She stood in the center of a crowd, posing for pictures and chatting with the other dancers. I wove my way through the gathering, flashing smiles at everyone I passed, until she was a foot away, returning my smile with one of her own.
Just seeing her, so perfectly in her element, dazzling the world around her, made me the happiest man on earth. I held out a glass of champagne.
She took it with a smile. “Thank you.”
I leaned in to cup her cheek with my hand and press a kiss to her cheek. “You brought the house down, tonight, Kai.”
Her eyes shone. “Is that right? And here I thought the crowd only wanted to watch the band.”
I narrowed my eyes, letting my gaze fall to her lips, never wanting to kiss someone more in my entire life. “I think it’s clear who the winner is this time.”
She grinned. “Well, it’s about time.”
I brought my mouth to hers, giving her an opportunity to pull away. There we were, surrounded by all our peers, with chatter about us already circulating and Dirk most likely just a glance away, but all I cared about—all I wanted—was to kiss the woman who’d stolen the show… and my heart.
She didn’t back away. Her lips grazed mine first. “Are you sure?” she teased.
At that point, everyone was already watching—no turning back.
I pressed my lips to hers, basking in their plushness and ignoring the fact that bright-red lipstick would soon be smeared all over my lips. I hoped my mouth wouldn’t be the only place she would put those lips tonight.
I held out my arm, gesturing for someone to take my champagne glass, then I did the same for hers. When our hands were free, I wrapped my arms around her waist and dipped her back, kissing her so damn hard the entire party started cheering loudly.
When I brought her back to standing, she laughed and rubbed my lips with her finger. “You’ve been marked, Sebastian Chase. All your fans will be ravenous with jealousy.”
“Let them be.” I grinned to show I didn’t care an iota about what my lips looked like. I grabbed her hand and turned toward the crowd. “Kai Ashley, ladies and gentlemen,” I boomed, earning more stares than those that were already on us. “The Queen of the Stage and the Sea.” I threw her a wink as her face flushed, then I brought her hand up with mine as everyone cheered.
As my eyes moved over the cheering crowd, I expected to see Dirk fuming. He’d lost, and after that performance, he had to know it for sure. What I didn’t expect to see was the woman standing next to him.
My eyes narrowed as I glanced between Dirk and Claudette while my chest stirred with a mixture so potent it could cause an explosion. Kai tightened her hold on me, and I looked down at her, realizing she’d already seen the pair.
“Don’t cause a scene. Not tonight.”
“I won’t. But what the hell is she still doing here?” I whispered back, obviously not expecting an answer. Her guess was probably as good as mine. “Did you know?”
Kai shook her head. “Not until the final number, when I spotted them in the audience. But it’s fine. The show was great. Even if I had to dance barefoot most of the show.” Then she leaned in. “If Dirk asks, just tell him it was a wardrobe malfunction.”
“What? Why did you have to dance barefoot?” I was genuinely confused.
She smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “I might have snapped a heel on purpose, but the stage was rocking too much. I didn’t want to fall on my ass.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, wardrobe malfunction it is. I’m sure he’ll bring it up when I talk to him about Claudette.”
Tension radiated up my neck as I started to move toward him. Kai jumped forward, stopping me again. “Please, Sebastian. If you’re going to talk to him, do it somewhere else. Not. Here.”
I knew she was right, but damn it, Dirk would get a piece of my mind and maybe even my fist. I took Kai by one hand and squeezed. “You’re right. I’m going to get out of here before I do something I regret.”
Her eyebrows rose. “I’ll come with you.”
I shook my head. “No, this is your night. Enjoy it. Just come by when you’re done so I can give you that standing ovation I promised.”
She giggled and squeezed me in a hug. “That’s a deal.”
After a final, pointed glare at Dirk, I moved through the crowd toward the stage and pulled the curtain open just enough to slip through it. The theater was completely empty though still lit from the night’s performance. I hopped over the edge of the stage and took a seat in the front row.
“Even I’ll admit that was quite the show.”
Dirk’s voice didn’t surprise me in the least. The man was as predictable as they came. He’d been dying for another confrontation, but I hadn’t given him the opportunity.
“Then why are you still here?”
Dirk chuckled. “You’ll be happy to know I’m starting to wonder the same thing.”
No way. Could this battle actually be over? I wasn’t about to hold my breath. “That’s good news, Dirk.”
“Fiery attitude, too. I can see why you like her. Your leading lady was quite brilliant.”
I clenched my jaw, hating the fond tone of his comment. “Speaking of leading ladies, I was surprised to see Claudette here tonight, after our agreement and all.”
“There was no agreement, Bash. You made a demand and an assumption. I never agreed. I had good reason to bring Claudette here.”
“Right. You didn’t think Kai would cut it. I’m glad you’ve changed your mind.”
Dirk’s brows rose. “I wasn’t completely off base. You are fucking the talent. Again. Clearly, you don’t learn from your mistakes.”
“Kai is the furthest thing from a mistake.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.” He seemed to assess me for a moment before nodding. “I see that you’re happy. Despite our history, I’m glad to see it, Bash. But business is business. I’d very much like if we could come to some sort of agreement, one that suits both of us.”
My instinct made me want to turn him down once again. Whenever we would have these conversations in the past, they never went anywhere. “Unfortunately, your options have never been good enough.”
Dirk nodded. “Fair enough.” He reached into his inside jacket pocket and handed me a stack of papers. “I’ve run the numbers, and I know exactly what it will take to earn the profit from Angst and Grace that I can walk away with. So I’ve come up with some new options I’d like for you to consider.”
My eyes scrolled over the legal jargon, and I sighed. “Three point five million?” I coughed at the insane number.
“I assure you it’s fair, considering our stint on Broadway should have lasted no less than one year.”
“But it didn’t. Angst and Grace tanked. Why can’t you just let it go?”
“It didn’t tank. We fucked up, kid. You and me.” Dirk pointed at the stage and narrowed his eyes. “Have you watched your own show? Did you hear the crowd? With an ego your size, I can’t understand why you would want to give all that up.”
I ignored his “ego” comment with a roll of my eyes. “Do I have to spell it out for you? Our partnership is done, which means Angst and Grace goes with it.”