“Tell me the truth, Kat.”

      He reached out and took her by the shoulders, his piercing green eyes glittering dangerously. “You didn’t love me five years ago. You played with me. You found me vastly entertaining, but that’s all it ever was for you, right?”

      “That’s not true.” The pain of that day when he’d gotten on a plane and flown out of her life radiated through her now.

      Nate snorted derisively and dropped his hands from her shoulders, as if he couldn’t stand touching her. “Sure, you loved me so much you weren’t willing to sacrifice anything.”

      “You asked me to be someone I’m not. But I did love you. I loved you like I’ve never loved anyone before…or since.”

      And she still loved him. But it didn’t matter. He hated her and she loved him and the duration of her stay in Boston promised to be sheer heartbreaking torture.

      Dear Reader,

      I’ve put together a list of Silhouette Romance New Year’s resolutions to help you get off to a great start in 2004!

      Have a great New Year!

      Mavis C. Allen

      Associate Senior Editor

      Rules of Engagement

      Carla Cassidy

      CARLA CASSIDY

      is an award-winning author who has written over fifty books for Silhouette. In 1995, she won Best Silhouette Romance from Romantic Times for Anything for Danny. In 1998, she also won a Career Achievement Award for Best Innovative Series from Romantic Times.

      FROM THE DESK OF EMILY WINTERS

      Two

      Six Bachelor Executives To Go

      Bachelor #1: Love, Your Secret Admirer

      Matthew Burke—Hmm…his sweet assistant clearly has googly eyes for her workaholic boss. Maybe I can make some office magic happen.

      Bachelor #2: Her Pregnant Agenda

      Grant Lawson—The guy’s a dead ringer for Pierce Brosnan—who wouldn’t want to fall into his strong, protective arms!

      Bachelor #3: Fill-in Fiancée

      Brett Hamilton—The playboy from England is really a British lord! Can I find him a princess…or has he found her already?

      Bachelor #4: Santa Brought a Son

      Reed Connors—The ambitious VP seems to have a heavy heart. Only his true love could have broken it. But where is she now?

      Bachelor #5: Rules of Engagement

      Nate Leeman—Definitely a lone wolf kind of guy. A bit hard around the edges, but I’ll bet there’s a tender, aching heart inside.

      Bachelor #6: One Bachelor To Go

      Jack Devon—The guy is so frustratingly elusive. Arrogant and implacable, too! He’s going last on my matchmaking list until I can figure out what kind of woman a mystery man like him prefers….

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter One

      Nate Leeman stood at his office window and watched as big, fat snowflakes drifted lazily down from an overcast sky. It always surprised him when somebody mentioned how beautiful Boston could be in January.

      As far as Nate was concerned, snow meant only one thing…longer commutes to and from the office. Many a wintry night he had camped out at work rather than fight traffic and inclement conditions. Of course most nights he’d just as soon be here as at home.

      Here, was his office at Wintersoft, Inc. As Senior Vice President of Technology, he commanded a large office outfitted with a wet bar he’d never used, an ornate armoire containing a television, stereo and DVD player he’d never touched and a sofa sleeper he’d never unfolded.

      All he cared about sat on his enormous desk—his state-of-the-art computer and supporting equipment. The computer and its programs and files weren’t just his work; they were his life and, despite all the security precautions, somebody had violated it.

      Now his computer wasn’t alone on his big desk. A second monitor and keyboard sat next to his and the sight of it only served to heighten the irritation that had been with him since the moment he’d awakened that morning.

      A knock sounded on his office door. “Come in,” he called and turned away from the window.

      Emily Winters, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and the boss’s daughter, entered and immediately sat on the burgundy sofa opposite Nate’s desk. “The forecast is for two to four inches by midnight.”

      “What time does her plane arrive?” he asked. Kathryn Sanderson was a private investigator specializing in tech crimes and a part of his past he’d just as soon never encounter again.

      Emily looked at her watch. “In an hour.”

      “Then there shouldn’t be any problems,” he replied. He hoped his personal feelings about the subject didn’t color his words or tone. As far as he was concerned he wouldn’t care if bad weather kept Kathryn’s plane circling Logan International Airport for days.

      He didn’t want her here. He didn’t need her help. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the boss. Emily’s father, Lloyd, was and it had been his and Emily’s idea to hire outside help. It had been sheer serendipity that they had chosen a woman—the only woman with whom he’d shared a tumultuous history.

      “I’ve booked her a room at the Brisbain so she’ll be close to the office.” Emily tucked a strand of her shoulder-length brown hair behind an ear, her blue eyes troubled as she gazed at him.

      “We’ve got to get to the bottom of this, Nate. We’ve got too much time and too much money tied up in the Utopia program for it to be tampered with and leaked to our competitors.”

      “Trust me, I’m as upset about this as you are,” he replied.