by Kait Gamble
All kinds of scenarios flooded her mind. Had he followed her? Had someone else done it? Did he get a PI to track her down? He couldn’t have. If he had, he wouldn’t have called her Kiki, now, would he?
“Kiki?”
She fought to talk through the slowly easing constriction in her chest. “Sorry. You want to have breakfast?”
“Is that so strange?” he drawled. “I wanted to see you before you had to leave again. What room are you in? I’ll come get you.”
New panic raced through her system. “I’ll meet you back at Soar. Can you give me an hour to get dressed?” What? What the hell was she saying? It was too late for her to take it back. And how was she possibly going to get dressed and meet him back at the hotel in an hour? The last time, looking like Kiki had taken hours and a whole retinue of professionals.
She had no chance of making herself presentable in the right way or on time.
“Of course. I’m glad you’ve agreed. I look forward to seeing you again.”
Her phone beeped and the call ended.
Hands shaking now, she searched through her contacts for Malika. Before she managed to find her and call, her phone rang again.
“Hello?”
“Kiki, it’s Nikos. I’m so glad I caught you before you left.”
Her stomach fluttered in response to the deep timbre of his voice. “Hi, Nikos.”
“I wanted to see if you were up for breakfast before you took off again.”
Might as well kill two birds with one stone. “Actually, Dmitri just called with the same idea. Want to join us?”
“What a coincidence.” He didn’t sound surprised at all. “Where should I meet you?”
“Soar. In an hour.”
“I look forward to it. See you soon.”
Her hands were shaking even more by the time she managed to call Malika.
“I know what you’re going to ask.” Malika had apparently been waiting for her to call.
“Good morning to you too, Malika.” Kendra sighed. “So they called you for Kiki’s number?”
“I’m sorry, but I had no choice. If I gave them the actual Kiki’s number, the whole charade would have been for nothing.”
“I understand, I do, but what am I going to do now? They want to have breakfast this morning. I doubt the team at the spa is willing to go through all the same trouble they did last night to make me passable as Kiki.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I think they had a good time giving you a makeover.”
“Malika! What am I going to do?”
“Why did you agree in the first place?”
“Dmitri caught me off guard, and once I said yes to him, I could hardly say no to Nikos.”
She could almost hear the other woman rolling her eyes.
Malika released a long, hissing breath. “You’re just going to have to wing it.”
“Gee, I never would have thought of that on my own.” The sarcasm escaped before Kendra could stop herself.
Another huff of breath came from the other woman. “How long before you have to meet them?”
“An hour.”
“I’ve had the clothes you tried on last night sent over as a thank you. They should arrive shortly.”
“Thank you, Malika. I’m sorry I’m so snippy. I’m just stressed out. I’m not a great liar. I hate to do it. There’s just something about those two that makes me feel like they can see straight through me. And I know it’s so stupid, but I can’t stop thinking about them.”
A long sigh came through the phone. “I know what you mean. Just be careful you don’t lose your head. Men like them seem to have the ability to make you lose sight of everything else.” Malika’s voice muffled for a moment to issue orders to someone on her end. “I’ve sent another driver with the makeup from last night and anything else you could need. He’ll wait to bring you back.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You’ve thanked me enough. Just please make sure they don’t figure it out. I’m on my way to London now, but call me if you need to. Please let me know how things go. Contact Julia should you need anything else.”
“I will. Talk to you soon.”
Kendra ended the call as she paced up and down. Mentally going through the clothes from the night before, she dismissed them all. They were too fancy for a breakfast. She had to have something here that would satisfy the restaurant’s dress code and yet wouldn’t be too formal.
Her wardrobe was hardly anything spectacular. She had work clothes, jeans and T-shirts and a few outfits that fell into the ‘just in case’ category that she never wore since she rarely went out.
Yanking the few hangers out, she went through them one by one, tossing the unsuitable aside. She was eventually left with two choices, a peach dress that still had the tag on it and a blue dress that she’d worn once before. Both fit perfectly…the last time she’d tried them on.
The peach one won out simply because she liked the color at that moment more than the blue.
As far as dresses went, it was far simpler than anything she had tried on the night before, which made it perfect for a quick breakfast meet-up. The soft peach looked wonderful against the glowing tan of her skin while it matched the sky outside perfectly at least for the moment. It wouldn’t be long before the soft pinks and peaches would be replaced by vibrant blue.
Kendra tugged the zipper under her arm into place and spun to take a look at herself in the mirror. The bodice skimmed over her skin. Sleeveless and demure, it nipped in at the waist before flaring in a skirt that stopped just below her knee.
It was hardly something Kiki would wear, but it was perfect for her purposes.
She applied makeup lightly and spritzed herself with the perfume she only allowed herself to use on special occasions before she wound her hair into a loose knot. Kendra smiled at her reflection. Not bad. Cool, casual, not at all like she was trying too hard. At least that’s how she hoped they would see the outfit.
Not that men saw things the same way women did. They’d probably just see that Kiki had come running at their call.
