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Seductive Memory
AlTonya Washington


Once, they meant the world to each other. Can they regain what they lost? A chance encounter with Paula Starker is all entrepreneur Linus Brooks needs to try to win back the woman who was once his whole world. And where better to romance the sultry Philadelphia DA than a lush villa on a private tropical island?But before they can share a future, Linus will have to reveal his tragic secret…







Once, they meant the world to each other—

Can they regain what they lost?

A chance encounter with Paula Starker is all entrepreneur Linus Brooks needs to try to win back the woman who was once his whole world. And where better to romance the sultry Philadelphia DA than a lush villa on a private tropical island? But before they can share a future, Linus will have to reveal his tragic secret...


ALTONYA WASHINGTON has been a romance novelist for fifteen years. She’s been nominated for numerous awards and is the winner of two RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Awards for her novels Finding Love Again and His Texas Touch. She won the Romance Slam Jam EMMA Award for her novel Indulge Me Tonight. AlTonya lives in North Carolina and works as a reference librarian. This author wears many hats, but being a mom is her favorite job.


Also By AlTonya Washington (#u853af398-eb9e-599a-af79-55bdb4a74208)

As Good as the First Time

Every Chance I Get

Private Melody

Pleasure After Hours

Texas Love Song

His Texas Touch

Provocative Territory

Provocative Passion

Trust In Us

Indulge Me Tonight

Embrace My Heart

Treasure My Heart

Provocative Attraction

Silver Screen Romance

Seductive Memory

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


Seductive Memory

AlTonya Washington






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


ISBN: 978-1-474-08630-1

SEDUCTIVE MEMORY

© 2018 AlTonya Washington

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


“Ready.” She considered the word.

Ready indicated it was only a matter of time. Linus’s words indicated that the time would never arrive. That was good, wasn’t it? She didn’t want the full truth, did she? She thought she didn’t before...and now—

“Tough break.”

Paula whirled to find Linus standing just a few feet behind her. His molten chocolate stare appeared more vibrant against the tropical morning sun as he, too, stared at the Idella disappearing around a bend in the bay.

“Guess they thought you wouldn’t make it,” he said.

“Wonder what would’ve given them that idea.”

Linus barely shrugged in response. Paula rolled her eyes as she resumed her study of the quiet waters.

“If you’re bummed about it,” he said, moving closer, “I’m sure we could arrange something.”

The offer made Paula smile. “I’m sure we could.” She averted her face so he couldn’t see her lashes flutter when he moved close to cup her hips.

“I’m not going to bed with you, L.” She swallowed around the ball of need suddenly occupying her throat.

“That’s the great thing about a place like this.” He didn’t seem discouraged by her decision. “There are all sorts of places we could substitute for a bed.”


Dear Reader (#u853af398-eb9e-599a-af79-55bdb4a74208),

We’re approaching the end of a long and wonderful road. I’ve been so fortunate to have you follow me on my journey with the cast of the Provocative series. I’ve enjoyed telling this story and introducing you to a group of Philadelphia powerhouses who joined forces to meet some pretty intense situations—the greatest among them falling in love.

I’m pleased to present Linus Brooks and Paula Starker in Seductive Memory. Much drama has settled in the worlds of these estranged lovers. Still, unspoken words and past regrets remain. To find the way back to the love they lost, Paula and Linus will have to shed their fears of facing the past and take hold of the desire still igniting between them.

I’ve enjoyed creating this world. Thank you for welcoming my stories and the characters who bring them to life.

Peace and Blessings Always,

AlTonya

altonya@lovealtonya.com


To my loyal readers, thank you for cheering me on. Your support over the years has meant the world to me.


Contents

Cover (#u209abbe3-4e68-5a5a-9a56-91110a120374)

Back Cover Text (#u4b5fafbe-68e3-5d20-ba5b-7cea770aecff)

About the Author (#uedcbef27-efa2-5143-92e6-697b2995c390)

Booklist (#u20c6d1a9-b29a-5ffe-9330-5bb96ca463c3)

Title Page (#ufc135f0c-c1e6-5754-8818-a47e392f62d6)

Copyright (#ud3d06321-1706-5ca7-a5e9-718c4eda3a0c)

Introduction (#u30b4cac7-1333-5015-b8bb-e95d65dbd74b)

Dear Reader (#ud11f7cb1-6a82-5f98-8b22-9e2d083cb09b)

Dedication (#uc90dca52-73a5-5f58-96fb-2ac5ae9ad745)

Prologue (#u5d5a3e3c-2886-5dd8-bee4-561886524edf)

Chapter 1 (#ud0552d0e-bc3e-584d-943b-f90e8168d294)

Chapter 2 (#u86269a57-a1ed-5360-9b0d-db946612b29c)

Chapter 3 (#uafe38026-ebde-51fb-9233-835831986c8a)

Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)


Prologue (#u853af398-eb9e-599a-af79-55bdb4a74208)

Costalegre, Mexico

The wedding plans had changed, and quite suddenly. The bride and groom had opted for an event with a lot less flash and dazzle than the bride’s mother would’ve liked. Still, no one could argue that the ceremony hadn’t been a perfect one.

Santigo Rodriguez and Sophia Hail had spoken their romantic and heartfelt vows amid tropical breezes scented by the variety of exotic flowers adorning the environment. The change in venue and time had been a gift of sorts from the bride’s sister and brother-in-law-to-be. Viva Hail and her fiancé, Rook Lourdess, had arranged a breathtaking escape that the bride and groom had eagerly accepted.

Flora of such splendid hues looked to have been skillfully shaded, as if from the colors of an artist’s palette. The flowers, brilliant as they were, simply enhanced the sky. To call it magnificent just didn’t seem to do it justice.

Paula Starker didn’t think there were any words that could describe the presence of something capable of instilling such an intense sensation of serenity. And she could use a little serenity just then. The vivid blue, dotted by blindingly white and puffy clouds, infused her bloodstream with calmness like a drug. Paula was eager to let it have its way.

Serenity—as much as she could get—would remain a necessity if she was expected to make it through the rest of the day. She hadn’t thought to ask Sophia how long a maid of honor was expected to hang around once the nuptials had concluded, especially when she had two. Viva had stood up with her sister as well.

Of course, such questions hadn’t occurred to her until she’d realized who else she’d be sharing the ceremonial stage with. She’d actually been enjoying—or at least relatively enjoying—herself. The ceremony, its locale and the weather were all beautiful. Here were the good things of life—love, beauty, relaxation—all rolled into one. Who could ask for more?

Well, for starters, not having the man she almost married watching her throughout the entire occasion might’ve been nice. It should’ve been easy to ignore him. Seriously though, what woman with working eyes could truly ignore Linus Brooks? Especially when he stood just over thirty feet away? One of the groom’s two best men, he epitomized tall, dark and stunning in linen trousers and a shirt as blindingly white as the clouds dotting the magnificent sky above.

He watched her with an unerring intensity that came across as just enough amusement and certainty. The look told Paula that he knew damn well the effect he was having on her. It didn’t take a psychic to know the direction of her thoughts when her eyes lingered on his shirt billowing against the strong breeze.

Linus Brooks was well over six feet of taut, licorice muscle. His lean frame flattered every stitch of clothing he wore. This shirt was no different in the way it beautifully contrasted with his skin tone, and accentuated a sleekly sculpted chest.

Oh, he knew what he was doing, alright. Paula focused on keeping her brooding to a minimum, which helped to keep her eyes off the man who’d once held her body and soul in the palm of his hand. The heated reminder almost knocked the wind out of her. Surprising, since it was a truth never all that far from memory. Regardless, it was a truth that evoked a reaction when in the presence of the one it involved.

Linus Brooks had been that one—the only man she had ever wanted. Standing within sight of him then, Paula feared he always would be.

