Chapter 10

Kasey stood in front of the mirror, deep breathing. If he didn’t get here soon, she was going to have a nervous breakdown and back out. Cora had slipped over and helped her with her hair, leaving quickly before Chris got there. She checked it again. It looked pretty good dark, but she still missed the blonde.

She almost jumped out of her skin when he knocked on the door. She opened it, and her jaw dropped. He looked sexier than she had ever seen him look. His dark suit was tailored to fit him perfectly. His usual dark, messy hairstyle was combed perfectly, bringing her attention to his dark green eyes, which she noted were appraising every inch of her at the moment.

Any words he had disappeared when she’d opened the door. She’d slicked her hair back, and tiny thin silver chains hung from her ears almost to her bare shoulders. She was wrapped in a deep emerald green, silk dress. The neckline plunged low enough that he could see the rise of her breasts. It hugged her waist perfectly, then fell gracefully to mid-calf length.

He was inordinately pleased when he saw the anklet he’d given her wrapped around one smooth, tanned ankle. Looking back up at her eyes, he smiled and held one hand over his heart. “There are no words I could use to adequately describe how gorgeous you look right now.” Then remembering the flower in his hand, he held it out to her.

She smiled and took the single, de-thorned white rose from his hand. “It’s beautiful, thank you.” She stepped back to let him pass. “I just have to get my shoes and purse.”

Chris watched her walk into her bedroom, having to take a shaky breath when she turned and he saw the dress dipped down to leave her entire back bare. Unbuttoning his jacket, he let out a slow breath. This was going to be one long evening.

When she walked back out in dangerously high heels, barely held in place by a thin strap, he swallowed. Images of things best not thought ran through his mind. She had fastened a fine silver chain to her neck as well, and just below her collarbone, which he wanted badly to taste, hung a perfect dark green stone. He reached out and feathered his fingers over it. “Bloodstone?”

She nodded. “I need a little help in the courage department tonight.” Kasey looked down at her dress. “So, is this okay?”

He leaned down and kissed her cheek gently. “More than. I’m going to have to stand guard over you all night.” Taking her hand, he opened the door. “Let’s go before I change my mind and try to persuade you to let me take that temptation off you.”

She blushed and followed him out the door, still holding the rose he’d given her.

When they walked into the hotel, Kasey knew she was out of her element. Every woman there seemed to have been born and bred with a sophistication she would never have.

Kasey stepped closer to Chris’s side, and he put his arm gently behind her. Feeling his palm resting against the skin of her lower back made her feel secure. She looked up at him. “I’m just going to sit and smile all night. If I speak or move, everyone will know I’m a fraud.”

He smiled down at her. “The only person here that’s genuine will be you, sweetheart. Relax.”

When he guided her towards an older couple surrounded by several people, she reached and stroked a hand lightly over her the stone hanging around her neck, trying to stay calm. You can do this, Kassandra Wright, she told herself. Just smile and be polite. When she looked up again, she found herself standing right in front of the couple.

Chris stepped forward and shook the man’s hand. “How is my favorite judge tonight?” He kept his hand on Kasey’s back. “I’d ask how many years we’re celebrating, but I think it best I just say many happy returns.”

Chris picked up the woman’s hand and kissed it softly while smiling at her. The older man threw his head back and laughed. Pulling Kasey closer, Chris smiled down at her. “Judge Wilson, Mrs. Wilson, I’d like to introduce Kassandra Wright. She took pity on me and agreed to be my date this evening.”

Kasey shook the hands offered. “Pleased to meet you.”

The man grinned at her. “Call me Greg, and this vision of loveliness is my wife, Violet. I see you let this rake charm you into his company.” He grinned at Chris. “I’d say he’s unworthy of the company of such a lovely woman, but I’d be lying.”

Chris laughed and put his arm back around Kasey. “No, you probably would be quite accurate, Greg.” When another couple walked up, Chris smiled politely. “We’ll go find our seats and talk to you later.”

Kasey allowed him to sweep her through the room. They stopped several times when people spoke to him, and he’d go through introductions again. She smiled and stood by him trying to follow along with questions being asked him or make sense of comments. Way out of your league, Kasey girl, she thought.

When they finally headed to a quiet table, she looked up at him. “This,” she motioned to the ten or more large round tables, “is just a dinner party?”

