Read Online Angela, Carla - Full Exposure (BookStrand Publishing Romance) by Carla Angela - Free Book Online

Hunter suddenly looked at Lake with those aquamarine eyes, leaning toward her, inching ever closer. She drank in the blended aroma of chocolate fudge and cologne, like it was vital oxygen. Every part of her throbbed, her lips puckered.
    She imagined him plunging his lips onto hers and then freeing her from her seatbelt and sliding her onto his lap, so that her chest jutted onto his, his hardness sliding into her wet heat, their bodies moving up and down, up and down…
    Just as quickly though, Hunter’s hand came into view, flicking her lock free. Oh, that was it. Darn it.
    ‘Good luck with the exhibition launch,’ he said, looking deeply into her eyes. A little too deeply so that Lake felt pinned under his gaze like an insect on display.
    ‘Ah, thanks,’ Lake said, feeling intoxicated. Then, snapping to attention, she suddenly unbuckled her seatbelt, slid from the leather seat, and tugged the door open, falling out onto the sidewalk and into the cool air.
    Hunter gave her one final penetrating glance before revving the Ferrari and roaring down the street, the car turning into a red dot on the horizon, leaving Lake trembling and alone.    

Chapter Seven

    Lake assessed her reflection critically in her bedroom mirror, her ginger cat brushing past her legs.
    ‘How do I look, Cupcakes?’ she asked, turning to hold out the knee-length, chiffon skirt part of her frock. The top section had fabric roses that trailed down from the thin straps, crisscrossing over her chest and down over her bare back. It was vastly different to the type of clothing she wore to the photography café or in the darkroom. Fenella had helped her pick it out. She said she needed to play up her role of the star of the night—the star artiste.
    It was definitely a much more feminine look than she was used to—pretty even—and decidedly less comfortable. Lake poked her feet out from under her frock, clad in red, satin heels, wondering how she was going to last the night in them. She’d even painted her toe nails fire-engine red, though she usually preferred to keep her nails bare. Finally, she looked back at Cupcakes.
    The long-haired cat appeared to give her the once-over and then wandered over to a corner of the room and took a seat, closing his eyes. Perhaps he was just mad he wasn’t going to be accompanying her on her night of nights. That or he was just a sucker for the heater at the far end of the room.
    Lake leant in closer to the mirror again, wondering if she’d put too much peach blusher on. She dragged a white tissue over her cheeks to pick up any excess, just in case.
    She was starting to get really nervous. This was it. People were either going to love her artwork or absolutely hate it. The proof would be in the form of the tiny, red dot stickers stuck to the picture frames at the end of the night. Or the lack thereof. Still, there was nothing she could do about it. She just had to wait it out.
    Giving herself another blast of floral-scented perfume, she dropped a gold tube of lipstick into her red satin clutch—another Fenella fashion idea—along with her mobile phone and snapped off the heater, while Cupcakes mewed in protest. Grabbing her set of silvery keys, Lake headed for the door. The less time she spent idling in her bedroom waiting for Fenella and Bert to show up, the less chance she had to ditch the red frock for a comfy top and a pair of jeans in a moment of panic.
    Waiting on the porch, she checked the time on her mobile phone. She was still seven minutes earlier than Fenella and Bert were due to arrive as her transport, like a fairy-godmother-induced coach. Darn. The night air was growing decidedly chillier. She wished she’d grabbed at least her thin, black cardigan, although she knew she wouldn’t need it in the crowded gallery. Well, at least she hoped it would be crowded. She’d sent out enough invites.
    Suddenly, Lake cocked her head. It sounded like a door was banging gently in the breeze. The sound was