Courtesans And Thieves — Sandra Sookoo

Dutiful daughter, Audrey is facing a bleak future. As a junior accountant, Justin's life is far from exciting. But a masked ball is about to change all that. Courtesans and thieves, secret identities and lies, caught in a web of deceit, their budding affair may just die on the vine before it has time to blossom! Audrey Harper wants nothing more than to experience life before she consigns herself to taking care of everyone else in her family. A Halloween masquerade fits the bill. As a French courtesan she intends to lure an unsuspecting man into her bed, find a few moments of bliss and leave before the clock strikes midnight. Justin Redding's life as a junior accountant is as far from exciting as he can get. As a result, he supplements his income and thirst for adventure by stealing jewelry from the area's wealthy upper crust. He's admired Audrey from afar and convincing her father that he's good enough is uppermost in his mind. Disguising himself as a masked avenger is the only way to win her heart. What happens next is a heady jaunt through a crowded 1880s ballroom, a shadowy pumpkin patch and perfumed sheets. But unraveling lies and secret identities might trap the pair in a sticky web, dissolving the moonlit love affair before love's bloom can take root.