Accidentally Hooked (The Naked Truth Series Book 1) by Carmen Falcone Page B

who had arrived in Vegas the previous night, to confirm the floor. Avoiding douche bag Blake was no problem. His stomach turned as if he’d just eaten bad Indian food.
    Having Kika with him would also make for a comfortable shield. The last thing he wanted was his sister worried about him, what with Lynn coming to the festivities with her husband.
    Glancing at his watch, he paced. He small talked to a few of the dressed up guests strolling inside the restaurant. Every couple seconds, his gaze skimmed the entrance door, and his heart slammed to a stop when she sauntered past the front door.
    Kika. Wearing the dressy gown they’d picked the previous day. She looked exquisite. Her hair fell in waves to one side, and women’s tricks like black eyeliner and a shameless cherry-red lipstick enhanced the beauty of her face. The turquoise Kimono-style knee-length number outlined her delicious curves as she swayed her way to him with an upped brow and an enigmatic half smile.
    “I take it I scrub up well?” She winked at him, and the mention of scrubbing brought to mind luscious images of her licking him in the shower the other night like he was the last ice cream cone on a scorching summer day. Damn her. Damn her.
    Without much thought, he planted a kiss on her cheek, and lingered enough to catch a whiff of her intoxicating scent. Her shiver didn’t go unnoticed by him, and he savored the smile spreading across his face. Could there be a part of her that wanted him, without the money? His stomach clenched tight. What if she does?
    “What are you doing?” she whispered.
    “I reckon some intimacy should help you relax, and pretend the role you’re here to play.” He said the words his common sense urged him to.
    “Of course. Though having sex is easier than intimacy,” she said, her voice strained.
    He stretched to his full height, studying her face. With fluttering eyelashes and clamped lips, Kika had never been lovelier. Or more scared. He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. Conflicting emotions rolled inside him like a cement mixer. Hope. Regret. Desire. “Kika—”
    “Good evening.” The hostess materialized in front of them, wearing a swanky cocktail dress and impeccable hair knot. With a couple of superficial greetings, that woman had popped their bubble of awareness. She showed them into the five star venue, and they had no option but to follow.
    Confused by the stir of his feelings, he placed his hand on Kika’s lower back, his fingers making an invisible pattern on the rich fabric. A need to make some sort of contact, to capture again the woman he’d almost revealed. Desire arrowed through him, powerful and sharp.
    Kika didn’t jerk from him. Her body stiffened under his touch as if she, too, was doing some thinking of her own.
    The hostess was showing them to their table, when a familiar female voice sounded behind them. “Ry Ry, there you are.”
    He swung around to see Charlotte with a bright smile. His sister gave him a bear hug he was powerless against. Experience had taught him, a long time ago, that it would probably be easier to escape a hug from an actual bear than Charlotte. “Hey, Charlotte.”
    “Someone didn’t join us for brunch today.” She nudged his elbow. Of course he had skipped brunch with them. The less amount of time he spent around the man who wasn’t good enough for his sister, the better.
    “And that’s why you’re using that stupid nickname? Revenge?” He gave her a kiss on the top of her head.
    She flashed him a smile. “If you were late tonight, I’d show the guests embarrassing childhood pictures.”
    He waved it off. “I have the feeling you’ll do that anyway.”
    Kika stepped forward. “I’d love to see them,” she chimed in, with a playful flicker in her eyes.
    “Charlotte, meet Kika Martinez… my date,” he struggled to say. Not because he wouldn’t date a gorgeous, intelligent woman like Kika. Deep inside though, he couldn’t fool himself. He knew