In the Red Zone Read Online Free PDF Page A

in with their dad more than fifteen years ago. Despite his seemingly loving words, she’d always caught a hint of resentment from him. The tension only worsened after their father had died and she’d received a sizable inheritance.
    Second, she’d seen the silent warning her brother had given Frank. As if she needed her little brother to intervene in her nonexistent love life. She’d walked on the wild side, but she’d learned her lesson far too well.
    Don’t play with a player.
    And Frank Kelly was every inch a player. The man oozed both sex and charm. If she hadn’t already been aware of his reputation, he probably would’ve gotten her out of her panties before the night was done. As it was, it had been hard enough to turn down his invitation to stay at his place Saturday night. She’d seen what the man could do with his hips on the dance floor, and she could only imagine what he was capable of doing in the bedroom.
    Watch it, girl. You know what kind of trouble men like him can be .
    Especially men who knew how to hit.
    So why on earth had she been crazy enough to propose that whole fake relationship thing? It was just asking for trouble. But she’d been desperate and decided to use his attraction to her to her advantage and entice him to her cause. The more time she spent with him, the more she’d be able to sell him on endorsing her foundation. At least she’d been upfront from the start that it wouldn’t go anywhere.
    She massaged her temples, taking care not to press too hard on her right side. The swelling had disappeared from her cheek, but the tenderness still lingered. Thankfully, she’d already had enough practice covering bruises with makeup.
    A knock sounded at her door, and her assistant, Sherita, poked her head in. “Kiana, Frank Kelly is here to see you.”
    Her stomach twisted, and her pulse kicked into overdrive. “He is?”
    Sherita nodded, a knowing grin appearing on her lips.
    Kiana stared at the disarray in her desk and made a mad attempt to organize it. Then she ran her hands over her hair. “How do I look?”
    Her assistant came in and closed the door behind her. “Flustered.”
    She leaned back in her desk chair. “Not good.”
    “But perfectly understandable.” Sherita fanned herself and acted like she was blowing out a flame.
    Yeah, Frank Kelly was hot, and she wasn’t the only one who thought so.
    Kiana laughed, the tension easing from her shoulders. “Let him in.”
    “Are you sure? ‘Cause I don’t mind the view from my desk.”
    She continued to laugh, but nodded. “Yeah, but how much work do you think you’d get done with him standing there?”
    “None.” Sherita grinned but stepped back out to fetch Frank.
    Kiana used those final seconds to check her reflection in the hand mirror she kept in her desk drawer. Not perfect, but at least she didn’t have any lipstick on her teeth.
    Her gaze fell on the framed picture of her daughter on the corner of her desk as the door opened. She snatched it and tucked it into the drawer along with her mirror. She’d managed to keep her out of the spotlight since her birth and she intended to keep it that way.
    Frank ambled into her office, and her breath hitched. She’d thought he’d been sexy in the club, but today took it to a whole other level. Hot didn’t begin to describe him. The gray Notre Dame T-shirt clung to the well-defined muscles of his upper arms and broad chest, while his jeans molded his ass in a way that practically begged her to squeeze it.
    “Hey there, lovely lady,” he greeted with a wink and grin.
    His flirtatious behavior broke her awe, and she found her voice. “What took you so long?”
    “I had to make sure I was beautiful enough to grace your presence, especially if you had posing for pictures in mind.” He touched the eye that had been swollen shut Saturday night. Only a faint yellow tinge remained of the bruise.
    More like he was playing mind games with her. Men were like that. It was no