Winning Moves (Stepping Up 3)

“Not a problem,” the man assured them. “I’ll just get you out of the crush here and I’m sure everything will be fine.” He motioned them forward and indicated a path, before falling into step behind them.

Kat replayed her mother’s words in her head. Jason was a star—no—big star, she’d said. Boy, oh boy, was her mother throwing bombs tonight.

“Sorry I got a little loud and out of control,” her mother said. “I didn’t mean to get us an escort.”

“Let’s talk later,” Kat told her, having some experience with this kind of thing after traveling with Marcus, whose fans were downright rabid. “There are cameras everywhere, and believe me, everything and anything could end up in the tabloids, especially given what happened earlier tonight.”

“We don’t know what happened,” her mother exclaimed. “That’s the point.”

“We know it ended up on the news.” And they knew that Jason was that big of a name now to draw that kind of attention, which drove home how much Stepping Up had changed his life. Yet he seemed like the same Jason she’d always known, virtually unchanged, and that was special, unique even.

She’d seen plenty of people changed by stardom. He’d helped her parents tonight without question, and not just because of her. He was just that kind of guy, and always had been. If anyone deserved fame, he did. Her stomach sunk at what that meant. To hold him back would be selfish and she loved him too much to do that. She had to get a grip.

Emotion tightened her chest, but she didn’t have time to analyze her feelings as they had arrived at an elevator corridor. From there, the three of them—Kat, her mother, and the stone-faced guard—traveled to the twenty-seventh floor.

When the doors opened, their security escort placed his hand on the button to keep them from shutting again. “Room 2711,” he instructed, evidently not joining them beyond this point.

“Thank you,” Kat said, and she and her mother exited the car.

The instant the elevator shut behind them, her mother asked, “Do you think this is some kind of security screening room we’re going to?”

“We’re about to find out,” Kat said, pointing in the direction they needed to go.

“I’m guessing the code isn’t a good sign,” her mother said as they passed several doors, and appeared to be heading to the far end of a long hallway.

“VIP floors are reserved for big money, government officials and celebrities,” Kat explained. “Extra security isn’t a sign of anything being wrong.” She lifted her chin to indicate the final door. “This is us.”

“Finally,” her mother said, rushing forward and knocking three times.

Kat caught up to her right as the door flew open to reveal Jason standing there, looking so sexy that Kat could have sworn her legs wobbled. His hair was rumpled, his jaw shadowed, his body long and lean, and yes, hard. Every bit of this man was hard and made her soft and yet hot for him. She couldn’t resist him. She was weak. She was selfish. So very selfish because she didn’t want to let him go.

“Where’s Hank, Jason?” her mother asked. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine considering he’s hanging over the toilet with tequila fever,” he said, stepping back to let her mother pass. “Other than that, everything is fine.”

Kat knew Jason well enough to know that he wouldn’t make any declaration lightly and relief washed over her.

Her mother didn’t seem to agree, exclaiming, “Oh, God!” and hurried into the room.

Kat hesitated, also knowing herself. One touch from Jason and she’d forget why selfishly wanting him was wrong. Jason reached for her and tugged her inside the room, shutting the door behind them. His touch sizzled through Kat like an electric charge, the spicy male scent of him she knew and loved so much, tickling her nostrils. And when his eyes met hers, for the briefest, most intimate of moments, and he bent down to brush his lips over hers, she might as well have been chocolate melting in the hot sun.

“What happened?” Kat’s mom asked, drawing their attention to where she’d stopped at the edge of the room, her focus on Jason. “Why were you on the news? Why are you in this room?”

“He drank too much and almost got into a fight,” Jason explained without an instant’s hesitation. “Fortunately, the powers-that-be here want our show here next season. They eagerly comped us a room so we could hide until the media calms down and we can get out of here.”

“Why didn’t you call us?” Sheila demanded. “Why didn’t Hank call me?”

“He’s not capable of conversation right now,” Jason said. “And we’d just made it to the room when I heard you two were up front.”

Kat watched her mother curl her arms in front of her chest, the distress and tension rolling off of her as she asked, “Why was he here drinking, Jason? Why was he here at all?”