KRISTI GOLD - The Law of Attraction

“Characters who touch your heart and a story to match. When I finished the last page, I wanted to start reading it all over again.”

—Bestselling author Jennifer Greene on Doctor For Keeps

“Gold shines at creating characters you care about.”

—Bestselling author Virginia Kantra

“Kristi Gold is one of those authors whose books you never want to miss. She touches your heart in all the right places.”

—Reader to Reader Reviews

“Kristi Gold’s Renegade Millionaire will captivate readers with its undeniably sexy hero and the combustible attraction between characters. An exceptionally well-written story that should never end.”

—Romantic Times on Renegade Millionaire, 2003 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award

“Kristi Gold combines her trademark larger-than-life hero with the Barone Dynasty’s sensuous plot and comes up big in Expecting The Sheikh’s Baby.”

—Romantic Times on Expecting the Sheikh’s Baby, 2004 National Readers’ Choice Winner, Best Short Contemporary Series

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

I was thrilled to be invited to participate in THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS: REUNION with my contribution, The Law of Attraction, for several reasons: I’m a born and bred Texan, San Antonio is one of my favorite cities, I enjoy working with authors to bring together a satisfying series, and I’m admittedly a television courtroom drama addict.

This story features Daniel Fortune, a dynamic San Antonio assistant D.A. who has designs on being the next District Attorney, and Alisha Hart, who left corporate law to become a champion of justice for the common folk. Take these two passionate attorneys, pit them against each other on a high-profile case, add a good dose of chemistry, and you’re bound to have fireworks inside and out of the courtroom. As an added bonus, that high-profile case involves an infamous exhibitionist known as the “San Antonio Streaker,” an element that lends itself to more than a little humor, and a whole lot of fun. And I admit to having had more than my share of fun writing this book.

Needless to say, quite a bit of research on Texas law was involved and I’ve tried to make the legal process as accurate as possible. However, I’m a writer, not an attorney, so I did use a little creative license in the courtroom scenes for the sake of entertainment.

I invite you to get ready for a wild ride, and I do hope you enjoy The Law of Attraction as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it!

Happy reading!

Kristi Gold

Many thanks to family friend and future attorney, Wes B., for pointing me in the right direction. Any errors in legal procedure I might have made are definitely my own.

To Kathie DeNosky, one of the most talented authors and best friends I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

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

Bonus Features

“I can’t believe you spent all day with the naked guy.”

For once Alisha Hart was thankful for the barroom buzz drowning out the cute and somewhat cocky Joe Alvarado’s comment. Unfortunately her current law clerk had a definite lack of decorum at times. But he worked cheap, and with her fledgling law practice, cheap was all she could afford.

Moving her glass of champagne aside, Alisha folded her hands before her on the scuffed wooden table and frowned. “Do you think perhaps we could call him Mr. Massey—his appropriate name—instead of ‘the naked guy’?”

Joe loosened his tie, reclined in the high-backed chair and chugged another drink of beer. “I just call ’em like I see ’em. And let’s face it, plenty of San Antonio’s good citizens have seen him. All of him.”

“Not all of him.”

He forked a fast hand through his dark hair and gave her his usual impatient scowl. “Okay. Most of him.”

Alisha couldn’t argue that point, but she would soon have to argue the now infamous case of the “San Antonio Streaker.” Without an official public defender’s office in the county, she’d qualified to be added to the list of practicing attorneys willing to represent those who couldn’t afford private counsel. Just her luck of the draw that she’d been assigned as Les Massey’s public defender. True, the man had posed almost in the buff at several notable tourist attractions, but he’d been clever enough to keep certain parts of his anatomy covered. As far as Alisha was concerned, he might be a misguided man on a mission, but he was within his rights to express himself, even if he freely expressed himself practically naked.

“Regardless of what he’s done,” she told Joe, “he’s still a client and deserves my attention.”

“More or less a nonpaying client.”

Alisha recognized that Les Massey would soon receive the benefit of her services without handing over a dime of his own money—as if he had any—courtesy of the state of Texas. “That’s what the system is all about, Joe. Solid legal representation for the indigent. The ‘little guy,’ so to speak.”

He let go a strident laugh. “From what I hear, Les wouldn’t be considered a ‘little guy.’ Rumor has it that was one long coonskin tail he had covering his goods during his little show at the Alamo. Have you seen any evidence of that?”

“Oh, dear God, Joe. I’m not even going to go there.” Granted, Alisha had been mildly curious, but she suspected that the legend of Les’s “goods” had been blown totally out of proportion. And even though he would be considered a fine specimen, with his buff body and surfer-blond hair, she wasn’t interested in his “goods” or any other aspect of his person. Besides, he was seven years her junior, rarely utilized all three of his brain cells at once and was a little too smarmy for her selective taste in men. “Can we change the subject now?”

“Sure. Let’s play Twenty Questions. Guess who just walked in?”

“Your wife?”

“Nope. Not yet.” He leaned forward. “I’ll give you a hint. He’s practically a legend in legal circles.”

Couldn’t be Les, unless he’d escaped from jail. “I give up.”

“Would you believe the big man himself?”

“Isn’t it a little late for Santa?”

“Try Daniel Fortune.”

Great. Just what she needed—the man who delighted in pushing all her hot buttons whenever the opportunity presented itself. The man who ruled the criminal courts like a king. The man she wanted to cling to like cheap plastic wrap every time he came near her—a fact that would remain a secret to everyone, especially the senior assistant district attorney.

“Well, I should’ve known the iceman cometh,” Alisha said, trying to keep her tone nonchalant. “The temperature just dropped a few degrees in here.” In reality, her body temperature had risen to rainforest proportions.

“He’s brilliant,” Joe said. “One of the best prosecutors in the state.”

One of the best-looking prosecutors in the country. “Yes, he’s got a good record.” And a great butt.

“Don’t look now, but he’s heading this way.”

Alisha battled the urge to look and she won out for the time being. Maybe Mr. Fortune would keep walking right on past her. Maybe then she could sneak another peek at his derriere.