* * *

Costalegre’s vibrant flowers and sky were rivaled strongly by its waters. Unending turquoise ran alongside the Pacific and had the ability to mesmerize onlookers with little effort. Paula was no exception. She had abandoned the lively beachfront reception not long after it had gotten underway. Though the sun was setting, it took nothing away from the brilliance of the day—in fact, it enhanced it. She’d already strolled along the shoreline, smiling as the water worked its way between her toes.

The maids of honor had been decked in linen, same as the best men. Sophia had selected baby doll dresses with capped sleeves and lace hems that were perfectly suited to the climate. The dress code forbade shoes, and Paula couldn’t have been happier. She moved into the water until the tranquil waves lapped the backs of her knees. Serenity had found its way deep into her bloodstream, such that she wasn’t too unsettled when his voice resonated above the quiet roar of the water.

“Some wedding,” Linus noted while he too enjoyed the unending turquoise before his eyes.

“Some wedding,” Paula managed, despite the violent stab of arousal his voice summoned.

“Tig and Sophie are already brainstorming ways to outdo this when they plan Rook and Viva’s wedding.”

Paula couldn’t help but smile over the news Linus shared. “When couples compete, their friends get caught in the middle.”

Linus grunted a laugh. “If the middle lands us here again, then I’m all for it.”

“Yeah.” Paula inhaled the pleasant air as she studied the sun making its way closer to the horizon.

“We should’ve been first.”

His words clipped her appreciation of the view. “What?” She shifted to face him, gasping when her gaze collided with his. It had been years since she’d looked so closely into it. His eyes were molten chocolate orbs that had a sensually jarring glint and sometimes reflected hints of amber. His gaze was seductively set beneath long, thick brows of sleek ebony. Stricken, Paula directed her glare toward his pant legs rolled clear of the water.

“You heard me.” Linus moved closer until he was taking Paula’s other hand. Her fist was clenched tight near her thigh. “We should’ve been first. You should be my wife, have a house full of my kids and another inside you—”

“Linus, stop.” She snatched her hand free and used it to cover her mouth. How long had it been since she’d spoken his name? “Don’t.” She hated the pleading quality she heard in her voice then.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

The determined tone of his voice had Paula looking up again. She couldn’t tell whether the apology spoke to their immediate conversation or to a situation long passed and best not revisited.

“It’s too late,” she said anyway. She couldn’t resist probing to see whether their past was on his mind too.

It was.

“Is it?” He left barely a sliver of space between them then.

“It’s a wedding, Linus. You’re just getting caught up in the moment,” Paula reasoned.

That was true. The moment was having its way with her as well. She wouldn’t be able to resist leaning into him if he stayed where he was for much longer. Her thoughts buzzed with memories of the way he used to feel—strong, safe, capable of pleasure she’d never found a match for—

“Ma’am?”

Snapping to, Paula turned to give a nod to the tall dark-suited man who’d interrupted. He said nothing further, only turned and left once she’d acknowledged him.

“Was that for my benefit?” Linus asked.

Again, Paula smiled at the laughter in his query.

“No.” She sighed. “I think we both know it’d take more than one member of my security team to have an effect on you. Anyway.” She glanced across her shoulder to find that they were alone again on the quiet stretch of beach. “There’s not much I can do without them, you know?”

Linus nodded. “One of the perks of being the district attorney,” he said, only cringing a little at her dig.

“And one of the few I’ll miss. He was just coming to let me know it’s time,” Paula explained before Linus could follow up his curious look with a question.

“That’s why I came to find you.” He nodded again, then said suddenly, as though remembering, “Sophie said you’re on your way back to Philly.”

“Yeah, um, they moved up the wedding date and threw me off schedule, so...” She shrugged. “Best I could do to make it work.”

“But you just got here last night.” A teasing light glimmered in his eyes. “Surely the DA can finagle a week off to celebrate her best friend’s wedding?”

“There’s a lot going on at the office.” Paula issued the response she’d gotten down pat with all Sophie’s begging for her to take more time as well. Truthfully speaking, it would’ve taken little more than her saying she’d be back when she got back if she’d wanted to “finagle” a week off or more.

She hadn’t wanted it, and the reason was standing right beside her.

“You know, I never got to tell you how proud I am of you,” Linus was saying, the pride he spoke of alive and well in his eyes. “You wanted DA and you got it.”

“Not bad for an opportunist, huh?”

“Paula—”

“But that’s not the word you used, was it?” She expected her words to have him stepping back.

Linus didn’t budge. “May I talk to you?”

“About what, Linus? The past? The fact that we should’ve been first and I should be spending my time having your babies? We aren’t them.” She threw a hand toward the general direction of the beachfront reception. “Love? Future? We already know what that turns into, don’t we?” She was the one stepping back then. “I already said my goodbyes.” She turned to leave.

He blocked her way. “Don’t you want to know why?”

“I did.” Paula swallowed past a rising sob and silently celebrated the accomplishment. “I did when I was that heartbroken little girl, confused and shattered by the guy I would’ve killed for if he’d asked me to.”

With a resigned shake of her head, she backed off a few more steps.

“I’m not the girl you knew, Linus. She’s gone. You saw to that.”


Chapter 1 (#u853af398-eb9e-599a-af79-55bdb4a74208)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Three Weeks Later

“Maxton says the place will inspire our creativity.” Elias Joss’s piercing blue-green stare held a mix of doubt and curiosity as he observed the eight-by-eleven glossy in hand. The square work table before him carried several more of the aerial prints.

“Creativity, huh?” Santigo Rodriguez’s gold-flecked dark gaze harbored similar doubt, which was laced with humor instead of curiosity. “Where’s this villa he mentioned?”

Frowning slightly, Eli leaned over the table and upended another of the gold-toned folders that carried an additional sheaf of glossy images. “Here we go,” he said.

Tig’s light honey-toned face brightened with approval of the villa displayed in full color. It was tucked away on its own island a few miles from Finley Cay in The Bahamas.

“Now this is more like it,” Tig breathed, as if awestruck. “Yeah... I could see myself getting very creative in there.”

“Damn right.” Eli’s voice carried the same awe-filled chord. He had reached for one of the glossies as well and studied the immortalized image with distinct appreciation. “You thinkin’ what I am?”

“I am, if you’re thinkin’ our work should be mixed with a few weeks of unadulterated playtime.” Satisfied, Tig reclined in the wide ladder-backed chair to shuffle through a few more of the prints.

“Then it looks like our thoughts are one, my friend.” Eli helped himself to a few prints from Tig’s stack.

“I even have my playmate in mind.” Tig’s murmured words carried across the room.

“So do I,” Eli murmured in return.

The snort that followed had both men looking toward the far end of the table.

“What?” Tig queried in reaction to the glare Linus sent his way.

“You’re serious here?” Linus’s expression reflected amused disbelief. “I could swear you just got back from two weeks of unadulterated playtime with your playmate.”

“We’re newlyweds, Line.” Tig sighed matter-of-factly while giving a lazy stretch. “It’s my duty as a husband to keep my wife in bed for the better part of the next two years at least.”

“Good to know you take your vows seriously,” Linus noted while Eli chuckled.

Again, Tig sighed. “It’s an exhausting job, but I’ll survive somehow.”

Linus’s quick grimace sent the hint of a dimple flashing in his cheek. “You know Maxton will expect us to get just a little work done?” he said.

“See? This is why you’re their favorite.”

“I’m everyone’s favorite,” Linus countered. “Without me, they don’t get through the front door to the two of you.”

“And here they are, already through the front door, and you’re still their go-to guy because you keep us all on the straight and narrow.”

It was true. Linus’s outspoken nature and often biting wit had built him a respected name. Instead of clients shying away from his frequently intimidating persona, they appreciated the integrity that accompanied it.

