Hot Ice

HOT ICE

T-FLAC BOOK 6

By

Cherry Adair

Contents

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Chapter Fifty-seven

(from front flap)

Award-winning author Cherry Adair broke thrilling new ground with
On Thin Ice
—her stunning romantic-suspense hardcover debut. Now she's turning up the temperature, amping up the action, and raising the degree of danger and desire to irresistibly hot new heights.

Diamonds—jewels of every kind, in fact—are Taylor Kincaid's best friends. The only thing she enjoys more than owning them is the challenge of stealing them, at which she excels like few others in the world. And specializing in plundering precious stones from wealthy international criminals just makes it all the more satisfying… and dangerously exciting. So for Taylor, there's no resisting the double allure of snatching the elusive Blue Star diamonds—a prize she has pursued across three continents—from the South American stronghold of the murderous Morales terrorist organization.

The heist goes down without a hitch—until Taylor discovers she has made off with more than she bargained for, namely the secret security-system codes that provide access to a South African diamond mine packed with enough gems to sink a battleship. Suddenly Taylor's no longer just an ultrachic freelance jewel thief. She's a reluctant participant in a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game played against elite global trouble-shooters and bloodthirsty terrorists.

There's nothing reluctant, however, about Huntington St. John, the top T-FLAC operative who's hot on Taylor's trail—and, in Taylor's opinion, just plain hot. The feeling, emotional and otherwise, is very mutual. Though they're on opposite sides of the law, Hunt and Taylor swiftly come to appreciate each other's well-honed skills. But since ecstasy is fleeting,

(continued on back flap)

(continued from front flap)

and diamonds are forever, Taylor soon slips from the sheets and hits the streets… to reclaim the jewels she stashed overseas. And true to his name, Hunt is close behind—but this time, he's after more than the codes. With the clock ticking and
two
groups of terrorists closing fast, Hunt and Taylor will have to mix pleasure with some very risky business. If they can survive danger at every turn, outwit the ultimate high-tech security system, and somehow conquer each other… they just might get everything they desire.

CHERRY ADAIR has garnered numerous awards for her innovative action-adventure novels, which include
On Thin Ice, Out of Sight, In Too Deep, Hide and Seek
, and
Kiss and Tell
. A favorite of reviewers and fans alike, she lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she is at work writing the next T-FLAC mission.

Jacket painting: Judy York

Ballantine Books

New York, N.Y.

Visit our website at www.ballantinebooks.com

Also by Cherry Adair

On Thin Ice

Out of Sight

In Too Deep

Hide and Seek

Kiss and Tell

Hot Ice
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2005 by Cherry Adair

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

Ballantine and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

ISBN 0-345-47642-5

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

www.ballantinebooks.com

First Edition
Book design by Susan Turner

To my dear friend Amber Kizer.

My right hand, and frequently my left brain.

I couldn't do what I do without you.

With much love,

C

Special thanks to

The wonderful folks at the South African Tourism Board (SATOUR) and Big Five Tours, Daniela and Alessia, I couldn't have done Zurich without you. To Gerry, Jane, and Susan, who understand the joys and challenges facing families affected by Down syndrome. Thank you for your commitment to education and willingness to share your experiences. Mary B at Circus to Circus, thank you for sharing your unique talents and expertise. "Mac," thanks for your help. But I repeat, no thank you, I would
not
like to accompany you next time! A
BIG
thank-you to Kelsey Roberts and Bonnie C for saving my sanity. And to all our men and women serving far from home—our hearts salute you. Thank you.

HOT ICE

Chapter One