The Deception Read Online Free PDF Page B

the courage to; the kind of stories her parents would be proud of.
    Taking a deep calming breath, she squared her shoulders. Max may have gotten his way this time, but it wouldn’t happen again. Danger, be damned. She wasn’t a woman who frightened easily—not when it came to getting something she wanted.
    Her thoughts strayed to the James Bond look-alike she’d met at the brothel. Well, not exactly met …
    When he’d come onto her, it had taken her by surprise. Her adrenaline was already pumping… She was turned on by the rush of success but when he added himself to the mix… She recalled how easily she’d let her guard down, how wantonly she’d responded to him, and blushed. She couldn’t believe how reckless she’d been. Her behavior had been so atypical. She barely recognized the woman she’d become in his arms.
    She thought how easily he’d made her forget her recent vow of celibacy and a spark of annoyance shot through her.
    Who was he? His clothes bespoke money and lots of it and his voice had hinted at an expensive private school education. The germ of a new story grew in her mind… She dragged her keyboard closer. She hadn’t been in Sydney long enough to know the who’s who of the social set, but her James Bond definitely looked like someone.
    What if he was a judge or a doctor or a politician? No, not the last one. She’d spent the past few years warming a seat in the press gallery of Parliament House in Canberra. She’d have recognized him if he were one of those.
    Besides, he seemed a little too…too… Dangerous was the only word that came to mind and she shivered as she recalled the sensual effect of his piercing blue eyes and the anger and disbelief that had filled them after she’d kneed him in the groin.
    Not that it was likely she’d ever run into him again. Judging from his manner and bearing, to say nothing of his costly clothes, it was fair to say they didn’t run in the same social circles.
    Savannah typed in names of various local rags and surfed through endless photos and snippets from the social pages, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sexy stranger that had her tied up in knots. Surely, a man that looked like he’d stepped off the cover of a glossy fashion magazine would show up somewhere in the gossip columns with a starlet or two on his arm?
    A new email notification appeared on her screen and she opened the message. It was from Lucy, a friend she’d known since high school. Scanning the words, she couldn’t help but smile.
    Don’t forget the ball is on tonight. Don’t even think about chickening out. We both know you need to get out. IT’S TIME!!
    Lucy knew her too well. They’d talked about the black-tie charity event more than six months ago and Savannah had agreed it would be fun to attend, but that was before Jonathan—before she knew what it felt like to have her heart broken. Not just broken, but mangled and in the most humiliating way. There was nothing like walking in on the man you thought was the love of your life, to find him rolling around naked on the sofa with another woman, to cause a little long-term suffering.
    Her jaw set with determination. She was over the lying, cheating jerk and she was glad she’d discovered the truth about his character before she married him. The ball was probably just what she needed. The thought of a night out on the town with a close girlfriend was enough to brighten anyone’s day.
    Images of the elusive James Bond flashed once again through her mind. Lucy was just the person to talk to about this. She should have thought about it earlier. Lucy had lived all of her life in Sydney and with her father a prominent orthopedic surgeon, her family had always run in the upper circles of Sydney society. Lucy might even be able to put a name to the face Savannah simply couldn’t seem to get out of her mind.

CHAPTER 4

    Detective Superintendent Peter Duncan, of the New South Wales Drug Enforcement Agency, or DEA as they were