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    Fallen Angel
    Fallen Angel
    Fallen Angel
    Ebook102 pages1 hour

    Fallen Angel

    By Jess Michaels

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    London's greatest beauty and most notorious madam employs the services of a disgraced Bow Street Runner to keep her safe from a stalker . . . and satisfied after dark.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061742750
    Fallen Angel
    Author

    Jess Michaels

    Jess Michaels always flips through every romance she buys in search of "the good stuff," so it makes perfect sense that she writes erotic romance where she gets to turn up the heat and let it boil. She also runs the popular website The Passionate Pen and writes historical romance as Jenna Petersen.

    Read more from Jess Michaels

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    Reviews for Fallen Angel

    4/5

    390 ratings33 reviews

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    • 2/5
      The Michaels and Swann stories, the first two, were both very weak in my opinion. I didn't find the events at all buyable, the characters were paper-thin (and a bit daft), and overall the stories were quite forgettable. The third story, by Templeton, was at least a bit different, and I was curious how things would play out. I won't clamber to find more stories by her, but I'd be open to reading another.

      JM- 1 star
      LS- 1.5 stars
      JT- 3 stars
    • 4/5


      The Gabriel Allon books are always thought-provoking, educational and great thrillers. I recommend them all.
    • 4/5
      Another exciting Gabriel Alon book. Well written and kept my interest. How that man keeps his private life and his spy-killer life separate, I'll never know. His wife must be a saint. Oh...he's imaginary!
    • 5/5
      Daniel Silva’s “The Fallen Angel” catapulted me on to a high mountain where revered storytellers reach into the stratosphere, collect the sparkling debris of shooting stars, and through some rare and magical process, transform the particles into inexpungible words of enlightenment to rain down on the rest of the world.
    • 3/5
      "The fallen angel" (Originaltitel) ist die Kuratorin der Antikensammlung des Vatikan, die sich anscheinend aus der Kuppel des Petersdoms zu Tode gestürzt hat. Ex-Mossad-AgentGabriel Allon wird beauftragt, den angeblichen Selbstmord zu untersuchen. Im Verlauf seiner Recherchen kommt er einemgigantischen Komplott auf die Spur - der Frieden im Nahen Osten, ja weltweit ist äußerst gefährdet. Sein Weg führt Allon bis nach Jerusalem, auf bzw. unter den Tempelberg, woer in letzter Sekunde das Attentat verhindern kann. Schließlich gelingt es ihm, auch die Drahtzieher zur Rechenschaft zu ziehen. Im neuesten Abenteuer mit Gabriel Allon (s. zuletzt "Der Hintermann", ID-A 15/13) zieht der amerikanische Bestsellerautor wieder alle Register, sein übermenschlich agierender Held und seine Mitstreiter vom Mossad werden mit immer gefährlicher werdenden Situationenkonfrontiert, die sie nicht ohne starke Blessuren, doch intelligent und todesmutig meistern. Insgesamt wieder ein rasanter Thriller mit einer ununterbrochenen Abfolge überaus packender Szenen.
    • 3/5
      An enjoyable read, reasonably paced and set between the Vatican City and Jerusalem. Add some archeology, religious conflict and organised crime and you have the recipe for a good read. Well worth a read
    • 3/5
      Gabriel Allon, noted art restorer and former Israeli spy and assassin, is pulled from retirement again by the Vatican City hierarchy to investigate the death of a Vatican Museum employee assumed to be a suicide when she threw herself from a catwalk in St. Peter's Basilica. Gabriel quickly realizes that the woman was murdered instead. Her death is shortly linked to a number of thefts of art and antiquities from the Vatican Museum which is sold on the black market to fund Hezbollah missions. The task for Gabriel and his Israeli team is to discover Hezbollah's immediate plans and to thwart a war within the Middle East.

