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 bear. 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.”
She studied him a long moment before her fingers curled on his cheek, the simple, delicate touch, sending a rippling sensation through his body. “You know what they say about those who try too hard to save other people?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “They say they need saving themselves.”
His hand slid to hers. “I’m way beyond saving, sweetheart.”
“So am I,” she whispered.
“I don’t believe that.”
“Then you’re looking too hard for something that’s not there.”
“I don’t think so.”
“If I can be saved then so can you.”
His lips twisted cynically. “We aren’t even in the same universe. Believe me. I’m lost. You can still be found.”
“You sound so sure.” She reached up and stroked his hair from where it already began to fall from the back at his neck, his fingers tugging it forward. Every time she touched him, his entire body burned. She had no idea how much willpower it required for him not to slide between her thighs and settle in for a long, hot night. “I wonder,” she contemplated, studying him with big, gorgeous eyes, he could get lost in forever, “if maybe we should both try to save each other and then in the morning, pretend we didn’t?”
Or maybe, Blake thought, in the morning he’d fly her off to some tropical paradise, away from this wicked winter hell of Alvarez’s world, and convince her she never has to come back.
The Negotiation…
Blake’s mouth came down on hers, and this time he didn’t hold back. He wanted to save her. She wanted to save him. She didn’t have a chance where he was concerned, but the wicked heat of her kiss, the delicate play of her tongue against his, sure as hell would go a long way in helping him forget why that wasn’t possible, at least, for tonight.
His hand slid down her neck, over the soft silk of her shoulder and he tugged her bra strap down with him. Her skin was cool and he was hot. He wanted her hot in a nearly consuming way. It was illogical but he really didn’t care. His mouth traveled the delicate line of her shoulder blade and downward. Her fingers played in his hair, her touch affecting him far too easily, but then there wasn’t a lot of softness he let in his life. Normally, he’d snatch her hand, and hold it over her head. He’d do the touching, not her, so why wasn’t he doing that now? Why wasn’t he stopping her? Why the hell was he lingering at the sweet spot at the base of her throat when he could be ripping away her panties and burying himself inside her?
After all, he’d been on the edge before he’d ever met her, ready to finally get what he wanted, what he’d craved for two years. Knowing he was still too far away. His need for an escape, for something hard, fast, and furious, should be driving him. Instead an inescapable, dangerously distracting, need to save this woman, to please her, consumed him.
His fingers traced the clip in the center of her bra and unsnapped it, closer to having her completely bared to him. He wanted her bared to him. He wanted her naked, panting, and screaming his name. Blake caressed away the silk of her bra and framed her high, full breasts with his hands. She arched into him, and moaned when his mouth closed down on the rosy peek of one nipple. He took his time, teasing her, licking her, enjoying her, rather than ravishing her, slowly kissing his way downward, until he peeled her panties down her hips.
Something dark and needy expanded inside him at the sight of the dark, well-groomed triangle of hair between her thighs. He slid off of the bed, and took the panties all the way down her legs, at the same time he went to his knees, pulling her towards him.
She rose up on her elbows, her big brown eyes wide with emotion, without arousal, and yes–there it was again – just a hint of trepidation. No matter how hard she tried to hide the truth, a night with a stranger wasn’t the norm for her. Not even close.
His gaze raked over her lush breasts, his cock thick and pulsing, and he tugged his shirt over his head and got rid of it. He tossed one of her high-heels and then the other. “No shoes, keeps you from running away.”
“Then maybe you better take yours off,” she commented.
“I never run.”
“Neither do I,” she said. “But even the score. Shoes off.”
His lips quirked at her challenge and he gladly complied. “Satisfied now?” he asked settling her feet back on his thighs.
“Not yet,” she said. “But I have high hopes I will be.”
He laughed at that bold statement. She was a contradiction of fearless and fearful that intrigued him. “You will be,” he promised, and one by one, he rolled the lace-topped silk slices down her legs, skimming a path down her long, shapely legs. The woman had a killer body that would have had any man begging to be right here, opening her legs to him. And open she did as he settled one delicate instep on each of his shoulders.
Visit www.lisareneejones.com for more information on BENEATH THE SECRETS – available now!
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series, which is now in development for a television show to be produced by Suzanne Todd of Team Todd (Alice in Wonderland). Suzanne Todd on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensua
l world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy – a modern girl we all can identify with. I’m thrilled to develop a television show that will tell Sara’s whole story – her life, her work, her friends, and her sexuality.
In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is presently working on a dark, edgy new series, DIRTY MONEY, for St. Martin’s Press.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.
Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.
Lisa Renee Jones, Deep Under
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