Pretty Hot (The Pretty Trilogy Book 1) (35 page)

‘Mate,’ Shane drawls, his accent excessively pronounced. This isn’t the Shane I know, the man from Ascot; the enclave of Brisbane that’s as posh as it sounds. This is Shane, the dick head. The one who, in times gone by, like nothing more than a weekend pub brawl, wearing a split lip or a black eye like a badge to uni on Monday. ‘I dunno about ‘round here, but where I come from calling another bloke’s girl darlin’ gets your teeth smashed down the back of your throat.’

Despite his posturing, I know he gets it. I’m dressed in a bed sheet and Kai is shoeless and wearing not much more. You don’t need a Ph.D. to work out we’ve been doing the naked dance. It’s hardly a subtle clue to our relationship status. Add to it the fact that I mailed back his ring, and we’re through.

Part of me—a big part—wants to gloat. Ask him how it feels, seeing the evidence of someone you professed to love
doing
someone else. It hurts, I know that well enough. And while it might be kinda satisfying to hear just how much it hurts, it might also go some way to explaining how he can look so bloody smug.

‘Have you had a concussion or something?’ I don’t give Kai a chance, don’t want him involved.

Grasping the edges of the door with the intention of slamming it closed, even if it is on his fingers, I end up stumbling over the sheet and being caught by two sets of hands. The hands struggle to right me, grabby and possessive, like housewives fighting over something in a department store bargain bin.

‘Get off, leave me alone!’ With one hand, I push them away, the other still clinging to the sheet at my chest.

‘You heard her, piss off!’

This from Shane, puffing his chest like a gorilla in my midst as he attempts to step over the threshold, to a wall of Kai.

One hand tight on my arm, Kai holds out his other like a stop-sign. His movements are almost languid, belying how his weight-bearing shifts, perhaps preparing to protect me. Or perhaps preparing for a fight. It’s not an aggressive stance by any means, but he does seem to grow larger, despite his already considerable height advantage over me and probably three inches over Shane. Not that it matters. Appearances can be deceptive. Shane may be a lot of things I don’t like, but he also happens to be very good with his fists. From way back.

‘Maybe you’d like to make me? Take this outside?’ By Kai’s tone, anyone would think he were discussing stepping out for coffee. And while his demeanour seems utterly unconcerned, I can see the fury he’s suppressing jumping in the pulse in his jaw.

I step between the posturing pair before words come to blows.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ My hair has fallen across my face, I shrug off Kai’s hands, shoving it behind my ears, brute.

Eyes still like flint, Shane’s attention slowly lowers to me.

‘I came here for you.’

He says this like it’s obvious, like he’s expecting me to just fall into his arms.

‘Seriously?’

A hand finds my hip, which I appear to have cocked in a moment of supreme attitude. Shame the effects are concealed by swaths of gazillion thread count Egyptian cotton.

‘You just up and left. The house is still full of your stuff and—’

I can’t help it; this isn’t the response I would’ve envisioned, if I’d imagined him turning up at all. With the tips of my fingers, I push him hard. The effects are less than satisfying.

‘So, what? You decided you needed to talk to me for logistical reasons? You couldn’t have just put it all into storage, sent the bill to my mum?’

‘Where d’you think I got the address? Unmoved, he folds self-satisfied arms, his next words hitting like a smug slap. ‘Like you knew she would.’

My blood begins to boil.

‘What the fuck, Shane!’

My hands are in the air an instant before they’re needed to grab the sheet as it almost falls. But I’m not sure who’s most shocked by my temper: him or me. Even after I found him sprawled over a half-clad stripper, I never raised my voice once. Now I’m yelling and pushing him, and honestly, I think this is more to do with my disappointment of Kai.

‘Go and dress.’

The concealed reason for my ire places his hand back on my shoulder, turning me from the door, the very essence of distaste washing his face as he eyes Shane over my head.

‘Not on my account, mate. I’ve seen it all before. Might even have some pictures somewhere.’ Shane ends this statement with a smile three parts sneer, the absolute shit. ‘Anyway, who the fuck are you?’

Our awkward party of three watch Kai’s finger as it glides across my bare collarbone, drawing down the small distance between bone and breast. His finger comes to rest at the edge of the sheet, where he rubs it between forefinger and thumb. I’ve barely the opportunity to suppress the resulting shiver when Kai opens his mouth and spoils it, his tone derisive; a cut-glass contemptuous drawl.