“Line’s right.” Eli sobered. “Besides brainstorming ideas to turn this villa—and the island it sits on—into a worthwhile resort, we’ve got a stack of potential projects to decide on.”

Expressions on the three handsome faces in the room grew distinctly downcast. The partners of Joss Construction eyed the rust-colored accordion folder they’d been avoiding. Secured by a rubber band, the folder was fat with potential groundbreakers.

Joss was among a very select few in the construction business that rarely put in bids for jobs. The luxury of clients seeking them out for first refusals was one they’d worked very hard to acquire. Linus, Elias and Santigo had already taken preliminary meetings concerning each proposal. They had yet to decide which ones to add to an already robust lineup. Of course, being busy was nothing new for the talented trio.

Joss Construction was Elias’s inheritance, but his friends shared equally in the partnership. The three—friends since before they could talk—had taken Evan Joss’s brainchild and carried it to even greater heights of success and respect. While Elias believed that his late father would’ve never admitted he’d been surpassed in the business, he knew the man could never have argued it as fact.

Still, despite the partners’ notable accomplishments, clients who offered tropical escapes to exclusive, fully furnished villas on private islands in The Bahamas didn’t come around every day.

“Is it just me or does it seem like Line isn’t comprehending all the fringe benefits of this getaway?”

“He’s just stressing over which of his many playmates to bring.”

Tig laughed over Eli’s remark. “Not to worry, Line. According to the list of amenities, the place is segmented into ten suites. You can bring at least two of your playmates.”

“At least,” Eli agreed.

“We can’t forget Bark though. He’ll need a place to tuck away one of his guests.” Tig referred to another close friend from the before-they-could-talk stage, Barker Grant.

“Bark isn’t all that showy.” Eli smirked. “Most likely he’ll be content with just one playmate. Line’s in a whole different league.”

“Hell yeah, he is.” Tig smiled, nodding. “Alright, Line, if B’s good with one guest, you can bring upwards of four lucky beauties. Tucked away in their own suites, everyone should be happy.”

Eli grinned, and it seemed as though full-blown laughter would soon follow. Linus muttered an obscenity as he pushed back from the table. The movement diffused the good vibes circulating the room. Linus left without another word. The door slamming at his back sent frowns passing between his friends.

“Something I said?” Tig queried.

Eli shook his head, gaze still fixed on the conference room door. “No different than usual. We always give him grief about all the women he juggles.”

“Yeah.” Tig set aside the villa photos, having lost interest in them. “Guess there comes a time when a joke’s been told too many times.”

“Mmm... I don’t think that’s it though.” Eli’s gaze was still on the door. “Line’s seemed...off for a while now. I noticed it when we got back from Cortina for your wedding.”

“From Rook’s place?” Tig referenced the home their friend kept in the small Italian province. “Think we should talk to him?” Tig shrugged at the skeptical look he got in return.

“You really want to do that while his temper is up?” Eli mused.

“Right.” Tig wagged a finger in the air. “We’ll wait ’til he’s cooler.”

Both men were well aware that a temper surge from Linus Brooks could be akin to setting a lit match to gasoline. They knew the man had made great strides in controlling the darkness when it took hold. They were also smart enough to know better than to tempt fate.

“Right,” Elias said in response to Tig’s suggestion. “We’ll wait.”

Boston, Massachusetts

Caught up in the moment. That’s all it’d been. That’s all it could ever be.

Paula Starker massaged her temples and then drew her fingers through the plump dark ringlets that covered her head in a flirty bob. Silently, she ordered the words to take hold of her psyche and convince her of their truth.

Linus had just been caught up in the moment; that’s where all his...insane talk had come from. She began to tap her fingers to her forehead to convince the idea to take root. She couldn’t quite make it stick, and knew the girl inside her was to blame. That was what happened when a woman went to war with the girl she’d been.

Paula had been sensing that girl—her former self—creeping closer to the surface of her consciousness ever since she’d seen Linus at the hospital following Sophie’s accident during her investigation of a previous case. All it had taken was a look from him to have the girl clamoring back to the surface. When he’d taken her hand to shake it, the girl had nearly swooned.

Paula couldn’t begrudge the girl her desires. More than anything, she wanted to give in to them too. The woman in her though...the woman was who she was now. Back then, the woman had swept in heroically to save the girl from being consumed by waves of self-pity. While the girl had only cared about being back in the arms of Linus Brooks, the woman had wanted to know why Linus Brooks had crushed her heart and left it to rot.

“Stop!” Paula gave a violent shake of her head. She was making too much of this now. Besides, she’d pretty much set him straight before storming off that beach in Mexico anyway.

The woman wanted answers, but she was also just fine with keeping things as they were. Yes, she deserved answers about the night things had changed between them so long ago. If she got them though...if she got them and her heart melted for him again... Paula knew neither the girl nor the woman would survive that kind of hurt twice in a lifetime.

Resting her head against the seat back, Paula studied the house at the top of the long winding brick drive.

“Hope you’ve got some words of wisdom, Professor B.” She sighed and rolled her window down to speak into the callbox outside the iron gates securing the home of Dr. Miranda Bormann, Esquire. Paula’s former professor and mentor had been her go-to source for answers to life’s most perplexing questions.

Paula sure hoped the woman hadn’t lost her knack for issuing excellent advice.

* * *

She ascended the wide front steps with more confidence than appreciation. Paula knew her confidence was most likely due to the fact that Miranda Bormann had been the one to reach out to request a visit. While Paula had kept healthy contact with her favorite professor over the years, she was usually the one to connect with offers to get together for dinner or a quick chat over afternoon tea, or coffee as it were.

She smiled, flexing her fingers around the handle of the paper bag she carried. The package contained a tin of Bormann’s favorite French roast. As district attorney of a major city, it had been difficult for Paula to keep to a consistent schedule of visits, but she made a tremendous effort.

It was nice to be visiting by Bormann’s invitation, rather than by her own request. Still, the technicalities didn’t change the fact that Paula was in need of serious mentoring just then. Her troubled past and recent encounter with Linus Brooks weren’t the only things wreaking havoc on her mind now.

Paula was poised to ring the bell when the broad pine door opened before her. She laughed, surprised and delighted to be met by the hostess herself.

Miranda Bormann personified what it meant to retire well. One reason was because the woman considered herself a lifelong student. She’d taken to acquiring firsthand knowledge of the world around her once she’d resigned from her tenure as a renowned law professor. The various LISTSERVs and web groups Paula subscribed to often reported on what hidden corner of the world Bormann had travelled to.

Understated elegance was the phrase that often followed a mention of Miranda Bormann’s name. Her papers and lectures also graced the shelves of some of the finest libraries in the world.

Bormann, however, was no diva. She was happy whether she was speaking over commencement exercises at a major university or working tirelessly in her greenhouse or outdoor flower garden. When the woman answered the door now, it was obvious she’d been getting her hands dirty.

“Looks like I’m dressed for work.” Paula spread her hands to indicate her worn jeans, sneakers and the lightweight sweatshirt under her jacket.

“For a change,” Miranda Bormann scoffed, but her sky-blue eyes were sparkling playfully as she assessed the younger woman’s attire. “It’s usually Prada or Gucci with you. Get in here.” Bormann pulled Paula into a tight embrace, which was followed by a cheek kiss.

“You always said clothes make the woman,” Paula noted when they pulled apart and she presented Bormann with the coffee.

“Ooh!” the noted professor cooed. She sniffed inside the bag as though the aroma of the freshly ground beans was wafting from the can.

“Nooo,” she said, her freckled nose scrunching in disagreement to Paula’s words. “I said perfectly pressed clothes make the woman. Invest in a good iron, and folks won’t know whether you’re in Coco Chanel or JC Penney. Now let’s see if this tastes as good as it smells.” Bormann hugged the bag close and led the way from the foyer.

