Private Indiscretions

Sam Looked Dangerous. Confidence Radiated From Him In White-Hot Heat.

He said nothing but drew her onto the dance floor, then into his arms.

Dana lifted her face, determined not to let him see how he unnerved her. “So. The prodigal returns at last.”

His eyes softened. Warmed. “How are you?”

“I’m well,” she said, aware of his thighs brushing hers as they danced. “Where have you been, Sam?”

“You want fifteen years condensed into a paragraph?”

“Why are you here?”

“It’s a long story.”

His hand slid a little farther across her lower back, bringing her closer. His thumb brushed her spine through the silk of her dress.

“I have time for a long story,” she said, her voice catching on the last word.

Dear Reader,

Thanks so much for choosing Silhouette Desire—the destination for powerful, passionate and provocative love stories. Things start heating up this month with Katherine Garbera’s Sin City Wedding, the next installment of our DYNASTIES: THE DANFORTHS series. An affair, a secret child, a quickie Las Vegas wedding…and that’s just the beginning of this romantic tale.

Also this month we have the marvelous Dixie Browning with her steamy Driven to Distraction. Cathleen Galitz brings us another book in the TEXAS CATTLEMAN’S CLUB: THE STOLEN BABY series with Pretending with the Playboy. Susan Crosby’s BEHIND CLOSED DOORS miniseries continues with the superhot Private Indiscretions. And Bronwyn Jameson takes us to Australia in A Tempting Engagement.

Finally, welcome the fabulous Roxanne St. Claire to the Silhouette Desire family. We’re positive you’ll enjoy Like a Hurricane and will be wanting the other McGrath brothers’ stories. We’ll be bringing them to you in the months to come as well as stories from Beverly Barton, Ann Major and New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson. So keep coming back for more from Silhouette Desire.

More passion to you!

Melissa Jeglinski

Senior Editor

Silhouette Desire

Private Indiscretions
Susan Crosby

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SUSAN CROSBY

believes in the value of setting goals, but also in the magic of making wishes. A longtime reader of romance novels, Susan earned a B.A. in English while raising her sons. She lives in the central valley of California, the land of wine grapes, asparagus and almonds. Her checkered past includes jobs as a synchronized swimming instructor, personnel interviewer at a toy factory and trucking company manager, but her current occupation as a writer is her all-time favorite.

Susan enjoys writing about people who take a chance on love, sometimes against all odds. She loves warm, strong heroes; good-hearted, self-reliant heroines…and happy endings.

Readers are welcome to write to her at P.O. Box 1836, Lodi, CA 95241.

For the BABs, Karol, Kathy, Luann and Georgia.

Here’s to getting snowed in, good food, great conversation,

Darcy and Bridget—and that’s just the beginning.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

One

An hour before Sam Remington graduated from high school fifteen years ago, he stuffed the sum of his belongings into three grocery sacks and flung them onto the back seat of his 1977 oil-eating Pacer. Five minutes after the ceremony ended he made his final trip through town, his tailpipe spewing a noxious farewell of good riddance.

Today he returned in a black Mercedes so new it didn’t have plates. He’d paid cash for it. But Sam wasn’t here to advertise his success to the people he left behind. Normally he wasn’t one to dwell on the past. Today was different. He’d chosen the day of his return to his hometown specifically. Certainly he could have come another time. Maybe should have. But news of his fifteen-year high-school reunion set the date for him. Some unfinished business of his had gone ignored for too long. He had two people to see. He’d just come from seeing the first one. Now he would deal with the other.

Sam negotiated the winding roads of Miner’s Camp, a community of 3,100 people nestled in the Northern California foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. He kept his gaze straight ahead as he passed the turnoff leading to the house where he was raised—the house from which he’d escaped—although the unusually cool August evening took him back to the nights of his childhood, when he’d roamed the countryside, looking for something he never found.

He ignored the bruising memories and headed to the Elks Lodge. The parking lot was full, the fence posts dotted with red and gold balloons, the colors of Prospector High School, which served a community of several small towns.

Sam pulled off the road and slowed to a stop, gravel crunching under his tires. The party was well under way. Laughter spilled from the open doorways and windows as Madonna sang the 1980s classic “Like a Virgin.”

