Blackmailed Into Bed Read Online Free PDF Page A

homework and knew how to get exactly what he wanted with a minimum of fuss and muss.
    “ Well, consider your sacrifice a worthwhile one.” Retrieving his cell phone from one of the outside pockets of his soft leather expandable briefcase, he flipped open the top and hit the speed dial number for his office.
    “ Nancy,” he said when his personal assistant picked up on the other end. “ Do me a favor and put a hold on everything pertaining to the Sanchez Restaurant Supply takeover. I want to give the deal a bit more thought before we go any further. Thanks,” he said after her affirmative response, and hung up.
    “ There you go,” he told Elena, shifting to face her more fully and drape his arm along the back of her chair.
    “ Whatever your father thinks he can do to pull his company out of its downward spiral, now he has the time to do it.” Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out two first-class tickets to Las Vegas and held out hers.
    She took it and studied her name printed in bold black ink at the top.
    “ You must have been pretty confident that I’ d show up to buy me a ticket.”
    He shrugged and cocked his head to one side. “ It was a calculated risk. I couldn’ t very well have you show up and not have a ticket for you, now could I? But I did make sure it was transferable, so if you hadn’ t shown, I could have used it for another trip later.”
    For the first time since she’ d arrived, a ghost of a smile started to steal across her face. She raised green eyes to his, a twinkle of amusement playing behind her long, dark lashes.
    “ You’ re a very cocky man,” she told him, her voice haughty but with a hint of warmth that hadn’ t been there earlier or in their previous meeting. “ Are you ever not completely sure of yourself?”
    Only when Elena Sanchez is in the room, he thought sourly. She was the only person who still had the ability to make him feel gawky and gangly and sixteen years old.
    He would work that out of his system this week, though. Or die trying.
    But aloud, for her benefit, he said, “ Nope. It’ s been a long time since junior high,” he added pointedly.
    He knew his comment had hit home when her lips turned down in a frown and she glanced away.
    “ Yes,” she said simply. “ It has.”
    Several beats passed in uncomfortable silence before Chase let out a huff of breath and decided he probably shouldn’ t have needled the woman he hoped to seduce shortly after touching down in Las Vegas.
    He didn’ t fool himself into believing her agreement to sleep with him was a done deal. Yes, she was here, which he assumed meant she had every intention of sharing his bed. But if she changed her mind at the last minute or got cold feet, he wasn’ t going to force her. He’ d never forced any woman, and he wasn’ t going to start with Elena Sanchez.
    Of course, she didn’ t know that. As far as she was concerned, flying to Las Vegas constituted her first act as his mistress, and he planned to go with that for as long as he could, hoping everything worked out just as he’ d been fantasizing since she’ d walked into— and out of— his office.
    “ Relax, Elena.” He touched her arm with his free hand and rubbed the bare flesh with the side of his thumb. “ We have the whole week to get to know each other better. And I promise not to jump your bones until after we’ ve checked into the hotel.”

    Three
    T he short flight to Nevada was comfortable in first class, and quite uneventful. Chase kept his word, barely touching her the entire time and keeping their conversation to benign, unimportant topics.
    But that didn’ t keep the nerves from skittering up and down her spine. In fact, the closer they got to the hotel, the worse her anxiety became.
    He’ d said he wouldn’ t “ jump her” until after they arrived at the hotel. Did that mean the minute they hit the lobby? Would he accost her in the elevator, or as soon as they were inside the room?
    She knew she was being