Read Online Venice Heat by Penelope Rivers - Free Book Online Page A

experience, didn’t do that often, which made her curious. His thumb caressed the skin at her elbow.
    “I guess I could do something tonight,” she offered. “I heard about this spot where the dancing is hot, and the drinks are stronger. Wanna check it out with me?”
    He grinned and pulled her close. “I would prefer it just be me and you, naked and getting our freak on.”
    She resisted rolling her eyes and pulled from his hold. “You a little fast, aren’t you? I want to dance.” She unlocked her door. “If that doesn’t work for you…”
    “Fine, but you’re going to be mine in the end anyway.” He smacked her ass, which always pissed her off, but she ground her teeth and didn’t complain about it— this time.
    “Pick me up at—”
    “I’ll be here at nine. Be ready for me.” He stepped off the porch as he slid dark sunglasses into place on his face. She just kept herself from smacking them off and changing her mind yet again. That vulnerability bullshit was just that, and she couldn’t believe she’d fallen for it. But anyway, her protector would take a bit to get there when she called him, so she needed tonight, and going to the club alone wasn’t as much fun. Darryl would do for now. Tonight, though, she planned to knock him off his high horse and show him how she felt about men telling her how it was going to be.
    That night, she wore a red halter minidress with three openings in the front leading down to her navel. The sides were square cutouts from her breasts to low on her hips, and the ruched details on her thighs and at the back showed off her curves and pronounced her ass. She slipped her feet into high-heeled slingbacks and wore three-tiered gold metal earrings.
    At nine fifteen, when Darryl hadn’t shown up, she left the house intending to go out to the main street and flag down a taxi. At the corner, a sleek black convertible almost ran her down in the narrow side street, and she flipped the bird at the driver. The car rolled to a stop in front of her, and she swore. Darryl stepped out of the dark interior with music blasting.
    “I said I was picking you up,” he snapped.
    “Yeah, at nine. I wasn’t waiting on you.” She started to walk around the car to keep going, but once again, he grabbed her arm. She couldn’t help comparing him to Eiji. Even at his coldest, Eiji had been polite and considerate.
    “Let’s go.”
    She glared at Darryl. “No, I think I’m going to go alone.”
    “Come on, Shae. Don’t be like that, baby girl. We’re going to have a good time. Look, I’m sorry, okay? One of my boys was acting stupid today, and I had to set him straight. He made me late. If you want, I can call him up and prove to you it wasn’t my fault.”
    She sighed. It was never their fault. “Darryl—”
    “Please?” He did that low-toned whispering thing he’d done earlier, and despite herself, she felt tingly over it. She must be getting weak to fall for little dumb tricks like that. Darryl touched his forehead to hers, as if he was trying to create a closeness between them, like they were already a couple and understood each other. She’d done that kind of thing a million times and recognized it.
    “Last chance,” she warned him.
    He saw her into the car and even held the door while she settled into the low seat. Then he shut it and jogged around to his side. Shae watched his athletic form, the easy grace he displayed as he folded into the driver side and threw the car into gear. In seconds they roared down the road, narrowly missing pedestrians and other vehicles on the street. Shae breathed a sigh of relief when they pulled up to the club and the valet took the offered keys from Darryl. Her ears needed a break from the blaring speakers in the trunk, but she knew it wouldn’t be much better where they were going. How Darryl wasn’t deaf she didn’t know.
    Her date must have had pull in this city because he gave the bouncer at the door a nod, and they bypassed the