Obsession (The Plus One Chronicles) (16 page)

Spikes of heat blazed. Kat panted, rocking back into his cock then down into his fingers. She chased it, needed it, wanted what only Sloane could give her.

“Now. Let me feel your pussy squeeze my cock.” He pinched her clit and slammed into her.

“Oh, oh…” She imploded, coming so hard a shrill sound spilled from her throat.

Sloane wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her tight. “Yes, God, Kat. Fuck!” Every ragged thrust kept her pleasure spiking. He was coming, jetting against her sensitized walls, panting harshly against her hair.

She’d done this to him, drove him to completely lose control and take her with him.

Chapter Eleven

Sloane stacked dishes in the dishwasher while Kat put away the leftover food from dinner. “I’m surprised you don’t have a housekeeper who cooks for you.”

“I hired a nutritionist and cook for Drake, but he hated it.” Sloane shut the dishwasher then took out the wine and poured two glasses. Handing Kat one, he led her back out to the deck where they’d just eaten dinner. The summer dress Kat had donned after their shower floated around her thighs as she settled on the glider to watch the sunset. “Would you like me to get someone to cook for us?”

“Me?” She turned to him, the sun catching the sexy pink highlights in her hair. “No. I meant for you.”

“For us. I’m traveling very little now, and not going to events. I want to be here.” He glanced back to the house where Drake was sleeping. “Normally I’m not home much to eat dinners. I usually have business, or…”
Shut up, moron.

“Plus-ones to impress.”

Sloane turned to her. “You’re my only one, Kat. You’re the one I’m interested in impressing.”

“You don’t have to impress me.”

He hesitated at that comment. Did she hate cooking dinner together and cleaning up? He had a cleaning staff to take care of the house and laundry, but doing dishes wasn’t a big deal to him. It had to be more drudgery for her though. She worked in a kitchen from early morning until evening. He didn’t take her to nice places and show her off.

“I want to take you out, but it’s complicated right now. Do you mind so much?” If she did, he’d find a way to take her to a five-star restaurant or wherever she wished to go.

She shook her head. “This is better. I don’t have to worry about tripping or a panic attack. This is good for me, just relaxing on your deck, eating stir fry, able to have a little wine and not worry that I’ll embarrass you.”

That… Shit. How could she still worry about that? Sloane thought of Sunday night, coming home to find her caring for Drake, dealing with a level of unpleasantness that would have sent any other woman running. Not Kat. And earlier this evening, when he’d been jacked up with anger and grief, she was there, letting him have her the way he’d needed her. The way she’d completely surrendered to him still took his breath away and made his cock twitch. She’d trusted him even when he hadn’t been sure he could trust himself. Those were the things he loved about her. “You never embarrass me.”

She gave him a small smile and turned to the waves.

Did she believe him? He reached over, taking her hand. “We’ll have fun at Kellen’s Saturday night. Are you going to need help moving the cake?”

“No. Kellen’s mom, Sunny, and I are doing the cake together. If we need help, his dad will pitch in.” She smiled at him. “Don’t tell Kellen. His mom has had the design all along. We worked on it together, but she kept it with her.”

“So you’ve been torturing Kel just for fun?”

She lifted her glass of wine in a mock toast. “Every chance I get.”

Sloane laughed.

Kat sipped some wine before turning to him. “I told Ana today to go ahead and submit the videos to the three baking shows. We’ve also uploaded the trailer to my website.”

That surprised him. “So much has happened, we haven’t really talked about it. Aren’t things a little chaotic now?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I figure I won’t hear anything for a few weeks. David’s not a threat anymore. Kellen’s starting a new job and moved into his home with Diego.” The breeze seized her hair, blowing it across her face. Kat caught the wayward strand and twirled it. “I guess I harbored the ridiculous fantasy that if I could just get David to tell the truth, things would change with my parents. I called them today and left a message. They didn’t call back.”

He couldn’t fix this for her. Sloane hated not being able to give Kat parents who valued her for the woman she was. “They don’t deserve you.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear. “It’s okay, I was making a point. You didn’t really have family after Sara was gone, so you built SLAM. Work and training are your life. Sugar Dancer’s mine. Whatever else happens, I’ll have Sugar Dancer.”

Ice encased his heart. “Whatever else happens? Are we talking about us?”

Kat’s fingers in his tensed. “A little bit.”

“I saw the way you looked at David after you found out he killed Finn.” He had to know. “Will you look at me the same way when I kill Foster?” The only thing worse than that would be finding Kat raped and murdered like he’d found Sara.

She took a breath then shook her head. “You’re a good man. You’ve never lied about your beliefs, or that you think violence is a very real part of life. David is a hypocrite who let fear and obsession drive him into a cowardly act of killing with a lethal injection. I’ll never look at you like I did him.”

Was there a chance she’d stay with him? “I’m not doing what David did and sneaking up on a man with a syringe. I’m giving Foster a chance to fight back.” Did that mean anything to her? Could she understand he had to do this, had to take a stand for Sara when the whole system looked at her as a throwaway?

Kat settled her eyes on him. “If he kills you, I don’t think I could survive it. You said he blames you for ruining his life, and he hates you as much as you hate him.”

Sloane held her hand tighter. “Don’t think about that. He won’t kill me. I trusted you last night with David holding a scalpel on you. Trust me on this, I won’t lose.”

“What if he taps out?”

