Cruel & Beautiful Read online

  When he finishes, he touches my cheek in the most loving gesture. Next thing, he picks me up and kisses me. “This shower was supposed to be all about you. And look at what you did. You sucked me off until … well until I lost myself. You weren’t supposed to let me come in your mouth.”

  “Why not? Isn’t that the point? To come?”

  “Oh, Cate.” Then he laughs. We rinse again, then get out of the almost cold shower.

  After we dry off, we get back in bed. Drew turns to me and asks, “Were you pleased tonight?”

  “Is that a trick question?”

  “No. I don’t want you leaving here not feeling like you had the best sex of your life.”

  Now I laugh. “Drew, I had the only real sex of my life and it was great. And if you’d let me, I’d be humping you right now.”

  He smooths a hand down my hair. “You’re a mess.”

  Wide-eyed, I glance up at him. “You think so?”

  His smile is playful. “Yeah.”

  “So you liked Louise, did you?”

  With a puzzled look he asks, “Who the hell is Louise?”

  “Sasquatch’s neighbor.”

  At first he mouths, What the fuck. Next, laughter reverberates off the walls. Finally he says, “Louise is one in a million, Cate.”

  “Well, Louise wants me to tell you she is ecstatic she finally got to meet you.”

  I WANT YOU TO LEAVE THIS room now and go home, but I don’t want you to come back after you shower. I want you to say your goodbyes to me right here, right now.

  A fine sheen of cool sweat covers my entire body when I’m jarred awake by the impact of the dream. The echoes of his voice make it more real than anything else. The wetness on my ears alerts me that I’ve been crying too. I sit up and fight the urge to hide under the covers from my past. I know why I’m starting to dream that moment. I only wonder why it’s taken several days for it to show up.

  Later as I press my head to the chilled tiles in the shower, the memories still linger. I let the remnants of the tears spill as I try to wash away my sins. It isn’t until I get to work that the memories are finally shoved back into their proper place, deep in a recessed closet in the back of my mind.

  It’s early and I watch in fascination when Mandy skulks in with large sunglasses on and her head hanging low as if she’s hiding from the paparazzi. I push away my keyboard as she comes into my office, leaving the door open behind her.

  “What am I going to do?” she asks as she drops into a chair and covers her face with her hands. I can’t help the laugh that escapes me. “This is so not funny.”

  “It totally is,” I say much to her annoyance.

  She glances up from where she hangs her head on the edge of the desk. She removes her sunglasses and stares straight at me. “I don’t remember a thing.”

  I arch a brow. “And?”

  “And, he remembers everything. I had to fake an appointment to get him out. He wanted breakfast. Can you believe it?”

  My laughter relieves some of the pressure I’ve been feeling all morning. “Admit you like him.”

  Everything on her face widens. Her mouth and her eyes take on a ghostly impression as they mimic saucers. “I so do not.”

  “You do,” I say chuckling. “You so have it bad.”

  “I don’t do relationships,” she says with a vehemence I almost believe.

  “Morning.” I glance up to see Daniel framing my doorway. He aims his next comment to Mandy’s back. “Morning, beautiful.”

  I’m not sure how she does it, but Mandy’s eyes grow ever larger in a cartoonish way. I just stare not wanting to give anything away. Slowly, she turns and I can see a hint of the smile she gives him.

  “Morning, Daniel. We should—”

  He cuts her off and pulls a hand full of daisies from behind his back.

  “Daniel,” she chokes out, obviously surprised and touched by his gesture.

  Instead of looking at her, he moves aside as the office manager strides in carrying a vase full of long-stemmed pink roses. She heads directly toward me and places them on the only corner of my desk that is clutter free.

  “These are for you. You must have an admirer,” she says before she strides out as breezily as she came in. She gives a quick nod of good morning to the two other people in my office on her way out. Daniel glances down and I feel bad that my flowers have taken the wind out of his sails.

  “Daniel, they’re beautiful,” Mandy says getting to her feet. She takes the small bouquet of flowers from his hands. “I’m going to find something to put them in.”

