Free Playing with Temptation by Erika Wilde

but the fear he’d instilled had been just as intense and painful.
    And with a mother who’d been weak and passive when it came to her husband, Raina learned very early on to do whatever it took to protect herself—and survive on her own when her father had thrown her out of the house with nothing but the clothes on her back.
    She’d come a long way since that frightened teenage girl, when she’d sworn she’d never allow any man to control her life or decisions or strip away her dreams, as her father had done to her mother. Which was why she’d walked away from the only man she’d ever fallen in love with when he’d issued her an ultimatum that meant giving him all the power and control in their relationship.
    It had been an excruciating decision, but she had no regrets. She’d never marry a man who couldn’t accept every aspect of who and what she was, and unfortunately she’d found it extremely difficult to find someone who was able to see past the Sugar and Spice businessperson to the heart of the woman who just wanted to be loved unconditionally.
    “Did you tell Dean about the security cameras in the parking lot so he can check last night’s feed for anyone suspicious heading toward your apartment?” Logan asked, his deep voice bringing her back to the present.
    “No.” She shook her head as they followed the walkway past the main entrance into the complex, then started up the stairs to the second level. “I was so unsettled this morning that I forgot all about the cameras around the outside of the building.”
    “Once we get inside your place, I’ll call Dean and let him know. He’ll contact the apartment manager in the morning, explain what happened, and I’m sure they’ll cooperate. With luck, we’ll be able to get a glimpse of someone heading in this direction between the time you arrived home last night and this morning.”
    Yes, she hoped so, too.
    They reached her apartment, and she watched Logan’s brows snap into a dark frown as his gaze lit on the handcuffs still dangling from her doorknob. “After I know everything’s okay inside, I’ll go and see if the maintenance guy has some bolt cutters to remove the cuffs.”
    “No need.” She dug into the side pocket of her purse and withdrew a small, flat silver key. “They look like the novelty handcuffs I sell at the store, so I took one of the keys from a set out of my stock. The keys for these things are fairly common and universal, so it should work.”
    “Smart girl.” Taking the key from her, he inserted it into the lock. With a quick twist, the one side of the handcuffs unhinged, enabling him to remove them from the knob. Dangling the cuffs by his index finger, he gave her a slow, sexy smile. “I’ll just hold on to these. You never know when a pair of handcuffs will come in handy.”
    The heat in his eyes told her that he wasn’t referring to capturing a perpetrator. She already knew he had a penchant for being in control and for restraining her, and the image of her being cuffed to her own bed while he pleasured her was enough to make her shift restlessly on her feet.
    God, she’d never been submissive to a man, so why did the thought of being at Logan’s complete and total mercy cause her entire body to clench with need?
    Trying to maintain her composure, she unlocked her door, opened it, then stepped inside and punched the code to disengage the security system. Logan followed her into the kitchen off to the right of the entryway, and she waited there, per his instructions, while he checked the rest of the apartment.
    He came back a few moments later. “Everything looks fine.”
    Which she’d figured since her alarm had still been set, but it was still nice to know that once he left, she’d be safe. “Would you like a glass of wine?” She needed one, if not two, after the day she’d had.
    He shook his head and grinned. “I don’t drink on the job. But I’ll take a water if you have one.”
    “Sure.” She opened