Free Seduced - Book Three - Surrender Series by Melody Anne

employment back home in Italy.
    It was time for her to grow up, and to do that, she needed to work. She now had a great internship at the American embassy in Rome. It was boring, but she didn’t want to work for her big brother. She was too much under his thumb as it was. She had to prove that she was capable of making it on her own — though she had doubts that she could actually do it.
    Being the baby of the family, she knew she was spoiled and had never before thought that was a bad thing. But Lia was now working for Rafe and Shane and was out of the country for a while. Rachel’s parents were on a six-month cruise around the world, and even Ari was teaching at a community college.
    Rachel felt like a spoiled brat for the first time ever, and she’d decided that it was time she proved herself. However, she didn’t see anything wrong with having a smoking-hot affair before she became distressingly responsible. This man seemed the perfect person to devour for an entire week.
    “Good. May I escort you home to change?”
    Whoa! She didn’t think that was a great idea. An affair was one thing, but she didn’t need to lead this guy to her place, where she was staying all by herself. Hot men could certainly be killers, too.
    “No. You name the place and I’ll meet you there,” she suggested.
    Assessing her for a minute, he turned up the corners of his mouth as he leaned back, pulling that delectable body farther from her gasp. She barely held in her groan of disapproval. Too many years with her siblings had taught her to be cautious, but she didn’t want to be cautious right now. Still, she had her mother’s voice in her head telling her to tread carefully.
    Rachel didn’t get any “serial killer” vibes off the man, but still…
    “You are a smart woman, Rachel, but I assure you I mean no harm.”
    “I’m sure that’s what all the nice womanizing murderers say before they cut their victims’ hearts out and boil them up,” she said with a grin. When he burst out laughing, she felt her thighs quiver. To hell with her last vestiges of caution. She wanted this man.
    “Ah, then. I guess you will never know if I’m a hunter or a lover…”
    Oh, my goodness, his accent was melting her. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t join you for dinner. I simply said I don’t want to bring you to my place,” she replied as she leaned toward him and ran her short fingernail down his arm.
    Feeling like a sex goddess when he shivered, Rachel licked her lips as she gazed at his full mouth. She had a feeling the man could take her to the farthest reaches of heaven and then back over and over again. Maybe she’d never drop back down to earth after a night, or hopefully a week, with the man.
    “Let’s have dinner at my hotel, the Mandarin Oriental. Do you know how to get there? I would feel better to send my driver for you.”
    As Rachel tore her gaze from his lips up to his eyes, she decided in a split second to be a fool. “Yes, I know where the hotel is located, and I will arrive on my own.”
    His eyes narrowed the slightest bit. She had a feeling that Ian was rarely refused. The added danger brought on more excitement for her. What was she thinking?
    “Fine. I hope to see you tonight, then,” he said and held out his hand.
    Rachel took his offered hand, only to find her breath forced from her lungs as he pulled her against his chest. Without pausing, he bent down and captured her lips, barely giving her a chance to inhale a bit of needed oxygen.
    She should be furious at his assumption, but since she’d been flirting openly, that would be hypocritical. Besides, who was she fooling? She wanted his kiss from the second she’d opened her eyes.
    As flashes of heat invaded her core, her shock wore off; Rachel was consumed by pleasure as he teased her willing lips. His tongue quickly pushed past the barrier of her teeth and she sucked him deep inside her mouth to taste his exotic flavor.
    Just when she was ready to wrap