
Part of Series
First love. Second chance. All they have to do is stay alive... Following her father's mysterious death in Singapore, Leah leaves her life in London and returns to the island that was her childhood home. Toran James may have been the boy her fourteen-year-old heart yearned for, but the enigmatic man she meets upon her return is nothing like her memory, and the past holds more secrets than she realised. Was her father's death really an accident? Someone is out to silence Leah - and that someone might be the man she is rapidly falling in love with...again. Fast-paced, action-packed romantic suspense filled with intrigue and sizzling tension - a perfect summer read! * This is the first part of Leah & Toran's story, which continues in Book 2: Tender Treachery - coming soon! EXCERPT: "Quiet!" a voice hissed, as a hand clamped over her mouth and Leah felt herself pressed against a hard, male body. Muscular arms folded around her like a band of iron. She struggled, kicking back with her heels. She heard a sound of annoyance and the hand fell from her mouth for a second. Before she could scream again, a voice she recognised spoke urgently in her ear. "Leah! Leah! It's me!" He let go of her, then strong hands gripped her shoulders and gave her a sharp shake. "Toran?" He glanced around, then moved swiftly, taking her right arm and leading her towards the building. She stumbled beside him, trying to keep up with his long strides, as they headed towards the lifts. "Get in," he said tersely as the lift doors opened. "No." She balked. "Not until you explain what's going on. And what the hell you thought you were doing just now, manhandling me like that." He glanced back the way they had come. "I don't have time to explain now." "Well, I don't care. I want—" "GET. IN." The look on his face scared her. This was not the boy she used to know, but a man who could be dangerous. She stepped into the lift and stood well away from him as the doors swished shut, and the hum of machinery told her they were ascending. "Where are we going?" she demanded. "To the fifteenth floor." He ran a hand through his hair. "Leah, I'm sorry; this wasn't how I planned the evening—" "Oh, really? You mean you don't always attack your dates as soon as you see them? I guess I should be honoured I get that special privilege!" She was angry now - angry at how scared she had been, angry at his strange behaviour, maybe even angry at herself for feeling a thrill of excitement when she had been pressed up against his body. She remembered the way his chest felt and the rough thrust of his thigh against hers, and her face burned. Whatever it was she had expected to feel when she saw Toran again, it wasn't this raw attraction. The lift pinged and the doors slid open. "Come on," he said, putting a hand to her elbow. "No!" Leah pulled her arm away. "I'm not going anywhere until you explain. I've barely been in Singapore twenty-four hours and already I feel like I'm in some bad B-movie. What the hell is going on, Toran? Why did you ask me to meet you last night?" He said impatiently, "Because I wanted to see you, of course." "Don't lie," Leah snapped. "There's more to it than that.
Author

USA Today bestselling author H.Y. Hanna writes fun cozy mysteries filled with quirky characters, lots of laughs, clever twists—and cats with big personalities! She is known for bringing wonderful settings to life, whether it’s the historic city of Oxford, the beautiful English Cotswolds or the sunny beaches of coastal Florida. After graduating from Oxford University with a BA in Biological Sciences and a MSt in Social Anthropology, Hsin-Yi tried her hand at a variety of jobs including advertising, modelling, teaching English and dog training… before returning to her first love: writing. She worked as a freelance writer for several years and has won awards for her poetry, short stories and journalism. Hsin-Yi was born in Taiwan and has been a globe-trotter all her life—living in a variety of cultures, from Dubai to Auckland, London to New Jersey—but is now happily settled in Perth, Western Australia, with her husband and a rescue kitty named Muesli (who is the real-life inspiration for the feline star of her Oxford Tearoom Mysteries). She loves gardening, has a morbid fear of cockroaches and adds chili to everything she eats! Join her newsletter for a glimpse into her life as an author, sneak previews of upcoming books and notifications of new releases: https://www.hyhanna.com/newsletter