“Dammit!” a female exclaimed. “This door’s blocked. Call security. Have them search the stage and the auction room. I want that woman found!”
Kat moved to her right. Just as she reached the hallway opening, a man in a suit blocked her exit.
He was busily studying papers in the file folder he held when she nearly plowed into him. He glanced up with startled green eyes that quickly sharpened and focused. “What are you doing back here? Let me see your I.D.”
Shit. So much for options.
She didn’t think, simply charged the curtain and her last hope for escape.
To her luck, the auction room itself was empty but for an elderly man placing programs on each of the plush chairs. Kat stumbled across the stage and nearly tripped down the three small steps onto the expensive carpet below. She stiffened her shoulders and tried to look like she belonged as she moved quickly toward the open double doors at the end of the room.
Just then the curtain whipped back and the suit she’d almost run over appeared, looking seriously ticked off. “Stop her!”
Kat didn’t hang around to find out what would happen next. She beat feet through the main double doors to the lobby and pulled up short when she saw the massive crowd gathered there. One look told her she wasn’t going out the front door, not without causing a scene.
Oh, man. She was quickly running out of options.
Please just let me get out of one more mess.
Darting a look around and seeing her last hope for escape, she wove through the crowd and headed for the kitchen.
Her nerves shot up another level as she unbuttoned her black jacket, slipped it off her shoulders and looped it over her arm. Carefully, she unhooked the front pouch and tucked it in the folds of her coat. A look back confirmed security had finally wised up to what was happening. They stood with the suit at the auction room doors, searching the crowd for her.
She ducked behind a heavyset man nursing a glass of champagne and waited until the kitchen door swung open wide and a waiter appeared carrying a tray of bubbly. And just as she was about to make a beeline for the kitchen and her last shot at freedom, she heard it. A deep, familiar baritone.
She whipped around so fast she nearly took out the man in front of her. Muttering apologies, she slipped into the shadows in the corner of the room and cautiously looked toward the lobby’s main entrance, where two couples had just stepped into the room. Her mind screamed, run! But it was already too late. The crowd parted, and then he was there. And she couldn’t look away even if she’d wanted to.
Just her luck, he was better looking than she’d remembered. His nose was straight, his eyes the same captivating smoky gray, his hair as dark blond and wind-ruffled as she’d always liked.
His body hadn’t changed much in the years since she’d seen him last—he was still strong and broad and, she was sure, chiseled beneath that spendy tuxedo like always—but for some reason he seemed taller than she remembered. Bigger everywhere. Larger than life. More…alive than even she’d fantasized.
And though she hated to admit it—even to herself—she’d definitely fantasized over the years. Then berated herself for being a complete and utter fool.
Peter Kauffman. Her Pete.
The group around him chatted as he reached for the coat of the woman he was obviously with. She shrugged out of the garment, revealing a slinky, winter white gown, then turned and placed her hand on Pete’s chest. With a sultry grin, she eased up on her toes and kissed that jaw Kat had nibbled and licked and tasted a hundred times herself.
No, not hers, Kat realized as she stood there staring. He’d never really been hers, had he?
“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Jolted out of her reverie, Kat jerked around.
“You’re supposed to be serving drinks,” the man said with a scowl. His name badge identified him as Antonio, the head bartender.
Her brain was complete fuzz, but one thing got through: this yahoo thought she was a waitress.
Conversation behind her quieted. In the silence, she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. Just as she opened her mouth to rattle off a lame excuse, footsteps quickly crossed the marble at her back.
Oh…shit!
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I…it won’t happen again.”
The footsteps drew closer. Kat darted around Antonio, used his body as