“I was surprised to get your call,” Paula said as she followed. “I’m usually the one bugging you for a visit.”

“You never bug me! You keep me spry!” Bormann declared as she took the long corridor to her kitchen at a speed that had Paula sprinting to keep up.

“Glad to hear that.”

Bormann’s quick steps slowed, and she turned to eye Paula speculatively. “What’s that tone?”

Paula shrugged. “Life stuff.”

The playful sparkle in Bormann’s eyes turned sly. “A young man?”

Paula laughed. “We aren’t so young anymore.”

Bormann stuck out her tongue. “You’re a baby. Hank and I broke up four times before we were married and made a go of it for fifty-two years.” She raised thin, perfectly arched brows.

Again, Paula laughed. “It’s complicated.”

“It always is, my love.” Bormann turned and continued her trek down the corridor. “So...young man troubles and? Anything more to go on the day’s agenda?” She breezed into the airy kitchen that looked to be half the size of a football field.

Paula took her place on one of the cushioned high-back stools dotting the long wood-grained island that separated the cooking space from a cozy breakfast nook and sunken den area. “The rest is about work.”

“New case?” Bormann asked while scanning the labeling on the coffee tin.

“No.” Paula focused on the invisible design she traced into the island top. “And I’m thinking about keeping it that way.”

Bormann looked every bit the hard-nosed professor then as she eyed her former student. She set down the coffee tin and moved closer to Paula at the island. “Keeping it that way as District Attorney Paula Starker, or Paula Starker, Esquire?”

“I’m pretty sure District Attorney Paula Starker is history.” Paula slumped against the stool back. “I’m not running for reelection. As for Paula Starker, Esquire... I’m not sure yet.”

“That last case really got to you,” Bormann noted, and began toying with the end of her dark braided ponytail.

“In a pretty big way.” Paula saw no point in denying it.

There was no need to provide details. Paula’s last case had made front page headlines nationwide. The inner workings of the Philadelphia Police Department had been a hot topic for months following the news of a money laundering scandal that had brought down several members of the department.

“It’s not easy to prosecute cops you’ve worked with. I’ve bought Christmas presents for some of their kids and—” Paula couldn’t continue. Her thoughts went to top members of the brass and even police academy instructors.

“I almost lost my best friend in the mix,” she added, thinking of Chief of Detectives Sophia Hail-Rodriguez, who’d been targeted when she’d gotten too close to the truth. “That one hit way too close to home.” She shuddered while shaking her head. “I’ve had enough, Professor B. I mean I—I still love the law. I... I just don’t know what my place is in it anymore.”

“And how does your young man fit into this?”

“He doesn’t.”

Bormann smiled when Paula snapped the words.

Paula silently ordered herself to take it down a notch. “He’s a whole other pile of crap-drama, I mean.”

“Ah! So there’s love there.”

Paula looked confused. “Well, I just called him a pile of crap, so...”

Bormann seemed tickled. Clasping her hands, she grabbed the tin and turned for her coffeemaker. “We’ll discuss him first before we get to the real shitty part of the agenda.”

Paula noticed the woman was carrying a folder once she’d put the coffee on and turned back to the island.

“Before we talk about him, I’ve got no real advice to give about your political decisions other than to list all the pros and cons, weigh them dispassionately before you choose.” Bormann slid the folder across the wood-grain countertop to Paula.

“I can’t imagine what all it must take to be a DA,” she continued. “There are aspects to that job that can affect your decisions in ways I’m not capable of anticipating. As for your law career, I can tell you that there are all kinds of ways to serve. Maybe you need to find a new way.”

Paula glanced at the folder and smiled. “Will I find a way in there?”

Bormann shrugged. “Maybe a career in private practice could be your calling. If so, consider that—” she tapped the folder “—my request to become your first client.”

Paula’s smile vanished when her jaw dropped.


Chapter 2 (#u853af398-eb9e-599a-af79-55bdb4a74208)

He should’ve waited. He should’ve waited before pressing her to talk or to let him talk—explain. He had pressed though, and what had that gotten him except her telling him where to go? She’d reminded him with scalding efficiency of just how much he’d hurt her.

Now, three weeks later, that moment still maintained prime position in his head. She’d pretty much told him he had no chance with her, and yet he’d spent the better part of his time since the ill-fated encounter on the beach assuring himself that this wasn’t over.

He couldn’t fathom why he was so sure of that now, when they’d been out of each other’s lives for ages. Linus knew why, of course. Paula had never been out of his head. Not really. Such a thing wasn’t possible when she was the district attorney in the city he lived in.

Paula Starker was a frequent presence on his TV screen when a new case required her input for the evening broadcast. Not only that, but as a public figure—a beautiful public figure—her private life was also prime fodder for the rumor mill.

Linus could’ve done without all the buzz on the latest athlete, actor or musician she’d been seen on the town with. Still, when the odd occasion arose where they wound up at the same event, he managed to make himself scarce. He made himself scarce when what he really wanted was to rip out the intestines of the latest idiot who thought to claim what was his. What used to be his, he reminded himself.

Such torture, however, didn’t stop him from tuning in for the gossip. The celebrity involvements rarely lasted beyond a date or two. When she’d been caught out with someone he didn’t recognize and those outings numbered beyond four...those were the times his heart seized in his chest. Those were the times he feared she was lost to him for good.

The fact that she wasn’t lost to him for good gave him hope. Seeing her on that beach, though...witnessing the sheen of tears in her eyes not spilled...

He’d hurt her in the past, badly. Regardless of how much he assured himself that all wasn’t hopeless between them now, there was no going forward until he told her why. He’d lost it that night, demolished the place that was meant to signify a defining moment in their futures. It was the place he’d planned to ask her to be his wife.

Linus sensed a numbness along his forearm and saw that his drawn fist was to blame. He had long since triumphed over the anger—the rage—that had ruled him. There were times, however, when he believed he hadn’t triumphed at all—that the demons had only lain in wait for the perfect thing to destroy.

It had been that way when he’d found Paula. He’d gone years without an episode, even joined his best friends on a completely bold venture to revamp an already successful and revered company. Linus had been the outspoken visionary behind Joss Construction when he met the ambitious new lawyer with future designs on turning the Philly political scene on its ear by becoming the city’s first black female DA.

Life had been good then, and their chemistry had been explosive. Now, Linus’s appetite for women had little to do with conquests and more to do with hope. It was the hope that a woman out there could make him forget Paula Starker. He didn’t think such a woman existed. Their emotions had delved far beneath the shallow physical allure to collide with something far more powerful. The surface attraction, however, had done a total number on him. The confident lawyer with the nonstop curves had had him cold.

Linus had wanted Paula in the most desperate way, but he’d wanted more than the delights her body promised. He’d sensed a kinship—a connection of the spirit that surpassed the physical—and he had wanted to see where things could go between them. Such was not to be, and the blame for that rested right at his feet. He wanted—needed—to make it right. More than that, he wanted her back, wanted her to be his, the way she always should’ve been. His and his alone.

But what of the demons? The demons had waited ever so patiently to unleash their havoc-wreaking frenzy until he had been literally days away from securing a future with Paula. Giving her an explanation for that night and then just walking away wasn’t an option for him. Neither was hurting her again.

Besides that, giving her an explanation—the one she deserved—meant revisiting a place he had sworn he was done with. A place that made him feel like nothing more than the scared kid he’d been instead of the accomplished man he’d become.

There was a sound on his office door that barely passed for a knock. Linus turned to see his partners hovering just past the threshold. Their wary expressions brought a much-needed smile to his face. Despite the smile, he had to wave them in before they moved any farther beyond the doorway.

“Este says you’ve been in here all afternoon.” Tig referred to Linus’s assistant, Estella Mays.

“Yeah,” was Linus’s only confirmation.

Tig looked helplessly to Eli, and both men appeared to be holding out little hope that their friend’s mood had improved.

