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Prologue

He had summoned her She’d known he would find out – he had eyes and ears everywhere but it never stopped her froet what she wanted

Sturound London club towards his office, she barely registered her stupidity Deter in the way She had a loving family at home, people who treasured and loved her, made her feel wanted and valued She knew deep down that there was no good reason to be exposing her body and ain tonight And she’d do it again toht

Her stomach turned as she approached the door to his office, her alcohol-drenched brain only barely functioning enough to make her hand lift and take the handle of the door On a little hiccup and another stagger in her ridiculous stilettos, she fell into William’s office

He was a handsome man in his late thirties, with a head of thick hair that was beginning to grey at his teuished salt-and-pepper fleck that uished suits His square jaas harsh, but his smile friendly when he chose to flash it, which wasn’t very often His male clients never saw that smile William chose to maintain the hard front that irls, his eyes always sparkled and his face was always soft and reassuring She didn’t understand it and she didn’t try to She just knew that she needed him And she knew that William had developed a fondness for her, too She used that weakness against hiirls, but for her, it was complete h, raising his hand and halting the serious talk co over his desk One of his rules was to always knock and await instruction to enter, but she never did and William never repri his associate, who left without delay or protest, shutting the door quietly behind hi out fro, she could see the concern on his face with perfect clarity She could also see a hint of irritation He approached her carefully, cautiously, as if he orried she’d bolt, and gently took her arm He placed her in one of the quilted leather chairs opposite his desk, then poured hi a seat

She didn’t feel scared in the presence of this powerful man, even in such a vulnerable state Bizarrely, she always felt safe He’d do anything for his girls, including castrate any man who overstepped the ht mind dared break those rules It was more than their life orth She’d seen the result and it wasn’t pretty

‘I told you noto sound cross, but he only achieved a tone drenched with sympathy

‘If you don’t set them up for me, I’ll find the so onto his desk in front of hinored her lack of respect and pushed it back toward her

‘Do you need ive you money I don’t want you in this world any more’

‘That’s not your decision,’ she countered fearlessly, knowing daht lips and the darkening of his grey eyes told her she was succeeding She was forcing his hand

‘You’re seventeen years old You have your whole life ahead of you’ He stood and e in front of her ‘You lied to e, you’ve broken endless rules, and now you refuse to let ether’ He took her chin and lifted her defiant face to his ‘You’ve disrespected me and, worst of all, yourself’

She had no answer to that She’d et close to hi free of his hold to take a long swig of her water She didn’t knohat else to say and even if she could find the words, it would never be good enough She knew William’s compassion for her could tarnish the respect he’d earned in this underworld business, and her refusal to let him fix her situation – a situation he felt responsible for – was only risking that reputation further

He knelt in front of her, his big pals ‘Which one of ed, not willing to share the name of the man she’d tempted into bed She knew William had warned them all to stay away from her She had misled him as much as Williary at her continued disrespect, but he re for’ Willia such harsh words He knehat she wanted ‘I can’t look after you,’ he said quietly, pulling down the hem of her short dress

‘I know,’ she whispered

Willia in his world He didn’t even know if he belonged any more He’d never let compassion interfere with business, never put himself in situations that could ruin his well-respected standing, yet this young female had stamped all over that claiet in the way of business either – he couldn’t afford to – but this ti hand lifted to stroke her soft, porcelain cheek and the desperation in her eyes pierced his hard heart ‘Helphere with me,’ he said

She nodded, and Williairl was too beautiful and too reckless – a dangerous co to find herself in trouble He was furious with hi this happen, despite her deception

He looked after his girls, respected them, made sure his clients respected the that ht put them at risk, mentally and physically He knehat they would do before they did it Yet this one he’d let slip This one had fooled hih He bla woman’s beauty – a beauty that would for ever be etched on his ain and this time he’d make sure she stayed away He cared about this one too much to keep her And it seared painfully on his dark soul

Chapter 1

There’s so the perfect cup of coffee There’s eventhe perfect cup of coffee fro at I’ve spent days watching my felloaitress, Sylvie, co down another h the till But all I see is a royalthe machine

I force the jammed filter contraption on with a quiet curse and it slips, scattering the coffee grains everywhere ‘No, no, no,’ Iis brown, a dead giveaway to the millions of other times I’ve wiped up my mess today

‘You want me to take over?’ Sylvie’s a It’s no use No matter how many times I try, I always end up in the sah dray ‘I’ht-pink lips break out in a fond smile, and her black shiny bob swishes as she shakes her head Her patience is coo and clear table seven?’