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Courting Danger
Kimberly Dean
Rielle Sands ventured too close to the fire once and got burned. Now when it comes to men, she’s vowed to play it safe. But then a dashing, mysterious man shows up at Luxxor Limited after hours, the agency she manages, needing an escort.Darien Scott isn’t what he appears to be. Beneath the sexy smile and wicked charm, he’s hiding secrets. Yet the sizzling chemistry between him and Rielle is real. He tries to stay away, but his attraction to her keeps pulling him back. When he discovers that he’s not the only one haunted by danger, he changes tactics. To protect Rielle, he may need to stay close. Super close. Exclusive Luxxor contract close.The reward is more than worth the risk.
Courting Danger
KIMBERLY DEAN
A division of HarperCollinsPublishers
www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://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 HarperCollinsPublishers
The News Building
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
www.mischiefbooks.com (http://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 (#u3329ed3c-8b8b-52f7-b382-c574e6f1dfbc)
Title Page (#ub1ad2c8e-4d24-5478-b9be-a089911c9bbe)
Copyright (#ue8d5c9a1-07a7-53c0-9e40-28b307d8c65b)
Chapter One (#u8e558d22-0c07-550e-a8c3-cc7f043c13c2)
Chapter Two (#u2c604586-713b-5317-b22f-6031743a5031)
Chapter Three (#uc46c0f5c-5d46-5110-a312-36e92b524707)
Chapter Four (#ub058d137-c8b4-5d30-8b4a-4c6a5d7b1fcc)
Chapter Five (#u583b91fd-41df-560e-9c33-12aea221edcc)
Chapter Six (#u1802d450-fad0-5ada-8d77-7c238c533122)
Chapter Seven (#u89d0fa86-f871-565b-8857-ddcc5bfa3aae)
Chapter Eight (#uf2d1d56e-1b2a-5ef1-942f-4fca515b06ad)
Chapter Nine (#ubf6f2cbb-f584-50d0-a45d-9c64c7d5c5bc)
Chapter Ten (#u1d401512-b870-5c0b-a377-c8f852d8c564)
Chapter Eleven (#u36da01d4-8115-51ab-82e4-8e096cfdae2b)
Chapter Twelve (#ufcf72995-81a9-58d8-827f-196d0823f940)
Chapter Thirteen (#u3a2d5180-5522-54b2-8e39-ffc2e456fc3f)
Chapter Fourteen (#uc615bab8-cfa5-59be-a90d-93480177cfd0)
Chapter Fifteen (#u2063c898-1125-571d-b247-8d5cb0f4f8db)
Chapter Sixteen (#u18a0678b-fe87-59d1-8dba-7cb2f80a9746)
Epilogue (#u08f5e6e4-5ed2-5de0-a74a-210f266ab910)
More from Mischief (#ua1914f7f-d909-5bc7-bb90-dab9254fef79)
About the Publisher (#ua2fa6d83-d3af-557c-97de-d8f82e0d941d)
Chapter One (#u98c48e69-95ca-5bf4-8025-2059d9f77ee4)
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?’
He walked closer to the desk, and she instinctively gripped its edge. The way he moved, all silent and stealthy. The expensive carpeting absorbed the noise most people made, but the air didn’t even stir at his approach. Her fingers edged closer to the silent alarm, but she didn’t push it.
Not yet.
‘I’m looking for Luxxor Limited. I know I’m late, but I need an escort for the evening.’
Her guard stayed up. She knew they were alone in the office – she was acutely aware of the fact – but her company’s clients knew better than to go spouting off so casually about Luxxor’s line of work. They signed nondisclosure agreements to ensure it. If he was wearing a wire, she wanted to make everything perfectly clear. ‘You need someone to attend an event with you tonight?’
‘Actually, I need someone right now.’
She shook her head. Luxxor went to extremes to satisfy its clients. She’d blush if she thought about how far some escorts went, but there was no way she could accommodate his request. The employees they had working tonight already had their assignments. Even if she did contact someone, the timing was impossible.
And for some reason, that relieved her. ‘I’m sorry, but we don’t have anyone available on such short notice, Mr…I don’t believe I caught your name.’
‘Because I didn’t give it.’ He slid his hands into his pockets. The tuxedo looked good on him, but it was failing badly at taming him. Especially when he winked. ‘Tell me yours, and I’ll tell you mine.’
Oh, no. She didn’t think so. She tucked her hair behind her ear, but then remembered the alarm. ‘As I was saying, sir, it’s too late to secure our services. I’m sorry.’
‘The name is Mel. Melvin Summers. I’m a client.’
He didn’t look like a Melvin. And Summers…The name didn’t ring a bell, and that was unusual in itself. She knew their clients, and she had a memory for faces. His she would have remembered.
‘It’s been a while since I…made use of your services,’ he admitted.
The way he said it made her stiffen. He’d been out with their escorts. He’d paid money for dates – or more. It was a good reminder because, being around him, her body was loosening and warming. It was uncharacteristic of her, especially with all the warning signals her brain was firing.
She smiled at him stiffly. ‘Let’s see just how long it’s been.’
She took her seat and her fingers flew across the keyboard of her computer. She waited for him to balk, but he merely crossed his arms over his chest and watched her. Rielle couldn’t have been more surprised when his bio popped up. She leaned closer to the screen to make sure. Melvin Summers. There was his picture. Last visit, nearly two years ago.
Well, props for that.
She frowned. Why would a man like him need an escort service? She tapped a finger against the space bar and mentally chastised herself. Many of their clients used Luxxor to save time. Busy people, busy lives. It was how the company stayed legit. Just because the man looked like sex didn’t mean he was here for it. ‘May I ask why the short notice?’
She never asked a client why they needed companionship. She’d never embarrass anyone that way. It was small-minded and intrusive. Not everyone had a significant other, and there were countless reasons for that.
‘It’s a work-related event. I was supposed to go with a colleague, but she became ill suddenly. I can’t go to this event stag. I’d stand out like a sore thumb.’
Stag was right.
‘What is it that you do?’ Rielle was trying her best to stay on topic, because something about the situation still didn’t ring true. She’d learned the hard way that she needed to trust her gut.
‘Accounting.’
Check. Or at least that’s what his bio listed as his field of work. She circled her finger around a key on the keyboard. He looked like an accountant almost as much as he looked like a Melvin. He didn’t seem like someone who could sit at a desk all day. Not with a rangy physique like that – or the tamped-down energy. There was an air of edginess around him. An overly keen alertness. He should be out climbing mountains or navigating obstacle courses. Modelling underwear.
She frowned. She’d confirmed he was a client, but that didn’t change anything. There was still nobody who could accompany him. She didn’t like putting Luxxor in a bad light, even if he had come in with a request they couldn’t possibly fulfill, but she had no other option. ‘I truly am sorry, Mr Summers, but we don’t have any female escorts available – unless that’s not what you’re looking for?’
The dry look he sent her parched her skin. She hadn’t thought he swung that way, but she tried to keep an open mind.
‘What about you?’
She blinked. ‘What about me?’
