My stomach constricts.
I’m part of the reason Kat no longer trusts. Zach and me. Even Danny. Every man she’s dated has done something to shatter her trust.
Kat sits on the sofa and drops her head against the back before closing her eyes.
“Maybe I could hire myself a male escort,” she says suddenly.
“What?” I squeak, my pitch higher than I intend.
“Got you,” she says, her head now up, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Your brothers would have a fit,” I say, dropping into the chair opposite.
“How would they find out? They never found out about you. We were dating and sleeping together for months.”
The memory of Kat and me together has blood flowing south, and I shift uncomfortably in my seat. She has a point, and that thought sits badly with me. Kat was very good at keeping her private life private, even from her family.
“I’m going for a swim.”
I stand up, suddenly needing to put some distance between us.
“What a great idea. Mind if I join you?”
I stifle a groan.
The last thing I need is Kat in a bikini, or anywhere near me, for that matter.
“It’s a free country,” I say, walking into the bathroom.
Kat’s laughter follows me, and it’s then that I realise she’s teasing me, something I’m not used to.
I turn to find Kat leaning against the doorframe.
“Sorry, that was cruel,” she says, trying to contain her glee.
I scowl.
“Come on.” Her smile spreads, her eyes twinkling. “You should have seen the look on your face.”
My shoulders relax.
“Ha, Ha, veryunfunny.”
“It was just a little bit.” She holds up her thumb and forefinger with a tiny gap between them.
I shake my head and grab my swim shorts, heading to the toilet cubicle. In my current state, I don’t need to be getting undressed in front of Kat.
I shut the door and lean back, realising this is the first time in a very long time that I’ve seen or heard Kat let her hair down, and I like it… Maybe just a little too much.
CHAPTER 27
KAT
Iwatch him disappear into the toilet cubicle, the only place in this villa that offers a semblance of privacy, and I drop the side of my head onto the doorframe.
I sigh.
That was cruel.
