“Lovely,” he said. “Now spread your legs. I want to see you open wide for me. Ripe for me. I want to see your body glisten.” With deliberate slowness, he slid his hands up my legs, then eased them apart. I closed my eyes, my head turned away, both aroused by his touch and embarrassed by the desire that I knew he could so plainly see.

“You look delicious,” he said, and as he spoke he trailed a finger up my thigh, then over my hip and up the curve of my torso. He lifted my arm, and I felt the brush of his lips as he trailed kisses up it. “I want to touch you, to take you as far as you can go, and I want to make certain that you can’t squirm away from the pleasure.”

The cold thing was back, twisting in my gut, and I jerked upright, my eyes flying open as the fear crashed over me.

But there was nowhere to go. The sash was still around my wrist and though I wasn’t sure when he managed it, I was attached quite firmly to the bed. “No.” I’d meant to scream the word, but it was only a whisper.

“No? You came of your own accord, Sloane.”

He reached for my other hand, and I tried to breathe. Tried to be a cop, and not a fourteen-year-old girl. Tried to swim up through this black ocean of fear. But I couldn’t. He’d thrown me off center—yanked open the door to the abyss—and I was falling now.

“You know the rules.” His voice undulated, as it filtered through the fear that was pounding in my head. “You had the chance to leave—more chances than I should have given you. And yet you came to my bed, aroused and wanting me.”

“But not this.” I forced the words out. “Not this. Dammit, Tyler, let me go.”

I was struggling now, my heart beating wildly. The room that had been bathed in golden light was now as red as blood. As hot as death.

I could barely see him through the haze, could barely hear him through the maelstrom in my head, the memories, the fear, the pain, all tied up together like some horrible, violent monster that was intent on swallowing me whole.

“Just relax,” he was saying as he began to twist what looked like a curtain sash around my other wrist.

No, no, goddammit, no!

I’m not sure how I managed it, not sure how I made my body move the way it did. But somehow I lashed through the pain. Somehow, I caught him across the face, my fist plowing hard against his temple.

“Goddammit!” His curse was filled with pain, and he reared back, and I took advantage of the movement to thrust my knee up. A one in a million chance, but it worked, and I heard his low, guttural groan as I caught him hard in the balls.

I tried to bolt off the bed, but my arm was still tied fast to the headboard. And as I tried to steady my breathing—tried to think—I saw Tyler lift his head, and I saw the heat and danger flash wildly in his eyes.

Before, I’d been afraid of the memories. Now, I was afraid of the man.

This is it, I thought. Dear god, this is it.

“Stay away,” I snarled. “Just stay the fuck away.”

“Sloane.” He said my name and then dropped his head, his body hunched over on the floor beside the bed.

I twisted, trying to loosen the knot with my free hand.

“I’m sorry.” Regret laced his voice, and when I turned my head and looked at him, the anger I’d seen in his eyes was gone. Instead I saw only tenderness—and endless pools of regret.

I felt my body sag with relief. “Let me go,” I said. “Just let me get the hell out of here.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again as he rose slowly to his feet. “I didn’t know. I thought you—I didn’t know,” he repeated, but I didn’t understand what he meant.

He reached for me, and I flinched. He froze, his face as tight and hard as if I’d hit him.

“I didn’t know,” he said yet again, and though I still didn’t understand, I wasn’t about to ask. Right then, I didn’t care. I just wanted out of there.

I felt a tear escape to track down my cheek, and I turned brutally away. “Please,” I said. “Just untie me.”

“Of course. Of course, I will.”

He did, and I sat up, feeling fragile and confused. I started to reach for the robe, but he bent to get it before I could, and handed it to me.

I stood, then shrugged it on.

“Stay,” he said, but I just shook my head. I moved to the living room, feeling a bit like I was in a dream. I didn’t see my panties, and I didn’t really care. I shimmied into the dress, then tied the halter behind my neck. I was already zipping the back when Tyler came in.

“Sloane. Please. Don’t go.”

But I could only shake my head. I couldn’t stay. Not for Candy. Not for Amy. Not even for myself.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. And then I snatched up my purse and ran barefoot into the hall.

Chapter Eleven

I stumbled blindly down the hall, then yanked open the door to the hidden staircase that led down to the ninth floor and the elevator that would take me back to the lobby.

At each turn I looked behind me, making sure that Tyler wasn’t back there. I told myself I didn’t want him to follow, and since he apparently wasn’t, I also told myself that was a good thing.

Somehow, though, I didn’t believe it.

The fear was fading now, the memories slipping back into the dark where they belonged. Exhaustion dogged me, physical and emotional. The whole night had been a whirlwind—of fear, of pleasure, of danger and desire.

In the end, the fear had overshadowed it all, but I couldn’t deny that these hours with Tyler had been so much more. More than I had expected. More than just the job.

He’d taken me to places I’d never been, and I’d felt a heightened desire that I’d never before experienced. But I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t give him what he wanted.

I knew damn well that Tyler was dangerous in so many ways, but I didn’t fear him in bed. No, it wasn’t the man I feared, but the door that he could open. A door that kept the memories and the dark things at bay.

A door I was determined to keep locked tight, and through which I dreaded even the smallest crack.

I waited impatiently at the ninth floor elevator bank, shifting my weight from foot to foot until the elevator finally arrived and I could collapse on the fainting couch and bury my face in my hands.

The ride down was quick, and no one else got on. I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t know the exact time, but I knew it was very late, and the only people wandering around a hotel at this hour were those, like me, doing a walk of shame.

I stood as the elevator doors slid open—then immediately sat down again in shock when I saw Tyler standing right there.

“But—how did you?”

“Service elevator,” he said, then stepped into the car, blocking my exit.

“I need to get out. I need to—”

“Sloane.” That’s it. Just my name, but it was so firm and so vibrant and so full of apology that it sounded to me like a seal of honor.

I melted a little. “Please, Tyler. I’m tired.”

He nodded to the couch. “Then sit.”

I thought about arguing, but wasn’t sure I had the strength. I felt sapped. Exhausted. And I wasn’t even entirely certain I was firmly rooted on the planet any more.

I sat, and as soon as the doors closed behind Tyler, he casually hit the button for the ninth floor, then immediately hit the button to stop the car from moving.