by Marie Astor
“Good luck.” Janet smiled.
On her way out, Tina nearly collided with Dennis in the doorway.
“That’s the spirit.” Dennis grinned. “I can’t wait to get out of here myself—a gimlet is calling my name and a lychee martini has yours written all over it. Wait, where are you going? I thought we were going to head out together—”
“I can’t,” Tina threw over her shoulder, nearly running down the hallway. “Janet will explain.”
“What was that all about?” Dennis asked once Tina left.
“Tina can’t join us for drinks,” Janet said, typing busily on her keyboard.
“Why not?”
“A last minute family emergency. Something about her cousin.”
“Her cousin, huh?” Dennis raised an eyebrow. “Janet Maple, did anyone ever tell you that you’re an abysmal liar?”
“I don’t think that’s a fair assessment on your part. Especially after I was able to fool a criminal as skilled as Armand Bassand.”
“But Armand Bassand didn’t know you as well as your husband does.” He grinned, coming up closer to her desk and leaning in. “Girls always stick together, don’t they?”
Janet nodded. “Yes we do. But don’t you think it worked out for the best? I could use a romantic night out with my husband.” She leaned in closer to him so that their lips touched and he pulled her into a kiss.
“Mmm, I like the way things are shaping up,” Dennis murmured. “I say we scrap the drinks and head straight home. I can mix a mean martini,” he added with a grin.
“I know you can. And the best part is that Mrs. Chapman is babysitting Baxter, so we’ll have the place all to ourselves.”
“I like the way you’re thinking.” Dennis leaned in for another kiss. “Now let’s get out of here before you make me break office policy—I wouldn’t want to use this desk for anything it’s not intended for.”
Chapter 21
An old habit of being aware of her surroundings made Tina spot Brad Connelly behind the bar stand the moment she walked inside, but she took her time to acknowledge his presence as she slowly walked over to his seat. He was sitting in a quiet spot at the far end of the bar where they could talk easily without being overheard.
“A dirty martini,” she gave the bartender her order, taking a seat next to Brad.
“I figured you for a Cosmopolitan girl.” He eyed her up and down.
“Shows you how much you know.” She stared right back at him, determined not to blink at the sight of his baby blues.
He chuckled and reached for his glass, taking a long swallow. Just then the bartender placed Tina’s drink before her.
“Cheers.” Tina lifted her glass to her lips.
“Congratulations.” Brad toasted her with his glass. “We could’ve never done it without you.”
She knew that he meant the Bassand case and was pleased by his acknowledgement. “You were pretty good yourself.”
“No, I wasn’t. And I’m here to apologize to you for that.”
“It only took you three months,” she couldn’t resist the jibe.
He nodded. “I earned that one as well.” He finished his drink and signaled to the bartender for a refill. “I’m no good, Tina—that’s the simplest way to put it,” he said after the bartender had filled his order and walked away.
“Please don’t beat yourself up on my account,” she said, surprised by his genuinely deprecating tone. “It was an undercover assignment and you maintained your cover. Case closed.”
“But I didn’t need to try to seduce you while doing my job.”
She gulped—she couldn’t really argue with him there. He did charm her pants off, well almost. “Tell me one thing,” she asked, her voice husky, “was anything you told me about yourself true? Or was it all a lie?”
He rubbed his jaw. “Not everything. What I told you about my father—that was true.”
She remembered him telling her about his father dying from cancer—even though Garrett was a huge contributor to cancer charities, she didn’t remember reading anything about Garrett’s father dying from cancer.
“And me wanting to kiss you—that was true. Still is. Not that it’s possible—I know that much, believe me.” He took another long drink from his glass. “I asked you to see me because I wanted to clear the air between us. I’m being shipped off to a new assignment. I’m not at liberty to talk about it, but I can say that I’ll be gone for a long time. And I didn’t want to leave without telling you that I’m sorry. I can’t help it, you see—a serial womanizer with narcissistic tendencies—that’s the verdict the bureau’s shrink gave me. But apparently they thought me fit for duty after all the success with the Bassand case.”
She listened on, torn between being mad or sorry.
“I didn’t always work art crime—in fact this was my first art theft case. I worked drugs before, but I was suspended after I ‘exceeded my authority and misused agency resources’.” He shook his head. “In plain words, I got involved with an informant and got her cover blown. She was fine, but we lost the inside scoop on the case—took us months to regain ground. I can’t help myself around a beautiful woman—I have to make her fall in love with me, every time. You have no idea how hard it was to stay away from you.”
“Why did you?” she asked, her eyes stinging treacherously. Don’t cry, she thought, don’t cry, damn it!
“Norris went up the chain—threatened to take me off the case. He got real ticked off when I took you to that French place and didn’t invite him. The bill was humongous—blew the expense limit for the month,” he added with a chuckle.
“I can imagine,” she couldn’t help smiling. “That was a very nice dinner, though, as was the champagne.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
She nodded. “I did.”
“After that blowup with Norris I had to be on the straight and narrow or say goodbye to the bureau. I guess you can also add selfish careerist to the list of my faults because I tucked my tail between my legs and did what they told me.”