  Then she is gone. Daniel gives me a half smile before exiting. I’m left to pull the small white card from my own bouquet. Inside it reads…

  To Cate,

  The most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

  I’m sorry our evening didn’t go as planned. I look

  forward to our plus one date.

  A

  The note is hand written and not typed. I recognize his attempt at a non-doctor scrawl. His scribble is actually really nice. I send him a quick text thanking him for the flowers before I dig into work.

  Late that afternoon, I’m pulled into a meeting. I stop short when a man standing at the head of the conference table turns. He could have been on the cover of any magazine.

  “Cate,” my boss says changing my focus. “This is Ted Caine.”

  I face the man again, who wouldn’t win any awards for height. He moves to stand in front of me. He’s about my height in the flats I’m wearing.

  He extends his hand and I give it a quick but firm shake. I can’t help but notice how soft his skin is. His suit screams money so I’m not surprised his hands are as smooth as a baby’s butt.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  My boss jumps in. “She is the associate I was telling you about.” Ted steps back and I catch him giving me a serious once over, but he’s back to business before it gets awkward. My boss holds his hand out for me to take a seat. “Ted has been a client of ours for years,” he announces proudly. “He’s recently acquired a company and has engaged us to assess their accounting department for best practices. He would like you to head up the engagement.”

  Me? Why had my boss been telling him about me?

  “He was impressed with you finding the mistake on the quarterly 10Q filing and fixing the problem so that it still went out on time.”

  Our team busted our ass to ensure we filed that quarterly comprehensive report of financial performance of the billion dollar corporation to the Securities and Exchange Commission, timely and accurately. Which was why we’d gotten drunk the other night in celebration. That was his company? I’m dumbfounded.

  “Yes,” Ted answers as if I’d asked the question out loud.

  He shifts in his chair and the light hits the crown of his head. I notice there is a bit of salt mixed in his thick peppery hair. He takes charge of the meeting and begins to tell me his plan. “I would like you to go in and get a feel for things. The caveat is that I would like you to do it under the radar. I would introduce you as a new hire.”

  “Why, may I ask?” I’m curious regarding the subterfuge.

  “We’ve done all the due diligence. Everything checks out on paper. Now that the deal is done, I need to know if changes need to be made. I find most employees are scared of change, especially when new management comes in. They fear for their jobs. I need to know if their policies and procedures are up to my company’s standards. The best way to find out is from the inside.”

  After talking it through, the decision is for me to start work at his office on Monday. That way he has time to set me up with my fake employment. As Ted leaves, he shakes my hand and holds it just a little longer than socially required. And his stare leaves me to believe he’s interested. I might have been flattered because he’s a very attractive man. However, all I can think about are the flowers on my desk from Andy.

  The rest of the week passes with Mandy mum on the status of her and D
aniel. Andy’s been silent as well. His schedule has been crazy and we haven’t had a chance to talk much at all aside from nightly texts. Some are sweet and some make my toes curl.

  On Friday, I get an e-mail from Ted’s office regarding my assignment starting Monday. I get the location of the office and where I need to report to get my security badge. I set up a calendar invite on my phone so I’m prepared.

  That night, after a hectic day, all I want to do is kick up my feet and watch a movie when I get home. Instead, I’m pulling out a dress I picked up during a hasty lunch shopping trip.

  The color of the dress, bright violet, is a little out of my comfort zone. However, according to Mandy, the silk gown with its sweetheart neckline and fitted bodice with a twist makes me look heaven sent. I have to admit, it subtly hugs my curves with its A-line silhouette, and I feel pretty. I’m standing in front of the mirror when my phone buzzes.

  “I’m here. Should I park and come up?” Andy’s sexy voice croons out the other end of the phone.

  “No, I’ll be down.”

  I end the call and check my hair. Thanks to YouTube videos, I’ve managed to put my hair in an updo with a few tendrils of hair loose to frame my face. My makeup is subtle but there. I stick my phone in my clutch and head downstairs.

