17. Seventeen
Why did he agree to dinner with his father and Kat’s mother? He just wanted to be alone with Kat. He completely understood that Mrs. Brooks would want to be with her daughter, but he wanted to be with her more. He needed to tell her how he felt about her before they went back to L.A. in the morning. After everything they had been through together, he knew he would never find anyone who understood him as she did, and he wanted to be with her, preferably forever, in whatever capacity she wanted. He was thinking about marrying the woman. An idea that had previously felt so dated and old-fashioned now sounded like the perfect life if it was with Kat.
He sipped his whiskey and watched his father shamelessly flirt with Mrs. Brooks over the rim of his glass. He could tell they had spent a lot of time together over the past few weeks, and their conversation flowed easily. It didn’t really bother him; he was used to seeing his father flirt and tease women, although they were usually much younger than Mrs. Brooks. He must have said something funny, as she laughed, her eyes crinkling the same way her daughter’s did, and West ached to see Kat. It had only been a few hours, and already he was missing her.
“Where is Katy?” Mrs. Brooks voiced his thoughts, as she looked around the hotel restaurant.
“I’m sure she’ll be down momentarily,” his father said, patting her hand reassuringly. West’s eyes narrowed in on that small touch, wondering if the two had been up to anything else these past few weeks. He wouldn’t put it past his father to take advantage of Mrs. Brooks.
Kat’s mom turned to West and smiled. “I hear you’re going to be in a movie?”
West almost choked on his drink. He didn’t want to talk about this in front of his father, who had somehow found out—from Declan most likely. “I’m still considering my options,” was all he could reply.
His dad scoffed. “Like some prancing pony.”
“That’s not very kind, Tommy,” she admonished, and if West’s eyes could have fallen out of his sockets they would have. To West she said, “You can call me Doris. I think after everything you and my daughter have been through there is no need for formalities.”
“Uh . . . I haven’t signed any deal yet, ma’am.” West nodded, still stunned she had said anything to his father, and also not wanting his father to know what he’d actually decided.
“Well, whatever you decide to do, just make sure it’s what you’re truly passionate about. Everyone always gave me such grief for letting Katy go to UCLA for music, but I believed in letting her choose her own path. I told all my kids, whatever you do, you do it well.”
She gave a pointed look at his father, who looked chagrined, and for a moment West wondered if this is what his life would have been like if he’d had a mother to keep his father in check.
His father cleared his throat, piercing West with his eyes. “She’s right, of course. I’m sure if you put your mind to it, you’ll be rather good.”
West gazed longingly at the door and debated the merits of running away. Was he in the twilight zone? His father had just said something sort of nice to him. He brought the glass of whiskey to his lips and downed the rest of it, unsure what to say to a comment like that. Thankfully, he was saved.
“Oh! Here she is,” Doris exclaimed, seeing Kat at the door.
She had been beautiful on the island, full of strength and courage. Her clothes had been torn apart, her body stitched up, covered in dirt, hair a mess, and he hadn’t cared. To him, she was a warrior queen.
Now she stood before him in the doorway, and it wasn’t the dress that hugged her curves in all the right ways, the makeup that perfectly accentuated her features, or her hair that flowed down her back that drew his attention. It was the confidence that flowed from her in waves that drew West to her. Without thinking, he rose from his chair and walked toward her, offering his arm.
She looked down at it and smiled, slipping her arm into his. He walked her across the restaurant and held out her chair. Sure, these were all antiquated male rituals, but after days on an island, she deserved a little pampering.
“You look beautiful, Katy,” her mother said. “Even if that dress is a bit tight.”
“Thanks, I guess,” she said, dipping her head behind the menu. West saw firsthand how a compliment from her came with a backhanded comment. It seemed she hadn’t changed much in the absence of her daughter. And yet, Doris Brooks had greatly affected his father. He was being nicer to West, and seemed more relaxed.
“Oh, I see you have your grandmother’s bracelet on,” her mother said.
Kat lifted her wrist, and West noticed the gold band with a turquoise pendant in the middle. “Your grandmother asked if you had it. Were you wearing it?” her mother continued.
“Not when we fell overboard.”
“Hmmm, maybe your grandmother is right.”
Kat ducked her head, avoiding her mother.
“And why is that?” his father asked.
“That belonged to my mother,” Doris explained. “In many Native tribes, we believe turquoise protects us from evil. Unless you were Navajo or Hopi, turquoise is scarce and a precious stone. Some say if there is a crack in your stone, it has already protected you from evil, but of course, that’s just the old stories.”
Her mom gave a slight laugh, and West saw what Kat meant about her being uncomfortable with her Indigenous heritage.
His father looked at Doris but spoke to Kat. “Yes, Katrina, it appears you should have been wearing such an amazing family heirloom.”
Kat swallowed, and West gazed at the long column of her neck, wishing he could scrape his teeth up it. He needed her. After last night, all he could think about was her body against his. Her lush hips in the palm of his hands. He needed this dinner to be over now.
After the backhanded comments from her mother, Kat quickly realized nothing had changed, and yet, her mom seemed calmer. Less overtly critical, and more subtle. A slow change, but a change nonetheless.
