Will she reap the benefits of betrayal...

with a man impossible to resist?

Reeling from a bad divorce, Zoe Alston makes a pact with two women similarly scorned. Her mission: take down gorgeous businessman Ryan Dailey by sabotaging his sister’s political campaign. The problem: the white-hot chemistry sizzling between them. Now she’s caught between her promise and the man who’s bringing her back to life. How far will she go for revenge...or love?

CAT SCHIELD has been reading and writing romance since high school. Although she graduated from college with a BA in business, her idea of a perfect career was writing books for Mills & Boon. And now, after winning the Romance Writers of America 2010 Golden Heart® Award for Best Contemporary Series Romance, that dream has come true. Cat lives in Minnesota with her daughter, Emily, and their Burmese cat. When she’s not writing sexy, romantic stories for Mills & Boon Desire, she can be found sailing with friends on the St. Croix River, or in more exotic locales, like the Caribbean and Europe. She loves to hear from readers. Find her at catschield.net and follow her on Twitter, @catschield.

Also by Cat Schield

At Odds with the Heiress

A Merger by Marriage

A Taste of Temptation

The Black Sheep’s Secret Child

Little Secret, Red Hot Scandal

The Heir Affair

Upstairs Downstairs Baby

Substitute Seduction

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Revenge with Benefits

Cat Schield

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09209-8

REVENGE WITH BENEFITS

© 2019 Catherine Schield

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Prologue

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Epilogue

About the Publisher

Prologue

While the keynote speaker for the Beautiful Women Taking Charge event droned on, Everly Briggs contemplated Zoe Crosby and recognized the former Charleston, South Carolina trophy wife was the weak link in her plan.

Before the networking function Everly had researched the attendees and settled on two women recently wronged by the men in their lives. Over cocktails, Everly had chatted up both women, sharing her own tale of how her sister had been wronged by wealthy entrepreneur Ryan Dailey. In addition to Zoe Crosby, she’d encouraged London McCaffrey to pour out her heartbreak after Linc Thurston broke off their engagement.

“We’ve each been the victim of a wealthy, powerful man,” Everly said, thinking that was most true of Zoe. Her ex-husband had hired Charleston’s most ruthless divorce attorney and rumor had it that Zoe’s settlement was going to be eaten up by her lawyer’s fees. “Don’t you think it’s time we get a little payback?”

“Anything we try would only end up making things worse for us,” Zoe said, her hesitation grating on Everly’s nerves.

Up until this moment, Zoe Crosby had been listening and nodding sympathetically. Before meeting her, Everly figured if anyone would want to take down a powerful man it would be a wife who’d been cheated on by one, then cast aside and forced to defend her honor in divorce court.

Instead, Everly was starting to understand why Tristan Crosby had treated his wife with such disdain. The woman was too soft, too passive. She lacked fire and purpose. Well, Everly would just have to stir up the socialite’s indignation over how she’d been treated and drive Zoe into the revenge scheme.

“Not if we go after each other’s men,” Everly explained, gratified to see London McCaffrey nodding in understanding. Zoe still looked worried, so Everly continued to lay out her plan. “Think about it,” she said, fighting to keep impatience out of her voice. “We’re strangers at a cocktail party. Who would ever connect us? I go after Linc. London goes after Tristan and, Zoe, you go after Ryan.”

“When you say ‘go after,’” Zoe said cautiously, “what do you have in mind?”

Everly resisted the urge to roll her eyes. From the first she’d suspected Zoe would be too timid to make a good revenge partner, but at least the socialite could be manipulated into doing as Everly wanted.

“In Ryan’s case, his sister is running for state senate,” Everly said, deciding she’d better monitor Zoe’s part of the plan to make sure Ryan Dailey paid dearly for putting her sister in jail.

After all, he was responsible for breaking Kelly’s heart and driving her to act out against his firm by deleting millions of dollars worth of engineering drawings. If he hadn’t led her sister on, Everly was convinced Kelly never would’ve snapped like that.

Zoe’s frown deepened at Everly’s suggestion that she go after Ryan indirectly. “I thought we were supposed to be going after the men. I don’t feel comfortable.”

“Since Ryan destroyed my sister’s life,” Everly explained with elaborate patience even as her irritation reached a boiling point, “it only seems fair that we ruin his sister’s chances at being elected.” Her pause was too brief to give Zoe a chance to argue further. “Getting at Ryan through his sister is the best way to go. Okay?”

Zoe’s abbreviated nod didn’t fill Everly with confidence. Well, if the socialite couldn’t do what needed to be done, Everly would just have to take care of things herself.

One

Fingers biting into the armrest of the hair salon’s cheap vinyl chair, Zoe Crosby—Alston, she reminded herself yet again—stared at her reflection. As of today it was official. Forevermore she would check the divorced box on every survey form or application that asked her marital status. Even though for the last year she’d told herself it wasn’t her fault, the shame of failure sent heat rushing over her skin, leaving her feeling sweaty and miserable.

“Are you sure about this?” the stylist asked, her face screwed into doubtful lines. Penny raked her fingers through Zoe’s long, silky hair. “Your hair is so gorgeous. The caramel color with the paler blond streaks. Are you sure you don’t want me to take an inch off and call it good?”

Zoe set her jaw and shook her head. “No. I want you to shave it all off.”

The stylist looked even more pained, if that was possible. “It’s none of my business, and you are beautiful enough to wear your hair whatever length you want, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t talk you out of doing something that radical.”

Tristan had been very particular about her hair. He’d wanted it to end exactly at her nipples, deeming it the perfect length. She was not allowed to have bangs or layers. Just a silky, straight curtain with blunt ends. She hadn’t been allowed to curl it or to put it up when he’d been around. It was just one of the many ways he’d controlled her.

