 ISBN-13: 9780758214331 ISBN-10: 0758214332 Buy Now! Kensington Amazon ♥ B & N ♥ B-A-M Borders ♥ Chapters IndieBound ♥ Powell’s Order eBook: Amazon Kindle |
SOME HURTS YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER…
Defense attorney Mike Baldwin has never lost a trial. He knows he can trust his razor-sharp instincts, and defendants who are straight up with him walk free. But those instincts always seem to fail him in his personal life. He’s been burned before, very badly, yet when he meets his younger brother Sean’s date—law student Dara Williams—at a party, the chemistry is undeniable.
…UNTIL TRUE LOVE HELPS YOU FORGET
Dara, though strong-willed and whip-smart, closely guards a painful past; the only time she was intimate with a man, her trust was betrayed. She doesn’t want another man, and that includes Sean. As Dara unwillingly begins an internship at Mike’s firm, the two deny their growing attraction until their smoldering desires just can’t be contained. But Mike prides himself on his honor and hates the thought of betraying his brother, and Dara continually wonders if she can truly put her trust in Mike. Can love heal the deepest wounds of the heart?
She that has a choice has trouble.
— American proverb.
Who was she?
Mike felt his mouth fall open, then go dry. She made his heart take off like the horses out of the gate at the Kentucky Derby. He knew gaped at her like he’d just seen a UFO land in Professor Stallworth’s living room, but he didn’t care; he felt like he’d never seen a woman before this very moment. She was a little taller than average, with a tiny little waist and curvy hips and long legs. Stunning, lush breasts strained against her white shirt. But her face made his breath stop. Big, beautiful dark eyes, high cheekbones, wide, full lips. When she laughed at something her friend said he felt his gut clench with need. He needed to be the one to make her laugh and feel the shine of her smile on his face. She was sweetness and light, his reward for hauling his tired butt to the party tonight.
Remembering to breathe suddenly required a supreme effort; her appeal was overwhelming and undeniable. He would have her, he decided, creeping a little closer so he could see her better – there was no question of if, only when. Not tonight; he knew that. Well, fine. He could be patient. And she was not going to be a little fling, either. A couple of nights with this girl wouldn’t do it for him. She was very young, though. Early twenties at the oldest. It didn’t matter. If she was over eighteen, and she had to be or she wouldn’t be a law student, then she was his. If he had to make it his life’s work to get this woman in his bed, then so be it. He didn’t care if she was here with someone or if she had a boyfriend or was engaged; he probably wouldn’t even care if she was married. Look at me, sweetheart, he silently told her. Look at me, look at me.
Dara had the strangest feeling suddenly; the air in the room had changed. Now it was charged with electricity and the tension of waiting, the way the wind shifts before a storm. For no discernible reason she turned her head to the right and her eyes locked into place with his. She froze, her smile still on her lips.
This wasn’t one of her law school cronies. Oh, no. He was, by a factor of about ten, the most attractive man she’d ever seen. Very tall, well over six feet, probably in his early thirties, he had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He wore an ivory cotton sweater and the long sleeves emphasized the lean muscles of his arms and chest. His faded jeans were a little baggy but they couldn’t hide his powerful thighs and long legs. His short hair was the blackest coal and thick and wavy. His skin was warm and rich, the color as velvety smooth as coffee ice cream, and he had high cheekbones, a long, straight nose and full, tantalizing lips framed by a mustache and the sexiest five-o’clock shadow she’d ever seen.
But, God, there was something about his eyes, which were dark, brooding and framed by thick, expressive brows. They were mischievous, if not downright wicked – as if he knew an amusing secret he’d tell her when he thought the time was right. Dara felt electrified, like she’d tapped into an invisible power source that hummed and vibrated all around her. After a long moment – too long for mere polite interest – his eyes left hers and slid over her white scoop neck silk T-shirt that, she suddenly realized, fit snugly across her breasts, to her slim black pants, to her black strappy sandals and brightly painted toenails.
He was bold. She’d give him that. He was not a college boy she could easily handle. He looked at her as if they were lovers alone in their bed and she was his to enjoy – to devour – in his own good time. He seemed unaware of all the people, or, more likely, was aware of the others but didn’t care what they thought of him. His lips arranged themselves into an admiring, dimpled smile that was just this side of a leer. Clearly this man was headstrong and arrogant. She’d have to take him down a notch or two – or fifty – if she ever met him.
She’d never felt more exhilarated in her life.
For a moment she feared she’d smile back at him, but she managed to purse her lips and raise her chin with a haughtiness she didn’t entirely feel before she looked away.
He laughed at her.
She knew it was he – the sound was deep, warm and unabashed. Lusty. She felt his eyes burning the side of her face but she wouldn’t— wouldn’t— look at him again.