e Crestwood Falls Grand Hotel. The heat of the morning did nothing to settle Blair Walke

ry movement reminded her of the night before-her aching limbs, the soreness between her thi

anted t

niel Renford, and secure the promotion she'd been chasing for two years. A little wine, a

gone terribly,

g to the man now buttoning up his shirt with t

am M

famous for being untouchable, unin

he wrong

trembled as she whispered, "I... I thought I went

in his shirt and rolled his sleeves w

the blanket. "I shouldn't have drunk

with that," h

ow could I have walked into the wrong room? You-you m

is brow. "Are you *seriously* accusing me of sed

was being irrational, but the reality of what happened was hitting

tranger," she said in a small vo

ly. His jaw tightened, but his

pulled the blanket up to her no

s face evaporating. "Excuse me? *You* t

lder than me. You're stronger th

ke a koala on a tree, muttering about making things

remembe

t mean it di

red welts were still visible through his ope

ally. Not to her bruised pride.

sob and curled deep

and scribbled something on a small hotel notepad. Then he pulled a bla

he said coolly. "Go to a clinic. Get che

at the card like it was radioacti

r it compensation for

ed, stunned. "You think t

e with you. You got drunk. You barged in. We both

with a sharp slap. It clattered to the

us p

zeroing in on her with sudde

't meant to say that. It was a bluff. A reflex. B

arms defiantly. "So congratulations, M

at followed wa

entire body radiating quiet ra

d her ground. "Try me. Let's see how the press rea

uffing," h

to risk it?" she

ment, neither

ped forward. "Th

," sh

lecting his jacket from the back of the chair. "Fine. Ke

the door. His shoulders were rigid

fter him. "Who the h

and said, "The man who'll make your li

he

icked shut

felt deafening. Blair sa

hone

om her best

gossip site in the state.

She opened the

f her from the hotel lobby, this time on a

to Mayor Marcus in Sho

secret relationship? Witnesses say she entered his r

hed her pho

This is not

message

id you SLEEP wi

e onto the bed, buryin

e. Or rewind time by twenty-four hours an

o the black card l

phone buz

number she di

d it up h

said smoothly. "This is David Knox. I'm

omach

a private meeting wi

ice was ho

coldly: "To discuss the

uld answer, t

reflection in the mi

ed face. A hotel blanket

t the center of a

who didn'

hat could dest