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

Duke exhaled softly, his mouth quivering. Quivering. Duke. The hand in Scott’s trembled, too, for long seconds while he tried to process the fact that this hard man, one of the most intrepid men he had ever met, now seemed as wracked by insecurity as Scott was. He might have laid the vague invitation out for Scott to try, but he wasn’t necessarily as prepared to accept it, which in and of itself was something else to marvel over.


But then his lips parted, and Duke took another breath, stealing the touch of tongue to tip of tongue. The hand that held Scott’s tightened. A moan escaped. It rattled Scott to realize it came from Duke’s throat and not his own.


Chapter 28