“Got it.” Nick saluted. Without missing a beat, he asked mildly, “Sooo...what happened to Karen?”
“Karen?”
“The girlfriend du jour?”
“I know who Karen is. She’s around here somewhere.”
“Where’s Catherine?”
“Over by the CD flirting with... You’re looking at her, you lamebrain. Why’re you asking me?”
“Don’t you think it’s a little odd that you don’t know where your girlfriend is, but you know Catherine’s exact location in a crowded room?”
“No,” Luke said shortly. “I don’t. It’s my job to take care of her. Didn’t you come with a date?”
“Are you kidding?” Nick grinned. “And have to look and not partake of this delectable smorgasbord of single women? You invite me to a feast, then expect me to bring a bag lunch?”
“I wanted to give Cat a reasonable selection. It would’ve looked a little obvious if I’d invited just guys. Not to mention boring.”
“And I’m eternally grateful. You did good.”
“Putting this together was a lot of hard work.”
“Especially since Catherine was the one who did all the hard work,” Nick said dryly. “A ten spot says Ted will be date number one.”
Luke snorted. “He’s showing her that stupid scar he got when he fell off my roof last summer. Probably spinning her some far-fetched tale.”
“Women go for that stuff.”
“Nah,” Luke said absently. The tick over his eye was really getting on his nerves now. “It’ll be Allan. Twenty, on...” He peered across the room. Ted had his hands on the back of Cat’s neck. “What does he think he’s doing? Excuse me a sec.”
“It’s just a casual massage.” Nick snagged his arm. “Uh-uh. Better change that plan, old son. Incoming. Karen at three o’clock.” His smile widened.
“Don’t you have moves to make?” Luke muttered.
“You betcha. I’m off to give the guys some competition.”
Luke swore under his breath as his friend threaded his way across the crowded room to Cat’s side. She gave Nick a wide, friendly smile and took his offered hand. He led her to the small area where a few couples were dancing.
Nick was a suave, good-looking guy. Women liked Nick. Luke himself was a decent-looking guy, and just as suave as Nick was. Women liked him, too. Which was why they were going to protect Cat from smooth-talking men like themselves. That’s what Nick had meant.
Competition? Luke watched them walk into each other’s arms and move to the dreamy music. Slowly. Competition? Nick? What a repugnant thought.
Ridiculous.
Out of the question.
Luke dragged his focus away from Cat snuggled in Nick’s arms to watch Karen shimmy closer. His date looked dazzling in a short, tight red dress, black hair streaming down her bare back, long legs showcased to perfection in red high heels. He didn’t feel a single solitary spark. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
Obviously he was a sick man.
Karen slid her arm about his waist. Her perfume, recently applied, smelled great. Unfortunately, it didn’t do a thing for him. She looked up at him with heavy-lidded, sultry brown eyes. “Hi, sweetie. Miss me?”
Luke bit back the truth. Karen was a nice woman. He’d invited her to the party. Now he couldn’t wait to take her home. And leave her there. Alone.
“Sorry.” He cupped her cheek and smiled ruefully. “I’ve practically ignored you all night, haven’t I? It’s been so long since I threw one of these things. I forgot how much work it is. Let me change the CD, and I’ll give you my undivided attention.” As soon as he could manage to unglue his twitching eyes from Cat and Nick, who were like Siamese twins on the postage-size dance floor. Luke took Karen’s hand and led her to the state-of-the-art CD player, where he changed the selection of slow ballads to something loud, fast and energetic. His choice was met with a series of catcalls from his party guests. Tough.
He wrapped an arm around Karen’s bare shoulders and led her to the middle of the dancers. She moved into his arms smoothly and, despite the pulsing beat of the music, rested her head against his chest and twined her arms about his waist. She moved sensuously against him.
The problem was, Luke thought, enfolding her in his arms, she was just too...short. That was it. She was too short. She didn’t fit. Even wearing those heels, the top of her head only came to the middle of his chest. Which was really too bad. Karen was beautiful, smart, sexy. How unfortunate he’d never noticed how vertically challenged she was before tonight.
With fifty-plus bodies in it, the room was hot. Even with the door wide-open to the narrow balcony, the evening air was stifling. Luke wanted to unpeel Karen from his chest and stand under a cold shower. He concentrated on moving his feet.
Two yards away, Cat danced with Nick, laughing and chatting and having the time of her life. Luke would have to talk to her. He’d invited at least seven guys specifically for her to meet tonight. She already knew Nick.
Luke rubbed his hand down Karen’s smooth arm and turned her so that his back was toward Cat and he could give his date the attention she deserved. Karen slid her hands up his chest and around his neck.
“Too many people here.” She ran her long nails up and down the back of his neck. “Bet no one would notice if we snuck out.”
* * *
LUKE SAT IN the back row of the dark, all-night movie theater. He could have had his pick of greasy, red velvet seats. He was the only one there. Not surprising. It was 2:00 a.m. and an artsy foreign film flickered on the screen, the subtitles barely legible. At this very moment he should have been getting hot and sweaty with Karen. Instead he’d dropped her off, walked her to the door and driven back into the city.
He didn’t want to go home, because he wanted to go home so badly he could taste it.
Nuts. He was certifiably nuts. He wasn’t sure who he was doing this for. Cat or himself.
* * *
LUKE DIDN’T COME HOME.
He and his gorgeous, petite brunette with boobs out to there and legs up to here had disappeared over an hour ago. Catherine refused to speculate where they were or what they might be doing. Might? Ha! Did every woman he lusted after have to be so petite? So available? So...cute? She clenched her teeth.
Ducking out on his own party was rude as far as she was concerned. The condo was still jam-packed with Luke’s and Nick’s upwardly mobile friends, none of whom seemed to have noticed their host had gone AWOL. Everyone was having a blast.
Catherine’s head throbbed and the muscles around her mouth ached from smiling. She was tired of making nice. In fact, she’d pretended to hurt her ankle so she didn’t have to dance anymore. Which meant she was stuck sitting in Luke’s big black leather chair in the corner with her feet propped up. A captive audience for Ted, Allan, two Bobs and an ethereal blonde named Cheryl.
She let Cheryl entertain the four men while she zoned out, thinking unwillingly about what Luke was up to. Karen had beautiful skin. No freckles on her. Catherine glanced down at her own hands, fisted around a half-filled glass of warm soda. Her skin looked as though she’d been peppered. Ugh. She hated her freckles. Hated them.
One of the Bobs said something, and the others laughed. Catherine had enough presence of mind to smile. One thing she’d learned: there was no point in crying over things that couldn’t be changed. She was in this particular polka-dotty skin, and she had to resign herself