From Library JournalLos Angeles policeman Jack Drummond's investigation of a 20-year-old unsolved murder leads him on a search through the pages of history and to a confrontation with the living dead. At the heart of the mystery is a vampiric order of Crusader knights dedicated to the destruction of others like themselves. Despite an overabundance of scene-setting, this series opener presents fast-paced action and an intriguing premise. Purchase where there is a demand for vampire stories.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product DescriptionCaptain John Drummond of the LAPD is investigating an unsolved murder from more than thirty years ago-six unidentified men, bearing Nazi SS tattoos, drained of blood-that echoes a series of unexplained deaths around the world. But these murders go back further than he expected-to World War II, to the time of the Crusades, and to a group of Knights Templar who have lived for centuries...

The acclaimed author of The Nanny, I Know What You Know, and Odd Child Out—"a writer to watch" (Publishers Weekly)—returns with another serpentine thriller that is a potent blend of atmosphere, tarnished memories, mystery, and twisty secrets from the past Everybody lies . . .Bestselling mystery writer Lucy Harper's talent for invention has given her fame, fortune, and an army of adoring readers. It has also saddled her with dependents, namely her fawning husband Dan.When Dan suddenly goes missing, his disappearance evokes dark memories that take Lucy back more than thirty years—to the day her brother vanished without a trace. That's when Lucy began conjuring stories. The police investigation revealed few confirmed details, so she created tales to fill in the gaps, to explain what happened that day her brother disappeared—and young Lucy was the only witness.Now decades later, with the whole...

"Twisty, dark, and packs a punch. . . . Gripping and genuinely nail-biting." — SARAH PEARSE, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium In this pulse-pounding thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny, a group of women travel to the most remote place in England for a weekend escape, only to discover a startling note that one of their husbands will be killed before they return home—perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.Three couplesTwo bodiesOne secretDark Fell Barn is a "perfectly isolated" retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.The women arrive for a girls' night ahead of their husbands. There's ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young...

I'm greeted by the strangest sight. A small dark-haired boy is standing there. It's like he's a human parcel, delivered to my front door.'My name is Luke,' he says.When Johnny meets Lauren in a bar in Santa Cruz, there's an instant connection. On an American road trip with best friend Will, Johnny promises to return to the girl who has stolen his heart.Until tragedy strikes, forcing Johnny to fly back home without ever seeing Lauren again.Six years later, Johnny is living his life in London, even if he's never forgotten the girl with the grey eyes and dark hair.Until one September morning, he opens his door to find a little boy standing there – a child, Johnny quickly comes to learn, who was created that one magical night. Lauren is dying, and her last wish is to reunite five-year-old Luke with the father he doesn't yet know.Thrown into unexpected parenthood, Johnny finds himself navigating...

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny and What She Knew comes the terrifying story of what can happen after all your dreams come trueBe careful what you wish for...Childhood sweethearts Nicole and Tom are a normal, loving couple—until a massive lottery win changes their lives overnight.Soon they've moved into a custom-built state-of-the-art Glass Barn on the stunning grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire. They have fancy cars, expensive hobbies, and an exclusive lifestyle they never could have imagined.But this dream world quickly turns into a nightmare when Tom is found dead in the swimming pool. Was Tom's death a tragic accident, or was it something worse?Nicole is devastated. Tom was her rock. And their beautiful barn —with all its smart features that never seem to work for her—is beginning to feel very lonely. But she's not entirely by herself out there in the...

A new edition of the most widely known and popular collection of Japanese poetry.The best-loved and most widely read of all Japanese poetry collections, the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu contains 100 short poems on nature, the seasons, travel, and, above all, love. Dating back to the seventh century, these elegant, precisely observed waka poems (the precursor of haiku) express deep emotion through visual images based on a penetrating observation of the natural world. Peter MacMillan's new translation of his prize-winning original conveys even more effectively the beauty and subtlety of this magical collection.Translated with an introduction and commentary by Peter MacMillan.

From Library JournalDetective John Drummond returns to Europe to continue his pursuit of a vampire host born during the last days of the Third Reich. This time he must convince a society of immortal Crusaders-vampires themselves-to end their isolated existence and join in a battle from which no victors may emerge. Although this second volume in a series created by Katherine Kurtz suffers from awkward writing, the popularity of its subject matter will ensure a wide readership. For large fantasy and horror collections.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product DescriptionWhen a series of gruesome murders baffles European police, LAPD detective John Drummond risks his own life to stop the killers, a generation of Nazi vampires with a thirst for world domination.

