Faith Fitzgerald is a strong, goal-oriented, have-no-time-for-relationship kind of girl. She ditched the hero unceremoniously a year ago because he was distracting her from her goal, namely, getting her collection to Fall Fashion Week in New York City. We are talking about the culmination of her dreams. Years of sacrifice. Months spent perusing fashion trends, choosing the right fabric and slaving over the sewing machine. Just when she thinks everything is gelling, she learns that someone is stealing her designs and selling them to her competitor. She can forgive anything, but Fashion Week is around the corner and her precious collection might just be compromised.
Enters her ex-lover, the man she kicked to the curb so she could focus on her business. Kenneth Lambert is many things—former FBI agent, best security consultant, wonderful brother to an annoying younger sister, Ron Noble’s best man at Ashley’s wedding (you first meet Ken in SLOW BURN, book #1,). But to Faith, Ken is the first man to ever slip past her defenses and make her lose focus of her goals. Now she needs him to help save her business. Ironic, isn’t it?
Yeah, that was Ken’s thought too and he couldn’t wait to make her crawl and beg, maybe even seduce her along the way to show her what she’d missed. Plotting is well and good, but when it comes to Faith, he shouldn’t have bothered.
Between us, I think this conversation might have something to do with it:
“I want to hire you to steal some designs from my competitor’s offices,” she said.
Ken choked on his drink and started to cough. “What?”
“I want to hire you—”
“Jeez, don’t repeat it. I got it the first time.” He looked toward the nearest tables to make sure his voice hadn’t drawn attention. A few people were looking their way. He got up, undid the knot holding the flaps of the cabana entrance, so the white material fell into place, giving them total privacy. He pinned Faith with a hard gaze as he sat.
“Why would you want me to do something like that?” he asked, not masking his shock.
“Because he stole my designs, and I want proof so I can plan my next move.”
The relief that raced through Ken left him light-headed. He gulped his drink, wishing it was something stronger. He glowered at the maddening woman in front of him. Why did she always throw him a curve ball when he least expected it?
“Why didn’t you just say so in the first place?”
She shrugged. “I needed to get your attention. This is not a joke or a game for me. I need your help.”
Blunt as always. He’d been basking in the knowledge that she needed him for something, that he had her exactly where he wanted her. He just hadn’t expected this. Breaking and entering to getting back stolen properties was one of the services his staff offered to clients, but so did their competitors along the West Coast.
“Why me?”
“You’re good at what you do and I want the best.”
Ken laughed.
Silence followed. Then she leaned toward him again, the movement distracting him because it drew his attention to her cleavage.
“Ken, when I decided I didn’t want a relationship—”
“With me,” he supplied, recalling her exact words. His gaze reluctantly returned to her exquisite face framed by rich auburn hair.
“With anyone,” she corrected, speaking through her teeth. “My decision had nothing to do with you personally. I was at a stage in my career where I didn’t need the distraction. I still don’t.”
Now he was reduced to a distraction. When it came to their relationship, or lack thereof, everything she said pissed him off. “That makes two of us.”
“Then it’s a good thing we got that out of the way.”
“Good. About your request, you do know breaking and entering alone is a felony?” he asked, raising a questioning brow.
“Yet you do it all the time for clients looking for solutions without caring how you achieve them.”
Funny how selective her memory was. She remembered what he’d said about his company, but not what she’d told him about their relationship. “Sure, when I agree to take a case. I haven’t agreed to take yours.”
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In Dangerous Love, you catch up with Ron and Ashley from SLOW BURN, Jade and Vince from MINE UNTIL DAWN, and there's plenty of Eddie, the Fitzgerald cop whose story is next.HAPPY READING.
XOXO
Fantastic excerpt! Ooh, and I can't wait for Eddie's book. :-)
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