‘Do I really need to spell it out? If you were any closer, you’d undoubtedly smell me on every inch of her skin.’

I’m aware my mouth is open, probably flapping like a landed fish as I’m instantly reminded of the conversation that forced me to open the door wearing this bloody sheet in the first place.

‘You . . . you just . . . stay out of this,’ I grate, trying to pull away as Kai’s arm bands across my back.

‘I get it.’ A hand roughly slides through his dark-blond hair, the toe of one shoe worrying the edge of the welcome mat.
Ironic, no?
‘A revenge fuck. Didn’t take you long though, babe.’

If I’m a fish out of water then he’s a bottom feeder. A crud-sucking leech.

‘You screwed a stripper!
In our home!
’

Tears prick like glass in my eyes, turning to liquid and spilling down my cheeks. I dash them away with the back of my hand, determined not to sob, to not be that girl. I will not give him the ‘effing satisfaction!

‘I’m so sorry—I was stressed—got caught up in it all. It was a huge mistake!’ Excuses continue to fall from his mouth as he holds out a placating hand. ‘I
am
so so
very
sorry, babe. I was an arsehole—I get that. I told myself what happens on a bucks night—’

‘Stained my sofa!’ I yell, feeling like this is an important point to make, for some reason. Maybe I’m mourning the loss of that as well. ‘And your buck’s night was the week before, you prick.’

With this, at least, he has the sense to look contrite. ‘I know, that’s what I was trying to say. I panicked, got cold feet. Screwed up! The thought of only ever being with you . . . ’ Horror swims through his eyes as he pleads again, ‘Katie, I need you to give me a second chance. I’m sorry—’

‘Sorry you got caught, more like. Just . . . just leave.’ I clench my fists by my sides, determined not to lash out further, despite my right fist tingling with the desire to meet his dimpled chin.

‘What happened to for better or for worse?’

And I laugh. One hand on my chest. A deep laugh that sounds like it’s been dragged from the depths of my toes.
Really? I don’t remember him being that dumb.

‘We didn’t get that far before you got caught with your dick hanging out. Guess who caught the worse end of that?’

I don’t want to hear his bullshit, don’t want to relive the whole ordeal, that’s why I left.
Poor Kate cheated on by her fiancé. Poor Kate couldn’t keep her man.

Shane smiles back at me, uncertainly. Or it could be wind. Looks painful enough.

‘But, babe—’

I hold up a hand, the other reaching for the door handle. ‘I mean it. You’ve got nothing I want to hear.’

‘—I came all this way for you. For us.’ His tone is so sorrowful, his words might convince most. But then again, he’s proved himself to be a pretty adept liar in the past.
Fool that I am.

‘On your way to that conference? Gee, I feel
so
special.’ Maybe he thinks I’ve forgotten he’s due in the UK this week for work. He hasn’t flown all this way to see me, just stopped off.

‘No, I came early,’ he adds hurriedly, ‘rearranged the whole thing. I needed to see you, Katie. We need to talk.’

I spin back on my heel. ‘That was the whole point of me leaving. I never wanted to set eyes on you again.’

‘Babe, you don’t mean that.’ His hand reaches out and before I know it’s happening, I find myself behind Kai, his fingers now tight on my wrist.

‘You heard her. She’d like you to
fuck off
.’

His voice is murderously low, the muscles of his bare back, coiled and tense, shift like a current under my hand.

‘What you gonna do about it, pretty boy?’

I’d give Shane points for bravado if he wasn’t seriously pissing me off.

‘Leave it.’ I wrap my hands around Kai’s curled arm and try to tug him away.
It’s like trying to move something, well, immovable
.

Cold fingers of anxiety raise the hairs on my neck because, Kai may be the taller of the two, may look like he can take care of himself, but Shane is dangerous. Does boxing for fitness still. Is tough.

‘Please, Kai. It doesn’t matter.’

His hand touches my cheek, his eyes warm on mine. ‘Sweetheart, it so does.’

Shane’s head recoils. Kai’s fist retracts. And I didn’t even see his arm move until its retreat. I might squeal a little as he lunges out into the hall, both bodies bumping off walls and doors in an all-out brawl.