“So how’d the rest of the meeting go?”

Linus’s query seemed to be the olive branch Tig and Eli needed. Noticeably more comfortable, they moved a little farther into the office.

“All went well. Everything seems in order,” Tig said.

“Any pop in here, Line?” Eli asked on his way to the mini fridge.

“Yeah, help yourself.”

Eli gave a nod and sent Tig a sly look across his shoulder.

“So it looks like Maxton’s cool with us taking as much time as we need at the villa.” Tig moved into the roomy living area that occupied over a third of the office space.

“Sounds good,” Linus said, joining him.

“Me and E were thinkin’, since we’ve got so much work to do with going over the rest of the proposals, it might be a good idea to just keep this strictly a business trip.”

“Right.” Linus settled into his preferred recliner. The smile curving his mouth gave away the fact that he was all too aware what had prompted the change in plans. Still, he pretended to be confused. “What about playtime with playthings?”

Tig cast aside the idea with a wave. “Sophie’s already taken three weeks of her eight-week leave. Best to save the rest for when we come up with our master getaway to pay back Rook and Veev for Mexico.”

“Mmm-hmm, and what about Clarissa?” Linus asked Eli, who was on his way to the living room with three bottles of soda in tow.

Eli smiled at the mention of his girlfriend, Clarissa David. “She’s already feeling guilty for leaving Ray with so much of the workload—first the getaway to Cortina and then Mexico for Tig and Sophie’s wedding. She’s trying to get the woman to take some time for herself.” Eli referred to Rayelle Keats. In addition to being Clarissa’s best friend, Ray served as general manager for her late aunt’s franchise of gentleman’s clubs that were transitioning into dance studios.

“Trust us, it won’t be all work,” Tig said. “We’ll take Rook and Bark along. Since Rook’s new job keeps him up to his ears in snow for most of the year and if the weather guys get it right, we’ll be getting our fill of it in a few weeks, so I don’t think it’ll be hard to convince Barker. We could make it a guys’ getaway—hell, we’re entitled to those, same as the girls,” he added.

“Sure we are.” Linus gave a half shrug. “Thing is, guys’ getaways are a lot more fun when girls participate. No offence, but Rook and Bark aren’t exactly the playmates who’d put that fun in motion.”

“Yeah, well, it wouldn’t be much fun if everybody didn’t have a playmate,” Tig observed.

Linus grinned, the gesture sparking his faint dimple. “You know, I won’t have trouble finding one of those to bring along.”

“Mmm, but not the one you want.” Eli held his bottle poised for drinking while regarding his friend with quiet amusement. “Who is she?” he asked.

Linus’s grin remained, but the gesture appeared just a tad forced. “Do you really need me to talk about my list of conquests now?”

“No. Just the one who’s got you in this mood.”

The grin vanished. In its place was a series of muscle twitches along the jawline. Linus left his recliner and began to pace the living area.

“We don’t mean to pry, man.” Tig winced. “If you don’t want to talk—”

“It’s okay.” Linus shook his head. “I should’ve told you guys about her a long time ago.”

“Girl from your past?” Tig guessed.

“Way past,” Linus confirmed.

“We know her?” Eli asked.

“Yeah.” Linus turned then, folding his arms over his chest while he leaned against a wall. “Paula Starker.”

Tig and Eli exchanged looks.

“Paula?” Tig blurted.

“DA Paula Starker?” Eli emphasized.

Linus’s lazy grin returned. “Yes and yes.”

“Get the hell out of here!” Tig ordered, after silence had held the room in its grip for half a minute.

Eli roared with laughter. “Damn, man, if you didn’t want to talk about it, you could’ve said so!”

“It’s not a joke,” Linus insisted, though he fully understood his friends’ disbelief.

“She’s the DA.” Tig apparently felt the need to reiterate that fact.

Linus only smiled. “She wasn’t always.”

“How is this possible?” Eli wanted to know. “We’ve been friends since the crib.”

Linus laughed heartily then. “Does that mean we have to know everything about each other?”

Eli shrugged. “I’d say everything else pales in comparison once you know someone crapped their pants up through first grade.”

Laughter exploded between the old friends.

“Lies!” Linus roared. “That only happened when they served that green pudding for lunch.”

“I gotta agree with E, man.” Tig’s tone brought a touch of seriousness back to the conversation. “Soph and Paula are best friends. She’d have mentioned it.”

Linus grew more serious then too. “Guess she’s done as good a job keeping it from her friends as I have from mine.”

Eli leaned over to set his bottle on an end table. “What happened?” he asked.

“Lost my temper.” Linus knew it wouldn’t take much more than those words to give his friends a good idea of how things had derailed. Questions remained, however.

“Did you hit her?” The gold flecks in Tig’s dark eyes glinted with unspoken disapproval.

“No.” Self-disgust had sent the faint amber hue of Linus’s gaze diluting to its molten chocolate state. “But I didn’t much care where the furniture landed when I threw it. She wasn’t touched, but she could’ve been.” Linus reclaimed his seat on the recliner. “Touched or not, she got hurt just the same. I said things...called her names.”

“What names?”

“The bad kind.” Linus sent Eli a humorless smirk. “She’s got every right to hate me, and she’s made it clear that she does over the few times we’ve seen each other lately.”

“In Cortina?” Eli shifted a meaningful look at Tig while referring to the recent trip they had taken to Rook Lourdess’s home.

“Hmph, yeah.” Linus shook his head in spite of himself. “Then there was Mexico.”

Tig winced. “So I guess all the love and adoration that’s been goin’ around has been hell on you.”

“You’ve got no idea, T.” Linus managed a weary grin. “She should have been my wife by now. The night I lost it, I was gonna propose.”

“Jesus, Line...” A measure of Eli’s own temper surfaced then. “It was that serious and you never told us?”

“Nothin’ personal, E.” Linus shrugged weakly. “It was just so good for so long between us and I didn’t want to do anything to set them off.”

“Them?”

“My demons,” Linus said in reply to Tig’s query. “They’d been quiet for so long before that night. I thought maybe...maybe they were gone. That somehow I’d defeated them. It took that night to see there was no defeat, no triumph ’til I turned and faced them.”

“Looks like you have.” Tig spread his hands in an encompassing gesture. “We haven’t been witness to any furniture-throwing outbreaks lately.”

“Paula hasn’t been in my life lately, T. Sometimes I think all my so-called progress is a joke. It won’t be real until I turn and face her—apologize for what I did.”

“So what happened that night?” Eli queried, his expression a tad guarded. “To make you do what you did?”

“That’s not the point.” Linus’s features visibly sharpened as well. “The point is I did it and I need her to give me the chance to tell her how sorry I am.”

The looks exchanged between Eli and Tig were laced with uncertainty again.

“An apology for what you did might go over better if you tell her why you did it,” Tig noted.

Linus’s features remained set. “Why doesn’t matter.”

“It might to her,” Tig challenged.

Linus leaned forward then and held his head in his hands. Silently, he agreed.

* * *

“But that’s for later. First, I want to hear about this young man.”

Paula sent strongly worded mental orders to her brain to pick her jaw up off the ground. She watched Miranda Bormann with a mix of humor and disbelief.

“You can’t just lay something like this on me and expect us to go back to talking about my love life,” she said.

“Ah, so you are in love with him?”

“Professor B—”

“Humor an old woman, love.”

“Okay. Where is she?” Paula countered.

Miranda Bormann’s gaze sparkled slyly. “Nice try, but flattery won’t help. I want to know about your young man. Let’s start with when you met him.”

“Alright.” Paula anticipated the woman’s surprise at what she would say next. “A few weeks before I got my law degree.”

Miranda Bormann was indeed stunned. “You met him then, but I’ve never seen you with a diamond on a certain finger. What gives?”

“Remember that drama I spoke of? There was a ton of it.”