Zoe sighed, her courage deflating. She’d marched into the hair salon after deciding to shave her head as a middle finger salute to her ex. Tristan couldn’t control her anymore and that was empowering, but maybe getting rid of all her hair was a bit extreme. Still, she needed to do something to mark the day that she was utterly and joyfully free of Tristan Crosby. Her gaze swept the photos of women modeling various haircuts lining the walls, snagging on one in particular.

“What about that?” She pointed to a brunette sporting a short, spiky cut. “Only I’d like to go platinum blond.”

The stylist looked relieved. “With your bone structure, that look would be fantastic on you.”

“Do it.”

An hour and a half later Zoe regarded her reflection and didn’t recognize herself. Gone was the traditional wife of a successful Charleston businessman with her sweater sets and pretty floral dresses. In her place was an edgy replacement in a graphic T-shirt and torn black jeans. Zoe shivered as she raked her fingers through her new do.

Tristan would hate her dramatic transformation.

But then dismay flooded her. When would she stop running all her decisions through the filter of pleasing her ex-husband? All the more reason to make the change. She needed to think about what made her happy.

Plus, she had another reason for altering her appearance.

With step one of her transformation complete, Zoe exited the salon and popped into a drugstore to purchase lipstick and an eye shadow kit in smoky shades that Tristan Crosby’s ex-wife would never have been allowed to wear. In the parking lot, she sat in her car and applied the makeup.

Drawing confidence from her new look, Zoe put her car in gear and headed to the campaign headquarters for Susannah Dailey-Kirby’s state senate race. She intended to volunteer for the campaign, making herself indispensable and gathering as much dirt as she could to take down Ryan Dailey’s twin.

Everly had suggested the strategy to get back at him for Everly’s sister, Kelly.

At the time Zoe had been happy for the input. She’d had absolutely no idea how one went about seeking revenge. Her time married to Tristan had been all about surviving his psychological battery, leaving her little energy for schemes or the gumption to carry them out.

Yet that wasn’t completely true. As a safety net, she’d managed to siphon off tens of thousands of dollars from her allowance during her marriage. Having grown up not exactly poor but with a family that lived paycheck to paycheck, she’d liked the idea of financial independence that ready access to the secret stash offered her.

She should have realized Tristan would view any attempt at self-sufficiency as a threat to his power. When he’d found out, he’d reclaimed her stash and monitored her spending more closely. But instead of intimidating her, his actions had made her more determined, and less trusting of her so-called friends and allies.

The crushing loneliness of being married to Tristan was almost as bad as the emotional and psychological abuse he’d heaped on her. Maybe she shouldn’t have let Tristan convince her to quit college after her junior year. But she’d chosen to plan an elaborate wedding instead of finishing her degree. Floating down the aisle mere months before her twenty-first birthday, she’d actually believed the rest of her life would be like a fairy tale. And in some ways it had. Only she hadn’t been the lucky princess rescued by Prince Charming. Tristan had turned out to be more like the evil king who overtaxed the peasants and punished his subjects whenever the mood struck him.

She’d had no real friends, as was glaringly obvious in the wake of her separation from Tristan and subsequent divorce. No one had stepped up to support or to help her. She’d become a pariah in their tight social circles as Tristan had leaked false stories of her infidelity. No one had cared or believed her when she’d denied the allegations. It was one thing if a man strayed, but unseemly for a Southern woman.

Zoe came out of her reverie as she neared North Charleston. Susannah Dailey-Kirby’s campaign headquarters wasn’t far from the humane society where Zoe volunteered once a week, loving the time she got to spend with the animals. She’d grown up with dogs and cats, but Tristan had refused to allow her to have a pet.

After parking her car in the strip mall parking lot, Zoe strode along the sidewalk in the direction of the campaign’s storefront. For the last week or so she’d been sitting at the fast-food franchise across the street, contemplating the comings and goings of the staff and gathering courage to make her approach. In the weeks since she’d agreed to the revenge bargain, her enthusiasm for the project had waned.

But she’d made a promise and staying true to her commitments was an intrinsic element of her personality she couldn’t just set aside. She couldn’t help it, even when that trait had kept her in a bad marriage past all self-preservation. She’d meant it when she’d stood before family and friends and pledged to love, honor and cherish Tristan until death. That he’d done everything to destroy her good intentions hadn’t lessened her dedication to her vows. No doubt she’d still be married and miserable if he hadn’t decided to cast her aside.

Some days it was hard for her to distinguish whether the brunt of her anger over the failure of her marriage was directed at Tristan or herself. The rational part of her mind blamed Tristan’s unreasonable expectations, but her emotions turned the fault on her shortcomings.

Approaching the campaign headquarters, Zoe took a deep breath and held it while she pushed all doubts and worries out of her mind. She needed to focus on the task at hand or everything would be lost.

She’d decided to keep her backstory vague, because she didn’t want to talk about her ex-husband or the messy divorce he’d put her through. She was restarting her life as Zoe Alston and that opened up a whole range of possibilities. But first she had to see her commitment through.

Gathering a deep breath for courage, Zoe pushed through the front door, expecting the campaign office to be buzzing despite the election being a year off. But the space she entered was static and tense, as if she’d burst onto the scene of a tragedy.

A tiny bell had rung as she’d entered, but no one had noticed. The same chime sounded now as the door swung shut behind her. The campaign staff remained focused on a large TV. Feeling like an intruder, she advanced two steps into the room and then hesitated, unsure if she should continue or retreat. She’d obviously stumbled into something dire.

Four people stood in a semicircle surrounding a tall, slender man with thick, neatly combed gray hair. Phones rang at several desks but no one paid them any heed. In fact, the staffers’ only reaction was to dial the TV volume up.

Zoe shifted her focus from the campaign workers to the news footage that held their attention. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that someone new had entered the race and apparently this was very bad indeed. Realizing this was not a good time for her to approach the campaign team about volunteering, she started to pivot back the way she’d come and promptly collided with someone.

