Danger in the unknown
Guilt. Innocence. Psychologist and body-language expert Claudia Ellison can sense them both, which is why sheâs so good at her job. Unfortunately, even the innocent are convicted and this time Claudiaâs partially to blame. To help free a wrongfully imprisoned woman, she teams up with Project Justice investigator Billy Cantu, the one man she canât read.
They must track down the truth before someone gets hurt. And to do that, they need to trust each other. Only, the ex-undercover cop has secrets he wants to keep, and to Claudia, not knowing everything is not an option. But some things arenât meant to be shared. Because once they are revealed, they can never be taken back.
âIt really bugs you that you canât read me like a book?â
Claudia nodded in response to Billyâs question. âFrankly, yes.â
âSo no one is allowed to have a secret?â he persisted.
âI believe in honesty,â she said.
âYou donât have any secrets, then.â
She hesitated a beat. âNo.â
âHow many men have you slept with?â
âBilly! Good God, that is none of your business.â
âIâm trying to prove a point. Everyone is allowed to privacy.â
âEveryone reads expression and body language. I just happen to be better at it than most people.â
âAnd Iâm better at not being read than most people. So that means Iâm dishonest? Lady, where do you get off?â
âThere. That is the first honest emotion Iâve seen from you.â
âStop reading me!â
âI canât help it.â Her eyes inexplicably filled with tears.
âHere,â he said gruffly. âRead this.â He leaned across the gearshift, pulled up the parking brake and kissed her.
Dear Reader,
Many years ago, I attended a workshop on the art of reading faces and body language. Back then, it was considered a fringe science, right up there with astrology and palmistry. But I was fascinated with the subject, and I always knew someday I would create a character with this skill.
Now, copious research has proved that reading expressions and body language is a legitimate science. And I finally found the right story and the right character: psychologist Claudia Ellison, who was introduced in my first Project Justice book, Taken to the Edge. Claudia is known as the human lie detector. In fact, she doesnât feel safe unless she can âreadâ the people she deals with. Of course, the one man she canât readâinvestigator Billy Cantu, a man skilled at hiding his feelingsâis the one she falls in love with. She skates the fine line between fascination and fear as they work together to try to save a woman on death row, a woman no one else seems to care about.
I hope you enjoy their adventure!
Sincerely,
Kara Lennox
PSâI like to hear from readers. Please contact me through my website, www.karalennox.com. And look for the next book in my Project Justice seriesâHidden Agenda, available July 2012.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kara Lennox has earned her living at various times as an art director, typesetter, textbook editor and reporter. Sheâs worked in a boutique, a health club and an ad agency. Sheâs been an antiques dealer, an artist and even a blackjack dealer. But no work has ever made her happier than writing romance novels. To date, she has written more than sixty books. Kara is a recent transplant to Southern California. When not writing, she indulges in an ever-changing array of hobbies. Her latest passions are bird-watching, long-distance bicycling, vintage jewelry and, by necessity, do-it-yourself home renovation. She loves to hear from readers. You can find her at www.karalennox.com.
For my dear friend Marie Del Marco.
I can never thank you enough for luring me to Southern California and giving me such a warm welcome. Your relentless pursuit of your dreams is an inspiration to dreamers everywhere.
CHAPTER ONE
THE WEIGHT ROOM AT PROJECT Justice smelled like gymnasiums everywhereâa hint of sweat, overlaid with eau de cleaning supplies. Claudia Ellison, dressed most inappropriately for the gym in a buttercup-yellow linen suit and cream leather heels, stood poised in the doorway observing her quarry.
He didnât see her. Billy Cantu sat on a bench doing reps with a barbell. His rippling biceps mesmerized her for several moments. Sheâd met Billy before, briefly, but she hadnât guessed how ripped he was underneath his neatly pressed shirts.
Wearing only a pair of gym shorts, Billy exposed an awful lot of skin, smooth and naturally tan due to his Hispanic heritage. Thick, almost-black hair, deep brown eyes, sensual lips parted slightly as he breathed from the exertionâ¦
She stopped herself. Her job wasnât to catalog Billyâs masculine assets, charming though they were. She was supposed to be reading his body language, gauging his mood. Would he be receptive to her proposal?