The Seduction of Kinley Foster (What Happens in Vegas) Read Free Page A

Family loyalty trumps all other loyalty.
    The driver got in the yellow taxi. “Where to?”
    “The Masquerade Hotel and Casino,” Ian said, before Kinley could reply.
    “How do you know which hotel?” Could he see the thump of her heart against her chest? Hear the underlying emotions in her voice? Crud. Why wasn’t she better at playing it cool?
    “Your brother. It was nice to hear from him. I’ m afraid we ’re guilty of letting life get in the way of our friendship.” He once again rested his arm along the back of the seat.
    She lifted her eyebrows. “Don’t you mean your dick got in the way of your friendship?”
    His lips tightened and then quickly relaxed. “You’re not ever going to let that go, are you?”
    “I can’t imagine why I would.” According to her brother, Ian never gave him a reason as to why his fiancée came out of his bedroom naked. Just played the trust-your-best-friend card, and her brother allowed it.
    Who gives that kind of trust so freely? Not her. Not then. Not now. If she ever had to choose between her gut and her vision, she was going with what she saw. Eyes don’t lie. Guts, on the other hand, tend to be in cahoots with one’s emotions.
    “Asking you to keep an eye on me is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard all day. And trust me, I’ve heard some bizarre things today.” Kinley caught an image of herself in the driver’s rearview mirror and realized she still had her travel pillow around her neck. She yanked it off.
    “And yet it’ s true. ” He slashed an eyebrow. One of his signature moves. A move that used to turn her knees wobbly. A move that prompted her to start reading romances at the age of twelve, hoping they’d teach her how to get him to slash that move on her.
    He never did.
    And, my god, after sooo many years, she shouldn’t even remember that signature move let alone react to the sight of a simple raised brow. She pulled her phone out of her purse. “I told my brother I’d call and tell him I landed safely.”
    “I called him when your plane landed. He knows you’re safe.”
    Kinley frowned and once again put her phone away. She stared out the window. “Do you live in Vegas?” The guy’s social media presence was all protected from casual observers. And he had a picture of his yacht as his avatar. The only thing she knew about him were the bits and pieces she slyly pulled out of her brother.
    “New York.”
    She could feel his eyes on her, but she didn’t turn to make eye contact. “Please tell me you didn’t drop everything and fly to Vegas just to take care of me.”
    He chuckled, a sound of condescension. A sound she’d heard before. And, damn it, these memories shouldn’t be so clear. It was like she’d rewound the last decade and could recall every frickin’ detail about him. Ugh. “If I had, getting to see grown-up Kinley Foster would have been worth the effort.”
    “Gag.” She turned to see his reaction to her use of the old go-to expression she used to say whenever he said something she thought was disgusting. Did he miss the way they used to spar with one another?
    “You’ve grown-up quite nicely, little Kinley. I almost didn’t recognize you. Good thing your brother told me about your dreadful suitcase.”
    She tried not to look pleased. A near compliment. From Ian. The guy she fell in love with at the age of eight when he agreed to take her for a sled ride down the monster hill. Didn’t matter that they’d crashed. Or that they’d ended up with scars on their foreheads. Her love had been freely given that day, because he’d told her “yes” when everyone else told her “no.” And then the love blossomed when he dried her tears and told her that when two people have matching scars, they have magic powers. “Well, you’re even uglier than you used to be.”
    He placed a hand across his heart. “That hurts. When did your tongue get so clever?”
    “Bite me.”
    He reached out and touched her hair. Twirled a