Kathleen Creighton
The Seduction of Goody Two-Shoes
A book in the Into The Heartland series, 2001
Dear Reader,
Welcome to another month of hot-in every sense of the word-reading, books just made to match the weather. I hardly even have to mention Suzanne Brockmann and her TALL, DARK & DANGEROUS miniseries, because you all know that this author and these books are utterly irresistible. Taylors Temptation features the latest of her to-die-for Navy SEALs, so rush right down to your bookstore and pick up your own copy, because this book is going to be flying off shelves everywhere.
To add to the excitement this month, were introducing a new six-book continuity called FIRSTBORN SONS. Award-winning writer Paula Detmer Riggs kicks things off with Born a Hero. Learn how these six heroes share a legacy of protecting the weak and standing up for whats right-and watch as all six find women who belong in their arms and their lives.
Dont miss the rest of our wonderful books, either: The Seduction of Goody Two-Shoes, by award-winning Kathleen Creighton; Out of Nowhere, by one of our launch authors, Beverly Bird; Protector with a Past, by Harper Allen; and Twice Upon a Time, by Jennifer Wagner.
Finally, check out the back pages for information on our Silhouette Makes You A Star contest. Someones going to win-why not you?
Enjoy!
Leslie J. Wainger
Executive Senior Editor
Prologue
This ones alive, the customs inspector said, but barely.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Rose Ellen Lanagan-Ellie to family, friends and a few select co-workers-took the limp body in her hands, her heart thumping a slow and steady dirge. One hooded yellow-ringed eye glared listlessly at her as her fingers stroked the satiny blue featherssuch an incredible shade of blue. Hyacinth blue.
Sure got a full crop for being packed so long in that crate, she remarked in a soft and even tone that would have been a warning to anyone who knew her well. Ellie Lanagan was angry. Angry with a cold intensity that shocked even her. Deep inside where no one could see, she was shaking with it.
Her eyes went to the rows of brightly colored bodies laid out on a sheet that had been spread on the warehouse floor. The customs inspector was already bending over them, his fingers gingerly probing, careful not to disturb the bodies more than necessary lest some vital clue as to their point of origin be lost to the experts waiting to examine them in the departments forensics labs.
These, too, he said on an exhalation. Squatting on his heels, he drew a pair of tweezers from his shirt pocket. A moment later he held up a small plastic bag filled with white powder. Carefully, he opened the bag, dipped the tip of a pinky finger in the powder, tasted, then spat. He shook his head, swearing softly.
Two for the price of one, Ellie muttered, as she felt the body in her hands suddenly go limp. She had to swallow hard before she could choke out the words, Id give anything to get these people.
The third person in the warehouse had been standing well back from the evidence in the spread-legged, crossed-arms stance that screamed law enforcement even without the shoulder holster that criss-crossed beneath an immaculate gray suit. Now he moved forward and spoke in a quiet drawl. Anything?
Anything, Ellie grimly-perhaps recklessly-confirmed.
USFWS Special Agent Kenneth Burnsides eyes narrowed and his cheeks broadened with his smile, so that he looked-deceptively-like a good-natured baby. Glad to hear you say that, darlin, the Savannah native drawled. And I believe I know a way you might do that.
Ellie glared up at him, frustrated and torn; it wasnt the first time Agent Burnside had tried to recruit her, and quite frankly, shed sometimes been inclined to distrust his motives. Im a biologist, not a cop.
Youd be fully trained. Burnsides voice was persuasive, in the soft and lilting way of the South. Come on, Docwe need you. Together we can get these guys.
Ellie stared down at the now-inert body in her hands, picturing it instead in the rare and heart-stopping flash of blue against the unremitting green of a Brazilian rain forest. She felt the helpless anger drain out of her and a cold resolve come to take its place.
All right, she said at last, in the snappy, rough-edged, almost angry-sounding way that was her norm. You got me. Im there. Just tell me where I have to go to sign up.
Burnside chuckled and held out his hand. You just did. Welcome to the team, darlin.
Chapter 1
Quinn McCall applied one more daub of electric-blue paint to his newest masterpiece and stood back to admire the result. With one eye squinted against the glare of the late-morning sun, as well as the trickle of smoke that curled lazily skyward from a dangling cigarette, he considered the grouping of three parrots-one in each of the primary colors-pleasingly arranged amidst a riot of green foliage and orange hibiscus blossoms. Yep, he thought, hed been right to stick to just the three; throwing in that cockatoo would have been a bit much. Even for a McCall.
