Her cheeks were aflame, her face glowing hot, her arousal visible for all to see. Jesus. She desperately tried to calm her breathing, glared at Dominic, struggled to keep from panting, and failed. “I… am… not doing this… at your… sister’s house.”

“Sure you are,” Dominic whispered, recognizing the tremulous quiver underlying her words. “You like to come, baby. Lucky I’m here. No thanks, Matt, I still have part of my drink,” he said calmly, answering his brother-in-law’s query. “No, Katherine’s good too. You like the flavor? I thought you would. Max was kind enough to get the recipe for me.” Dominic shifted his position slightly to allow more room for his erection and was gratified to hear Katherine stifle a gasp. “Ah—you’ve seen the view then.” He smiled at Matt. “I was trying to impress Katherine. You liked the view from the bar at the Ritz-Carlton, didn’t you baby?” he said, as if he were asking if she preferred one lump or two for her tea.

“Yes, very much.”

Awkwardly, her voice was no more than a whisper.

Dominic ignored the slightly stunned expressions on his sister’s and brother-in-law’s faces. Setting their glasses aside, he smoothly came to his feet with Kate in his arms, and pleasantly said, “I’m going to let Katherine freshen up before the guests arrive. We’ll see you in five. Maybe ten,” he added over his shoulder as he walked away.

“Take your time,” Melanie called out cheerfully. “We still have twenty minutes before the guests arrive. And you certainly don’t have to be here to greet them.”

Matt grinned at his wife as Dominic walked away. “Why not just offer them our bedroom?”

“Nick’s probably going there without an invitation.”

“Jesus. Does the man have no boundaries?”

Melanie gave her husband one of those are-you-kidding-me looks.

“Okay, okay. But Nick actually seems to have feelings for Katherine. Unlike his usual arm candy who serve a purely sexual function. Definitely a first for him,” Matt said drily.

“And truly awesome.” Melanie’s glance was bright, gloating. “He can’t keep his hands off her. I’ve never seen Nick like that.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, honey. Nick’s the least likely guy to go off the deep end over a woman. He just doesn’t do that. Never has. You saw his marriage. They were fuck buddies, deep sea diving buddies, mountain climbing buddies. Need I go on?”

“I don’t care what you say. Something’s different this time. I’m a woman, I’m his sister. I can tell.”

“I just don’t want you to be disappointed when he walks away from her like he’s walked away from the other five hundred. Think about it—okay? That’s what he does. By the grace of God you came out of your screwed-up family in one piece. Dominic didn’t.”

SEVENTEEN

Kate slammed her fist into Dominic’s chest. “Damn it, I am not doing this! Do you hear me! God only knows who might see us.”

He didn’t break stride. “Relax. I’m not going to fuck you in the hallway.”

She snorted. “Oh, good, then there’s no problem.”

“Exactly,” he said, ignoring her sarcasm.

“Goddamn it, Dominic. You can’t just get up when we’re having drinks with your sister and her husband and carry me away for a fuck.”

“Baby, they don’t care.”

“I do!” she said, punching him with all her might. “I fucking do!”

She practically broke her hand and he didn’t even flinch.

“Keep it down,” he said, his voice as smooth as his stride, “or we’ll have a pack of kids on us. And that will be a problem.”

“So let me get this straight.” Suppressed fury in her voice, her eyes, in the hot edge to her voice. “I have nothing to say about this? What I want or don’t want doesn’t matter?”

He shot her a quick, mild-as-hell look. “Jesus, don’t give me that shit. You’re wet and horny and you know it. This won’t take long. We’ll both come, you probably a few more times than me, then we’ll go back and greet all the guests who I don’t give a rat’s ass about, you don’t know, and neither of us wants to talk to. At least we’ll both be in a fucking good mood. Think of it that way.”

“Put it in such romantic terms, who wouldn’t be delighted to join you in this escapade?”

He tried to repress his grin. “Escapade? Should I be wearing tights and a sword?”

“Asshole.”

“Come on, baby, don’t give me shit about whether this is romantic or not. If you had a choice between a Hallmark card and an orgasm, I know which one you’d chose.”

She released a gusty sigh. “I’m not arguing the merits of coming, I’m arguing the venue.”

“And I’m telling you the venue is fine.” He stopped in front of a door, glanced up and down the hall, then leaned down, turned the knob, and kicked open the door.

Kate’s eyes widened in shock at the photos of Dominic’s nieces and nephews lining the walls. “Stop or I’ll scream! I swear I will!”

Kate’s muffled shriek ringing in his ears, Dominic came to an abrupt halt a foot into his sister’s bedroom. “It’s private,” he said casually. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

She gave him a cold-eyed stare. “What I want is to be back in the kitchen drinking my drink.”