Chris grinned down at her as he pulled out a chair. “This is politics, sweetheart, and unfortunately something I have to put up with if I ever want to be in Greg’s shoes.” He winked at her. “I’ll go get us something to drink. Something watered down.” She blushed at him remembering the last time they’d had a couple glasses of wine together.

She watched him walk through the room. Everyone seemed to know him and stopped him to speak to him. He smiled and took the time for each person along the way. He was so good-looking tonight she almost sighed every time he glanced back in her direction. He wanted to be a judge? He’d make a good one, she imagined. Not that she really knew why she thought he would. What are you doing with him? She frowned down at her clasped hands.

“Well it looks like it’s my lucky night, to be seated at the same table as you.”

Kasey looked up, startled to see a young man, probably close to her own age, with sandy blond hair and a Boy Scout smile.

He held out his hand. “I’m Chase Taylor. I’m actually doing my internship with Mr. Larkin.”

She almost let out a breath of relief, someone on her level. She took his hand and smiled sweetly.

“Kassandra Wright. I’m here with Chris tonight.”

He sat down a few chairs from her. “Yes, I noticed, as did everyone in the room, I think.” He glanced over at Chris still working his way back across the room. “Mr. Larkin always makes a good entrance, but with you beside him tonight...” He grinned “well, it was quite something to watch.”

Kasey blushed, smiling shyly, not knowing how to reply to that, so she didn’t.

Chris walked up with two drinks and winked at her. “Sweetheart, you keep smiling like that at Chase and he’s going to fall head over heels for you.”

Chris set the glasses on the table, then sat on the other side of her, putting his arm around the back of her chair. “How are you, Chase?”

The younger man just grinned. “Plotting on how I can get Miss Wright to leave with me.”

Kasey blushed again and put her head down.

Chris laughed. “Try it, and you will find your time with me long and trying.”

Chase grinned at him. “Yeah, I figured that.” A tall dark-haired woman wrapped in a tight red dress was walking towards the table. “Uh-oh, here comes the Black Widow.”

Kasey turned to look, and for some reason, Chase’s description of the woman walking toward them seemed to fit the predatory insect he’d called her. With the way her blue eyes moved over Chris and then Chase, she was definitely a predator. The way she seemed to glide with a gracefully inviting sway and the smile on her overpainted mouth invited every male to her.

Chris leaned forward and spoke quietly to Chase. “She’s not seated with us, is she?” Chase shook his head, still watching the woman move through the crowd towards them. “Small blessing,” Chris muttered before he took a drink.

Kasey smiled up at her as the woman reached the table. The blue eyes gave her a distasteful glance before moving to see Chris’s arm over her chair. “Christopher,” she all but purred at him, “I wasn’t sure if we’d see you here tonight.” She flashed him an inviting smile.

“Vickie, it’s always a pleasure.” His voice seemed hard, and Kasey turned to look at him. His jaw had tightened, and his eyes were cold as he looked at her.

She reached out a hand to Kasey. “Victoria Wilson. I’m so pleased you could come to my father’s party.”

Kasey had to struggle to not let her jaw drop. This woman was related to that sweet couple? Kasey smiled sweetly and took her hand and shook it. “Kassandra Wright. We wouldn’t miss your father’s birthday.” She took her hand back from the woman and placed it on Chris’s thigh, noting the other woman’s cold blue eyes followed the movement slowly.

Smiling coldly, the woman turned her inviting smile to Chase. “Chase.”

He nodded, almost hesitant to speak to her.

“Come with me and get a drink.”

Chase glanced at Chris and then nodded to her. “Be happy to.” He winked at Kasey. “Save my plate if I don’t get back on time.”

They watched the couple move away before Chris leaned down and whispered close to her ear. “Little Kasey has claws too, how interesting.”

Kasey blushed when she looked at him. “Well, it was either that or make the string barely holding that dress in place pop off her.”

Chris chuckled. “I like the claws.” Kissing her hand, he looked up to see another couple walking towards them. “That man is a close associate of mine. I took the liberty of making sure they were sitting with us.” He grinned at her. “His wife won’t take a bite out of either of us.”

Kasey just grinned, feeling more than a little lost.

