by Nic Saint
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SCOTT
When Anna Moonstone has a brutal tryst with her boss, her boyfriend abruptly dumps her. Humiliated, she quits her job and accepts an offer for an internship at the Thornton Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York. She’s immediately made to feel welcome by her handsome and charming colleague Scott Harris and they become fast friends. And more. But in spite of the growing attraction, Anna can’t resist to throw herself into the New York club scene, and promptly fall prey to notorious ladies’ man Ty de Montesquieu. Little does she know that her every move is being observed by Scott, who is not who he says he is.
When Scott meets Anna, he falls for her—hard. The fact that she’s damaged goods doesn’t stop him from pursuing her. But when a date with Ty turns deadly, he’ll have to dig deep to save her, both from the clutches of his arch-nemesis and from herself.
Can Anna accept the love of a good man? Or will her self-destructiveness destroy this final chance at true love?
ROLAND
Forest ecologist Alicia Sumner has been doing important research in the jungle of Colombia, her life taking a turn for the dramatic when her father disappeared. All this time she’s lived with the loss and the perpetual threat of Contador Bashar, local drug kingpin. When suddenly Franklin Costner shows up on her doorstep, she isn’t too happy. Especially when he demands her help. Alicia isn’t used to being bossed around, so she shoves the business end of her rifle in his face and tells him to take a hike.
Roland Thornton is on an undercover mission in Colombia when he stumbles upon Alicia. The feisty environmentalist is one hot little number, and the attraction is both instant and highly inconvenient. Roland has other things on his mind than romance. Survival, for instance, for Bashar’s men are hot on his trail.
Soon both Alicia and Roland are forced to go on the run, and before long things get very hot indeed, not just with danger lurking at every turn, but from the scorching heat crackling between them. Working side by side, the billionaire enforcer and the quirky scientist have to decide if they’re a match made in heaven, or poles apart.
JACKSON
When Chloe Thornton goes on a cruise to Alaska to get away from the scandal that has taken over her life, she never expected to find a friend on board. But when a fellow passenger makes her an outrageous offer, she accepts it as the escape route she’s been looking for.
When police chief Jackson Rappaport first lays eyes on Chloe, he’s a goner. She’s beautiful, intelligent, funny and… on the verge of plunging herself into the Gulf of Alaska. After saving her from a watery grave, he suggests she come down to Heartford and move in with him. Being away from New York will do her a world of good, though he secretly hopes she’ll learn to see in him more than a friend.
Romance quickly ensues, but then the problems Chloe ran away from follow her to Heartford when Ty de Montesquieu suddenly shows up on her doorstep. Ty’s always been obsessed with Chloe, and now that she’s vulnerable, he swoops in. Soon Chloe finds herself torn between the two men, unable to choose. Will she succumb to her carnal attraction to the vile brute or choose safety and comfort in the arms of her gentle police chief?
WILLIAM
Her first day on the job at Thornton’s Fifth Avenue, Kelley, newly hired security guard, accidentally gets into a tiff with a sales clerk, and almost shoots the man. When her bullet destroys a jewelry display case, she finds herself on the hook for 3.5 million dollars in damages. To make matters worse, the sales clerk turns out to be Will Thornton, son of owner and billionaire Jack Thornton. When Will offers her a job so she can repay her debt, she doesn’t have much of a choice. Soon, Will’s demands take on a… personal note.
Please note that this is a work of dark romance and contains graphic descriptions of sexual activity and graphic language. It is intended for mature readers aged 18 and over only.
Also note that this novel contains themes of violence and mature situations that may upset some readers.
SCOTT
A Thornton Family Novel - Book 1
Nic Saint
Chapter 1
Scott was rummaging around the men’s shirts with a weary smile on his handsome face. This being only the second week of his newfound employ at the Thornton flagship department store on Fifth Avenue, he knew he shouldn’t worry, and yet he did.
Working as a lowly sales assistant felt like exile. No, worse, like having been sentenced to hard labor in a Russian Gulag or something.
Looking around him at the gleaming aisles, the tidy islands of exclusive men’s clothing and the grinning shoppers ready to plunk down a fortune for the prêt-à-porter, he realized he shouldn’t complain. The laborers in Russia’s tundra probably had a much harder life than he did.
And yet. Only two weeks ago he’d been a happy-go-lucky young man about town, cutting a wide swath through New York City’s female population, haunting the most exclusive clubs and wining and dining the city’s most delectable women.
All good things must come to an end, some philosopher whose name he’d forgotten had once said. And even though he could have lived the bachelor’s life until the end of time, his father had decided differently. Now that he was nearing the dreaded age of thirty, the old man had landed his boot on Scott’s neck after one particularly rowdy club night, and had threatened to cut him off from the family teat if he didn’t change his ways.
It hadn’t helped that his picture had appeared on the front page of the New York Post, visibly drunk like a skunk, his arms around two of New York’s most notorious socialites. The family name could only take so much abuse, and that’s when the ax had dropped.
