Knight's Mistress by C. C. Gibbs Page B

Always an asset for what he had in mind tonight. Although she’d seemed sexually demanding in Amsterdam. He’d have to tame that impulse. As for Max’s MI6 history, evasion was best. ‘The work Max does for me is quite ordinary. No nuclear secrets, just business. His wife is also English,’ he added, in an effort to establish Max’s unremarkable bona fides. ‘Max and Liv are both from ex-pat families. His son, Conall, will be one this week. That’s about it.’
    Their driver had the car door open. Dominic waited for Kate to get in, then followed her into the back seat.
    ‘I was just curious after … well … that night in Amsterdam,’ Kate said. ‘He seemed to know everyone at that club.’
    Curious indeed.
‘The Ritz-Carlton, Dan.’ He settled back in the seat and smiled at Kate. ‘If you’re asking whether Max is happily married, he is. He adores his wife and son. Hollywood couldn’t do it any better.’
    ‘Oh.’ Surprise turned into a smile. ‘That’s great. I like Hollywood happy endings.’
    ‘I thought you might.’
    ‘You say it like there’s something wrong with happily ever after.’
    ‘On the contrary, if only it were true the world would be a better place.’
    ‘Cynic.’
    ‘Welcome to my reality.’
    ‘That’s what comes from making too much money. The thrill is gone.’
    He laughed. ‘You know that, do you?’
    ‘Call it a calculated guess.’
    ‘In any case, Miss Hart, tonight we’re going to forget about reality and making money. We’re just going to have fun.’
    She lifted her brows. ‘Do you know how to have fun?’
    An easy smile. ‘You tell me tomorrow.’
    They’d landed at the old airport on Kowloon so it was a relatively short drive to the Ritz-Carlton where they were whisked up to the 117th floor with such exaggerated courtesy by the hotel manager that Kate understood Dominic Knight’s financial status was well known. On reaching the club level, the small, trim man and Dominic spoke briefly in Cantonese before the manager pivoted back to the elevators and Dominic turned to Kate. ‘Let me show you to your room.’ He indicated the direction with a nod. ‘If it’s convenient,’ he said, moving down the wide corridor, ‘I’ll pick you up for dinner at eight. Hong Kong is all about food. Some say there’s shopping and finance too but’ – a quicksmile – ‘mostly it’s food. We’ll start with drinks at the China Club.’ He stopped at a set of double doors. ‘If you need anything, ask your butler.’
    ‘Butler?’ There was a word that had never before entered her life.
    ‘They come with the suites.’
    Do you come with the suite?
Unbidden, the words leaped to mind, her libidinous little voice chiming in without a moment’s hesitation,
You can make it happen, girl! Female power rules!
    Dominic broke into her chewed-lip moment of silence. ‘I’m really hungry. Does eight give you enough time to dress?’
    Was he talking in code or was she listening in code? Hungry? Hungry for what?
‘Ah … er’ – she looked up – ‘I mean … yes, yes … eight’s fine.’
    ‘Good. Eight it is.’ As if inured to stammering women, he reached past her, opened her door, then turned and strolled away.
    Christ, how gauche was that? And how freaking gorgeous is he, she thought, watching him stride down the corridor, all grace and beauty and worldly polish. She guessed those bound women he was whipping in that blog didn’t really mind it when Dominic Knight was doing the whipping because they’d get him afterwards. And Kate knew just how much of him there was to get after the much watched image on the video. Although he was big everywhere – tall, buff, with muscle like some Greek god or NFL player—
Jesus, stop already!
There was a butler probably ten feet away, which meant climaxing on the spot was seriously uncool.
    Taking a deep steadying breath, she entered the suite and sure enough, there was a butler standing at attention in the middle of a very