The next hour was a whirlwind of chatter and talk she didn’t quite follow. The dinner confused her even more. She wouldn’t move a hand towards anything until she waited to see which fork or spoon to touch.

The courses seemed endless, and she didn’t dare ask anyone what half of them were. A few almost made her make an eww face, but she’d put her head down and eaten it in silence.

As the main course—at least she hoped it was that—arrived, Chase leaned over closer to her. “If you know what that was we just ate, please don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

She put her head down to cover her mouth as she tried not to laugh.

Chris leaned over on the other side of her. “Put samples in your purse to get Cora to identify it.”

She dropped her head and laughed harder. “Stop it. You’re going to have me crying in my plate.” She looked up at the plate the server set in front of her and had to drop her head down again to breathe through the laughter she felt.

Chase groaned quietly. “Oh no, more.”

Turning her head, she glanced at Chris. His eyes searched hers and looked quite pleased. He smiled at her and then winked as he picked up his fork.

Kasey looked around the table at the other five people sitting with them and noticed they were all smirking, having heard the conversation, and obviously no one at the table knew what they were eating.

The man Chris had introduced as his closest associate, Lester or Lorne or something, she couldn’t remember the name, leaned toward the middle of the table and whispered, “The only person I know that would think of all this as a meal would be the Black Widow. She probably spent all her father’s money to put this horrid menu together.”

Chris coughed loudly at the chuckles that broke out. She grinned and put her head back down trying to bring herself to taste the items in front of her.

With dinner out of the way, finally, Kasey waited until most of the others were mingling around the room again before she leaned over to Chris. “Please point me towards the bathroom. There are at least thirty doors in this room.”

He grinned and nodded towards one. “It’s out there.”

She smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek softly. “I’ll be back.”

Chris watched her walk through the room, noticing with every step she took the way the material swayed suggestively across her backside. The way she smiled politely whenever someone looked at her made him proud that she was here with him.

He watched her place a hand on Greg’s shoulder as she walked by the table, leaning down to speak briefly to him. He noticed that Greg smiled a real smile and patted her hand.

Lorne cleared his throat until Chris turned to look at him. “Quite the lady you have there, Chris.”

Chris grinned at him. “You have no idea.” He glanced to see she had reached the door finally. “Just have to convince her she needs to be with me.”

Lorne laughed. “Has that ever been a problem for you?”

Chris sobered. “Not until now.”

Lorne laughed again. “It’s about time.”

His wife nudged him, and they turned to her. “I think I’ll visit the ladies’ room also. The man-eater you have to put up with just went out the door, right behind your friend.”

Chris smiled at her. “Appreciate that, Justine.” He turned to watch the door and wait for Kasey to return.

Kasey stepped to the mirror to check her make-up and saw Victoria step beside her.

“How long have you known Chris?” There was no purring in her voice now. It was hard and cold.

Kasey didn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing her falter. “Oh, wow, must be six or seven years now.”

Victoria looked at her in the mirror. “Really, that long? That’s surprising. I didn’t think Chris kept female acquaintances that long.” She grinned at her with spite. “Sorry, that was mean of me.” She pouted. “I’m just a wee bit jealous.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s quite the man. That’s one flame I would love to rekindle.” With that, she smiled and walked out of the room.

Kasey glanced up at her reflection to see Justine standing there. She smiled a shaky smile at her.

Justine walked over and opened her purse. “Don’t give that piranha the satisfaction of knowing she has upset you.” She applied some lipstick and then grinned at Kasey. “She’s just mad as hell because every man out there is looking at you, and not her for a change.”

Kasey blushed, then sighed. “I so don’t belong here.”

Justine laughed. “That’s the exact thing I said about ten years ago, when Lorne all but dragged me to one of these.” She closed her purse and smiled at her. “Just keep smiling and looking as good as you do, and you’ll have everyone falling at your feet, Kassandra.”

Kasey grinned at her. “It’s Kasey, and thank you.”

Justine smiled again. “I’m Tina. You’re welcome.”

Chris watched as Vickie came through the door with that smug evil look on her face. He stood up. He should have strangled her years ago when he’d been close enough to. He had only taken two steps when he saw Kasey and Justine come through the door. They were laughing. Kasey looked so beautiful when she laughed.

