Kimberly Dean - Courting Trouble

Mischief

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

77–85 Fulham Palace Road,

Hammersmith, London W6 8JB

www.mischiefbooks.com

Copyright © Kimberly Dean 2014

Kimberly Dean asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © 2014 ISBN: 9780007579549

Version: 2014–11–25

Contents

Cover

Title Page COURTING TROUBLE KIMBERLY DEAN

Copyright Copyright Mischief An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 77–85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB www.mischiefbooks.com Copyright © Kimberly Dean 2014 Kimberly Dean asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins. Ebook Edition © 2014 ISBN: 9780007579549 Version: 2014–11–25

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

More from Mischief

About Mischief

About the Publisher

Blue was the colour of the evening. Nina was awash in it the moment she stepped off the elevator onto the first floor of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Sky-blue, azure, sapphire and teal filled the expansive wing. The Portraits of Planet Ocean exhibit had been running at the museum since the fall, but the event planners had done a quick makeover for the private after-hours event.

Special lighting had been brought in, dimming the harshness of the normal fluorescent glare. The indigo rays gave the event a more intimate and calming feel. Sensual, although she doubted the party organisers realised that.

Blue tablecloths covered the tables that had been set up, and huge blue ribbons hung from the ceiling. She didn’t see one dress in the room that wasn’t in the appropriate range of the colour spectrum. She brushed her fingers over the turquoise silk that clung to her own curves. She fitted right in – although the mischievous side of her wondered what responses she might have received if she’d shown up wearing fuchsia.

Then again, it never paid well to be mischievous with this crowd.

She stepped further into the room. She couldn’t think of a more appropriate setting for Aquamarine’s charity fundraiser, although the parking situation wasn’t ideal. This part of DC was clogged with tourists all hours of the day. Fortunately, most of the attendees had drivers.

They could afford them.

‘Would you like a drink, miss?’

Nina turned her attention to the waitress who’d quietly slipped up to her. Even she was dressed in the colour of the evening. The female staff wore iridescent blue-green sheath dresses, while the men wore matching ties. The material was patterned to look like fish scales, but in an attractive way. Blonde, graceful and gorgeous, this young lady could have pulled off the full mermaid ensemble, seashell bra and all, if needed.

Nina smiled. She liked how the girl looked her in the eye, rather than fading into the background, and she appreciated being addressed as ‘miss’. The title of ‘ma’am’ still rankled. ‘You read my mind.’

She took a refreshing sip of the expensive champagne. ‘Very nice.’

The blonde nodded before moving on. ‘Enjoy your evening.’

Nina would, although she wasn’t here for pleasure. She supported the organisation’s cause. Aquamarine was working hard to save both drinking water and the world’s oceans. She’d drop off a generous donation before she left, but she was here to socialise.

After all, it was her line of work.

She meandered about the room, eyeing the displays and the guests. It was a virtual who’s who of the Washington scene. She saw politicians everywhere, mingling with celebrities and sports stars. The high-powered business types might be more difficult for some to spot, but she could call out their industry, net worth and drink preferences if tested. It was her job to know such things.

She waved at Congressman Williams. His wife Eleanor looked lovely tonight, as did the auburn-tressed beauty who was with Salvatore Paul, tennis star extraordinaire.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, but Nina just lifted her glass.

‘Nina, welcome.’

A hand settled a bit too low on her back as Howard Stahl greeted her. Turning his way, she smoothly dislodged the touch even as she brushed a kiss across his ruddy cheek. ‘Howard, the place looks amazing.’

‘Doesn’t it?’ The grin on his face was happy as a schoolboy’s. ‘Did you notice the projection system?’

‘How could I not?’ Undulating waves of blue coursed over the walls, allowing schools of fish to swim across the scene, along with seahorses and even the occasional shark. The overall effect gave one the impression of being underwater.

Nina wondered how many attendees were already seasick.

‘The turnout is impressive,’ she commented.

The Aquamarine Alliance was a charity that both sides of the political spectrum could support, up to a point. All the heavy hitters were here and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Nina’s practised eye saw the smiles, the conversations and the light, publicly appropriate touches.

‘Yes, we’re quite excited about that. Marketing did a wonderful job. Did you see Miss America over there by Aquamarine’s display? Portia Alton is covering the event, and –’ Howard’s voice dropped to a whisper ‘– even Jason Sloan is here!’

Nina’s eyebrows rose. Sloan was a notoriously tough ‘get’. Oh, he showed up at plenty of functions and he could be generous to a fault, but he never deigned to let anyone know his plans in advance. The man had started out as a hockey star, a defenceman for the Washington Capitals, but injury had cut his career short. Now he was an aggressive, impatient and powerful businessman who brought fear to competitors’ hearts and weakness to women’s knees.