Damnation, what was it about this woman?
Her exceptional figure? Her sharp wit? That glossy honey-blonde hair?
Yes, yes and yes. And something more. Something that gnawed at him whenever he woke and wondered in the still dead of night.
The remnants of a need to tame her?
No, submission wasn’t the prize. He’d never had the desire to tame any woman—only enjoy them. Spoil them. In his younger days the world had seemed full of alluring possibilities. Then his offshore oil and gas support company had taken off and he’d met Eden—a woman who possessed the contradictory seeds of both natural innocence and darkest temptation…a curious and, as it had turned out, addictive combination.
Time to face facts. The memory of that woman still had him by the horns, and that was far from acceptable. But there was a remedy—one simple answer to one simple question. When he had that he could put that nameless ghost to bed and Eden Foley out of his mind for good.
Dear Reader
Some couples are meant to be. Scarlett and Rhett, Carrie and Big, Edward and Bella. Some people, however, are still searching for their Mr or Miss Right, and oftentimes the search isn’t easy. Who wouldn’t give their eye teeth simply to lose themselves in a Garden of Eden with the man of their dreams? Imagine it…endless lazy days amid heavenly surrounds spent with your one-time true love.
Fashion designer Eden Foley has the opportunity to do just that. She’s found her Mr Right—not once, but twice. Only second time round she won’t forget that while Devlin Stone’s special brand of attention is bone-melting it’s also regulated by his adventurous lifestyle. And she’s not willing to have her heart broken again. But physical attraction is a curious thing. In some instances it’s downright undeniable. I mean, who hasn’t wondered if it’s possible to hold onto their own personal piece of paradise for longer than one day? Let alone a lifetime?
Hope you enjoy DEVIL IN A DARK BLUE SUIT. I had such a fun time writing it!
Best wishes
Robyn
One Christmas long ago, Robyn Grady received a book from her big sister and immediately fell in love with Cinderella. Sprinklings of magic, deepest wishes come true—she was hooked! Picture books with glass slippers later gave way to romance novels and, more recently, the real-life dream of writing for Mills & Boon.
After a fifteen-year career in television, Robyn met her own modern-day hero. They live on Australia’s Sunshine Coast with their three little princesses, two poodles and a cat called Tinkie. She loves new shoes, worn jeans, lunches at Moffat Beach and hanging out with her friends on eHarlequin. Learn about her latest releases at www.robyngrady.com and don’t forget to say hi. She’d love to hear from you!
Robyn also writes for Desire™!
DEVIL IN A DARK BLUE SUIT
BY
ROBYN GRADY
With thanks to Qantas pilot, Bruce ‘Ramjet’ Rattle.
And my editor, Kimberley Young,
for helping me to achieve my best every time.
CHAPTER ONE
THE almighty crack of shattering glass sent Eden Foley’s heart shooting like a bullet to her throat. ‘Flight or fight’ reflex pushed her to her feet as the Swarovski chandelier seemed to jingle overhead and the entire room jostled and gasped.
Good Lord! Had someone dropped a bomb on Sydney central?
Heartbeat racing, Eden peered out beyond the restaurant’s massive glass frontage. Outside, stooped on the footpath, a woman gripped a baseball bat. A luxury sports car parked on the kerb glistened with the litter of its smashed windscreen. Now the woman swung again, ready to go to town on the gleaming black bonnet.
Her outfit might’ve been a nightdress, floating out when she put her all into the next big blow. As a boutique owner, Eden conceded that retro florals were in this season. Bad language and gnashing teeth were not.
At the same time the bat thwacked the bonnet, a tall, impressively built man ripped around the back of the car. With an effortless motion, he wrested the weapon from the attacker. Then, to block and shield some curious passersby, he stretched out his free arm. Like the closing scene from a thriller, a police car screeched up, its high-pitched siren cranking Eden’s nerves up another notch. Two officers bounded out as the woman in her flowery garb crumpled, a sobbing mess, to the ground.
Weak with relief, Eden withered into her seat.
She knew the darkly attractive owner of that car. He was her luncheon date. A lifetime ago he’d swept her off her feet. For four blissful months she’d come alive and apart in Devlin Stone’s arms.
Although their affair had ended badly, she wouldn’t deny that they’d shared a special kind of bond—a connection a young woman with stars in her eyes had believed would last for ever. Six weeks ago Eden’s sister had fallen into a similar trap. Sabrina had begun dating Devlin’s younger brother, the well-publicised playboy, Nathan Stone.
Just as Devlin had cut Eden loose when his interest in her had waned, so too would bad-boy Nathan dump poor Sabrina when he’d had his fill of her. Hoping Sabrina would listen to reason and accept that her love affair would be short-lived was a waste of time. Having sampled the delights of a Stone herself, Eden knew from experience how hard facing facts could be. Still, Eden couldn’t—and wouldn’t—stand by and wait for her little sister’s heart to be crushed.
The only likely solution lay in appealing to Devlin’s compassionate side, asking him to speak with Nathan, as only a big brother could. Someone had to ask Nathan to let Sabrina off the hook—and now, before her emotions flew too much higher and her inevitable fall from grace hit any harder. After the torment he’d put her through, surely Devlin owed her that much.
Not that she gave a hollow hoot about Devlin Stone now.
From her seat, Eden glanced over the leather-bound menu while keeping an eye on the situation outside. His jacket flicked back, hands low on lean hips, Devlin spoke with the police officers, sometimes with a dark expression that made him look formidable, at others smiling as if he were catching up with old friends.
Devlin could charm the moon down from the sky.
Twenty minutes and two lime and sodas later, the police car pulled away. Eden had finished typing a message in her PDA—a reminder to check all her insurances were up to date—when her handsome ex walked in.
Anyone else might’ve looked dishevelled, but Devlin appeared only cool and controlled as he stopped at the desk, straightened his gold cufflinks, and ran an assessing eye over the room. Any spikes in his raven’s-wing hair were stylish and deliberate. His lidded gaze was the same intense twilight blue she remembered. How she’d melted whenever those eyes had smiled at her—she’d felt so alive and adored.
And when they’d parted…
Setting her jaw, she reached for her cold glass.
Well, when they’d parted, she’d picked up the pieces and had never looked back.
After a directive tip of the maître d’s head, Devlin wove between the tables. The flanking walls warped and shrank until he stood before her, a human tower, in more ways than one.
His features were both classically balanced yet hauntingly unique—a high forehead denoting intelligence, long straight nose suggesting inherent pride, squared-off jaw showing