What had possessed her to accept their invitation? The plan was to have dinner with them, get them to believe who she was pretending to be and end it there.
It had to be because she wasn’t used to the attention and was flattered by how into her they both appeared to be. Not to mention that her hormones seemed to take over whenever she was around them.
Or talked to them over the phone, apparently.
It was a temporary diversion. A momentary flight of fancy that she would enjoy for a short while then think back upon with fond memories for the rest of her life.
Like a tragic spinster character in a book.
It was ridiculous. Why shouldn’t she enjoy herself for once in her life? Kendra wanted to make excuses for her behavior. It was habit. She was expected to be the good girl. To do what she was told—what she needed to do—and never ask for anything more.
Well, now she wanted more.
Kendra imagined spending time with them both, learning which of them was a better fit for her.
She felt a pulse of heat low in her belly at the thought of how they would fit inside her.
Nikos and Dmitri were both at least a head taller than she was. They were both broad, formidable. She could only imagine what they would be like in bed. And that was one thing Kendra so wanted to find out.
Acting so recklessly was exhilarating. And stupid.
Only it felt so good she didn’t want to think about the consequences just yet. Not like things would go that far. She was just going to have breakfast with them. That was all.
Pulse fluttering, she slipped on a comfortable pair of pumps. Just as she picked up her purse and refilled it with the things she’d dumped out of it, there was a knock at the door.
Kendra opened the door to find the men with the deliveries Malika had promised. The number of boxes alone caused her eyes to widen. Had she gone through that many clothes la
st night? She let them leave the stack by the door. At least there was something that she could look forward to upon her return.
After throwing a pashmina around her bare shoulders, she locked her door and followed the driver down to the curb where she got into the first of the two cars.
The entire trip back to the hotel, she fought her nerves and willed herself to sit still when she felt as though she would bounce out of her skin.
“Can we please go around to the back?” Sneaking in the service entrance was hardly glamorous, but at least she didn’t risk the chance of them seeing her.
Her pulse sped up until it was like having a hummingbird’s wings beating at her throat. Who would have thought that doing something so illicit would be so exciting?
After quickly thanking the driver, Kendra dashed in and headed up to the floor under Soar using the service elevator before circling around to take the much more extravagant guest elevator up to the restaurant.
By the time she walked into the dining room, the thrill of sneaking around pinged through her.
It didn’t take long for the maître d’ to find her and lead her to a booth that faced the balcony overlooking the water. Nikos and Dmitri were already there waiting. They stood the moment they saw her approaching.
“Good morning, Kiki.” Dmitri reached her first by half a step, taking her hand before Nikos could. “I’m glad you could make it, though I was surprised to find that Nikos had the same idea.”
Kendra squeezed his hand. “I hope you don’t mind. He called just after you did and I didn’t see the harm in him joining us.”
Dmitri didn’t say anything, though he was reluctant to release her hand, so Nikos could lead her to her seat.
He helped Kendra into the booth while they took chairs opposite her. Kendra sat like a queen in the huge plush seat. She felt pampered. Special.
“We’ve taken the liberty of ordering for you. I hope you don’t mind. It was in the interest of saving time.” Nikos took his seat.
Kendra let her gaze travel between them. No longer in tuxes, they looked no less glamorous. Nikos wore a blue suit over a crisp white shirt that was open at the collar, giving her a glimpse of tan skin. Dmitri had forgone the jacket altogether, but wore a white shirt as well. He had undone the top few buttons and had rolled up his sleeves, putting his sculpted forearms on display.
She had to knit her fingers together to keep from touching them. “That was thoughtful of you.”
“We didn’t want to waste any time, since we both know it’s limited.” Nikos smiled. “You look wonderful.”
“Thanks.” Kendra stared at them both for a little bit, unsure how to proceed. “So… Last night was nice.”
“It was.” Dmitri raked his gaze over her. “Did you sleep well?”
If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was in her mind and trying to goad her into revealing just how little sleep she’d gotten. And why.
“Not really. There was so much excitement that it took me a while to wind down.”
“And we called you so early.” Nikos took her hand by her fingers and squeezed gently. “Apologies.”
The lightning of his touch set off a frisson of sensation. “I was up anyway.” She let him hold her hand a moment longer before pulling her hand away and hiding them both. Touching made it too hard to focus. “So what are we having?”
A pair of waiters appeared at that moment with their meals.
“You’re about to find out.” Dmitri watched her rather than the waiters. The intensity of his gaze caused her stomach to flip.
The tray and plates were placed before them with a flourish before the waiters retreated once again.
Nikos lifted the cover of one while Dmitri took care of the other. Under the lids were an assortment of breakfast foods she recognized very well. Pancakes, various fruits, juices, toast, crispy bacon all ready for her to choose from.
“Did we get it right?”
“Absolutely.” Kendra couldn’t recall the last time she had eaten so well. The most she had in the morning was maybe a piece of toast and a coffee. And that was only if she had time. For the most part, she relied on her shakes to get her through the day.
