Beautiful Seduction

When I stole a quick glance again, he was gone. Stop it. You’re being paranoid. But was I? The attack from the night before rushed into my mind. The asshole hadn’t been some random junkie. He’d targeted me. My mouth was suddenly dry, my throat tightening. At least I was in a public place with friends. However, I couldn’t wait to get behind the locked doors of the hotel room.

“We’ll get in and don’t forget, New York parties all night long.” Trinity laughed, the sultry sound attracting more than a few lust-filled looks.

“See those two bouncers up there? Well, they love dazzling women and that describes you,” Sara chided.

“She’s right. It’s all about using your God-given talent.”

I glared at Trinity. She was serious. I was getting too old for this.

Sara pushed me playfully on the arm, pursing her lips and whistling as she shifted her hand back and forth across her face, giving me a hard stare down to my shoes. “Where did you get that gorgeous dress? You are one hot babe in red. That’s your color, but I thought you didn’t have any money.”

A slight cringe swept through me. I hadn’t brought anything with me that would remotely work for a night out on the town. But the dress Valentin had bought me sparkled in the neon lighting above the entrance. I’d thought more than once about tossing the glorious piece, refusing to accept an expensive gift from the dangerous man.

But it seemed like a waste, especially when I adored the dress.

And it reminds you of the fabulous night.

Exhaling, another image of his face as he thrust his cock deep inside swept into my mind.

“Just something I picked up,” I answered, feeling more self-conscious than usual. Or maybe I wanted to catch a glimpse of Valentin, gauging how I looked by his heated reaction. “And what do you want me to do with the bouncers? Flirt?”

“Uh-huh. You’re hiding something from us,” Trinity added.

“You know, flirting. Or have you forgotten how?” Sara wrinkled her nose. “I told you that you made bad choices.”

“We’re not talking about the past. If you want to have fun, then let’s have fun. And I’m not hiding anything.” Liar. I rolled my eyes, a guilty conscience rushing in. I’d spent the entire afternoon hearing about my father’s latest achievements, which had included arresting four members of the Bratva. He’d been more enthused about the subsequent harsh sentences than he had his own grandson’s graduation and celebration of the scholarship. It was one of the many reasons I’d left New York in the first place.

“You’ve been quiet all night, looking at your phone as if expecting Prince Charming to call.”

I glanced at Sara, grinding my teeth. She was the girl I’d never been able to lie to, so good she’d been able to ascertain the kind of night I’d had by the expression on my face. “Just let it go.”

“You met a man. Didn’t you?”

“Now, how would I meet a man from the time I arrived at the airport, which was after ten at night mind you?” I was growing uncomfortable with the conversation.

She moved in front of me, her eyes darting across mine. “You did. Don’t lie to me. Confess.”

I shoved her aside, trying to keep some handle on my privacy.

“Cassidy. Come on.”

“Leave it alone, Sara. Okay? What do you want me to say to the big butch boys?” I asked, rubbing my arms given the chill in the late-night air. Of course they’d chosen me to flirt. I’d been the girl who tried everything in college, but I was no longer a pampered princess, my parents able to keep me protected from all the horrors in the world. I’d seen enough over the last four years to last a lifetime, even if only from a distance.

“Just go challenge them,” Trinity cooed.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“That means,” Sara pushed me away from the crowd, “that you need to use those gorgeous looks of yours to get us in. Just like you used to.”

“Are you out of your mind?” I had to admit, I was almost ready to pretend I was that girl one last time, tossing aside all the responsibilities and necessities of remaining a professional. What the hell harm could it do?

“Nope. All you need to do is toss your hair a few times and give both of them a mischievous smile. That should do it.”

I turned my head, glaring at her. “I’m not that kind of girl.” I burst into laughter, unable to pull it off.

“Yeah, right. You are tonight,” Trinity huffed. “It’s cold out here and we don’t have coats. What can it hurt?”

“Exactly,” Sara added.