Haunted by the Past

Chapter 1: Moment of Weakness

Copyright 2015 © Rosesareforever

This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

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Author's note: the long awaited third book in the Henderson Empire Series. As all the books in the series, Haunted by the Past can be read as a standalone novel but I recommend to read the complete series. Let Stephanie and David's journey begin.

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Haunted by the Past

Chapter 1

'Moment of Weakness'

Sipping from her glass of Champagne, Stephanie closed her eyes in satisfaction and reveled in the heavenly taste of the expensive liquid that smoothly slid down her throat. It was one of her favorites. Her best friend, Jade, had chosen well. Letting her gaze drift along the numerous guests gathered in the ballroom, a scowl took hold of her features when she noticed David Thompson walking in her direction, his steps long and deliberate. The man oozed confidence and manliness as he easily maneuvered through the thick crowd. Groups of people unconsciously parted as they saw him advance, his presence notable. Awareness of his vicinity made Stephanie's body stand at alert.

Quickly scanning the room for a quick escape, Stephanie noticed the bride and groom had scampered off. Damn it. That left her to deal with the cocky bastard on her own. It would've been much easier had Jade been there to send David one of her scary looks or deadly glares. The woman truly was a pro at getting the man to back off. It had probably something to do with the fact that he'd done Jade wrong and still felt secretly guilty about it.

Jade and Sedric had spent six year apart after a stupid mistake and one hell of a lot misunderstandings. It took a wedding gone wrong and unexpected pregnancy to make them finally realize they were destined to be together.

"Firecracker," David nodded in greeting as he halted in front of her, close enough that she could smell the faint whiff of body wash mixed with a woodsy male scent. A shiver ran down Stephanie's spine. Why did the man need to smell so damn sexy? Her olfactory senses were sighing in delight. Damn him. She hated how easily and thoroughly he affected her. It should be illegal to be so damn irresistible.

"Dîckhead," she returned with a feigned sweet smile, fluttering her eyelashes for extra effect. No matter how many times she'd told him to quit calling her firecracker, he never listened. The stubborn man enjoyed how she always showed him attitude. That knowledge should be enough to ease Stephanie's temper and make her hold her tongue, but she just couldn't help herself. David Thompson infuriated her like no other had ever done before him. Something about him always seemed to trigger her inner bîtch and made her lash out without meaning to.

"You're looking lovely as always," he smirked charmingly, letting his gaze slide over her body in appreciation, lust shining in his eyes as he took in every curve. Stephanie resisted the urge to cover her chest. Men might be allured by her petite body, average sized bööbs and saucy attitude, but she'd be damned if she ever let them talk their way into her panties. Stephanie was the predator, not prey. If she wanted someone, she would have them, not the other way around. Cocky bastards were so not her type.

"My eyes are up here, asshole," she snapped, waving her hand in front of his eyes. Stephanie was all too aware of how the olive fabric of her dress hugged her breasts tightly, showing a decent amount of cleavage. It was one of her assets she liked to exploit. Men were too easy sometimes. Show a little skin, throw them an alluring smile and they were putty in her hands. But she wasn't here to flirt with David. No, her dress was meant for whoever she chose tonight as her lucky candidate.