Scarlet Leore enjoys a glittering existence amongst society’s
elite. Ethan Blake is a prizefighter knocking his way through school, counting
on his winnings to bankroll the dreams that won’t fit in a boxing ring. When
the two meet, neither can deny the instant attraction that wells between the
hulking fighter and the heiress who is miles and millions out of his league.
But a vicious attack leaves Scarlet physically and emotionally battered, and
for Ethan, her allure crumbles along with the rest of his life after she
accuses him of wielding the knife.
Years later, Scarlet has abandoned the high life for that of
a hard-working lawyer, while Ethan has clawed his way to the pinnacle of a
business empire. Drawn into his world of high-stakes tech mergers, they dance
to a tune of revenge, desire, and finally, redemption. But their world won’t
tolerate an attorney falling for her client. They’ll need more than lust and
forgiveness. They must bridge the chasm of a tormented past to understand who
they are today. Only then can they forge a future in the face of the resurging
enemy who once tore them apart.
Exclusive Excerpt:
Ethan’s irritation spiked at what his dinner companion coaxed
him to reveal. He let his eyes roam from the top of Scarlet’s shining head to
her well-displayed breasts and back again. She exuded old-school sex. The
costly vintage dress and outrageous jewels conjured up images of the glamorous
pinup girls of a bygone era. Women didn’t look like her anymore. Too many
dieted down to nothing before purchasing globular breasts of the man-made variety.
She appeared to be a utopia of au natural.
And he liked it.
Her back shot straight, and she reached behind her. In a
blink, a black cardigan covered her assets.
His stomach, already grasping, clenched at the loss. “Think a
woman like you would like a street fight, where the loser bleeds in the gutter
until he gets up and drags himself home?”
She stiffened despite the cheerful conversations buzzing
around them, and her once-coaxing voice dropped in open challenge. “A woman
like me?”
Flawless. “Rich. Spoiled.”
He took another long pull from his beer. “Ever seen a street fight, Empress? If
you do, nix the earrings.”
Her flirtatious smile faded, replaced with a wary look. One
hand rose to skim nervously over a huge diamond stud flashing at her ear. She looked
to have an idea about where he might take the conversation, and she wasn’t
willing to go along. But she surprised him when she said breezily, “Quite the
tough guy, huh? A fighter out of necessity and all that? Never had a thing
handed to you and resent people who did?”
His eyes narrowed. Few people mocked him. And Scarlet had
recently seen him beat a man unconscious for money. Her words stung, a little
because of the sheen of disdain that threaded through the thinly-veiled joke,
but mostly because she was right. Well,
well…
She ignored his look and went on. “I suppose that makes you
smarter, more worthy than someone like me? Because I was born wealthy, I’m
stupid? Lazy? Dangerous in some way?”
No, he
thought, obviously not stupid. And her brand of head-to-toe perfection couldn’t
be lazy. But dangerous put it mildly.
Already fascinated, it only got better as she decided to give
him a run for the money he didn’t have. She stretched languidly and pulled the
cardigan off her shoulders. Then she leaned forward—far forward—over the table.
Her golden eyes were a couple shades darker than her hair, and she smelled like
anything but the onions and green chili that saturated the air of the
restaurant.
“Tell me,” she whispered, heat simmering in her appraising
gaze. “Other than being poor and able to hit really, really hard, why are you so special?”
Ethan stared back. The answer was simple. He excelled at
doing a lot of things really hard.
Scarlet’s taunt had ended just as their food arrived. Before
they could be interrupted, Ethan leaned in to meet her. She didn’t pull back,
and his lips brushed her diamond earring when he said softly, “Wouldn’t you
like to know.”
Libby Rice Bio:
Before becoming a writer, Libby was first a mechanical
engineer in the data acquisition industry (voltmeter anyone?). Preferring
writing to technical design, Libby headed to law school and eventually practiced patent law for several
enterprising years (patent application covering a voltmeter anyone?). Finally
realizing that technology just wasn’t her bag, she traded the voltmeters for
alpha heroes and the women who love them.
Today, Libby writes contemporary romances from the foot of
the Rocky Mountains, where she lives with her husband, a bona fide rocket
scientist (he stuck with the voltmeters!). When not writing, Libby loves good
food, even better wine, and traveling the world in search of the next great
story.
Libby loves hearing from readers! Join the fun at
www.libbyrice.com, where you can sign up for Libby’s new-release e-newsletter,
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