Hotshot defense attorney James Scott always follows his gut -- even when it tells him an obviously guilty man is a victim himself. Homicide detective Owen Duke doesn't have time for gut feelings -- he lives by logic and evidence. And all the evidence tells him that Scott's client is guilty of the cold-blooded murder of a young ballerina.<br><br>Scott, a notorious media darling, is willing to risk his reputation and his career on the kid's innocence. But his undeniable charm is not enough to save his client's life. He needs Owen Duke, a man who stands for truth and justice, even if the detective hates Scott and his gut feelings.<br><br>What's supposed to be an open-and-shut case quickly becomes a quagmire of lies, murder, and rotting corruption. Suddenly, instead of being a thorn in Duke's side, James Scott is the only person in San Francisco the detective can trust. As the attraction between them deepens, they race to save an innocent man, but can they save their own hearts in the process?

Pas de Deux

“No, no, nothing like that. Though I guess I did want confirmation that the rumors are true.”


“He hasn’t even been formally charged with anything yet. Isn’t it a bit early to take the case?”


Scott shrugged. “He’s going to need a competent attorney long before he’s charged. Not that the public defenders aren’t good at what they do, but they’re even more overworked than I am. Somebody needs to watch that boy’s back.”


“Because somebody, somewhere, is out for Hector Young’s head.”


“How about, somebody, somewhere, is out for justice?”


“Justice won’t be served if Hector is just the convenient conviction. Anyway, I thought you said you weren’t going to try to talk me out of it?”


“Oh, I’m not.” Candace returned with his bottle of water. He smiled appreciatively before taking a deep swallow. “But there’s one thing I thought you might want to know.”


Chapter 5