Love in Lust Read online

  “I thought you were the reckless Parker brother? Seems to me that you are pretty well whipped,” Gordon said with another laugh. Hawk clenched his fists at his side. He wanted to punch the man, but knew that would be a huge mistake.

  “Whipped? No, I just am here for a reason, and I intend to see my business through,” he said.

  “Well, that business can wait until after lunch.” Gordon replied. Hawk sighed. He could see he was getting nowhere with this man, and knew the only way he was going to get what he wanted would be to do what Gordon wanted. He finally gave in, and the group headed out the door.

  Chapter Six

  Kathryn

  “I can’t believe you just up and left like that! Does your dad know?” Dana asked, her voice full of enthusiasm. Kathryn had left so quickly, she hadn’t even told Dana until she was already in Vegas.

  “Yes, he knows. I texted him and told him not to bother me for a while, because I was going to be in Vegas,” Kathryn replied. She had felt torn about letting her father know where she was going to be, but at the last second had decided it was probably for the best that he did. It would be better than him trying to get a hold of her while she was trying to have some fun.

  “Oh! And how did he take to his little girl leaving his sight for a second time?” Dana teased.

  Kathryn laughed. She knew it had to be annoying to her father that she could now just leave whenever she felt like it, and it felt good.

  “Have you seen Hawk yet?” Dana asked.

  “No, I just got in a couple hours ago, and I’m just now getting out of the cab at my hotel. I don’t want him to think I’m creepy or something!” Kathryn didn’t know if she truly was worried about that, but she didn’t want to risk it, either. Now that she was in Vegas, everything felt different. She could see plenty of hot guys walking down the street, and none of them bothered hiding that they were checking her out.

  “Hawk is plenty creepy himself, if you ask me,” Dana said with another laugh. Kathryn shook her head. She didn’t know why she felt the need to defend him, but at the same time, she didn’t like hearing her friend call him creepy. Perhaps it was because she wanted so badly to have an encounter with him.

  “At any rate, I better get inside and check in. It’s getting late.” Kathryn glanced down at her watch as she spoke, and Dana agreed.

  “Get out of your travel clothes and into something sexy. You deserve a night out!” Dana said enthusiastically. She added, “Of course, you don’t necessarily need to have a night with Hawk to have fun. Las Vegas is a large town; there’s plenty of men there who would love to get lucky with you!”

  “Okay, okay, that’s enough of that!” Kathryn said as she laughed. She hung up the phone and slipped it into her pocket. Dana knew her all too well, though she did hate to admit it. Part of her did want to put on her sexiest dress and head out into the nightlife, but she knew she had better get some rest first.

  Walking into the hotel, Kathryn glanced around, looking for the front desk.

  “Hey, there’s a hottie!”

  “You from around here, sweetie?”

  “Girls around here don’t look like that!”

  Kathryn rolled her eyes and kept walking, amazed that they didn’t even try to be subtle about hitting on her. She was used to having men admire her, but being alone in Las Vegas made her a little leerier.

  She glanced around the lobby, hoping that there was someone who was paying attention to the situation. The last thing she wanted to do was make a scene, but at the same time, she didn’t know these men, and she didn’t want to think about what could happen if they got too familiar with her.

  “I’m sorry, I’m supposed to be meeting someone,” she said as one of the men walked over to her. She hoped he wasn’t a representation of the men Vegas would have to offer for her short stay. Sleazy as they game, with greasy hair, bleary eyes, and a hefty gut overhanging his too-tight jeans, the guy repulsed Kathryn on sight. And when he got closer, the stench of his cheap cologne made her cringe.

  “I could keep you company until he gets here—I assume that you are waiting for a ‘he,’ aren’t you?” He looked down at her with raised eyebrows, and Kathryn took a step back.

  “Of course! I’m waiting for my –my fiancé!” she lied.

  “What a lucky man. But you don’t have that ring on your finger yet, which means you are still on the market as far as I am concerned!” He took another step forward, but Kathryn wasn’t about to let him get anywhere near her.

  “You listen here! I need you to back up and leave me alone!” she snapped. He laughed and was about to come forward again when to Kathryn’s shock, Hawk Parker suddenly walked in.

  She barely had time to process her surprise or the surge of heat that always flared whenever he was nearby, however much she tried to deny it, before he rapidly assessed the situation and walked over. Then he was standing right beside her, all six foot something of gym-honed muscle, topped off unfairly by cheekbones male models would have killed for, full lips Kathryn had indulged in plenty of times and—

  “Kathryn?” He cut into her fantasy, his low, sexy voice leading her down an entirely new path. Is everything all right?” He looked over at the man who had been hitting on her, and he backed up. Hawk put his hand on her arm, and Kathryn visibly relaxed even as other parts of ignited. His hands had always been big and capable, in more than one way.

  “Yes, he was just leaving, as a matter of fact,” she said, giving the man a look. He gave her another look before glancing back at Hawk, evidently trying to size him up. He must have decided it wasn’t worth the trouble as he waved them off and stalked back to his friends.