Is true love just a few dates away...or even closer than you think?Tom has always been a hopeless romantic: but now he's just hopeless. After lockdown in particular made the millennial a reclusive introvert, it was finally time to get back 'out there' – at least according to his best friends Adam, Allison and sister Sarah.As the group sets up 10 dates to rejuvenate Tom's love life, he soon realises how difficult the dating scene has become, along with juggling his Shakespearean-themed cafe and a hobby of romantic mixtape making.As some of the dates turn into disasters, an old flame keeps reappearing in Tom's sight – along with bitter-sweet memories. Fearing it may be too little too late, Tom must decide whether he can date his way to happiness, or find his true match was under his nose the whole time...A warm, uplifting read about finding love while also finding yourself, for fans of Mike Gayle and Hazel Prior.Readers are...

Hidden away and decaying for decades, a cryptic mural holds deadly clues in this intoxicating mix of art, murder, and buried secrets, perfect for fans of Simone St. James.It was a blood-curdling crime that rocked the town to its core, leaving some with permanent scars and others with deep regrets.  A young girl had been brutally slain.  Memories were beginning to fade, but during the renovation of the old parsonage, the murder rears its ugly head again when workers discover a time-ravaged portrait of the young victim.  Conservator Annora Garde is hired by the local police to clean the painting and expose what lies buried within it.Inspector Scott ‘Mac’ MacGowan is convinced the mural is a cryptic confession that will solve the cold case—but it’s looking more and more like someone will do whatever it takes to keep the past in the past.  Together, Mac and Annora struggle to put the pieces of the puzzle together, in order to...

'Drugs and alcohol have never let me down. They have always loved me. There are substances I can put into my bloodstream that make the world perfect. That is the only absolute truth in the universe. I'm being difficult because you want to take it away from me.' Emma was having the time of her life. Now she's in rehab. Her first step is to admit that she has a problem. But the problem isn't with Emma, it's with everything else. She needs to tell the truth. But she's smart enough to know that there's no such thing. When intoxication feels like the only way to survive the modern world, how can she ever sober up?

Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jojo Moyes, Lindsay MacMillan’s debut novel deftly captures the feeling of being adrift in your late twenties, with poignant commentary on female friendships, mental health, and what happiness really looks like.Rae is in a romantic recession. The Wall Street banker is single in New York City and overwhelmed by the pressure to scramble up the corporate and romantic ladders. Feeling her biological clock ticking, she analyzes her love life like a business deal and vows to lock in a husband before her 30th birthday.  The Manhattan dating app scene has as many ups and downs as the stock market, and outsourcing dates to an algorithm isn’t exactly Rae’s idea of romance. She considers cutting her losses, but her friends help her stay invested, boosting her spirits with ice cream and cheap wine that they share in their sixth-floor walk-up while recapping cringe-worthy...

We are on the cusp of a reading revolution. Increasingly, research is uncovering an intimate connection between reading and wellbeing. The seemingly simple act of being read to brings remarkable health and happiness benefits. It stimulates thought and memory, encourages the sharing of ideas and feelings, hopes and fears. It enriches our lives and minds. This unique book offers a selection of prose and poetry especially suitable for reading aloud -- to your husband or wife, a sick parent or child, an elderly relative. With short introductions and discussion topics for each piece there's something here for everyone -- from Shakespeare and Black Beauty to Elizabeth Jennings and Bruce Chatwin.All royalties in full will go to The Reader Organisation, the leading UK charity for reading and health.

For the past fifteen years, I've been writing Christmas stories for various magazines. Each year as I sit down to compose yet another, I feel a pleasant warmth flood into my heart. Each year I draw on memories to inspire my tales and carry me into the true spirit of Christmas, but it was only last year I realized it was through my stories that my heart re-discovers the wonder that is Christmas year after year.

