...KATE...
...The crystal chandelier sparkled...
...over the crowded banquet room...
...of the Hauts-de-Seine Hotel....
...The theme of the night was stiff...
...upper lips, hors d'oeuvres, and...
...self-congratulatory speeches....
...What the 1% called a "press...
...conference."...
...I camped out at the side of the...
...room with my back against the...
...wall. I pulled at a loose thread...
...on my green lace dress. It had...
...been years since I'd attended...
...anything so formal, but I...
...looked the part....
...When pressed, I cleaned up...
...gOod...
...We'd see if it would make any...
...difference....
...I'd done a few circles through...
...the crowd looking for Price...
...without any luck....
...Midway through another loop, I...
...caught a glimpse of something...
...shiny on the floor....
...A pair of shoes. Black. Italian...
...leather so waxed, it reflected...
...the overhead lights as sharply...
...as a laser pointer....
...They belonged to Taylor Price...
...himself....
...He stood leaning against the bar...
...with his perfectly coiffed black...
...hair, his perfect suit, and his...
...Perfert glass of scotch....
...I took a deep breath before...
...walking over to the bar....
..."Mr. Price?" I said....
...He turned his head and stared...
...back at me with piercing blue...
...eyes....
...Fucking hell, was he hot....
...He arched an eyebrow at me,...
...disinterested....
..."I'm sorry, you...
...are...?"...
..."Kate. Kate Dawson from The...
...Daily House." I said, offering a...
...smile....
...Something shifted in his...
...expression His eyes darkenedhappily....
..."Right. The reporter. I...
...believe we were supposed to...
...meet."...
..."Twice, actually.'...
...» I couldn't...
...help myself. I'd always had a...
...big mouth....
..."I suppose I ought to...
...apologize,...
...» he said....
...I thought that's what he was...
...going to do: apologize....
...But he moved forward, faster...
...than I expected....
..."Do you know...
...why I invited you tonight, Ms....
...Dawson?"...
...What does he want me to say?...
..."Well, the interview, I...
...thought....
...He smiled, shaking his head....
..."No, not that."...
...I began to see red....
...He was screwing with me; that...
...was why he'd brought me here....
..."You're really not going to give...
...me an interview?"...
...His smile grew and he laughed....
..."Okay, I guess I'm leaving....
...99...
...threw up my hands and turned...
...to leave, then turned again....
..."Can you tell me what your...
...problem is and get to the end of...
...this? I don't want to come...
...back."...
..."Off the record, I'm not a big...
...fan of reporters. I'm tired of...
...being bothered, pestered,...
...shouted at, photographed....
...Hiding my face at the airport,...
...making sure my mail is...
...shredded, my guard always...
...." He made dramatic hand...
...gestures as he spoke....
..."Piranhas nipping at me all day....
...So I hope this taste of irritation...
...that is my life with you people...
...has been informative. Let's try...
...again for that interview real...
...soon,...
...» he said. satisfied with...
...himself....
...I struggled but kept my anger in...
...check. I didn't want to give him...
...the satisfaction....
...But he studied my face and...
...knew he'd gotten to me....
...Happy with his victory, he...
...walked away....
..."Motherfu-...
..." I hissed under...
...my breath, staring daggers into...
...his back....
..."Ouch."...
...I jumped at the sudden voice...
...behind me. A blond man with...
...sympathetic eyes leaned against...
...the bar, nursing a martini,...
...shaking his head....
...You heard that?' I asked....
...hoping he hadn...
..."t...
..."Well. I'm...
...glad to spread joy and...
...amusement wherever I go."...
...I looked into the crowd....
..."Are...
...they all assholes?"...
..."I'm kinda one of...
..."them,...
..." so l...
...hope we're not all assholes...
...He grinned. "I'm Brandon."...
..."Kate." I shook his hand....
...Well, Kate. I may have some...
...good news for you. With your...
...Taylor situation."...
...He looked serious, but I had no...
...idea what he meant....
..."You know...
...him?" I asked....
..."Oh, very well. We're like...
...brothers. I always feel I need to...
...apologize for the little shit....
...Sorry."...
...He was right: they weren't all...
...assholes....
..."Taylor has an office on this...
...floor, and after they do the...
...toasts in a few minutes, he'll...
...probably duck back in there to...
...take a break from the party. I'll...
...let security know you're...
...coming. Try again."...
..."Try again? Try what?" What...
...was he talking about?...
..."Your interview,...
...» Brandon...
...replied...
..."Taylor's the type of...
...guy, sometimes, that if you...
...want something from him, you...
...gotta push his buttons....
..."So, push his buttons by...
...showing up in his office...
...unexpected?That seems like a...
...bad plan....
...» I scowled. not...
...sensing the logic here....
..."Well. not in his office. You'd...
...have to wait in the lobby, but...
...his office is right next to it."...
