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

“What? You’re saying you don’t know?”


“That is what I’m saying.” Scott pointedly chose a chair just out of Ben’s touching distance. He wasn’t above flirting with the man, but he didn’t intend to be a cocktease.


“You know exactly the sort of effect you have on people. That’s why you’re so good in a courtroom. You can work the jury, the judge, the other attorneys, and every spectator in the room.”


“Knowing how to work the jury isn’t the same as putting the DA’s office in the tizzy.”


The corner of Ben’s mouth lifted. “They thought Sammy Jenkins would be open-and-shut, you know? The man had a shoot-out with the police.”


“It was a standoff. Not a shoot-out. Nobody fired any shots.”


Ben waved his hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. They had the evidence, the means, the motive…and one hell of a shot on the six o’clock evening news. This was supposed to be open-and-shut.”


Chapter 52