Hidden Legacy
Hidden Legacy
A Romantic Suspense Novel
by
Sylvie Kurtz
Published by ePublishing Works!
ISBN: 978-1-61417-112-6
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Copyright 2011, 2012 by Sylvie Kurtz. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
Cover and eBook design by eBook Prep
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Thank You
.
For
Chuck, Axel, and Cassie—my most precious jewels.
Special Thanks
To Carmen Rivet and Sylvie Careau of C. Rivet for their jewelry-making assistance in fabricating my replica and for answering my many questions.
To Teresa Torguson for her help with research on Kashmir sapphires.
Any mistakes are misunderstandings on the author’s part.
A Stolen Treasure…
When a jewel thief on the FBI’s most-wanted list kidnapped her daughter, jeweler Juliana Shales had no choice put to steal the Nadyenka Sapphire and trade the royal treasure for her daughter’s safe return. What she hadn’t realized was that she’d have to steal it from the only man she’d ever loved—a man who’d hidden his royal lineage from her. Could she hide his legacy from him long enough to get her daughter back safely? And once he found out what she’d hidden from him, could he ever forgive her?
A Hidden Legacy…
When Special Agent Lucas Vassilovich set a trap using a family heirloom to capture the jewel thief making a fool of the FBI, he had no idea he’d snare the woman who’d haunted his dreams for the past six years. With his career and proof of his heritage on the line, he’d do anything to protect her—and the legacy she’d hidden from him. With all the hurt and secrets between them, can they learn to work together and earn the most precious treasure of all—love?
Prologue
The grainy picture could not hide its beauty. Featured in blazing color in the “Antiques & Collectibles” section of the
Boston Sunday Globe,
the most exquisite piece he’d ever seen seemed to come alive.
The sapphire was Kashmir. Rare. Expensive. Desirable. The stone weighed sixty-five carats on its own. Add to that diamonds, rubies, and pearls, and the brooch computed to a real treasure. The Nadyenka Sapphire, with its rare blue hue, had once belonged to the royal family of Dunavia, the story claimed. Kings died. Allegiances shifted. Borders wavered. But jewels, ah, they survived everything. And their beauty was a feast. One he for which hungered.
As he stared at the picture, a feeling strong and familiar traveled through him, filling him with warmth, sending his pulse to a trot, then a gallop. His mouth watered with want. He licked his lips and tasted desire. The newspaper page trembled in his hands, blurring the magnificent sapphire’s image. Carefully, he set down the section of paper. Reverently, he smoothed out the wrinkles. Tenderly, he cupped his fingers around the blue stone’s photograph.
“You belong to me.”
Chapter 1