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The Dare Chapter One | page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | excerpts
He’d taken the time to study her face then. The cherry red lips had drawn his attention first, and he’d found himself wondering if they would carry the flavor of the bubble gum. The errant thought along with the tightening and hardening of his body surprised him. Women never surprised him. And the pixie with the bubble gum was a far right turn from the type he usually dated. For starters, she looked too young. Of course the slight build could account for that – along with the hair. From what he could see of it – a few wisps that peeked out from beneath the red cap, she wore her dark hair shorter than most men. He shifted his gaze down the black jean jacket and jeans to the red boots and felt his body go even harder. Then she glanced his way and for one long moment his gaze held hers. He felt a punch of desire so strong that for a moment he couldn’t breathe. Then he felt his mind empty and fill again with images of her and what he’d like to do to her. “Here you go, sir.” With some effort, Hunter dragged his mind back to reality as the bell captain handed him three tickets. His reaction to this odd woman was unprecedented. “The briefcase and the laptop will be taken up to the Presidential Suite for Mr. Slade,” the man said. “I’ll handle it personally. And the suitcases will be up shortly.” “Appreciate it,” Hunter said as he slipped a folded bill across the narrow counter. Then he leaned closer to the bell captain. “Do you see that woman over there – the one behind the palm tree?” The bell captain took a moment to casually scan the lobby. Les Printemps was a small hotel that prided itself on calling each guest by name. Hunter had researched it himself. The management catered to a very select clientele, a mix of foreign diplomats and celebrities, who paid premium prices because they valued their privacy and expected the hotel to protect it at all costs.
“That’s Miss Rory Gibbs, sir,” the ball captain said, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Is she staying here?” Hunter asked. “No.” Hunter frowned. “I thought only registered guests were allowed in the lobby.” “She’s meeting her fiancé here. She said her father brought her here for high tea once, and she wanted to relive the moment with her husband to be. Sweet little thing. She reminds me a bit of my daughter.” Hunter returned his gaze to Rory Gibbs just as she pulled a camera out of her purse. Shit, he said to himself as he strode toward her. He prided himself on having a sixth sense where reporters were concerned. But this one had fooled him. There were only three people in his organization who’d known he was checking into Les Printemps. And Ms Rory Gibbs was his ticket to finding out just who the traitor was in his organization. Rory’s heart was beating so fast that she was sure the two men at the reception desk could hear it. One at a time, she wiped her damp hands on her jeans. She couldn’t afford to drop the camera. Dammit. She could still feel Jared Slade’s bodyguard/valet watching her and he was having the oddest effect on her whole system. Focus, she told herself. No one had ever taken a picture of Jared Slade, and no one had interviewed him. She intended to do both. “We want you to enjoy your stay at Les Printemps, Mr. Slade,” the neatly groomed woman behind the desk said as she pushed a key across the counter. Rory noted that the dark-haired man picked it up. But it was the blond man who said, “Thank you.” They would turn around any minute and she would finally be looking at JaredSlade. Which one would he be? Turn. Rory concentrated on sending out the message telepathically. But the blond was asking about the health club facilities. Jared Slade was known to be a health nut. So the blond was Jared. “Where’s the best place to take a run?” the dark haired man asked. Or maybe the runner was Jared. And still they didn’t turn around. So much for her telepathic powers. Raising the camera, she pressed the button on the zoom lens and found herself viewing a close up of a palm leaf. She pushed it out of her way, only to discover that the two men were moving away from the desk. She could see their faces in profile now. The darker-haired man was tough looking and built like a boxer. The blond had the long, rangy body of a swimmer. (continued...) |
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