Like the campaign staff, she’d been so focused on the television coverage she hadn’t noticed the tinkling bell. Now, however, as her nose took a hit from the man’s cologne, her senses went on full alert. She was still reeling from the masculine scent of him as her right shoulder impacted with his rock-solid chest. It was like hitting a wall. Zoe bounced off him like a kitten off a mastiff.

She stumbled and might’ve fallen had he not caught her by the arm. His fingers were strong. His grip firm and steadying. It sent her heart sprinting as he guided her back the way she’d come. Her brain struggled to catch up with the to-and-fro movements of her body and decode the electric jolt she felt when he’d first touched her.

Her gaze collided with pale gray eyes of incredible intensity. For a moment she was utterly mesmerized. And then recognition flared. She gulped in panic.

Ryan Dailey.

Less than thirty seconds had passed since she’d initiated her part of the revenge plot and already she’d bumped into her target. And what an unexpected encounter it was shaping up to be.

The man’s sharp jawline, hawkish gaze, impossibly wide shoulders and sensual grin packed a solid wallop. Tingles raced across her nerve endings as heat built beneath her skin. It raced past her throat and exploded in her cheeks.

“You okay?” Ryan Dailey asked, his deep, rich voice rumbling against her eardrums and awakening queer flutters in her stomach.

“Yeah.” It was all she could manage.

“I’m Ryan Dailey,” he said, letting his focus flow over her white-blond spikes, dark plum lips and edgy bohemian outfit. “Susannah’s brother.”

While he checked her out, she took in his custom navy suit, white shirt and pale blue tie. Even with the four-inch heels on her ankle boots making her about five-nine, the man towered over her. Yet despite his imposing stature, she didn’t experience the bitter taste of anxiety her ex-husband had often awakened.

But that didn’t mean she felt calm.

“I’m Zoe...” Her mind froze before she could add her last name. For eight years she’d gone by Zoe Crosby. Those days were done.

“Nice to meet you, Zoe,” Ryan said, smoothly filling in the awkward gap. The way his gray eyes sharpened with interest, he seemed to mean it.

“Nice to meet you, too.” She couldn’t seem to peel her gaze free, but had enough presence of mind to lift her elbow and alert him that she no longer needed his continued support.

His steely fingers relaxed and slid away, but her skin prickled beneath her black leather jacket as she continued to react to the pressure of his touch.

“You’re new to Susannah’s campaign,” he remarked.

“What makes you say that?”

“If you’d been around before, I would’ve noticed you.”

His comment reawakened those anxious flutters in her stomach. The interest in his eyes was a little too keen, so Zoe settled deeper into playing her role of eager volunteer with nothing to hide.

“I’m really interested in volunteering for the campaign, but it seems like today might not be the best day to be here.” She indicated the cluster of staff and then glanced toward the front door. “They seem really busy. Maybe I’ll come back another time.”

“Don’t go.” His cajoling smile sent a lance of delight through her. “Come on. I’ll introduce you.”

Zoe found herself smiling in return. “How about I wait right here and if they have time, you wave me over.”

Offering her a brief nod, he moved past her.

Zoe stared after him, appalled and thrilled in turns.

That was Ryan Dailey?

Despite her promise to stay, she slipped out the front door, sucking in a huge breath of air as she escaped the charged atmosphere. No wonder Everly had suggested Zoe focus on the sister. Taking down such a formidable man would’ve been beyond Zoe’s abilities even if she hadn’t been brought low by her ex-husband’s cold-blooded machinations.

Yet, Ryan Dailey wasn’t Tristan. He didn’t seem the sort who took pleasure in being ruthless. That didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous, especially given what had happened to Everly’s sister, but Zoe didn’t sense she was in peril.

At least not yet.

* * *

Interesting, Ryan mused. Bumping into her had stirred something that had been missing from his life for a long time. Lust. When was the last time he’d noticed a woman and wanted to put his mark on her? To take her to bed and satisfy a basic physical need, indulge in a whole host of dirty fantasies?

The chemistry between them had shivered across his nerve endings and rattled his bones. As he headed to the back of the office, he continued to be aware of her presence. He rubbed his chest where her shoulder had struck him. The spot seemed to buzz in the aftermath of the contact. In fact, the collision had started a chain reaction through his body.

But the uptick in Ryan’s mood faded fast as he approached the campaign staffers huddled in front of the TV. The news segment on Lyle Abernathy entering the state senate race was over, but the strategizing about how to handle things was just getting started.

Ryan joined the group, noting Gil Moore’s grim expression. “Hi, Gil.”

“Hey, Ryan. I take it you heard.”

“About Abernathy? Yeah.”

“It’s going to be bad,” the campaign manager said.

“How’s Susannah doing?”

“You know her motto. Never let them see you sweat.”

Ryan acknowledged Gil’s words with a nod. “Someone is here to volunteer. Her name is...” Ryan turned to where he’d left Zoe standing only to discover she’d gone. “Damn it.”

He couldn’t believe he was panicking. It spoke to the strong effect she had on him. Now that she’d bolted, he couldn’t bear the thought that he’d never see her again.

“Looks like she took off.”

“She didn’t think her timing was right.”

“Hopefully we haven’t scared her off for good,” Gil said. “Did you get a name?”

“Zoe.” It wasn’t much. Definitely not enough to track her down. “If she comes back, can you let me know? She has really short blond hair and a black leather jacket. Sort of a bohemian style.”

Gil nodded. “We’ll keep a lookout.”

“Thanks.” Ryan was grateful the campaign manager didn’t ask any more questions. “I’d better go find out how Susannah’s doing.”

He headed towards his twin sister’s office near the back of the building. On entering, he found her seated at her desk, staring at her computer. Her long black hair lay in a sleek curtain against her royal blue suit. Her beautiful face was relaxed; she looked not the least bit flustered that her campaign had just gotten that much harder.

