Silver Falls - Anne Stuart [0]
ANNE STUART
“Anne Stuart delivers exciting stuff for those of us who like our romantic suspense dark and dangerous.”
—Jayne Ann Krentz
“Brilliant characterizations and a suitably moody ambience drive this dark tale of unlikely love.”
—Publishers Weekly on Black Ice [starred review]
“[A] sexy, edgy, exceptionally well-plotted tale.”
—Library Journal on Into the Fire
“Stuart knows how to take chances, and this edgy thriller shows how well they can pay off.”
—Publishers Weekly on Cold As Ice
“For dark, triumphant romance…Anne Stuart can’t be beaten.”
—Elizabeth Lowell
“The plot moves at a breakneck pace, never letting up on the sexual or criminal tension.”
—Publishers Weekly on Fire and Ice
“A consummate mistress of her craft.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“[Stuart is] arguably romantic suspense’s most popular novelist.”
—Publishers Weekly
Also by
ANNE STUART
FIRE AND ICE
ICE STORM
ICE BLUE
COLD AS ICE
THE DEVIL’S WALTZ
BLACK ICE
HIDDEN HONOR
INTO THE FIRE
STILL LAKE
THE WIDOW
SHADOWS AT SUNSET
ANNE STUART
SILVER FALLS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It sometimes takes a village to write a book, and I had the best possible people to help.
First I need to thank Lynda Ward, who’s always there when I need her.
Sally Fifield, who has the most disturbing imagination possible (and if I find it creepy you know it’s got to be bad).
Jenny Crusie and Lani Diane Rich spent hours in Campfire helping me clarify where it was going, and every single form of writing software that works on Macs gave me added help, including Scrivener, Save the Cat, Writer’s Dream Kit and Wordist.
And above all, a special thanks to my Baby Boy Editor, Adam Wilson, who was incredibly patient, incredibly detailed and pretty damned funny.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Prologue
Jessica Barrowman shivered in her pretty blue dress. She should have brought her raincoat, but it would have covered up the new dress, and she wanted him to see it. He’d told her he loved to see her in blue—it matched the color of her eyes—and ever since, she’d worn nothing but, so much so that her roommate had even remarked on it.
Jessica had smiled and said nothing. It felt kind of weird to be the other woman, but there was something exciting about the whole secrecy thing. Sneaking around, meeting at out-of-the-way motels, quickies in the back of the car, even going down on him in his office. He liked to wrap her long, silken hair around his body, and when she once talked about cutting it he’d gotten so angry he’d walked away from her and ignored her for three weeks.
The worst three weeks of her life.
But he’d come back, and she’d been blissfully happy. There was something so delicious about an older man, not one of the stupid boys she’d dated. He couldn’t care less about football, or rap music, or drinking beer or playing video games.
He was from a different world—he was sophisticated, elegant, wise. He drank whiskey, and wine, for heaven’s sake. And he’d never, ever try to shove her around like her last boyfriend.
There were times when she wished she could tell her roommate, Janice, about him. Times when she wanted to tell the whole campus. She’d almost called his wife once, but then thought better of it. She’d made him really mad once, and it had almost scared her. Well, she knew better than to be scared, but still…She couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing him for another three weeks.
He had a special present, he said. For their three-month anniversary, and she’d bought this new dress on purpose. If Janice had been in the room she would have told her. He was going to tell her he was leaving his wife. She was sure of it. He’d brought her a promise ring, since they couldn’t be engaged until after the divorce, but she knew he loved her. Knew he’d do anything for her.