Hidden Talents

Praise for
    JAYNE ANN KRENTZ
    and her marvelous bestsellers
    HIDDEN TALENTS
    “Krentz conjures up a charming relationship between dissimilar but compatible lovers and whimsically paints the eccentric characters of Witt's End…. Krentz's fans will delight in [HIDDEN TALENTS].”
    — Publishers Weekly
    EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
    “[A] well-paced thriller fraught with tension—both sexual and suspenseful…. The prolific Krentz…once again demonstrates her knack for page-turning plots that masterfully inveigle and misdirect readers up to a surprising denouement.”
    — Publishers Weekly
    “In the eye of the romance reader, Jayne Ann Krentz remains one of the great authors of the decade…. This wonderful writer always provides an entertaining story. Readers will relish the exciting story line. The lead protagonists are a warm, intrepid duo.”
    —barnesandnoble.com
    “Krentz weaves her magic in this exciting and passionate tale. She leads us into a maze of puzzles and adventures which we don't want to end. Read, absorb, and enjoy.”
    — Rendezvous
    “[A] fun-filled and sensational tale by the incomparable Jayne Ann Krentz.”
    — Romantic Times
    DEEP WATERS
    “Adventure, humor, romance, and a great supporting cast of characters…. A very enjoyable novel.”
    — Library Journal
    “Jayne Ann Krentz is a tremendous talent.”
    — Detroit Free Press
    “Elias and Charity have a Tracy-Hepburn kind of relationship….”
    — Newsday (NY)
    “Superb…. Quirky humor and passionate romance with a touch of suspense.”
    — Romantic Times
    “The clever and constant repartee between Charity and Elias is of the laugh-aloud quality without being slapstick. The sexual tension and subsequent lovemaking burn holes in the paper.”
    — BookPage
    “A fun read…. Krentz has a real gift for dreaming up unusual characters, and Deep Waters is up to her usual standards.”
    — The Oakland Press (MI)
    GRAND PASSION
    “Filled with the kind of intelligent, offbeat characters…[who] are so fun to get to know that it's hard to close the book on them…. Jayne Ann Krentz is one of the hottest writers in romance today.”
    — USA Today
    “Charming, suspenseful, and downright steamy…. Pure and unabashed fun.”
    — West Coast Review of Books
    “Krentz at her best…. [ Grand Passion has] the snappy dialogue that has become her trademark and a cast of characters you want to know personally.”
    —Sandra Brown
    ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY
    “[A] cheerful escapist package combining sex and mystery….”
    — Cosmopolitan
    “ Absolutely, Positively pushes all the right buttons—and it always works.”
    — Kirkus Reviews
    “A delight…. Krentz's leads are engaging and believable.”
    — Publishers Weekly
    “Jayne Ann Krentz outdoes herself….”
    — Affaire de Coeur
    FLASH
    “Romantic suspense of the highest order…[told with] wit and intelligence.”
    —Amazon.com
    “ Flash glitters and glows with all of Krentz's patented humor and spice.”
    — Romantic Times
    “Another winner…. The sparks fly…. Krentz entertains us with her own brand of magic.”
    — Rendezvous
    “[A] dazzling tale…[told with] superb style and skill.”
    — Booklist

Also by Jayne Ann Krentz
    Absolutely, Postively
    Deep Waters
    Eye of the Beholder
    Family Man
    Flash
    The Golden Chance
    Grand Passion
    Hidden Talents
    Perfect Partners
    Sharp Edges
    Silver Linings
    Sweet Fortune
    Trust Me
    Wildest Hearts
    Written under the name Jayne Castle
    Amaryllis
    Orchid
    Zinnia
    Published by POCKET BOOKS



This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
    An Original Publication of POCKET BOOKS
POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
    Copyright © 1993 by Jayne Ann Krentz
    All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
    ISBN: 0-7434-9640-X
    POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
    Visit us on the World Wide Web:
http://www.SimonSays.com

H IDDEN T ALENTS

Prologue

    S HE SAT UNMOVING AT THE EDGE OF THE CRYSTAL CLEAR hot spring pool. The silvery vapor that hovered over the warm water twisted and curled in on itself, drawing