Nostalgia didn’t overtake him—he’d never understood the appeal of reunions—still, there was that one person he’d come to see. Only one out of a graduating class of eighty-seven. He was sure she would be in the crowd. And he had something to say to her. To Dana Cleary. Dana Sterling, he amended. Her married name. Then he could close the book on his past forever.

He had a choice in the timing. He could wait until the party ended and catch her at her parents’ house, where she would undoubtedly spend the night. Or he could get it over with now and be in San Francisco for his latest assignment before midnight, his past shoveled six feet under….

After a moment Sam turned off the ignition and got out of the car. He’d been in some tight circumstances, life-and-death situations. He’d welcomed the challenges, gloried in the risks, exulted in his escapes. He could channel the adrenaline flow in his body deliberately, but the anticipation of seeing Dana sent a rush through him that he couldn’t control. He wondered at the rare sensation, even savored it.

He approached the building but stopped short of entering, waiting for his internal anticipation to settle. Lingering near an open door he noted more balloons, and a disco ball that dappled the room with speeding stars. Memories washed over him of his junior year and another dance. Watching through a window. Music and laughter, dinner and dancing. A longing so painful…

He’d taken her to the senior prom the next year, but their relationship hadn’t changed for having gone to the dance.

None of that mattered fifteen years later as Sam slipped into the Elks Lodge just as the deejay took a break from his chatter and the 1980s music. Candi James bounded onto the stage and scooped up the microphone, the same pep-squad perkiness she’d had in high school still evident as she read from a long list, leading the cheers for such notable accomplishments as who had the most children, who’d come the farthest and on and on and on.

With everyone’s attention directed at Candi, Sam moved around the perimeter of the room. He stopped when he spotted Dana. He didn’t fight the initial jolt of seeing her again, taking a moment to watch her instead. A little taller than average, she was more angular than curvy, her hair not strictly blond or brunette but a honeyed mix of both, and shoulder length now, not the rich waterfall to her waist that had made him want to wrap his hands in it and pull her close.

He couldn’t see her eyes from where he stood, but he knew they were obsidian, pitch-dark eyes that had issued him challenges since elementary school.

She wore an unrevealing, blue couture dress and low heels, understated, practical and elegant, befitting her position, but a far cry from the hot-pink number she’d worn at the junior prom.

“And finally,” Candi said, folding her list and setting it aside, “our three mega success stories. Harley Bonner, who owns the eighth largest ranching operation in the state of California.”

Cheers went up. Sam’s blood froze. If he were a vengeful man—

“Lilith Perry Paul, whose radio talk show is now in syndication all over the country.” More hoots and hollers. “And finally, Dana Cleary Sterling. Dana—you’ve made us so proud. Here’s to six more years!”

So, Sam thought, the speculation was over. She’d made a decision.

“We’ll have music and dancing for two more hours,” Candi shouted over the din. “Don’t forget the picnic in the park tomorrow at noon. If you haven’t had your picture taken for the memory book, you’ve only got a half hour left. Remember to sign the update forms, too. Have fun!”

Sam watched as well-wishers surrounded Dana, who seemed surprisingly uneasy at the attention. A barrier went up, an invisible wall that kept people at a distance. She held her wineglass in both hands, a silent signal. No handshakes, please. No hugs. Only her friend Lilith got close enough to bump arms, and that lasted but a second.

The change in her surprised him. When had she become so reserved? When had she lost the outward joy of life? She’d touched people. Him.

The music started again, Sting singing “Every Breath You Take,” blasting Sam with fresh images of the junior prom where he’d painfully watched Dana with her date, her smile bright. She hadn’t been a cheerleader, but almost everything else, including student-body president. She’d seemed golden to him, the way she combined academics, sports and extracurricular activities.

Sam shouldered his way past the memories and through the crowd. Conversation quieted enough for him to hear the reaction being voiced at his appearance.

“Who—”

“I think that’s Sam Remington—”

“Really? But he’s so—”

“Gorgeous. Can’t be Sam. He never dressed that good.”

“He sure has filled out.”

Sam never broke stride. When he did, the murmuring stopped. Surprised pleasure stole across Dana’s face, startling him. The anger he’d harbored for years broke loose from its moorings, leaving only what had been good between them.

He put his hand out to her, invading her invisible barrier. Then he waited. The next move was hers.

