Crossing the Line by Bernice Layton

Author:Bernice Layton
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-58571-600-5
Publisher: Genesis Press, Inc.
Published: 2012-08-09T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

At a quarter before eight, Nick was waiting down in the hotel lobby. He kept eyes trained on the bank of elevators.

Raina stepped into an empty elevator. Again, she admired the dress she had paid a chunk of her winnings on. It was a body-hugging above-the-knee black dress with a rhinestone empire waist. The rhinestone pattern criss-crossed under her breasts and ran down into the side seams of the dress. It was accompanied by a matching three-quarter-sleeved jacket. And to tie it all together, Raina brought a pair of black stilettos with rhinestone heels. She had pulled her wavy hair up into a loose ponytail and fastened a rhinestone clip to the side. She kept her jewelry simple—just a pair of rhinestone stud earrings. Squinting at her reflection in the mirrored doors, she suddenly frowned. “Stop it. He’ll think you’re offering yourself up again.” But I’m not. “Okay, yes, I’m really attracted to him…but there is a line and we just won’t cross it. We won’t, because I won’t let that happen again.” Feeling stronger in her resolve to ignore her attraction for Nick, Raina was full of confidence when the elevator arrived at the lobby level and she stepped out.

Nick had just taken a sip of his club soda when he spotted Raina stepping off the elevator. “Oh, wow.” The words rushed from him when he finally exhaled. She was stunning and, again, had taken his breath away, but then his breath halted for another reason.

“Hello, again, sister.” The brother from the elevator walked over to Raina, his tone condescending.

Oh, Lord, not him again. Raina cringed when the man made a beeline for her. She recalled the look he’d fixed on her when Nick announced they were traveling together. To be polite, she just said, “Hello.”

“You out alone, or is the white boy lurking around?” He ran a finger down her forearm.

“I’m not alone,” Raina said, focusing on trying not to lick her lips.

The stranger openly ogled her cleavage. “Why are you wasting your time on a white guy? They only want to sample forbidden fruit, baby. Give brothers a chance, know what I’m saying?”

Raina absorbed what he had said. “What I do isn’t anybody’s business, least of all yours. You’re just some guy from an elevator, but you thought it was okay to put your hands on me before, and just now, you did it again. How can you do that and think it’s okay?”

The man’s face registered surprise at her tone. “Sorry if I offended you,” he said.

“What if I were your wife, here on business? Would you want some strange man in a crowded elevator touching her like that?”

“How do you know…” he began.

“The tan line on your ring finger tells me you’re married. So I guess you removed your ring in anticipation of having a little fun in Vegas.” Raina eyed him levelly. She had used her gut instinct to get out of that restaurant with her life, so this guy didn’t even come close to scaring her.

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