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

“I think the difference is that nobody told those guys it doesn’t have to be this way. Or if they heard that, they didn’t pay any attention to it. But the kid in my story, he did pay attention. He started showing up at temp offices until somebody gave him his first job. Then he found himself an apartment. A place of his own. He even got himself his first bank account. For the first time in his life, he thought maybe—maybe—he had a shot. And then the person who helped him drag his life back on track disappeared, only to be found in the bay. Tragic, isn’t it?”


Chapter 13