Macmillan Readers Starter Level

Macmillan Readers Starter Level

A former boyband star gets a little musical education from a sexy violinist. Will they stay in different keys or find a way to play in tune? The first time I saw her I knew I wanted her. And when she talked music with me? I didn’t stand a chance. When she found out my secret past—that I used to be a famous pop star—I expected her to fangirl all over me. Because even though it’s been years since people cared about us, a ton of girls who grew up with our music still go nuts when they find out who I am. Not Gabby. She was more interested in our future than my past. I tried to stay away at first. She’s so young, eighteen to my twenty-two. Just starting out in college while I’m getting ready to leave. But I couldn’t leave her alone. Her passion, her drive, her intoxicating combination of innocence and audacity. And that sexy little Texas twang. Damn. I was sunk from the start. With her help, I started writing better songs than ever. And when a video of me playing a new song landed on YouTube and went viral, my life exploded in a return to fame I never thought I wanted. How can I pass up this chance now that it’s being offered to me again? But if I take it, will Gabby and I be able to survive? If you like rock star romances and sexy musicians, or you’ve ever been curious about what happens to a one hit wonder after the fame fades, don’t miss the first installment in this fresh take on a familiar trope. Full of sizzling chemistry and heartfelt emotion, grab this new adult pop star romance now!

When a bull-riding accident ends Ross Turner’s rodeo career, he hermits himself away on a remote farm in New Brunswick. Depressed and disheartened, he’s determined to leave his cowboy life behind. Beautiful Jessi Wallace, sent to help him out of his crisis, is resolved that he won’t do any such thing. She has healed dispirited horses; she can bring him back from his defeat. And living alone in the farmhouse with him doesn’t bother her. After their childhood together, she feels certain handsome, charismatic Ross holds no romantic threat to her. Recently betrayed by her rodeo cowboy fiance, she’s not about to let another rodeo rider into her heart.

Acclaimed historian Margaret MacMillan explores here the many ways in which history affects us all. She shows how a deeper engagement with history, both as individuals and in the sphere of public debate, can help us understand ourselves and the world better. But she also warns that history can be misused and lead to misunderstanding. History is used to justify religious movements and political campaigns alike. Dictators may suppress history because it undermines their ideas, agendas, or claims to absolute authority. Nationalists may tell false, one-sided, or misleading stories about the past. Political leaders might mobilize their people by telling lies. It is imperative that we have an understanding of the past and avoid these and other common traps in thinking to which many fall prey. This brilliantly reasoned work, alive with incident and figures both great and infamous, will compel us to examine history anew—and skillfully illuminates why it is important to treat the past with care.From Publishers WeeklyMacMillan, author of the acclaimed Paris 1919, reminds readers that history matters: It is particularly unfortunate that just as history is becoming more important in our public discussions, professional historians have largely been abandoning the field to amateurs. According to MacMillan, this is a grave mistake. Governments and leaders use history to invent tradition and subvert the past. In a world hungry for heroes, badly researched historical biographies fly off bookstore shelves. In this highly readable and polished book, readers learn of the dangers of not properly tending to the past, of distorting it and ignoring inconvenient facts. If done correctly, history helps unlock the past in useful ways. The author explores the ways history has present meaning—not always constructively: in providing a sense of identity for groups, as a basis of nationalism or national pride, as a tool for redress of past wrongs and as an ideological tool. In this important work, we learn that history is more than presenting facts, it is about framing the past. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the importance of correctly understanding the past.From Bookmarks MagazineIn this compelling, persuasive treatise, MacMillan investigates the innumerable ways that history has been twisted, embellished, and politicized to serve one purpose or another throughout, well, history. Based on a series of lectures delivered at the University of Western Ontario, Dangerous Games details MacMillan's expert analyses and arguments, presented in her incisive, witty prose. Critics praised MacMillan's reasoning, even if they did not always agree with her proposed solutions. For example, her appeal to leave history to the "professional historians" rankled the critics who believe that amateurs add energy and relevance to the field. Others pointed out that professionals are not without their own biases. Despite these complaints, MacMillan's balanced defense of the importance of the study of history is eloquent and timely.

How well do you know the people you love...?Best friends Noah Sandler and Abdi Mahad have always been inseparable. But when Noah is found floating unconscious in Bristol's Feeder Canal, Abdi can't—or won't—tell anyone what happened.Just back from a mandatory leave following his last case, Detective Jim Clemo is now assigned to look into this unfortunate accident. But tragedy strikes and what looked like the simple case of a prank gone wrong soon ignites into a public battle. Noah is British. Abdi is a Somali refugee. And social tensions have been rising rapidly in Bristol. Against this background of fear and fury two families fight for their sons and for the truth. Neither of them know how far they will have to go, what demons they will have to face, what pain they will have to suffer.Because the truth hurts.

