Lured In (Dark Paradise, #1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

her shoulders.
    “The guy who’s sitting out there and apparently friends with Matt. The same guy who invited you out tonight.”
    “Why was he at your office today anyway?”
    “We had an out-of-the-blue merger meeting that my dad and Richard dealt on a whim. He was one of the attendees, as was Matt.”
    “Matt was there? So this explains why he had to interrupt our evening yesterday for an emergency meeting. OK, so finish telling me about the flirting.”
    “Mr. Sexy was flirting with me from the moment I sat beside him. He got me really turned on—hot and wet—and had my body doing things that it had never done before. Shit. I’m still trying to figure out why my body was so responsive to him. The weird part about all of this is I didn’t even stop him. I felt rather comfortable. Now that scares me.” I looked at her to try to read her expression and got nothing. I continued, “I apologize for allowing myself to experience those feelings with someone who took an interest in you.”
    “Oh my, sweetie,” Carmen said, pulling me in close to her for a hug before she let out a huge wave of laughter.
    I pushed back from her. “Why are you laughing at me?”
    “Abi, it was always you,” she said, still laughing.
    “Always me what?” I was confused as hell.
    “I saw the way he’d looked at you yesterday in the boutique. And because I knew you would turn him down, I decided to confirm his interest in
you
when you stepped away from us. I told him that you didn’t do the dating thing, and he asked if I knew how to get the two of you alone. I told him not alone, but at least in his presence.”
    “Why would you do that, Carmen? You know how I feel about…Whatever. Just why did you do that?”
    “Abi, sweetie, you need to get out and have some fun, start enjoying yourself. It’s because I love you and know these things about you that made me try to set you up with…um…what do you call him? Mr. Sexy?” I looked at her, dumbfounded, and she continued. “Anyhow, he asked me to convince you to come out tonight. Now here we are. So let’s just go and have some fun. In your case, continue to have some fun.”
    I looked at Carmen, feeling a bit shell-shocked. That was all that I could do. Yet again, she was absolutely right. I had already showed this man in the conference room that I was interested in him when I didn’t stop him from flirting with me and stroking my wrist. In all honesty, I was tired of the vibrators. Shit, batteries were expensive, and I hadn’t had any sex since Gabe, about three and a half years ago.
    Carmen looked at me lovingly. “Abi, I know it’s hard for you to trust men. No one should ever have to endure what you’ve been through, but don’t let it rob you of the life you want for yourself. Hell, and if Matt, who’s very cautious with his company, knows this guy and refers to him as his friend, then he can’t be that bad.”
    “He scares the hell out of me, Carmen.”
    “All men scare you, honey. Was he scaring you when he got you all wet and made kitty-kitty purr?”
    Oh, no she did not just go there.
I didn’t answer.
    “Well, did he?” she asked again. “I’ll take your silence as a no.”
    “He’s so intense, though,” I countered as I left the ladies room, leaving her standing there. I didn’t know if I’d said it in curiosity or intimidation.
    “Everything OK?” Matt asked when we returned.
    I sat back down beside Mr. Sexy, who had eyed me every step of the way from around the corner. I focused my attention on my drink, which had been served while we were gone.
    “Peachy. Everything is peachy,” I said.
    “Peachy,” Carmen agreed with a smile, raising her eyebrows.
    “Should we toast?” Matt asked, holding up his Dirtay. Everybody held up their drinks. “To the newest president of First Choice Health and Wellness, Inc.”
    Clink, clink.
    Matt and Mr. Sexy sipped their drinks while Carmen and I looked at Matt.
    “Were you promoted to president?”