Sinful Secrets (Mine 4.5)

A muscle flexed in his jaw. “You do matter.”

“Because you can use me to punish my father? Look, I get it—the guy’s a cold bastard. No big shocker there.”

A woman walking beside her gasped and covered the ears of what looked to be a six-year-old child.

“I’m sorry!” Cat cried out, horrified.

Jason pulled Cat away from the woman—he pulled her out of the crowd of travelers and tried to maneuver her toward the entrance of the airport. Only Cat was over being maneuvered by him. “Stop it!”

He spun toward her. “You’re coming with me.”

“The hell I am!” She was too angry and too hurt to let the guy take her anyplace. She was tired of him leading while she followed like some love sick—lust sick?—fool. “We’re done, Jason. I told you that before.”

His gaze fell to her hand. “Then why are you still wearing my ring? Why didn’t you leave it behind, just like last time?”

She didn’t have to answer him. “My brother is on his way here. Leave now, because I don’t want him seeing you.”

Jason shook his head as his gaze rose once more. “It’s not going to work.”

Her temples were throbbing. “What isn’t?”

“Being without you. It’s not going to work for me. I tried that shit, and I won’t do it again.”

Cat wasn’t looking him in the eye. Staring into that golden blaze hurt too much. “I’m not a thing to be taken. Not a tool to be used. I’m sorry about your father, more sorry than I can say…but I’m not going to be used in your war.” She couldn’t stay in that airport. So much for transferring her ticket. She had to get away from Jason. She’d call Cameron. Tell him that she’d meet him someplace else. Anywhere else.

She started to walk by Jason. He pulled her into his arms. His mouth locked on hers. He was kissing her madly, desperately, and, damn him, she wanted to lock her hands around him and hold on as tightly as she could. She also wanted to slap him.

To keep kissing him.

To run from him.

Sanity prevailed. She pulled her mouth from his. Her breath was ragged and—she got caught by his eyes.

Need blazed there. So did…fear?

“Don’t follow me again,” she told him, softly. “Don’t come after me.” She slipped from his arms.

“Cat—”

Her hands raised, palms up, as if to ward him off. “You can hurt me too much. Just…stay away.” She backed away from him, aware of the lump growing in her throat. Didn’t he see that she was caught between him and her brother? That she couldn’t keep doing this?

But…he was stalking after her.

She broke then. Cat turned and started shoving her way through the crowd. She knew she probably looked like a crazy person, but she just needed to get away. She rushed through the gleaming, front doors of the airport and out into the hot Vegas night. The dry air hit her hard and she gasped. Taxi, taxi…find a taxi and flee again…

His hand closed around her arm. Dammit, Jason moved too fast. “I’ll back the fuck off,” he promised, voice ragged.

“You’re not backing off! You’re grabbing me!” And a security officer was already making his way toward them, a fierce frown on the guy’s face.

Jason leaned toward her. His mouth brushed the shell of her ear as he growled, “Donnelly Dining. I’ll back off, and I’ll let someone else put the last nails in the business’s coffin.”

Now he had surprised her.

“I backed off for you last year.”

Her head turned. She met his stare. Forced herself to hold that heated gaze.

“I’ll let them keep floundering. No more pressure from me…I’ll back away from the company.”

Donnelly Dining wouldn’t crash and burn instantly. There would be hope for a recovery. All of Cameron’s employees would still have jobs. Cautious relief surged through her, making Cat feel a bit dizzy. “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.”

The security guard was almost on them.

“There’ll be a price,” Jason warned her.

Because nothing was free in this world. She knew that. Cat licked her lips and tasted him. “What’s the price?”

He lifted up her left hand. The ring gleamed. “You come back with me. Stay with me. We’ll present a united front to the world. We’ll make both companies shine.”

“F-for how long? Until you get tired of playing with me?” Wasn’t that all he was doing? Jerking her around?

He leaned in toward her again. “I will never get tired.” She felt the rasp of his breath against her. “Now tell the nice security guard to back off.”

She gave a weak smile to the guard.

“You okay, miss?”

“Fine.” The word was too high. Too sharp.

Jason eased back a bit. “My wife and I are just leaving.”

The guard was still staring at Cat with a worried frown. “She came running out of that place pretty fast.”