Bormann blinked. “Still?”

The inquiry had Paula wincing. “It kind of carried over—it was hard to run from.”

“Such are the ways things tend to be when it comes to drama with the one we love, and don’t try telling me you’re not in love with him. If you could see your face, you’d know that’s what’s written all over it.”

“I can’t let myself get snagged back into it, Professor B.” Paula drew a hand through her loose curls. “I’ve come too far. I’m not the little idiot he knew.”

“But he’s still on your mind?”

“We’ve got mutual friends. We bump into each other sometimes since they’ve gotten back together.” Paula tapped her fingers against the glossy countertop. “It keeps bringing all the other stuff back.”

“And you can’t ignore it?”

“Oh, I could.” Paula swore and pushed away from the island to pace the kitchen. “But he wants to—to talk about it. To explain what went wrong.”

“And you don’t want to know.”

“I want to know, but I—” Paula bowed her head, pressing her lips together as though she were trying to tell herself to get it together. “If he tells me what happened, I—I’m afraid I’ll...”

“Fall deeper for him than you already have.”

Paula looked directly at her mentor. “I can’t let that happen.”

“But, honey, why? Especially when it seems you both still have feelings for each other.”

“Linus Brooks is a part of my past.” Paula looked a mite flustered. “It’s best he stays there.”

“Linus Brooks.” Something sharpened in Miranda Bormann’s expression.

“I’ve done a pretty good job of not letting my heart have a say in any of this.” Paula took no notice of Bormann’s manner. “I’ve been pretty happy because of that. Guess I owe that to Linus. Dammit.” Again, she tugged her fingers through her hair. “Why the hell does he have to come messing with my head now?”

Bormann stood. “You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you’ll figure out the best way to handle it.” Bormann fidgeted with the ends of the braided ponytail she sported. Her dark hair was just beginning to show silver strands along her temples.

“Yeah, well...my head doesn’t work so well with him inside it,” Paula went on.

Bormann smiled. “It may not be such a bad idea to let your heart do a little talking either.”

Paula snorted. “Please tell me it’s time to change the subject.”

“Are you sure you want that?”

Paula threw back her head. “More than sure!”

Miranda Bormann’s smile looked defiant. “Just remember you said that.”

The woman’s tone had Paula eyeing her curiously. “What is it? What’s really going on with you, Professor B?”

Bormann retrieved the folder from the island. She offered it to Paula.

“I’m guessing this is why you really wanted to see me?” Paula took the folder.

Bormann shrugged. “Of course not. You know I always enjoy our chats.”

“But?”

“But I need another perspective on this.”

“What is it?” Paula asked even as she flipped through the folder.

“I’ve always taught my students that it’s better to be armed with a cache of facts before charging in with allegations.” Bormann’s unreadable gaze was set on the folder. “Those are my facts—what little I’ve been able to gather.”

Paula closed the folder and joined Bormann, pulling the woman along with her to the den area across from the kitchen. “Talk to me, Professor,” she insisted once they were seated.

Bormann laughed quietly. “It’s my own damn fault for digging up a mess I’d probably have been able to live my life blissfully unaware of.”

The renowned lawyer aimed an index finger at her former pupil. “Don’t let anyone tell you different, Miss DA—retirement is a wonderful drug, but boredom is one bitch of a side effect.”

“What’d you find?” Paula asked through a tight smile.

“I married into all this.” Bormann raised her hands toward the high ceilings. “I married into Hank’s money, and he wasn’t any more interested in it than I was.” She smiled at the mention of her late husband, Henry Bormann.

“Still.” She sighed. “The money management fell to him as the firstborn. When he died, he’d made arrangements so I wouldn’t have to deal with any of that. Most of my financial advisors are his family—the others are friends of the family.”

“You don’t trust them,” Paula detected.

“I don’t know who to trust. Which is why I’ve had an old friend from law school helping me on the sly, when my digging around uncovered some discrepancies I didn’t expect.”

“Discrepancies?”

“Oh, nothing’s been taken,” Bormann was quick to assure, “but I’ve noticed funds have...shifted on dates that coincided with times I’ve been away on speaking engagements. I wouldn’t have been involved with moving funds then. I haven’t come across anything that’s been removed and not replaced, but Hank had a lot of private property outside of the family holdings. My friend confirmed that some of those properties have been earmarked for development.”

Paula returned to shuffling through the folder. “Have you visited any of these sites?”

“Some, I’m sure. My husband’s holdings were vast. There’s no way of knowing which developments are on the up-and-up and which aren’t.” She gave an exasperated huff. “Maybe they are on the level, and it’s just the shifting of funds that has me suspicious. Regardless, I can’t go to any of the family with this.”

“Why’s that?”

Bormann’s exasperation mixed with frustration. “For one, my nephew has immediate control of my assets and I’d rather not alert him until I have enough to prevent him from wiggling out with a lie. If I alert anyone else...”

“It’s liable to get back to him,” Paula finished. Sighing then as well, she shook her head. “I’m out of my element here, Professor. My friend Sophie is the detective, not me.”

“Which is why I wanted to see you about this.”

“You want the police involved?”

Bormann shoved away the idea. “We aren’t there yet—this could all be a misunderstanding, which is the second reason I’m playing this close to the vest. My nephew, Hayden, took over the management of my finances from his father, Hank’s younger brother. When Hayden assumed control, safeguards were also put in place regarding my access and freedom with my finances. That freedom is how I was able to get in and look around in the first place. The safeguards are there should I ever become mentally incompetent to make certain decisions. I can’t alert the family that I’m questioning activity until I have proof to back me up. Otherwise, I risk questions regarding my state of mind and I—”

“Risk losing access to your own damn money.” Paula balled a fist, hating to see her mentor in such a bind. “You say you don’t want the police in on this but that you called me because of Sophie?”

Bormann straightened. “Actually, it’s her husband I’m interested in. He and his partners. I think his company, Joss Construction, is one of my nephew’s clients that Hayden may be using my assets to do business with.”

Again, Paula felt in danger of losing her lower jaw function.

“I believe my suspicions are spot on,” Bormann continued. “I may even have evidence that could link Hayden to one of the properties and prove to his clients that he’s dealing under the table.”

“So you don’t think his clients are acting under the table with him?” Paula asked.

“I’m willing to keep an open mind on that score. Still, I can’t be sure that none of them are speaking out because they’re unaware of the scam or because they’re benefitting financially.” Bormann’s expression turned apologetic. “I hate coming to you with this, hon. I know Joss has a very respected name in the business. This isn’t about bringing them down.”

“I get it, Professor B. You need someone in your corner who can’t be disputed.” Paula stood then, considering the situation as she paced the broad area flooded with natural lighting from the bay windows lining that end of the room.

“Professor B, why do you think Joss might be one of your nephew’s clients? Do you have any signed documents or—”

Miranda Bormann was already shaking her head. “Hayden was always a smart kid. I’d hoped he’d go into the law profession when he was younger, but I soon realized that he was lacking in character and would do nothing for the field except add to the heap of lawyer jokes we all know and loathe. He’s too smart to go and leave signed documents lying around, but Joss is the only client I can suspect him of having. He hasn’t even been seen meeting with anyone who could fit the bill.” She blew out a laugh. “He hasn’t even been seen meeting with Joss.”

“Then how do you know about them?”

“Paula, I may live in Boston, but I’ve still got a lot of friends and former colleagues in Philly. Some of those friends have known Hayden since he was a baby. He was seen going into Joss. Of course he could’ve been there to use their restroom, but something tells me his visit was about more than that.”

She nodded toward the folder Paula still held. “If you take a closer look, you’ll see that Joss has never handled a job for my husband or his family. But as I said, Joss is a pretty impressive outfit. There was talk of moving some projects there a few years ago. I recall Hank saying something, but so far the family business hasn’t broken ranks with Kincaid, which has been their contractor for decades. The company’s founder, Weaver Kincaid, is married to my husband’s cousin Doreen.”