Lorne patted him on the back as he passed him. “I’d go grab her before the dancing starts, or you’re not going to get near her.”

Chris grinned. “I’d like to grab her and get the hell out of here.”

Lorne chuckled. “That would be so rude, not to mention completely unfair to every man here dying to dance with her.”

Chris glared at him. “The things I do for this bloody job.”

Kasey saw him walking to her and smiled. Forgetting everyone else around them, she walked towards him slowly. When he was right in front of her, she rested her hand on his chest and stretched up to kiss him softly. “Miss me?”

He put his hand over hers. “I was ready to come and find you.” He glanced over towards Vickie briefly. “Did she play nice?”

Kasey pursed her lips and looked at him for a moment. She still wasn’t happy to find out that he had slept with that nasty woman. She grinned at him sweetly. “No. Didn’t anyone ever tell you to put all your toys away when you were done playing with them, Christopher?”

The look in his eyes sobered, and he threw a cold glare towards where Victoria was standing, then looked down at her again and put his hand gently under her chin to bring her eyes to his. “I cleaned out my toy box the day I met you, sweet Kasey.” He kissed her lips gently. “The dancing is going to start, and I want to hold you in my arms and make every man here cry in their drink.”

Her heart started pounding in her chest.

Justine, now on her husband’s arm beside them, leaned over. “If you two don’t stop, I’m going to be a puddle of mush on the floor.”

Kasey laughed and looked at her. She would have been lost without her a few moments earlier. She was about to say something when she heard the music and felt Chris take her hand, gently pulling her towards the floor.

When he wrapped his arms around her and began to gracefully lead her around the room, she smiled. “How long do we have to stay?”

He smiled at her with his boyish grin. “You’re not having fun with all the fake people?”

She lowered her head. “I’m not really in my element here. Give me a wrench and a hat, and I’ll be much happier.”

Chris grinned and kissed the top of her head. “I will get us out of here as soon as the cake has been sliced.”

Kasey glanced past him to see Victoria walking towards them with a predatory grin on her face. She was going to cut in and take this first dance from them. Maybe the only dance she ever got with him. She looked up at Chris for a moment and noticed him studying her silently with his sexy eyes. She smiled and looked back towards the other woman.

Turning her head slightly, she watched as someone stood and splashed some of their drink on the front of the tight red dress. Not watching the remainder of it, she rested her head against Chris.

He chuckled softly into her hair. “I don’t want to know what you just did, but I felt the surge of your magic, my dear, and Ms. Wilson seems to be having a tizzy fit now.”

Kasey smiled up at him sweetly. “I made sure it was white wine and wouldn’t stain that trashy red dress.”

He laughed. “Oh, I love those claws.”

Kasey slumped back in the seat of Chris’s car. “My feet are going to fall off!” She took off the heels and rubbed one aching arch. “What torture specialist invented heels?”

Chris watched her rub her foot for a moment. “Well, no one said you had to dance with every male in the room, Kasey.”

She looked over at him. “No, but excuses didn’t seem to work. Every time I got close to sitting down, some other man was in front of me. You could have rescued me.”

Chris looked at her hands again. “Every time I tried to go to you, someone else cut me off. They were conspiring against me tonight,” he growled.

She looked over at him and laughed. “You’re jealous?”

He snarled at her, not quite joking. “Damn right I am! I’ve never had to spend the night watching my date whirling around with every male but me. I almost grabbed you and ran when the birthday cake was rolled out.” He let out a long breath. Then he turned to start the car. “I’d like to take you back to my place, Kasey, but I know it’s too soon.” He started the car and looked at her. “So, I’ll take you home.”

Kasey sat there quietly for a few minutes. “Chris, didn’t tonight show you how much in common we don’t have?”

He glanced over at her briefly. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t understand anything anyone was talking about. I spent the night avoiding questions about my profession. Slopping about in mushy paper with greasy machines isn’t exactly a profession, I’m sure.” She picked up the rose he’d given her and studied it. “I didn’t belong there, Chris,” she said quietly.

“You didn’t want to be there with me?”

She looked up quickly. “I didn’t mean that. Yes, I wanted to be there with you. I just didn’t belong there.”

He looked at her for a moment, then turned back to the road. “I don’t see the problem, Kasey.”

