Free Wilde for Him by Janelle Denison

had the ability to make or break her newfound career, and that was a precarious situation in his estimation. "But despite how nice he's been, you don't owe him anything, Christine."
    "I know that." She rubbed the tips of her fingers along her forehead. "But I don't want to be rude to him, either. I also don't believe in burning bridges. It's just not good business practice."
    Realizing they needed to leave because they were already running late, Ben stood up and went around the coffee table toward her. "How about putting some distance between yourself and Craig?" he suggested. "Maybe not spend so much time at the club?"
    "I've already thought about that, but I'm sort of in a position where I have to deal with Craig for at least three more weeks." She hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly continued. "He's insisting on throwing a birthday bash for me at Envy, which is another way of getting my name in front of potential clients, and he's already started to plan the entire thing. I just need to get past that party, and then I can make a clean break with Craig."
    He nodded in understanding. "So, in the meantime, you want a pretend boyfriend to make him back off and quit asking you out."
    She gave him an impish look. "That just about sums it all up."
    Ben scrubbed a hand along his jaw, wondering what her father would think about his daughter's ploy to waylay another man's interest with the bodyguard he'd hired for her. "Christine, as sympathetic as I am to your situation, I wasn't hired on to be your boyfriend."
    "Pretend boyfriend," she clarified, and smiled oh-so-sweetly at him. "What I'm asking you to do doesn't really affect your job as a security agent. If anything, it'll keep you close to my side and a part of everything I do."
    Ben thought about all the things that being her boyfriend would entail in order to convince everyone, and Craig especially, that they were a couple. Seductive glances, affectionate touches, and private smiles meant to tempt and tease. Jesus, such an intimate scenario was bound to test the attraction between them and push not only his restraint, but his libido, to the limit.
    As if sensing his indecision, she took a step toward him and placed one of her hands on his chest, her eyes soft and imploring. "Please, Ben?" she whispered. "You're in the perfect position to do this for me, and the last thing I want to do is have to find someone else to help me out."
    He didn't doubt for a moment that she'd attempt to recruit someone else for the job, and the unsettling thought of watching another guy getting up close and personal with her, even if it was just for show, caused a burning, churning sensation deep in his gut.
    Bringing in a third party just wasn't going to happen, he decided. Not on his watch. And that meant agreeing to Christine's ploy and everything it entailed so Craig would finally back off.
    Ben figured that standing in as a pretend boyfriend wouldn't interfere with the job he'd been hired to do. If anything, it would enable him to get a better insight to all the people she hung out with without them knowing he was a security agent. Bottom line, his job was to protect Christine, and he could do that just as easily impersonating a guy who was smitten with her.
    He exhaled a deep breath and took the plunge. "Okay. Fine. I'll do it."
    Christine's eyes widened, and before he realized her intent she wrapped her arms around his neck and enveloped him in a tight, appreciative hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
    With Christine's soft, lush body plastered so guilelessly against his, Ben's pulse skipped a beat and he wasn't sure what to do—return the embrace, or gently push her away before she realized the kind of effect she was having on him. Her warm breath caressed his neck, her smooth cheek pressed against his, and the seductive scent of vanilla infused his senses. Acute awareness, and a hard kick of lust, flooded south in a rush of heat.
    One thing was for certain—faking an attraction