Stephanie Doyle: The Contestant

Reuben looked up from his task and she could see his white teeth. “I don’t flirt, sugar. I don’t need to.”

“Then I don’t get it. Why all the concern? You said yourself this game is about everyone for themselves.”

“It is. Or at least it will be after we get a few others to drop out. But for now I need you.”

“And when you’re done needing me?” she asked.

“I’ll break you like a bad habit.” His smile grew wider even as he took her injured hand and began to wrap it up, this time in the white shirt.

“Good to know,” she muttered.

“I play to win.”

Talia lifted her chin, instinctively reacting to the challenge in his tone. “So do I.”

Dear Reader,

This month marks the first anniversary of Silhouette Bombshell. And just when you thought the bookshelves couldn’t get any hotter, we’re kicking off our second year with a killer lineup of innovative, compelling stories featuring heroines that will thrill you, inspire you and keep you turning pages! Sit back, relax and enjoy the read….

Once a thief, always a thief? The heroine of author Michele Hauf’s Once a Thief says no way! But when her archenemy frames her for theft, she’s got to beat him at his own game to keep her new life, a new love and the freedom she won at such great cost….

When hijackers steal her billion-dollar satellite and threaten to use it as a weapon, a NASA scientist must work with a know-it-all counterterrorist expert to save the day. The heat is on in Kathryn Jensen’s exhilarating Hot Pursuit!

A Palm Beach socialite-turned-attorney gets into a killer’s sites when she’s called on to defend a friend for murder, in Courting Danger by Carol Stephenson. It’ll take some fancy legal moves—and a major society shake-up—to see that justice is served.

And how far might someone go to win a million dollars? The heroine of The Contestant, by Stephanie Doyle, begins to suspect that one of her fellow reality TV show competitors might have resorted to murder—could it be the sexy ex-cop with the killer smile?

Enjoy all four, and when you’re done, tell us what you think! Send your comments to me c/o Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.

Sincerely,

Natashya Wilson

Associate Senior Editor, Silhouette Bombshell

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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is a dedicated traveler who has climbed Croagh Patrick in Ireland, snowshoed on Mount Rainier, crawled through ancient kivas of the Anasazi in Arizona and explored the badlands of South Dakota all in the pursuit of the next great adventure. A firm believer that great adventures can lead to great stories, she continues to seek new challenges that will trigger her next idea. Next stop: the Galapagos Islands!

Stephanie began writing at age fifteen. At eighteen she submitted her first story to Harlequin and by twenty-six she was published. She lives in South Jersey with her two cats, Alexandria Hamilton and Theodora Roosevelt.

For my sisters Mary Kay and Megan—the two strongest swimmers I know. Your unwavering support means more to me than you will ever realize. So much so you each get your own room at the beach house.

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Summer Olympics, Sydney, 2000

“What a crowd we have here tonight, Susan.”

At the subtle request from the NBC sports commentator, the cameraman pulled the stationary camera back on its wheels and slowly scanned the crowd filling the aquatic center where the ten-meter platform diving competition was being held. The smell of chlorine filled the air and reflections from the brilliantly blue pool gave the impression of a water wonderland. After sweeping over the cheering audience, he returned the bulky eye to the pair of talking heads seated on the bench in the production booth, each of them wearing matching red shirts, khaki shorts and wide smiles. In his headset, he could hear chatter from the production people upstairs to the camera crew located on either side of the pool, preparing them for the next dive.

“Absolutely, John. The surprise standout, Talia Mooney from the United States, and Chu Lau from the ever-dominant Chinese diving team are really putting on a show for them.”

“Would you agree that Talia especially has been in perfect form all day?”

“I do indeed agree. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her perform at this level. Not at previous trials, certainly not on the world stage. And I have to say, John, that I know this young woman. Talia is not a real big fan of performing. She loves diving, and I think she likes testing herself against her peers—she’s definitely a tough competitor. I just don’t think she likes the attention that comes with doing it on a large stage. But she’s not going to be able to avoid that now. This is her fifth dive. She’s in a strong second-place position with only fourteen-year-old Chu Lau from China in front of her. Given the rest of Talia’s dives, if she executes, she has the difficulty elements necessary possibly to overtake Chu Lau for first.”

“Why don’t you break down this dive for us?”

“It’s an arm-stand back double pike. It’s got a difficulty level of three point two. Talia will start this from a handstand position. She’ll fall back into two complete somersaults in the pike position before entering the water. It’s one of Talia’s favorites. It’s difficult, but it shows her gracefulness.”

“Graceful seems to be the right word, Susan. Given her significant size over Chu Lau—probably six inches in height and at least twenty pounds—it’s amazing that Talia doesn’t create any more splash upon impact into the water.”

“That’s all about technique, John. It doesn’t matter how big or small you are. If you’re not executing the dive correctly, you’re going to make a splash.”

“It looks like Talia is next.”

“And I love this part about her, as well. She’s completely still on the platform. She’s not shaking out muscles or doing anything that would detract from the overall impact of her long, slim body. She may not like being on stage, but she knows how to do it right to create an image of fluidness even before she goes into the dive. Remember this is a judged competition where every point counts.”

Knowing the camera was steady on the heads, the cameraman tilted his neck toward the monitor on his right that was broadcasting the event. The production guys upstairs would know when to cut from the pool to the announcers and would in turn let him know. For now everything was focused on the girl on top of the sky-high platform.

Man, she was something. He couldn’t help but admire the length of her body. Like one lean line wearing nothing more than a clingy blue tank suit. Her legs seemed to go on to forever and her broad shoulders suggested that she was just as strong in the water as she was flying through the air. Her hair was short and choppy and so icy blond that when it was dry it looked like a color only an angel might lay claim to. Certainly not a color any chemical could reproduce. And the way her nose curved up made her seem sweetly innocent despite the fact that she was a woman brave enough to fly thirty feet through the air.