Book excerpt: There had been two men so far in Madeline's life—her late husband, Joe, and her boss, Adrian. Both had been kind and uncomplicated, wanting only to cherish and look after her. But now another man had surged into her life—Nicholas Vitale. Handsome, dynamic, devastatingly attractive, he was utterly unlike anyone she had ever met before. But he certainly could not be described as gentle or kind, still less did he want to protect and cherish her. And Madeline could not resist him. In getting so far out of her depth with Nicholas, was Madeline doing anything but stirring up trouble for herself? And what about her duty to that other important person in her life—her young daughter Diana?