ow at her phone. "Joker? Did you finally get traced t

rough the speaker, clearly pacing over crushed gr

ewel of Upper East Side prep schools-a neo-Gothic fortress built exclusively

th your keyboard-warrior upper body

terically. "The kid's nose leaked a little blood, and now his mother-who happens to

ver," Cara suggested casually.

ked. "They're demanding a parent show up, but mine are in Geneva. If my uncle fi

uptight, balding corporate

s your pl

ave to pose as my family! Tell them you're my new aunt! The one who just m

sp night air. "An aunt? Are y

buy you that limited-edition mechanical keyboard you wanted!" Julian wail

knew going home to an empty apartment would be miserable. Putting some prep school sn

nty minutes,

minated the call. She hailed a yellow taxi, slid into the bac

lked through the heavy wrough

rumpled navy blazer was pacing back and forth, chew

and stopped a

ok

canned her-taking in the high-waisted tailored trousers, the silk blouse, and the drop-dead g

oice cracked. "Wait. Thi

. "What were you expecting? S

short-circuiting as he looked her up and down. "Why do you look like a

is forehead. "Brief me on the script before I

neled corridor. "First, real-world protocol: my actual name is Julian Kensington. The kid whose fa

ok. "Julian Kensington? As in...

th a desperate wave. "More importantly: what's your real name s

Cara

terrifying uncle-is Beck Greer. You guy

n her tracks, her heels clicking

Bloomberg terminal. "As in... Greer Gl

d Dean of Students. "Just remember: the man is a pathological germaphobe who hasn't let a

tension was

d suit. On the leather chesterfield to the left sat Mrs. Croft, draped in past

napped towa

e-rimmed glasses, frowning. "J

is chest while gripping Cara's elbow. "T

ight, letting a radiant, flawles

voice dropping into an immaculate, aristocratic cadence. "

posite the Dean, crossing her sl

, who was holding an ice pack

y unimpressed. "Mrs. Croft, if Julian had actually attacked your son, the boy would b

y behind his walnut desk, wiping t

dare you interrogate my son! Peterson, call campus security

knock rattled

door open, her voice trembling violentl

wung open, and Beck Gree

tantly shifting the entire room's gravity. His cold blue eyes swept across t

spiked for a

was

ranger she had literally told to get out

uncle wasn't out of town. He was

from the mezzanine. He knew she was single, knew she had just dumped

pus security would d

oken under his stare. But

amusement, Cara made a split-second, reckless calculati

inch. She did

between them, and smoothly slipped her arm through Beck Greer

rning to rock. Julian squeezed his eyes shut in pure horror, practically

stunned, icy gaze with the most dazzling

with affectionate reproach. "What took yo

om froze in a

partner, his jaw practical

cate hand resting securely on his bicep, then moved slo

e had reviewed her entire financial file on his t

at. Tw

alloused right hand and gently covered Cara's fingers, ligh

vety baritone rumbled through the quiet r

lling gaze toward

nitely more terrifying than a roar. "Who in