Youthful dreams of romance shattered, Allison Armstrong is a hard-nosed businesswoman with no illusions of happily ever after for her future. Then her grandfather's will leaves her bound in a property settlement to the very man who destroyed her teenage fantasies. She has no interest in the remote land and wants to sell it off. Yet with all the legal resources at her disposal, Allison can't escape the web of the will's provisions. Heath Oakes was just a skinny teenager from the city the last time he saw Allison. Now he's just as determined to maintain the estate as a natural preserve as Allison is to get rid of it to developers. Hoping to alter her opinion, he shanghais her into a canoe voyage through the wild, pristine beauty of the area. Will the beauty of untouched wilderness help her heart remember the sweetness of stolen teenage kisses?

To everyone who knows her now, Zoe Maisey - child genius, musical sensation - is perfect. Yet several years ago Zoe caused the death of three teenagers. She served her time, and now she's free. Her story begins with her giving the performance of her life. By midnight, her mother is dead. The Perfect Girl is an intricate exploration into the mind of a teenager burdened by brilliance, and a past that she cannot leave behind.Praise for Burnt Paper Sky:One of the brightest debuts I have read this year - a visceral, emotionally charged story. (Daily Mail). . . heart-in-the-mouth excitement from the start of this electrifyingly good debut . . . an absolute firecracker of a thriller that convinces and captivates from the word go. A must read. (Sunday Mirror)If you love Gone Girl and Before I Go to Sleep, you need to read this. (Closer)What an amazing, gripping, beautifully written debut. Burnt Paper Sky kept me up late into the night (and scared the life out of me) (Liane Moriarty - author of The Husband's Secret)Burnt Paper Sky is that rare thing in reading - a book which hooks you and keeps you focused on it until the end. (Shotsmag)This accomplished, intelligent debut should come with a warning - it's completely addictive. A nail-biting, sleep-depriving, brilliant read (Saskia Sarginson)Every parent's nightmare, handled with intelligence and sensitivity, the novel is also deceptively clever. I found myself racing through to find out what happened (Rosamund Lupton)Tightly focussed and fast-paced. You won't rest until you really know what happened (Lisa Ballantyne)What an exciting debut! Burnt Paper Sky kept me up until the small hours, from the nightmarish moment when a mother first realises that her son has disappeared, to the dramatic denouement. Gilly Macmillan's voice is innovative and confident, and she creates a cast of very human characters. There's a page-turning urgency, combined with an insightful exploration of the emotional fall-out after the abduction of a small child. Meanwhile the media and internet community are shadowy figures whose pitiless speculation and harassment seem all too believable. Burnt Paper Sky is written with passion and insight. Bravo, Gilly Macmillan (Charity Norman - author of After The Fall)Deft, tense and utterly gripping, Burnt Paper Sky stays with you long after the final page has been turned (Tim Weaver - author of Never Coming Back)This pacy, emotional and expertly characterised novel's sure to follow in the footsteps of fellow thrillers such as The Girl On The Train and Gone Girl by soaring to the top of the bestseller charts (The Media Eye)A powerful page-turner and damning commentary on this age of the internet, where everyone has an opinion and a forum in which they can voice it. (Woman's Weekly, New Zealand)

In February 1972, Richard Nixon became the first American president to visit China. His historic one-hour meeting with Mao Zedong ended the breach between the United States and China, which had lasted since the Communist victory in 1949. Just as significantly, the visit changed the face of international relations from a bipolar Cold War to a three-sided struggle involving the Soviet Union, China, and the United States.Drawing on newly available material and interviews with all major survivors, MacMillan re-examines that fateful week. Authoritative and written with great narrative verve, Nixon in China is a landmark work of history.

Beautiful, vivacious Emma Prescott has a love-'em-and-leave-'em reputation. Fact is, Emma's holding off for a hero. When she moves to a cabin at wilderness Loon Lake and meets her one neighbour, biology professor Frasier MacKenzie, he's still just another guy, even with his killer blue eyes and a body that just won't quit...until he rescues her and her Pug from one danger after another, from drowning to wild animals to a pair of armed and angry drug dealers. Then he definitely falls into hero territory. But the professor has no intention of filling the role of white knight in Emma's life. All he wants is to be rid of her and her annoying little dog so he can get on with his "research." In fact, he's ordered to get rid of them whether he wants to or not. Looks as if Emma may have to go on holding off for a hero...

