Liz to what had happened with Amy, and he realized now that the two were completely different. He’d been in love with Amy and her deception had gone on for months. The mistake with Liz had been just that—a mistake.

  He had to move on and let go of the past.

  Running a hand through his hair, still damp from the shower, he walked into the hotel dining room.

  And stopped.

  Liz sat alone at a table near the window, scribbling furiously on a notepad. Dressed in a hotel robe and slippers, her usually perfect hair all disheveled and not a trace of makeup on her face, she was almost unrecognizable.

  The urge to turn around and walk back out was strong, but the coffeehouse on Main Street didn’t open for another hour. Besides, he knew he had to clear the air with the woman who would become his sister-in-law in twelve hours.

  He cleared his throat as he approached, and she glanced up. Seeing tears brimming in her eyes, he struggled with a new urge to flee. “Hey, you’re up early,” he said awkwardly.

  “Why doesn’t the hotel have coffee in the rooms?” she asked, but the intended insult lost its ammunition as it was followed by a sniff.

  “Coffee and condoms,” he muttered. First order of duty once he survived the day.

  She frowned. “What?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m making coffee now,” he said, going to the kitchen. While it brewed, he rested his hands against the counter. So much for some alone time to figure out what to do about Kate.

  He knew one thing for sure—he was screwed. He’d messed up big-time allowing himself to get involved with her. She was a big-city career woman whose company was going to explode once this wedding went live. Once she left there that evening, he’d never see her again. She’d never willingly come back to Big Bear.

  Maybe sabotaging the wedding would have served a greater purpose, but he knew he couldn’t do that to her...or his brother and Liz.

  Pouring the coffee, he carried two cups to where Liz sat, setting one in front of her.

  “Thanks,” she said, her head down over her notepad.

  “Sure.” He headed toward the covered wraparound deck outside, facing the mountains, but stopped when she called out to him. “Yeah?” he asked turning.

  “Why haven’t you told him yet? Are you just waiting until the vows—to make the biggest impact?” She looked devastated as she asked, and he felt like an asshole.

  He walked back, put down his cup and pulled out a chair. Sitting, he said, “I’m not going to say anything. I still think he deserves to know...but...” His knees bounced, and he wiped his palms against his thighs. “He loves you. You two are happy together. And that night...was nothing. Not compared to the life you two could have together. I’m not taking that away from Derek,” he said, the words coming out in a rush or he wouldn’t get them out at all.

  The look of relief on Liz’s face was immediately followed by tears.

  Uh-oh.

  “Scott, you need to help me.”

  That was debatable. Wasn’t he doing enough keeping his mouth shut?

  “These vows. I’m coming up with nothing.”

  He swallowed hard. Best not to tell her that his brother had poured his heart and soul into three pages. “Well, just write why you love him...why you want to marry him.” Seriously? She was asking a confirmed bachelor for advice on happily ever after? He shouldn’t have come into the dining room. A cola from the vending machine would have been caffeine enough, without this emotional disaster.

  She stared at him.

  “Oh, come on, you’re overthinking it.” He leaned forward on the table and took the pen and notepad from her trembling hand. “What was your first thought the moment you saw him?” A memory of the moment he first saw Kate, stuck in the ditch and hauling her sexy ass over a snowbank, flashed in his mind, and he pushed it away as he waited.

  Liz smiled finally. “That he was an arrogant ass.”

  Okay... “Second thought?”

  “That I was going to marry him someday,” she said with a laugh. “He was so confident and self-assured, and when he directed on set, his presence just commanded respect.”

  He nodded, writing several notes on the notepad.

  “And your first date—how did that go?” His own time with Kate could hardly be classified as dating...their lunch was the closest thing, then they’d run into Cooper. His grip tightened on the pen. He still couldn’t believe anyone could hurt a woman that way, and he was still fuming about the attack the night before.

  “Scott?”

  He blinked. “Oh, yeah, sorry—first date?”

  While she talked on and on about that first night with his brother, she became more excited, and finally she snatched the pen back. “Okay, I think I got it now.”

  He nodded as he stood. “Great.” He grabbed his coffee, feeling more conflicted than ever. “See you at the wedding.”

  “Hey, Scott?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  “Yeah.”

  * * *

  WHEN WOULD SEEING a beautifully decorated ballroom not pack such a punch?

  Kate released a deep breath, swallowing the lump in her throat as she scanned the room. The chairs were all covered in starched white linen, small satin bows tied on the ends—a dark chrome indicating the bride’s side, a deep lavender for the groom’s. The white altar archway was wrapped in lilies and saffron crocus, and a white carpet led the way from the doors at the back of the room to the altar.

  Round tables of eight were set up at the other end of the ballroom, ready for the reception, their own adornments perfectly in place. White tablecloths with bouquets of flowers in the center and tiny tea lights floating in fishbowls gave them a beautiful, elegant feel. Strings of flickering white lights hung from the ceiling and combined with the tea lights would be the only source of light once evening fell and the reception started.

  She accomplished the design she’d envisioned—in six short weeks, she’d pulled this off. The wine had been delivered the day before and was chilling in the resort’s cellar, Scott had brought in extra waitstaff for the evening, and the security for the high-end event knew their places and responsibilities. The guests had all arrived. The rehearsal dinner had gone smoothly... Still, Kate felt ill.

  The night before she’d put on a brave face, but she was shaken by Cooper’s attack. This was a man she’d trusted, a man she’d loved, one she’d been ready to marry. How could she have been so wrong about him?

  Did anyone truly know anyone else?

  An image of Scott flashed in h
er mind. His expression the night before had made her chest ache. The thought of departing from Big Bear after the wedding left her feeling hollow. Despite the very real lesson on trust the night before, she was foolishly tempted to trust him.

  She wasn’t sure what they even had. Casual sex? At first, sure. Amazing casual sex sparked by a competitive fuel that only enhanced the passion and tension between them.

  But at some point that had changed. The world had shifted. She hadn’t been able to find the words the night before, but she knew she was falling in love with him.

  She shook off the thoughts. Following her heart had gotten her into enough of a mess. Maybe if things had been different. If they hadn’t been enemies from the start...if she hadn’t already been betrayed in the final hours.

  Crossing the room, she checked to make sure that the camera equipment was still working, and her anxiety rose to a whole new level. Live-streaming the wedding would either lead to success like she’d never had before or put the final nail in the coffin of her career.

  And it all rested in the hands of the man she was inconveniently falling in love with.

  “You pulled it off.” Derek’s voice behind her made her turn.

  She forced a smile. “It all came together.”

  He glanced around the room. “Admittedly, I know nothing about wedding designs, but this really is beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “Liz knew exactly what she wanted—I just executed.” She reached out to straighten the Reserved sign hanging at the end of the front row of chairs.

  “Liz is definitely a woman who knows what she wants,” he said with a laugh. “And she usually gets it.”

  Kate studied the groom. She’d seen her share of grooms. This guy displayed no sign of hesitancy, no cold feet, no nerves. “So you’re ready? Do you need anything?”

  He nodded then shook his head. “All I need is Liz. I could have eloped and been happy.”

  Kate stared at him. Derek obviously loved his bride. She felt a tightening in her chest. What would he think if he knew? Would it change his opinion of his wife-to-be?

  No one ever really knew someone else. That thought was on replay in her mind.