CHAPTER 14
“Which one is she?” Alice asked eagerly as she and Kian danced together at the wedding reception.
“Over there,” Kian jerked his head. He couldn’t look at Cate but he knew where she was.
“She’s young,” Alice said.
“Don’t stare,” Kian warned. “She’s 18. At least she’s not married with kids.”
“Touché,” Alice smiled, acknowledging Kian’s reference to her boyfriend, Jack.
“She’s cute,” Alice chose her words carefully. “She’s just not what I expected. She’s seems like a nice girl.”
“Can we talk about something else?” Kian gritted his teeth. “Before I go over there and kill that fucker she’s dancing with.”
“I’ve never seen you jealous before,” Alice grinned. She leaned in close so her lips were right next to his ear. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. He’s gay.”
Kian felt a tiny flicker of hope. “You think so?”
“She keeps looking at you.” Kian waited and soon enough, Cate looked across at him. Their eyes met for the briefest second before she quickly turned away, blushing.
“You two are adorable,” Alice teased. “You need to talk to her.”
“And how the fuck do you propose I do that when she’s here with her boyfriend?”
“Ooh, I’ve got an idea,” Alice giggled, clapping her hands together. “Keep an eye on your girl.”
Alice went up to the DJ and whispered something in his ear. Kian made his way through the clusters of tables to the back of the room, which was darker and less-crowded.
Cate and Zeke had just stepped off the dance floor when Alice approached them. “Hey,” she looked straight at Zeke, ignoring Cate. “You were amazing out there.”
“Thanks,” Zeke said, flicking his collar. “I do my best”.
The next song came on and Alice clapped her hands, “ooh, it’s my song. Dance with me?”
Zeke looked over at Cate, “it’s cool,” she said. “I’m going to go and get some air.”
“Cool,” Zeke said and quickly followed Alice into the centre of the dance floor.
Cate didn’t want to listen to The Frocks so she stepped outside the club. It was already dark and there was nobody else around.
Suddenly, she heard the door open behind her. “Cate?” Just the way he said her name twisted her stomach up in knots.
Cate didn’t turn around.
“Cate” he tried again as if she hadn’t heard him the first time. Still, she tried to ignore him.
Then she felt his hand grab hold of her wrist and she was being pulled down the dark alleyway at the side of the club.
Kian shoved her hard up against the wall, the rough brick grazing her bare back, and pinned her wrists up above her head. Before she could say anything, his lips were on hers. He parted her lips easily, pushing his tongue inside her mouth. Cate hated how her body reacted to him. As his chest crushed her breasts, her nipples tightened painfully. She could feel the hard ridge of his erection against her stomach. Cate squeezed her thighs together, trying to relieve the throbbing ache between her legs.
“You’re driving me crazy,” Kian grunted, pressing his forehead against hers. “Why won’t you answer my calls?”
“I’m seeing someone,” Cate struggled to catch her breath. She’d never felt so turned on.
“That guy,” Kian said with an edge to his voice. “Does he kiss you like this?”
He kissed her again, this time so slowly and tenderly, Cate thought she might cry.
“Why do you care?” She asked him, struggling to free her hands from his restraints. “You have a girlfriend.”
“I don’t,” Kian said, his eyes locked with hers. “Unless it’s you?”
It was all too much for Cate; she wrestled her wrists free from Kian’s grasp and pushed him away. “Stop, okay, just stop. How am I supposed to get over you if you keep doing this?”
Kian looked pained, “you’re trying to get over me? Why?”
“You’ve moved on, you’re with Alice now.”
“Why do you keep saying that? Alice and I are just friends.”
“Have you slept with her?”
Kian nodded and Cate felt a sharp pain in her chest. She made to run away but Kian stopped her. “Wait, it’s not like that. We hooked up a couple of times but it was last year, way before you and I got together.”
Cate stopped; she wanted to believe him. “What about you?” He asked. “You and that guy?”
“Is that what this is? I offered myself to you and you turned me down. Now, you think I’m having sex with someone else, suddenly you want me again?”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes it is,” Cate insisted. “It’s all just a game to you. If I break up with Zeke and we go back to doing whatever it was we were doing, you’d just get bored again.”
“I didn’t get bored.”
“Then why didn’t you call me? I waited for you and then your sister tells me that you’re dating Alice fricking Devereux.”
“Geez, Cate,” he smacked his hand against the wall, “will you listen to me? I’m not dating Alice. You’re the only girl I want to be with.”
“No,” Cate shook her head, “I don’t believe you.”
Kian pulled her into his arms. “Believe me,” he whispered in her ear. “I watched you tonight with that guy…”
“Zeke.”
“I don’t care what his name is. I was watching you with him and it was making me crazy. I want to be the guy you dance with.”
“Then why didn’t you ask me?”
“Your brother would kill me,” Kian stroked her cheek. “Why are you so young?”
“I’m 18,” Cate said, “it’s not that young.”
Kian shook his head, “for what I want, it is.”
Cate went back to the party and caught up with Zeke at the bar. “You okay?” he asked, catching the look on her face.
“Yeah,” Cate said as nonchalantly as possible. “Where’s Alice?”
“She’s over there,” Zeke pointed at a table on the other side of the room, “texting her boyfriend.”
“Oh.”
“Duh,” Zeke said, nudging Cate. “Her boyfriend who isn’t Kian.”
Cate smiled a little bit. “Are you sure?”
“Oh yeah, me and Alice are real tight. She said she and Kian are just friends. Wait a second, why do you look so upset? I thought this would make you like super-happy?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Cate said.
“Spill,” Zeke said.
They went and sat at a deserted table in the far corner of the room and Cate told him what had happened. “I still don’t get what you’re so upset about – he said you’re the only girl he wants to be with?”
“He also said I’m too young.”
“Then show him that you’re not,” Zeke said.