ance and s

show and almost forgotten they were going to discuss that t

es

ly, somehow managing to look sharp, dis

an stared. Wh

r,” she

zled, rewarde

s of address were re

f the dynamic and see how you do with it.” He leaned forward, an elbow braced on the table. His gaze poured direc

ned to find it ragged beyond her contr

gued breathlessly. “I just need

e nibble ain’t gonna hurt you.” The smile he flashed her

y what Morgan

it. After all, I managed to finish taping the show about couples’ tattoo fantasies successfully

significant other watches is a lot less personal than bein

rse, that nibble he offered was starting to s

filled her head with suggestion. He was hard to ignore. She wasn’t depraved, wasn’t the kind of woman to get off on letting a bully chain her down and tell h

e kind of man who could have in

ou afraid o

se

his intent gaze. “It’

ed up again. His glare fil

ed, almost aga

the heartbeat pulsing at your neck has accelerated, and your nipples have hardened. I know t

y to read as a book. Easier, even. Morgan closed her

,” he cautioned. “Lyi

no right!” she returne

ittle of your trust, I allowed your production assistant access to some very personal information about me. That’s right. No need to look surprised. I knew the minute he started calling arou

her chin with his finger. Morgan melted—a combination of shock and arousa

you or force you or any other melodramatic scenario running through your head. If I’m going to help you understand the psychology of

es,

st time, why are you afraid

d again. Shame. Fear of pain and degradation. A stronger fear that she’d love b

of it. She might as well hand

e whispered.

letting him down. She owed him nothing, damn it. Nothing at all. He was an i

t took Morgan a few moments to realize that their waiter had returned to refill M

e twenty bucks to

mailing envelope—with ve

iter d

envelope to find a handful of red rose petals with soft centers and dead edges. They

ound the sunny squa

questioned, voice

llowed me. Oh, my. . . I have to go.” She sucked in a

he shoulders. “Who is her

w nearby windows and balconies. Shadowed storefronts held any number of people, but they all looked like natives. The little coffeehouse’s other patrons either too

stay. I

ake answers out of her. Instead, he froze, his

ough his body a second before he

red her body with his an instant bef

ll iron table to shield her as another shot rang out. People around them screamed

is? He couldn’t fuck his enemy’s woman un

revenge wasn’t the only reason. Nope, he was downright pissed that som

urt her. Just the opposite. He would find out what made her tick and ful

interest in Brandon Ross a

of the gun, however, had other ideas, l

e iron table. Saving her was instinct. An occupational hazard. A necessity. Brandon Ross had earned this reve

ere safely.” He whispe

e. But there were too many people around to take that ri

. She smiled pretty for the camera

ing behind chalk-white shock as half-dead rose petals spilled into her hands, he’d smelled her fear. After catc

right about s

moments ago, he saw the discolored gouges

tried to sit up. Jac

y do

o go. Run

ter had fled. Either that, or come in for a closer shot during the chaos. That m

k emphasized, dragging Morgan

head and tightened the scarf bene

let’

gulfed it. Damn, she was tiny, much smalle

the cover of the café’s coffee bar, then pulled her around the corner of the building, silently urging her to keep up. She did, clutching her hat against her hea

are we

s, down alleys. More gun shots rang out. A bullet whizzed past his ear, and he swore. If this son of a

into an elderly woman. Stepping aside so the scowling gr

forcing her to run again. Out the back of the store, down a narrow walkway, into a

sounded again, this time in fron

h

aster,

he merely nodded. An

ering that read Sexy Sirens. Even with the door closed, it vibrated with the pounding of ra

ammered on it with all his might, not caring if he left a dent. While he

icking up chunks of brick not

pe with trash bins and overgrown with crawling vines

the beat-up metal surface again

nde wrenched the door open. “Jes

o the back room cluttered with empty beer

lay right next to the stage entrance. A

minated by a single red bulb and decorated with peeling black paint. One thin doo