Sinfully Summer by Aimee Duffy Read Free Book Online Page A

smoothed a hand over the ugly skirt, trying to get rid of the wrinkles.
    ‘You look fine. Respectable,’ he stated.
    She wrinkled her nose, but didn’t comment. With a hand on the small of her back he guided her over the gravel driveway. The tingling in her skin morphed into a swift burn, flaming over her body from head to toe. Alexa wished she’d worn a bra, that way she could ditch the horrible jacket instead of sweating buckets in the early morning sunshine. After knocking once, he stepped away from her.
    A man dressed formally in black trousers, and a white shirt and tie combo opened the door. He looked too young to be the man Ric described as Mr Romero. Must be the butler or something.
    The man greeted them in Spanish and invited them in. The entrance lobby showcased a staircase made of glass, moving up and across the hill at every level. She stood for a second, dazed at the sight, never having seen anything like it.
    Ric’s arm slid around her lower back and she snapped her attention back to him. He smirked down at her, as if to say he knew it was spectacular and that’s exactly why he picked the place. Still, something niggled that this wasn’t the right venue for Ric’s charity. They were led through to what she assumed to be the lounge, if the four large sofas and fireplace was anything to go by, but what drew her attention was the glass wall with the whole of Marbella on the other side.
    Mr Romero rose from one of the sofas and Ric introduced Alexa. She smiled politely and allowed Mr Romero to kiss the back of her hand while Ric probably explained in Spanish that she couldn’t speak their tongue.
    Just like last night, the sound of his voice curling around the foreign words made her tingle all over. Needing a distraction, she sauntered over to the window to let the men talk business and looked down at the city below.
    Mr Romero must feel like God waking up on his mountain and looking down on all this every day. He obviously loved the city to have such a spectacular view of it and she could see why. Every building was a tribute to architecture. From the little brick houses scattered all over to the skyscraper hotels, like Ric’s parents’, it was the perfect mix of modern and old, dotted along a golden beach and light blue ocean.
    The harbour was further away, and she ran her gaze over the yachts docked along the side. Then further out to the middle of the water. The biggest yacht of all was anchored in the centre and looked more like a mini cruise ship than an actual boat.
    ‘Alexa, we’re going to see the ballroom now.’
    She turned to the sound of Ric’s voice and followed the men through the house, snatching another peek at the boat over her shoulder. If Ric wanted to make an impression with his party, the boat would probably be better than a hillside mansion.
    Ric sipped the glass of champagne Mr Romero had offered, his mind lost in thought. The midday sun shone down from above and the heat on the balcony was stifling. He had removed his suit jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves, but Alexa kept her jacket firmly in place.
    He’d almost offered to take it for her when Mr Romero invited them up for a drink and bite to eat before they left, but remembered the fact she wasn’t wearing a bra and the linen blouse he’d made her wear was almost translucent. The fact she must be overheating ate at his conscience, but if he wrapped this up quick they would be in the air conditioned limo in no time.
    Mr Romero excused himself to take a call and he noticed Alexa’s glass sat mostly untouched on the table next to her as she stared out across the city below them.
    ‘What do you think of this as a venue?’ he asked.
    Ric had been excited about it when he arrived, but the ballroom in the house was situated back into the mountain and regardless of the size and bright lights, had given him the feeling they were in a coffin a lot deeper than six foot under.
    She shrugged. ‘I don’t see it for your ball.