The transition had been a painful one, and folding his umpteenth shirt of the day, directing eager beaver shoppers to the changing cabins, he started to wonder if the sacrifice was really worth it.
He fingered his newly acquired mustache—along with a change of surname his father’s attempt at guaranteeing his youngest son’s anonymity in this world of paparazzi and jealous co-workers—and heaved a deep sigh.
“Bored already, Scott?” a pretty brunette purred.
Scott looked up languidly. “Susie. How long have you worked here?”
She wrinkled her smooth brow. “Three years? Yah, something like that.”
He shook his weary head. “Three years. And you still haven’t killed yourself. Pray tell me your secret.”
She tittered a tinkling laugh. “Scott Harris. You really are a hoot, aren’t you?”
He gave her a comical grin. “Mom and Dad like to think so.”
She casually draped a hand on his arm and gave him a smoldering gaze. “I know something that might ease your pain.”
His eyes dipped down the décolletée of her expensive silk blouse and for a moment he felt dizzy. This was one pretty girl. But then the words of his father came back to him.
“No more affairs, Scott!” the old man had thundered. “I’m serious. If I see your face in the tabloids one more time, it’s over and out, do you read me?”
“Loud and clear,” had been his somber response.
“How about it, stud?” said Susie with a seductive flick of her eyelashes. “I know a changing booth that’s nice and secluded.”
He gave another deep sigh. “I’m sorry, honey,” he said. “You don’t know how much I appreciate all you’re trying to do for me. But I’m afraid I have to take a rain check.”
Her face instantly clouded. She gave an almost imperceptible shrug, and abruptly turned her back on him. “Your loss,” she said casually, but he could feel the iciness in her tone and it gave him a momentary shiver.
He shook his head sadly as he watched her sashay away. “Such a waste,” he muttered to himself.
An elderly lady approached him, dressed in an expensive fur coat, and said, “Young man? Where can I find the ties?”
He plastered his most charming smile onto his face, and for the next ten minutes became the paragon of customer service while he helped the visibly wealthy old lady pick out a tie for her husband.
“It’s a present for our wedding anniversary,” she said when she’d finally made her pick. “Fifty years!”
He would have rolled his eyes but instead merely smiled. “Congratulations. That’s quite an accomplishment.”
“And still just as much in love as when we first met,” she added warmly.
He raised an eyebrow and rocked back on his heels. “Wow.”
“What can I say? The man still rings my bell,” the old lady added with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
Scott thought back to Susie, and wondered if she would ever ring his bell. Probably not. She was just like all his other conquests. Pretty but vacuous.
The old lady patted his arm affectionately. “One day you’ll find true love, young man. She’ll suddenly appear before you like a vision of beauty and grace and you’ll be swept away on a cloud of everlasting love and devotion.” She cackled loudly when Scott made a face. “Am I the most annoyingly romantic woman you ever met or what?”
“Well…” said Scott with a smile.
The old lady chuckled. “Trust me. It will happen to you. And when it does, you’ll do well to remember these words.” She leaned in, and her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “Treat your lady right, and life will treat you right.”
When Scott gave her a confused frown, she winked. “Trust me on this.”
“Oh, but I will,” said Scott smoothly while he finished wrapping up the tie and handed it to her with a flourish. “I most definitely will.”
“The woman makes the man. Not the other way around,” said the woman. Then she gave another loud cackle, and stalked off.
Scott shook his head sadly. “Nuts. Completely nuts.”
“Is this the Men’s Department?” a soft voice spoke in his rear.
Wheeling around, he was struck by a sudden vision of beauty standing before him. For a brief moment, he was speechless, as he drank in her wispy blond hair, her clear blue eyes, her tilt-tipped nose and her lithe figure. She was easily a full head smaller than him, and it was all he could do not to wrap her into his arms and worry those cherry lips with a tender kiss.
Uncertainly, she thrust out a hand. “Anna Moonstone? This is my first day?”
Finally, he found his voice again, and he shook her hand warmly. “Scott Harris. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Anna Moonstone. And to answer your question: yes, you’ve come to the right place. This is the Men’s Department and I’m your man.”
Chapter 2
Anna stared at the man uncertainly. He was her man? What kind of greeting was that? But then she figured this was probably the way New Yorkers greeted somebody for the first time, so she let it slide.
She gave him her warmest smile. “So you’re Scott? The manager told me to find you.”
“And find me, you did,” assured Scott, well pleased.
Anna’s smile faltered. This guy was definitely weird. Nonetheless, he was the one she needed, so she decided to push all judgment aside for the moment, and get on his good side. “Mr. Marriner said you would teach me the ropes?”
“Trust me,” said Scott with a reassuring smile. “I’ll do a lot more than that.”
