The Betrayal Read Free

guessed that beneath the poised, self-assured exterior she wore to work, along with the classic, tailored suits, was a woman who wasn’t even brave enough to flirt or ask a man out. She was sure it had something to do with the time way back in high school when, after weeks of agonizing, she’d finally found the courage to ask the boy of her dreams if he’d like to go to the library with her after school.
    The humiliation of his emphatic ‘ No ’ and his subsequent retelling of the encounter to all of his friends had lived with her for many years and, if she were truly honest, even now, the memory of it still left her embarrassed.
    Her glance fell on the snatch of hot pink silk that peeked out from underneath a shoebox on the top shelf of her closet, but then quickly skittered away. Today wasn’t the day to trial bravado. She’d been up most of the night reading over the file of Federal Agent Declan Munro and was scheduled to interview him later that morning.
    The allegations were serious—much too serious for a frilly, form-fitting, hot-pink blouse—even if it was teamed with a sensible, tailored navy skirt and matching jacket.
    With a sigh, she reached for the nearest pastel blouse and pulled it off the hanger.
    * * *
    Chloe glanced at her watch and wiped slightly damp palms down the sides of her skirt. The bare walls of the interview room suddenly seemed too close. She always got nervous right before a major interview, especially one involving such serious misconduct. Even when it was being conducted on her turf, the nerves still set in.
    She’d obtained a photograph of Declan Munro from the AFP’s personnel office and the image of the man with sparkling green-flecked brown eyes and a broad, cheeky smile looked better suited to a glossy magazine model than a sexual predator, but she’d learned the hard way not to be taken in by someone’s more-than-pleasing looks and she was determined not to make the same mistake again.
    A short rap on the closed door of the interview room interrupted her thoughts. Looking up, she caught the brief flash of light brown hair through the small square of clear viewing glass on the door. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Remaining seated, she called for him to enter.
    Her first thought was that his photo hadn’t done him justice. His hair was flecked with lighter pieces of gold. It was thick and wavy and looked ruffled in a sexy, straight-from-the-bedroom kind of way. A bold, lime-green tie, liberally embellished with navy and silver polka dots, eclipsed a well-cut navy suit and dazzling white business shirt. The fabric looked expensive, but the colors weren’t for the faint hearted.
    Then he smiled. Open, warm, honest. Her heart skipped a beat and then hammered against her chest. In the flesh, Declan Munro was more than she imagined. He was beautiful. And incredibly tall.
    He reminded Chloe of an athlete—all tanned, taut skin and long, athletic limbs. Even under his suit, his body looked hard.
    She swallowed and then blinked, turning her attention to the hand that had been extended in her direction. Pushing away from the desk, she stood and returned his handshake. Her hand was engulfed in a warm, firm grip.
    “I’m Federal Agent Declan Munro. I take it you’re from IA?”
    Retrieving her hand with undue haste, Chloe swiped at an errant strand of hair that had come loose from the sensible bun at the nape of her neck and tried to regain her composure.
    “Senior Investigator Sabattini. And yes, I’m from IA. Th-thank you for coming in.”
    A gleam of surprised amusement lit up the green-brown of his eyes and sent her pulse skyrocketing. Heat flooded her face. Flustered, she turned away.
    Get a grip, Chloe . So what if he’s as good looking as … Her mind was in such a muddle, she couldn’t even come up with an acceptable comparison.
    Not that it was important. His looks were irrelevant, along with his expensive clothes. He was being investigated for