Special Delivery

By V. J. Devereaux

The Internet dating site profile was simple and direct - "Special Delivery. If you're a woman looking for good, safe, clean, no-strings sex, contact me. I always wear a condom, have no communicable diseases, and I can provide proof if asked."
The man in the picture was gorgeous with a come-hither grin.
For Lacey MacKay - an attorney wrapped up in a high-profile drug case - he was just what she needed.
She wasn't really going to do this, was she?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Valerie Douglas
• Release date: Dec 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463722138

V. J. Devereaux

V.J. Devereaux is a prolific writer and a genre-crosser, much to the delight of her fans. A fan of authors from almost every genre - she is the author of five star rated contemporary and paranormal erotic romance novels, including Cooking Class, Demon's Kiss and the Night Owl Reviews Top Pick, Cherry's Jubilee. As Valerie Douglas she's the writer of the Kindle bestselling fantasy novel The Coming Storm, but she writes fantasy of all kinds - classic, epic, historical and contemporary - as well as romance, suspense and horror novels. Who knows what will pop up down the road!Happily married, she's companion to two dogs, four cats and an African clawed frog named Hopper who delights in tormenting the cats from his tank.For more information on this author, please see her website www.vjdevereauxbooks.com.

Book preview

Promises, promises. How do you know it will be great?

Because I’m that good, he responded.

Cocky. Or confident? she challenged.

Yep. That too.

That made her laugh.

I like cocky men, she answered.

Good thing. A smiley face was attached – a winking grin.

Her mood lightened, she smiled. All right...

You’re also on the Matchmaker dating site. She wanted him to know she knew that.

Are you?

She shook her head, although he couldn’t see her since her camera was turned off. It was too much of a risk that someone might recognize her. No. I just look, lurk.

Did you like what you saw? he asked.

Oh, yeah. Wow. Impressive pecs.

A laughing smiley face appeared.

Is that picture real?

Damn straight it’s real. A winking smiley.

She liked him already. Is your offer serious?

Are you interested?

Was she really going to do this…?

I was glued to Special Delivery from the first page...

Five Dragons

--Veiled Secrets Reviews

Two words for V.J. Devereaux are 'Wow' and 'Awesome' for Special Delivery. This book rocked all the way and blew my mind away.

Five Teacups

--Happily Ever After Reviews

Hot sex, Hot man, and a plot? Makes for a pretty good read :)

Received a 16.5 

--Seriously Reviewed

Special Delivery

By

V. J. Devereaux

Special Delivery – Copyright 2015 Valerie Douglas writing as V. J. Devereaux

Cover art by Kudi Design

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from author.

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Other Titles by V. J. Devereaux

The Book of Demons series

Demon’s Kiss

Demon’s Embrace

Cherry’s Jubilee

The Bound Series

Blood Bound

Magic Bound

Cooking Class

Discover titles by Valerie Douglas

Fantasy

The Coming Storm Series

The Coming Storm

A Convocation of Kings

Not Magic Enough

Setting Boundaries

Song of the Fairy Queen

The Servant of the Gods series

Servant of the Gods

Heart of the Gods

Romance

The Millersburg Quartet Series

Irish Fling

Dirty Politics

Directors Cut

Two Up

Romantic Suspense

Lucky Charm

Thrillers

Nike’s Wings

The Last Resort

Dedication

To my editor, who shall remain nameless

To the very real inspiration for Rick…

And as always to my beloved husband, without whom this book wouldn’t be possible.

Chapter One

The trial seemed to be taking forever and Lacey hadn’t even finished making the prosecution’s case. As she dragged herself wearily into her apartment, she didn’t feel much like Federal Prosecutor L. C. MacKay – the one they’d nicknamed Dynamite for her diminutive size and enormous energy. She was one tired woman. Tired in body and tired in spirit. This case was wearing her out.

