intrigued him. Given the Castillos’ wealth and status, women never dared stand up to him.
‘I’m Alexa Green.’ She glared at him, one delicate eyebrow raised, waiting for his reaction.
Ric fought back a grin and kept his expression blank. ‘That doesn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?’
She dropped her arms to her sides, her fists clenched. He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.
‘A dare.’
Ric frowned. ‘What?’
Alexa shook her head and huffed out a breath. ‘A dare, like a bet or a—’
‘I know what a dare is, Alexa. You were dared to break into my suite?’
Teasing forgotten, he eyed her again. He could have sworn she was in her twenties, younger than he, but not a minor. The last picture of her splashed over the Spanish news was of her falling out of an exclusive London nightclub.
‘It was a bit of fun.’ She waved a hand and went on, like an impatient teacher talking to an incredibly stupid pupil. ‘My friends and I wanted to make this holiday memorable, but it wasn’t to come in your suite—I had to run around the top floor in my knickers. I got caught and ended up in your lift.’ Ric did grin this time. ‘What?’
‘Nothing.’ There was no way he’d admit that her impatience was adorable. He closed the distance between them so they were toe to toe and looked down into eyes that had turned the colour of a stormy sky. ‘What age are you, Alexa?’
She straightened and seemed to gain an inch, still a head shorter than him. ‘Twenty-three.’ He could see irritation warring with lust in her expression; perhaps she was still annoyed at his lack of recognition.
But he couldn’t concentrate on that now. She wasn’t off limits. Ideal for what he had in mind.
Ric edged closer when he noted her eyes clouding over. The tips of her breasts grazed his chest with every shallow breath. Her lips parted on an almost silent gasp.
‘Aren’t you a little old for childish stunts like that?’
Stepping back, she glared at him, all trace of desire gone. ‘You can never be too old to have fun. Do you even know how any more?’
His tongue froze for a second. How much did she know about his past? There was a time in his late teenage years where he did everything he could to feel alive, almost giving Maria and Antonio a heart attack in the process. But he was sure the worst of his past was buried, they’d made sure their money kept his secrets. She couldn’t know.
He dragged his mind back to the present. ‘Oh, I know how to have fun.’
Ric’s gaze swept down over the swell of her breasts, narrow waist to curvy hips he imagined were silky and firm. Heat punched him square in the groin and he shifted, trying to ease the tightening of his trousers.
‘Mind out of the gutter, Castillo, and eyes where I can see them.’
His gaze rose at a leisurely pace back to her frowning face.
‘That is not the kind of fun I was referring to.’
He cocked a brow. ‘Don’t tell me you hadn’t thought about it. I saw you eyeing me up.’ He grinned and her mouth popped open.
‘I’ve just met you!’ She looked annoyed, but from the lust darkening her eyes he knew he was right.
Ric chanced a step closer. ‘And yet you want me.’
Alexa retreated a few steps and banged into the wall. ‘Hold it right there, Castillo.’ She held her hand out again, palm forward, an inch away from his shirt.
‘Call me Ric.’ He reached out and curled his fingers around her arm, her racing pulse made his smile grow wider. ‘Your body’s reaction can’t lie.’ His thumb traced light circles on the inside of her wrist.
Alexa’s eyes darkened further to a stormy grey. ‘It’s adrenaline, not lust.’ She snatched her hand back.
The breathless reply made his already heated blood sizzle. He lowered his head, hovered his lips above her ear. ‘Keep telling yourself that, you might start to believe it.’
Alexa wasn’t the kind of woman he’d want a short liaison with—her personal life was too messy and far too public for his liking—but he couldn’t deny his attraction to her. Any more than she could deny hers.
She planted a hand on his chest and pushed him back. Ric could see her cheeks tint with arousal and her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.
‘My friends will be wondering where I am. They’ll end up phoning security to hunt me down.’
Ric guessed it was time for a cold shower. Alexa headed for the lift. He reached out and clasped her by the arm; his palm tingled at the contact. ‘Wait.’
She turned to face him, her eyebrows raised. ‘I’m not going to sleep with you, Ric. Forget it.’
If her gaze hadn’t dipped to his chest at the same time as she licked her lips, he might have believed her. But that’s not what he wanted. This time. ‘You owe me a date.’
‘Excuse me?’ Pulling out of his grasp, she glared at him.
His gaze dipped to her rosy pout, slightly damp from her tongue. Another bolt of heat headed south. ‘I have a party to go to tomorrow night.’ Actually, he had networking to do and having a beauty like Alexa on his arm might convince some of the old men with too much money and wives long since gone to attend his charity ball in a few weeks. ‘And you’re coming with me.’
Taking her would be risky, but he’d never let that stop him before. She was unpredictable and if the media suspected he was having a fling with her, they’d dig deep into his past. Then again, her father’s status was well known even here and he could work that to his advantage. He had no doubt she could be charming, he just had to keep her in check.
She laughed. ‘I don’t think so.’
Ric shrugged. ‘Then I’ll be happy to call security and have them hold you until the police arrive.’ Her brows drew together and Ric continued. ‘If you really are press worthy, I’m sure I can arrange for one of the reporters to shoot the story.’
Fear flashed in her eyes, but it was gone in a heartbeat. She smirked at him. ‘I’m going back to my room.’
Irritation warred with amusement, but in two steps he was in front of the elevator doors.
She glared at him, then turned back to his apartment. ‘Fine, I’ll take the stairs.’
‘Good luck with that, the door is locked.’ He smirked at her and slid his phone from his pocket. ‘Last chance.’
Her eyes widened, but she straightened her shoulders. ‘You wouldn’t.’
He lifted an eyebrow and hit speed dial, then the speaker. The ringing sounded in the room.
‘Hola, Señor Castillo,’ a voice answered. Alexa paled.
Ric lifted the handset closer to his mouth.
‘Fine, I’ll go with you.’ She glared at him.
He smiled. After telling security they weren’t required, he disconnected the call. ‘Good choice. It won’t be so bad. Fine dining, champagne and I’ll even buy you a new dress.’
She crossed her arms and his gaze dropped to her cleavage. ‘I have my own party clothes.’
An image of her in her usual style, a barely-there concoction of silk, flooded his mind and his whole body heated up. His gaze snapped to hers and he glared right back. ‘It’s formal, Alexa.’
Puffing out a breath, she stepped closer. ‘I can do formal. Do you know how many corporate affairs my straight-laced father, Robert Green, has dragged me to