The Chase
Will she risk it all for a priceless desire?A rising star in one of London’s top art investigation firms, Zara Leighton’s talent for seeing deep into paintings is in her blood. She’s chosen to help track down Icon, an enigmatic international art thief whose heists are methodical, daring, baffling. To Zara the case is maddening—bordering on an obsession.She finds distraction in the chiseled form of top-shelf client Tobias Wilder, a magnetic American billionaire who demands her expertise, her discretion—and her secrecy. Wilder doesn’t ask questions. He gives orders. His gaze alone ignites her deepest fantasies. And his touch…The sudden whirl of exclusive exhibitions and decadent parties that Wilder introduces her to is a potent aphrodisiac. But surrender soon becomes tinged with suspicion. Is Zara’s tryst with Wilder the real thing…or just a convincing forgery?
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Will she risk it all for a priceless desire?
A rising star in one of Londonâs top art investigation firms, Zara Leightonâs talent for seeing deep into paintings is in her blood. Sheâs chosen to help track down Icon, an enigmatic international art thief whose heists are methodical, daring, baffling. To Zara the case is maddeningâbordering on an obsession.
She finds distraction in the chiseled form of top-shelf client Tobias Wilder, a magnetic American billionaire who demands her expertise, her discretionâand her secrecy. Wilder doesnât ask questions. He gives orders. His gaze alone ignites her deepest fantasies. And his touch...
The sudden whirl of exclusive exhibitions and decadent parties that Wilder introduces her to is a potent aphrodisiac. But surrender soon becomes tinged with suspicion. Is Zaraâs tryst with Wilder the real thing...or just a convincing forgery?
For Mum
Embarking on this new series with Zara and Tobias has been a thrilling journey, one that would not have been possible without the support of many people. I have the deepest gratitude and respect for my editor, Ann Leslie Tuttle; her kindness and enthusiasm is inspirational, and Iâm so honored to work with one of the romance industryâs most renowned senior editors. Thank you to Gina Macedo for your time and precision. Thank you to the entire HarperCollins and Harlequin team for all theyâve done for the ICON Trilogy.
This series exists thanks to agent Kimberly Whalen, and Iâm constantly wowed and grateful for her expertise and passion. Thank you for sharing in my vision for this series and encouraging me to write it!
Thank you to Tara Carberry. Her enthusiasm for Wilder right at the start spurred me on to create an inspiring book boyfriend for us all.
Thank you to Peter Katz and Guy Birthwhistle for their support and generosity.
My gratitude for all the bloggers and reviewers who have supported me from the very beginning. Many of you have actually become friends, too, which leads me to thanking Hazel Godwin, Lauren Luman, Heather Pollock and Louise Sandford for their continued support.
Thank you to those reviewers who are new to me for taking a chance on my novel and recommending this series to your readers. They are the living force behind each author, and we couldnât do this without them!
Endless gratitude to SueBee at Goodreads for her librarian skills and determination to take care of our beloved readers.
Nina Grinstead and Jenn Watson at Social Butterfly PR, thank you so very much for lending your powerhouse talent to the promotion of this series along with your entire team. A big thank you to Lisa Wray, publicist extraordinaire at Harlequin, for directing such a great promotion.
A shout-out to my incredible Facebook friends who are always cheering me on; thank you for telling your friends about my books! I hope you enjoy spending time with Wilder!
For Brad, my wonderful husband, who has supported me from the very beginning and has been there for every moment of my journeyâthank you for making me see the funny side when I get too serious and reminding me there is a world outside the window when I become too obsessed with writing.
A big hug for Liz and Mand, my beloved sisters, who cheer me on.
To my beloved readers, thank you so very much for spending time with Tobias and Zara and joining me on this wild ride of their adventures together!
I hope this book inspires many of you to return to your favorite museums and to perhaps discover new galleries.
âArt is not what you see, but what you make others see.â
âEdgar Degas
Contents
The Courtauld Institute of Art
The stillness of the Witt Library embraced me as I sat at a corner table, my breaths slow and steady, my thoughts wandering, slipping almost into a trance. I tried to see the events that had transpired through his perspective as though Iâd been there with him.
This faceless man whoâd seized my every waking thought.
Closing my eyes, my fingers traced the file. Iâd combed through every detail of this three-week-old report, a precise translation from French to English by the Police Nationale. As an employee of Huntly Pierre, Londonâs most prestigious investigative art firm, Iâd been permitted exclusive access.
It wasnât only that Iâd been tasked with hunting him down, or his obvious passion for art that seemingly equaled mine, drew me to him. Rather there was an unfathomable connection to this stranger that now consumed my days and nights. Perhaps this was only the inevitable shakiness of a newbie forensic art specialist finding her way through the precarious underworld of corruption.
