“Exceptional!”—Romantic Times “Enticing!”—Seattle Post-Intel igencer “Spicy!”—Library Journal “Heart-stopping!”—Publishers Weekly “Highly charged!”—Rendezvous Praise for New York Times and USA Today bestsel ing author CHERRY ADAIR and her irresistible romantic suspense novels BLACK MAGIC “Adair keeps the pace brisk and the action vivid. This book should appeal to readers who like bickering protagonists, plenty of sex, and a hero who always comes to the rescue.” —Publishers Weekly “Adair’s version of wizards and magic makes a much-welcomed return in a hot new adventure that brings estranged lovers back into contact.” —Romantic Times NIGHT SHADOW “Smoothly blends sensuality and espionage. …” —Publishers Weekly “Pulse-pounding … al the danger, treachery, and romance a reader could wish for. … Exceptional.” —Romantic Times “Cherry Adair’s intricately woven plot … wil make your pulse race and your palms sweat.” —Fresh Fiction NIGHT SECRETS “Tremendous!” —Romantic Times “The night sizzles to new heights in these novels of romantic suspense.” —Fresh Fiction WHITE HEAT WHITE HEAT “A steamy fusion of romance and heart-stopping suspense.” —Publishers Weekly “Heart-stopping adventure … spicy.” —Library Journal HOT ICE “A relentless page-turner with plenty of enticing plot twists and turns.” —Seattle Post-Intel igencer “A very sexy adventure that offers nonstop, continent-hopping action from start to finish.” —Library Journal HIDE AND SEEK “Cherry Adair stokes up the heat and intrigue in her adventurous thril er.” —Romantic Times “Wow, it’s gripping, sexy as al get out, and the characters wil send you into orbit in steam heat … enough chil s to keep you on an adrenaline high for the duration of the story.” —The Bel es and Beaux of Romance “Ful of highly charged sensuality and violence.” —Rendezvous “Outsize protagonists, super-nasty vil ains, and earthy sex scenes.” —Publishers Weekly “A reason to stay up way too late.” —The Romance Journal KISS AND TELL “A sexy, snappy rol er-coaster ride!” —New York Times bestsel ing author Susan Andersen “A true keeper.” —Romantic Times Also by Cherry Adair Black Magic Available from Pocket Star Books Pocket Star Books A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 www.SimonandSchuster.com This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2011 by Cherry Adair Al rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 First Pocket Star Books paperback edition May 2011 POCKET STAR BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc. The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com. Cover design by Lisa Litwack Cover il ustration by Craig White Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN 978-1-4391-5382-6 ISBN 978-1-4391-6711-3 (ebook) For Virginia Finucane I’m grateful every day for our friendship. The fact that you’re a talented and gifted graphic artist and have given me an awesome website is icing on my cake. gifted graphic artist and have given me an awesome website is icing on my cake. Contents Acknowledgments Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen “In broad daylight?” This time his sarcasm came through loud and clear, and her temperature spiked for a whole different reason. “I haven’t thought it through,” she said through her teeth. “But yes, why not?” “Because more than half the population in these parts are criminals of one sort or the other; because three Americans, one of them a light-eyed blond woman, and another injured, wil be picked off like they have targets on their backs. Because we have no idea where the fuck the nearest vil age is, and Piñero could drive up right behind us, and the next time she kidnaps us she won’t be so nice about it. That enough reason for you?” She sagged back against the wal , feeling like a punctured bal oon. “We aren’t going to fol ow the road?” “Did you see a road?” “No, but we got here, at least part of the way, on a paved road. I think I remember the turns—” “Or,” Zak cut in, “your fiendish plot works, the men are out of action, and we take a short walk through the jungle until we hit the river. Hire a boat and have a late steak dinner in Caracas tonight. Let me know when you’re ready to cast your vote.” She was starting to real y hate him. “How far’s the river? Do you even know which way it is? What if it’s a real y long walk?” “Walking won’t kil us. What’s out there hunting at night wil . We have a narrow window of opportunity before dark. Lie down; they’re coming back.” Fuming, Acadia stretched out on the slab. She didn’t bother closing her eyes. Every time she thought Zakary Stark was a nice guy, he did or said something obnoxious to change her mind. The fact that he was al kinds of sexy, and turned her on without trying to, was the irritating icing on the cake. Gold Tooth shoved a plastic cup through the bars at Zak. He made a crude suggestion that Acadia only vaguely understood, but her whole body flushed with fiery humiliation. A big fat steak dinner accompanied by about a gal on of ice water, in Caracas, alone, sounded more and more appealing. THE GUERRILLAS WERE DROPPING like flies, which surprised the hel out of Zak. He would have thought the eyedrop thing was an urban legend, but of Zak. He would have thought the eyedrop thing was an urban legend, but damned if it wasn’t working. Gideon had emptied the whole container of drops into their guards’ new bottle of rum. Within an hour, most of the men were puking their guts out, two were unconscious, and the rest seemed to be confused and lethargic as they staggered into the trees clutching their bel ies. A bloodless coup. “I can take some of the crap in your pockets, lighten the load some,” Zak offered, glancing at Acadia over his shoulder. She gave him a cool look. “The weight’s evenly distributed.” The woman went from hot to cold and back again on a dime. He didn’t even try to figure her out. The way she’d pul ed up her hair made her look like a sexy girl-next-door. Which was, as any red-blooded man knew, the most dangerous and subversive kind of female. He turned away from her smooth skin and the drugging fragrance of jasmine. Blue Bandana was trying to give his brother water. And failing. Gold Tooth couldn’t hold the cup. Water splashed into the grass at his feet. Blue Bandana went back for more. “Don’t be so fucking stubborn,” Zak told Acadia as he tracked the last holdout, now carrying the almost-empty rum bottle, back to his twin. Finish it, asshole. “You’re going to have to run.” “And I wil . How long?” Whatever. “Blue Bandana’s the holdout. He wasn’t drinking as much as the others. We’l give him another fifteen minutes to catch up.” She lay back, closed her eyes. “Wake me when it’s time to go.” She was taking a nap? Now? Wel , at least she’d shut up for a while. Zak turned back to observe the goings-on outside. Gold Tooth was out cold. His twin chugged the remainder of the drugged rum and looked around, clearly worried and confused as hel . A man stumbled out of the tree line, made it two yards, and col apsed. Zak knew for sure which direction they wouldn’t go: toward the entry point the guerril as had chosen for their latrine.