THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

out a free woman.
    Then he’d turned the tape recording over to the District Attorney who’d used her as another notch in his political belt.
    Her first hard lesson in life had been simple.
    Don’t trust a man, particularly if he had anything to do with law enforcement.
    Angel replaced the photo and slipped through the door connecting Zane’s bedroom to his master bathroom. A haggard face stared back at her from the mirror. She twisted her hair into a knot on top of her head while she waited for the air-conditioning to kick on again. The pleasant hum of the cooling system would cover any noise she’d make attending to her personal needs and dressing.
    Trish’s large vanity drawer was filled with a stash of hair clips, makeup, lotions, and other feminine needs. When Angel found a bottle of plum colored nail polish, she had the sudden urge to primp.
    The last time she’d dolled up had been in high school. As a lanky teen, taller than the majority of the girls and many boys, she’d been more at home on the track than on a date. Her one serious relationship had lasted two weeks. Just long enough to lose her virginity to a boy who’d sworn his love then revoked that decree by sleeping with Angel’s only girlfriend.
    Her nails needed help, but plum polish wouldn’t save them. She hadn’t worn makeup since getting out of jail, preferring to project a clear “not interested” message to men in general.
    Most men heeded her unspoken message, allowing her a wide berth – until Zane.
    Tall, sexy, imposing Zane.
    If she hung around any longer she’d be tempted to give in to the desire she’d seen burn through his gaze more than once. Talk about a heady feeling for someone like her. He kept his emotions hidden beneath a “just want to help” façade most of the time, but some reactions were too strong for anyone to shield.
    Other women might be put off by a man his size walking his eyes up and down their bodies, but for the first time in many years Angel had welcomed the flattery. Her dormant feminine side had come alive, curious to find out what those suggestive gazes offered. She so wanted to meet him halfway.
    To know that kind of happiness just once in her life.
    Timing had never been in her favor.
    Reality trampled her fantasies. She rolled her eyes. In what universe would she have a relationship with someone like Zane? Her attraction to the sexy pilot could not cause her to lose sight of goals one and two – survival and vindication.
    A man had gotten her into this mess. Getting involved with another one wouldn’t solve her problems.
    Enough daydreaming.
    If she’d had any other option last night, she’d have avoided coming back here, but she had no excuse to stay now when Mason would retaliate against Zane with deadly force. Her debt to Zane just kept growing.
    Putting him and Trish at risk was no way to pay it back.
    She peeked out the door to the living room.
    Zane still slept, snoring softly. She smiled at knowing that little detail.
    Padding to the laundry room, she changed to her too-bright running shorts, jog top, and T-shirt. No choice when she needed the freedom to run if need be. After he’d helped her, the last thing she’d do was take anything from him, even though he’d probably hand over every t-shirt he owned if he thought she needed them. That was just the kind of man he was. She jammed her other clothes into the shoulder bag before pulling on the limp baseball cap.
    Her Annie Hall look, as Zane had tagged it, had failed to fool a middle-aged man in a gray suit at the restaurant. She’d barely caught his expression of surprise when they’d entered. His face had shuttered back to bored so quickly she’d have missed the tiny change had she not been intentionally searching the room for a note of recognition.
    There was always the possibility that she’d imagined the brief facial alteration, but she didn’t think so. He might be one of Mason’s men or someone he’d hired from down here.
    Mason’s subordinates showed no mercy to anyone who got in their way. She’d prayed that the man in the restaurant would follow her instead of Zane, but he’d have to have been fleet of foot to keep up with her.
    Even tired, she ran world-class times.
    Add in adrenaline and no one would catch her.
    Maybe she’d been wrong to run to Zane, but she’d been out of options and ... damn him, he’d made her want him.
    Want to run to him.
    Opening her eyes to find Zane looking at her when he’d