“I thought we were pretty clear on that point?”

“I’m not.” He pressed one hand to the wall beside her, his body framing hers but not touching it. He wanted this woman, but if he could scare her the hell out of this room without touching her, it would be in her best interest. “Spell it out.”

“I have something you want. You have something I want.”

His body responded to that tease, his c**k thickening against his jeans. “And yet you’re in my room, alone with me. You have to know that’s asking for more than a simple exchange.”

“It’s as simple as it gets. You brought my boss a file. If I like what’s inside it, I’m to make sure you’re rewarded. So I suggest you show me your file, Mr. Wright. Otherwise, you won’t be getting anything.”

She delivered the seductive promise with such Grande that he almost – almost – believed he’d been wrong about her, but not quite. “You don’t have to do this, you know?”

“You’re right,” she said. “I don’t. I can walk out of here with my envelope and leave you with yours. I just choose not to.”

“What is it he’s promised you to make you willing to sell your soul and your body for him?”

Her hand slid to his chest. “I have a choice.” She leaned into him and pressed her lips to his. She tasted like the same tangerine of her lipstick, sweet and tangy, tempting.

He didn’t respond at first, thinking through what came next, what he should do. She was inside Alvarez’s operation. He had no reason to trust her, or help her, and he wanted her more than he remembered wanting anyone in a very long time. So, why was he hesitating to take what she offered?

With a low growl, he slid his hand to her back and called her bluff. If he was right about her, he’d scare the shit out of her and have one hell of a cold shower afterwards. His mouth slanted over hers, tongue delving past her teeth, hand settling on her back, molding her soft curves to his hard body.

She melted against him, a soft moan sliding from her throat, her arms wrapping around his neck. Holy hell, he thought again. He could make love to this woman. Make her feel soft, sexy, and pleasured, and enjoy every damn second of it, seduce her into helping him. They had chemistry and attraction that would make this easy to blow off as a hot night that wasn’t as dangerous as it was for her future. But that wouldn’t save her, and she needed to be saved. He didn’t know why he knew this, but he did. The only way to help her was to scare the living shit out of her. To take her places she wouldn’t want to go and force her to see that this wasn’t where she belonged. That meant this was going someplace down and dirty, and hard and gritty.

His hand caressed over her side and upward, until he palmed her full, high breast, his fingers finding the already stiff peak of her nipple under the soft silk of her dress and, surprisingly, barely there bra. She arched into his touch rather than pulling away and he knew this was where he set the stakes higher. Where he pushed her.

He set her back from him, his eyes meeting hers, searching her face, searching her lovely, passion filled face, and damn it, he wanted her to stay all soft and wanting, just like she was now. But in all good conscience, and he hated he still had one, he couldn’t let that happen.

Blake backed away and sat on the edge of the bed, and damn she looked sexy with her hair down. “Take off your clothes.”

She blinked at him, and her creamy ivory skin paled even further, but she recovered quickly, drawing in a breath and reaching for the zipper running up the front of her dress. His blood thundered in his ears like he was some kind of randy teenager who hadn’t seen plenty of hot woman, and hot flesh, before. What the hell was it about this woman that set off a firestorm inside him? But he knew. His gut twisted with just how well he knew. She was gorgeous, out of her element, and she needed to be saved. Like someone else he’d failed to save. And damn it to hell, he thought he had enough distance from this to be calculated and cold, to finish this once and for all.

The dress shimmered down his new temptation’s hips and fell to the ground, leaving her wearing a cream-colored bra and panties set with little diamond sparkles, thigh-highs and heels. He drew in a heavy breath, reeling in the desire he knew he had to control. There was so much more on the line than sex, mostly for her.

She reached for her bra and he moved quickly, surprising her, and shackling her wrist. She was flat on the mattress, and beneath him in an instant, one of his legs between hers, because both would have been too much to bare. As it was, that scent of hers, all sweet and flowery, was like fire licking at his limbs. And his cock, which was against her hip, throbbed with the promise of how close he was to the also sweet V of her legs.

“You don’t have to do this,” he told her.

“I thought we already covered this?”

“Not well enough. You aren’t too far gone to turn back.”

“This coming from a man who has me almost naked in a hotel bed with him?”

“Almost, sweetheart. I didn’t think you’d have the courage to really strip for me. Whatever it is you think working for this guy will fix, it won’t. What do you need? Money? I’ll give you money if you promise to walk away from this and never look back.”

“So I’ll work for you instead of him?”

“No strings. You never have to see me again.”

“Are you seriously trying to save me?” she asked.

“Yes. I am.”