Winner of the Samuel Johnson PrizeWinner of the PEN Hessell Tiltman PrizeWinner of the Duff Cooper PrizeBetween January and July 1919, after "the war to end all wars," men and women from around the world converged on Paris to shape the peace. Center stage, for the first time in history, was an American president, Woodrow Wilson, who with his Fourteen Points seemed to promise to so many people the fulfillment of their dreams. Stern, intransigent, impatient when it came to security concerns and wildly idealistic in his dream of a League of Nations that would resolve all future conflict peacefully, Wilson is only one of the larger-than-life characters who fill the pages of this extraordinary book. David Lloyd George, the gregarious and wily British prime minister, brought Winston Churchill and John Maynard Keynes. Lawrence of Arabia joined the Arab delegation. Ho Chi Minh, a kitchen assistant at the Ritz, submitted a petition for an independent...

In her enthralling debut, Gilly Macmillan explores a mother's search for her missing son, weaving a taut psychological thriller as gripping and skillful as The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One.In a heartbeat, everything changes...Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It's an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry—until Ben vanishes. Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel's newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister. Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public's attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion.As she desperately pieces together the threadbare clues, Rachel realizes...

History can be a very useful tool in understanding why we and those we must deal with think and react in certain ways. But in the wrong hands it can be dangerous and used to foster a sense of grievance or a desire for revenge. Eminent historian Margaret MacMillan is fascinated by the power of history in our thinking. In The Uses and Abuses of History, she points out some of the traps that we can fall into when assessing the present in light of the past.

Jenna just needs a little rebound therapy.Jenna Anderson is still stuck in her grief a year after her fiance died in a tragic accident. All she does is go to work and spend time at home, her former spark gone. Her best friend decides she needs a rebound guy to have some fun and start to live again. Brian MacCallum is the hot owner of the wine bar where Amy takes Jenna. He has a mischievous grin that he wields like a weapon to convince Jenna to give him a chance. Will his love be enough to pull Jenna out of her grief so she can learn to live and love again? This is a short read that grabs your heart and doesn't let go.  If you like relatable characters, references to The Princess Bride, and steamy scenes hot enough to melt your Kindle, download Rebound Therapy now! Excerpt: "I've decided what your next step should be," Amy says after the first movie is over. We've eaten half the pizza, and each plowed through half of our respective pints. I groan, both from feeling overfull and with dread from hearing her decision for my life. "I'm stuffed," I say, putting the lid back on my ice cream and getting up to put it in the freezer. "Do you want another Mike's?" "Sure. Aren't you going to ask what I've decided?" "No. I don't want to know." "Yes, you do. It's brilliant, I promise." "What happened to sympathetic Amy that I talked to on the phone earlier? Can I have her back?" She grins. "Nope. It's proactive Amy's turn. Ask me what you should do next." I take a deep breath and brace myself. "Fine. What have you decided I should do next with my life?" "You need a rebound." "What?" "A rebound. You know, to bounce back." **

Do you choose your dream job—or the guy you’ve always wanted?Three years ago Hannah met a sexy surfer while on vacation in Westport, WA.  After a whirlwind summer romance, he ghosts.  She’s tried to move on, but no other guy has ever measured up.  And now she comes face to face with him on the first day of her new internship.  To make matters worse, he’s one of her managers, and he has no idea who she is.Matt’s tired of being the third wheel around his friends, especially when he was the only one who ever wanted a girlfriend.  And then Hannah Glover shows back up in his life—the girl who simultaneously made him want a relationship and ruined him for anyone else without him even realizing it.  He wants her now more than ever, but she doesn’t trust him after the way he ended things before.  Which should be fine since he’s her manager at his first job out of college, and their company has a strict no fraternization policy.  But Matt just can’t seem to help himself where she’s concerned.  And she won’t be an intern forever, right?  Will he be able to convince Hannah to give them another shot?  Or will their past and their present conspire to keep them apart?If you love steamy new adult romance, check out the third installment in the Players of Marycliff University series now!

"Nothing but a counterfeit cowboy." That's how veterinarian and horse farm owner Dr. Shelby Masters contemptuously describes the number-one male country music singer. Strapped for cash when her prize stallion is stolen, she is forced to spend six weeks with the man, teaching him enough to do his own riding in the western movie he's signed for. Jordan Brooks can sing and play a guitar, but he can't ride a horse. He has a month and a half in which to learn, and he might just give strait-laced and distanced Shelby a few lessons of his own. For instance, how to make the most of a warm summer's night on a moonlit beach...

