I had no clue where this shit was coming from. All of a sudden, I was spewing philosophy and women’s rights dogma as if I knew what the hell I was talking about.
I’d spoken to my cousin Gigi the day before, and she’d made me realize my man-whore rep was worse than I suspected. Then she let me know women are prickly creatures. They want to categorize everything.
“Your girl wants to have a big career in helping women realize their potential, and she’s all liberated with the swearing. But she’s still a girl, and she may not know it, but she wants to be wanted,” Gigi had insisted, and some of it must have sunk in.
I pressed my body against Cate, showing her how much she was desired, and a small gasp escaped her lips. I took it as an invitation and kissed her.
When my mouth met hers, there was no stopping myself. I bit down gently on her lower lip to demand entry, and when she parted her lips, my tongue played with hers and my pelvis pressed a bit harder. I was leaning over her petite frame, so I lifted her onto my feet so she could reach me better, and bent to meet her halfway.
“Blane, Blane,” broke through my haze.
I stopped immediately, running my palm over her cheek before sliding my fingers into her hair.
“Sorry.” I let out a deep breath. “I had to do that, but I’m stopping.”
“I don’t think we should do that,” she said, the words seeming hesitant.
“I dig you, so why not? I’ve never liked anyone like this before. I get why you don’t want to take me seriously, but I mean it. I like you. You’re funny, sassy, smart, and sexy as hell. I want to kiss you again.”
“We can’t. Sonny.”
All this time, we’d been in each other’s arms. Now I pulled away to settle my palms on her shoulders and stared her down.
“Christ, if I never hear that asshole’s name again, it won’t be too soon. I’m sick and tired of him. Every time I’m with you, it’s all about Sonny.”
“I’m just stating the facts.” She looked up at me, her eyes a little glassy, reminding me of Gigi when her high school boyfriend ditched her for someone else at the prom.
“I took care of Sebastian. He’s going to treat you right, and he’s not going to breathe a word about us. I know how to handle him . . . with tickets and girls.”
Cate broke free. “You what?”
Shit.
“I didn’t do anything,” I said, backpedaling. “I just took back my life.”
Cate glared at me. “Did you really go and talk to Sonny about my internship?”
“I may have mentioned it, but so what? I was protecting you.”
“Protecting me?” she shrieked. “Because I’m helpless? Because I’m poor, tiny, fragile-yet-round Caterina?” Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. “I don’t need your protection, Blane Steele. Stay the hell away from me, you hear me?”
She turned and ran into the night. For the second time, I stood there gaping, jilted and helpless because of a five-foot-tall stick of dynamite.
Catie
Two weeks had passed since I’d run away from Blane for the second time. The very next day, I’d marched right into the music fest and accosted poor Sonny at the DJ table.
“Blane can go fuck himself, you hear me? Whatever he told you, it doesn’t matter. I’m my own woman. You hear me?” I’d kept repeating, “You hear me?” until Sonny finally responded.
His blond head had whipped around faster than if the Playboy bunnies had shown up on College Avenue. The stupid guy had been practically salivating.
“Babe, your fire keeps getting better. We’re putting you in charge of the mic for thirty minutes tonight. Hell, yeah!”
“Cut it with the babe shit,” I’d spat back, and then calmed down. “And what’s with the change of heart? Last week, you were super pissed when my heat came out over the air, and now you like it. It’s because you’re listening to Steele.”
“No way in hell, babe, huh-uh. You started out all meek and shit to me, let me boss you around. What the fuck? I was confused because I thought you were all ‘hear me, I am woman,’ and now you’re showing me that spunky side. Me likey.”
Of course, he’d butchered the expression I am woman, hear me roar while throwing up his air quotes.
But I did get the mic that night for thirty minutes, and I even got to introduce Cool Ray. So there was that. But as I did, I’d wondered if Blane was out in the crowd.
The entire night, I went back and forth between thinking of him and chastising myself for taking Clara’s advice to be more demure in my job. I had no idea why I listened to her; she’d made a career of husband hunting while working the Chanel makeup counter at Neiman Marcus. In the end, she spent more time chatting with married men buying perfume for their wives . . . or their secretaries.