“You also pulled through when it mattered,” she reminded him. “You took Nicole down like a pro.”
“Yes, taking women down is my specialty.”
“Stop beating yourself up or I’m outta here.” She moved to get up.
“Okay. You’ve convinced me. Friends?” He offered his hand, hope flashing in his eyes.
“Friends.” She gripped his hand firmly. “If you ever need a wingman on a case, you know how to find me.”
He nodded. “I do. Thank you for that.”
“Well, good luck on your next assignment. Stay out of trouble.”
“You too.”
She nodded. “I will. I have a feeling it will be easier for me than for you, though.” She finished her drink and got up to leave. “And Brad—”
“Yes?”
“Don’t put too much stock into what the shrink told you—they’re all quacks, you know.”
He grinned. “I know.”
“I’ll see you around, Agent Connelly. Tell Norris I said hello.”
“Will do. See you around, Tina.”
Holding her head high, she started for the exit, making sure not to turn around, no matter how much she wanted to.
Once she was outside, Tina stopped to take a deep breath and steady herself. She might’ve been all cool in there, but inside she was shaking. And even if that crock about Brad Connelly being a serial womanizer with what was it—narcissistic tendencies—was true, which she suspected it probably was, he was still incredibly attractive, and it was hard as hell to resist him. But she did resist him and she was proud of herself for it. So it was home and a cold shower for her, and tomorrow there would be a new assignment to throw her energy into. And who knew, maybe Agent Connelly was going to need her on his next case after all, whenever that might be.
The End
About the Author
Marie Astor is New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. Marie is a di
e-hard romantic, which is why she loves writing romantic suspense and contemporary romance. In her spare time, Marie enjoys being adventurous out-of-doors. She often gets new story ideas while she is hiking up a mountain or trying to avoid bumping into a tree while skiing.
Marie loves getting emails from readers and always answers all of her emails personally. Join Marie’s mailing list here to receive the latest updates about Marie’s books and events or visit Marie at www.marieastor.com.
Books by Marie Astor:
Janet Maple Series
To Catch a Bad Guy
Catching the Bad Guy
Bad Guys Get Caught
Bad Guys Don’t Win
It Doesn’t Pay to be Bad
Sinful Business Series
Thirsty for Payback
Baiting Trouble
Standalone Contemporary Romance Titles
This Tangled Thing Called Love
Lucky Charm
Smitten at First Sight
A Dress in a Window (a short story collection)
More books by Marie:
Over the Mountain and Back (a young adult fantasy adventure novel)
Please read on for an excerpt from Thirsty for Payback, book 1 of Sinful Business Series
Thirsty for Payback, book 1 of Sinful Business Series
In a blink of an eye Allyson Roberts loses her fiancé, her employment, and her fortune. Just when she seems to have hit the bottom, Ally is recruited by an undercover agency that is interested in her skills. She takes the job with only one goal in mind: payback. Getting even is the only thought on her mind as she convinces herself that her heart has no room for love–or does it?
A former top agent in his field, Jake Morrissey has inner demons he can’t put to rest. Now he bides his time as a training instructor. He’s sworn off women, but try as he might he can’t keep his eyes off Allyson Roberts. When he’s asked to partner up with Ally on a new assignment, Jake is tempted to end his retirement. Will he keep running from his fears or will he find the strength to become the man he once was?
Excerpt from Thirsty for Payback
(Book 1 of Sinful Business Series)
By
Marie Astor
Chapter 1
Allyson Roberts ran her hand over the silky dress fabric. It was a beautiful dress, the color of sky blue, its smooth material cascading in intricate ruffles that must have taken forever to sew. The question was whether the gown was right for the occasion that Allyson was shopping for. She eyed the sparkling diamond solitaire on her ring finger. A wave of giddiness surged through her. To think that she was now engaged was almost too good to be true. She and Ronald Graystone had been together for two years, ever since their junior year at Duke, and last night he had proposed. The timing was simply perfect: graduation was coming up and Ron’s parents would be there for the festivities. After the ceremony they were all supposed to go to this super expensive restaurant to celebrate the happy news, which was why Allyson needed a dress. Mr. and Mrs. Graystone were very formal, so Ally knew she had to get it right.
Not that Ally was a stranger to grand affairs. With her father being who he is, she’d grown up with her share of opulence. Their house in Westchester was a ten-bedroom mansion with a ballroom that had a twenty-foot ceiling. As a child, Ally had taken this splendor for granted, but when she went away to boarding school at fourteen, she became aware of the fact that not everyone’s reality was like hers. Granted, the girls at Miss Porter’s didn’t exactly come from poor homes, but the name Victor Roberts elicited genuine awe from the majority of her classmates. It was then that Ally first became fully aware of her social standing.