Susannah looked up, her gray eyes narrowing. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see if you’re okay.” Ryan knew it was a useless gesture as soon as he spoke. Still, he didn’t regret rushing over. It had enabled him to meet Zoe.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake! You and Mom. I just got off the phone with her a few minutes ago. I’m fine.” And she meant it. Even when they were kids nothing had seemed to faze Susannah. Her unflappability would serve her well in the months to come. “Lyle is barely more than a speed bump.”

Ryan glanced over his shoulder to where her staff had fallen to conversing in low tones among themselves. “Gil doesn’t seem to share your opinion.”

“He likes to worry.”

“You don’t worry enough.”

“What good would it do me?” Susannah asked, her brows coming together. “Lyle switched districts because he wasn’t going to get elected to a fourth term, and he’s too arrogant to believe that I won’t be as much competition as Jeb Harrell.”

“It’s your first shot at running for state senate.”

And you’re a woman. Ryan knew better than to add the second part. Abernathy would throw dirt at Susannah any way he could. It was a sure bet he would use her gender against her.

“I’m a fantastic candidate for this district and everyone knows it.” She paused and gave him a cocky little smile. “Including Lyle Abernathy.”

“That’ll just make him play dirty.”

“I’m as squeaky clean as it gets,” his twin reminded him. Then, seeing Ryan’s continued doubt, she huffed impatiently. “There’s nothing for him to use against me.”

“That won’t stop him. He’ll make stuff up.”

“We’ll be ready.”

Ryan opened his mouth to argue but decided he’d be wasting his breath. Susannah Dailey-Kirby was not a woman in need of his assistance.

The walls separating Susannah’s office from the rest of the campaign headquarters were made of glass. Blinds had been added in case she needed privacy, but at the moment they were open. Ryan caught himself glancing a third time toward the front door where he’d last glimpsed Zoe.

Susannah followed the direction of his gaze. “Looking for something?”

“Someone. Your newest volunteer.”

“I don’t see anyone.”

“With everything going on, she left before anyone met her. I was hoping she’d changed her mind and come back.”

“My,” his sister drawled, “she must’ve been something for you to be this interested. Was she pretty?”

“Yes.”

Was he crazy to be so preoccupied with a woman he’d talked to for less than a minute? But then he remembered how bumping into her had short-circuited his system and knocked all thoughts of politics and Lyle Abernathy from his mind.

“Very pretty?”

“Very pretty. But she was different from the women I’m usually attracted to.”

“How so?”

For a second Ryan wondered if he could put into words his unexpected reaction. He met hundreds of women a year. Why this particular one? While beautiful, she wasn’t the most stunning woman he’d ever met and he hadn’t spoken with her long enough to determine if she was bright or funny. Yet her impact on him lingered.

“She dressed like a badass. Black jeans and a graphic tee. Spiky blond hair and dark makeup. Sort of a ‘flower child meets rock-and-roll’ vibe.” Yet beneath the tough-girl exterior he’d sensed her vulnerability.

“Seriously?” His sister made no attempt to hide her amusement. “You’re right. That doesn’t sound like your type at all.”

He was tired of dating successful, sophisticated women like his sister—women who made it their mission to kick the world’s ass. He wanted someone who could use his help. A woman who wasn’t afraid to need him. “Maybe what I need is someone totally different.”

Despite his mistakes with Kelly Briggs, Ryan liked the idea of being someone’s hero and he refused to shy away from the arrogance of being convinced he was right when he acted in another person’s best interest. Sure, maybe in this day and age women didn’t want to be rescued or helped. Maybe they demanded the power in their relationships be balanced and equal. Ryan wasn’t opposed to that, but what was wrong with letting their guard down and letting a guy flex his muscles once in a while?

Zoe intrigued him. He’d glimpsed something in her eyes that triggered his protective instincts. Which might prove problematic, given what had happened when he’d tried to help Kelly Briggs. She’d misinterpreted his assistance as some deep emotional connection between them. When he’d explained his concern was strictly platonic, she’d struck out against his company in a vicious act of revenge.

“But this isn’t about me,” Ryan objected. “It’s about your campaign. You need all the help you can get. Especially now that Lyle has joined the race.”

“Sure.” His sister gave him a wry smile. “You keep telling yourself that. I hope she comes back.” Susannah’s eyes twinkled. “For the campaign’s sake, of course.” She paused to let her ribbing sink in and then added, “What did you say her name was?”

“Zoe. Hopefully she’ll come back.”

“If she does, we’ll make sure we get all her details. I don’t want her to disappear on you a second time.”

Ryan opened his mouth to deny his interest and sighed instead. “That would be great. I have to get going. Call me if anything new comes up.”

Before he could go, Susannah caught his arm. “I love you, big brother. Thanks for worrying about me even if I don’t really need it.”

He covered her hand with his. “It’s what I do.”

“I know. And I worry about you in turn.” She spoke in a low tone. “I hope your mystery woman comes back and that she’s great because you deserve someone fabulous in your life.”

“I’m fine,” he said automatically.

“Of course you’re fine,” she countered. “But I want you to be fantastic and the right woman could do that for you.”

Susannah had married the first man she’d ever dated and they lived the blissful life of the perfect couple. She and Jefferson had been married for ten years and had two beautiful children, Violet and Casey, ages six and eight. In addition to being a supportive wife and supermom, she was a corporate attorney with the top law firm in the city. Every day she strove to take successful to new levels and did it with grace and ease.

“Jeff is a lucky man to have you,” Ryan said. “I’m afraid you might have set the bar too high for my future wife.”

With a quick wave of her hand, Susannah dismissed his compliment. “We’re a great team. I couldn’t do any of this without him.”

While Ryan wondered if that was true, he gave her a hard hug and took his leave.

Despite his sister’s confidence that she could handle whatever trash Lyle threw at her in the senate race, Ryan didn’t like this new development. It was time for him to pay his buddy downtown a visit. He might have a fresh take on what sort of dirty tricks they could expect in the months between now and election day.

