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going down, yet another part of him refused to believe it.
He wouldn't believe it.
Not about Kat...
That realization hit him squarely in the chest. By thinking
the best of her, he let down his guard. If he let down his
guard then he would be allowing her in. What would she see?
The pain that knifed through him every time he thought about
his father? Would she see his shattered dreams and hopes?
Jared reached over and grabbed her hand, bringing it up to
his lips. Her startled look as he brushed his mouth across the
soft, fragrant skin lining the back of her hand pleased him.
He liked her wary.
Jared slowed the Jag as he came to a red light. He
squeezed her hand then started to release his grip.
Kat's fingers curled and tightened around his. Then she
brought his hand up to her right breast. He kneaded the firm
flesh, and ran his thumb across the peak of her nipple. The
protruding bud hardened beneath his touch. Kat placed her
hand over his, pushing her breast further into his palm as
though she couldn't get enough. His eyes strayed to her deep
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cleavage. As if on cue, he leaned across the console and
planted a soft kiss in the deep 'V' between her breasts. She
inhaled swiftly, causing her magnificent chest to rise and fall.
From the corner of his eye, Jared saw the traffic light turn
green. He grudgingly released her as he gunned the engine
and drove toward Summerville.
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of Kat's
house.
* * * *
"Here are your pictures."
George O'Reilly glanced up just as a tall gray-haired man
threw a Manila envelope down on the desk.
"My, my," George intoned. "That was quick, Mr. Galati."
Vincent Galati shrugged powerful shoulders. "You hired me
to do a job, and I did it. I know it's late, but I figured you
wanted to see these."
George nodded and opened the envelope, extracting
several five by seven photographs. George's eyes widened
upon seeing a photo of Kat accepting a huge wad of cash
from a man. A scantily clad woman stood nearby. "Well, well,
what have we here? Ms. Upstart has quite a little side-
business going on, doesn't she?"
"Looks that way."
George studied each picture. "I'm sure Jared Martin will be
very interested in these."
"Do you have my money?"
George looked up. "Patience is a virtue Mr. Galati."
"Just give me what you promised."
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"Here," George opened a desk drawer and handed him a
fat, white envelope. "Now, get lost."
Galati opened the envelope and did a quick count.
Ten thousand dollars, just like O'Reilly had promised. He
watched as George examined each photograph, thoroughly
engrossed.
Every lousy thing Galati ever heard about MegaMart was
true. They were sharks out to eat every last little fish in the
ocean, and they'd do it by every means available, and George
O'Reilly was the biggest, nastiest shark in the sea.
"You must be a bitch to work for," Galati muttered under
his breath.
George looked up. "I heard that, Mr. Galati." George
leaned back in a large, black leather chair, and eyed him. "A
bitch is a female dog, are you aware of that?"
"Yeah. Whatever." Galati turned and reached for the
doorknob again, only to hear a whizzing sound then a thud.
When he looked up, he noticed the pointed tip of a silver
letter opener imbedded in the wood on the door frame. It
missed his head ... barely.
"Oh my," George grinned. "I wondered where I put that
letter opener. Must have ... slipped from my hands."
Galati ripped open the door and ran, hearing George's
laughter ringing in his ears.
* * * *
Jared eased the Jag into the driveway of Kat's two-story,
remodeled sixty's-style home. She dug through her bag until
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she found her small ring of keys and hit a button on the
remote dangling from the key chain. Her garage door opened.
Jared glanced at her.
"Go on. Pull in," she urged. He did as instructed, parking
his car along side of hers in the spacious garage.
She placed her keys back in her bag and had her hand on
the car door, intent on getting out, only to have it wrenched
open by Jared. He leaned in and pulled her out. The foreplay
she and Jared engaged in on the way back from the
restaurant had taken its toll. She managed to stand upright
on wobbly legs. He must have sensed her weakness. Pushing
her up against the car, he wrapped one arm around her waist,
holding tight. Then his lips slammed into hers in a fierce, hot
kiss. Jared's lean body pinned her to the car, but Kat didn't
fear him. Instead, she gloried in the muscled feel of his tall
frame, enjoying the sensation of being supported as his lips
nibbled and sucked hers.
A few minutes later, Jared broke away from her, panting.
"This is crazy," he whispered next to her ear. His warm breath
puffed across her sensitive outer lobe, caressing the thin skin
there. "We're supposed to hate each other."
She smiled. "I know." Kat tugged on his tie, bringing his
mouth back down to hers. After another heated kiss, she
released him and led him inside her house.
The home's entranceway held a set of stairs off to the left.
"Where's your bedroom?" he asked.
Kat nodded toward the stairs. "Up there."
In the next instant, he scooped her up, ignoring her
startled squeak. Wrapping her arms around his corded neck,
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she held on for dear life as Jared took the stairs two at a
time.
"Where now?" he asked at the top of the stairway. She
figured he would release her, but he tightened his hold, as
though she might flee any second.
"Go right," she answered, breathless. The ache returned
full force and pounded between her thighs. Kat's grip
tightened. She twined her hands around the back of his neck
and kissed the hard, tight muscle below his ear. She felt a
shudder run through him.
He marched down the hall with her cradled in his arms.
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