      Daniel Silva's novels read like a cross between James Bond with his license to kill and Mission Impossible's charades to expose the villain. Although always enjoyable, there isn't anything really different in this novel that the reader hasn't already experienced with earlier books.
    • 4/5
      I am sad to know that there is only one more book for me to read in this series (until next year I assume when Silva publishes the next one). This book has Allon yet again come out of retirement to help solve a murder. Naturally, that murder leads to terrorist activity that imperils Israel. I love how these books take us around Europe. I also love the continued storyline of the friendship between the Pope and Allon. Without giving away any spoilers, I like how this particular book death with both modern day politics and Biblical history. Great stuff as always!
    • 4/5
      Slightly different tone to this story than previous Gabriel Allon novels, as Allon is drawn into an investigation originated by the Vatican itself. Eventually, the Israeli spy network is pulled in as Allon's investigation leads into the Holy Land, and his attempts to thwart a Hezbollah attack on holy sites in Jerusalem at the same time the Pope is visiting. Pulse-pounding in parts as two major terror plots are interrupted, and I found myself wondering the whole time if Allon was going to royally screw up during each event. Gabriel doesn't seem to be affected personally as much in this one as previous books, but the story is no less enjoyable. Silva belongs in the upper echelon of thriller writers today.
    • 4/5
      Another good entry in the Gabriel Allon series full of everything I've come to expect from Daniel Silvia - plenty of suspense, intrigue, death, and destruction, with strong characters and compelling writing. I'm looking forward to the next book.
    • 4/5
      Daniel Silva delivers a powerful story of sordid political and financial affairs that infiltrate the Vatican. The threat level rises as Gabriel is pulled away from his peaceful work restoring art, into his previous deadly job in order to prevent a catastrophe.
    • 4/5
      I do not usually read mystery novels, but heard the author speaking about his research and was intrigued. The story was interesting, the settings well researched and described, and the action moved very quickly.
    • 4/5
      Gabriel Allon is at it again. This time he has taken on the job of restoring a painting for the Vatican. While there, a woman falls to her death from the upper reaches of the dome in Saint Peter's Basilica. Looking into the reasons behind her death, which is not the suicide it first appeared, leads to a terrorist plot to attack a Jewish site in Vienna. The "retired" Gabriel is lured back into leading his usual team for The Office. I have to think that this business of Gabriel being retired but still working is getting a little tiring. The end of the book indicates there is reason to hope he will soon make a major change to his status. This book has lots of good information about both archaeology and Holocaust denial as well as current threats to the state of Israel. While it's a good read, it is not the riveting read that some of the past books have provided. Witness the fact that it took me well over a week to finish it!
    • 4/5
      Once again an excellent and fast paced yarn. The fact that the prime factors in the current Middle East are all there make the story believable - sadly so.
    • 3/5
      This was almost like three separate books or at least three separate stories rolled into one longer plot. The initial storyline, dealing with an investigation into a murder, never grabbed me and it seemed an odd situation to put Gabriel Allon into. The second storyline, which was much more along the lines of a standard Gabriel Allon thriller wound up being too brief and didn't allow the supporting characters to do much of anything. The final part of the book could, perhaps, have been the most interesting if fleshed out into a longer story. But as written, it seemed almost an afterthought or a recognition by the author that it was simply time to end the book. This was also a story that, eventually, depends upon characters acting through a very lengthy and complicated series of motions necessary for a portion of a plot to come to fruition, but the likelihood that just those steps would, in fact, be taken, was too me far too remote to hold the story together.
    • 3/5
      I will start by saying that for years Daniel Silva has been one of my favorite authors and I have read all of his books. However, the last two books have not been as good and actually are becoming a bit ridiculous with how they are written. I really enjoyed the beginning plot direction of The Fallen Angel with the art looting and murder investigation starting at the Vatican. The pace was quick and the information was very interesting. I actually thought that Silva wasn't going to go down his Israeli political rabbit hole and that the book would actually be a fresh take on Gabriel Allon's involvement in the plot. This book started with an interesting investigation into Carlo Marchese and that plot line was thrown out almost completely until a few pages at the end. Why, so we can have more terrorism vs. Israel jammed into the story?Then, bang, the plot changes and the murder at the Vatican somehow links to Iran, which then links to terrorism in Austria and Israel and the same old Gabriel Allon plot comes back into the fold. It is entertaining, sure, but Silva is now so preachy with his politics that the books are no longer about Allon and his exploits but are how Allon fits into a pro-Israel narrative. I get that Silva has always had a bit of this underlying theme in the book, because hey, Allon is an Israeli intelligence operative so of course he is on that side. But, the last few books from Silva are too politically preachy vs. entertainment, in my opinion.And, one last thing, Allon has got to be 50+ years old at this point. He has been injured and broken so many times that isn't it time for a new main character?
    • 5/5
      Another wonderful book in the Gabriel Allon lineup. A terrific writer, Silva, has created quite a franchise in this series. Only thing I noticed was a tendency to fall into a predictable pattern and the story lines are getting to sound a little bit similar. Still a fine read.
    • 4/5
      This series has long been one of my favorites, however the last two entries have been a little stale. The Fallen Angel picks up the game a little bit. This time Gabriel is in the service of the Vatican per suing a banker that is so much more. Per usual the plot is sweeping and Gabriel is relentless. Not the best book in the series but al in all a fine entry.
    • 4/5
      A fast and enjoyable read. I always gain knowledge and perspective from Daniel Silva's characters.
    • 4/5
      A solid addition to the Allon canon by Silva, who rarely disappoints. I liked the fact that there was a significant Catholic component to this one and enjoyed seeing those Catholics and the usual band of Israelis working so well together. Very much the same way that it is in the real world, in fact. Differences of opinion, sure, but lots of mutual respect. And lots of shared threats.
    • 4/5
      I have always enjoyed the earlier books in this series and this is no exception to the rule. Gabriel is slowing done; one wonders if the end of the series is nigh. But the plot keeps up the usual high standard moving from Rome, via St Moritz and Vienna (where old ghosts lurk) to Jerusalem with the mixture of action, espionage and political background bubbling along as before.
      I look forward to reading #13 and wait with trepidation as to Gabriel's future.
    • 4/5
      Another addition to the series. A very good one. It begins back at the Vatican and goes from there culminating in Jerusalem.
      I really enjoyed the additional history that came with this plot.
    • 3/5
      Another good read. Gabriel tracks a Hezbollah killer after he is asked for help by the Pope's assistant. The museum curator of the Vatican is killed.
    • 4/5
      These are unusual, even novel stories. I hadn't read anything like the second story with the parlour games played for gentlemen's amusement.

