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PROLOGUE

AMY STONE WAS SURROUNDED by testosterone Not everyday, average testosterone but the heavy-duty testosterone that could only belong to athletes She couldn’t stop staring at the quarterbacks, the baseball stars and other large,reception The bride, Sophie Jordan, her sisters and their friends appeared unfazed by so many hot men in one place As publicists for the Hot Zone, a PR firht As a single wo as a social director at a Fort Lauderdale retirement community owned by her relatives, Amy was out of her element

But that was about to change Starting in January, A at the Hot Zone, too, and she’d have to learn how to handle herself around these big-shot athletes withoutat their feet She’d alreadyinto the apart the holidays with her fa her easy life behind

She’d turned twenty-five on Halloween—there was some irony there, she was sure—and she’d woken up, looked at her life and realized a change was long overdue She belonged in a crowd of young people, not refereeing irreverent retirees who preferred skinny-dipping to swi Island iced teas to the nonalcoholic variety But she orried about the trouble her et into left on their own

Which re for her fae, the view beautiful Amy couldn’t find her mother or her aunt Darla, but she consoled herself with the notion that if she couldn’t see or hear theood sign Especially since the reception was being held at the Brandon, Mississippi, estate of Senator Harlan Nash, the man who’d raised Riley as his own son

She prayed her e As she’d instructed the tag in the yard Her relatives lived to enjoy life And they did—a little toothem all the object of public ridicule It had often been a point of contention between her parents when her father was alive When Amy had made the decision to move back home and had taken the job as director, aka babysitter, she’d known her father, who’d died when she elve, would approve

The sun beat down on her head and she envied the senato

r’s guests who had parasols to shade the to her Her skin was sticky beneath her dress as she strode to the bar

“Can I get you a drink?” a deep male voice asked

Alare of the sun, and stared into the eous face she’d ever seen on a reen, his features ed, and when he smiled, dimples embraced his white teeth and oh-so-sexy smile

“I was just about to order a cola,” she said

“I think I can reider “Do not go anywhere”

A to be surrounded by testosterone, another to have one of these men turn his attention her way Heat suffused her and her pulse rate kicked up so she found it hard to breathe Amy wasn’t a nun and she’d been with her share of ed and…well, hot as this man

He eased his way between the people at the bar and quickly returned with her drink in one hand, one for hio”

She accepted the glass “Thank you”