Page 41 of Vengeful Seduction
Brent in full hunting mode was something I’d seen before, of course. I’d been his wingman, just like he’d been mine. I knew how he could get, which was why I’d known he was perfect for this particular job. But I didn’t think he’d be enjoying it so damn much
As I stood there I had to remind myself more than once just what was going on here. Brent didn’t actually like Kaye. He was just doing this as my friend, so we could both become much wealthier men. He was doing his job and he was doing it damn well.
What did it matter? I should be happy about him doing it so well. The way she laughed …the way he flung her beautiful body around in an exuberant dance …I’d never seen her giggle for me the way she was for him.
Instead, what really made me happy had nothing to do with his performance at all. It had far more to do with how she kept looking back at me like she couldn’t stand to be parted from me. She always turned back to Brent, but she couldn’t look at him long before coming back to me.
It would be better if she fell for him now, of course. A lot easier. Still, it made me happy, somehow, to know she was still so devoted to me. As far as women went, she was definitely the most faithful I had ever known.
Which could be a challenge, I reminded myself. I wasn’t here to fall for her, and I hadn’t. I was only here to get what was mine. For some reason, I had a hard time remembering the plan sometimes.
I’d always been a little bit possessive, though I’d never allowed myself to get too serious with anyone. I’d always been able to fight those feelings off, and this situation was exactly the same, I told myself firmly. Kaye wasn’t special.
Still, there was an undeniable lightening in my heart when the song ended and Kaye pulled away from Brent with a laugh. The way Brent’s eyes lingered over the shape of her back as she turned to walk away made me want to punch him in the throat.
He didn’t have to undress her with his eyes, did he? The plan didn’t call for him to check her out quite as much as he was doing. I fought back a growl, but pasted a smile on my face as Kaye walked up to me.
She was glowing. Radiant. I’d always thought the whole thing about radiant brides was a load of crap, but she really was.
“Your turn, husband,” she said fondly, reaching out her hand to take mine and tugging me gently onto the floor. I went with her, more than eager to take her slender body into my arms once more.
It was a slow song, which suited me. When she’d gone to dance with Brent, it had been a fast, fun number. He hadn’t gotten to hold her tightly in his arms as I did or sway with her.
At least, he didn’t get to do it yet.
“Did you like Brent?” I carefully kept my voice curious and light. I didn’t let her see the jealousy I felt. Or the guilt. I tried to deny both of them, but they were both there.
“Yes, I did,” Kaye said, and I tried to tell myself I was happy about it. It was, after all, good news for my plan.
I had the strangest urge to strangle Brent though. I knew it was unfair, but it was still there.
“So what’s this I hear about you spending more time with me?” Kaye asked me, and I pulled her close to hide a smirk. I’d almost forgotten about that particular part of the plan.
“What do you mean?” I asked, playing dumb.
“Brent said you’re going to be working from home,” Kaye commented, and it touched me more than I would have liked to see the pleasure in her face when she spoke. She really did like spending time with me. I didn’t really understand why, but it was obvious she did.
“What? Damn it, Brent,” I put on my best aggravated tone, as though irritated with my best friend. I wanted her to think me and Brent didn’t tell each other absolutely everything, so she’d feel safe cheating on me when the time came. “It was supposed to be a surprise. He shouldn’t have told you.”
“Shh, it’s okay,” Kaye soothed me as her breasts, displayed in all their perfect roundness by her dress, pressed against my chest. Having her hot body squeezed up so close to mine could get me hard far too easily. I could swear she was doing it on purpose.
Not from her, though. Kaye wasn’t the type of woman to tease. The whole concept of a woman who wouldn’t tease was a little bit new to me.
What you saw was what you got with Kaye, though it had taken me awhile to be able to really get that. The more I got to know her, the less convinced I was that she had tricked my grandfather into signing his fortune over to her. But whether she had played a role in it or not, that money should belong to me. If it was getting harder for me to remind myself of that, well, I just pushed those thoughts aside too.
I let myself be soothed, smiling down into Kaye’s lovely face with one hand on the small of her back and the other raising up to lightly run over her cheek.
“Brent is my best friend,” I admitted. “He’ll be around a lot. I hope you’re okay with that. I wanted to spend time with you at home, but I’m still needed to make decisions. Brent will go between our house and the office so I can stay with you.”
“Oh, yes, of course. That’s fine.” Kaye smiled understandingly at me, and I felt my stomach squeeze uncomfortably. “I know why you’d want to have him around. He’s a lot of fun. He said he’s your ‘numbers guy?’”
Damn it. If only she could have a hint of meanness to her. If only she could be less understanding. It would be a lot easier to do all the terrible things I had planned if she were less …wonderful.
It was the exact right word. Wonderful. Sweet. Patient. Understanding. Loving. Affectionate.
Okay, so there were quite a few words to describe her. Like trusting. Maybe too trusting. This plan was like shooting fish in a barrel. It didn’t even seem fair. The money-grubbing gold digger that I had been expecting I could have shamelessly used, but Kaye wasn’t like that.
I had to pull my mind away from the direction my thoughts were heading and get back to our conversation. “He is. I count on him. I hope you two get along.” I smiled at her as we swayed together, and her body moving against mine brought up little flickering embers of arousal. Those embers could be fanned to full flame with the slightest bit of effort on her part.
