lowered his head and whispered in her ear, ‘the night will be as fun as we make it.’
He released her trembling frame, took a step back and hit the button for the elevator. After a lingering glance at her almost-naked body he pulled his t-shirt over his head and handed it to her with a shred of regret. Alexa’s mouth fell open as she fixed her attention on his chest. Ric smirked as she accepted the shirt with a shaking hand.
‘Put this on.’
Alexa obeyed slowly, as if the sight of his naked skin cast a dreamlike spell over her. Ric couldn’t believe it, but in his shirt she looked even sexier than she had in her underwear. Legs that went on forever held his gaze and, even though he knew what was under the white cotton, he wanted to rip it off and find out all over again.
He cleared his throat. ‘A limo will pick you up out front at seven. I’ll meet you at the event.’
Alexa startled out of her trance. ‘But where are we going? How long will it take?’
A ping announced the arrival of the elevator and Ric gestured for Alexa to enter. She did, then held her finger on the open button, her eyebrow raised in question.
He tried not to smile. He’d given her an ultimatum she couldn’t refuse, yet she wouldn’t admit defeat.
‘Do you like surprises?’ he asked.
Alexa pressed her lips together as if considering his question. ‘Not the kind that lead to a party with the atmosphere of a wake.’
He chuckled again, wondering whether she had a brain-to-mouth filter at all. ‘You’ll just have to hope it’s something better.’
She folded her arms and pouted at him. He smiled as the doors began to slide shut.
‘Don’t be late, Alexa. And remember, it’s formal.’
The clink of metal slamming together halted her not-so-innocent reply.
After the lift had disappeared, Ric headed for the bathroom, intent on taking the cold shower for as long as he could. Alexa fired his blood like no woman had in a long time and she would no doubt look spectacular all glammed up by his side.
But he’d need to make sure he kept a stranglehold on his libido. Falling into bed with Alexa—as tempting as it had been tonight—wouldn’t be a smart choice. The girl was wild, unpredictable and far too irresponsible. He knew he was walking a fine line using her status to tempt guests to the ball, but dating her crossed it completely. That would draw the kind of attention he didn’t need. Especially if the media dug too deep into his past…
Wild. Daring. Completely bonkers.
Alexa had been accused of all these things, but it didn’t bother her. Ric’s accusation that she was childish hit a nerve. She twisted the knob and threw the door open. Jenna yelped into the hotel phone, while Sarah paced the living room. They both turned to her with wild, worried eyes.
Alexa shut the door behind her. The gymnasts in her tummy felt more like heavy weight champs. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Where have you been, Alexa?’ Sarah stomped towards her, a frown marred her brow.
‘It’s okay, she’s back now,’ Jenna spoke into the receiver then hung up. She glared at Alexa. ‘We’ve been worried sick.’
Hugging her stomach, she swallowed. ‘The dare didn’t go as planned. I ended up in Enrique Castillo’s penthouse.’
She was rewarded with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Jenna recovered first. ‘His t-shirt?’
Alexa nodded, her eyebrows pulled together. ‘He blackmailed a date out of me too.’ The arrogant, pushy, git. She shook her head in exasperation, who’d have thought he’d actually back up his threat? If it was her father, he wouldn’t want bad press for his hotel. Not Castillo. ‘Tomorrow night. Some mortuary gig.’
Well, not quite. But it didn’t sound promising. Formal, in her opinion, meant boring and there was nothing she loathed more than boring. Except having to call her father to ask him to bail her out of a Spanish prison. She shuddered at the thought.
‘A date?’ Sarah perked up, skipping over the fact Alexa had said blackmailed, and clapped her hands like a loon. The shiny diamond on her ring finger sparkled in the light.
Alexa quelled a grimace as a chill ran through her. Why her friends felt the need to settle down so young was beyond her. Then again, they hadn’t been brought up by her father.
‘And he’s gorgeous,’ Jenna added, already on her way to the mini bar. Did neither of her friends hear the word blackmail? Jenna pulled a bottle of Cristal from the fridge. ‘This calls for a celebration.’
‘I don’t think so.’ Alexa accepted the champagne flute though—how could she not? The sip she took was heavenly and exactly what she needed right now. They settled down onto the sofas. ‘I’m not looking for the one.’ And even if she was, Alexa knew it wouldn’t be Ric. Lush as that chest may be…
‘Just imagine. We could all end up getting married this year!’ Sarah bounced up and down in her seat, her short blonde bob swished around her shoulders.
The blood drained from Alexa’s face and the weight in her stomach felt heavier than lead. ‘No.’ Her protest was barely a whisper. Bunnies would rule the earth before she married a man even remotely like her father. From her experience, successful men, even aspiring ones, were all the same. God knows her father had tried to set her up with enough of them. He’d even staged a proposal from one. She had pulled on her running shoes and bolted in the opposite direction.
Jenna saved her. ‘Sarah, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. They’ve not been on the date yet.’
Alexa flashed her a grateful smile.
Sarah just pouted. ‘Where’s he taking you? You said mortuary?’
Shrugging, she sipped her wine then tucked her legs under her. ‘He said formal, which means black-tied, straight-laced, men dribbling on about their success. Might as well be a wake. Those kind of parties are always dull.’
Rolling her eyes, Sarah said, ‘You never moan when we go to functions like that.’
‘That’s different. That’s networking for my business. This is a boring date with a boring guy whose sole idea of fun is a frisk between the sheets.’
Hell, in other words. Shivers ran through her again and her body tingled, betraying her thoughts. It seemed her hormones liked the idea of a frisk with Castillo. Well, they’d just have to be disappointed.
‘Sounds like fun to me.’ Jenna giggled. ‘Seriously though, what are you going to wear? You’ve nothing formal with you.’
Sarah clapped her hands together again. ‘We could go shopping tomorrow.’
Alexa smirked. ‘No need. I have the perfect dress.’
Jenna frowned at her, unconvinced.
‘The bronze silk Gucci.’ Her lips curved wider. She couldn’t wait to see Ric’s face. It would serve him right for blackmailing her into going.
‘Alexa, that scrap shows off more than it hides. He said formal.’
Suppressing a giggle, she pulled her face into her best innocent expression. ‘It’s ankle length.’
Still, Jenna was right. It was over-the-top and revealing. But, with her sun tan at its peak, the dress would be a killer, and she’d work on ridding herself of the bikini lines in the morning. Maybe it would teach Ric he couldn’t push her into doing what he wanted. Maybe he’d stare at her with that hungry-predator gleam in his dark eyes. Alexa’s stomach quivered. Either