He crossed the room, stopping at the desk and pulled the chair out, putting them within a few steps of each other. Blake opened the drawer and removed the file, setting it on top of the desk. He tapped the top of it. “Now you show me yours. Full exposure at the same time.”
Her lashes lowered, and he could almost hear her thinking about her next move, before her brown eyes met his and for just an instant he saw trepidation in her eyes. She blinked and it was gone, but he’d seen it, recognized it for the hesitation and fear that it was, and silently cursed. Holy hell. He was her first gig like this. She wasn’t even sure this was where she belonged but something made her desperate enough to do this. Fuck me. He was going to try and save her.
“All right,” she said, and she reached for her briefcase but instead of removing the file, she carried it with her towards him. She stopped at the chair and set it down, but didn’t reach for the file. Instead, she stepped around the chair, close to him.
Blake didn’t wait for her to act. He pulled her to him, and maneuvered her against the wall. “Why are you here?”
“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 cock 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.”