Meet the first of The Battling McGuire Boys from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden! Desperate to prove she's being framed for murder, Scarlett Stone entrusts her reputation—and her life—to the man who once broke her heart. Grant McGuire, a sexy former army ranger turned detective, has never been the same since military action. But behind his cold demeanor, he still burns for Scarlett. Taking her case is an easy but dangerous decision for Grant. Together they must race against the clock to find the real killer, who now wants them both dead. More dangerous, however, is their sudden, reignited passion. Grant will do anything for a second chance with Scarlett…while she'll do everything to keep the secret she never wants him to know… Have you signed up for Cynthia's newsletter? When you sign up, you: Always know when Cynthia has a new book release - Get first looks at her book excerpts and teases - Learn about exclusive contests, giveaways, and free reads Ready to sign up? Just copy and paste this link in your browser: cynthiaeden.com/newsletter Are you following Cynthia? Be sure to click the "Follow" button at the top of this Amazon page. You can also find Cynthia at: Website: cynthiaeden.com - Instagram: instagram.com/cynthiaedenauthor - Facebook: facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage - Twitter: twitter.com/cynthiaeden His building should have been empty. It was after 7:00 p.m. and McGuire Securities should have been shut down for the night. Grant McGuire was heading out of the place, more than ready to go meet his brothers at a local bar in Austin, Texas. It had been one hell of a week, and he needed to let off some steam. So when he opened his office door and stepped into the lobby, he thought the place would be deserted. It wasn't. A woman was there. She stood just two feet away, as if she'd just entered the lobby and had been making her way directly to see him. Her blond hair was pulled away from her face, secured in a little twist at her nape. Her eyes—dark, wide, deep—flared when she saw him. And the world seemed to stop for Grant. Scarlett? Scarlett Stone? Without speaking, he drank her in. His gaze swept over her face. The soft curve of her cheeks, the delicate jaw, the light sprinkling of freckles across her nose. Scarlett had always hated those freckles, but he'd loved them. Had wanted to kiss every single— "Grant? Um, do you…do you remember me?" Her voice was halting. As if he could ever forget her. The woman starred in pretty much every fantasy he'd ever had. She'd changed over the years. She wasn't wearing dusty jeans and a loose T-shirt like she'd favored back in her high school days. She was dressed in black—expensively cut pants and a close-fitting turtleneck. Her feet were encased in high heels—red heels that made him think of sex. Sex with Scarlett. "Uh…" Pink flashed across her cheeks as she seemed to decide that no, he didn't remember her. "I'm Scarlett… Scarlett Stone." A growl built in his throat. "I damn well know who you are." Had he really just been staring at her like a lovesick fool? But… Scarlett shouldn't be here. She should be far away from him. Safely away. He'd made the sacrifice before. Done the right thing by her. So why was she back? In his office? He glanced over her shoulder, his focus shifting to the McGuire Securities entrance. "How did you get in here?" He'd thought the place was locked up. "Your assistant met me. She was leaving when I was arriving. She told me that you were still here." Scarlett's hands clenched around the small black bag that she carried. "Can we…can we go inside your office to talk?" The tremble in her voice pierced right through him. Scarlett's voice had shaken like that before. When she was scared, it was a dead giveaway to her emotions. Grant backed into his office, holding the door open for her. When she passed by him, he caught her scent—vanilla. Did she know that he couldn't smell vanilla without thinking of her? No. Don't let her see… He pulled in a deep breath, took in more of her delectable scent, and made sure his mask was in place. The mask he'd always tried to wear around her. Ten years… He should have gotten over her by now. "Have a seat," he told her as he turned on more lights and then shut the door. Scarlett slowly settled into a chair across from his desk. She looked so polished and perfect. Not like the young girl who'd always had her hair streaming over her shoulders and a smile on her face. A smile for him, anyway. A smile that had lit her dark eyes and made— "Do you recall what you told me? The last time we were—were together?" She fumbled a bit over those words. He didn't sit behind the desk. He leaned in front of it, positioning his body a few feet from Scarlett. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific for me." He kept his voice controlled. "It's been ten years." Ten years, and wasn't she supposed to be married? His gaze darted to her left hand. No ring. But sh