She pursed her lips and looked down at the rose again, running her fingertip over a soft petal. “Look at you, Chris. You’re at home in your suit that probably costs more than a month of my salary. I live in a three-room house. My entire house could fit in your sitting room.”

She paused as he pulled the car over and turned it off before turning to look at her. “I work in a factory, recycling paper. When I come home from work, I look like I did on Monday night. Look at how you look when you’re done for the day.” She looked at his eyes trying to gauge what he was thinking. He had his lawyer face on, and she couldn’t read what he was thinking now.

“I love being with you. When we’re together as a group or at an event, it’s great, really great.” She motioned towards his suit. “But this is the real you the rest of the time.” She looked down at her dress. “This is not the real me.” She tried to grin to lighten the atmosphere. “I’m sure you didn’t have to spend a week’s pay to buy your suit. I did, Chris. What does that tell you?” She needed to know what he was thinking.

“I see. I had no idea this is what you thought, Kasey.” He searched her eyes and tried to find the words to tell her none of it mattered, and it didn’t to him, but clearly it meant everything to her. “I don’t know what to say.” She looked over at him, her hand holding the rose stem tightly. “Kasey, none of that matters to me at all. None of it. I don’t care if I live in a castle and you a mud shack. It doesn’t matter.”

Her eyelids dropped, hiding her thoughts so he couldn’t see them. “The man sitting here in his dinner attire is still the same man that held you wearing nothing but a sarong. I am that man, Kasey.” He touched her cheek softly wishing she’d look back at him. “Both of those men want to be with you. I have to go to things, like tonight, because it’s my career. It’s what I do, but it’s not who I am.” He didn’t know what else to say.

He was the man of words for reasoning, yet he couldn’t find the ones he needed. She leaned into his palm for a moment and closed her eyes. When she opened them and looked at him, his heart stumbled in his chest. He was going to have to watch her walk away.

“Chris, I can’t be someone I’m not. Not even for you. It matters to me that we’re from two very different, far apart lifestyles.” She looked at his eyes, searching. “I need to be on equal ground, and I’m not.” Her voice was soft with emotion as if she was going to cry.

He straightened away from her and put a hand on the steering wheel. “I see.” His jaw clenched for a moment. “I’ll take you home now.”

“Chris...” She let out a breath and then turned towards the window.

Kasey sat silently looking out the window watching the scenery go by. The buildings all seemed gray to her, or perhaps that was her heart right now, she wasn’t sure. The lights on the taller buildings usually caught her eye, but tonight she kept her eyes level and focused on not allowing herself to cry.

Who had she been kidding, thinking she could have something with Chris? As much as she’d always remember him taking her out tonight, her, not someone else, she would also remember how much she didn’t belong there and how much he did.

When he pulled up to her house, he turned off the car and sat back looking at her. “Nothing I say is going to matter, is it?” he asked her quietly after a few minutes.

She shook her head without commenting.

Chris looked at the steering wheel. “This is a first for me. I’ve never before met a woman that didn’t want me because of my money and status.”

Kasey spoke so softly he almost didn’t hear her. “Then I’d say you’d been keeping company with the wrong women.” She picked up her purse and held it to her. “Chris...” She stopped for a few seconds. “I didn’t mean I don’t want you. I just wouldn’t like myself very much if I lied and told myself it didn’t matter.”

He ran his hand through his hair and looked at her. “That’s not much help. You want me, but want nothing to do with me.” He bit out the last part, and then took a ragged breath and looked out the windshield. “You had better go in the house now, Kassandra.”

“Thank you for tonight, Chris. I felt like Cinderella going to the ball.” She touched his hand gently before opening the door. “I’ll see you at brunch in the morning.”

Without looking back, she walked quickly to the door and unlocked it. She went in, closing it quickly behind her.

Chris sat there looking at the closed door to her house. She had just walked away from him. Sorry, buddy, your lifestyle makes me uncomfortable. I’m out of here. He gripped the steering wheel and started the car. What did he do now? The woman he’d thought of constantly for six years, the woman he’d gotten to hold a few brief times, the woman he wanted heart and soul, had just thrown him a curveball, and he’d caught it right in the face!

Pulling away from her house, he headed in the direction of his house and drove without really seeing anything around him.