Page 37 of Infatuation (The Josh & Kat Trilogy #1)

Twenty-Five

Josh

Jesus Christ. Enough, already. When will this torturous kiss between Henn and Kat end?

Enough . Well, now I know: I’m dealing with a fucking monster.

A gorgeous, twisted, evil, sexy fucking monster.

I didn’t think she’d actually go through with it.

What the fuck is she thinking? Poor Henn’s never gonna recover from this goddamned kiss.

I’m only watching it, and she’s scarring me for life.

After what seems like forever, Henn and Kat finally break away from their kiss, and Kat’s eyes instantly dart to me.

I steel myself, expecting her to smile like the vicious shark she is—like the prehistoric killing machine she is—but the look on her face absolutely floors me.

Her eyes aren’t blazing with smart-ass defiance, no—they’re glistening with something else. .. Hurt .

Henn hasn’t stopped staring at Kat since they broke apart from their kiss, even though she’s looking at me. Jesus, the poor guy looks like he just stumbled out of a hookah lounge.

Clearly, I’ve got to say something to smooth things out here, even though I’m literally trembling in my seat with adrenaline.

“Awesome, Henn,” I say. “You nailed it man—or should I say her ?”

Kat’s face contorts into unbridled disgust.

Henn fidgets and takes a step back.

“I watched your technique carefully, man,” I continue breezily, “looking for any chink in your armor. But I couldn’t find a damned thing to critique. You should be giving me pointers, man.”

“Yeah, you slayed it, Henn,” Kat adds, her voice tight. Her mouth smiles, but her eyes don’t. “All I’ve got is praise, baby.”

I stand abruptly. “Well, I think I’m gonna hit the sack. I’m pretty wiped. ”

Kat stands. “Me, too. Unless you still need some more help, Henn?”

“No, I’m good. I can take it from here.” He looks at his watch and clears his throat.

“Wow, it’s almost three. I’m gonna get another Americano and start going through the first batch of stuff that’s been processed through translation software.

” He looks at his three laptops sprawled on the table.

“Should I move my shit to my room and work there?”

“Nah, no worries. Stay put. I’m just gonna crash.

Gimme your room key, man. I’ll crash in your room.

” My eyes flicker briefly to Kat to get a read on her—to see if maybe she’s toying with the idea of letting me “crash” in her room for the night—and I’m met with blue eyes of steel.

My eyes dart back to Henn. “What’s your room number again, man? ”

“1836.”

“Okay, well, nighty night, man.” I slide Henn’s key-card into my pocket. “Don’t drink too many Americanos. That shit’ll kill you.” I start moving toward the front door of the suite. “Come on, Kat. I’ll walk you to your room.”

“No need.”

“I promised Jonas I wouldn’t leave you alone while we’re here in Vegas, unless you’re safely in your room.”

She clenches her jaw. “Well, we wouldn’t want you to break a promise to Jonas, would we?”

“Thanks again for all the help tonight, guys,” Henn says. “You cut my workload down by hours.”

“Any time, bro. We’re all in this together.”

Kat hugs Henn and kisses him on the cheek. “You’re amazing, Henn—a fucking genius.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“And thanks for the kiss,” she says. “I know it was for instructional purposes only, but it was a really, really lovely kiss.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. One for the memory book.”

“Hang on a sec, Kat,” I say. I quickly gather my toiletries and a change of clothes from the bedroom and stuff everything into a small duffel bag. “Okay. See you in the morning, Henn. Do you need anything from your room? ”

“No. I’ll call down to the front desk for a toothbrush. I’m fine.”

“Okay. Good night, man.”

I silently guide Kat through the front door of the suite.

“It’s all fun and games ’til someone gets hurt,” I mutter the second the door closes behind us.

“I couldn’t agree more,” she says, gritting her teeth.

“Didn’t look like you gave a shit about someone getting hurt a minute ago,” I reply.

She whips around to face me, her eyes blazing. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” she asks.

“I could say the same thing to you. Are you a complete sociopath?”

“What? You’re the one who offered me up like I was a wench at a pirate-bride auction.”

“Ha! I didn’t think you’d actually do it. I hope you’re happy now. You’ve ruined that boy.”

“ I’ve ruined him? You’re the one who threw me at him! And now you’re all pissy because I did exactly what you told me to do?” she seethes. “Who’s the sociopath now?”

I throw up my hands in frustration.

“It looks like I’m not the only one who’s a suicide bomber, huh?” she says. “Looks like you’re willing to blow yourself up to win every bit as much as I am.”

She’s right about that. Fuck. I’m a fucking suicide bomber, goddammit. What’s happening to me? Kat’s driving me certifiably insane.

Wordlessly, I grab her arm and pull her to the elevators—I’m gonna drag her to her room and ditch her sorry ass there, let her think about what she just did to poor Henn—what she just did to me, goddammit—but when the doors open, something overtakes me.

This woman makes me fucking crazy. I can’t get enough of her, even when she pisses me off.

I pull her inside the elevator, drop my duffel bag, and slam her against the fucking wall, pressing my hard-on into her and kissing her neck.

She moans loudly. “Yes,” she breathes.

“Stop torturing me,” I say, groping her breasts. “No more fucking games. ”

She throws her head back and lifts her leg around my waist, guiding my hard-on into her crotch. I grind into her, pinning her hands above her head, licking and kissing her face, her ears, her chin—but not her lips. Fuck no, not her lips. There’s no fucking way.

The doors open. We’re on her floor. I pick up the duffel and drag her out of the elevator roughly and into the hallway, but we don’t make it more than a few steps before I’m attacking her again.

Goddamn this woman. I pin her to the wall again, just outside the elevator, and unbutton her jeans, sliding my hand inside her pants.

She cries out as my fingers slide into her pussy.