      I've read a couple of Jess Michaels' novels, but the other two authors were new to me and were as good. However, the short story is not my favourite medium.
    • 4/5
      Fallen Angel by Jess MichaelsArabella Nichols – a stunning beauty and a notorious madamJohn Valentine – handsome, sexy and a disgraced Bow Street Runner.Someone is stalking her: she hires him for protection. But they both have something to hide and will need to trust each other with the truth before the would-be killer can be unmasked. Jess Michaels brings us a romantic tale of intrigue with some highly erotic love scenes. Parlor Games by Leda SwanSarah Chesham - a curate’s daughter, an innocent virgin, jobless, almost destitute and trying to avoid a life on the streets.Tom Wilde – a rake and a gossip merchant who makes his living producing salacious pamphlets about prominent members of society.Tom encounters Sarah on her first day at Mrs Erskine’s coffee house (brothel), where parlor games to tempt the clientele are the order of the day. He is so taken by her that he pays for a month of her time. Sarah spends her time in his company indulging in these parlor games, at the same time, trying not to become a whore, thus frustrating Tom at every turn. Leda Swan brings us a very erotic romance with some rather graphic descriptions of explicit sexual encounters. Not all sweetness and light.Border Lord by Julia TempletonTerri Campbell discovers her fiancé in the act of being unfaithful and escapes to Scotland to lick her wounds. She tours a priory where she enters a sealed chamber and somehow ends up in the 13th century as Annabelle MacLellan, the daughter of a Scottish Laird.Brochan Douglas is a Scottish Laird who is intent on revenge against Angus MacLellan for the murder of his brother. This revenge takes shape as the kidnapping of MacLellan’s beloved daughter Annabelle. Terri suddenly finds herself the captive of a handsome, sexy, green-eyed border lord who is intent on having his way with her. Julia Templeton brings us a truly sensuous romance. Throw in a bit of time-travel, and this becomes a delightful erotic tale. Easily the best of the three.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This is the latest in the series about an Israeli superhero. Just like Jason Bourne or Indiana Jones, Gabriel Allon is a pure hero, his skills in espionage matched by his knowledge of art and his skill in restoring damaged masterworks.This is high testosterone stuff, with Allon using his formidable intellect to solve a murder; however, in this tale, many people already know who the killer was and so this becomes something of a performance test for Allon; naturally, he passes with the Israeli flag flying high. The evil posed against him is ultimately led by Iran's Supreme Leader, and naturally the Iranians concoct a complicated plot in which there are feints and provocations in many countries. Although Allon is nearly blown up in one, he is, of course, like Israel, indestructible. Together with his personnally selected team of assassins and analysts he cuts through the Iranian plans and saves the world, and his nation, yet again. Then he returns to his first love--the restoration of Renaissance art. The reader is a fly on the wall in this tale; conferring privately with the Pope, listening in as the Israeli Prime Minister places his nation's fate in the hands of his intelligence service, and most particularly in Allon. Sprinkled throughout are archaeological tidbits ultimately leading to the question: who inhabited Jerusalem first, the Jews or the Palestinians. The search and obfuscation of ancient artifacts becomes, in fact, one of the key elements in the ongoing war between the two groups. Virulently anti-Israeli, the Palestinians--Middle Eastern Muslims in general--are presented as monomaniacal in their hatred of Jews and in their efforts to rid the region of Israel; Allon and his colleagues insure that their goal never becomes a reality. The book is well written and effectively edited, and it fits well into an enduringly first-class series.
    • 4/5
      A fast paced, page turner that I couldn't put down! A woman commits suicide in St. Peter's Basilica - or does she? Gabriel Allon, art restorer/Israeli intelligence agent, takes the case and goes on a wild investigation that takes him all over the world, chasing art thieves and Middle Eastern terrorists! Lots of locales, lots of characters, and lots of action!
    • 4/5
      The work was interesting and enlightening as to the conflicts surrounding the occupation of Jerusalem and historical aspects relating to the description and destruction of the Temple of Solomon. The depth of the story and character development is what one would expect in a series of twelve works relating to Ggabriel Allon, art restorer and Israeli agent.
    • 5/5
      This was a slightly bizarre reading experience as it was one of three Daniel Silva books I read in catch up mode this summer and I began it on my Nook and finished it on my Kindle.

