Hotter Than Wildfire
Page 28
There was nothing flashy about her, though, and it was a building made for flash. The men and women who worked in the building were busy conquering the world, making a lot of money at it, and it showed. Suits, haircuts, shoes, bags, briefcases—they were all the very latest, cutting-edge fashion. Some of them were in advertising and design and wore styles that would be popular in five years. They looked edgy and interesting, like time travelers from the future.
And busy—they were all busy, rushing in and out of the big steel and glass doors, marching with long strides and determination on their faces, because they were all going places.
Was she going places? She didn’t really know. Probably not. She had no compass, no direction, and a lot of her life had been empty, a yawning void she’d never been able to fill.
Everyone’s busyness scared her, just a little, though it must be said that a lot of things scared her.
She shook off the thought. She’d come a long way, in very real and painful terms, to be here today. She couldn’t be scared, wouldn’t allow herself to be.
If it was a mistake, if she was wrong, well, then she’d be left exactly as she was before—empty-handed.
She looked down at the sheet of paper in her hand, which she’d printed out from her computer research. Nice big letters, all caps, laser print. Times New Roman, fourteen-point font. Nice and clear.
The paper trembled in her hand.
HARRY BOLT
MORRISON BUILDING
1147 BIRCH STREET
So few words, yet so very important. Words that could change her life. Or not. Because maybe he wasn’t who she thought—hoped—he was. Or maybe, if he was, he wouldn’t care.
The trembling in her hands had passed into her arms, until she had to impatiently fold the paper and tuck it into her purse.
She knew the words by heart, anyway. She also knew the rudiments of his life.
Harry Bolt. Partner in RBK Security, a highly successful security business. Former soldier. Married to a famous singer.
And maybe—just maybe—her long-lost brother.
Acknowledgments
This book is fondly dedicated to May Chen, Amanda Bergeron, and Ethan Ellenberg—fabulous editors, fabulous agent.
About the Author
LISA MARIE RICE is tall and willowy and beautiful. She has won every major book prize in the world. She is a black belt with advanced degrees in archaeology, nuclear physics, and Tibetan literature. She is a concert pianist. In truth, she is a virtual woman who exists only at the keyboard when writing erotic romance. She disappears when the monitor winks off.
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Table of Contents
Other Books by Lisa Marie Rice
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16