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

“When your brain goes off track from the details of the case, where does it go? If you don’t mind me asking.”


“Right now? To Sager.” Dark lashes lifted, darker eyes locking on Scott. “He’s the reason I became a cop in the first place.”


A weight settled in Scott’s stomach, like a stone coming to rest at the bottom of a lake. “Oh. Duke…there’s no real evidence that Sager is behind this. He could be like you. Just…acting on orders.”


“If he was anything like me, he wouldn’t be trying to bury the truth,” Duke lashed out. “I acted on orders blindly. He’s seen all the evidence, so whatever choice he’s made, he’s doing it with the full knowledge that he’s sending an innocent man to a death sentence. I don’t care if someone else is pulling his strings. The man I thought he was would never let this happen.”


Chapter 27