Jamie Craig

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 was wondering how long it would take you to call.” She had the husky voice of a pack-a-day smoker, and spoke like someone who couldn’t fit enough hours in the day. “Hector’s lawyer said you’re the new cop on his case.”


“Well, what do you want to know? I’m not sure I can tell you anything different than what I told the first guy, though.”


Duke frowned. “You spoke to Detective Saucedo?”


“Is that his name? Damn, that’s right. I joked about how his name fit his personality.”


“Oh, you know. Saucy. Flirty.” Chandra laughed. “He’s a chatter, that one. What happened to him? He hit on someone who isn’t as understanding as I am?”


An image of Saucedo at the last police function, standing in the corner with a tall beer, laughing with a group of the guys, rose in his mind’s eye. Duke would never have characterized him as flirtatious, but then again, he’d never seen Saucedo around women much.


Chapter 21