“Are you sure?” Her teasing smile shot lust straight through him. He was glad he’d kept his trench coat on. “I’m starting to wonder if you made this whole thing up to get me alone in a hotel room.” She sashayed up to him so that her breasts were right at his eye level.

Desperate, he said, “One of John O’Connor’s ex-girlfriends was murdered.”

Elin gasped. “For real?”

“Would I lie about murder?”

“I don’t know. Would you?”

“I never lie about murder.”

“I don’t get it. He wasn’t married or anything.”

“Well, he sort of was.”

Elin spun around. “What do you mean?”

Freddie told her about the woman and child who’d been banished to the Midwest twenty years ago.

“So you think it’s her?”

“We suspect it could be, and we want to keep you safe until we find her.”

Elin crossed her arms in a protective gesture that tugged at his heart. “I can’t believe he had this whole other secret life.”

“Apparently, no one knew. Not even his closest friend.”

“I don’t sleep with married guys. I know you probably think I’m easy, but I do have morals.”

“I never suspected otherwise.”

She tilted her head to study him. “You’re pretty cute, you know that?”

Freddie cheeks heated with embarrassment. “Thanks. I think.”

Smiling, she added, “We could make this little ‘protection mission’ of yours a whole lot more fun if you’re game.”

He swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”

She bent over, her top sliding forward to reveal a tantalizing view of her spectacular breasts. A hint of the Cupid tattoo was visible over the top of her low-cut bra. “Sex, Detective,” she whispered. “Dirty, raunchy sex.”

Feeling as if he was being tested, Freddie shifted to relieve the growing pressure in his lap. “I’m on duty.”

“Who would know?”

“I would.” Sam would know. Somehow, she’d find out, and I’d be screwed in a whole other way.

Shooting him an “are you for real?” look, Elin shrugged and reached for her bag. “I’m going to get changed.”

As soon as he heard the bathroom door close behind her, Freddie closed his eyes and counted to ten. God help him, but he wanted to grab her, toss her down on the bed and have his way with her. Reminding himself that he was working, he willed his throbbing erection into submission.

Elin emerged from the bathroom wearing a purple silk nightgown that just barely covered her shapely ass.

Freddie suppressed a groan as she passed by him, leaving a fragrant cloud in her wake.

“Are you sure you don’t want to have some fun?” she asked as she got settled in the other bed.

“Positive,” he said through gritted teeth.

She flipped off the light. “Your loss.”

Freddie fell back on the second bed and released a tortured deep breath. He was definitely being tested.