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

“The first serious relationship I had was with a guy who thought he was going to be the next Wayne Gretzky. Except he spent more time getting banged up on the ice than anything else. I spent most of the little bit of time we actually saw each other, giving him massages.”


“It sounds like you were a very dutiful boyfriend,” Scott muttered. “So did he ever make it? Would I recognize his name?”


“No, he got to play for some minor league team on the east coast. I haven’t heard from him in years.” The short hairs on the back of Scott’s neck were too tempting to ignore. Smoothing his hands down to Scott’s biceps, Duke bent over and skimmed his lips along the man’s nape, his mouth prickling at the texture. “Don’t think I was so dutiful. Think more along the lines of willing to do whatever it took to get my hands on him.”


Chapter 41