‘Stop! Stop it, for God’s sakes!’ I’m yelling, standing in the hallway, the welcome mat like needles beneath my bare feet. ‘You’re acting like yobs!’ Kai’s forearm pins Shane against the wall by the neck, splotches of pink and purple to bursting across his skin. ‘Stop, Kai, please!’

My yelling seems to pierce his intent, eyes still flashing viciously as they cut to my face, seeming to search for some kind of sign or recognition. Of what, I couldn’t say.  After an endless moment of staring, his head turns, dark eyes now pinning his captive against the wall.

‘If she wants to see you, she
will call. You will
not
approach her again, is that understood?’

‘You her fucking keeper?’

Shane’s sneer doesn’t last long as the arm rams against his neck once more, the back of his head thumping the solid wall, a wheezing grunt forced from his chest.

‘I said. Do. You. Understand?’

‘Come back inside, Kai, please.’ My voice is softer now, anger ebbing away and replaced once more by utter shock.

‘Come near her again and I promise you’ll learn what it is to be really hurt.’

With one last burst of pressure, he moves his arm, leaving Shane bent double, gasping and rubbing his neck.

‘Please, Katie. I’m staying at the airport hotel,’ he wheezes, the back of his hand touching the raw spot on his lip. ‘I love you.’

‘You had no right to come here,’ I answer. ‘Not anymore.’ 

Kai’s bare feet are in my line of sight as I step in through the front door, closing it quietly behind. He doesn’t make any attempt to come closer as I raise my hurt and humiliated eyes.

‘Well, you wanted the reason I came to Dubai. You just met it.’

His head moves just once in acknowledgment before he turns away. Moving to the window, he stares at the pale-coloured buildings beyond. ‘I’ve known about him, about your relationship . . . wedding . . . for some time.’

Stunned, all I can manage is a breathless sort of, ‘How?’

His answer is a shrug tinged with irritation, like an invisible coat a size too small.

‘I don’t understand.’

‘I had to know more about you.’ Without seeing him move, his large hands are on my bare shoulders. ‘Do you think I really just want to be your friend? I had to know who you are!’

Teeth clenched, his jaw flexes as he shakes me, just once, the ends of his anger and adrenalin, like quicksilver down my spine.

‘I don’t know what you want!’ I struggle to break from his grip, angry at him, angry at myself for my reactions. Energy pulses between us, the air filled with rage. Through the fire in his eyes and his grip searing my skin, something violent and unstoppable builds. But, god, how I want him. This. To devour and be devoured.

His fingers tighten like the teeth of a trap. In an instant, his mouth is on mine; hard and unforgiving, demanding a response. Eyes screwed shut, I desperately want to meet him, fight him with both tooth and nail, but I don’t. Battling to keep my mouth soft to his hard, my hands lie limp at my sides, determined not to participate.
To keep from reaching out.

He pulls away, and I blink, half expecting him to push me further, half hoping he’ll push me up against the door. Instead, he steps away, grabbing his jacket discarded last night on the chair. Cold air and the faint scent of his cologne pushes past me. Pulling open the door, he steps through it without looking at me once. 

PRETTY LIAR
available now!

PRETTY THINGS
available 14/10
 

Acknowledgements

For M x

Writing a book is a very solitary experience, but one that needs lots of scaffolding. With that in mind, I’d like to thank my family for being the supportive, though slightly unhinged characters that they are. I’d also like to apologise to my children for my very shifty behaviour around the computer. I know you know I don’t like anyone reading
anything
over my shoulder, but I
definitely
don’t want you reading this. Same goes to my mother: please don’t ask.

Special thanks goes to Nan Kubicek for all the virtual hand holding and words of encouragement. It’s been a long road, but I got there in the end, thanks, Nan!

Thanks also to Kathie Spitz for her editing services and helping me overcome my semi-colon addiction, Jess Molly Brown for her advice and words of encouragement and Yoli at Cormar Covers for creating a cover that I absolutely adore.

Finally, my biggest and bestest thanks to those of you who have read and will read Pretty Hot. If I’ve managed to make you laugh, then I’m glad. If I’ve managed to make your heart beat just a little bit faster, then I’m even gladder still.