  “Thanks,” Kathryn said as she took a step back. She had known Hawk was in town, obviously, but was nevertheless surprised to find him in the same hotel she was in.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, and she shrugged.

  “I was looking to get away from my father for a while longer,” she replied, before adding, “What about you?”

  “I’m in town on business,” he said rather flatly. She nodded, but gestured to the room they were standing in.

  “Yes, but I mean here. What are you doing here?” She watched him carefully, and Hawk laughed.

  “I’m staying here, actually. Are you?” He looked down at her bag, and Kathryn nodded. She could feel heat on her cheeks and part of her wondered if she was blushing, though she was doing her best not to.

  “I am, actually. Most of the places in town were booked, though I don’t know why. This place had the best price for the location, so I couldn’t pass it up.” She laughed nervously, and Hawk watched her. Kathryn couldn’t tell if he was trying to decide if she was lying to him or if he really did believe it was a coincidence. Surely, she was just being paranoid. There was no reason at all for him to suspect anything. At last, he turned his attention to the elevator.

  “Well then, I imagine I’m going to see you around,” he said with a side grin. He didn’t wait for her to reply, walking over to the elevator and getting inside.

  Kathryn didn’t realize she was staring until he turned around and made eye contact with her once more, and she quickly looked away, embarrassed. Kathryn was glad he had come to her rescue, but she suddenly felt rather awkward and embarrassed around him—though she didn’t know why.

  Hadn’t she come down here in hopes of meeting him? Yet when he walked was near her, she felt unsure of herself. Kathryn shook her head and brushed the feeling off. She was beautiful, smart, and desirable. She would check herself into her hotel room and settle in for the night.

  She could work things out in the morning.

  Chapter Seven

  Hawk

  The next morning Hawk woke and stared at the ceiling. Part of his mind wandered to the job he was supposed to be doing, but another part of him couldn’t stop thinking about Kathryn. She was as beautiful as ever. Maybe more so. And it was an egotistical thought, but then again, they’d been hot and heavy for a little whi
le there. And it wouldn’t have been impossible for her to find out that he is Vegas or where he was staying …

  Dana was obviously closer to the brothers than Kathryn was, and Hawk knew Kathryn and Dana were close. So Dana could have told her that he was coming into town. But then, why would Dana do that? Why would either of them care that he was in Vegas?

  To further complicate things, why had Dan called him to tell him to keep an eye on Kathryn while she was in town? Hawk knew that there was a lot of tension between Dana and her father, and he couldn’t imagine that now the two of them were teaming up for some conspiracy against him. The thought was so absurd that he smirked.

  Furthermore, last he’d heard, he hadn’t been the favorite Parker as far as Dan was concerned, and though he and Kathryn had had a fling in college, that had ended a very long time ago – much too long ago for her to be showing any interest in him now. As much as Hawk hated to admit it, she had officially stumped him, and he was going to need to bring in someone else—someone who did know Kathryn at least a little bit.

  With a surge of resolve, he dialed Cole.

  “What happened?” Cole asked as soon as he answered the phone. Hawk rolled his eyes.

  “I call you to ask you advice, and the first thing you ask is how I screwed up?” he asked, and Cole sighed in relief.

  “Thank God! I thought you really messed up this time. Why else would you be calling me, especially this early in the morning?”

  “Is Dana there?” Hawk asked.

  “What?”

  “Is Dana there? I want to ask you something without her being in the room. Is she around?”

  “No, she went for one of those early yoga classes. What do you want?”

  “Kathryn’s in town,” Hawk said the sentence rather flatly, and he could hear another sigh through the phone.

  “So?”

  “And her father asked me to keep an eye on her.”

  “That’s not unusual. You know he’s been trying to set her up with one of us for as long as we can remember. Hell, he’s trying to set the entire world up with that girl.” Cole laughed at his own joke, but Hawk wasn’t going to let it go so easily.

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, what is she here for? I’ve got more important things to be doing than trying to babysit her. And how is her dad’s request going to work with the job I am supposed to be doing?” There was exasperation in Hawk’s voice, and though there was a rather amused tone to Cole’s, he did give his brother advice.

  “Look, Hawk, I know the two of you had a thing when you were in college, but I would bet this entire company on the fact that she is not down there to see you, since that’s the subtext I’m reading in your question. Don’t flatter yourself too much. If Dan wants you to keep an eye on her, fine, keep her out of trouble, but don’t worry about anything else, okay?” Hawk was surprised at how nice his brother was being, and he sighed.

  “All right. But that doesn’t answer my question. Why is she here?”

  “How should I know? I don’t have any contact with her at all. If you are really worried about it, why don’t you take her out to dinner or something? It’s more than likely that she’s trying to get back at her dad for something, and she’s using you to do it. May as well play that up while you have the chance, right?”

  “Right.” Hawk hung up the phone, thinking about what his brother had said. He did have a point. It would be very unusual for Kathryn to have come all that way to see him—but at the same time, if she was trying to get back at her dad, then she very well might have done that very thing. He got out of bed and stepped into the shower, doing his best to think about anything but Kathryn.