Victor Roberts came from humble lower-middle-class beginnings, born to an electrician father and a kindergarten teacher mother. With a degree from MIT, which he had obtained on a full scholarship, he built his industrial empire from the proverbial scratch. The story of his success inspired a mixture of admiration and jealousy from myriads of people. At least once a month there would be an article about him somewhere, the subject ranging from the latest venture he was embarking on to speculations about his personal life. Not that Ally knew much about either. Her father spent the majority of his time at work, and even when he was home he was usually locked up in his study, which served as his command center. When she was younger, Ally’s care was relegated to her governess; when she grew older, to the boarding school mistress, and later to college professors. Her mother had passed away from a heart condition when Ally was only five, and Ally had never been aware of another woman by her father’s side. As she grew older and began to understand these matters, she questioned her father about it, to which he replied that he had never met a woman who could replace Ally’s mother. Still, Ally was not naïve and realized that her father was not a monk, but whatever women had briefly entered Victor Roberts’ life had remained secluded from the press and Ally’s eyes.
“Oh, I just love that one!” Madison exclaimed, snatching the hanger from Allyson’s hands. Madison ran her dark purple-colored fingernails over the dress’s fabric. “Love the spaghetti straps and the delicate ruffles—sexy and sweet! Ronnie will love it.”
Allyson shot Madison a dubious glance. “Don’t you think it’s a bit much? I was thinking of something more formal. Oh, and by the way, I hope you’re going to get another manicure before graduation.”
“You know I am; I have one every week. My usual is OPI Go Goth. They’ve got my name on the nail polish bottle at the salon.”
Allyson shook her head. “I’m sure they do. But I was hoping you’d change your color to something more—”
“Boring?”
“No, feminine. Like lavender or pink.”
Madison grimaced. “Those are the colors my mother wears. I’m not going near them.”
Allyson resisted the urge to contradict. Sometimes she wondered just how genuine Madison’s eccentricity was. Ally’s secret guess was that most of it came from Madison’s desire to irk her parents, and Ally had to give Maddie her due: she had certainly more than accomplished this goal. But then Allyson wouldn’t want to be in Maddie’s shoes, or Ron’s for that matter. At first glance, siblings Madison and Ronald Graystone led a charmed life. Twin offspring of Viola and Richard Graystone, they stood to inherit a fortune, but with that came responsibilities and obligations that were almost as great if not greater. Viola Graystone was one of the most venerable society ladies in existence: there wasn’t a charity ball that she hadn’t contributed to in some shape or form, or a charity committee she wasn’t a part of. Madison was expected to follow her mother’s example. Yes, a college degree was beneficial, but Mrs. Graystone saw its purpose as more for achieving well-roundedness and putting it to good use when contributing to social causes, and it went without saying that Duke University was the perfect place for meeting a suitable match.
The fact that Maddie chose to major in graphic design did not bode well with her parents, but the other shoe was yet to drop: unbeknownst to her parents, Maddie had secured a job offer from a leading advertising agency in New York. She planned to make the announcement on graduation day. Allyson cringed at the thought: coupled with the news of her engagement to Ron, it just might be too much for the Graystones. Maddie had urged Ally to join her on her adventure in New York, but Ally declined. New York wasn’t all that exotic to her. It was less than an hour train ride from her father’s house in Westchester, and she’d made plenty of forays into the city with her friends during school breaks. While her girlfriends went gaga over the hip lounges and night clubs, Ally remained unimpressed. The big city pace didn’t appeal to her; it seemed overly noisy and confusing. Her dislike of big city life made her decision to move to Boston that much easier.
With a coveted double major in engineering and physics, she had her pick from a slew of job offers. Her father always made it clear that he would never impose his legacy on her. “You can do whatever it is you put your mind to, Ally,” he used to say. “If you want to continue with the business, I�
�ll be more than happy to show you the ropes, but if your heart lies elsewhere, I don’t want you to feel tied down.” He needn’t have worried. From an early age, Ally was acing math and science classes at school. She was on a math team and participated in every science fair imaginable, with her projects nearly always snagging first place. She spent her winter and summer vacations on the campus of Roberts Enterprises, cooped up in the offices of esteemed scientists whose reservations at having to babysit the boss’s daughter dissolved the instant Ally showed her acumen, quickly getting the hang of the complicated sequences on their computer screens. As much as she had loved spending time at her father’s company when she was younger, Ally wanted to make a name for herself as an adult. When she received an offer from Lorman & Matherson, a leading defense contractor headquartered in Boston, Ally’s heart was set. “You have no idea what you’ll be missing!” Maddie had wailed with her usual drama, but Ally knew the answer: absolutely nothing. She was the happiest woman alive: not only would she be working in Boston close to Ron, but she’d have a great job to boot. Lorman & Matherson had made her a verbal offer a few days ago, and she was yet to receive a paper copy of the contract, but that was merely a formality and Ally had already found an apartment. It just so happened that one of Ron’s friends had an uncle in real estate and the perfect one-bedroom had just come on the market in the area of town that was very close to Ally’s new employer.
Allyson eyed a black chiffon sheath from an adjacent stand. “Yes, I think this is the one,” Allyson confirmed, lifting up the hanger. “It’s classy, but sexy in an understated kind of way. It’s perfect for meeting your parents.”
Madison rolled her eyes. “It’s perfect for a funeral. Besides, you’ve already met my parents.”
“Yes, but not as their future daughter-in-law.”
