Into the Night Read Online Free Page A

slender hips, now encased in a slim-fitting, hot-pink, summer-style dress.
    Michelle’s wide-eyed gaze echoed her surprise. “Wow, you look amazing. And hot. Sizzling hot,” she added with a grin as she sat up on the lounge chair to get a better look at what Nicole was wearing. “I’ve never seen that dress on you before. Or those shoes, for that matter. I’m used to you wearing more tailored outfits for work, not something so blatantly sexy.”
    Tonight was certainly about work, and a bit of fun, too. Hence, the sexy playfulness to her wardrobe. “I found both the dress and shoes on sale at Nordstrom and couldn’t resist getting the outfit for the summer.” It wasn’t something she’d ever wear to work, but she’d find a few reasons to wear the dress again after tonight, because she really did love it. “I didn’t want to go tonight wearing a pair of slacks and a button-down blouse. Talk about boring.”
    Michelle laughed. “Oh, you look anything but boring, especially in those three-inch heels and baring more skin than I’ve ever seen on you in public.” She tipped her head to the side, her gaze turning much too speculative. “In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if tonight is more than just an assignment for you, that maybe you’re finally open to finding Mr. Right during this speed-dating event.”
    Nicole shot her friend an are-you-out-of-your-ever-lovin’-mind? look. “Hell, no, I’m not looking for Mr. Right, or anything serious for that matter.” Her voice was emphatic as she pushed a pair of silver hoops into her earlobes, then followed those up with three matching bangle bracelets.
    Getting tied into a committed, long-term relationship wasn’t on her radar for a good long time. She’d been there, done that. The experience had been more than she’d ever bargained for emotionally, and had nearly destroyed her self-worth, along with her self-confidence. It had taken a long time to recover from the aftermath of giving her whole heart and soul to a man who’d used her as his plaything—and dismissed her from his life as soon as someone younger and just as guileless caught his eye.
    She’d been so naive, so trusting back then, but she wasn’t that romantic, starry-eyed teenager any longer. She was jaded, she supposed, and toughened by the experience. At twenty-five, she just wasn’t ready, or willing, to risk her heart and emotions on anything beyond building her career as a journalist.
    These days, the only thing she relied on a man for was sex. And even at that, it had been nearly six months since she’d indulged in one of those seductive, tempting, feel-good kind of romps between the sheets. Nicole had made do just fine on her own since then, but the truth was, a vibrator didn’t compare to the real thing. She missed being touched and caressed by strong, capable hands, and kissed by a soft, warm male mouth. She loved the feel of a man’s hard body moving against hers, enjoyed the friction and slow climb to a powerful orgasm that drove him equally wild.
    Though she enjoyed the intimacy of being with a man, she insisted on a friends-with-benefits arrangement, one specific go-to guy for hot but uncomplicated sex. No strings attached, and especially no messy emotions involved. Just mutual, physical pleasure, and no obligations to mess with her head or her heart.
    How was that for dating in the twenty-first century?
    Nicole shook her head on those thoughts and looked on the bright side of things. “I figure if I’m stuck with this assignment, I might as well enjoy myself,” she told Michelle as she double-checked her purse for everything she needed, then pulled out a tube of her favorite lip gloss that tasted like crème brûlée and shimmered with pink undertones.
    Michelle lifted a delicate brow. “So, you’re going to mix business with pleasure, hmmm?”
    “Why not?” After swiping the gloss across her lips, she dropped the tube back into her purse and snapped it closed, then grinned