Kat stole glances at West, her mouth going dry just at the sight of him. He wore a perfectly tailored gray suit with a white shirt. He didn’t wear a tie and had two buttons undone. She had seen his chest plenty, but something about the V of the dress shirt and the chain he wore around his neck made his chest that much more alluring. His jacket fit him perfectly, and Kat couldn’t think of anything else other than sliding it down his lean and sculpted torso. She was sitting right across from her mother, and her mind kept wandering to stripping the man next to her naked. What was wrong with her?
Dinner went rather amicably. She was surprised by how easily her mother and West’s father talked, and they carried most of the conversation. She never imagined in a million years her mother having anything in common with an eighties rock star, and yet the two laughed and joked as if they were old friends. Kat locked eyes with West and inclined her head toward their parents in question. He shrugged, just as confused about their relationship as she was. Then he gave her a dazzling smile. Not the fake one he gave fans after a long night of playing, but one that reached his eyes. It left Kat breathless. She was never going to be accustomed to how he took over her senses.
It was more than his looks though: his kind words, caring disposition, and the way he made her feel like she really was capable of anything meant far more to her, and she couldn’t fathom walking away.
She glanced across the table, and Tommy Monroe raised an eyebrow in question at her. He had caught her staring at his son. What did he think of her? Of them? Did he know there was something between them?
He was a good-looking older man, and she saw so much of West in him. If this was how West would age, the world was certainly in trouble because he did not look like he was in his sixties. No wonder her mother was enamored. After being stuck with a blue-collar man like her father for over thirty-five years, having a man like Tommy Monroe give her any kind of attention was probably rather enthralling.
Same, Mother.
Kat held back a sigh as her mother talked animatedly with Tommy. They had finished eating, and she was ready to leave. Sensing her urge to get up, West cleared his throat.
“It’s been fun,” he said in his sardonic laid-back tone, “but I think Kat and I are going to hit up the outdoor bar if that’s okay with you?” He smiled his most charming smile—the one she had seen him use on fans, but oddly enough, never on her. It did nothing for her, but her mother practically tittered out of her seat.
“Oh yes, of course. You two have fun.” Her mother gave her a pointed look, and for the first time, Kat realized her mother saw her as a woman and not a little girl.
“Yes, Mother.” She rolled her eyes, her mother so obviously trying to marry her off.
Before Kat could stand, West appeared by her side, holding out his hand to help her. As they walked away, his hand moved to her lower back, touching her possessively. She tried not to shiver, but his touch had such an effect on her. They walked out of the restaurant and out toward the bar.
“That wasn’t so bad,” he said.
“No, I guess not. What’s with our parents? Did you get, like, a flirty vibe from them?”
West snickered. “What? Worried our parents are hooking up?”
“Ew . . .” She pushed away from him. “I cannot in good conscience be screwing you if my mother is with your father.”
He pulled her back into his arms. “I know it’s weird, but not even that would keep me away from you.” He crushed his lips to hers with hungry desperation, like tasting the first rains of spring after an endless drought. Her pulse skyrocketed as he pushed her up against the hallway wall, and she felt his body heat radiating off him. His hands roamed up her skirt, eliciting a gasp that had him gripping her even tighter.
“Let’s go to my room. I have an hour before I have to leave for this press event,” he said between kisses.
“Do I need to go?” she asked, pulling away slightly. They had to stop before he had her naked in the hotel hallway.
“No, I don’t want you to be forced to deal with them. I want to protect you. We’ll work up a plan for the press when we get back to the states. This is just the first of many, I’m sure.”
“Oh, okay,” Kat said, unsure how she felt about being left out of the conversation. She had been stuck on the island too, and something felt wrong about not being there.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, always able to read her face no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
“Nothing,” Kat said, giving him her biggest smile, and pressed her lips to his to distract him. “Come on, we have an hour.” She smiled.
West grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the wall with a grin on his face, kissing and touching her all the way down the hallway to his suite until Kat was panting with need.
He pushed her up against the door with passionate force. His teeth ground against hers and their tongues clashed. She clawed at the lapels of his jacket and pulled him closer still until her knee dug into his rock-hard arousal.
Kat was beyond caring about propriety, consumed by a single desire for all of him—one last time—to give herself to this captivating man who made her feel special and precious and talented like nobody else ever had.
West fumbled with the key to unlock the door, his mouth never leaving hers. Her hands moved to his shirt, tugging at it with heated desperation. She wanted him inside her, the fire of desire he had sparked raging within her. He broke their kiss as she popped each of his buttons free, exploring his toned body with her lips.
“What are you doing to me? I can’t get enough of you,” he groaned.
Kat vaguely heard the beep on the lock as West captured her mouth again, pushing her across the threshold. Kat was in a reckless frenzy as she undid his belt buckle and felt his hands pull her zipper down her spine. Her breaths were quick and shallow, and all thoughts of romantic seduction were gone as an instinctive need overwhelmed her.
In the distance she heard someone clear their throat, and they both jumped apart faster than she would have thought humanly possible, her dress gaping in the front. They turned to stare at the owner of that offending noise.
Kat’s heart plummeted into her stomach, and for a moment she thought her dinner was about to come back up.
West looked at the intruder, his eyes murderous, his hands in fists.
“Christ, Gia, what are you doing here?”
Kat looked between Gia and West and saw what a beautiful couple they made. Gia was so tall and lithe, her blonde hair flowing down her shoulders. Kat’s worst fears were already coming true. Without a word, she turned and fled from the room.