Kimberly Dean - Courting Danger

KIMBERLY DEAN

A division of HarperCollins Publishers

www.harpercollins.co.uk

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.

Mischief

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

The News Building

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.mischiefbooks.com

An eBook Original 2015

1

Copyright © Kimberly Dean 2015

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.

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 e-books.

EPub Edition © 2015 ISBN: 9780008148805

Version 2015-10-06

Contents

Cover

Title Page Courting Danger KIMBERLY DEAN A division of HarperCollins Publishers www.harpercollins.co.uk

Copyright 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. Mischief An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers The News Building 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.mischiefbooks.com An eBook Original 2015 1 Copyright © Kimberly Dean 2015 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. 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 e-books. EPub Edition © 2015 ISBN: 9780008148805 Version 2015-10-06

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

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

More from Mischief

About the Publisher

Luxxor Limited’s office suite was quiet when Rielle decided to close up for the night. She tidied the magazines on the lobby table and put away the papers on her desk. The plush carpeting swallowed her footsteps as she turned off the lights in the break room, but she paused to take a look out of the window at the DC skyline. The buildings in the downtown area were low and sprawling, yet the Capitol and the Washington Monument stood tall.

At least they weren’t lit yet. It was still light outside. Then again, that didn’t mean she was going home any earlier than normal. Daylight Savings Time had only recently come into effect, and she was still trying to adjust to the change. The extra hour of sunlight would be nice if she had plans after work but, as it was, waking up to darkness in the mornings almost wasn’t worth it.

Because plans after work? Her lips turned up slightly at the corners.

She let her hair out of its barrette as she walked back to her desk. Her personal life wasn’t setting the world on fire these days. All that awaited her at home was a salad for dinner and a book. If she got really wild, she might rearrange the cushions in her living room or paint her toenails.

But that was OK with her. She liked the peace and quiet, especially the peace.

Maybe she’d even have a glass of wine with that book.

She checked Nina’s office to make sure her boss had closed down her computer, and was returning to do the same to her own when she heard a distinctive sound. It was one she heard several times throughout the day, only this time it sent a shot of adrenalin through her. She’d forgotten to lock the main office door.

She was usually much more careful than that.

She stopped, hidden in the hallway, and braced her hand against the wall. She’d been alone for over an hour. How had she become so careless? She waited for sounds to announce someone’s arrival, but she heard nothing. Had someone looked in and left when they found the office empty? The company’s last appointment had come and gone, and the normal office deliveries had arrived on time. Was it Nina or Sienna returning for something they’d forgotten?

‘Hello? Is anyone here?’

A low voice rumbled down the hallway, and her chest tightened. It was a man, but she didn’t recognise the voice. For a moment, she considered remaining quiet, but she licked her lips and made herself step forward. She was overreacting. If she wasn’t, there was an emergency call button hidden under the lip of her desktop. Security could be here in less than a minute if she needed them.

She returned to the lobby and scanned the area. Her gaze came to a screeching halt when it landed on the man who was already looking in her direction.

Oh. Wow .

Her wariness didn’t decrease, but a different kind of awareness flooded her. ‘Hello?’ she said huskily.

Somehow he’d known she was there, yet he seemed taken aback. His weight slowly rocked back from the balls of his feet, and his eyes narrowed. They were blue eyes. Startling blue. ‘Good evening.’

She wasn’t overreacting. The guy had danger written all over him, in that good-girls-beware sort of way. Tall and strapping, he had closely cropped dark hair and a rough-and-tumble aura that didn’t go with the tuxedo he was wearing. That wasn’t to say he didn’t look good. He looked damn good. The combination was powerful, and it hit her first in her belly and next in her knees.

Sex appeal oozed from him.

Which, of course, meant he was here for an escort.

His gaze was running over her just as alertly as she’d evaluated him, so Rielle quickly put herself behind her desk. She tucked her barrette behind her phone and fought the urge to run her fingers through her hair. ‘I’m sorry, but we’re closed.’

He cocked his head. ‘The door was open.’

And that had been a mistake.

‘Did you have an appointment?’ She knew very well he didn’t.

‘No.’ Her question had been sharp, but his blue gaze didn’t flinch. Instead, the lines of his face softened, and she had to lock her knees to keep them from melting. ‘But I’m in a bind. I was hoping you could help me out.’

She lifted an eyebrow. The man might be putting out pheromones by the bucketful, but her brain was still functioning – admittedly better on some levels than others – and she’d begun to sense danger of another sort. The entrapment sort. Luxxor was not a company that took walk-ins. ‘For whom are you looking?’