“Hello?”
“Hi, Kate, I have Lana on, too,” Sienna said.
“He didn’t try to hide it,” Kate said, the anger starting to build in her again.
“If he wasn’t moved by that kicking dress, I’d say he has to be gay,” Lana blurted.
She smiled as her friend jumped to her defense.
“Simmer down, Lana. He’s been hiding it all this time.”
“What do you mean?” Sienna asked.
“I saw the heat in his eyes and, oh, baby, was it hot.”
“That jerk,” Lana said.
“What are you going to do?” Sienna asked.
“Make him crazy for it,” Kate said with relish.
“Way to go, Sister Kate. Kick that nun’s habit to the curb,” Lana said.
“Oh, Jericho will be praying, all right. He’ll be praying for mercy when I get done with him.”
Both of her friends broke out in laughter, but Kate didn’t crack a smile. She was dead serious.
* * *
One hour into the announcement dinner, the ballroom was packed. From her vantage point at the top of the stairs, she caught eddies of color and bits of conversation from the elegantly dressed guests standing beneath the spill of light from crystal-rich chandeliers. Waiters carrying trays loaded with champagne flutes eased their way through the crowd. The air was permeated with designer perfume, punctuated here and there with laughter. Over the humming din, she could hear the soft strains of a piano and sax.
She made her way down the staircase. The Grand Ballroom of the Wilmore Hotel was awash with brightness, reflecting the soft pink roses that wound around the two massive columns framing the entrance. And the bottom of each column was encircled with blood-red roses. It was a stunning contrast.
It took her only a moment to identify the man standing next to one of those columns. Her temper spiked. Her breath got trapped in her lungs. He was incredibly handsome, and her heart kicked into a fluttering pace when he moved toward her. In a suit, he was irresistibly male. In a tuxedo, Jericho St. James held a magnetic quality that squeezed her heart until she thought it’d burst.
The austere contrast of the snowy-white shirt against the black tux should have made him look civilized and conventional. Instead, it highlighted his dangerous good looks, His dark hair curved around the satiny collar and made her insides go liquid.
His eyes were purposeful, his look, intense. And it made her feel as if she were the only woman in the world.
His eyes traveled over her in a slow slide that made Kate’s knees weak. She’d purposely chosen the black dress for its dramatic baring of her midriff beneath see-through black mesh. The same material made up the whole back of the dress that plunged to her waist. A tight black skirt with sheer black thigh-highs finished the effect.
As her black satin sandal hit the marble floor, Jericho came up to her. Kate smiled, remembering Lana’s instruction on enticing him to touch her in innocent ways. She’d practiced unclasping the diamond necklace around her neck, and she did so now. With a soft cry, she tried to catch it as it fell.
But Jericho’s big hand easily caught it.
When she reached to take it from him, he said, “Let me.” He moved behind her and gently grasped the delicate chain. She couldn’t control the quick intake of breath when his warm hands touched the nape of her neck. He expertly clasped the necklace, sending goose bumps along her skin.
His hands lingered, but Kate pretended not to notice. She wanted nothing more than to lean into those elegant hands, the heated sensation intoxicating.
But she stepped away from him and turned.
“I had no idea you’d be here,” he said.
“The DA invited me after I left your office.” She shifted her gaze to the milling crowd.
“You’re late. Did you miss the bus?”
His teasing tone caught her off guard as she pulled her gaze from the couples locked in sensual embraces. His eyes danced. This wasn’t going to be easy. She almost wished for the cool, distant Jericho. Resisting this smiling, teasing Jericho would take all her willpower. “No. I took a cab this time. I was late leaving the office.”