Physical Therapist Stepanie Montgomery led the perfect sheltered life as the daughter of wealthy Real Estate Monger, Marcus Montgomery, until that world exploded in front of her eyes. Running from her father and ex-fiance' with deadly secrets, Stephanie must find a safe haven until she can gather together the information against the two men she left behind and figure out what to do with it.
Dan Hunter has some serious issues with women. He dispises them. Especially since the last one he was involved with left him with three bullet holes. After failing to improve in the physical rehab facility, his sister brings him home. Instead of the peaceful sanctuary he thought he'd find, he came head to head with the Physical Therapist his sister hired and rented a damn room to. Another woman to upend his world. This time though, Dan knew immediately she was hiding something, and he wouldn't let his wild attraction to her cloud his judgment.
But when he finds out the danger is to her, Dan goes into protector mode. Can he keep her safe, and at the same time protect his heart? Or will their passion for each other be his downfall once and for all?
Excerpt:This excerpt in unedited and copywrited.
Two months earlier.
With shaking hands, Stephanie placed the photograph back into the manila envelope, set it on the table and pushed it away from her with the tips of her fingers. Forcing herself to look up at the man sitting across from her, she had a hard time meeting his gaze. When she did, she saw the concern and tenderness in his eyes, which made her throat spasm even harder. I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry. This was her internal mantra as she searched for something to say.
Reaching across the table to take her trembling hand in his, he saved her the effort.
"I'm sorry, but at least you found out before the wedding. I'm sorry it's me having to break this to you, and well, dammit, Steph, I'm just sorry. If you need me, you know that I'm here for you, always. And when you decide to open your eyes and face some hard truths, you'll realize I always have been."
She watched, speechless, as he stood from the bench seat and leaned toward
her, softly tracing her jaw line with his finger as he tipped her chin and placed the most tender of kisses she'd ever known on her mouth. Moving to her ear, he spoke with a clear intent.
"When you're ready for a real relationship, with someone who loves you, call me."
With that, he turned and left the diner.
Stephanie sat there in the booth for a long moment, she still hadn't uttered a word, and Matt was gone. So many thoughts swirled around in her head. The pictures of Philip and Mia, it was the day before her wedding for Gods sakes. The date and time stamp had been yesterday afternoon, when he was supposed to have been in an `extremely' important board meeting.
Christ! What a fool she’d been.
But, if that wasn't enough to cloud her mind there was Matt. He'd
been her best friend since they were children. She'd always loved him, but certainly never knew he felt the same way.
She had feelings for Philip, she'd never have agreed to marry him if she didn't, but there was no passion between them. She kept hoping it would come. Now she understood the reason it hadn’t. There was lots of pressure from her father to marry Philip, to merge the family fortunes and companies. But surely, faced with the
proof she had now, her father would stand by her decision to stop the marriage.
Drawing in a deep breath, Stephanie grabbed a napkin and dried her
tears. First things first, she'd deal with Philip, and then find Matt. She'd wasted so much time with a jackass when she could have had a prince.
She grabbed the envelope and walked out the door of the diner in time to see Matt open his car door across the street. He must have sensed her eyes on him because he turned his head to look at her. She could see the question in his eyes, so she smiled for
him and put her hand over her heart.
Stephanie watched the corners of his mouth slowly curve and his eyes shimmer with hope. He placed his hand over his heart the way she'd done and watched her for a second then slid in his car. As he shut the door, she looked up the road to cross to her own car when she spotted Philip's Lexus. He'd been spying on them, of all the unmitigated gall. Furious, she started up the street to confront him when the explosion picked her up off her feet and threw her against the brick wall of the diner.
Shattered glass, burning embers of flames and minute pieces of metal showered upon her, cutting into her skin. As her vision cleared, the pounding in her head grew louder. She needed to find Matt, he'd help her. Getting to her knee's she leaned against wall, then looked to where Matt's car had been. Horror engulfed her. All that was left of Matt’s car was a burned out shell still in a firestorm of flames.
She screamed Matt's name, but nobody seemed to hear her. People
started to surround her, their mouths moving, but she couldn't hear what they said. Unable to hold herself up any longer, she slid down the wall.
Stephanie tried to push the people out of her way, she needed to find Matt, but when a break in the crowd opened her clouded view, what she saw was Philip's car speeding by. Everything happened in slow motion. Philip’s gaze connected with hers. For the first time she saw the pure evil that he’d harbored and hidden from her. Matt had been a warning. No more false pretense of love. He'd shown her what would happen if she went against him. She watched helplessly as Philip’s car sped away. Her vision blurred and darkness enveloped her.