“I wasn’t feeling well. I’m fine now,” she said again. Such a lie. Fine didn’t even come close to describing how she felt. But Cat moved away from the security guard. She took Jason’s hand. Walked slowly and normally and wasn’t particularly surprised to find a limo waiting for them. But before she slipped into the back seat of that limo, Cat turned to confront Jason once more, “Promise me.”

He lifted one dark brow. “Anything if you stay with me.”

That hadn’t been the response she expected. The guy actually sounded as if he meant those words. Cat cleared her throat. “Don’t go after the business, ever. Leave Cameron alone.”

His eyelashes flickered. “The business is safe…and for now, so is your brother.” His jaw worked and he pushed out, “I promise.”

Cat smiled at him. “Why do you always have to act like such a bastard? I think there could be more to you than just that asshole exterior you present so well.”

She eased into the car.

He followed her. The door slammed behind him. “I’m not acting, love.” His voice was hard, warning her. “I am a bastard, and I will do anything to get what I want.”

The words were so cold and… “You sound like him.”

His fingers skimmed down her arm. “Who?”

“My father…he’s also a man who’ll do anything to get what he wants.”

His hand dropped away from her. When the limo pulled from the curb, neither of them spoke.

***

Cameron had just walked into the parking garage when his phone rang. He glanced down and saw an image of his sister on the screen. “Cat?” He answered her immediately. “I’m on my way. Sorry I was—” No, don’t tell her. She doesn’t need to know.

“I’m not at the airport.” Her words were hushed, tense.

“Cat?”

“I’ll call you tomorrow. Look, everything is going to be all right, understand? The business will be safe. Just…trust me.”

His fingers tightened on the phone. “What’s happening?”

“Everything is all right,” she told him once more.

No, it wasn’t. “Is August with you?” Fury had his words snapping.

“Yes…”

He’s a dead man.

“He’s going to back off, he’s going to leave Donnelly Dining alone.”

Screw the business. “Get away from him. He’s trouble. You’re not safe with that guy!”

“I am.” Her voice was still soft. “I’ll…I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“No, no, Cat, wait—”

But she’d hung up on him.

Sonofabitch. He’d warned August. He’d told the man to stay away from Catherine. She shouldn’t be with a jerk like him.

Cameron was almost to his car.

Bright headlights flashed on at that moment, pinning Cameron in their spotlight. He lifted his hand, trying to shield his eyes. It was a private damn garage. No one else should have been there and—

The growl of an engine echoed all around him as that vehicle shot forward. It wa

s coming right toward him. Fuck, fuck—Cameron tried to run.

But he couldn’t get out of the way in time.

The vehicle slammed into him and Cameron flew through the air.

Chapter Six

“You look gorgeous.”

Though Jason thought gorgeous was a fucking understatement when it came to Cat. She was wearing a dress he’d bought for her, sinful silk that slid over one shoulder while leaving the other tantalizingly bare. The dress slid to her ankles, but there was a long, seductive slit on the left side that revealed the perfect expanse of her legs.

Her hands were in front of her. She’d dressed in near record time—he had to admit that he was impressed. Though he now wanted to get her out of that dress.

He rolled back his shoulders, feeling uncomfortable in his own tux. Cat wanted the damn business saved, so he was working on some fast and furious damage control for her.

Step one of that control? Getting them seen in the right places, together, right then.

They were heading out to mix and mingle, and Cat looked like a million dollars as she stood there. They’d appear to be a happy couple, they’d make sure they were seen by the right people, and suddenly…folks wouldn’t be talking scandal when they shared their names.

Not scandal…marriage…merger.

He knew how the business world worked, and he could use PR spin perfectly. It was just a matter of moving quickly enough…

And that is why we have to hurry the hell out there.

He offered his arm to Cat. She bit her lip, hesitating, before she stepped forward. Come to me, Cat. Come on…

She wrapped her hand around his arm. “How did you get the dress so fast? I mean, it’s my size and—”

He laughed lightly as he led her out of his penthouse. “Love, I know every inch of your body. Size wasn’t a question for me.”

They were in the elevator now. She was tense beside him. Her lips shined with a faint gloss that she’d applied.