Mr. Hotness Read online

  “What?”

  He sighed. “So I can put my knees down without hurting you.”

  The anger that had lit her eyes seconds before faded, and she said, “Oh.”

  She slid her legs apart, and, for a moment, the intimacy of the position overwhelmed him. He hoped she didn’t notice. His reaction had to be the result of the months of celibacy. That was the only explanation. He clamped down on his desire and bent his knees. Turning slightly, he grabbed the armrest of one of the seats, pulled himself to a kneeling position, and then stood. He offered her his hand.

  She raised her eyebrow before grabbing it. Heat burned the tips of his ears, and he grinned, pulling her up.

  “I’m sorry. You startled me. I’m usually not that clumsy.”

  “If you say so.” A mischievous smile turned up a pair of lips he desperately wanted to kiss.

  Enchanted, he forgot what he’d been about to say and just stared at her.

  “Sir? Ma’am? Are you okay?”

  He turned to the woman, who looked even sexier after their tumble, if possible. She nodded.

  “Uh…yeah.”

  The flight attendant smiled with relief. “Thank goodness. We need to clean the plane, so if you could move.” She motioned toward the exit.

  “Of course.” He retrieved his bag and stepped in between the seats. “Ladies first.”

  The woman shook her head, laughing, and proceeded ahead of him.

  Her hips swayed, and her long, brown hair swished back and forth, the tips of it caressing her taut butt. Denim encased long, toned legs. An image of them wrapped around his waist, her head thrown back in ecstasy taunted him. Blood rushed south, and lust roared through him again. He swallowed and averted his gaze, only to find himself staring into the knowing eyes of the flight attendant. Heat burned his cheeks, but he hurried after the woman who took his breath away, loath to let her get away.

  She stepped off the plane and into the tunnel leading to the airport. He lengthened his stride until he walked next to her.

  “So, I was wondering what you’re doing this weekend. I’m here for a bachelor party and thought maybe we could meet up for a drink or something. I don’t think my buddies would mind.”

  She glanced at him but didn’t say a word. If anything, her pace seemed to increase. They reached the end of the tunnel. Her flip-flops slapped against the tile floor of the airport terminal, each step echoing like a bullet discharged from a gun chamber.

  “Look, I’m sorry for falling on you, but I really would like to get to know you.”

  She stopped and turned. Their gazes met for a split second. She looked away and took a deep breath, dragging his attention downward. A dusty-rose, scoop-necked T-shirt hugged her slim torso, revealing luscious breasts begging to be suckled. This woman was a wet dream come true. He shifted and forced himself to look only at her face, ignoring the bounty in front of him. Thankfully, she hadn’t seen his moment of distraction.

  He really needed to get laid. Nothing else explained his reaction to her. Beautiful women were everywhere. He saw them every day. Well, maybe not quite as beautiful as this one. Maybe fatigue had his defenses down.

  “If you’d like, I can give you my name and the hotel where I’m staying.”

  Man, he started to sound desperate, and she still hadn’t said a word. Time to cut his losses and leave before he made a complete fool of himself.

  “No. I mean”—she licked her lips, and his groin tightened at the sight of her tongue—“I’m meeting someone here. I-I can’t. It wouldn’t be right.” She touched his arm. “I’m sorry. You seem really nice, but—”

  “It’s okay. I just thought…well, I’m here to celebrate my best friend’s upcoming wedding anyway. Have a great weekend!” Nice. He didn’t want nice.

  “Thanks. You, too.” She smiled and disappeared into the terminal.

  Disappointment filled him as she left. Shrugging the unwanted emotion away, he continued toward shuttle pick up. He’d come here to spend time with his friends anyway, not find the love of his life. Whoever the guy was, he was one lucky bastard.

  Chapter Three

  Breathe, girl! Breathe!

  Naia rushed away from the hottest guy she’d ever seen. Tall, lean, and tan with laugh lines around hazel eyes that said, “Let me pleasure you,” he could seduce a nun. She could’ve forgotten what’s-his-name ever existed and gladly sacrificed her virginity on the altar of Mr. Hotness. Who cared if she never saw him again? Matter of fact, never seeing him again was perfect.

