An Affair with Mr. Kennedy
Read An Affair with Mr. Kennedy Online
Authors: Jillian Stone
Tags: #Historical romance, #Romantic Suspense, #Fiction
London, 1887
. Part stoic gentleman, part fearless Yard man, Zeno “Zak” Kennedy is an enigma of the first order. For years, the memory of a deadly bombing at King’s Cross has haunted the brilliant Scotland Yard detective. His investigation has zeroed in on a ring of aristocratic rebels whose bloody campaign for Irish revolution is terrorizing the city. When he discovers one of the treacherous lords is acquainted with his free-spirited new tenant, Cassandra St. Cloud, his inquiry pulls him unexpectedly close to the heart of the conspiracy—and into the arms of a most intriguing lady.
Cassie is no Victorian prude. An impressionist painter with very modern ideas about life
and
love, she is eager for a romantic escapade that is daring and discreet. She sets her sights on her dour but handsome landlord, but after she learns their meeting was not purely accidental, she hardly has a chance to forgive her lover before their passionate affair catapults them both into a perilous adventure.
AN AFFAIR
with
MR. KENNEDY
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AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY
Cassie tugged at Zak’s arm and he followed her to a dark corner of the balcony without protest. Silently, she maneuvered herself in front of him and bit her lower lip. He wagered he knew exactly what she wanted. “You are either desirous of me or my cigar.”
He turned the mouthpiece of the stogie toward those luscious lips. “Which one is it?” Covering his hand with hers, she guided the tip into her mouth. He rolled his eyes upward. Good God. After several puffs, she lifted her gaze to meet his.
“You know about my smoking?”
He stared unapologetically at her mouth and tilted his chin. “I’m afraid my informant must remain a classified source—” Softly spoken words brushed against her lips as he pulled her close.
Heavy footsteps padded along the roof above. Zak opened an eye. Two dark figures jumped from the mansard to the top of another house nearby.
“Rude of them to leave without a farewell,” he murmured, “and they’ve left a nasty bit of—”
A stream of dark liquid dripped onto the ground inches from where they stood. Quickly assessing the gruesome scenario, he backed Cassie away from the pooling blood.
| Pocket Books |
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 © 2012 by Jillian Stone
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department,
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First Pocket Books paperback edition February 2012
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ISBN 978-1-4516-2900-2
ISBN 978-1-4516-2907-1 (eBook)
For Gloria Gillis Brehaut,
who had the romantic instincts and good sense to marry a
man in need of charm lessons.
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Acknowledgments
To begin at the beginning, I’d like to thank a motley crew of online “critters” (Marianne, Mason, Liza, Mindy, Stacy, Kira) whose brutally honest, insightful, and encouraging critiques gave me the confidence to contest and query the very manuscript that has become
An Affair with Mr. Kennedy.
Next, a humble thanks to the Romance Writers of America and all the judges who scored
An Affair with Mr. Kennedy
(
The Yard Man
) high enough to make the finals, then win the Golden Heart.
A special thanks to my amazing agent, Richard Curtis, and the acquiring instincts of Danielle Poiesz and Abby Zidle. Abby’s editorial insights and creative guidance have helped hone
An Affair with Mr. Kennedy
into a tale full of danger, adventure, and romance.
And lastly, a heartfelt thanks to my family, without whose sacrifice, love, and support I could not have dedicated every waking hour this last year to the Gentlemen of Scotland Yard.
Chapter OneLondon’s West End, 1887
D
etective Inspector Zeno Kennedy unbuttoned his collar and pulled out a shirttail. “What have you got for me?”
Scarlet, aka Kitty Matthews, reclined on the mattress and struck a seductive pose. Propped on her elbows, the girl lowered and raised sultry green eyes in a brazen inspection of his person. “You blokes from Scotland Yard are a handsome lot.”
She arched her back and thrust her breasts up and out at him. Quite a robust figure—ample bottom and curvy topside. Studying her, he decided she could not be more than seventeen or eighteen years of age. A shapely little thing with chestnut-colored hair, big green eyes, and a button nose. She could easily raise a man’s temperature.