If it hadn’t been for the unmistakable turquoise-colored eyes, Dana wouldn’t have recognized him. Gone was the gangly boy. In his place stood a man who commanded attention without saying a word.

She’d looked for him at the five-year and ten-year reunions, more hopeful than she cared to admit. The sharp impact of seeing him now rendered her speechless.

He’d grown, in every way. He looked…dangerous. Confidence radiated from him in white-hot heat. In a room of sport coats and khakis he wore black jeans and a leather jacket. In an evening where no one had gotten too close, he’d come within a foot and put his hand out in such a way that she could either shake it or be led onto the dance floor.

She wanted to dance, but did he? Her dilemma made her heart pound—she’d rejected five other offers. How would it look if she danced with him now? She saw challenge in his eyes. His hand moved fractionally closer to her.

Dana realized she couldn’t take any more time to analyze his motives, so she passed her wineglass to Lilith and put her hand in Sam’s. She’d waited fifteen years for the chance to talk to him.

“I’d love to dance,” she said, maintaining a smile.

He said nothing but drew her onto the dance floor then into his arms, leaving an acceptable amount of space between their bodies. Even so, she hadn’t been this intimate with a man in over two years, and then it had been a comfortable closeness, not this…this breath-stealing turmoil.

She lifted her face, determined not to let him see how he unnerved her. She’d gotten so good at controlling her emotions, it had become cold habit, but now his gaze held hers long enough for her lips to tremble. He exuded control—in his eyes, his posture, the firm touch of his hands. She wanted to shake that control, although she had no idea why. She hated it when someone tried to shake hers.

“So,” she said, making herself smile. “The prodigal Brainiac returns at last.”

His eyes softened. Warmed. “How are you, Blush?”

Their use of their old nicknames brought instant intimacy. She felt herself blushing, then his knowing smile took her back, moments tumbling into other moments.

“I’m well,” she said, coming aware of his thighs brushing hers now and then as they danced. “Where have you been, Sam?”

“You want fifteen years condensed into a paragraph?”

“Have you done so little?” she asked lightly, surprising herself. She was flirting and couldn’t stop it.

“I’ve lived.”

The way he said the words gave her pause. She would bet the long version of the story would be fascinating. “Start at the beginning, then. Where’d you go after graduation?”

“I joined the army.”

Shock left her momentarily at a loss for words. “Why?”

“The opportunity presented itself.”

Which made no sense. According to the math teacher, Mr. Giannini, Sam had been destined for greatness in the math community. “Brilliant” had always preceded his name. She shook her head. “Every year when the Nobel Prizes are awarded I look for your name.”

“Things change.”

“You didn’t attend your father’s funeral.” She remembered how pitiful it had been. So few people, and none who genuinely mourned.

“You did.”

So. He’d left, but he’d kept track. “Why are you here, Sam?”

“To thank you.”

“For attending the funeral?”

“No.”

She looked away, shaken by the intensity of his gaze. Gratitude was the last thing Dana expected. He’d been furious at her at graduation, rightfully so. And she hadn’t been allowed to set the record straight or beg forgiveness. By the time she could hunt for him after the ceremony, he’d left town.

“How can you thank me?” The effort to appear casual for the interested bystanders sent her pulse dancing. “Because of me you were beaten. You could barely walk at graduation. Your eye was swollen shut. That was my fault.”

“It changed my life, Dana, in ways I never could have anticipated.”

How could he be so calm? She wanted to scream, Mine, too! It changed my life, too. “Tell me how,” she said.

“It’s a long story.”

His hand slid a little farther across her lower back, bringing her closer. His thumb brushed her spine through the silk of her dress.

“I have time for a long story,” she said, her voice catching on the last word as he pressed a finger against a vertebra. When had that spot become an erogenous zone?

“I don’t. I’ve already stayed longer than I intended. Not to mention that everyone in this room is watching our every move.”

She pulled back a little. “I guess I’m used to living under a microscope.”

“And I’m used to putting people under one.”

“Now there’s a cryptic comment. Care to explain?”

“No.”

The song was ending. Panicked she would miss her opportunity, she hurried her words. She only had seconds to say what she’d been wanting to all these years. “I was sorry, Sam. You protected me and got hurt because of it. I became much more aware of the consequences of my actions after. Much more cautious.”

