Page 17 of Zane

"You're right," he told her grimly. "We're never going to agree on this topic, and it's starting to piss me off."

"Ah, here we are." The hotel was one of theirs and had been recently renovated. Valets were kept busy directing traffic and attending to the vehicles. It took several minutes for them to attract the attention of a young man who came hurrying toward them.

"Mr. Stanhope. Ms. Stanhope."

"Thanks." Zane tossed him the key fob as soon as he alighted. "Park it someplace where I can have easy access, in case I decide to leave early."

"Right, sir."

"Planning on ditching the party?"

"Maybe." Taking her arm, he led the way into the lovely foyer with the urns of palm trees and marble tiles.

*****

It wasn't until they were relinquishing their jackets that William saw the outfit. Kara knew the minute he noticed it because he went as stiff as a board.

"What the devil are you wearing?" he hissed beneath his breath. Taking her arm, he steered her clear of the guests making their way inside.

"Do you like it?" Keeping the smile on her face, she turned in a circle.

"You're practically naked." He was staring at her as if she had grown two heads and an extra torso. "What will your mother say? I'm shocked that you would come out of the house wearing something as revealing as that. What were you thinking?"

Feeling properly reprimanded and humiliated, Kara lifted her chin, the flashing eyes warning him that his comment was not appreciated.

"I was thinking that I'm a grown-ass woman who does not need my mother's approval. Now, if you're done ruining the night for me, I think I'll have a glass of champagne." Turning away, she marched toward a server and plucked a glass from the tray.

She was heading toward a group of people she knew when he caught up to her.

"I apologize for the way I came across just now, my dear." He touched her bare arm briefly, his conciliatory tone doing nothing to calm her ragged nerves. "It's just that I'm not used to seeing you like this. By the way, you look lovely."

"Thanks." Her cool tone warned him that she was not in the mood to be placated.

"Please don't be upset, Kara. We came here to have fun. It was a knee-jerk reaction and one that I regret."

Turning her head, she looked at him and realized he was genuinely sorry.

"All right." She smiled at him, slightly mollified. "There's Abigail. I think we should go and say hello."

"Of course." Forcing a smile to his lips, William allowed himself to be led over to the group of people he was not particularly fond of. But he had messed up, and it was his duty to make amends. Warning himself to tread lightly for now, he was thinking that as soon as they were married, all this defiance would be at an end. He could allow her the freedom for now.

Zane told himself he had not been looking for her, that he had not spent the time since he arrived staring at the doorway. He had been roped into a discussion by several members of his parents' law firm about the project going on in the downtown area and had been distracted. The few minutes he had taken his eyes off the doorway must have been when she walked in, because when he lifted his head, there she was.

His breath became strangled inside his chest as he stared at the woman he had once thought of as buttoned up. This was a completely different person from the one he had seen at the bike stop and inside the courtroom. What a chameleon she was! he thought dazedly as he continued to stare at her. She was with a group of people, and from where he was standing, he could make out the way her lips curved as someone whispered something to her.

"Darling?"

Tearing his eyes away from her, he tried to focus on his sister.

"What?"

"Jed was just-" Zoe's eyes narrowed as she followed his gaze. "Friend of yours?"

"What?"

A contemplative expression appeared on her face. "If you continue to stare at her like that, you're going to have to buy her dinner. ADA Saunders."

"You know her?"