Two wrongs don't make a right, but neither does one. Revenge may seem petty by day, but on some nights she becomes Justice ― ASHLY LORENZANA

After that prophetic comment, he steered their conversation to discussing business. Cat was dazed but sat attentively throughout the rest of the meal. It reassured him that he could shake her like that. His strategy of keeping her guessing while not trusting whatever bullshit fell from her mouth was going to work out perfectly. He would soon get all he wanted from her and then he would be the one doing the leaving.

Refusing dessert and coffee, the maître d' brought their coats as they got up to leave. "Thank you, Jeremy. The meal was sublime as always. Compliments to the chef."

"My pleasure, sir.... ma'am," He gave a pleased smile to Cat and then winked at him.

"Please come back soon. I'll give your regards to Chef Francis," Alex took her coat from Jeremy and held it out with a smirk on his beautiful face.

"Here, let me."

She turned and reluctantly presented her back to him. Shaking the dark coat out and gliding his fingers over her wrist to her shoulders, he drew out the action as if he had all the time in the world.

"How are Anabelle and Johnny? Still giving you hell?" He felt a shiver of response that she couldn't hide and heard her breath hitch. She tried to move away but was trapped between the table and Jeremy while he continued his conversation with Jeremy. As if he was unaffected by her reaction, Alex blew aside a few tendrils of hair from her nape to smoothen the collar and was gratified to notice the fine hairs on her neck stand up.

"Thank you once again for taking them out to see those fireworks on the Fourth of July. They were so excited and Johnny wouldn't shut up about the bicycle you bought him and Anabelle was charmed that you brought her the dollhouse. She even named her favorite doll after you. But really you'll spoil them rotten."

His focus was all on Jeremy but the unbelievably instant response Cat gave made him hot for her again.

"They're great to be around, Jer. Let me know when I can come and visit them next," He had no idea what he was saying or even if it made any sense. But Jeremy seemed to be smiling and nodding back. At this rate, he would be having the worst case of blue balls in the history of time.

She then mercifully stepped away from him, but not before Alex saw himself reflected in her molten gaze and took in her dismayed expression.

Fuck. She was turned on.

Though, she tried to swiftly mask her reaction. But he half smiled to let Cat know the score. Even though all he wanted to do was pull her hot body against him and devour her.

"Sure. Have a good night, sir, ma'am," Jeremy gave Cat a little bow as he led the way out.

Alex watched as her melting caramel eyes turned a fiery green as she distractedly nodded back at Jeremy. Cat looked magnificently enraged and he was perversely aroused even more at thinking about her reaction. Alex was sure she was thinking about decking him there and then in front of the whole staff. But then Cat looked around and drew a deep breath as if to restrain herself.

Just barely.

Alex didn't dare to touch her again with the way he was feeling. Lost in her thoughts, Catrina didn't notice they'd reached the limo until Jason held open the door for her and murmured a greeting. She greeted him back and got in. As she stared out at the darkness he watched her in total silence.

He felt too... consumed by her and the depraved images his brain had conjured at a rapid rate. He knew he wanted her like a man strewn on the sea dying of thirst.

The graceful arch of her neck.

The tendrils of silky, raven mane that clung down her back.

Her thickly lashed eyes that swept down her cheeks and changed hue with rapidly changing emotions.

The air felt thick and heavy with her anger and desire swirling like a fog in the plush interior. The car stopped and it took several moments for him to realize that they were parked outside her hotel.

"So I expect you to come in tomorrow morning at-"

"Would you like to come up for a second? I'd like to talk to you about something."

Missing the gleam in her eyes, Alex thought Cat was finally ready to give him some answers. But still, he hesitated. Alex knew the risks. After all, he had trusted and believed in her unconditionally, once. But she had broken his trust and made him out to be the fool. He'd vowed then and there that he'd never make the same mistake again. But thinking that maybe Cat was finally ready to tell him the truth about the night she'd left voluntarily, he decided to let this one play out. Because as soon as she gave him his answers, depending upon her response, he could let the past go.

Finally, let her go.

Alex gave a slight nod of his head and got out to open the door for her. They walked up to her hotel as Cat swayed her hips and deliberately brushed her arms and hips against him. He had felt himself restrain his desire to grab and kiss her senselessly by throwing Catrina up against the wall.

God, was she trying to kill me?

Alex had wanted an explanation. Damn it, he was ready for her answers and anything she threw at him was better than this limbo. But he couldn't seem to concentrate as she continued to brush up against him.

She smiled in an apologetically sweet way at him. They took the empty elevator up to her floor as the scent of wildflowers and her unique sweet essence drugged his senses. His mouth watered and his erection created an uncomfortable distraction for him in the gradually shrinking small space.

"Are you deliberately trying to provoke a sleeping beast?" Alex drawled uncaringly.

"Is it working?"

"Are you going to give me a straight answer?"

"Fresh out of those. Sorry," Her mocking reply was answer enough.

The sway of her rounded hips and long legs encased in red high heels invoked images of them wrapped around his waist and taking her to places not found on this planet. Slapping a hand near her head, he leaned in threateningly, "You're going to give me everything I want, Catrina Banning. Do you know why? Because deep inside, you're still that scared and attention-seeking girl I knew."

Shrouded in a haze of lust, he thought Catrina had turned around to lean in for his kiss. But then she stood on her tiptoes in high heels to reach his ears and whispered, "No, I'm not. We've come way ahead to go back, Alex." She leaned back and moved ahead to her room as the doors opened.

He kept gazing at her in awe and a lust-fueled haze still standing in the lift as she unlocked the door and smirked as she called out, "Sleep tight," and the doors closed in front of him.