Two

The day after Zoe’s first attempt to join Susannah Dailey-Kirby’s state senate campaign, she returned to the storefront, hoping for less chaos and no Ryan. Although the atmosphere continued to buzz with activity and anticipation, the staffers were no longer in crisis mode. She was greeted as soon as the door closed behind her.

“Hi, I’m Tonya.” A pretty redhead in her midtwenties wearing jeans and a T-shirt emblazoned with Dailey for Senate approached Zoe. “Is there something I can do to help you?”

“Yes, I was here yesterday and—”

Tanya interrupted her. “Are you Zoe?”

That the staffer knew her name sent a shock through Zoe. Had she been found out already? Impossible.

“Yes.”

“Wonderful. We’re so glad you came back. Ryan mentioned that you’d stopped by but left before we could get any of your information.”

“You all looked really busy,” Zoe said, hoping her relief didn’t show. “I just thought I’d try a different time.”

“Well, we’re really glad you did. Have you ever volunteered for a political campaign before?”

Zoe shook her head and Tonya began to describe the various activities volunteers could participate in.

“Why don’t you come sit at my desk and I’ll get some basic information from you.”

While it was easy for Zoe to give Tonya her email and phone number, when it came to her home address, she was cagier. “I’m crashing with a friend at the moment. Can I give you a PO Box?”

Tonya looked doubtful but nodded. “I guess that would be okay. Are you looking for a permanent place?”

“That’s the plan.” Zoe pictured her cot in the back room of the retail space she’d rented a year earlier. That was before legal fees had consumed her divorce settlement and jeopardized her dream of running a consignment store that helped victims of domestic violence get back on their feet financially. “I just need something I can afford.”

“Sure.” Tonya went on to ask questions about what sort of work Zoe did and what she saw herself doing for the campaign.

While Zoe answered Tonya’s questions, her gaze was drawn toward the large glassed-in office at the back of the campaign headquarters. From this angle, Zoe could see Susannah working on her computer. Zoe’s gut tightened. She was dreading her first meeting with Susannah, knowing she was going to do everything she could to cause the woman harm.

Guilt gouged her conscience. She’d been so focused on getting through her divorce and being angry at everything Tristan had done to her that she’d barely considered the damage her bargain with London and Everly would do to an innocent third party. Zoe gave herself a mental shake. She couldn’t start thinking like this or she’d never be able to go through with what she planned. Instead, she focused on Everly’s justification that Ryan deserved to feel the sort of pain and frustration Everly had gone through because of what he’d done to her sister.

While she shied away from dwelling on the ethics of what she and her coconspirators were up to, Zoe heard the front door open behind her and noted how the energy in the room ratcheted up several notches. Tonya’s attention shifted past Zoe and her expression relaxed into a relieved half smile. Alarm bells began to ring in Zoe’s mind. Had she been found out? Was someone coming to haul her away? She balled her hands in her lap and dug her fingernails into her palms to fight down panic. Letting her imagination run amok wasn’t going to make her job any easier.

“Hi, Ryan,” Tonya said, her smile turning supernova. “How are you doing today?”

Learning that Ryan was the person who’d just arrived didn’t calm Zoe’s nerves at all. She’d bolted after meeting him the day before, determining she was too rattled by her sharp reaction to their brief encounter to stick around and pretend she was just an average campaign volunteer.

Now, feeling Ryan’s approach in a rush of tingles over her skin, Zoe contemplated the younger woman and realized that Tonya had a crush on the handsome businessman. This gave Zoe a little breathing room. At least all eyes wouldn’t be on her for now.

“I’m great,” Ryan said in his velvet voice. “How are you doing, Tonya?”

The woman rolled her eyes significantly. “Way better than yesterday. The news about Lyle was such a shock. But of course Susannah calmed everyone down. She’s so amazing.”

The hero worship in Tanya’s eyes might have amused Zoe if her own heart wasn’t pounding so hard in reaction to Ryan Dailey.

“She is that,” Ryan agreed as he stepped into Zoe’s line of sight. “You came back,” he said, a warm smile curving his sculpted lips. “That’s great.”

Zoe’s gaze drifted upward over his light gray suit, white shirt and peach-colored tie. Her mouth was practically watering by the time she noted the faint stubble on his chin that gave him a slightly rakish air.

While preparing to take down Ryan Dailey, Zoe had done extensive online research. Despite his wealth and business success, the man wasn’t much for stepping into the public eye. She’d had only the headshot of him on his company’s web site to recognize him by. That photo hadn’t prepared her for the man’s compelling presence.

By contrast, his sister enjoyed being in the spotlight. She was on the board of several charities focused on children’s issues. With her husband at her side, she attended all sorts of events. Although Zoe had seen her many times over the years, they ran in completely different circles and never crossed paths. Zoe couldn’t imagine what she could possibly say to engage such a brilliant, successful lawyer.

Whatever interests Ryan Dailey pursued in his personal life, he kept a tight lid on his activities. Zoe had found no trace of his love life in the media, but she suspected like so many wealthy and powerful men, he liked arm candy. Beautiful and sexy women that were meant to be showed off. They accentuated a man’s virility.

But Ryan Dailey didn’t need help in that department.

Zoe cursed as she noted her breathlessness. “Everyone seemed really busy yesterday,” she explained.

“I’m glad you came back.”

The fact that he sounded sincere combined with the keen interest in his gray eyes sent a shiver of awareness through her.

To Zoe’s dismay, she recognized what lay beneath the shrilling of her nerves: attraction. It sizzled through her like lightning, awakening a fever she’d never known with her husband. Their marriage hadn’t been a love match. He’d chosen her for reasons he’d made clear in the months following their wedding and in the beginning she’d been both flattered that he’d found her desirable and naïve enough to believe that feeling affection for her husband was enough for her to be happily married.

She’d never make that mistake again.

Zoe wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted out of her next long-term relationship, but she’d never be with anyone who trifled with her emotions or damaged her self-esteem in any way.

“I am, too,” Zoe said. “Tonya was just filling me in on some of the things I could do to help out.”

