Page 71 of Adam’s Obsession

Jack blinked, his arrogance slipping just a tad. “He’s yourboss, Katherine. Think about this.”

“Tell him.”

“I’ll do it. Don’t think I won’t.”

Kat glanced at Adam, who was watching this byplay withamused interest. “Go right ahead.”

Jack stomped his foot on the ground and pouted. “That’s notfair. You promised me a dance and you only gave me half a dance.”

“You grabbed my ass,” Kat reminded him.

Jack seemed genuinely confused. “But that’s part ofdancing.”

“Only for guys who want to get smacked,” Adam murmured in anaside.

“I didn’t like it.” This, Kat said rather gently in Adam’sopinion. “I told you I didn’t like it and you did it anyway. That’s not the wayyou treat a woman.”

“But I thought you liked it rough.” Jack’s bald statementcaused both Adam and Kat to blanch.

Her eyes met his, limned with horror and mortification. Hisheart lurched. He knew what she was thinking and it wasn’t true. He’d neversaid anything to anyone about their risqué love play. And he never would.

He stepped forward and snapped, “Where the hell did you getan idea like that?”

Jack stepped back, probably intimidated a little by Adam’svehemence. Okay, probably intimidated a lot. “Well, Stan, of course.” His eyesflicked from the right to the left, as though he was searching for an escape.

“Stan?” Adam searched his memory to match a face with thename. Then he had him. A short, skinny kid with a raft of pimples sprinkledover his countenance. “And what did Stan tell you?”

“It was that vest, you know, the one she wore the other day?Jesus, Adam. Back up, will you?”

“What about the vest?” Kat spoke with deliberate softness,the way a woman did when she was trying to keep one guy from ripping anotherguy’s face off.

“Um, yeah.” Jack sidled away from Adam toward Kat. “Thatvest came from a boutique Stan knows. They specialize in, well, submissiveclothing.”

Kat’s jaw dropped. “I had no idea.”

“It’s Sara’s vest,” Adam snapped.

“Really?” Jack blinked several times in rapid succession.“Dude. Sara? Huh. Imagine that.” Distracted by this new information, he sidledtoward the restaurant—apparently intent on searching for Sara.

Kat called him back. “Oh, Jack?”

“Um, yeah?”

“Isn’t Stan the guy who convinced you I was a lesbian?”

He answered with a slow, “Yeah.”

“Well, he was wrong about that. He may be wrong about thistoo. And by the way, if you’re going to approach Sara, be a gentleman, willyou?”

“Oh, sure.” Jack nodded vehemently and hightailed it intothe restaurant.

Kat watched him go. She smiled at Adam. “So. Where were we?”

“Finding a more private place.” He led her farther into theshadows, around one wing of the restaurant into a moonlit garden. They couldhear the music and low rumble of conversation from the banquet hall, along withthe occasional laugh and tinkle of ice in glasses, but the garden, nestled inthe “L” of the building, was private.

“It’s lovely.” She gazed out across the moon-kissed plantsand stones to a small pond and gazebo in the distance.

Adam nodded his assent but he wasn’t taking in the view. Hiseyes were fixed on Kat. She caught his expression and blushed.