I turn, cupping her chin, angling her head to face me.
“If that was the case, why thefuckwould I have risked sleeping with you in the first place?” I say, inhaling. My gut tightens as I force out my breath. “God, Kat, I was in love with you. Every time we were together, I risked my friendship with Elijah, because I simply couldn’t stay away from you. Why would I have jeopardised that with Sasha of all people?”
Kat closes her eyes.
“I can see that now.” When she opens them again, her gaze locks on mine. “But at the time…”
“It was my word against theirs, and of course I was going to say I was innocent.”
“You were my greatest weakness, Jax. I was in love with you, too. They found out and played me. Took my worst fears and used them against me. Reading Zach’s letter reminded me of something my father said years ago.Never show your true feelings, or they can be used against you.”
“Against you? I don’t?—”
“My insecurities. I’d spent two years watching from the sidelines as women threw themselves at you. You were gods on campus. You, Elijah, and Zach. And there I was, socially awkward Kathryn Frazer. Insignificant little sister to the great Elijah Frazer. I couldn’t keep a guy interested, even with my Frazer name. Look at Danny, he wasn’t even prepared to wait a couple of months before he was off shagging my housemate. You rescued me that night, and I seduced you.”
“Insignificant?” I stare at Kat wide-eyed. “You have never in your life and never will be insignificant.”
She chuckles, colour riding her cheekbones. “Maybe not now.”
“Not ever,” I say, giving her chin a gentle shake. “As for seducing me. I beg to differ.”
Kat frowns as I laugh.
“Kathryn Frazer. Only you,” I say. “Beautiful woman, you could not be further from the truth. I began fantasising about you from the moment I walked in on you playing piano. For two years, I watched you from afar, thinking you would never look at someone like me. When I heard you were dating Danny, I was nearly sick. That night when you called, and I got to play the knight in shining armour?—”
I let go of her chin and take her hand in mine, as she raises an eyebrow.
“Dream come true,” I say, grinning. “And when we kissed. It took all my willpower to only touch you, not bury myself deep in your body.”
Kat inhales sharply, and her pupils dilate. Her pulse beating rapidly at the base of her throat.
I look away as everything in me screams to take her in my arms.
“Later, I began to wonder if you’d been using me. I was your brother’s best friend and someone to experiment with safely. You were so far out of my league.”
“Out of your league?” she splutters.
I tilt my head, turning it towards her.
“I’m not exactly from the same social or economic background as you.”
“And when has that bothered a Frazer?”
“Back then, Elijah was with Darra,” I say.
“Ah, but he wanted to be with Pen.”
I incline my head. “But he wasn’t. Zach made some comment about you being destined to marry a friend of your parents, old money.”
Kat’s mouth opens and closes as her expression shutters. “He said a lot of things. I think we need to put aside everything he ever said and move on.”
CHAPTER 31
KAT
Out of my league?
Hearing Jax put himself down knocks me sideways.
