Winning Moves (Stepping Up 3)

“You didn’t let me do anything. You didn’t even ask me. I did it because I wanted to and I’d do it again if I knew the outcome.”

“The press is going to figure out our past, Jason, and then the studio will, too.”

“The studio knows about our past, Kat.”

“What?” Her eyes went wide. “How? When? Because of tonight? Jason, I’ll leave before I let this affect your career. I’ll—”

He kissed her, slanting his mouth over hers, his tongue stealing a quick, sweet taste of her. “Before you signed the contract. I had no intention of hiding our relationship past, present or future, for any reason but your request.”

“Oh,” she breathed out. “I’m pretty sure after tonight everyone is going to know anyway.”

He stroked her hair. “How do you feel about that?”

“I would have liked to have it come out once I was more established, but honestly, Jason, all I care about right now is you. I don’t want this to hurt you with the studio.”

“Ah, my little KandyKat,” he murmured. “How am I going to get you to understand that the only thing I care about is you. Hmm. I think I’ll start with you in my bed again.”

“I thought we were going to my place?”

“We were,” he said. “But your clothes are never going to stay on that long.” He bent down and picked her up, as he had done earlier.

Kat clung to his neck and laughed, a sexy, lilting sound that heated his limbs and stirred his emotions. If he heard that laugh every day of his life, it wouldn’t be enough.

11

KAT WOKE UP in Jason’s bed to him nuzzling her neck, and with the scent of him, the feel of him, all around her. “It’s time to get up, KandyKat.”

“Hmmm.” She sank deeper under the blankets. “Hit snooze, please.”

“You said that seven minutes ago.”

“Just once more,” she murmured, pressing her backside against his hips, and pulling his arm around her. Oh, how she missed waking up to this man.

He laughed, low and rough in her ear, nipping it gently. “You’ve said that twice now.”

She groaned and rolled to her back, blinking into the dim light of the lamp he’d turned on. “What time is it?” she asked, running her hand over the sexy stubble on his jaw.

“Four-thirty.”

Her eyes went wide and she sat up, the sheet falling down her naked body. She had to get to rehearsals.Jason’s eyes raked her breasts and he reached for her. She darted off the bed, dodging him. “We can’t do that right now. I have to shower.” She rushed away from him, grabbing her bag on the way to his massive white tiled master bathroom.

“I’ll guess this means you don’t want me to join you?”

Kat peeked around the door frame. “I’ll be late if you do that.” She closed the door and headed to the shower. When done, she dressed in clean leggings and a light blue T-shirt she’d had in her bag. By the time she was blow drying her hair, she had officially begun to worry about the day before her.

She and Jason agreed that secrets fed gossip. They would tell their story before the press did it for them. They used to be married and they were seeing each other again. It had seemed like a good plan when they’d talked about it, but now, with it about to be put into play, she had doubts. What if the studio felt Kat was a bad influence on Jason? What if they wanted her fired and he didn’t want to do it? What if…? There were so many what ifs.

Kat followed the blessed scent of coffee and found Jason leaning against the kitchen cabinet with a cup in his hand. His hair was damp and rumpled, his jaw clean shaven, his jeans low on his hips, and his Black Sabbath T-shirt pulled snug on his impressive chest.

“I’ll quit the show before I let what happened last night hurt your job, Jason,” she blurted. “I need you to know that.”

He frowned and set his cup on the counter before reaching for her. “Come here,” he murmured, wrapping her in his powerful arms, and stroking her hair. “If last night puts your job or mine on the line, then I have no desire to keep working for this studio.”

“You—”

His lips brushed hers. “Want you very badly, so unless you want me to strip you naked and set you on this counter, I suggest you go now.”

“Jason—”

He slanted his mouth over hers, his tongue stroking, hot with demand, and anything she might have said faded. Kat’s arms slid around his neck, the spicy taste of him warming her, calming her. When they were together like this she felt like they could face anything and survive. They could even survive being late to work, but when he tore his mouth from hers, and warned, “Last chance,” Kat took off for the door, laughing.