..."Are you for real?" I needed...
...confirmation before I let myself...
...get too hopeful....
...He nodded. I couldn't believe...
...it. Was I getting a second-...
...well, fourth...
...chance?...
...TAYLOR...
...I had managed to avoid her all...
...night....
...But it was only a matter of time...
...before we would collide....
...And it was upon me. Tom, my...
...business partner, approached...
...with her....
...Everly Grey....
...His fiancée. She looked more...
...radiant than ever in a silver,...
...backless dress....
..."Taylor," she said....
..."It's been a...
...long time."...
...In that instant. even as she...
...stood beside her soon-to-be...
...husband. I knew....
...We were going to **** again...
...tonight....
...KATE...
...A security guard swiped a...
...keycard for me at Brandon's...
...authorization, and I was led...
...into the lobby on the other side...
...of the building....
...Most of the lights were off, and...
...I didn't know which office was...
...Taylor's, so I found a chair and...
...waited....
...I glanced around the lobby, past...
...unremarkable desk cubicles and...
...printers and potted plants....
...There was nothing going on...
...here tonight....
...If Taylor was going to do a few...
...toasts, he'd probably be back...
...soon....
...But...
..."soon"...
...came quicker than I...
...thought. The door burst open,...
...and I saw Taylor pulling a...
...breathtakingly beautiful woman...
...by the wrist to an office....
...I was to the right of the door,...
...and he went left, not even...
...aware of me....
..."Get in here," he said....
..."Keep your voice down!" she...
...replied....
...He slammed the door behind...
...them. "Someone will hear,...
...don't be so loud!" she said...
...behind the door...
..."Stop talking,...
...» was the only...
...thing he said, and that was the...
...end of the conversation....
...I heard grunts and clothes...
...coming off inside....
...So much for that interview....
...The door back to the gala, the...
...door they had just come...
...through, was close, but if I...
...opened it, Taylor would see the...
...light shine in from outside....
...He was a strange one who...
...already didn't like me. I didn't...
...want to be caught here....
...I edged toward the door, which...
...brought me closer to the...
...window into the office they'd...
...gone into....
...As I got closer, the window was...
...right in front of me....
...And through it, I saw Taylor...
...Price on top of the woman....
...Kissing passionately. Almost...
...violently. Like they wanted to...
...rip more than each other's...
...clothes off....
...I reached out for the doorknob....
...afraid to be trapped in the lobby...
...with them fucking on the other...
...side of a wall....
...The wall shook. I turned to...
...look....
...He'd slammed her on the table,...
...face down, and was pulling up...
...her silver, backless dress....
...Within seconds, he was hiking...
...down her underwear and had...
...his pants down. He ******...
...himself into her....
...I slapped my hands over my...
...mouth in shock....
...She cried out, gripping the table...
...for support as he rammed her...
...from behind....
..."You fucking had to come...
...back. You just had to."...
...«Fuck you,...
...» she said, moaning,...
...pushing against him....
..."Harder....
...Harder!'...
...The table slammed again and...
...again as Taylor fucked her. I...
...decided this was the best time...
...to make a run for it....
...But before I could grab the...
...doorknob, their rhythm...
...changed, and I heard something...
...else: the sounds of someone...
...choking....
...Price had his hands on her...
...throat, squeezing her from...
...behind....
...Her eyes rolled up as he...
...pumped away....
...In ecstasy or pain, I couldn't...
...tell....
...But when he released her for a...
...second, and she caught her...
...breath, her eyes came back...
...down and...
...She looked right at me. She sawme. She saw me....
..."Taylor," she gasped....
...I grabbed the doorknob and...
...bolted, racing back down the...
...hall to the gala. I traced the...
...route back to my car in my...
...head, pulling off my heels so I...
...could go faster....
...TAYLOR...
..."She saw us. I'm sure of it."...
...Everly said, peeling herself off...
...the table and pushing her dress...
...back down....
...What the **** is wrong with me? ...
..."What the **** am I doing?" I...
...said, furious with myself....
...How did I give into this again?...
...I pulled my clothes back on as...
...fast as I could....
...There was a glint of emotion in...
...her emerald eyes, which twisted...
...the knife in my heart....
...She said,'...
...«You can say it, you...
...know. I missed you too."...
...«This is a mistake,...
...» I said, as...
...cold as I could manage. I threw...
...my clothes back on....
..."See...
...yourself out."...
...I left without another word....
...stomping back toward the party.There was a glint of emotion in...
...her emerald eyes, which twisted...
...the knife in my heart....
...She said, "You can say it, you...
...know. I missed you too."...
..."This is a mistake," I said, as...
...cold as I could manage. I threw...
...my clothes back on....
..."See...
...yourself out."...
...left without another word....
...stomping back toward the party....
...I have to get control of myself....
...And I had to get control of Kate...
...Dawson....
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