Against The Law
At thirty-two Dev is mostly retired from Raines Investigations, content to run operations from his sprawling Arizona home.But Dev has never been able to say no to a beautiful woman, so when Lark Delaney comes to him for help, the former U.S. Army Ranger from Wind Canyon gets back in the game. Lark is sexy, successful and dedicated to tracking down the baby girl her sister gave up for adoption. It should be a straightforward case, but it's not long before Dev uncovers a shady adoption ring and worse - the child's parents have been murdered and the little girl has been taken.As the case grows dangerous and Lark needs him more than ever, Dev can't ignore his growing attraction for her. He also can't trust his judgment with women or the emotions he's long-since buried. But there's a chance, if he gets this right and saves Lark's niece, that he'll end up saving himself, too.
Читать Against The Law онлайн беплатно
Praise for the novels of
KAT MARTIN
âKat Martin is one of the best authors around! She has an incredible gift for writing.â
âLiterary Times
â[Martin] produces irresistible novels that blend the eerie and unexplainable with her own uniquely sensual and exciting style.â
âRT Book Reviews
âA tidal wave of emotion, poignant romance and a tantalizing primal sexualityâ¦the inimitable trademarks of multitalented author Kat Martin.â
âWinterhaven News
âThis is a terrific readâ¦passionate and suspenseful all the way through. Congrats to Kat Martin on another outstanding novel.â
âRomance Reviews on Against the Wind
âMartin dishes up sizzling passion and true love, then serves it up with savoir faire.â
âLos Angeles Daily News
âWOW! Kat Martinâs talent knows no boundaries. [Scent of Roses] is to die forâ¦a tremendous story that will keep you up at night.â
âWriters Unlimited
âKat Martin is a consummate storyteller!â
âThe Romance Readerâs Connection
KAT MARTIN
AGAINST THE LAW
Special thanks to my brother-in-law, longtime pilot Rex Martin, for his help with the flying portions of this and other of my books.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Epilogue
Authorâs Note
One
He had everything he ever wanted. Plenty of money. A successful business. A sprawling, custom-built home in the Sonoran Desert north of Scottsdale filled with pricey, original works of art. He had a sailboat in San Diego, wore custom-made suits, and had a woman in his bed anytime he felt the urge. Which was often.
Devlin Raines had it all. Yet lately he had begun to feel dissatisfied.
And he had no idea how the hell that could be.
Soaking up the rays of early-October sunshine, the best time of year in Arizona, Dev adjusted his wraparound sunglasses and stretched out on the chaise lounge beside the swimming pool. The sound of water cascading over the rock waterfall at the opposite end began to soothe him. He had almost drifted off when his friend and employee, Townsend Emory, shoved open the sliding glass door.
âSorry to bother you, boss. Thereâs a woman here to see you. Sheâs damned insistent.â Town was a big, black, former tackle for the Arizona Cardinals. A neck injury had ended his career fourteen years ago, but Town had stayed in Phoenix and worked for a number of security firms, including Raines Security, before his old injuries had put him completely out of commission.
Fortunately, the man had brains as well as brawn and now worked at the house, handling Devâs personal affairs. Along with Aida Clark, the housekeeper, Town managed the household and just about anything else that came along.
Dev pushed his sunglasses up on his head and frowned at his friend, who took up a good portion of the doorway. He had a standing rule: none of the women he dated came to the house without calling first. It saved a lot of embarrassment if another woman happened to be there. In his no-strings relationships, the rule had worked fairly well.
So far.
Swinging his long legs to the ground beside the chaise, he stood up, wondering who it was and why she so urgently wanted to see him.
âHey wait a minute!â he heard Town say as a tall, shapely brunette sailed past him out the door onto the patio. âYou canât just barge in here!â
The woman ignored him and just kept walking. âYou must be Devlin Raines.â She flashed him a bright, self-assured smile and extended a slender hand with nicely manicured, hot-pink nails. She was around five-nine, with very dark, jaw-length hair streaked with red. She was wearing skinny jeans and a pair of strappy, open-toed red spike heels.
Heâd never seen her before. She wasnât wearing a wedding ring. And she was sexy as hell.
âIâm Raines.â He flicked a glance at Town, telling him the situation was under control, and the big man slipped silently back inside the house. âWhat can I do for you, Ms.â¦?â
âDelaney. Lark Delaney. I came here to hire you, Mr. Raines. Iâm hoping youâll be able to help me.â
She was more than just sexy. She was a bombshell. Just not in the usual sense. This woman oozed energy and purpose. She was flashy yet somehow stylish with her big silver hoop earrings and oversize pewter-trimmed, paisley purse.
She wasnât the sort of woman he preferred: a pretty little bit of arm candy who did whatever he told her. Yet he felt the pull of attraction as he hadnât in a very long time.
He lifted his short-sleeved Tommy Bahama shirt off the back of a patio chair and shrugged it on, covering his bare chest and a portion of the navy-blue trunks he was wearing, probably a good idea considering his train of thought and what was happening to his body.
