Page 14 of Infatuation (The Josh & Kat Trilogy #1)

“Anyone?” I ask, clearly asking if that word includes Josh.

“ Anyone. Jesus, Kat. Of course . That little cleft in your chin?” He makes a sound like I just licked his dick. “I’ve got a hard-on just thinking about it. God help me if I ever get to touch it, I’m gonna lose my fucking mind.”

I swallow hard.

“And on top of all that, you’re funny and sassy, too. You’re the whole package, Kat. A fucking eleven.”

Holy shitballs, I wanna have sex with this man. If we were alone right now, my clothes would already be off and my legs spread. A thought pings my brain like a pebble against a window: What did you ask for in your application to The Club, Josh Faraday?

“So, where are you?” Josh says softly, like he’s luring a rescue puppy with a hunk of sausage. “I wanna celebrate my newfound freedom tonight with my Party Girl with a Hyphen and I won’t take no for an answer.”

I can barely breathe. “I can’t, Josh,” I finally say. “I’m not gonna do that to Cameron. I’m a bitch, but I’m not that big a bitch. We’ll celebrate tomorrow.”

“Aw, come on, Kat. If you’re willing to meet me tomorrow night, that means you already know you’re not gonna be on a date with Cameron Schulz tomorrow night, which means you already know you’re not gonna sleep with him tonight , which means there’s no point in going through the motions with him anymore.

Under the circumstances, the kind and efficient thing to do, therefore, is to stop wasting everyone’s time and come hang out with the guy you actually want to sleep with tonight.

It’s the kindest thing you could possibly do, Kat—don’t you wanna be a kind person? ”

“And you’re assuming the guy I actually want to sleep with is you?”

“Of course. It’s no big secret.”

I scoff. “You’re awfully cocky.”

“No, I’m confident —and with very good reason.”

Oh man, that last comment sent a shiver down my spine.

“I wouldn’t be so confident, if I were you,” I say.

“I haven’t spent five uninterrupted minutes with Cameron, thanks to you—with a little time, we might really hit it off.

You never know. Maybe I will be sleeping with him tomorrow night.

Hell, maybe I’ll throw caution to the wind and sleep with him tonight. ”

Josh’s voice shifts to something animalistic. “ Kat, fuck that shit right now. I’m the sane twin compared to my brother, but I’m still a fucking Faraday—you can’t say that fucking shit to me. Do you understand me?”

Oh, his voice is so fucking sexy right now, I’m wetting the cotton crotch of my undies.

His voice turns into a low, intense growl. “You like torturing me. Is that it? It gets you off?”

I’m so freaking wet. Oh my God, I want him. “Yeah, actually. It does.”

“Oh my fucking God,” he replies. “Go back in there and tell him you’ve got to go. Tell him you got a better offer from a man who’s gonna make you scream tonight. ”

My heart is racing. The cool air on my face is doing nothing to calm my raging arousal right now.

“Come on, Kat. Do it now. Right now. I’ve got such a big fucking hard-on for you right now—and I know exactly how to use it.”

“You’d make me scream, huh?”

“Oh yeah. You bet. All night long, baby.”

“Coming from a guy who joined a sex club, I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. Would you make me scream your name or scream for the police?”

He laughs. “You’ll just have to roll the dice and find out, baby. Either way, you’ll thank me.”

I let out a shaky breath and shift my weight. I feel like every drop of blood and fluid in my body has flooded into my crotch all at once.

“You know how this story ends every bit as much as I do, Party Girl,” he coos. “Let’s cut out the middle bullshit and get to the good stuff. Because, trust me, the good stuff is really, really good.”

“I don’t have any idea how this story ends.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, I do. And, believe me, it’s so fucking good it’s gonna make you drip down your thighs.”

My clit flutters. So, it turns out Josh Faraday’s a dirty-talker, huh? He just gets better and better. I take a deep breath. “It’s gonna be that good, huh?”

“So. Fucking. Good. Oh my God. Best you ever had.”

If I weren’t on a public sidewalk right now, my fingers would already be inside my panties. “What’d you ask for in your application, Josh?” I purr.

He exhales. “You’ll just have to roll the dice and find out, Party Girl. Come on, Kat. YOLO. I’ve got a boner the size of the Space Needle for you right now. I jacked off in the shower yesterday, thinking about you. Don’t make me do it again tonight. What a waste of an epic boner. Come on.”

Oh man, he’s making me so aroused, I can’t think straight. “What’d you write in your application, Josh?” I ask. “Tell me and maybe I’ll tell Cameron I feel a migraine coming on. ”

“I don’t negotiate with terrorists,” he says. “Just tell me where you are.”

