Blackmailed Into His Arms: Blackmailed into Bed / The Billionaire's Blackmail Bargain / Blackmailed For Her Baby

Elena didn’t try to fool herself into believing that the past was entirely dead and buried, of course. She was afraid the hurt she’d caused him by turning him down so rudely in front of her friends ran too deeply to be forgiven overnight. But she was happy to go on the way things were running now. Spending time with him, sharing less volatile memories of their school days and mutual acquaintances, sleeping each night in his arms.

It was the last one that caused her the most turmoil. Because she was just a bit too comfortable with him. Enjoyed making love with him a bit too much. Found herself forgetting the exact details of their arrangement a bit too often.

It was just so easy to pretend they were a normal couple, spending a week together out of town and getting to know each other better. No deals or arrangements involved. No blackmail to get her there, no guilt driving her to do whatever she could to save her father’s business.

A big part of her wanted to be there. And worse, she wished it were real.

How could this have happened? How could she have gone from resenting him for blackmailing her to share his bed, to wondering how she was going to feel when their arrangement was over?

It wouldn’t be easy. Already, her chest felt tight and her eyes stung whenever she thought about the time when they would go their separate ways.

That moment was closing in fast.

She finished folding a knit dress and tucked it into her suitcase, trying not to think about what would happen next.

Chase was at his last meeting of the week in Las Vegas. He’d packed his things earlier, then left her behind in the room to do the same. Their flight back to Texas was scheduled for after lunch.

And that, she thought, was when it would all be over.

She took a deep breath, patting her clothes down before heading to the bathroom for her toiletries.

If, in the week she’d been gone, her father had managed to get enough money together to save SRS, then there would be no reason for her relationship with Chase to continue. He would have nothing to hold over her head and no leverage to demand she remain his mistress.

How pathetic was it that the prospect saddened her? That she actually wanted her father to be having trouble getting his finances and backers together so she could have an excuse to remain with Chase just a bit longer.

Her sister would have a fit if she knew what Elena was thinking. Alandra would put her hands on her hips and shake her head, then launch into a lengthy lecture about Elena standing up for herself and not letting a man dictate her moods. If she wanted to be with Chase Ramsey, then she should simply tell him that she didn’t want their relationship to end once her father managed to save SRS. She should tell him she wanted to be more than just his mistress. How much more, she wasn’t sure, but she would at least like the time and opportunity to see where things led.

But, oh, wouldn’t Chase love that. His feelings for her were already bitter enough; all he needed to send them right into pure hatred was to have her announce that she might be falling in love with him and didn’t want to let him go after their deal was done.

She released a brittle chuckle as she dumped bottles of lotions and shampoos into her suitcase, closed the lid and zipped it shut.

Oh, yes, he’d just love that. The woman he’d blackmailed into being his mistress suddenly got too attached and wanted more. Wouldn’t that just shoot his plan for revenge all to hell.

From the other room, she heard the door to the suite click open and then close. She took a deep breath and blinked a few times, fighting to get her emotions under control before he came in and noticed how close she was to falling apart.

“Hey,” he said, tossing the key card on the dresser.

Smiling a bit too widely, Elena turned to greet him. “Hey.”

“You all packed?”

“I just finished,” she said, patting one of her bags.

“Good. If you want, we can have the bags taken down, then get some lunch before we head for the airport.”

She nodded. “Fine with me.”

She started to pull her bags and suitcase off the bed, moving them closer to the doorway, where he was leaning against the jamb.

“One other thing before we go,” he murmured, taking the handle of the wheeled case, the larger of the two bags, from her. Turning, he headed for the main door and propped her luggage with his own.

“Yes?” she asked distractedly, hitching the strap of her purse on her shoulder as she followed along behind and set her smaller carry-on bag next to the rest. She straightened to find him watching her intently, his blue eyes shining like crystals behind dark lashes.

He took her arm, his fingers banding firmly just above her elbow. “When we get back,” he told her slowly, “if your father hasn’t come up with the resources necessary to pull SRS out of the fire, I’ll expect you to continue with our agreement. Unless, of course, you’re no longer concerned with helping Victor save the family business.”

The latter seemed to be half apology, half threat. Elena thought she should probably be offended, or at least act outraged that he would dictate her actions once they returned home to Gabriel’s Crossing.

Instead, she felt almost elated. Ten days wasn’t very long to collect the kind of money her father needed to stave off the Ramsey Corporation, which meant the chances were pretty good that they would need to buy more time. Time she’d be required to remain with Chase.

That had been the deal, after all. She would play the part of his mistress for as long as it took for her father to raise the funds to save SRS. Just because they would no longer be a practically anonymous couple in the bright lights of Las Vegas didn’t mean she could go back on her word.

Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze and nodded. “Of course. I only ask that we be discreet. My family and the rest of world don’t need to know the details of why we’ll suddenly be spending so much time together.”

He inclined his head, his fingers dropping from her arm. “Agreed.”

With that, he turned to open the door and she felt a wave of relief wash through her. She would be spending more time with Chase, after all, rather than being tossed aside like an old pair of gym socks as soon as their plane landed in Texas.

And if she also felt more than a small jab of guilt at hoping it took her father awhile longer to move the family back into the black, she would deal with that later.

They’d been home nearly a week when Chase called Elena at work. She hadn’t spoken to him since he’d dropped her off at the house she shared with her father and sister the afternoon they’d returned from Las Vegas.

She’d wondered about him, caught herself jumping whenever the phone rang, half hoping he was calling to demand she spend the night with him. Or even that she accompany him to some dinner or another.

But he hadn’t, and since she hadn’t given him her work number, she’d never expected him to call her there. Of course, she should have known that a man like Chase Ramsey could find her wherever she was, if he put his mind to it.

As always, he got right to the point.

“My mother invited me to dinner tonight. My brother is going to be there with his wife and daughter and I thought you might like to go and meet everyone.” Before she could respond, he went on. “No problem if you already have other plans. I’ll just tell Mom I’m in the middle of an important business deal and will be working all evening.”

For a minute, Elena didn’t know what to say. She clutched the phone to her ear, her mouth hanging open in surprise.

He wanted her to meet his family? And if she said no, he wasn’t going to go at all?

What did that mean? Was he simply being polite, or did he have a more personal, hidden agenda?

Her mind was spinning, her heart racing a mile a minute.

“U-um,” she stuttered before quickly shaking herself. “Yes, of course. I’d love to go.”

“You’re sure?” he asked, sounding almost sorry he’d called. “Because—”

“I’m sure. My evening is wide open.”

It hadn’t been, but it would be now. Her sister would understand. They had only been going to the mall, anyway. Something about looking for toys for the children at one of Alandra’s charities.

“What time will you be picking me up? Or would you rather I met you there?”

“No, I’ll pick you up. Let’s say … six o’clock?”