Look whatRT Book Reviewsis saying about Kate Hoffmann â¦
The Charmer âHoffmannâs deeply felt, emotional story is riveting. Itâs impossible to put down.â
Who Needs Mistletoe? âRomantic, sexy and heartwarming.â
Doing Ireland! âSexy and wildly romantic.â
Your Bed or Mine? âFully developed characters and perfect pacing make this story feel completely right.â
The Mighty Quinns: Ian âA very hot story mixes with great characters to make every page a delight.â
The Mighty Quinns: Teague âSexy, heartwarming and romantic ⦠a story to settle down with and enjoyâand then re-read.â
Dear Reader,
The inspiration for this book came from an unusual sourceâmy sister. We had both just watched The Thomas Crown Affair (the one with Pierce Brosnan) and she was complaining that the story was supposed to be her life, not the heroineâs! She was certain some quirk of fate had deprived her of a life that included a private jet, an international playboy and scads of designer clothes.
I think being swept away by a wealthy playboy might be a pretty popular fantasy, one I decided to explore in Into the Night. After finishing the book, Iâd have to say that, given the same offerâa quick getaway to a beautiful islandâI wouldnât hesitate to hop onto a plane with a sexy stranger, either!
I hope you enjoy this FORBIDDEN FANTASY.
Happy New Year!
Kate Hoffmann
TESS ROBERTSON STEPPED through the doors of the Perryman Hotel, nodding at the doorman as she passed. The lobby of Nashvilleâs most luxurious hotel was decorated for the Christmas holidays, although the atmosphere was now buzzing with the excitement of the upcoming New Yearâs weekend.
She searched the scattered guests, lounging on upholstered sofas and chairs. A few of them glanced over at her and she wondered if they could see right through her elegant facade. Maybe that saying was true. You can take a girl out of the country, but you can never take the country out of the girl.
Her gaze dropped to her shoes, purchased just that morning, along with her dress and the small clutch purse she had gripped in her hand. The sexy shoes pinched and the sleek bag barely held more than money, a lipstick and her cell phone. But she had to admit the dress was the prettiest thing sheâd ever owned, worth every penny sheâd charged on her credit card. It was important she looked her best tonight. For the first time in the five years sheâd worked for the Beale family, sheâd been invited to their annual New Yearâs Eve party.
The Beales, Frank and Nan, and their son, Jeffrey, were Tennessee gentry, their old family money made in industryâcotton, tobacco and shippingâand now invested in commercial real estate and the thoroughbred farm she managed for them outside Lexington, Kentucky. They wintered in Palm Beach and summered at a mountain estate near Asheville, leaving their vast business concerns to Jeffrey, their thirty-three-year-old only son.
Though people like the Beales moved in a very different world from Tessâs, their paths often intersected at the farm and at all the important horse racesâthe Derby, the Preakness, Belmont. Still, there had always been an invisible wall between themâthe Beales relaxed in a luxury box while she worked in the stables. They wore beautiful clothes and she dressed in jeans. They traveled on private jets and she rode in a pickup truck, pulling a horse trailer. The rich were very differentâexcept for Jeffrey.
âTess!â
She spun around to find her best friend, Alison Cole, hurrying across the lobby, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she walked.
âSorry Iâm late,â Alison said. âHave you been here long?â She leaned close and hugged Tess. âHow was your Christmas? And your Dad? Good I hope.â She stepped back and gave Tess a quick perusal. âYou look fabulous! You clean up very well.â She examined Tessâs hair and nodded in approval. âNo hay. Thatâs a good sign.â
Tessâs spirits brightened. âDo you really like the dress? It was between this and a blue one. The blue one made my chest look enormous, but I thought this garnet color was more sophisticated.â
They both glanced around the lobby, realizing that Tess had spoken a little too loudly. âGood choice,â Alison said with a laugh.
âWell, itâs true,â Tess whispered, silently reminding herself to think before she spoke. It was one of her worst habits, one she was trying to change.
âNow, tell me, why was it so important that I come along with you to this party? You hang around these people all the time. Why are you nervous about tonight?â
Tess grabbed Alisonâs hand and led her toward the bar. âIâll explain everything over a drink. I donât want to get upstairs too early. I havenât eaten all day and the buffet will be too much to resist. You know I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to crab claws.â