  Andy’s managed to find temporary street parking at the curb. My wool coat flutters open as I make my way over to the car, barely negotiating the lingering ice patches and managing not to fall on my face in my heels.

  Before I can open the door, Andy’s there. His hand on my shoulder shouldn’t have given me goose bumps considering he hadn’t touched me skin to skin. But it does.

  “Hey, gorgeous.”

  He kisses me quickly before he opens the door and I slip in the car. It’s toasty inside and I’m grateful because I’m rethinking the wisdom of wearing peep-toe shoes.

  “It’s not too far,” he says while pulling out. “I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to talk to you much this week. My rotation has been brutal.”

  “Don’t worry about it. That’s the life of a doctor.”

  He sighs. “Sometimes I wonder why I chose this profession, especially when I see what I’ve missed all week.”

  He glances at me and I feel the warmth of his gaze before his eyes are back on the road. And he hasn’t lied about the venue being close. We are at the entrance of the historic Willard Hotel in no time.

  A valet opens my door shortly before Andy arrives with a helping hand. The line of cars ahead and behind us is impressive, along with the men and women with more bling than I can imagine.

  My bargain find that had been a previous season’s designer dress starts to pale in my eyes as we make our way to the coat check near the humongous ball room. But Andy’s eyes nearly pop out of his head when he sees me without my coat.

  He runs a thumb over a spaghetti strap as he leans in and says, “You are stunning.”

  My cheeks flame scarlet for the second time that night. “You’re looking good yourself.” And he does. His tux, although classic, fits him as if sewn on his body.

  He takes my hand and leads me away from the direction of the ballroom. I wonder for a millisecond why we stop in an alcove.

  “D— Andy,” I correct mid-squeal. His sudden boldness takes me by surprise as he backs me into a corner.

  “Cate. You are going to kill me tonight. I’ve barely thought about anything else except seeing you tonight. Then you wear this dress and all I want to do is tear it off of you.”

  He doesn’t ask as he presses his mouth to mine hard. As he kisses me, I fear the tiny scrap of fabric between my legs won’t hold the moisture I feel pooling from his kiss alone. His hand leaves my hips and rounds to the small of my back. I have the urge to hike up a leg and ride him right there, not caring people could walk by. Actually, the idea thrills me and I know I will have to go to the bathroom to mop up the moisture so I don’t mess up the silk of my dress. When he presses into me further, his hard length wedges perfectly against my sweet spot forcing me to moan.

  “Jesus, if you keep making noises like this I’m going to carry you caveman style upstairs to one of the rooms.”

  “Why not here?” I breathe. I’m teasing, but at the same time I’m daring him to do it.

  He groans and steps back. I watch in fascination as he adjusts himself. He follows my eyes down to his man parts and then his eyes darken with heat.

  “You’re not playing fair.”

  My life has changed, and I’m not the same person I was. “I’m not playing at all.” I hold his cerulean blue gaze letting him know how serious I am.

  “Later,” he promises.

  I nod in agreement.

  “Wait.” I pull a compact out of my clutch to fix my lipstick. Then I step forward and wipe at his mouth, trying to remove the remnants of my smudge proof lipstick. I think I need a refund. Andy decides to play with fire and sucks my thumb in his mouth.

  I shake my head, pulling my thumb free. “You said later.”

  He steps up behind me after I turn to make my way out. He stops me from moving forward with firm hands on my hips. “I have to be honest with you. When I finally get inside you again, it will be hard and fast. I’ve waited too long to have you in my bed again. It won’t be sweet, but I can promise you’ll love it.”

  I step back, pressing my ass against him. I’m completely turned on. “Give me your worst then.”

  The sound that comes from his throat reminds me of a growl as he slides his hands down the sides of my hips before he walks us back to the ballroom. The man’s touch sets me aflame each and every time. My mind wanders to how he touched me last week at his house before I stopped him. I have to focus on the many guests of tonight’s gala with fortunes to burn in order to turn the lust part of my brain off.

