Silk Confessions

Silk Confessions
Joanne Rock

As a hotshot detective, Wes Shaw thinks he's seen it all–until he meets the luscious Tempest Boucher. She's a blend of artistic sensuality and no-nonsense practicality that he can't resist. Too bad he suspects one of her companies of being a front for an illegal sex ring…and possibly murder. Now he has to wonder if his pursuit of her is for the sake of the case or for something very personal.Tempest has always lived by the rules. So to find herself the subject of an intense investigation by one sexy cop has sparked all kinds of rebellious impulses in her. Soon his interrogations lead to intimate confessions across the sheets…and even hotter explorations!

“So sue me for having a prurient streak.”

Tempest had so not been flirting with Wes.

Had she?

Forcing herself to consider the notion, she wondered if her sexual impulses could conspire to act without her explicit permission. What if her artistic persona and businesswoman facade hid a decadent and determined inner seductress?

Frustrated with the undeniable attraction she felt for a man she probably had nothing in common with, she forged ahead. “Look, I’m sorry if it seemed like I was coming on to you. The dating profiles happened to intrigue me.”

“So you’re saying your sudden interest in threesomes didn’t have a damned thing to do with me?”

“Correct.”

Wes grinned. As slow, sexy, I’m-going-to-have-you grin that sent a sensual shiver down her spine. “Good. Because I’m not the kind of guy who likes to share.”

Dear Reader,

As I thought about what I wanted to write for my ninth Harlequin Blaze release, I kept thinking about my very first two Harlequin Blaze novels. Both stories—Silk, Lace & Videotape (Blaze #26) and In Hot Pursuit (Blaze #48)—took place in New York City, with cop heroes working in the same NYPD precinct in Manhattan. I love glittering, glitzy New York for its one-of-a-kind personality. I also truly admire the nobility of men and women who are called to serve and protect. So as I thought about a way to bring a sexy, suspenseful story to the page, I naturally decided to revisit a place teeming with steamy potential for Silk Confessions, the first in my ongoing WEST SIDE CONFIDENTIAL miniseries. Wesley Shaw is on the trail of a killer, but first he’ll have to get past a sizzling suspect and all the mayhem she leaves in her wake.

I hope you enjoy the new series as much as I loved writing it! And keep your eye on Wes’s partner, Vanessa Torres. Her story will be coming in May 2005. Until then, visit me at www.JoanneRock.com to learn more about my future releases.

Happy reading,

Joanne Rock

Silk Confessions

Joanne Rock

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Dear Reader,

An Evening To Remember… Those words evoke all kinds of emotions and memories. How do you plan a romantic evening with your guy that will help you get in touch with each other on every level?

Start with a great dinner that you cook together. Be sure to light several candles and put fresh flowers on the table. Enjoy a few glasses of wine and pick out your favorite music to set the mood. After dinner take the time to really talk to each other. Hold hands and snuggle on the sofa in front of the fireplace. And maybe take a few minutes to read aloud selected sexy scenes from your favorite Harlequin Blaze novel. After that, anything can happen….

That’s just one way to have an evening to remember. There are so many more. Write and tell us how you keep the spark in your relationship. And don’t forget to check out our Web site at www.eHarlequin.com.

Sincerely,

Birgit Davis-Todd

Executive Editor

For Pam Hopkins, a wonderful agent,

a patient listener and fearless champion of my dreams!

Thank you so much for your support.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

1

TEMPEST BOUCHER had a multimillion dollar corporation to run, a kickboxing class to attend, a board of executives in upheaval and a lecture waiting to be written for a finance seminar she’d promised to give at New York University in a few weeks. But every last bit of it was going to have to wait since Days of Our Lives was on in five minutes.

“Eloise!” Juggling her ten-speed bike and the dog leash as she searched for the keys to her building’s front door, Tempest whistled to her two-year-old German shepherd. Her spoiled pet seemed utterly unaware of the need to hurry as she gave her best poor-hungry-me look to a corner pretzel vendor in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. Thanks to a new construction site three buildings over, West 18th had suddenly become a prime location for anyone pushing a food cart.

Oblivious to Eloise’s irritated owner, the hot-pretzel man tossed the conniving canine a treat. Only then did Eloise deign to obey commands and follow Tempest through the front door. So much for obedience school training.

Tempest grumbled as she repositioned the bike for the trudge up three flights of stairs. She only indulged her soap opera habit on Fridays, for crying out loud. Couldn’t Eloise fulfill her inner panhandler on any other day of the week?

Determined to wring some fun—and some sense of normalcy—out of a life overflowing with responsibilities, Tempest had made a New Year’s resolution to start living her own life this year. Not every day was her own, of course. After her father’s unexpected death eight months ago, the task of overseeing day-to-day operations at Boucher Enterprises had fallen on her shoulders as temporary CEO, taking up most of her time.