      I'm not sure if it was because it was my third book this summer or the book wasn't as good, but I didn't love it as much as I have some of the other Gabriel Allon stories. I got sucked in & didn't want to put it down, but it wasn't the same. I felt as if he was trying to wrap up too many loose ends - like this might be the series end. The operation in Vienna, the possible death of "his brother", his own near death, some tense moments with Chiara. Those, however, I loved. I did feel as if there were almost too many stories going on at once. By the time he'd saved Israel & found the remains of the first temple, I'd forgotten about Dr. Andreatti & the Marcheses. I still love his friendship with the Pope - and find myself growing attached to both men. It was interesting how he filled in Donati's back story and put some time context into the series.

      I don't know how I feel about the resolution to Marchese - it was interesting how Carlo told him how/why he'd tried to have Chiara killed. That happened with Kharkov too and it makes me worry that when Silva is ready to end this, he will kill Chiara -- and then Allon will eat his gun because Gabriel will not survive another loss. While the storyline with Marcheses & Andreattis was interesting, it got lost in the middle east. I felt it could have either been expanded on or omitted, but that was the only piece I didn't like.

      "If I hadn't lost the baby, you wouldn't be going to Paris without me" ... "No explosion. No funeral for a child. No Chiara." I felt some of the drama with Chiara to be somewhat contrived. Between asking if Leah knows he loves her - and asking whether he does - and one of the conditions of Ari giving her his Narkiss St. house being filling it with children, I felt like Silva was pushing this a little too much. If she hadn't miscarried, she'd be a mom and definitely not on the mission. Or did she mean he'd have retired? Because I doubt it. Her fear in Vienna, praying for sirens, was palpable and if I didn't know that Silva won't kill Allon, I'd have been in tears with her. "When he was gone, she stood alone in the window, her face wet with tears, and prayed for the screaming of sirens" but I didn't understand why he couldn't wear his ring. I don't think that was an issue in any other missions. For as much as I was glad for the pre-mission detail, I wish we'd gotten more post mission. She had a palpable fear of leaving Vienna a widow - and it made me love Chiara even more. But I didn't like his indifference "If you hear explosions, you'll know I'm dead. But if you hear sirens" It's not like he doesn't care - or that Uzi and team won't tell her. It just felt odd. Loved the tie backs to Eli's history in Vienna. Nice touch.

      The kidnapping of Massoud was interesting, albeit rushed. Was it them who ultimately killed them after the temple discovery or his handlers in Tehran? I don't like that kind of loose ends.