Anthony Cardenas had been and probably still was – from the confines of his jail cell – one of the biggest drug dealers on the East Coast, an affiliate of the Mexican drug cartels. The cartels now operated in most U.S. cities and had brought their own particular brand of mayhem with them. Cardenas had chosen the small town of Bridgeport in which to take up residence and run his operation. That had dropped him smack into her jurisdiction and so it had fallen to her to prosecute him.

Information from the case had been leaked that shouldn’t have. She felt like the boy in the cartoons trying to plug the dam with his finger except new holes kept springing up. With the amount of money involved the risk of corruption was always there and with it the suspicion that someone was on the take, either a cop or someone on her own team.

She hated either thought but she had limited the access to the materials and put vital information in a secure safe each night.

Threats had been made against the witnesses, so the civilians were in safe houses. Given the danger of tampering they had even taken the drastic move of sequestering the jury. There would be no tampering there. It also had the effect of limiting the amount of information they would hear from the media and elsewhere.

Similar threats had been made against her too, but that was part of the job. Lacey refused to bow to them. She didn’t take them lightly either. She kept watch as she drove, keeping alert to make certain she wasn’t followed. When she neared her apartment building, she checked that no one lingered near the lobby door. She used the same caution when she parked and left her car. She was alone, but she was always careful.

As if I’m going to be anything else but alone, she thought with a sigh as she left the elevator and walked to her apartment, at least until this trial is over.

She opened the door, dropping her purse and briefcase on the table inside as she kicked the door shut behind her.

Loneliness was guaranteed until this was over and done. Considering there weren’t many men she could trust inside or outside of it and the few she could were off limits — a clear conflict of interest if anyone discovered it. Her love life, never much to speak of, was officially on pause.

This case was too important to risk. All of which, on reflection, had been brought up by a visit to her office by her boss.

Her office, as usual, mirrored her caseload. Current cases were in one filing cabinet, completed cases with pending issues or appeals in another set, with the most current case spread across her table and desk, sorted by witnesses, evidence, etc.

Joel Hamilton, her boss, was a big, raw-boned man with a handsome craggy face and piercing eyes. She liked and respected him a great deal and they got along well. For which she was profoundly grateful as he backed her plays as much as he was able. Happily married with three kids, he was very, very off limits.

But, seeing what he had in his hand, she sighed.

A formal envelope in cream-colored parchment printed in a faux calligraphic font. He knew how much she hated what those things meant. He had held it out to her and, reluctantly, she took it and opened it.

It was an invitation to a charity black-tie dinner via the governor and the State House, Lacey had deliberately kept her jaw loose – refusing to clench her teeth in frustration – as she looked up at him.

You have got to be kidding me, she’d said. I’m in the middle of one of the biggest drug cases in the state and I’m also supposed to kiss up to some politicians?

No, he had said, dryly, his expression wry. I’m not kidding, and yes, you are. It’s part of the job, MacKay, part of the job. And it’s at least partly because of that case.

Just because you have to go doesn’t mean I have to, she’d replied, grinning a little crookedly and shaking her head. She knew he hated the things as much as she did.

He’d grinned back. Yes, it does, but at least you don’t have to wear the monkey suit.

No, she’d replied, making a face. I have to wear a dress that doesn’t show a single extra pound and high heels that will have my feet screaming in an hour. Want to trade?

Like you have to worry about weight, he’d scoffed, laughing, as he turned. No, and you can keep the heels, they’re just not me.

Lacey had chuckled.

Keeping the weight off when she was working a case like this wasn’t that hard given the demands on her time and stress.

She’d tried not to look at his pretty magnificent ass as he walked away, then smiled and, with resignation, taped the invitation to her monitor so she wouldn’t forget.

A black-tie dinner she would attend alone, to dance with men she couldn’t date, with a dozen eyes waiting for her to make a mistake. Sheer torture.

She’d glanced upward to shoot an unfair God a nasty look.

* * * * *

The door clicked shut, automatically locking behind her as she turned on a single lamp, leaving the rest of the apartment in soothing shadow. She reached for the wine bottle on the kitchen counter and poured herself a glass of merlot — rich and red — to get her blood warmed up and pumping again.

At least the next day was Friday and the judge would