  Damn her promise to her niece. She should’ve skipped her one-night stand and gone with him. No one would’ve ever known but her.

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t do it. She never broke promises, especially ones to her niece.

  With a sigh, she walked out the doors into stifling heat and stopped, looking for a shuttle marked Castillo Resort. Instead, at the curb, a driver stood next to a black limo, holding a sign with her name on it. She smiled with relief.

  “Ms. Solo?” the chauffeur asked.

  She nodded.

  “I’m Luke Amato from the Castillo Resort. I’ll drive you to the hotel. Do you mind if we wait for one more passenger? He was on your flight. Normally, we don’t double up, but we’re crazy busy this weekend. Not only because of the holiday, but we have a huge convention going on. If it’s a problem, I can call the dispatcher and have them send another car.”

  “No. That’s fine. I don’t mind sharing.”

  “Great! Just set your bag here”—he pointed to the sidewalk—“and I’ll put it in the trunk.”

  He turned and opened the door for her. Blessed cold air greeted her overheated skin. When she’d settled herself, he shut it, stowed her bag in the trunk, and returned to his station next to the limo. She pulled out her phone and turned airplane mode off. A second later, her phone buzzed.

  Hey Aunt Naia, r u there yet? Followed by several hearts and funny emoticons.

  She chuckled and responded.

  Not yet. We’re waiting for one more person. I’m in a limo.

  Neat. Miss u.

  Tears stung her eyes. Miss you, too, Meggie. I’ll text you later.

  k. Have fun. Luv u.

  Naia sniffled and chuckled as more emoticons exploded across her screen. She sent some back and giggled.

  The door opened, and she glanced up. A male body outlined by the light from outside folded itself into the seat across from her. She blinked to clear the temporary blindness and groaned. Mr. Hotness grinned at her.

  “Well, if this isn’t fate, what is?” He winked.

  “It could be just coincidence.”

  “What are the odds?” he asked.

  “Slim to none,” she said.

  “So, it must be fate.” He held out his hand. “Joe Harlow.”

  With a chuckle, she shook his hand. An electric current snaked between them. Her entire body tingled. His eyes widened, and she gasped, but managed to say, “Naia Solo.”

  “Naia? That’s an interesting name.”

  “It’s Basque. It means ‘wave’ or ‘sea foam.’”

  “That’s beautiful. It suits you. So, what brings you to Las Vegas?”

  “Um….” What was she to say? She fidgeted with her phone and said, “I’m meeting a friend.”

  “Your boyfriend?”

  She frowned. “You could say that.” Desperate to get his attention on something else, she said, “So, you’re here for a bachelor party.”

  He grinned. “Yeah. The whole gang is coming. I haven’t seen them for several months. It should be fun.”

  “I imagine there’ll be a stripper involved.”

  He shrugged. “Probably, although I don’t know. Brandon hasn’t really had eyes for anyone else since he met his fiancée Liz.”

  A ripple of unease slithered over her. “Liz?”

  “Yeah, I haven’t had a chance to meet her yet, but she’s all Brandon can talk about.”

>   “What’s Brandon’s last name?”

  “Williamson. Why?”

  Shock ricocheted through her, and she collapsed into her seat. Eyes wide, she stared at him. Could Liz have set her up with Mr. Hotness?

  “Are you sure you’re going to a bachelor party?”

  “Uh, yeah. He called me about this a couple of months ago. I had to rearrange my schedule to come here.”

  She bit her lip. Should she tell him? Liz and Brandon had gone on a getaway this weekend. Maybe he wasn’t her 1Night Stand date. Madame Eve had sent her a brief email stating her date’s information would be waiting for her at the front desk. Naia hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but, now, she remembered Liz telling her about Brandon’s profile before she left for her date. Had they been set up? She wouldn’t put it past Liz, but, surely, Madame Eve wouldn’t….

  No, it was just a coincidence.