I laugh, even though I don’t want to do it.

“YOLO, Kat,” he whispers like he’s trying to put me into a trance. “ YOOOOOLO .”

I laugh again and shake my head, bringing myself to my senses. “Are you gonna tell me what you asked for in your application or not?”

“Not. You just have to roll the dice. That’s half the fun of fucking someone new. Come on.”

I’m pissed as hell he won’t tell me. Didn’t I just say I’d ditch Cameron if he told me? That’d be an exceedingly bitchy, heartless thing to do to the guy—and I’m still willing to do it for him —even though Cameron is a goddamned Major League baseball player, too. Well, now I’m pissed.

“Come on, Kat. YOLO ,” Josh coos, clearly still thinking he’s got a chance of getting what he wants.

“Nope. I’m not gonna be a total bitch to Cameron. And I’m not gonna sleep with you without knowing what I’m getting myself into. So forget it.”

“Tell him you’ve gotta go. Right now.”

“No. We’ve already ordered our food—really expensive, nice food. Surf and turf.”

“Wow. Big spender.”

“Stop it. He’s nice—a really sweet guy. He doesn’t even drink.”

Josh bursts out laughing. “What? Oh my God. He just gets better and better.”

I’m smiling so big, my cheeks hurt.

Oh man, Josh is laughing his ass off like I’ve just said the funniest thing in the world. “Fun guy,” he finally chokes out. “Oh yeah, you’re having a blast, Party Girl.” He laughs again. “No wonder you’re talking to me instead of sitting with him. You couldn’t get away from him fast enough.”

“A guy doesn’t have to drink to be fun. I think it’s awesome Cameron doesn’t drink—it shows he’s got discipline.”

“Pfft,” Josh scoffs. “No, you don’t think it’s awesome. You were mortified when he told you, admit it.”

I audibly shrug. He’s right, of course. But wild horses couldn’t make me admit that to him right now. “Why don’t we just see each other tomorrow night?” I purr.

Josh exhales. “I can’t. I’m headed to New York tomorrow on the early flight on business. And then I gotta be in LA for a couple days on a deal. I won’t be able to get back to Seattle for at least a week.”

I make an “oh well” sound. In all honesty, I’m wildly disappointed, but I’m not gonna let him know that. “Well, then, I guess we’ll be seeing each other in a week or so,” I say primly. “If ever.”

He makes an exasperated noise.

“Assuming you’ve sent me your application to The Club by then, of course,” I add. “Since that’s a required prerequisite of me going out with you.”

He makes a scoffing sound.

I ignore him. “Oh, and assuming I’m not impregnated by Cameron Schulz by then—which is entirely possible.”

Josh makes a caveman roar that shocks the hell out of me. “Fuck this, Kat!” he booms. “ Tell that boring, sober motherfucker to fuck off right now . I mean it. No more bullshit. I’m coming to get you. Tell me where you are.”

I can only imagine how shocked my face looks right now. I must look like that emoji with wide eyes. I didn’t expect that kind of volcanic reaction. Jeez. It came out of nowhere. He always seems so laid back. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

“Are you there?” Josh barks.

“Yeah.”

“Enough with the bullshit, Kat. Playtime’s over. You don’t wanna be with Cameron Fucking Schulz tonight and you know it. You wanna be with me. Now tell me where you are because I’m coming to get you.”

Kerzoinks, as Sarah would say. Sounds like he’s got something of a jealous streak.

Ha! Well, he’s in for a rude awakening. Because Kat Morgan doesn’t do jealous-boyfriend bullshit.

Ever. Wait. What am I thinking? Josh isn’t even my boyfriend!

We’re not even dating! Why would he think, even for a minute, he’s in any position to tell me what to do?

“Hmm,” I say calmly, like he just asked me for directions to the nearest gas station. “I don’t think so, Playboy. Caveman shit doesn’t really work with me, you ought to know. ”

He’s either fuming or coming on the other end of the line—I’m not sure which. By the noise he just made, it could be either.

“You know what I think’s gonna happen right now?

I’m gonna hang up the phone and go back into the restaurant and have a nice meal with a very sweet guy who politely asked me out to a very nice restaurant, and rescheduled twice despite his very busy schedule , and who’s treated me with nothing but respect all night long—and who, it turns out, happens to be the starting shortstop for the Mariners. Who knew?”