“So your nephew wouldn’t have a reason to be there otherwise?”

Bormann nodded. “Not on family business, and I can think of only one other purpose. If I’m right, chances are strong that he was there to see Linus Brooks, and it’s widely known that no deals are greenlit for Joss without Linus’s approval. If you want in with Joss, you’ve got to go through Linus Brooks first. From what I hear, he’s a hard man to go through.”

Don’t I know it. Paula kept her agreement silent.

“I’m sorry, hon.” It was obvious that Bormann saw the despair shadowing Paula’s honey-toned face. She pushed to her feet. “I believe we could use that coffee now. You’re gonna have to bring more of that soon if it tastes as good as it smells!”

While Bormann returned to her kitchen, Paula’s attention remained fixed on the folder. She sat there trying to figure out which was worse—talking to Linus about their past or about this present upset? Everything in her said he’d done all completely on the up-and-up.

Almost everything in her said that. There was a time she’d have leaped to his defense at the slightest hint of someone questioning his integrity. But now...it was as she’d told him on that beach in Mexico—the girl who would’ve killed for him if he’d asked her to was gone.

“It’s got such a fabulous color and the fragrance is so rich!” Bormann called as she poured out the coffee.

Paula was searching her phone contacts. Linus wasn’t among them, but Joss Construction had been programmed in when she and Santigo Rodriguez were finalizing the many surprises he had in store for his wife during their honeymoon.

The line was answered. “Joss Construction. How may I direct your call?”

Paula debated half a second longer and then sighed. “Linus Brooks, please.”


Chapter 3 (#u853af398-eb9e-599a-af79-55bdb4a74208)

“So you’re in?” Linus faked impatience while waiting on the man seated across from him to make a final decision on what he had just proposed.

Barker Grant sat with his chair pushed back from the table while he hunched forward. Elbows resting on his knees, his manner confirmed that he was in deep debate with himself.

“How long?” he asked.

Linus grimaced, taking pleasure in the man’s torment. “Two, two and a half weeks tops.”

Barker leaned back in the chair, giving a long, low whistle that had his dark rugged features relaxing with anticipation. “I could sure use some time like that.”

“It’s the age of technology, you know?” Linus said. “We’re all taking work with us, so there’s no reason you can’t too.”

The intensity that so often held Barker’s attractive face returned. “Work’s the last thing I’d want to take along with me to The Bahamas.”

“Seriously?” Linus whistled. “Never thought I’d ever...”

There was no need to finish the statement. Barker Grant was a die-hard workaholic if there ever was one. The award-winning hard-news journalist had a face made for the cameras, but his trademark scowl threw a wrench in those plans. The scowl’s effect often ran more toward intimidation than invitation. Barker didn’t mind; he was most fulfilled when he was digging up what others would prefer remain hidden.

“I’m not getting anywhere with the story I’m trying to put together,” he said.

“Can I get a preview?” Linus asked.

Barker rolled his eyes and smiled. “Nothin’ to preview. Preview means I’d need to have copy written. And folks would have to talk to me before I can write anything.”

“Got it. So as far as the trip goes, all that’s needed now is for you to say yes.”

“So why is it a guys-only trip?” Barker seemed skeptical.

“We’re working.”

Something in Linus’s answer seemed to trigger Barker’s reporter’s instincts, for he watched his old friend at length for several seconds.

“You can go on and say it,” Linus urged in a dry manner.

“Nothin’.” Barker gave a half shrug. “I’m just surprised Eli, Tig and Rook would want to go so far without taking their girls.”

“Yeah, well.” Linus waved to the waiter, indicating refills for himself and Barker. The two had gotten together for lunch at a pub just down the street from the courthouse. “That’s the way they wanted it,” he finished.

“They wanted it that way, huh?” Amusement joined Barker’s knowing expression.

Linus didn’t bother with a response. He merely waited on his old friend to get to the point he intended to make.

“You’re no hermit, Line. I’d think you’d have more than a few lucky ladies you’d want to bring along on a trip like this.”

“A business trip?”

“A Bahamas trip.”

“There’s no one, B.”

“I get it.” Barker’s expression cleared of its suspicion as realization wedged in. “You’re not bringing anyone. My love life’s nonexistent. They’re making it a guys’ trip so we won’t feel like complete losers, huh?”

“That’s not it.” Linus swore even as he burst into laughter. “We’re welcome to bring someone. She doesn’t have to be the one.”

“So why aren’t you—” Barker clipped his question when Linus suddenly bolted to his feet as if at attention. He didn’t have long to wait to discover what had elicited such an alert response.

“Paula.” Linus’s liquid brown eyes were unwavering as DA Paula Starker approached the table.

“Hey, Linus.” Paula’s smile was there, but it was weak. Her efforts increased when she looked at who accompanied him. “Hey, Barker.”

“Well, well, well!” Barker grinned broadly.

The gesture had Paula laughing within seconds. “No comment,” she added and summoned a playfully wicked grin. It was customary for her to greet the reporter in such a manner. Customary but harmless. Paula had nothing but the highest regard for the way Barker did his job. The two of them shared a hug before she turned back to Linus.

“Sorry for interrupting you guys.”

“No problem at all, Madam DA,” Barker insisted as he reclaimed his seat. “Join us.”

“Oh no thanks, Barker. I, um, can’t stay. But please, please,” she urged when Barker changed his mind about sitting.

Barker sat, but noticed his friend still stood at attention. The move spoke volumes.

“I tried to reach you yesterday,” Paula was saying to Linus.

“Really?” Linus’s stance lost some of its rigidness. “No one told me.”

“It’s fine. I—” she gave a quick shake of her head “—I didn’t leave a message or my name when I called. They told me you were in a meeting so... We, um, I need to talk to you.”

“Right.” Linus gave a curt nod and looked to Barker. “B, I’ll catch you later—”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Paula said. “I’m here for another meeting actually. I saw you when I got here and just thought I’d ask.” She cleared her throat to quell the stab of need his fixed gaze had the power to induce.

“If you have time tomorrow—”

“Anytime,” Linus interrupted her to accept. “I, um, I’m usually in the office by seven,” he added.

“Seven.” Paula seemed a little taken aback by the time. “Could we make it eight?”

“Yeah.” Linus sighed as though he’d been holding his breath. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Thanks.” She smiled and then squeezed Barker’s shoulder before taking her leave.

The waiter was returning with drink refills when Linus finally reclaimed his seat. Barker enjoyed a few swigs of his beer before dissolving into a round of laughter.

“Jeez, Line, she was only in Mexico for a night.”

It took a moment before Linus tuned into Barker’s words. “What are you talking about?”

“Well hell, you’ve either slept with her or you want to—can’t say I blame you for that.” Barker glanced in the direction Paula had gone. “She’s gonna leave the next DA with some damn big shoes to fill, but as for looks, I doubt her successor could even hope to compete in that department.”

“It’s not like that, B.”

“Oh? So you don’t want to sleep with her? Good to know...maybe I will bring someone along to The Bahamas.” The idea carried no weight for Barker, but he felt it was worth it to see the slice of temper flash in Linus’s eyes.

“Apologies, man,” Barker quickly stated, knowing better than to upset his friend. “So what’s up? Why so tense around her when she’s obviously got a thing for you?”

His last words had the temper easing out of Linus’s eyes to make way for curiosity.

“Really?” Barker grinned in disbelief. “You of all people—the ladies’ man—and you didn’t catch that?”

Linus shook off whatever flutters of hope were beginning to take root in his stomach. “You’re off base here, B. We’ve got a history and it’s not a good one.”

“But she’s the one, isn’t she? The one you’d like to bring on this trip.”