Oh God, she’s so wet. My dick is throbbing mercilessly.

I can’t stand this anymore. I’ve got to have her.

“You’re evil,” I say, sliding my fingers in and out of her. “You’re so fucking evil.”

She moans loudly as my fingers fuck her furiously.

She begins pawing at the front of my jeans, trying to unbutton my fly.

“I’ve got to have you,” I growl. “Fuck this shit, Kat. Come on.”

“Yes,” she says. “Do it. Come on.”

The nearby elevator dings.

I pull my hand out of her pants and leap back from her, shaking with my arousal, and a small group of forty-something women tumble out of the elevator, laughing hysterically.

“Which way?” I mumble. “I forget your room number.”

She points. “2715.”

I grab her arm and yank her toward her room, my cock throbbing, my nostrils flaring. “No more bullshit. I’m fucking you right now. This is over right now.”

“Why didn’t you stop me?” she asks as I drag her down the hallway.

“Because I didn’t think you were gonna actually go through with it.”

“I thought for sure you were gonna stop me.”

We’ve reached her room. “Gimme your key. I’m fucking you right now.”

She exhales. Something in her eyes has shifted. “No, wait.” She swallows hard. “Why didn’t you stop me?” Her eyes are glistening with obvious hurt. “I thought you wouldn’t be able to stand seeing another man kiss me—even Henn.”

My heart squeezes. She looks authentically hurt .

“Kat,” I say, shocked at the genuine emotion on her face.

“I thought you’d stop me.” She wipes her watering eyes.

Oh, shit. I’ve fucked up here, haven’t I? I’ve really fucked up.

“I just...” I begin, my head reeling. “I thought we were in a... battle to the death... I was... just trying to force your hand.”

Why does she look like she’s about to cry?

Kat wipes her eyes again. “I’m tired of battling to the death, Josh,” she says softly, exhaling. “Or maybe I’m just plain tired.” She motions to her room. “You wanna fuck me, but you don’t wanna take off your mask. Sorry, but I’m not interested.”

I’m speechless.

She exhales a long breath. “I’m just gonna get some sleep tonight. I’m totally sleep deprived.”

“What? No. Let me come in with you.”

“Why? What’s the point?” Her blue eyes have steeled over. “Thanks for walking me to my room.” She turns to swipe her key-card in the lock.

“Kat, wait.” I grab her arm.

She freezes.

My pulse is pounding in my ears. How did we go from attacking each other in the elevator to this? What just happened?

“I’m sorry, Kat,” I say. “I... thought you’d back down. I was just... I didn’t understand. I didn’t know it would hurt your feelings.”

She stares at me, apparently waiting for me to continue.

But I don’t. I don’t know what else to say.

“I think I just need a short break from the game—or maybe I just need a little sleep. Either way, I just wanna crash.”

“Kat, wait,” I say, squeezing her arm gently. “Let me come in. Talk to me.”

She shakes her head. “Why won’t you just tell me what’s in your application? How bad can it really be? I’m clearly not Snow White—I’m sure I’ll understand. What’s the big deal at this point?”

I don’t reply.

“Is it S&M, Josh? Is that what you’re into? Because I wouldn’t care.”

“Just, please. Enough. Stop pushing for this. It’s gonna backfire. Trust me. It’s gonna backfire and we won’t be able to stuff that genie back into the bottle. ”

“But if I give in now where would we go from there?” She wipes her eyes again.

“I admit I’ve fucked this up. Okay? I’ve taken it too far, created a no-win situation—I admit that.

” Her eyes water. “But it is what it is. And now I can’t figure out an endgame besides seeing it through to the bitter end.

If I don’t insist on it now, then it’ll always be this big ‘thing’ between us.

I’ll always wonder what the hell you’re hiding from me. ”

I swallow hard. “It’s not that big a deal, okay?

It’s really not. It’s just that I don’t talk about certain things,” I say softly.

“I’m not always Happy Josh, okay? I’m not always what I seem.

And you reading that application would force me to spill my guts to you in a way. .. I’m not willing to do.”

She twists her mouth. “I never spill my guts, either, Josh. I hate spilling my guts, believe me. But if I had an application, I’d give it to you,” she says softly. “I really would, Josh. I’d spill my guts to you, if the situation were reversed.”

“Easy for you to say. The situation’s not reversed.”

“But if it were, I’d tell you my secrets.” Her lip is trembling.

I can’t formulate a reply. She’s breaking my heart. I don’t understand what’s happening. I haven’t even kissed this goddamned girl and I feel like she’s got a stranglehold on my fucking heart.

I shake my head, at a loss. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.

She says if she gives in and quits the battle, she’d never trust me?

But it works the same way on my end, doesn’t it?

If I tuck my dick and balls between my legs and give her what she wants, if I act like a pussy-whipped little puss who can be manipulated into doing puppy tricks for her, where the fuck could we possibly go from there? We’d be doomed.

“I’m not gonna give it to you,” I say evenly. “If you wanna get with me, then get with me. If you don’t, then don’t. That application shouldn’t have anything to do with it, either way.”

Her eyes are unreadable to me. She sighs.

“I think maybe we should just concentrate on saving the world for a bit, okay? Things have gotten out of control. That’s my fault, not yours.

I’m sorry about that.” Her eyes suddenly flood with tears.

“I think we should just take a break on battling to the death for a while—concentrate on saving the world.”

“Kat. Wait. Let me come in. Not to fuck you. Just to be with you. Just to sleep next to you. ”

“Josh, we’re obviously two suicide bombers on opposing missions—both of us stubborn as hell.

We’re not a good combination.” She opens her door.

“Thanks for walking me to my room. I appreciate it.” She slips inside her room, and her voice travels through the gap in the door, just before it closes. “I’m sorry, Josh. Good night.”