  The limo pulled up in front of their hotel. A bellhop hurried to open the door. Naia climbed out. Luke hurried around the back and set her luggage next to Joe’s.

  “Thank you, Luke,” she said and turned to say good-bye to Joe, who had followed her out of the limo. “Well, I guess this is really good-bye this time.”

  He opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of “Uptown Funk” interrupted him. “Excuse me. That’s Brandon now. Don’t leave.” He answered his phone. “Hey, what’s up…? Yeah, I just arrived…. You want me to meet you in the bar…. Sure. Let me check in…. Oh, okay…. Okay…. See you there. Bye.” A rueful smile twisted his lips upward. “Well, I guess that’s it. I’ve been called to the bar. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

  She looked up at the wall of metal and glass towering over them. “Maybe.”

  They stood staring at each other for a few minutes in awkward silence.

  “Uh, okay. Have a good weekend,” she said.

  “You, too.” He didn’t move.

  She didn’t either. “Um, bye?”

  The longing in his eyes urged her to stay, but she had a date starting soon. As much as she’d rather be with him, she’d promised Megan, and she didn’t like standing someone up.

  “Okay. I’ve really got to go. I’m expecting to meet someone in”—she pulled her phone out and tapped the home button—“forty-five minutes. It was nice meeting you.”

  “You, too.”

  Spinning, she strode toward the automatic doors and stepped inside. Cool air washed over her. She barely noticed the opulence, her mind still on Mr. Hotness, er, Joe. The low hum of conversation filled the expansive foyer. People sat in intimate groupings of chairs, big sofas, and coffee tables. Live, potted plants separated the groupings interspersed throughout the room. Her flip-flops smacked against the white Carrera marble, and, suddenly, she felt completely out of place.

  Anxious to get to her room and get the whole thing over with, she paused, her gaze searching for the registration desk. A long counter with a short line and a large gold sign on the wall behind it stretched the length of one wall. She hurried toward it. By the time she reached it, the line had disappeared, and she walked right up to the counter.

  “Welcome to Castillo Resort. How can I help you?” a young woman with short, blonde hair and friendly blue eyes whose nametag said Diana asked.

  “I’d like to check into my room, please.”

  “Your name?”

  “Naia Solo.”

  Diana’s eyes lit with recognition. “If I could see some ID, please.”

  “Sure.” She handed over her driver’s license.

  With a smile, Diana gave it back and entered some information into the computer. “We have a package waiting here for you. Give me a moment.” She disappeared through a door and returned quickly with a large envelope. “Here you go. Now, you are in a penthouse, Penthouse Six on the top floor.” She clicked a few more keys and said, “Do you want a second keycard?”

  A little overwhelmed at the thought of staying in a penthouse and unsure if she’d brought appropriate clothes, she said, “Sure.” Of course, her purpose at the hotel hadn’t included clothes or leaving the room. She planned to be well and truly laid.

  Diana swiped two plastic keycards through a machine, put them into a small, embossed envelope, and set them on the counter. “You’ll need to insert your card into the slot next to the doors for access to the penthouse elevator located over there.” The woman pointed to a wall down at the end of the counter. “The doors won’t open without it. Insert your keycard again. This will unlock your floor. Remember to take your keycard before leaving the elevator. Enjoy your stay.”

  “Thanks.”

  Adjusting her bag on her shoulder, Naia walked past the long counter to the elevator and slipped her key into the slot. The doors opened, and she stepped inside.

  With a deep breath, she slid her keycard into the slot and tried to calm her nerves.

  This was really happening. By sometime that evening, she’d be free of her virgin status. She didn’t know whether to celebrate or run for her life.

  Chapter Four

  Joe watched the sexiest woman he’d ever seen walk away and cursed Brandon’s timing. Whether he was showering, in the bathroom, in the middle of a business conference, or out on a date, that’s when Brandon would make some sort of appearance, either by a phone call, a visit, or a text.

  “Luke, thank you for your help.” He handed him a twenty-dollar bill.

  The driver smiled. “Thank you.”

  He nodded. “Can you tell me where the bar is? I’m supposed to meet a buddy there.”