“Is that why you married Randall Sterling? It was the prudent thing to do?”

Two

Before Dana could come up with a response she stumbled as Sam suddenly stopped dancing. Without releasing her he angled toward the man who’d tapped Sam’s shoulder, cutting in. She felt him tense, like an animal facing its prey—or its enemy. Harley Bonner was the enemy. And she’d already turned him down twice tonight.

“Time to share, Remington.”

Tightening her grip on Sam, Dana moved closer to him, hoping he would pick up on her unspoken need to avoid Harley—even as she knew it was unfair to expect him to rescue her once again.

“Sharing is an overrated social skill,” Sam said as the music switched to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

He moved Dana out of range, his hand still resting against the small of her back in a gesture that was both seductive and protective. She didn’t know which one appealed to her more.

“Thank you,” Dana said, more grateful than she could say. “I’m in your debt. Again.”

“We’re square. Nobody owes anyone anything.” He took his hand away when they reached the edge of the crowd. “I have to go, Dana. It was good seeing you.”

Already? She stopped herself from saying the word, grabbing his elbow instead.

“I have your valedictorian medal,” she said. “It’s at my parents’ house.” When she’d reached her car after the graduation ceremony she’d found it hanging from her rearview mirror. She’d cried the whole time she spent looking for him. She couldn’t believe he’d done that—given her his medal.

“I didn’t want it then,” he said, “and I don’t want it now.”

“Please, Sam.” She was excruciatingly aware of people dancing and milling around them, although the volume of the music kept their conversation private. And she was so aware of him as a man. “Come with me. It’ll just take a few minutes. My parents are out of town. It’d be just you and me.”

“I have to go,” he repeated.

Was that regret in his eyes? Temptation? Although their unique relationship had begun in elementary school they’d dated only once in high school. Just once. A date she’d dreamed of for years. A date that had started wonderfully and ended abysmally. She never knew what had gone wrong, how she’d ruined the evening, but she had.

She had so many questions to ask him now, had played out the scene in her head so many times. How could he just leave when there were so many unanswered questions?

“I know you don’t owe me anything, but at least tell me why you gave me the medal,” she said.

“Running away again?” asked a male voice.

Harley ambled up beside them a second time, his chest puffed out, eyes hard, hands fisted. Dana’s hatred for him deepened. A bully in high school and a rich bully now.

“Move aside,” Sam said, low and threatening.

“Oh ho! Feelin’ cocky, are we, Remington? Think you could take me on this time?”

“One on one, I could’ve beaten you then. Five against one weren’t great odds.”

Dana hadn’t heard the chilling details before. Most people assumed Sam’s father had hit him again, but Dana knew Harley and his friends had been responsible. She just didn’t know how many people were involved. If she could go back in time, she would handle everything differently.

“Don’t make a scene,” Dana said to Harley, hurting at the picture of Sam being a punching bag. Because of her. “Just go away.”

Harley bristled. “This is my turf. You don’t have any power here.”

“But I’m wearing my ruby slippers,” she said, making an effort to defuse the tension.

He glanced at her feet, not getting the joke. An ominous silence hung between them. Old contentions seemed painfully fresh.

Sam took a step, bringing himself shoulder to shoulder with Harley. “One would think that two ex-wives would’ve taught you a little something about women and power, Bonner.”

Harley drew back his arm. Before Dana could blink, he was on the floor, looking more bewildered than hurt. If Sam threw a punch she hadn’t seen it.

“What happened?” someone asked.

“Harley fell, I think,” came the response.

Dana felt Sam’s gaze on her. She faced him.

“I gather you’re running for reelection, six more years. You’ve got my vote, Senator Sterling,” he said, his expression sincere.

“I’ll be looking for your contribution.”

He smiled at that.

“Are you sure you won’t come to the house and get your medal?” Don’t go. Please don’t go. We have so much to talk about. Regrets. Choices. Dreams.

He didn’t pick up on her unspoken signals this time but dug into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “You can mail it if that would make you happy.”

“It would.” She would have his address now. His phone number. Was that worse than not knowing where he was? She remembered something else just as he turned to leave. “Thank you for the sympathy card you sent after my husband died.”

“I admired him, Dana.” He held her gaze for a few seconds then strode off.