When they weren’t being thrown out by conniving coworkers, that is.
“Are you all right?” Nikos had a concerned expression on his face as he watched her. “You look as though you’re angry about something.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind, I guess.” She took a few pancakes and poured herself some orange juice. “This is fantastic.”
Dmitri nodded as he pinched a piece of bacon between his fingers and took a bite. “It’s been a while since I’ve had time to sit down to a meal, let alone two in such quick succession.”
A nod of commiseration came from Nikos who was piling his plate high. “Same.”
They were rushed off their feet as well? Not really surprising when they had billion-dollar businesses. Only she figured they would have people to deal with everything for them. They had the money. Perhaps not all rich people were as insane as the ones she had to deal with on a daily basis.
“Now I feel bad about cutting our meal early last night.”
“You can make it up to us now.” Nikos winked as he took a sip of his coffee. A flash of sunlight glinted off his watch. It cost more than everything she had owned in her entire life, she would wager. Kendra was sure she’d seen it highlighted in a magazine once, hanging off the wrist of more than one movie star.
“Well, I can’t ask you to bid another four million for breakfast, so the least I can do is actually finish a meal.”
Dmitri smirked, but said nothing as he finished his espresso. He waved over the waiter, indicating that he wanted another. It looked like she wasn’t the only one who had had a sleepless night. Was he tossing and turning all night thinking about her as she had about them? Or had he had some company?
That thought made her stomach tighten. Who could it have been? One of the celebutantes that had been at the benefit last night?
Why did she care?
Kendra took a long sip of her orange juice. Even the juice here was out of this world. She needed to savor everything, unlike the previous night when she had barely tasted anything before she ran off like a frightened rabbit.
Well, now she was being strategic. It was just a friendly breakfast prior to her sending them both on their ways.
“So, I just invested in a rather large jewelry company.”
“Here we go.” Dmitri scowled at Nikos. “The bragging begins.”
Nikos glowered right back. “Actually, I wasn’t bragging, and if you would just keep your mouth shut, I was going to offer Kiki a rather lucrative modeling opportunity.”
Kendra stared at Nikos. “What?”
He smiled then looked at her questioningly. “I always thought your eyes were brown. Funny.”
Damn! She had forgotten about the contacts in her rush. “I guess it’s the light,” she explained lamely. The weak laughter that came from her sounded cringingly bad. “You were saying?”
A scoff came from the man on her other side, but she couldn’t look away from Nikos just yet. What had he done?
“I contacted your people and wanted to get the ball rolling for you as the new face for the latest campaign for De Winter Diamonds. One of the chief investors and his wife are good friends of mine. Luca mentioned Anika was looking for a fresh face to be the next Ice Princess.”
Kendra fought from gaping at him like a fish. The De Winter brand was all about luxury and perfection. Hardly a name that would want to be associated with a hard-partying model, and most definitely not a nobody like herself. “You can’t be serious.”
Nikos raised his eyebrows in surprise. “If you’d rather not, that’s fine. I just thought you would be perfect for it.”
“Of course she would be. Look at her, Kiki is stunning. But you can’t just go around making deals for her,” Dmitri snarled.
“I never made any deals. I ju
st put forth the idea. Which they love and so do your people.”
Kendra was still trying to get a handle on what was going on. Had he contacted Kiki’s people? For real? “How did you contact my people?”
“Julia and Malika sorted it out for me.”
Of course. She fought to keep from groaning as a result of the weird combination of relief and stress that flooded her system.
“Nikos. You’ve obviously upset Kiki with your assumptions. Didn’t you think to ask her first?”
“I am asking her first.” Nikos turned his gaze back to Kendra and it softened. “Like I said, it’s your choice. I just opened a door for you. Whether or not you walk through is up to you. It is a chance of a lifetime, at least I think so.”
And he thought of her first… No, Kiki first.
Her stomach rolled. It looked like it was going to be yet another meal cut short.
Nikos wasn’t about to give up, however. “It would be here in Dubai. A few days, a week at the most. The photographers can be here immediately and shooting can start tomorrow.”
It sounded like a dream come true and the fact that Nikos was involved meant that it would most definitely be worth her time.
But it was meant for Kiki.
It felt like a stab in the heart. It was ridiculous, but Kendra almost felt betrayed that he would care so much for Kiki that he would go to all this trouble. For her career. Kiki’s. Kendra suffered like a chump, even though she knew, logically, that this was all for her.
She sat numb for a moment as he watched and waited for an answer.
Kendra shrugged. “I’ll need to talk to my people about it first, of course.”
“I understand. Just let me know your decision as soon as possible.” He smiled and resumed eating his breakfast as if he hadn’t just shaken the foundation of her existence.
Kendra couldn’t take it. It was insane. She would just have to find another excuse to get out of it.
“It would be great if you could take the job,” offered Dmitri. “Because I’m going to be in town for the next week as well. We could spend some time together. I hear Dubai is a delight for tourists.” He looked at Nikos with a smug smile.