Burned by Passion(9)

Bretton Carter snorted. “But you don’t seem to be enjoying it,” he stated more than asked.

“I’m making my best effort,” quipped Blake through slanted lips. He could feel the woman’s gaze on him as they reached his side, and it was an effort not to meet her eyes.

“Please do; all this was put on for your benefit,” his father said dryly and then drew the woman next to him a little forward. “Now Blake I’d like you to meet Kira Taylor, my hostess.”

Blake had to look at her then. And immediately snagged in an inaudible breath just holding her brown-eyed gaze. Something about those eyes seemed to spell his doom even as he held out his hand to clasp hers. Now he couldn’t look away, drinking in the ravishing quality of her soft skin and swollen lips with a hint of dark red gloss. Her scent stole up to him and it stirred his loins, causing his fingers to tighten fractionally around hers.

“It’s a pleasure, Kira,” Blake said with a smile, fighting off the urge to raise her hand to his lips in the age-old custom.

“Excuse me, dear,” Blake’s father said, interrupting the moment. “I see an old friend I need to welcome. Blake, would you mind getting Kira a glass of champagne? She’s been on her feet for an hour. In high heels no less.”





***

Kira watched her boss stride off and wished she could call him back. She wasn’t sure she relished being left on her own with his dangerously good-looking son. It was just as she’d feared – only the opposite. She’d hoped he’d be nothing like his photo or perhaps, that he’d have changed drastically but this was far from the case. If anything, he was more devastatingly handsome in person.

She’d heard the term ‘sex-on-legs’ but never really understood what it meant until she came face to face with Blake Carter. His thick, light brown hair was well styled to suit his attractive shape of head, and his features were all in symmetry; edgy cheekbones, curvy lips and an aristocratic nose to go with those steely grey eyes she found so piercing.

He was taller than her, probably six four which was towering compared to many of the other men in the room. His clothes were cut with a unique style that made them look custom-made for his broad, lithe frame – which they probably were. And his voice...good heavens. She’d never known a British accent could sound so sexy even though his wasn’t that pronounced. He was everything she’d imagined him to be and it made her cheeks grow warm in embarrassment thinking she’d been unable to say a word to him when they were introduced just now.

She finally looked away from the departing Mr. Carter and turned to Blake only to discover he’d been giving her a thorough once-over. Just thorough enough to be able to supply a good guess at her statistics, Kira thought with rising annoyance. Her chin lifted as she dredged up her hard-won confidence to meet his eyes squarely.

“So you’re really my father’s hostess?” was his opener, his tone questioning, implying something else.

“Yes,” Kira said stiffly. “He asked me to play hostess as a favor to him.” When Blake simply raised one eyebrow she went on, “He’s told me a lot about you, actually.”


“Really?”

At his doubtful look, Kira found herself saying, “You didn’t think he simply forgot all about you, did you?” Kira bit on her lip and wondered at her audacity for saying what she just did but couldn’t resist speaking her mind.

“Well I’m not going to argue with you,” he murmured, shrugging. And then she saw his eyes scan the room while he shook his head. “Damn, what a racket this all is.”

Kira’s eyes flashed and despite herself, she was speaking up again. “You’d do well to appreciate it. Your father went through a lot of trouble to make tonight special for you,” she said more sharply than she intended.

Blake huffed, but then glanced at her face and smiled, tilting his head in an ironic bow. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Kira wasn’t sure she liked his expression or tone, but decided not to push it. Blake Carter might be fine as hell but his manners left a lot to be desired. And she hadn’t appreciated being looked over like a slab of meat.

She’d been getting that a lot tonight; she’d found herself being the target of all eyes and had almost started to regret taking her boss’s advice and picking this very expensive, designer dress. She’d tried it on in the pricey store and the sales woman had cried out that ‘this was it!’ Then the shoes had been picked out to match and Kira had paid for it with her boss’s card, walking out of the store with her purchases before she’d even realized it. Mr. Carter hadn’t even blinked when she showed him the bill and then when she’d arrived, he’d looked so glad to see her dressed nicely that she’d erased the last traces of guilt.

Kira liked that she fitted in with this crowd thanks to her carefully picked outfit, hair and makeup, but she still felt self-conscious around Blake especially since she found him so damn attractive.

She was glad she’d been right about one thing though: Blake Carter was so not her type. It wasn’t even about race. She simply found him too cynical for his own good. Within minutes of meeting him she had a funny feeling he looked upon everyone around him and even her as nothing but a joke.

But then he had apologized for his mean comment earlier, and Kira felt compelled to apologize too for being far too frank. She had no cause coming at him like that but even as she opened her mouth to speak, a sharp, lilting female voice sailed up from behind them.