She could see the military influence in his posture. She knew she couldn’t stand there forever watching him go, but she wanted to. Maybe she’d gotten the chance to apologize, as she’d always wanted, but it wasn’t finished. He didn’t know everything. And now something new intruded—her body’s response to him, a kind of sizzling need, down low. A loudly beating heart. A mind spinning with old images and now new ones.

She drew a calming breath as her lifelong friends Lilith, Candi and Willow appeared at her side.

Candi leaned over Harley. “You know, you should probably have someone take you home so you can sleep it off.” She angled closer and whispered dramatically, “I didn’t realize your little problem had gotten so out of control.”

Dana was sorry that the conversation had taken the turn it had. She wasn’t one to make waves. In fact, she’d dealt with Harley just fine until Sam came along. Sam and the feelings of guilt he brought. Sam and the surprising physical reaction he’d created.

She’d been too long without a man. Without her husband, she amended, having been widowed for more than two years. Two hellish years. Two hectic years. She hadn’t had time for dating, given the demands of her job. Nor had anyone interested her enough to make the time. She could make the time for Sam Remington—

“I have a lot of friends,” Harley said, his tone vicious. “Friends who will withdraw the financial support you need. Believe me, I won’t forget this.”

Dana stood her ground as Harley came within inches of her. “Just as I haven’t forgotten,” she fired back, the memories flooding her, drowning her. What he’d done to her was bad enough. What he’d done to Sam was unforgivable. “I believed your threats before because I was young and naive. Those days are gone.”

“You landed on your feet. Bagged yourself a rich, powerful guy. Slipped right into his job like you earned it.”

“I was voted in.”

“Sympathy. Pity.”

Before she could answer, she felt her arm being tugged. Lilith dragged her away. “Look agreeable for your constituents, Senator,” Lilith said, moving her across the room, a cool smile on her perfect oval face. “Somebody will gladly pass this incident to the tabloids, you know. A few people have been panting for a moment like this.”

“He’s blaming me, Lilith. Me. Like he wasn’t causing trouble from the beginning tonight.” She lowered her voice. “Asking me to dance when he knows I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“Calm down.”

“I’m ready to go.”

Lilith patted her arm. “Soon, my dear. You’ve got to put on a show for a little while longer, then, fortunately for you, you’ve got me, a seven-months-pregnant friend, to use as an excuse. I’ll let Candi and Willow know we’ll be leaving a little earlier than we figured.”

They’d planned a slumber party like the old days. Dana had been looking forward to it. Now she just wanted to be alone.

It took her an hour to work her way through the curious crowd and another three hours of wine and girl talk before she had time to herself. Dressed in her robe, she wandered out to the front porch and sat in the swing, easing it back and forth, the chain groaning quietly, the motion soothing. Her parents were visiting relatives in Florida, but Dana could feel their presence. How many nights had they sat here, talking and watching the stars?

The peaceful memories tried to wrap her in a quilt of comfort, but her eyes stung at the emotional whirlwind the night had been. The vindictive exchange with Harley and her sexual awareness of Sam put her on edge—she, who was known for her calm, rational behavior. Did he know why she’d apologized or had she been too vague?

Of course, he’d been vague with his thank-you, too.

Dana tucked a hand in her robe pocket to find Sam’s business card. She ran her thumb over the gold embossing of the company name, ARC Security & Investigations. She recalled a Los Angeles address, that the card listed phone, fax, cell phone and pager numbers. No title was printed under his name. Because the firm was too small? Maybe even a one-man operation? Sam Remington, Private Investigator. Amazing.

“Can’t sleep, either?”

Dana jumped when Lilith settled on the swing.

“I’ve got a baby break-dancing in my womb. Must be all that 1980s music,” Lilith said, a smile in her voice. “What’s your excuse?”

“I usually read committee reports as sleep aids. I decided not to bring any paperwork with me this time.” Dana nestled her shoulders into the swing cushion and glanced at Lilith. She’d let her hair down, an ebony curtain that trailed down her back. “This is nice,” Dana said. “We haven’t had any time alone since you got married last year.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize. It wasn’t a criticism. I know what it’s like, having a new husband and a demanding career. I missed you, that’s all. When you stayed with me for those few weeks after Randall died, I got used to having you around.”

