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

Scott did not get to the precinct as early as he would have liked, but he did manage to clear a full two-hour block. An amount of time so luxurious, it was practically indulgent. Morrison, one of his co-counsels, hinted that Scott should be prepared to go in to court after lunch. He didn’t know if Morrison had a man on the inside, or if he just possessed an uncanny gut instinct for these sorts of things, but the man was rarely wrong.


Chapter 32