ause every bone

ghly, expertly used. She lay still for a long moment on her stomach, cheek pressed to a pillow

ark suite. The man'

G

es fle

en alone when she fell asleep, and when she tried to roll over, a heavy, muscular arm was slung across her bare waist, pal

stopped

ully, she tur

r above the sheet. His back was a map of hard muscle - and down the whol

scra

mained of the champagne silk gown. It l

hot she thought s

a stranger. I climbed

h whatever expression a man looks at a woman who had thrown herse

it, her bare feet touching cold marble, her knees buckling the instant she stood. She ca

her hand found - a black cashmere overcoat, absurdly soft, absurdly expensive -

ther guest folder sat op

allowe

hotel room like she was bait on a hook, and she - half out of her mind with

ned her

o auction in the spring. All that was left in the world was the cash she'd drawn for D

ed hundred-d

had simply been standing in the wrong suite at the wrong hour - she was not going to walk out of here

ng fingers, then laid them on the marble and shoved

dollars. Every

y hallway, took the service stairs instead of the elevator, and

he suite door

Montgomery opened

he empty place beside him, at the inden

he sa

d. To the three green bills tu

hing happened to his mouth that was not quite a smile and not quite a

d dollars," h

in Hayes stepped in, immaculate in a

in the service corridor. Every memory card pulled

d the bills o

is De

family brunch. He's told the board he expec

and bent to pick up a scrap of champagne silk. He turned

in said. "

silk and put it in his breast pocket. "Have the car brought around. A

"Sir, you want

id before she

ic across his back, and he felt the sting of every place she had s

lking for the door, "that I