“Right,” Anna said as she took a step back. Only now did she notice that Scott was still holding onto her hand. She jerked it from his grasp, and briefly wondered if coming to New York had been the right thing to do. If all New Yorkers were weirdos, she was in for a tough time.
Just then, a customer inquiring after the location of the sweaters distracted Scott’s attention, and she breathed a sigh of relief. If she hadn’t known better, she could have sworn those were love lights in the young man’s eyes, and since she’d completely sworn off men, she didn’t need any of that. At all.
Setting down her purse behind the counter, she thought back to her mother’s words.
“Don’t go to New York, honey. That city is full of muggers and rapists and gun peddlers! You’ll be mugged and raped and killed before you even set foot off the plane!”
Well, she had made it a full day already, and was still in possession of both her life and her belongings, so there was still hope.
She’d fled Boulder, Colorado, after she’d allowed herself to fall into a torrid affair with her boss. The man had treated her abominably, and she had enjoyed every minute of it! She’d been shocked and surprised by her own willingness to be treated like a piece of meat by a man she’d admired and respected all these years. What did that say about her? That she was sick? She’d never even been aware of this side of herself. She’d never realized men could treat her so badly, and she got off on it!
Her boyfriend hadn’t taken the news too well, and had abruptly severed relations, revealing her sordid tryst to all of their colleagues. Humiliated, she had promptly quit her job. She really didn’t need the aggravation of being the subject of vicious office gossip for the rest of her career.
To her parents she’d said she needed a change of scenery, and had booked a seat on the next flight to New York. She needed to get away from Boulder, Colorado for a while. Needed to put things in perspective and get a handle on life again.
The offer to work at the Thornton Fifth Avenue flagship store in NYC had been arranged through her dad, who was an old school chum of Jack Thornton, CEO and founder of Thornton & Co and one of the richest men in America.
Apart from the chain of Thornton department stores, Thornton also owned the luxury champagne brand Favager FA Archambault, the well-known clothing line Antoine Camille, and dozens more, one more extravagant than the next. The man was a legend.
The offer was for an internship only, so she’d always declined. Why would she give up her paying job at CyberSoft to fly to the other side of the country and work almost for free? In hindsight, the opportunity had come just at the right time. She needed to get away, and working at one of the most prestigious stores in the country felt just right. Nobody knew who she was, and perhaps if she really applied herself, she could rise within the company and make something of herself. Something other than the company whore, that was.
Scott returned with his customer in tow, and rang up two cashmere sweaters with a flourish. She watched him dispassionately. But then he leaned in, and whispered, “Watch closely now, Anna Moonstone. This is where the magic happens.” And he politely invited the customer to swipe his visa card before tapping some keys on the cash register with an air of ‘ta-dah!’
Anna suppressed a strong urge to roll her eyes. Oh, Christ. Who was this guy? Instead, she merely gave him a cursory smile.
Studying Scott’s profile, she had to admit he was quite handsome. He had curly dark hair, a strong jawline and a powerful build. Dressed in a casual suit—probably the Thornton store uniform—he exuded male prowess, and as she watched his strong fingers wrap up the sweaters, she wondered for a brief moment how those would feel, unwrapping her. As if he’d read her mind, he suddenly turned to her, his eyes dark and probing, and she suddenly realized Scott Harris wasn’t some bumbling fool but a force to be reckoned with. Then his face broke into a smile, and he whispered, “Learn from the master, honey. Learn from the master.”
With a flick of the fingers, he tied a nice bow to the package, and handed it to the customer.
“Thank you for shopping at Thornton’s, sir,” he said deferentially. “Is there anything more I can assist you with? No? Then I wish you a most agreeable continuation of your day, sir.”
“Thanks, buddy,” said the customer, visibly pleased with Scott’s easy charm and grace.
In spite of herself, Anna had to laugh. “You’re really good at this, aren�
��t you?”
Scott took a bow. “We aim to please.”
She grinned. “I bet you do. How long have you worked here?”
Suddenly, his face clouded, and she wondered if she’d asked the wrong thing.
“Two weeks,” he said, turning away from her and folding a scarf that a customer had left on the counter.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Only two weeks? But…” She was going to say that he was almost as green as she was, but bit her tongue.
“I’ve worked here before,” he answered her unspoken question. “In fact you might say I grew up in this store.”
She’d have inquired further, but just then, another customer arrived, and she was relegated to watching and learning as Scott sprang to attention once more.
Grew up in this store? She couldn’t help but wonder who this guy was, exactly.
Chapter 3
“What the hell is this?”
“This is a bow tie, sir,” said Anna.
The customer stared at the small object for all of ten seconds before he huffed, “And this is what my wife wants me to wear? Fat chance!”
Abruptly he turned his back on her and stalked off.
With a sigh, Anna put the expensive Antoine Camille tie back in its proper place, and accepted a look of commiseration from Scott, who’d been watching the scene with interest.
“Do you often get guys like him in here?” complained Anna.