Starr Reynolds is determined to fight her way out of a life of poverty and violence, and she's not above using her beauty and feminine wiles. But when she marries into wealth and position, she discovers the path leads to despair for a love she can never have, as well as a growing awareness of the ruthlessness of her new family's patriarch. Starr will do as he dictates or find herself thrown out to once more fend for herself. Charismatic, darkly fascinating, Captain Barret Madison has earned his place as commander of a fleet of merchant ships, but no woman has ever tamed him. With the presence of Starr on his ship, his emotions are stirred, but she is promised to another. When she becomes the wife of his employer's son, how can he do more than wish them well?**

From New York Times bestselling author Gilly Macmillan comes this original, chilling and twisty mystery about two shocking murder cases twenty years apart, and the threads that bind them.Twenty years ago, eleven-year-olds Charlie Page and Scott Ashby were murdered in the city of Bristol, their bodies dumped near a dog racing track. A man was convicted of the brutal crime, but decades later, questions still linger.For his whole life, filmmaker Cody Swift has been haunted by the deaths of his childhood best friends. The loose ends of the police investigation consume him so much that he decides to return to Bristol in search of answers. Hoping to uncover new evidence, and to encourage those who may be keeping long-buried secrets to speak up, Cody starts a podcast to record his findings. But there are many people who don't want the case—along with old wounds—reopened so many years after the tragedy, especially Charlie's mother, Jess, who decides to take...

Macmillan Readers Starter Level

Macmillan Readers Starter Level

Always the bridesmaid when her best friend's the bride ...Amy's best friend Jenna is engaged ... again. And she's asked Amy to be her maid of honor again. Amy can't help but feel jealous that Jenna's ready to walk down the aisle for the second time, especially when her own love life is virtually nonexistent. Adam has wanted Amy since she first walked into his wine bar. After he finally got the chance to take her out, issues from his past got in the way. Now she's dating someone else, and he's jealous of the lost opportunity. Will Adam and Amy work out the issues from the past and present that are keeping them apart? Or will their jealousies ruin their relationships and keep them apart forever? Excerpt: A glass of red wine appears on the low table in front of me, next to my half drunk flute of champagne. A low voice rumbles next to my ear. "We just got in a new Syrah last week. Try it. I think you'll like it." I turn in surprise to find Adam's face close to mine. His dark hair has gotten a little long since I last saw him, curling more than it does when it's shorter. I like it. I want to touch it, run my hands through it. There's no hair product there that will make me feel like I need to wash my hands afterward. Of course, I don't. We don't have that kind of relationship. "Hey, Adam. Thanks." I reach for the wine, glad to have something better to drink than the champagne. Especially since I am now faced with Adam. A strange mix of elation and dread fills me, causing my stomach to swirl and all of my saliva to dry up. He always makes me feel something. Avoiding him for almost two months hasn't changed that at all. He takes the seat next to me, lounging back in the comfortable chair, his golden eyes studying me as I take a sip. He quirks a brow at me. "What do you think?" "It's really good. Thanks for getting it for me." He flicks a couple fingers at my champagne flute. "I saw your date got you that. While it's good champagne, I know you prefer reds over whites." I nod. "I do." There doesn't seem to be much else to say to that, even though he seems to be fishing for something. He glances over to where Scott is still talking and mingling. "I'm surprised you're over here by yourself. Usually you like to mix and mingle. Tired of your boyfriend already?" There's a little bite to his tone that I haven't heard from him before. "I've been mingling for a while already. My feet were hurting and I wanted to sit. Scott is enjoying himself and I saw no reason to drag him away." For some reason I've decided not to correct his assumption that Scott is more to me than a date for tonight. Adam raises his eyebrows. "He looks like he takes longer to get ready than my sister. And she's a beauty queen." I look at Scott's profile where he's standing in animated conversation. "He is very well groomed." I turn my gaze back to Adam. "I hadn't pegged you as the type to get jealous over another man's looks." He laughs, but it sounds ugly and forced. Not the carefree, flirtatious laugh I'm used to from him. "I wouldn't say I was jealous of his looks, Amy." I set the wine glass back on the table, not enjoying this exchange at all now. "Is there something you wanted, Adam? Or did you just come over to criticize my date?" He studies my face. "Date? Not boyfriend?" "I'm not sure why it matters." I stand and pick up the champagne flute. "You've been more than clear that you have no interest in either position."**