Temptation
If Desire Can Be Had For The Asking…In the lavish San Francisco valley, Noelle Maxwell unveils her secret. Liaisons is the ultimate fantasy–a chic retreat where romantic dreams are yours for the right price. But Noelle has other secrets–a past in New Orleans, a marriage to a powerful man who fulfilled all but her deepest longings and a vow to uncover the truth behind his mysterious death. Yet the only man she can trust is a stranger whose explosive sexuality awakens desire–and fear.…Is Love Worth Any Price?From the moment the man calling himself Cole Richards meets his partner's beautiful widow, the stakes in a dangerous game rise even higher. But the closer he gets to Noelle's seductive flame, the more he risks being burned–and the more he must hide a shocking truth that could destroy the love he so passionately craves….
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Contents
Prologue
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
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Prologue
Fast.
The sleek bronze-toned Mercedes-Benz convertible sped down the black tarred San Francisco freeway. Jordan had purchased the car for her a year ago, to celebrate her twenty-seventh birthday and their fourth wedding anniversary. Just beforeâ¦. Noelle shook her head and stepped on the gas. She wouldnât think about it.
Faster. The turbo charged engine hurtled forward. Her honey-colored hair, fashioned after actress Halle Berry, whipped around her coppertoned face. Maybe if she drove faster she could make the memories rush past like the scenery that graced the precisely manicured lawns. Rush past the incompleteness that was her life, now that Jordan was dead.
Sheâd allowed herself to be totally transformed by the charismatic Jordan Maxwell. Heâd taken a scrawny, uneducated girl from the New Orleans bayou and turned her into one of the most powerful women on the West Coast. Sheâd come so far from where sheâd been, her past was almost a blur. She was in limbo. She could never go back, and the powers that be, would keep her from going forward.
Without thinking, she adjusted the black sunglasses on her nose. The simple gesture had become habitual. The designer accessory had become her signature for nearly a year.
Noelle didnât wear the blacker than black glasses so much for sun, or to hide the tears that so frequently welled up in her eyes. She wore them more to camouflage the emptiness that had taken up residence in the dark brown orbs.
She couldnât let them see the void or the fear that kept her walking the floors at night. There were too many jealous onlookersâso-called friends that couldnât wait to see her fail. She knew that they snickered behind her back and that hurt her more than sheâd ever let on. And no one was more outraged at her success than Trent Dixon.
Noelle rounded the hairpin turn with ease and recalled a conversation sheâd stumbled upon at a party one night. It was not only amusing that Jordan hadnât turned his company reins directly over to her, but expected, sheâd overheard. Noelle was an heiress to an empire with no throne. Trent had been with Jordan when heâd hit his first big deal in the Sudan. Trent knew everything there was to know about the import-export business. Noelle supposed that it was only fitting that Trent be handed the reins. As far as she was concerned, Trent Dixon could take the company and go straight to hell.
Sheâd never had any interest in the import-export business and Jordan was fully aware of that fact. Her views and his remained in opposition throughout their marriage. Nonetheless, sheâd continue to receive her share of the profits whether she took over or not. What she really wanted to sink her teeth into was the villa, Liaisons. The villa that Jordan had willed to her. She had plans for that. Big plans. Sheâd make a name for herself on her own terms, not on Jordan Maxwellâs coattails, and certainly not under the tutelage of Trent Dixon. He was the last person she wanted anything to do with.
Every time she thought about Trent Dixon she got a headache. Her body began to overheat and she couldnât think straight. There was no way that she was looking forward to their impending meeting, since their long-distance phone conversations over the past year had been anything but cordial. They had been treading the thin line between chilly politeness and outright sarcasm. Anytime he called to advise her that her signature was required on a document, even over the scratchy phone connection, Noelle could practically taste his indignation all the way from the Sudan. But he would never know how deeply she despised him. There was nothing that he could ever say or do that would make her believe that he didnât have something to do with Jordanâs death. And for that sheâd never forgive him.
He was scheduled to arrive in the States in two weeks. Sheâd never met him face to face. For some strange reason the thought of his arrival made her nervous. Because of that, it was more important than ever that Liaisons be perfect when he arrived. There was no one better than Tempest Dailey to pull off that miracle. And sheâd done precisely that. The gala opening of Liaisons was scheduled for the following evening.
Tempest and her husband Braxton were two people who had risen above the others and proven themselves to be true friends. Noelle couldnât wait to see Tempest again.
Noelle stepped on the gas while smoothly cutting around a red Porsche. She checked the digital clock on the dash. Twenty minutes before Tempestâs plane was to arrive. If she kept up the 85 mph speed, sheâd beat the plane with time to spare.
