Innocent 'til Proven Otherwise

Innocent 'til Proven Otherwise
Amy Andrews

Rules are made to be broken…aren’t they?Ali doesn’t do reckless, and she certainly doesn’t do one-night stands – until one intoxicating night with the most lethally attractive man she’s ever laid eyes on… More shocking still, when Ali meets the lawyer holding her career in his hands a few days later – it’s the same hot guy!The legendary Max Sherrington knows even his vivid memories of Ali could be defined as inappropriate conduct! Protocol may forbid him from touching her – but just because they can’t break the rules it surely doesn’t mean they can’t bend them a little…

Praise for Amy Andrews

‘With a wonderful heroine, a strong and sexy hero,

and packed with drama, charm and realism,

A Mother for Matilda is just the tonic to cheer up die-hard romantics the world over!’ —www.cataromance.com on Mills & Boon

Medical

Romance A Mother for Matilda

‘Whether Amy Andrews is an auto-buy for you, or a

new-to-you author, this book is definitely worth reading.’

—Pink Heart Society Book Reviews on

Mills & Boon

Medical

Romance A Mother for Matilda

‘A spectacular set of stories by Ms Andrews,

the Italian Surgeon to Dad! duet features tales of Italian men who know how to leave a lasting impression in the imaginations of readers who love the romance genre.’ —www.cataromance.com

Amy also won a RB*Y (Romance Book of the Year)

Award in 2010 for A Doctor, A Nurse, A Christmas Baby!

About the Author

About Amy Andrews

AMY ANDREWS has always loved writing, and still can’t quite believe that she gets to do it for a living. Creating wonderful heroines and gorgeous heroes and telling their stories is an amazing way to pass the day. Sometimes they don’t always act as she’d like them to—but then neither do her kids, so she’s kind of used to it. Amy lives in the very beautiful Samford Valley, with her husband and aforementioned children, along with six brown chooks and two black dogs.

She loves to hear from her readers. Drop her a line at www.amyandrews.com.au

Innocent

‘til Proven Otherwise

Amy Andrews

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

For Kelly Hunter and Anna Cleary,

two fabulous writers

who encouraged me to stretch my wings.

CHAPTER ONE

‘TWO shots of tequila and keep them coming.’

Aleisha Gregory groaned at Kat’s choice of Friday-night poison as she reluctantly plonked herself on the bar seat next to the leggy blonde. Saturday night was usually tequila night and she knew from experience that the Mexican liquor had a nasty habit of making her friend’s clothes fall off, usually with wildly inappropriate men.

Which was fine. Kat was a grown woman after all. Until the panicked phone call she always received at the crack of dawn the next day asking to be picked up from a strange address and the ensuing couple of days of vocal self-loathing.

‘Think I’d rather have something with an umbrella.’

After years of drinking sessions with Kat, Aleisha had learned that cocktails went down slower. Besides, it was still Happy Hour and eight-dollar cocktails could not be sneezed at.

Kat glanced at her friend and tisked. ‘Ali, Ali, Ali. You city girls, no stamina.’ She turned back to the boy/man behind the bar. ‘Make it two daiquiris instead. And if you could make them all pretty and pink you will hold a special place in my heart for ever.’

Ali watched as Kat batted her eyes at the bartender. His pronounced Adam’s apple bobbed convulsively once, twice, before he practically fell over himself to fill Kat’s orders. Ali wouldn’t mind betting he could make a daiquiri with polka dots if Kat had requested it.

She rolled her eyes at her friend. ‘He’s a child, Katarina.’

Kat ignored her. ‘Right,’ she said, looking around the dimly lit, half-full bar, her keen eyesight scanning the offerings, probing into corners, assessing tonight’s selection of possibles. ‘Let’s get you hooked up.’

Ali shook her head. ‘Kitty Kat, since when have I ever hooked up?’

‘Precisely!’ Kat poked Ali in the shoulder. ‘Maybe if you’d hooked up a little more often you might not have ended up with Terrible Tom.’

Ali winced. Kat’s insights could be a little brutal from time to time. ‘Well, I didn’t end up with him, did I?’

‘That’s only because Two-Timing Tom is a jerk. Trust me, you had a lucky escape.’

Ali blew a persistent curl out of her eye. Funny, she didn’t feel lucky. Tonight she was surprised to realise she still felt a little raw. Even a year down the track.

Admittedly, it has been a particularly heinous year.

The bartender placed their cocktails before them with a flourish and Ali watched him blush as Kat bestowed him with her you’re-such-a-big-clever-man smile and then totally ignored him.

‘What happened to your hand?’ Ali asked the besotted bartender.

He looked down at the small red laceration gracing the back of his hand. ‘I was trying to break up a dog fight this arvo.’ He smiled at Kat. ‘One of them took exception.’

Ali rolled her eyes at the lame attempt to impress. ‘Did you get a tetanus shot?’

The bartender dragged his gaze to Ali. ‘Er … no. Should I?’