“So you’re going to be a regular?”

“I’d like that,” Zoe said, glancing Tonya’s way to escape his intense scrutiny.

The turmoil raging inside her from her subterfuge, her guilt and her body’s chemical reaction to Ryan was a volatile mix. Zoe set her palms together and slid her hands between her thighs to hide their shaking.

“And we’re happy to have her,” Tonya said, her attention remaining fixed on Ryan.

“Hey, Tonya, could you come here a second?” a man called from across the room.

“Excuse me,” she said, getting to her feet. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.” This last part she added with a wry smile in Ryan’s direction.

With Tonya’s departure, Zoe expected Ryan to head off, as well. Instead, he dropped into the chair Tonya had vacated and glanced at the paperwork Zoe had filled out. He glanced up and noticed her watching him. His lopsided smile made her pulse skip.

“I was afraid when you left yesterday that I’d never see you again,” he said, the admission making her heart race.

“It just didn’t seem like the right time to be here,” she murmured, barely able to hear herself over the litany of alerts blaring in her mind.

“Do you want to grab a cup of coffee when you’re done here?”

Her initial unguarded reaction was jubilation and she goggled at his invitation like a smitten fool. Ryan was an incredibly sexy man and any woman would be thrilled that he wanted to spend time with her.

But did it make sense that he was interested in her? Not Zoe Crosby the wealthy socialite, but plain Zoe Alston with her spiky hair and inexpensive clothing. In her current state, she recognized she wasn’t in his league and he had to know that. So what was his angle and how did she go about finding out without tipping her hand?

Everly had warned her that Ryan was bound to be suspicious if Zoe came on too strong, so she intended to focus all her attention on getting on Susannah’s good side. She’d never imagined that Ryan might be interested in her and this odd turn left her tongue-tied while she rethought her strategy.

“Don’t look so alarmed,” he said, misreading her hesitation. “I’m harmless. Ask anyone here.”

“I’m not sure harmless is an accurate description of you,” she said.

“No? Then what would you say that I am?”

Charming. Sexy. Irresistible.

Or if Everly was right, he was predatory, manipulative and cruel.

Zoe couldn’t picture him like that.

“You seem quite nice.”

He laughed. “The way you say that it almost seems like an insult.”

“It’s not.” Her cheeks felt overly warm. “I like nice.”

His white teeth flashed in a smile that heated her blood and drew her in until she caught herself leaning into his space. Silver glinted in his gray eyes, mesmerizing her.

“Good,” he murmured. “Because I want you to like me.”

It unnerved her to discover that she craved his company and that her motivation wasn’t due to any revenge plot she’d embroiled herself in. Zoe recognized that her interest in Ryan was purely female and driven by an instinct as old as time. She fingered her short hair and struggled against the pull of his charisma.

“I’m not sure how long they need me to stick around today,” she hedged, glancing in Tonya’s direction. The woman watched Zoe and Ryan with interest.

“I’ll wait.” His gray eyes remained fixed on her and their steadiness made Zoe fidget.

“I’m sure you have much better things to do than hang around and wait for me,” she said. “Don’t you have a company to run?”

He deflected her brush-off with a lazy grin. “One perk of being the boss is that I set my own schedule.”

His utter confidence was turning her on. Zoe shifted in her chair. This would not do. There was too much at stake for her to become distracted by an attack of lust.

“Or if you’d prefer,” he continued, his deep voice turning her bones—and willpower—to mush. “We could have dinner.”

Zoe compelled her gaze to shift away from the determined glint in his eyes, but the damage was done. His unrelenting focus had struck a match to the dry tinder of loneliness she’d endured in her marriage.

“Sure.” The word came out in a breathless rush before her thoughts caught up to her emotions. “I mean—”

A broad smile bloomed on his face. “Too late,” he said, cutting her off. “Tonight at seven?”

“I’m busy tonight,” she lied, remembering that she shouldn’t appear too eager.

“Tomorrow?”

“You’re awfully determined, aren’t you?” She tried to act as if she wasn’t flattered by his persistence while a traitorous thrill pulsed deep inside her, setting her nerves to jangling and twisting her stomach into knots.

“I’m used to getting my way.”

Indeed. Which was why she’d be wise to keep her wits about her and her defenses on high alert. Her purpose in joining the campaign was to hurt him by causing his sister damage. An eye for an eye, Everly had said.

Zoe hadn’t taken into account how difficult it would be to exact revenge on someone she found herself liking. She had to remember that Ryan was a bad guy like her ex-husband. Focusing on that would make it a lot easier to take him down.

Instead she caught herself daydreaming about his handsome face and gorgeous body. But more worrisome than her double-crossing libido was the way his wry humor made her smile and his easy confidence bypassed her defenses. Add in his devotion to his sister and he appeared to be quite the catch.

The question remained. If he was so wonderful, why was he still single? Everly insisted he lacked a conscience. That he had no qualms about using women and then throwing them aside. He’d certainly done that to Kelly Briggs.

And then he’d sent her to jail after she’d acted out, impulsively deleting engineering schematics that had cost his company millions of dollars. Everly wanted him to pay for leading her sister on and then turning his back on her. From the picture Everly had painted of him, Zoe easily perceived him as someone who deserved payback.

But how was she to reconcile that version of Ryan with the man she’d met? The disconnect worried Zoe and made her question the wisdom of what she’d joined Susannah’s campaign intending to do.

“Where can I pick you up?” he asked, interrupting her train of thought.

Zoe shook her head. He would expect her to be renting an apartment or a house. Her living arrangements were far less conventional and he would ask too many questions she didn’t want to answer.

“How about I meet you at the restaurant?” she suggested.

His eyes narrowed as he surveyed her. “How do I know you’ll show up?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“That’s an interesting question.” He leaned forward and his powerful presence enveloped her. “There’s something about you I can’t put my finger on, but you intrigue me.”

His declaration gave Zoe goose bumps. And only some of them were the good kind.

