Free The Bargain by Lisa Cardiff

“Then why are we bothering? I can’t imagine many other people have a sufficient interest in securing my release in exchange for your brother.”
    “Senator Deveron,” he breathed next to my neck. “Does his name ring any bells?”
    “What?” I seethed through clenched teeth. “Why would he care?”
    “You tell me.”
    “I don’t know. You’re the man with the answers.”
    He whirled me around to face him, his thumb stroking the soft, still bruised skin of my throat. I swallowed hard. As usual, his touch unnerved me, and I tensed my muscles so I didn’t melt into him.
    “He and his son are very interested in your safe return. In fact, their level of interest makes me question your little breakup story.”
    I shrugged, feigning indifference even as my heart raced at the thought of seeing Evan’s face in a few minutes. Mixed…was the only word applicable to my jumbled emotions. Relieved he cared, angry he came to my rescue when my dad didn’t or couldn’t, and embarrassed I had sex with the man who kidnapped me. I hoped Evan didn’t know that dirty fact because I intended to take it to my grave. “Why do you care whether we broke up or not?”
    A wry smile lit the sharp angles of his face. “I don’t care either way, but I need accurate information in order to fully understand the situation and react accordingly.”
    I turned my head to the side, unable to look at his face for one more second. “Right, I’m just part of your job…another chess piece to move and manipulate as needed to achieve the desired outcome.”
    “You’re wrong.” His fingers cradled my face, turning my chin so I had to look into his stormy gray eyes again.
    “Wrong about what?” I whispered the words almost to myself.
    “Do you really want to know?”
    “Yes,” I said even as I shook my head.
    “Even if I met you at a different time in a different place, I would have pulled you out of that bar and fucked you against the wall, except it wouldn’t have ended there,” he drawled.
    “It wouldn’t have?” I said, mesmerized by his deep voice.
    He shook his head. “I would have brought you back to my hotel and caressed every inch of your skin with my hands and my mouth until I burned you into my mind, and you had enough orgasms to last a lifetime. And then, I would have woke you up a few hours later to start all over again.”
    Holy shit. My knees felt weak, and I swayed into him as my body warred with my mind to collect on his promise.
    “Breathe, Hattie. Breathe,” he said.
    I sucked in a deep breath. “You really want that? With me?” I whispered, the words barely audible.
    He trailed a finger down my neck along my collarbone to the top of my breast. A fevered tremor tore through my body. “Of course,” he answered without hesitating.
    “Then, why don’t you do it?” Even as the words tumbled from my lips, my mind pleaded with me to take them back. I couldn’t be with him again. Ever. It was sick, twisted, and depraved I had even considered it. I should slap him across the face, but I didn’t.
    “I can’t. Your life is waiting for you, and when you’re safely ensconced in your bed with Evan in a week or two, you don’t need to have any more regrets weighing you down.”
    “Why don’t you let me decide what regrets I’m willing to live with?” I needed to sew my mouth shut.
    A devastating grin had slid across his face before he laughed. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and a faint dimple made an appearance on the right side of his face. For a split second, I forgot to be offended, but then the sensual haze cleared.
    “Don’t patronize me.” Jesus, what was wrong with me? My mind and body battled over him even as he laughed at the expense of my sanity.
    He disguised his mouth with a quick swipe of his hand. “I’m not. Believe me, I like your enthusiasm, but it’s better if I don’t touch you again. In a couple months, I’ll be a distant memory, and you won’t even remember the color of my