  “Just through those doors and hang a left. Keep going until you reach the restaurant. Turn right and you’ll run into it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Always a pleasure to help our guests.”

  Joe walked through the doors and paused. A blast of cold air refreshed him. Even in May, Vegas proved hotter than the Bay Area. Off to the right, Naia stood at the registration desk. For a moment, he debated whether to approach her and pretend to check in but decided it’d appear too stalker-ish. Honestly, it felt a bit stalker-ish, but he didn’t seem to be able to help himself around her. Besides, she knew he had to meet someone at the bar.

  “To the bar. Just go to the bar. Don’t act the stalker. Do not go after her, Joe. She’s taken,” he muttered to himself and turned left, following the driver’s directions.

  Soon, the acrid smell of cigarette smoke assailed his nostrils. He frowned in distaste. Laws prevented people from smoking in restaurants and bars in California. Apparently not in Nevada. Squinting through the smoke, he searched the bar. Black leather couches and chairs beckoned to the weary traveler and jetsetters. But Brandon and his buddies weren’t in any of them.

  He approached the counter and set his bag on a stool before taking a seat, his back to the bar so he could continue looking for his friends. Brandon said they’d be there. Where were they?

  “Joe Harlow?” a male voice from behind him asked.

  He looked behind him. “Yes.”

  “I was told to give this to you when you arrived.” The bartender slid a manila envelope across the granite countertop to him.

  Perplexed, he picked up the envelope and opened it. A single sheet of paper was inside. He pulled it out and started reading.

  Hey Lover Boy,

  He snorted. His buddies teased him and called him “Lover Boy” because of his celibate lifestyle since his ex-fiancée dumped him to “find herself” in Asia after reading some book about a woman who did the same thing. Who had the time? He had a business to run. Now, if his fiancée had been anything like Naia, things would’ve been different. His pulse raced at the thought of her. Once again, he had to rein in his libido.

  So, as you’ve probably seen by now, I’m not in the bar. Matter of fact, I’m nowhere near you. (Nor is the rest of the gang.) Liz and I are on a getaway weekend far, far away from you—where you can’t try to kill me.

  The guys and I decided in lieu of
a bachelor party, we’d chip in and get you a 1Night Stand date. You need to get laid, dude. You’ll be much happier and more relaxed once you have. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find someone like Liz.

  Just go to the registration desk and check in. Everything is taken care of—room, meals, and even protection.

  Go enjoy.

  Brandon

  Conflicted, Joe didn’t know whether he wanted to strangle his friends or jump for joy, but he agreed with them. He needed to get laid. Unfortunately, the one woman he wanted to do right now was here with someone else.

  Fuck! Not quite what he’d had in mind. He crumpled up the letter and stuffed it into a compartment in his bag.

  “Everything all right?” the bartender asked.

  “Yeah. Fine. Thanks,” he said and trudged back the way he’d come, frustration and a bit of anger simmering under the surface.

  Brandon hadn’t exactly been forthcoming about his first date with Liz. They’d never been the kind to kiss and tell. So, Joe had no idea what to expect or what his buddies had said about him, except they set people up on dates. What would he find? How did this work? What if they weren’t attracted to each other? What if….

  Borrowing trouble. He was borrowing trouble and thinking too much. Naia was taken. He’d just have to keep an open mind and hope for the best.

  He walked to the registration desk and gave them his information.

  “Here’s your key, sir. It’s to a penthouse. You’ll need to use it in order to get into the elevator. You and your roommate are in Penthouse Six,” the young woman named Diana said. “It looks like there’s a package for you. I’ll be right back.”

  Joe picked up the embossed envelope and flipped it over. A penthouse? This weekend must’ve cost a pretty penny.

  “Here you go, sir.” Diana’s voice broke into his thoughts.

  “Thanks.”

  “The penthouse elevator is at the end of this counter on the right. Just insert your keycard for access. When the elevator arrives, the doors will open. You’ll need to use your keycard to open the doors again at your floor. This is just an added security precaution to ensure only the penthouse guests have access to their rooms.”