“Me?” She huffed out a laugh and shook her head. “That’s funny. There’s not a single interesting thing about me.”

“Let me be the judge of that. I’m looking forward to getting to know you much better. How about we meet at Charleston Grill at seven?”

The last thing Zoe wanted to do was to eat anywhere close to downtown Charleston where she might run into someone she knew.

“That’s a little too fancy for me,” she said, thinking fast. “How about Bertha’s Kitchen at six?”

The iconic soul food restaurant was located in North Charleston and famous for its fried chicken and Southern sides. The hearty helpings of delicious soul food were served cafeteria-style on no-frills foam plates. Not necessarily a place she’d expect a wealthy businessman like Ryan to dine.

To her surprise, he nodded without hesitation. “I’ll see you at six.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Here’s my number if anything changes.” When she started to pull it from his fingers, Ryan tightened his grip. “But you have to know I’ll be crushed if you stand me up.”

She doubted that anything could crush him, but rushed to assure him. “I won’t.”

With a quick, heart-stopping smile, he got to his feet. “See you tomorrow, Zoe Alston.”

“See you tomorrow,” she echoed faintly, her whole body buzzing with energy. “Ryan Dailey.”

* * *

Buzzing with satisfaction, Ryan headed for his sister’s office. As he entered, Susannah leaned back in her executive chair and the springs creaked ominously. Although his sister had more than enough money to furnish her campaign office with all new furniture, she’d chosen to downplay her wealth by sticking to a strict budget.

“Thanks for calling me with a heads-up that Zoe had returned,” he said, sliding into one of her guest chairs.

“I’m always happy to help out my big brother.” Susannah was five minutes younger than Ryan, but her serious nature had always made her seem years older. “Did you ask her out?”

“I invited her to dinner.”

Susannah arched an eyebrow. “And is she going?”

“What do you think?” He made no attempt to hide his smirk.

“That she’s not exactly your type.”

Ryan knew his sister was referring to the fact that all the women he dated came from their social circles. Interchangeable beauties that came from wealth. Good families. Good schools. Good manners. Good careers. By marrying any of them he would’ve fallen into a predictable pattern. He wanted a woman who riled his emotions and challenged him.

“I’ll admit her style isn’t what I’m used to, but I’d like to think I’m not that shallow.” Ryan flashed a disarming grin. “She’s mysterious and there’s something tragic in her eyes.”

“And deep down inside you have a knight-in-shining-armor complex that gets you into trouble.”

Susannah was talking about Kelly Briggs. He’d tried to help her out and the whole thing had backfired.

“Just because you haven’t needed my help since middle school doesn’t mean others don’t appreciate some assistance now and then,” he said. “And you’re not exactly one to talk. No one likes to help out more than you.”

“Help,” she said. “Not rescue.”

“Zoe doesn’t strike me as a woman who needs to be rescued.”

“Yet you just said there was something tragic about her. It worries me after what happened with Kelly.”

It still bugged Ryan that he’d mishandled the situation with Kelly Briggs. Well, maybe mishandled wasn’t the best description for what had happened. He’d taken her at face value and failed to look below the surface for what had motivated her.

From the first Kelly had shown great promise, establishing herself as a clever and talented member of his team. She was also beautiful and if she hadn’t been his employee, he might’ve dated her. They’d had wonderful chemistry both professionally as well as personally. Several times he’d been tempted to cross the line, but he never had.

That wasn’t to say things didn’t get blurry from time to time. Especially after he’d discovered that Kelly’d had ongoing troubles with an ex-boyfriend who had refused to accept that they were done. Ryan hadn’t considered there might be repercussions when he’d come to her rescue one evening in the company parking lot. Or that he might be sending the wrong signals when he’d offered to help her out if the guy came around again.

“What happened with Kelly was a brief lapse in my judgment. And Zoe’s different. She’s wary and prickly. I think she’s been through something difficult and hasn’t fully healed.”

He had a hard time picturing Zoe as someone who was going to fall for him just because he was nice to her. No, if he wanted Zoe, he was going to have to work damned hard to get her.

“Do you think it’s a good idea to get involved with someone like that? Can’t you find someone uncomplicated to date?”

“Uncomplicated is boring.”

“As an old married woman who adores her husband and two darling children, I can tell you that uncomplicated is perfectly wonderful.”

“So much so that you decided to run for office? If you were as completely happy as you claim, then you’d be satisfied with your brilliant law career and perfect home life.”

She frowned at him. “That’s unfair. Being satisfied doesn’t mean you don’t want more. Part of being happy with my life is challenging myself and growing as a person. Running for office is part of that.”

A knock sounded and Ryan glanced around to see Gil standing in the open doorway. Susannah invited him in and he took the chair beside Ryan.

“What’s going on, Gil?” Susannah asked.

“What do you know about the woman you were talking to?” Gil asked Ryan.

“Zoe?” Ryan glanced at his sister to gauge her reaction and saw she was equally puzzled. “I don’t know anything about her. Why?”

“I was talking to Tonya and she says she’s getting a bad vibe off of her.”

“What sort of bad vibe?” Susannah asked, beating Ryan to the punch.

“She’s just been very evasive about her background and why she wants to work for the campaign.” Gil fixed his gaze on Susannah. “She showed up the day Abernathy announced he was running in this district. I just think the timing is suspicious.”

Ryan didn’t like what the campaign manager was insinuating. “Suspicious how?”

“What if Lyle sent her here to spy on us.”

“Seriously?” Ryan scoffed. “Does she look like a spy?”

“Of course not. That’s what makes her so perfect. Tanya said she used a PO Box for her home address and asked a lot of questions about everybody who works here. I think we should do more research on her before giving her anything that would tip our hand about our strategy.”

“You have to be kidding about this.” Yet even as he continued to argue, Ryan noted a shift in his attitude. His twin’s earlier concern that he was intrigued with Zoe reclaimed his attention. Was she another bad choice? Ryan hated that he continued to question his instincts. “Susannah, are you buying this conspiracy theory?”