He wouldn’t lie to her. “He didn’t let Sara tap out.”

She took a drink of her wine. “After facing down David, I understand that you need to face him. Foster has become more important to you than anyone else.”

Uneasiness twisted his guts. “Do you think he’s more important than you?” Kat was everything to him. Part of the reason he wanted to kill Foster was to keep Kat safe from him.

She squeezed his hand. “You’ve made me feel important, Sloane. No one has made me feel like you do. I love you.”

But did she love him enough to forgive him? Sloane had to know. “Will you leave if I kill him?”
If?
When did he start thinking
if
instead of
when
?

She leaned closer over the arms of the two chairs, her hair spilling around her bare shoulders, her eyes brimming with sincerity. “Don’t make this decision for me, Sara, Drake or your mother. It has to be for you. Go into that cage and do what you decide, no one else.”

Confused, he asked, “Is this a test?” She’d been so upset when she’d found out about this from his mother. Told him he couldn’t do it. What changed? Did he have to prove his love to her? Make a choice?

She stroked his arm. “No. This is me loving and supporting you. Just like you have me.”

He didn’t… Jesus. He caught her arm, tugging her up and into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, Sloane struggled with the knot in his throat. This was what being loved felt like. It brought a man to his knees.

* * *

“Gorgeous, Sunny. You haven’t lost your touch.” Kat circled the cake they’d named Staircase to Love. They’d used a stacked square base, created stairs out of fondant that went up to the top layer that was shaped and decorated like a house. Each step represented milestones in Diego and Kellen’s lives up to this point. It had taken a week to form all the pieces, but Sunny had done most of the work on the house. It really was amazing.

“Thanks.” Sunny dropped into a chair. “It was fun. Hope they like it.”

Kat got them a couple waters and handed one to the other woman. “They’d better, or no more cookies and brownies for them.”

“That’s my girl.” Sunny laughed. “Diego loves your cookies.”

“Please, the man never met a cookie he didn’t want to marry. He’s a cookie slut.”

“True. But—”

“Kat, umm, sorry to interrupt.” Ana hesitated in the doorway.

“Something wrong?” She got to her feet.

“Your mom is here asking for you. Well, she said she’s your mom and looks like you.”

“My mom?” Here in Sugar Dancer? That would be a first. Her parents hadn’t returned her phone calls. Kat had talked to Marshall several times, but nothing from her folks.

Ana lifted her shoulders. “I could tell her you’re out on a delivery.”

That’s why Ana was so uncomfortable, she wasn’t sure if Kat wanted to see her mom. “It’s okay, I’ll be out in a minute.” Forcing a smile, she added, “Thanks.”

Ana nodded and headed out.

“You can handle this.”

She glanced at Sunny. “She’s never come here before. Not even when I had the open house.” Was something else wrong? Maybe with her dad?

“She’s here now. Want me to go with you?”

Sunny would do that. She and Doug had protected Kat when she worked for them, letting her hide in this very kitchen as she struggled against her fear and panic attacks. But Kat wasn’t that girl anymore, and Sunny was right, she could handle it. “Thanks, but I’ve got this.”

The older woman smiled. “I know you do. I’m right here if you need me.”

She took a breath and walked out to the front. Her mom was on the other side of the bakery cases. She had on cream-colored slacks and a top that matched her eyes. In her hand was a gold-colored shopping bag with handles. “Mom? Is everything okay?”

Diana turned to her, giving Kat a close-up view of the tiredness carved into her delicate skin.

“Been a rough week. The FDA completely rejected the Alzheimer’s drug, SiriX has been under investigation, and the police served warrants for David’s office, lab and computers. It’s a mess.”

Everything her parents had built was now under scrutiny. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

“Marshall is furious.”

She looked down at her hands. “I’ve talked to him. He didn’t seem mad at me.”

“Not at you, Kathryn, at your father and me. He wants us to step down, and he’ll assume control of SiriX to get the company through this ordeal.”

She jerked her head up. “Marshall said that?”

“In a meeting yesterday. It caught both of us by surprise too.”

“But…” Far as Kat knew, her brother hadn’t ever been interested in running SiriX, he just wanted to do his research. But then, Marshall had layers to him, hidden depths. And had Kat ever asked him what his goals were? She’d talk to Marshall later. “Mom, why are you telling me this? I don’t own any of SiriX anymore. There’s nothing I can do to help.” They’d taken away her percentage when she quit. Besides, she’d back her brother in a heartbeat.

Her mom looked around. “This is nice.”

Kat didn’t know what was happening. Less than a week ago, Diana had referred to her bakery as diabetes and heart disease in a pretty package. “Would you like something to drink? I have coffee and soft drinks, or water.”

“I’d like that another time. I just came to drop this off.” She set the gold bag on the counter.

Kat couldn’t get her bearings. “What is it?”

“It’s the music box Grandma gave you. You said you wanted it, so I brought it for you.”

Kat reached into the bag and eased out the carefully wrapped box. Once she had it free of the paper, her heart swelled. Diana had done this for her. Maybe there was hope for them. “Thank you.”

She pulled her mouth tight. “My mom gave me one when I was little. I didn’t care, I wanted a chemistry set and a human anatomy doll.”

Kat could totally see that and smiled. She hadn’t wanted the educational toys her parents bought her.

“Now I wish I’d kept it.” Her mom laid her hands on the glass top. “We’re not so different, you and me. We both rejected what our mothers wanted for us.”