HellKat by Robyn Roze Read Free Book Online

call last night.” She laughed in disdain at the punishment handed down to her for having been too horny to think straight. “What an understatement that is.” Her attention drifted in contemplation.
    “There was a time when a mistake like this wouldn’t have even been worth a second thought to me. But,” she paused, “I’m not a girl anymore. I have responsibilities, a business, ambitions … And it’s all harder when you’re a woman in a man’s world. There’s even less room for error, for poor judgment.”
    She dropped her head and stared at the tiled floor, folded her arms around herself. Tucker started to speak, but Kat silenced him with the slice of her hand through the air.
    “Shut the hell up! I really don’t want to hear your voice. I don’t even want to look at you. I don’t want to be anywhere near you.” The rage of adrenaline rushed out of her body, left her feeling cold and limp, the fight draining away. Shaking her head in regret, she spoke just above a whisper and refused to look at him. “Get away from the door. I want out. Now.” She moved toward the exit, and Tucker reluctantly let her pass.
    On her way out, she glanced back, not at him but past him at some distant focal point. Her voice void of emotion, she said, “I know Cassie, and she’ll do her best to save this deal. Understand one thing: I will never sign off on anything you’re involved in.”
    Declaration made, Kat James walked away with the dangling shred of dignity she still had intact.
    She trudged back to her office as all the lies and omissions from yesterday replayed in her head: I’ll leave as soon as your mystery person gets here; I’m from all over; a little of this, a little of that. And her personal favorite: what you see is what you get . Nausea bubbled in her belly. She grabbed her bag. Time to go home. She needed to hide out and lick her wounds.
    Before exiting her office, Kat walked back to the trash can next to her desk. She retrieved the talking points tossed there earlier. The truth stared back at her in black and white, plain as day. Diamond Industries, Owner/President: Tucker fucking Williams. The only thing he hadn’t lied about—his name. The image next to the business profile showed a slightly younger man with shorter hair, an easy smile, wearing an open-collared, button-down shirt. Kat wadded the paper tightly and tossed it back in the trash—where it belonged.
    Cassie’s frantic voice and the sound of glass fragments underfoot assaulted Kat’s senses.
    “I’ve already contacted the building manager about cleaning up this mess and replacing the glass panel.” She hesitated, watching Kat with a worried expression. “My God, Kat, what’s going on? You’d better have a good explanation about what just happened. You know finding a credible investor isn’t easy. And I don’t think I need to remind you we’re asking for a substantial investment.”
    “I know.” The words burned her throat. She’d ruined this for them.
    Cassie continued to talk, but Kat walked past her.
    “I’m going home. I may not be in for a few days. I’m not feeling well.”
    In the distance, Tucker stood in the lobby. Cassie had probably herded him back in an attempt to salvage scraps from the wreckage. As Kat advanced closer, she held her breath and walked by him, not even wanting to share the same air with him. She held her head high, shoulders back, and walked with purpose. Out the corner of her eye, Tucker Williams seemed to have shrunken a bit.
    No longer larger than life.

 

    Six months passed without much free time to dwell on mistakes or poor judgment. Kat and Cassie had worked hard. They’d teamed up with another investor and the expansion of J&P Enterprise, now well underway, continued to roll out smoothly. And now the fruits of their labor meant they could finally begin to enjoy a bit of downtime and more reasonable work hours. The lack of playtime hadn’t bothered Kat; penance well deserved for going