They swung in silence for several minutes. Dana closed her eyes and listened to the night noises of crickets and frogs and other creatures who traveled the forested surroundings. What sounded like a man walking was probably a deer, but it could easily be a fox or raccoon or even a mountain lion.

“Why didn’t you tell me you decided to run for reelection?” Lilith asked.

Dana heard the underlying hurt that she wasn’t the first of her friends to know. “Candi was wishing out loud. I certainly didn’t tell her anything. I haven’t even made up my mind.” She tried not to cringe at the lie.

“Then, why didn’t you correct her?”

“Sam’s arrival coincided, I guess. That whole business with Harley.” Lame, Dana. Really lame. “Would you believe I forgot about it?”

Lilith frowned. “Actually, no. It’s totally unlike you.”

“I know.”

“You’re going to be inundated by the media.”

“I know.”

They slipped into silence again.

“I couldn’t believe that Sam showed up,” Lilith commented. “He hasn’t changed, has he? Drop in unannounced then leave before you know it. Still playing by his own rules. Still keeping his distance.”

“What’s wrong with having your own rules?”

“Are you defending him?”

Was she? “I liked him. I did go to the prom with him, you know.”

“Right. One date. A sympathy date at that.”

“Don’t say that.” When he left without saying goodbye, he’d hurt her in a way like no one had. Still, she had a tender spot for him in her heart. Maybe because she vividly remembered the sad little boy who’d lost his mother when he was ten. Maybe, too, she remembered strong feelings on her part that were never resolved. Her friends hadn’t seen that his eyes could sparkle with humor as well as challenge. She’d been a little bit in love with him for years, then the night of the prom had fallen even more—until everything changed, for a reason she never knew.

He was an enigma then, and more so now. Why had he come when he seemed to have no intention of staying beyond a brief conversation with her? And why in such a public forum?

“All I’m saying is that he could’ve had friends, but he didn’t try,” Lilith said a little defensively.

“Maybe so. We don’t know what he went through with his father, do we? All I know for sure is he did well in school and got out of town when he could. He seems to have made something of himself. He looked fabulous, don’t you think?” Dana almost sighed.

The swing bounced crookedly as Lilith sat up. “You’re kidding.”

“You didn’t think he was incredibly sexy?”

“No.” Horror crept into her voice. “Absolutely not. If I saw him coming toward me on the street, I’d find a way to avoid him.”

Dana laughed. “I’d want to be walking beside him. I’d feel safe.”

“You’re attracted to him!”

“What if I am?” Dana took few people into her confidence—a life in politics didn’t invite much trust. She rarely talked about Randall, about their personal life, not even to her oldest friend, so why discuss Sam?

“Is he single?” Lilith asked.

“He wasn’t wearing a ring.”

Lilith’s expression turned sympathetic. “I know you must be lonely, Dana, but there are plenty of other men who would be good choices. A man who doesn’t fit into your world could cause a lot of talk. The wrong kind of talk could ruin your chances for reelection. You know that.”

“I do know.”

“So, you’re not going to see him?”

“No.”

“What are you going to do about Harley?”

The quick change of subject confused Dana. “What about Harley?”

“He was humiliated tonight. More than once. You don’t think he inherited his daddy’s skill for vengeance along with the ranch?”

“He’s not dealing with an ignorant seventeen-year-old this time.”

Lilith laid her hand on Dana’s. “No, he’s dealing with a powerhouse. And that makes you more vulnerable than ever. Truth or lies, it doesn’t matter.”

Dana pulled her hand free and shoved both fists into her robe pockets, the backs of her fingers brushing Sam’s card. “I’ll be careful. I’m always careful.”

Lilith seemed about to say something but stood instead, her hand resting on her belly. “Baby’s finally gone to sleep. That’s my cue.”

Five minutes later Dana went to her bedroom. The familiarity of the space that hadn’t changed in all these years held a kind of comfort she hadn’t felt for a long time. She stood at the open window, her long-buried needs doing battle with her longer-held sense of responsibility—to everyone but herself. She’d felt…female tonight. Sexy. And Sam had barely touched her.

Sam. He’d intruded in her thoughts for years and years. A question without answer. A temptation without satisfaction. Not even a kiss at the end of the prom. She’d wanted to kiss him tonight. Dancing with him, being held by him, had made her want more. A lot more.