Page 10 of Protected by the Sinner (The Sinner’s Touch #2)

This woman has the power to turn me into something dangerously close to a beast ruled by instinct.

I came here tonight with one goal—take her with me. I’ve never really bought into that whole “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” bullshit. My enemies usually disappear off the face of the Earth without a trace. But right now, I can’t see her that way.

In this cheap motel room, Amber is the woman I want.

With her defiant attitude, her sexy body, and that mouth I want to teach how to please me.

That alone wouldn’t be enough to make me crave her this much, but there’s something else—something contradictory and strangely magnetic. Vulnerability.

There’s a flicker of fear in her that makes me feel protective of her—probably a stupid idea.

Going by the way she’s giving herself to me right now, I’d bet the fear isn’t even about me. Or maybe not only about me.

I step back and remove my blazer, watching her on the bed. Her dress has ridden up, baring those golden thighs.

I’ve never been in a situation where the desire to touch a woman overrode reason.

She doesn’t say a word, just watches me with those gorgeous eyes as I approach again. I can see the outline of her hardened nipple through the fabric of her dress. Her chest is rising and falling in shallow breaths.

If I had to guess, I’d say she’s forcing herself to stay still. Fighting the same wild hunger that’s ripping through me.

I take another step closer, but as if the universe is conspiring to stop me from losing control, my phone rings.

I reach into my blazer pocket. It’s Roman.

“What is it?”

“We need to go.”

I hang up. Roman wouldn’t interrupt me unless it was serious.

“I want you to come with me,” I repeat to her.

I don’t remember ever taking this kind of approach before, but Amber is unlike anyone I’ve dealt with. Nothing about her makes me act the way I usually do.

“Why do you want me to come with you? You don’t even know me.”

Funny how she doesn’t say I don’t know you either , which just confirms what I suspected. This wasn’t fate. Someone put her in my path.

I shove my hands into my pants pockets to stop myself from reaching for her. “I’m leaving, Amber. This is your last chance.”

“I can’t leave Texas,” she says, and this time, I don’t think she’s lying.

“Why not?”

“I just can’t.”

Being told no doesn’t sit well with me—but I need to get her out of here. Everything else can be figured out later. I don’t even know if I’ll keep her for a day or a week.

“Just those bags?”

She still looks dazed and glances at the phone on the nightstand, like she’s weighing options.

Finally, she makes a decision.

“Yes.” Then she adds something that completely throws me off: “I don’t sleep with men for money, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Where the hell did that come from?

“I’ve never paid for sex, and I don’t plan to start, Amber.”

She shrugs, completely unbothered by the implication.

“I never said you did. I’m just making it clear that if you think putting me up in a better hotel means I’ll fall at your feet, you’re mistaken,” she says, almost like she wants me to reconsider.

“You said you had a proposal. If it includes sex as a requirement, I’m not interested. ”

Normally, her attitude would turn me off. I don’t like aggressive women. But I’ve already gone too far to care about her flaws.

Besides, I want her close. I want to watch her.

“What would make you fall at my feet?”

She doesn’t hesitate. “Nothing. But if you want to get to know me, I’ll go with you.”

Fuck. She’s impossible to read.

Less than five minutes ago, I would’ve sworn that if I’d pulled down her panties and made her come on my tongue, she’d be begging for more. Now, she’s playing the part of some Victorian lady.

And the most fucked up part? The idea of breaking her defenses, of winning that game, makes my blood boil with anticipation.

“You don’t need to worry about your bags. Someone will grab them. Now, if you’re done with the speeches, let’s go, Amber Martin.”

“I thought we were going to a hotel,” she says as we step into my Dallas penthouse.

“I don’t stay in hotels.”

“Why not?”

“I keep properties in every city where I do business.”

“And you have a lot of them?”

“You don’t know?”

She stops walking and looks back at me. “How would I?”

“You didn’t end up at the Hazard opening by accident,” I accuse, watching her closely.

“I didn’t come to find you. I was there to have fun.”

I ignore the lie. My security team ran a metal detector through her bags. No weapons, no knives. So for now, she can keep playing her little game. “And did you find what you were looking for?”

“Fun?” she asks, and I catch the nervous swallow in her throat.

“Yep.”

“Not quite. But I’ve got a feeling you might help with that.”

I move closer. I can practically feel her nerves vibrating off her skin. “I’ll repeat the question I asked at the club, Amber: do you have any idea what it means to catch the attention of a man like me?” My mouth is near her neck now. I let my lips brush lightly against her skin.

“No, but I’m not turning down your invitation. I want to play in your world a little, Beau.”

I can tell from the way her body leans toward mine that she’s dying for my touch. Which is exactly why I pull away. “The guest rooms are on the middle floor. Pick whichever one you want. If you want a shower, you’ve got ten minutes.”

Before she can object, I leave her in the living room and head into the library. There, I walk straight to the window and stare out over the city.

I’m breaking every rule by keeping her here, especially since we still don’t know much about her. But I want to see how this plays out.

My gut tells me Amber has no clue where she’s landed—or who she’s dealing with.