Josh makes another raging caveman noise. “Kat. I’m not kidding. Stop fucking around and tell him—”

“So I guess I’ll see you soon, whenever you’re in Seattle next— if I’m not already desperately in love with Cameron Schulz and carrying his love child by then.”

“ Kat .”

“What?”

“Fuck.”

I don’t reply.

“Come on,” he says. “Stop it.”

He’s clearly used to getting whatever he wants, when he wants it.

“Travel safe, Josh. I really do hope to see you soon.”

“ Kat .”

I’m about to hang up, but his tone is so emphatic, I feel compelled to stay on the line. “ What ?”

He exhales. There’s a long beat as he collects himself. “YOLO , Kat,” he says earnestly.

I bite my lip. Oh, he’s good. He’s really good. A giggle escapes my mouth, even though I don’t want it to.

Oh man. I want him. He’s one hundred percent right.

But I’ve got a problem. I make it a rule never to sleep with a man on a first date if I’m interested in him as potential boyfriend-material.

It’s a rule I never break. I’m not quite sure if all my interactions with Josh add up to the equivalent of a first date or not, but I don’t want to risk it.

But, regardless of my stupid rule (because if ever there was a time to break my rule, it’s now, with Josh), if Josh is leaving on a flight to New York first thing tomorrow, then tonight’s not our night, anyway.

Something tells me when I finally get to take a big ol’ bite out of this particular man’s ass—and I’m not being figurative there—I’m gonna wanna go back for seconds and thirds and fourths and fifths.

I exhale a long, shaky breath. It’s been so freaking long since I’ve felt even a glimmer of what I’m feeling right now, I don’t want to fuck it up by being Classic Kat.

“I gotta go, Playboy,” I say. I exhale again and my tone shifts to complete sincerity. “Josh, seriously. It’d be too heartless, even for me, to blow off Cameron after how sweet he’s been to me. I can be a bitch, you should be warned, but not that big a bitch.”

Josh is silent on the line for a long beat. “Shit,” he finally says. “Okay. Then. Fuck. I guess I’ll see you next week, then.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

He exhales with resignation.

“Hey, make sure you get my email address from Sarah in the meantime.”

“Why?”

“So you can send me your Club application. It’s required reading before I’ll go out with you.”

He audibly rolls his eyes. “Not gonna happen.”

I laugh. “You’re used to getting whatever you want, when you want it, aren’t you?”

“Damn straight.”

“Well, guess what? So am I .”

He laughs. “Mmm hmm. Well, sucks to be you, Party Girl. I guess you’ve finally met your match.”

“Mmm hmm. We’ll see.”

He chuckles. “We’ll see.”

“Travel safe, Josh,” I say earnestly. “I gotta go have dinner with Cameron Schulz, the shortstop for the Mariners.” I wait a beat, but he doesn’t reply. “I hope to see you soon, Josh,” I add sincerely.

“Tell Cameron his batting average sucks dick right now and that whiff at the plate last night against the Yankees was a fucking embarrassment.”

“I’ll be sure not to tell him you said so.”

“Bye, Kat.”

“Bye, Josh. I’ll look forward to your email with your application attached.”

“Not a fucking chance, Party Girl. Not a fucking chance in hell. ”

I laugh. “We’ll see about that.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.”

“I don’t need luck. I’ve got you right where I want you, Playboy.”

“Mmm hmm. I think it’s the other way around.”

“That’s what I want you to think.”

He laughs. “Sure thing, PG. Keep telling yourself that. Bye, Kat.”

“Bye, Josh.”

I hang up and turn off my phone. For a long beat, I stand in the chilly night air, staring at the traffic whizzing by on the street, my crotch throbbing mercilessly and my heart leaping out of my chest. He’s right.

He’s got me right where he wants me—not the other way around—just like every other woman he burns through, I’m sure.

Clearly, the man has his pick of every bisexual supermodel and starlet in Hollywood, and I can see why.

Well, maybe I’m the first woman who’s gonna teach this Playboy that not all women will say “how high” when a rich, handsome, charismatic studmuffin like Josh Faraday commands, “Jump.”

After a moment, a wide smile spreads across my devious, bitchy, turned-on, intrigued, conniving little face.

If Josh wants me, he’s gonna have to work for it—something he’s clearly not used to doing.

I’m dying to read his frickin’ application, that’s true, but at this point, that stupid application is more than just an application to a sex club.

It’s a brass ring. If this is gonna be a battle of wills, then I’m gonna be the one who wins it.

My smile widens.

Kat Morgan knows two things in this life: men and PR. And, by God, when it comes to Josh Faraday, victory will be mine. Along with his supremely bitable ass.