Excerpt from Rich Man's Vengeful Seduction

There was nothing more unsettling than a devil in church.

Swathed in a black chiffon Vera Wang bridesmaid dress, her red hair piled on top of her head, Tess York stared at the man in the fourth pew, her palms going damp around the base of her bouquet of red peonies. His name was Damien Sauer and he was tall, dark and fierce-looking - just as she remembered him. Once upon a time they had been together, boyfriend and girlfriend, lovers and friends, but then another man had come along. A man who was mild and shy and had seemed the safe choice at the time. Back then, she'd been a sucker for safe, and had walked away from Damien and the look of seething animosity that had followed her out the door.

The scent of pine from the decorative holiday garland strewn around the church ceased being romantic and festive and instead gave way to a horrible bout of nausea. What was he doing back here? she wondered nervously. He didn't belong here anymore. As far as she knew, he'd gotten out of Minnesota years ago and had moved to California . Rumor had it that he'd taken on the real estate market, flipping houses at the rate of two per month. Supposedly, he was unstoppable, went into every deal without a conscious, and was now worth millions.

Tess was hardly surprised by his success. Six years ago, he'd worked as lead carpenter for a construction company in town. His ideas were so clever, so innovative, his handiwork so skillful and beautiful, he was wanted by every contractor in the city.

But local jobs and local pay hadn't been enough for Damien. He'd wanted more, and had been willing to risk everything he to get to where he wanted to go.

Tess watched him sit immobile in his seat with that arrogant lift to his chin as he watched Mary and Ethan exchange wedding vows. Tension moved through her neck and shoulders like a snake in search of a fat mouse. She had done everything to bury her wretched, mistake-filled past, erase the so-called life she'd lived to the most worthless of husbands. Along with her partners, Olivia Winston and Mary Kelley, she'd helped build a winning wife-for-hire business and had created a smooth, comfortable life for herself. All she wanted to do these days was act as thought the past had never existed and continue to live happily and cautiously in the present.

But the devil had shown up in church.

Behind Tess, someone took to the keys of the piano, playing the introduction to Phantom's All I Ask of You. Everyone in the wedding party turned – as rehearsed – to watch the two performers walk to the piano, then sing.

Everyone except Tess.

She couldn't take her eyes off of Damien. Maybe if she stared hard enough at him he'd get up and leave. She almost laughed out loud at the stupid thought. He wasn't a man to be chased out, scared off. He had the strongest will of anyone she had ever known.

Her gaze moved over him. He had grown leaner and broader in the shoulders since she'd seen him last, but his mouth was as hard as his expression now, as though he didn't make it a habit of smiling.

What was he here for? Did he know Ethan? Or God forbid, Mary?

Tess shifted, her black heels feeling suffocatingly tight. There was no way she was ready to spill her guts about the past to her partners...

Beside her, No Ring Required's culinary expert, Olivia Winston leaned in. “Hey, I know the singing's not Broadway caliber, but no spacing out, okay?”

“Yeah. Right. Sure,” Tess muttered, utterly distracted.

The pretty brunette frowned at her. “What's wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” Tess said quickly.

“Doesn't look like nothing,” Olivia muttered.

Refusing to make a scene at her partners wedding, Tess forced herself to face the singers. She had to get a grip here. Maybe Damien didn't even know she was there – maybe he'd forgotten all about her. Maybe he was married...with two kids and a dog named Buster. After all it had been six years. Look at all that had happened to her...

But as she half listened to the singers belt it out for the bride and groom, the music swelling and filling the church, she had an odd feeling, as though she were being watched, as though little bugs were crawling into the red curls at her hairline and nipping at her skin. It was a feeling she'd had only one time before.

The day she'd turned her back on the devilish Damien Sauer and walked out.

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