She did exactly what he wanted. She went weak at the knees and then fell apart. And she should have expected it. David had that effect on her whenever their paths crossed. From the romantic evening in California to the near-sex experience in the bar to their night together a few weeks ago, Kate tended to lose her mind when he was in the vicinity.
Hiking up her dress so she wouldn’t trip, she took off down the main hallway. What she wanted was to get good and pissed, so she could shake off the urge to go back to the ballroom and rip off his clothes. God, did she want to rip off his clothes. Thinking about him, thinking about touching him, and about how his body felt against her, was a heady thing. Pushing through a door at the end of the hallway was a mistake. It was the solarium and it was technically closed at this time of year for one reason—no heat. The windows were tall and frosty; as soon as Kate stopped to think, the cold hit her. Her arms came around her body and she quickly turned to leave. That was when she saw David had followed her into the room.
He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her bare shoulders. “Here, it’s cold.”
Seeing him brought the reaction Kate wanted and it came in a great rush. She was pissed. Finally. Even she didn’t know what to think about it. This anger, this indignation, was all new—and she lashed out at him, spitting out the words like venom. “I should slap you.”
David, who obviously thought he was going to charm her, stepped back, surprised at the attack. “Uhhh…”
“What were you thinking about in there? You humiliated me in front of three hundred people!”
“Humiliated? I kissed you!”
“In a room full of wealthy, connected people and photographers!”
“So what? I’m sure they’ve seen people kiss before!”
“What will they think?! I can’t have gossip floating around about me! I have a reputation to protect.”
“I have a reputation, too!”
“Your reputation is the problem.” She moved toward him and waved her hand around his head. “Do you have hockey pucks for brains?”
He leaned into the edge of a wrought iron garden table and dropped his head. He couldn’t argue with her about his reputation. “Apparently.”
“Look at me.” Kate brought her hands to her chest. David’s expression stilled and grew serious, and his eyes met hers. “Do I look like one of your publicity hungry bimbos?”
He averted his gaze, shook his head.
“I’m in the throes of a custody battle, and my ex-husband’s lawyer will do anything he can to paint me as a bad mother. That kiss will probably be exhibit number one.”
“I’m sorry.”
Kate paced in circles, not quite sure what to do with all the fury that was building inside her.
“Haven’t you done enough?” The words came out on a trembling breath.
She wanted to throttle David, but she found more of her anger was because of Richard—Richard, that asshole and his stupid, manipulating games. Truth be told, she liked the kiss. She liked how David made her feel, but she couldn’t take any chances, not where Laura was concerned.
Kate faced David directly and felt her body tremble. She was on the verge of a breakdown and she couldn’t hide it. “What possessed you to do that?”
“I don’t know.” He stood and ran his hands through his hair. “I thought a ‘big gesture’ would show you I’m serious about us.”
“Big gesture?”
“Coming here, making a big donation, doing something romantic…” He straightened and took a step in her direction. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to cause you problems.”
Kate wrapped her arms around her middle and looked away. She couldn’t face him, but he was so close, consuming all her space, all her conscious thought. The wash of emotions, the feeling she was falling and couldn’t stop herself, was overwhelming. Where was this coming from? Why did he do this to her? Kate felt David’s hand on her shoulder and she looked at his face. Everything he felt was right there, the sadness, the regret, all of it.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, and as he did, he pressed his lips against her forehead.
Kate couldn’t help it. Her breath hitched, and she swallowed a great gulp of air before the sobs broke through the cold.
He took her in his arms, his hand pressing her head into his chest. His other arm was around her back, and Kate felt totally safe and completely defenseless at the same time. She was lost to him. Kate knew she had to put the brakes on this relationship before it destroyed her. But the tears wouldn’t stop.
“Please don’t cry, Kate. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what happened. Please. Shh… shh.”
“I can’t… I can’t… help it… I…” Kate was losing her breath, and no matter how hard she tried, feeling David’s warmth, feeling his heartbeat under her cheek, was allowing all the emotion that had been stored over the past year to break free in one giant wave.
“There’s no one else. There will be no more pictures. I promise.”
That didn’t help, Kate just cried harder. David whispered to her, trying desperately to staunch the flow.
“I don’t know what to do,” she finally said.
“I’m not a good bet. I know that.” He looked down into her face. “But I’m crazy about you.”
He held her for a few more minutes, keeping her head pressed against him while he stroked her hair. His steady breathing calmed her and his strong arms were safe and secure. It allowed Kate to think about giving in and loving him. It wouldn’t be a stretch, she was just about there, but the wall she’d built was hard to tear down. It was hard to forget how it felt to be left, and she knew that if she fell in love with David and then if he decided he didn’t want her, she wouldn’t survive it.
Finally, she felt strong enough to stand on her own. Her breath was still shaky and her heart was beating like a tom-tom. Kate’s thoughts were scattered all over the place. But she got to the heart of the matter.
Stepping away, she pulled his jacket tight to ward off the cold, and then sat on a garden bench. “So, uh,” she began, “you came here to impress me?”
Kate faced him and David stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking like a man facing the firing squad. “I wanted to show you I was serious.”
“A ticket was five thousand dollars, David.”
He rolled his eyes. “I know.”
“Wow,” she whispered. “You really don’t get it.”
He stepped toward her, almost desperate. She could see the sadness in his face, in his eyes. This was new for him. He was never at a disadvantage with women, and Kate could see he was frustrated. “Then explain it to me. Tell me what I have to do.”
Kate rose and walked to him. Her heart hurt as she gazed up into his face. “Spending all that money just to impress me tells me you think I’m like all the other women in your life. I’m not.” Her tone changed, leveled off. “You’re telling me that it’s a show; that it’s about money. I don’t want that.” She locked eyes with him. “I want someone who can keep his promises. Someone who’s honest.”
They stood facing each other for what seemed like ages. Neither one of them moved, neither one of them spoke. Kate’s response had effectively ended the conversation, and David, who was always quick with a comeback, was now without one. He looked up, and moved toward her, stopping only inches away. Kate was still amazed that a man like him didn’t intimidate her, especially considering her past. He was so big and so strong, yet Kate knew, deep down, he would never, ever hurt her.
David’s large hands reached out and cradled Kate’s head. His fingers laced through her hair and his thumbs grazed over her cheeks. She looked into his molten, brown eyes and saw he was sad, truly sad and sorry, and her own eyes filled with tears again.
He leaned in and touched his lips to hers, first taking tiny sips, then drawing her mouth into a gentle dance. Her insides bubbled up and then melted away as David made her forget who she was, and everything she’d just said, as his mouth captured hers.