      I love Silva's description of Jerusalem as god's fractured citadel on the hill. Very true. While I've always had a passion for the middle east, this series was a huge part of why I wanted to visit Israel and now having been there, I love "revisiting" it via his writing. I liked the overlap of Catholicism and Judaism with Allon as the pope's bodyguard.

      "Blood never sleeps" I liked this twist, although I found the Indiana Jones angle of Eli and Gabriel accidentally finding the pillars of the first temple to be a little far fetched. The stones was a nice parallel throughout the series - and them being responsible

      I love that this tied back into Chiara's wishes for the art world - she wanted to work with Julian at the beginning of Portrait... and now she's designing the Eli Lavon wing at the Israel Museum. I like the explanation of Jerusalem Syndrome. I like that they'll be home - although we know as long as Silva is writing that ALlon will never be able to tell Uzi to "find someone else" but their being based in Jerusalem eases my fear of Gabriel receiving news that Shamrom, who he finally called Abba, has passed.

      "Shamron made no reply other than to twirl his lighter nervously between his fingertips. He didn't believe in karma. He believed in God. And he believed in his angel of vengeance, Gabriel Allon."

      my favorite line, hands down.

      Overall a good if not great read.
    • 4/5
      Since I'm on a roll with Daniel Silva, I thought I'd read his latest bestseller now.The Fallen Angel continues the story of the reluctant Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon. He is older, still working as an art restorer, and still one of the most respected and feared agents in the world.

      This novel begins as Allon is restoring a Caravaggio for the Vatican. He is living in Rome with his young wife Chiara, also an intelligence agent for Israel's super secret "Office". Work on the Caravaggio is proceeding normally, until Allon is asked to report to the Sistine Chapel by Monsignor Luigi Donati, private secretary to the Pope. Donati asks Allon's help in solving the mystery of the death of Claudia Andreatti, a curator in the antiquities division of the Vatican Museum. Andreatti's body lies broken on the floor of the chapel, clearly the result of a fall from a great height. Suicide, accident, or murder?

      While Allon begins to delve into the mystery, he realizes that other forces are at work. Andreatti was investigating the provenance of the Vatican Museum's vast collection. Perhaps she ran afoul of one of the many criminals involved in the illegal trade in antiquities. When Allon and Chiara discover another death that is likely related to Andreatti's the Italian police get involved. The carabinieri have an art squad which investigates looting and illegal trade in art. The chief of the squad, General Cesare Ferrari is smart, savvy, and powerful. He suspects that Allon has something to do with the second death, but is really not sure.

      Eventually Allon learns that the trade in illegal antiquities is also a conduit for Hezbollha, the Iranian-backed international terrorist organization. So once again an Israeli intelligence operation begins, with Allon at the helm.

      The Fallen Angel reintroduces some old characters from Gabriel Allon's past, and we meet some new and interesting ones. The book is fast paced, contemporary and interesting. It is a must read for the spy novel enthusiast.

    Book preview

    Fallen Angel - Jess Michaels

    1

    London, 1815

    John Valentine strummed the fingers of one hand along the bar top while in the other he clenched a tumbler of whiskey. He stared at the clock behind the bartender’s head, watching as the moments bled away one by one.

    Glowering at the hated timepiece, he let out a string of low curses that didn’t raise an eyebrow from the gentlemen and ladies surrounding him in the crowded room. In fact, most didn’t even notice his frustration as they talked, kissed, and…He shifted as he glanced down the bar to watch one gentleman, a powerful figure in Parliament, lift the young woman in his company up on the bar to have easier access to the swell of her breasts beneath the low curve of her scandalous gown. Valentine couldn’t help but stare as the woman dipped her head back with a loud sigh. The sigh turned to a moan as her companion pushed the neckline even lower until the dusky rose of one taut nipple popped over the lacy edging.

    Valentine turned away, his erection lengthening beneath the bar. Arabella Nichols’s underground haven of sex definitely lived up to the rumors surrounding it. Since his arrival, he had seen so much that this latest exposure to sin and sex seemed tame. How much more did the legendary Miss Nichols think he could take?

    Mr. Valentine?

    He started as a feminine voice, along with hot, sweet breath, brushed his ears. He turned to find a lovely auburn-haired woman standing at his elbow, a broad, flirtatious smile on her face.

    Yes?

    Arabella is ready for you.

