Excerpt of Return to Me by Nina Croft

This whole set-up seemed too good to be true. And as Justin had always told her, if it seems to be too good to be true, then it’s going to turn to crap somewhere down the line.

But fuck it, what’s the alternative? Go back to that cell? A shudder ran through her. No way.

Besides, once she was out of there, she could make a run for it. She was quite capable of disappearing without his help. Placing her palms flat on the table, she pushed up. “Okay. Let’s go.”

He had to be about the coolest guy she had ever come across, but at her words, relief flashed across his face and was gone. So, he isn’t entirely sure of me. His gaze drifted down over her, and she fought the urge to smooth down her suit, to button up the jacket. Something in his look made her think immediately of sex. Maybe this is a mistake. She’d told him the truth; she didn’t do sex. Many times, it might have made her work easier, but no way would she cross that line.

He remained seated, but pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and punched in the speed dial.

“Cade? Are we set?”

His gaze flickered over her as he listened to Cade, while she stood shifting from one foot to another under his golden stare. A small smile crossed his face, and he slipped the phone back in his pocket.

He rose to his feet, towering over her, and held out a hand. “So, we have a deal?”

A strange reluctance spread through her as she stared at his hand. As though, once she had shaken on this, she would be changed forever, irrevocably tied to this man in ways she couldn’t begin to understand. She shook her head to dissipate the fanciful notions. Her mother had always said she was a dreamer. That was actually one of the nicer things she had called Bella.

She wiped her palm down her thigh and reached out. His hand was huge compared to hers, the skin pale. At the last moment, she wanted to pull away, but it was too late. Their fingers touched and a lightning spark flashed between them, shooting down her nerve endings and lodging deep inside. For an instant, his eyes closed and he breathed in deeply. When he opened them, they held a sleepy, heavy-lidded look. His lips curved up in a smile, and a wave of warmth washed over her.

What the hell?