“I’ve got plenty of someones to choose from, remember?”

“True. But somehow I’m guessing that loses its shine when your best friends are bringing their special ladies.”

“I’ll never get her back, B. Eli and Tig think talking will do the trick. I think that too, but what happened between us...she’s still hurting over it.”

“Have you guys talked about it at all?”

“Not since it happened.”

“Well hell, Line, don’t be so quick to say you won’t get her back then.”

“You don’t know what I did and said.”

“I know she came to see you just now—she wants to talk. Who’s to say things aren’t about to change?” Barker let his pep talk rest, seeing that the words were having a positive effect on the other man. Given that, he decided to move on to a different topic. “So...no women on this trip, huh? Exactly what else besides the weather are we supposed to look forward to?”

* * *

“Linus only stepped away for a moment, DA Starker, but he asked that I show you right in when you arrived.”

“Thanks so much,” Paula said to the woman who’d greeted her with enviable brightness just minutes before the 8:00 a.m. hour. “And please, call me Paula.”

Estella Mays appeared both honored and horrified by the offer. “Oh, I couldn’t—”

“Anyone who can convince every man in her family to vote a woman into the DA’s office has surely earned the right to call me by my first name,” Paula insisted.

Estella beamed. “The men in my family recognize intelligence and integrity when they see it. You weren’t a hard sell.”

“Thanks, Estella.”

“Anytime...Paula. Now—” Estella headed into the office and waved for Paula to join her. She’d stopped next to a square serving cart that waited in the office living area. “Given the hour, Linus thought you might want a little breakfast.”

Paula removed her coat. “That was sweet of him.”

“I can’t say how filling a breakfast it’ll be,” Estella cautioned. “These things don’t look big enough to fill a gnat’s stomach.”

Paula was smiling as she joined the woman near the cart. She’d already recognized the invigorating aroma of her morning tea and didn’t plan on turning down a cup. Her steps faltered a bit though when she saw what else had been provided in addition to the tea.

“He said they were your favorites.” Estella’s round, dark face still held signs of uncertainty.

Paula gave a jerky nod followed by a smile that hinted of remembrance as she reached out to brush her fingers along the damask cloth covering the cart. A round glass platter carried a generous supply of what had once been her favorite pastries.

“I hope it’s not inappropriate to say I’m envious of your appetite.”

“Oh, don’t be fooled.” Paula laughed over Estella’s comment. “These little pastries don’t allow for stopping at just one, but they’re murder on the hips. Please.” She waved toward the platter. “Come on,” she encouraged when Estella looked ready to refuse. “It’s the least I can do for such a valuable constituent.” She smiled when the woman treated herself to one of the creations.

Sure enough, Estella appeared in ecstasy the moment the tiny pastry disappeared in her mouth.

Paula laughed, tickled by the woman’s delight. “More,” she offered, smiling. “If I have to finish this entire platter myself, I will, no questions asked.”

“If you insist.” Estella took a few more pastries and then firmly stepped back from the cart. “I couldn’t take another. Linus made such a big deal about making sure we had a fresh batch on hand when you got here.”

“He did?” Paula’s hand hovered near the handle of the teapot. She listened while Estella relayed stories of how her boss had her calling all over town the day before, trying to find someone who could make the pastries.

“Seems the bakery that used to make them went out of business years ago.”

“Yeah,” Paula recalled, shaking off the memory of how weepy she’d gotten over the fact.

“Well, thank you for the samples.” Estella clutched the napkin full of the treats close to her chest. “I think I’ve found a new friend to torture my waistline with. Call me if you need anything. Linus should be here soon.”

Estella left, and Paula went about preparing a steaming cup of the tea. All the while, she forbade herself to even look at the pastries. Her willpower held less than fifteen minutes. She took a scant sip of her tea before setting aside the cup to zero in on one of the pastries.

“Damn you, Linus,” she muttered when one of the tarts settled on her tongue.

The treats were about more than making sure she had something she’d enjoy for breakfast. He had to know she’d only be thinking of the nights she’d been up late either drafting or editing a motion for her boss, and Linus would arrive with a box containing several dozen of the decadent fruit-topped vices.

The bakery was a twenty-four-hour establishment in those days. The nights had passed with work forgotten and them in bed, with Linus feeding her from the box. Paula didn’t need to ask herself what he was doing or what he was up to now. She knew very well. He’d been very straightforward about that in Mexico, hadn’t he? He wanted to explain, but more than that, he wanted her back.

She washed down the last of the tart with a dose of the delicious tea. Once more, she forbade herself another taste of the pastry. They’d been her favorites since forever, something she had only allowed herself following an all-nighter that earned her an A on a paper. Her favorite delights hadn’t come cheap back then, especially not for her pockets with the debt of law school on her plate. It had often been a struggle to keep a good supply of pantyhose. Satisfying cravings for something fresh, baked and decadent hadn’t been a good idea for her budget.

Budget. The word made her smile. Money was required for a budget and she hadn’t seen much of that until she landed her first associate’s job.

That was after she met Linus though. She’d only been an intern then, with no business talking to clients, so she had kept her distance when he had visited her firm in those days. But keeping her distance hadn’t meant she couldn’t admire him from afar. And admire she had. The dark, sexy entrepreneur with the arresting eyes and dimpled chin had caught the attention of every female intern there, and an impressive number of the male ones as well.

He’d had to know he was to die for. Paula recalled thinking no man could be that beautiful and not realize the effect it wielded over others. Still, it had been important to look beyond the outer flash to what was less apparent. Miranda Bormann had taught her that. Paula had found herself using the technique to get a read on Linus Brooks back then. Rumor had been he was there on business for his construction outfit. Little had anyone known that business involved wooing several of the firm’s associates to come work for the Joss legal department.

Linus’s offer had been an impressive one, and he had wound up spiriting away new lawyers from firms all over the city. Though she had observed him from a distance, Paula remembered sensing something—a ruthlessness that was both subtle and intense. She’d supposed one needed such talents to be a success at most endeavors. She hadn’t held it against him, especially given she had also sensed there was integrity at work. It had said a lot that he’d come right into the firm to speak with the associates he was interested in.

Later, Paula had learned he’d even spoken to the firm’s partners. He’d only sought associates from firms with healthy intern pools. The hope had been that the partners would put some of those eager beavers in the newly vacated positions.

Paula had been one of the lucky recipients of those opened positions. She’d also been the one to interrupt Linus’s meeting with the partners. Her immediate supervisor had asked to be notified when a dossier was ready for his signature. Her interruption had been viewed as a sign that Linus’s plan had merit. One of the other partners had pointed her out as one of their brightest stars.

When Linus had left the meeting, he’d made a pit stop by Paula’s cubicle to ask her out to dinner. She hadn’t hesitated to accept. From there...well, her life had consisted of decadent pastries and...other delights far removed from bakeries. It had been obvious that Linus Brooks came from money, but he didn’t wear it with an elitist air. Moreover, he was generous, thoughtful and compassionate about the welfare of others. It hadn’t taken Paula long to fall hopelessly in love.

“Damn you, Linus,” she murmured again, tossing willpower aside and indulging in another of the pastries.

Memories—some of them, at least—were beautiful, but they had their place. It was now the present, and she had to consider the fact that he could be into something shady with the likes of Hayden Bormann. She couldn’t disregard Miranda Bormann’s law school teachings then. She was to look beyond into what was less apparent. Compassion and generosity aside, she believed that what she’d sensed of his suave ruthlessness was still spot-on. Did it take precedence over the integrity she’d also sensed?

Paula shook off the thoughts in favor of gorging herself on more of the pastries. She was happy to discover they still worked wonders on calming busy minds. The miniature pastry cups were flaky, buttery and filled with either strawberries, apple slices or raspberries. How the baker managed to cut them so small yet detailed lent to their novelty and priciness.




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