Alerted by the baritone bellow of a boats whistle, he glanced at the cheap watch nestled amongst the sun-bleached hairs on his left wrist. Praises be, in spite of the sinister presence of Tropical Storm Paulette, still lurking somewhere out there in the Caribbean, the launch from the weekly cruise ship was right on time. At this very moment, in fact, it was opening its gates to disgorge the latest wave of tourists eager to fork over their money on authentic local souvenirs. And he, Quinn McCall, was ready and waiting to take it from them. As, of course, were the hordes of street vendors, con artists, beggars and pickpockets that regularly plied their trades in the main plaza and adjoining market streets of Puerta Marialena.
McCall had staked out his favorite spot, near the main traffic flow from the harbor but commanding a view of the entire plaza, so that his was very nearly the first and the last shopping opportunity a tourist would encounter on his way to and from the pier. And, with the island of tropical landscaping, including some picturesque palm trees, behind him, hed have shade before midday, not to mention banks of bougainvillea to provide an appropriately gaudy backdrop against which to display his wares. Yes, it was a good spot; he usually did well here.
He always did well, actually. Well enough. It seemed the only thing more popular with the tourists than the genuine native stuff was an honest-to-God exiled gringo wasting away in Margaritaville. There was an element of envy in their stares, hed always thought, especially the mens. A touch of there but for a wife, a mortgage and a lack of cojones go I.
And from the womenwell, call it a sort of subdued nervous excitement, as if they felt they might be in the presence of some wild, exotic and possibly dangerous creature. Someone not quite civilized, more Hemingway than Jimmy Buffet.
And he took pains to look the part, in his standard uniform of cutoff jeans, sandals and a tropical print shirt-worn hanging open if the day was particularly hot, which it almost always was on the Caribbean shores of the Yucatan-accessorized with the dangling cigarette and several days growth of beard. No sunglasses: that would make him look too much like one of them. He preferred a Panama hat to keep the sun out of his eyes, but only when absolutely necessary. Actually, he rather liked the crows feet the Mexican sun had etched at their corners. More important, so did his female customers.
Of which there were bunches heading his way at that very moment. Mentally rubbing his hands in anticipation, McCall turned the just-finished painting ever so slightly on the easel and made a show of adding a tiny daub of paint to the blue parrots feathers. Out of the corner of his eye he monitored the progress of the latest wave-the usual assortment of pasty middle-aged norteamericanos, in pairs, mostly-anniversary couples or the odd honeymooners-or noisy, boisterous groups of women from places like Dallas, Atlanta and Hoboken. Young, single women were a rarer commodity, which he thought was maybe why he noticed that particular lady right away. Then again, the fact that she was cute as a pup might have had something to do with it.
Either way, once hed spotted her, it was hard to pull his eyes or his attention away from her. Not that she was such a knockout-cute really was the best word to describe her-but there was something about the way she moved, with a seemingly contradictory blend of self-confidence and a beguiling naïveté. Pert, he thought, mildly surprised to realize he even knew a word like pert. She was short, petite without appearing fragile, with the kind of trim and tidy little body that had always appealed to him. Hair the color of cinnamon, worn short and with a bit of curl that looked natural. Too far away to tell about her eyes.
He could feel his awareness of her creep along the back of his neck as the wave of newcomers swept into the plaza. Would she stop? Or, as anyone with a lick of artistic taste ought to do, wrinkle her nose fastidiously and move on.
Good grief.
The exclamation was muttered, barely audible, but McCall heard it, felt it almost, like warm breath across his skin. He glanced around and there she was right beside him, her head barely topping his shoulder.
He turned toward her, eyebrows raised in pretended surprise, teeth bared in a wolfish but welcoming smile around the stump of his cigarette. Yes, maam, he said, expansive, inviting. Hows about a nice little souvenir of old Mexico-every single one hand-painted and hand-signed.
She jerked her fascinated gaze from the painting to throw him a startled glance. Youre American. Her voice was husky with what he thought was probably embarrassment, realizing hed have understood that little comment of hers.
Still smiling, McCall plucked the cigarette from his teeth with a sweeping gesture. Guilty. He pointed the butt at the three parrots. You like that one? Sorry, cant let you have it, its still wet. But hey, I can ship it to you later, if you-