Another way they were different was in her measured approach to all situations. Where Ryan tended to jump in and deal with the consequences later, Susannah waited, calculating all options before making a move. He liked to think they balanced each other out. She encouraged him to slow down. He persuaded her to follow her gut.

“You’re having dinner with her, aren’t you?” she asked him. “I agree with Gil that we need to learn a little bit more about her.”

To his dismay, Ryan noted an uptick in his own doubts. This campaign meant a great deal to Susannah. She was sacrificing a run at making partner at her law firm and taking time away from her family to chase her political dreams. If something like misplaced trust in a campaign volunteer created problems that led to her losing to a hack like Abernathy, she would be devastated.

“I like this woman,” he protested, knowing he would do everything in his power to protect his sister. “I’m not going to treat her like an enemy combatant.”

“You don’t have to go full-interrogation mode on her,” Susannah said with a mocking smile. “Just use that special Ryan Dailey charm of yours and get to know her better.” She arched an eyebrow.

“Fine, I will do my duty to the campaign and learn every single detail about her life.” He paused, noting that Gil didn’t look particularly happy with the exchange. “Why don’t you give me a copy of her information form and I’ll see what I can find out from Paul?”

Paul Watts, owner of Watts Cyber Security, had helped Ryan figure out who’d sabotaged his engineering firm to the tune of two and a half million dollars and had been instrumental in building a case against Kelly Briggs.

More importantly, he’d been Ryan’s best friend since kindergarten. A fascination with technology had sparked a friendship between the two boys and kept them tight as adults. In addition to growing up in the same neighborhood, they’d attended the same schools through college.

Despite their many similarities, each man had chosen a very different career. Ryan had started his own engineering firm while Paul had turned his back on his family’s shipping business, choosing a career in law enforcement instead. That had put him at odds with his father and brother, leading to bitter arguments and an estrangement that went back several years.

Unsure where he might find his friend at the moment, Ryan shot Paul a quick text, suggesting they meet for a drink. Paul was a self-proclaimed workaholic. Often he would get lost in his work and forget to eat and sleep. Things had gotten worse in the last year while he’d chased a gang of cyber thieves who had hacked one of his clients and stolen financial data on tens of thousands of their customers.

I’m home. Stop on by.

Ryan collected Zoe’s information form and headed to his car. He looked for her as he strolled through the campaign office, but she was already gone.

After making a couple quick stops, Ryan stood on Paul’s front porch armed with cold beer and a loaded pizza from D’Allesandro’s. Paul was barefoot and freshly showered when he answered the door, but despite his well-groomed appearance, he had dark circles beneath his forest-green eyes.

“Geez,” Ryan commented, shocked at his friend’s paleness. “Have you been getting any sleep?”

“I worked all night,” Paul muttered as he took the pizza and led the way into his kitchen.

“You do know it’s five in the afternoon.”

Paul set the box down and raked his fingers through his thick sandy-blond hair. He glanced at the clock on the microwave. “Is it?”

“I don’t even want to ask if you’re eating.” Ryan pushed aside his own issues for the moment so he could focus on his friend. He popped the top on one of the beers and handed it over. “How’s Grady doing?”

Grady Watts was Paul’s grandfather and one of his biggest influences in life. A man who worked hard and played harder, Grady had been in failing health over the last several years. And things had really gone downhill after he’d suffered a stroke a month ago that affected his speech and paralyzed his right side.

“It’s not looking good,” Paul replied, his manner grim. He braced his hand on the counter, took a long swig from the bottle and stared off into space. “He just doesn’t have the will to get better and I don’t know how to reach him.”

“Have you talked with your dad and brother about it?”

“What do you think?”

Ryan kept his opinion to himself. He loved his friend, but Paul had a black-and-white view of things that made compromise impossible. And although he’d never admit it, the way his family had refused to support his decision to join the police force had badly hurt him.

“That really sucks,” Ryan said. Maybe it was being a twin or the fact that his parents were so supportive of everything he’d done, but Ryan couldn’t imagine being estranged from any of his immediate family. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

A ghost of a smile crossed Paul’s lips. “You’re here with pizza and beer.”

Ryan winced. “Well, it’s not exactly an altruistic visit.” He pulled out the copy of Zoe’s information form and slid it along the marble-topped kitchen island toward his friend. “I have someone I need you to check out.”

“Who is she?”

“Someone who recently joined Susannah’s campaign and Gil is suspicious of her. He thinks she might be a spy for Lyle Abernathy.”

“Why would that matter?”

“Have you come up for air at all in the last few days?” Ryan asked, his tone split between amusement and frustration. “Abernathy has switched districts and entered the state senate race against Susannah.”

“I guess I heard something about it but didn’t put two and two together.” Paul grabbed a slice of pizza and took a bite while perusing the sheet of paper with Zoe’s information. “So what do you think is going on with Zoe Alston?”

“I’m reserving judgment.”

For a long moment Paul studied his friend. “Are you attracted to her?”

“Yes.”

“So is this really about your sister’s campaign or are you having me investigate her because of what happened with Kelly Briggs?”

“Maybe a little of both,” Ryan admitted, hating that he no longer trusted his gut when it came to women he was drawn to. “Look, there’s nothing wrong with erring on the side of caution. And I’m not the one who raised the alarm.”

While that was true, it was also the case that he wasn’t rushing to defend Zoe as innocent. Gil’s paranoia had aroused Ryan’s suspicions and they weren’t going away without concrete proof that she wasn’t a threat to Susannah.

“I’ll check into her,” Paul said. “Just promise me you’ll back off if I turn up anything.”

Ryan recalled the hit to his libido dealt by Zoe’s delectable scent, lean curves and full lips. Something about her put his senses on full alert and he doubted he’d be able to walk away without getting her into bed first.

“I’ll think about it,” he said, knowing he would do no such thing.

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