A JUST DECEPTION by Adrienne Giordano

With the publication of A JUST DECEPTION, the follow up to Man Law and the second book in the Private Protectors series, Adrienne Giordano has cemented her place on my list of must read authors. The emotional and psychological tension grabs you on page one and doesn't let go until the truth is revealed.

Lawyer Isabelle "don't call me Izzy" DeRosa is shocked to be cornered by her cousin Kendrick in the copy room of the New Jersey law offices of his father, Isabelle's uncle and employer. She was happy to have Kendrick living in far off Ohio since she didn't have to worry about running into the man who had abused her as a child. Now he's in town demanding her legal help and threatening her hard won peace. She calls on long time family friend Vic Andrews for help with security and he sends Peter Jessup, a former Navy SEAL on vacation from Taylor Security. His mission was to take some time off, deal with the deaths of two friends and co-workers, and get his head on straight. Now he's the only man Vic trusts to keep Izzy (yes, he calls her Izzy) safe. When Kendrick turns up dead, Izzy goes from prime suspect to the only person who can help the FBI infiltrate the cult-like group Kendrick was involved with. Will their strong attraction and emotional baggage prove to be the distractions that keep them from getting out of this operation in one piece?

A JUST DECEPTION is a wonderfully complex romantic suspense. Ms. Giordano has a talent for using the characters' personal histories to create a powerful tension emanating from the romantic relationship. Izzy and Peter are forced to overcome their own brokenness in order to figure out how to be together. Their personal demons were captured with an admirable realism. Both characters were strong, independent, and flawed. I love it when a romance can leave me wondering how these two people can make it work up until the moment when they do. I love getting to that happy ending, but I don't want it to be easy journey. The overarching suspense story, who killed Kendrick and what was he involved in, is compelling and provides a good challenge for Izzy and Peter to face together. The strength of this story, though, is the relationship.

I'm glad to report that a prequel to the current books in the series, Risking Trust, is due out in November 2011.

Learn more about A JUST DECEPTION

SUMMARY

His client: Lawyer Isabelle DeRosa. The sexy brunette is the personification of Peter's fantasies. She's willing to get physical but nothing more serious.

The assignment: When Isabelle becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her cousin, Peter is there to protect her and help her find the real killer. Their investigation leads to a big-name charity that seems to draw cultlike followers. Isabelle manages to infiltrate the group and become close to their leader, leaving Peter both jealous and worried for her.

As their search leads to danger, Peter realizes he's falling in love with Isabelle. He wants all of her, but she's too used to guarding herself to let him in…

EXCERPT

Chapter One

From her crouched position filling the copy machine drawer, Isabelle spied her cousin Kendrick in the doorway and knew the next few minutes would be worse than a bad case of chicken pox. Irritating as hell and no scratching allowed. Already he blocked her only exit from the cramped room—that was no accident. She drew a searing breath and straightened to her full height, determined to confront him.

Kendrick wore black chinos and a white Oxford shirt, but the preppy clothes couldn’t hide the predator. With a shudder, she remembered everything about him she would rather forget. Despite her resolve, the small room pressed in, and she backed away.

His leer forced her to dig her heels into the floor and a relentless gnawing tore at her stomach.

"I’m here to see my father," he said. "I saw you in here. Thought I’d say hello."

She leaned against the copy machine, folded her arms and squeezed until her fingernails bit into her biceps. After years spent grappling to rise above her brokenness, something in his tone—that confident, you’ll-never-get-me attitude—shattered her. "Well, I’m sure your father is waiting for you."

"Your father prides himself on the comfortable waiting area. Maybe you can find something to read while you wait."

Kendrick ignored her suggestion and moved into the compact room. She remained still, but tracked him with her eyes, watching him until he halted a foot from her. Too close.

A quick glance across his shoulder revealed the safety of the outer corridor where two associates spoke in hushed voices. Assistance was nearby if needed, but screaming for help against the boss’s son? How humiliating. Not to mention having to explain it. "I have a client in my office."

He inched closer, and Isabelle held up a hand to stop him. Silly her for believing he would let her leave. She had to get away.

Okay. Deep breath. She concentrated on diffusing the internal bedlam this man caused. Get a grip. Don’t give him the control. Don’t look at him.

After a few seconds, her thundering pulse settled to its normal rhythm. She could do this.

"I’m in the middle of a client meeting." She turned, made the copy she’d come in for, grabbed her papers and attempted to push by him.

Kendrick sidestepped to block her exit. Unbelievable. She was trapped in here with him. Close enough to feel his breath on her skin.

She met his gaze straight on, their eyes locking for an instant. "I don’t have time, Kendrick."

Any offer from him could result in her losing a slice of her soul. Her answer would certainly be no. She found triumph in that. Telling him no. Definitively.

She’d let him say what he needed to, indulge in saying no and then boot him out. "Two minutes."

Oh, she knew. She was thankful every day that the state of Pennsylvania normally provided a barrier between them. Living on the Jersey Shore rewarded her with a sense of ease, and Kendrick being in the area chipped that comfort. "If you need legal advice, talk to someone else. I won’t be objective."

He laughed, his big white teeth flashing. Isabelle ground the heel of her black pump into the floor. Her leg ached from the pressure, but the pain would keep her focused.

"Anyway," he said. "I’d like to have you visit. Take a look at the place. Maybe stay in one of the bungalows. It’s a wonderful piece of property."

He held up his hands again. "I know you’re still angry over the misunderstanding, but let’s put it behind us. We’re family. I know my father would appreciate you letting go of the hostility. Come see the compound. Stay awhile. You’ll be taken care of. Any need or want you have will be fulfilled by one of the staff members."

She narrowed her eyes and let his comment about his father—her boss—roll off her. Convincing herself to accept a job from Kendrick’s father hadn’t been easy, but working at one of New Jersey’s top criminal defense firms would catapult her career. Her cousin’s goading wouldn’t jeopardize that. "I need to get back to work."

"Not staff, really," he continued. "Tenants, I guess. Fifty of us live on the property. Some in the main house and some in bungalows scattered throughout the hundred acres. You’d have your own place, of course."

A flicker of perverse excitement twinkled in his blue-green eyes, and sickness swirled in her stomach. She needed to get him out of there before the toxic waste he spewed consumed her. "I’m not interested."

Kendrick reached down and tugged at the sleeves of his shirt, but made no move to leave. Idiot.

And yet, she remained wedged in the room. With a client waiting in her office. The brutal pressure of these few minutes finally overtook her, and a chill penetrated her bones, puckering her skin.

He tried the slick smile that always worked on the little girl she’d once been, and she imagined him bursting into flames.

"I need you, Isabelle. There are…things happening and I could use your legal expertise. I promise I’ll take good care of you." He dragged his gaze over her body. "I always did."