  If she wasn’t in town to see him, then he could focus his attention on the job he was supposed to be doing. Kathryn should be the least of his concerns—though there was something about the way she had looked the day before that had caught his attention.

  She had always taken good care of herself, but he had never fully appreciated how beautiful she was except for on the rare occasions. Yesterday had been one such occasion. With a sigh, Hawk lathered up his hair and let the water trickle down his back as it rinsed. He could take her out to dinner and not let it lead to anything more.

  In fact, if he did that he would know exactly why she was in town. Even if it was to get back at her dad, he could be all right with that.

  But then, why did he even care?

  ***

  “Wow.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “I don’t think I’ve seen you in that one before.”

  “I got it this afternoon—after you asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner,” Kathryn laughed, but Hawk couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was wearing a dazzling red dress that barely covered her butt in the back or her breasts in the front. The plunging neckline was incredibly revealing, showing him everything.

  But there was something somehow classy about the garment as well. If there was one thing he could say about Kathryn, it was that she was very good about dressing up for any occasion—and looking like the perfect woman while she did. He looked her over from head to toe, barely able to bring his eyes back to hers when she spoke.

  “Are you going to just look at me all night, or are we going out? I’m starving.” She laughed and put her arm in the crook of his, and the two of them headed for the elevator.

  “What are you hungry for?” Hawk asked as they stepped inside.

  “Adventure,” she replied, then laughed. Hawk looked at her with his most charming smile, and Kathryn looked down at her gown. “I almost went with black. Guess you’re glad I chose the red.”

  “So glad,” Hawk agreed wholeheartedly. “Well, let’s do something adventurous and go where I have reservations.”

  “You didn’t even ask me what I wanted. What if I had told you that I was hungry for something that isn’t served where you got reservations?” she teased with mock offense, and he shrugged.

  “Then I would have told you to change what you are hungry for, or go hungry.” He gave her a smirk, and she playfully punched his arm.

  “You’re impossible,” she said.

  “But you love me,” he replied. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to see how she would respond when he said the word ‘love,’ and he had to admit, he was rather disappointed when she didn’t even seem to notice. They had known each other for years, though, so of course he could say such things without her thinking anything of it. They’d never exchanged the words during their brief time as a couple, however. Which made things now … awkward. He cursed his poor choice of words.

  There was already a cab waiting for them outside, and Hawk opened the door for her to get in.

  “Aren’t you just the gentleman tonight?” Kathryn asked with a flirtatious smile, and just like that, the brief awkwardness was gone.

  This time, unlike with the receptionist, Hawk had time and was more than happy to take the bait. “I’m always the perfect gentleman.”

  “Even when you make girls take the walk of shame out of your apartment?” she teased.

  “They should be proud walking out of there—many of them oooo and aaahhh over everything I have. At times I want to ask them if they have ever seen a stove before. You really wouldn’t think that they had.” Hawk was looking ahead and speaking in a serious tone, but then Kathryn laughed and he looked over at her, suddenly captivated by the beautiful melody.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You are!”

  “What did I do?”

  “Think about what you just said. I mean, if you didn’t make it your career to bring home strippers, you might not have that problem.”

  It was Hawk’s turn to look mock offended.

  “What are you saying? I should bring home a respectable woman with all kinds of money? I don’t need money, so what do I need with any of them?” He shook his head, genuinely confused, and Kathryn shrugged.

  “I don’t kn
ow, companionship?” she asked, and he gave her a look, though he didn’t say anything. She did have a point; he could use more companionship from the women he brought home—but then, he rarely had more than a one-night stand with any of them. Any flings that he had lasted little more than a week or two, if that.

  Hawk found his fulfillment in the parties that he attended and the number of women he brought home—nothing else. He didn’t feel the need to have a single companion, because he was always filling the void with half a dozen others.

  “I don’t exactly see you in a long-term relationship,” he retorted, and Kathryn shot him a look. He could see that she was defensive, and he wondered why he was feeling defensive himself. He knew that he had had his fair share of flings, but he didn’t want her to point it out to him. Though he didn’t consider this to be a date, he didn’t want to talk about the other women he had been with.

  He wanted to just enjoy the evening with her.

  “Well, I might have more success if my father would mind his own business!” she snapped. Instead of arguing with her further, or allowing himself to feel guilt about deceiving her, Hawk decided to diffuse the situation.

  “You should tell him to fuck off and leave you alone. You are old enough to decide who you want to spend your time with. I should think you don’t need your father to tell you who you ought to date.”

  “Exactly! Thank you!” Kathryn said, making a gesture with her arms. “I have been telling him that very thing since I was twenty years old, and he just doesn’t listen. It makes me think that he thinks I’m just going to screw it up somehow.”

  “I don’t think you will. Any man would be lucky to call you his own, and it should be up to you to decide which man that is going to be.” Hawk gave her another of his most charming smiles, and Kathryn blushed prettily.

  There was a flirtatious atmosphere between them during the car ride, and it carried on into the restaurant.