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

“Should we order some food in?” he asked. “I wiped out your kitchen this morning, remember?”


“Yeah, good idea.” He dropped his briefcase on the floor without a second glance and pulled a stack of tri-folded, glossy menus from the table beside the door. “I have these. You can pick something. Anything you like. I’m not really that hungry.”


Duke was, surprisingly enough, though he felt a little guilty about not getting something specifically to target Scott’s desires. He flipped through the menus, not to see what looked good to him, but to scan which ones had had the most wear. Those would be the ones Scott used most often.


“This one.” He held out the menu for a Thai place around the corner. Several entrees had penciled marks next to them. “I don’t think I’ve had Thai before. It sounds interesting.”


Scott took the menu from him, glanced over it, and nodded. “I was actually thinking about that earlier today. Wondering if you enjoyed Thai food. Do you want me to order for you?”


Chapter 40