  The philanthropists attending this event must have included men and women with net worth rivaling the assets of some banks, the way they ooze money in their couture outfits and diamond-encrusted jewelry.

  A woman in a modest dress with a clip board stops us before we’ve made it too far. I’m busy trying not to look at Andy’s ass, so I take in the room instead while she chitters in a hushed tone.

  Above, chandeliers spill from the ceiling in graceful tear drop shapes. A railing circles the room, giving the impression of a second story. And the walls’ trim and chairs are the color of gold which is fitting for the amount of affluence that is in the room.

  “Your table is over here.” I overhear her tell Andy.

  We walk in a maze between round tables to one near the front. A podium is set up not too far from where we are.

  “I forgot to mention I may be a guest of honor tonight,” he says with a mischievous smile.

  Before I can question Andy’s whispered words, a woman in a Grecian dress of white and gold floats over as her flowing golden hair follows her.

  “Drew! I’m so happy you were able to make it.”

  She’s taken his arm and turns him to completely face her.

  “Désirée,” Andy barely gets out before she air kisses both of his cheeks.

  “You are so handsome. And you’ll be fine tonight. My sister would have said so herself.”

  Her words seem genuine, yet she sounds so fake. I can’t help but feel sorry for her needing to try so hard. Then she plasters herself to him as her voices hitches on her next statement. “I know she would.”

  I watch as Andy’s hand slowly comes up to pat her back. I’m hoping his hard on is gone or she’ll take it as a good sign. It takes several seconds before he’s able to disentangle himself from the woman.

  “Désirée, I like you to meet Cate McKnight, my date for the evening.”

  She doesn’t bother to hide her surprise. “Oh, Cate McKnight,” she repeats as if she might know me. Woman to woman, I know her thoughts. She pulls it together. “I thought you were coming alone.”

  His smile is broad and I watch her disappointment grow. Andy steps back so he can slide his hand around my waist. “I w
as able to convince Cate last minute to join me.”

  There is calculation in her eyes, so I’m ready for what’s she about to say.

  “Are you related—?”

  I cut her off before she gets any further. “No, we’re not related.”

  She knows damn well we’re not. Disdainfully, she glances over my dress. No doubt she’s determined it’s not straight off the runway. Then, her eyes land on my naked ring finger. Satisfied, she smirks. The fact that she now believes I don’t have a permanent claim to Andy as mine pleases her.

  “That’s too bad. I was hoping some of his family would come to celebrate in his honor,” she says haughtily, dismissing me. She turns her attention back to Andy. I begin to think only a ring on my finger would get her to back off. She smiles stunningly at him and for a second I think she’s probably a better match for him. They come from similar backgrounds, I suppose. “Well, I can’t wait for your speech.”

  Speech? I give Andy a look but try not to appear too surprised. I don’t want Miss Stick Up Her Butt to have any more reasons to think less of me.

  She gives him another smile and saunters off with a sashay in her step that begs men to watch. Andy gets points for not noticing. Yet, he doesn’t explain the speech thing. He has us circle the table to find our name cards. When we do, I know my name is on the list; I want to rush over and tell her. But I don’t.

  “Speech, huh?” I ask after he pulls out my chair and helps me sit.

  “Yes. Sorry about that. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  But Andy is a bigger deal than he lets on. People keep stopping by and talking to him. I feel foolish as I’m introduced over and over and then ignored because of who Andy is. Andy is a good guy and tries to include me, but I sit and fiddle with the place card or my phone to pass the time.

  “Don’t look so glum, dear. These things are all a game.”

  I glance over to an older woman who could be my grandmother, although she’s more regal than mine. The diamonds in her ears and on her fingers prove that.

  “Ignore that Désirée. She’s a bore and no competition to you, my lovely girl. That man can’t keep his eyes off you.” Her eyes shift to my left as she speaks. “Well, I think there is someone else who also has his eye on you.”