    The young lady’s smile grew as he got to his feet and her gaze swept over him. He ignored her blatant regard…and the equally blatant offer in her expression. With a grin, she turned and led him from the room, past a crowded parlor where even more ladies and gentlemen congregated for erotic foreplay, and finally through a ballroom with a stage where scantily clad ladies danced for the pleasure of the men and women in the crowd below. Valentine kept his eyes focused straight ahead on the lace-clad back of his companion. His head wasn’t so addled by drink and sex that he couldn’t remember this was business.

    Or at least try to remember. It wasn’t easy when temptation waited around every corner.

    His companion led him upstairs and down a long hallway. Through the closed doors, Valentine heard the moans and cries of couples, perhaps even groups in some rooms, acting out the pleasures hinted at below.

    Are you warm, Mr. Valentine? his pretty guide asked as she glanced at him over her shoulder.

    His lips thinned at the teasing glimmer in her eyes. No.

    She laughed as she paused at an ornate door at the end of the hallway. Then you are a stronger man than most. She clicked the door open. Arabella? Mr. Valentine is here.

    Come in.

    Valentine did as he was told, even though the response came from a formless voice. As the door closed behind him, he glanced around. The chamber didn’t look like he would have guessed based on the establishment’s reputation. He’d expected a tacky display of erotic delights. A room dominated by a bed, perhaps clad in red with satin all around.

    Instead the chamber was tastefully outfitted, from the rich oriental carpet beneath his feet to the expensive furniture and exquisite art that filled the room. There was no bed in the sitting room, but he assumed his hostess’s bedchamber was through the closed doorway across from him.

    Still, he could not find the infamous Arabella Nichols.

    You kept me waiting for over an hour, he said, his eyes darting from corner to corner. They finally settled on a high-backed wing chair by the fire. It was turned away from him, but a slender female hand lay on the armrest.

    Still, she did not rise, or even move at all. I am fully aware of how long you waited, Mr. Valentine.

    Irritation sluiced through him, tamping down some of his earlier arousal. So you don’t care how my time was wasted? Is this how you run your business?

    The hand curled into a fist before its owner pushed to her feet and turned to face him.

    Valentine caught his breath. By God, Arabella was even more beautiful than the gossips and rogues said she was. Long golden curls cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, draping over full breasts that were barely covered by a scrap of white satin that might laughingly be called a negligee. The long slit up one side gave him a good look at her slender, lithe limbs, the kind a man couldn’t help but imagine wrapped around his waist.

    And then there were her eyes. A stunning, captivating midnight blue that pierced through his own. There was a spark of intelligence, of challenge, in their depths that excited him as much as her exposed skin and husky voice did.

    "Keeping you waiting is exactly how I run my business, Mr. Valentine," she said softly, her voice a little breathless and sensual. She obviously knew her full mouth and the words she formed with it were just as much a tool of her trade as the lush curves of her body or the heat of her sex.

    He folded his arms and carefully, methodically, reined in his shocking animal reaction to this woman. He already knew what those urges could do. He had once vowed to never again be overcome by them.

    I am not a man accustomed to being kept waiting, he growled.

    She gave him a small and knowing smile before she slid forward in a movement both graceful and enticing. "That I did know about you, though little else. You see, Mr. Valentine, I had to be sure about your character."

    Valentine snorted. "My character?"

    Her smile faltered a fraction and her voice was tighter when she replied, Yes. My business is delicate. I could not bring a man into this world who would frighten away my patrons with his glowering disapproval. And I couldn’t hire a man who was unable to control himself when the ladies who work and play here offered themselves to him. You had to be tested.

    She came closer with each word until she was mere inches from him. Her body heat reached out, curling around him, addling his mind as it warmed his pounding blood. Valentine’s fisted hand stirred at his side. He yearned to reach out and smooth his fingers along this woman’s silken skin. To claim her mouth. Her body. Make her stop talking and start moaning in pleasure.

    What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he so affected by the pounding sexual tension that coursed through the room? Under any other circumstances, he would have just departed, but practicality interfered. There were few people who would hire a disgraced former Bow Street Runner. And he needed this job, what ever it was, almost as much as he desired the woman who offered it to him.

    Why does a woman like yourself wish to hire a man like me? he asked, surprised his voice didn’t tremble with pent-up desire.

    Arabella’s body language shifted. From the erotic temptress, she changed to an unsure, frightened lady. The transformation was brief, but Valentine saw it. And it inspired a strange desire to take care of her.

    I need your protection, Mr. Valentine, she said, and it was her

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