Seduced and Betrayed

Seduced & Betrayed

The Hollywood Nights Series

Book Two

by

Candace Schuler

Bestselling, award-winning Author

SEDUCED AND BETRAYED

Reviews & Accolades

"A poignant tale of tempestuous love that even time cannot defuse."

~Romantic Times

"...true-to-life characters who forge a bond strong enough to carry them into the future."

~A Little Romance

"A terrific love story..."

~Rendezvous

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ISBN: 978-1-61417-299-4

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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 © 1995, 2012, 2013 by Candace Schuler. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

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Thank You.

For my sister, Karen,

with the fervent wish that she finds a love she can trust

Prologue

Los Angeles—1970

Ariel could hear the muted thump of rock music as she approached the courtyard of the Wilshire Arms apartment building. The sound rolled through the fanciful wrought iron bars in hard, pulsing waves, throbbing through the warm night air like a heartbeat. It was primitive and wild, echoing the rapid pounding of the blood through her veins. She hesitated a moment, gathering her courage and resolve, and then pushed the gate open and slipped inside. Moving quickly, almost running, she hurried across the shadowed courtyard, skirting the couple making out on the chaise longue and the young man passed out cold on the concrete.

The music became louder as she pushed open the door to the downstairs hallway, the pulsing rhythm evolving into the recognizable lyrics of Cream's hard-driving "Sunshine of Your Love." Ariel could hear bursts of laughter now too, and smell the faint, distinctively sweet scents of marijuana and patchouli oil as she followed the music down the hall to apartment 1-G.

The door was wide open, inviting in any and all passersby. Ariel's courage faltered for a moment. This kind of party wasn't her scene. The music blaring out into the hall was too loud; the combined scents of marijuana and incense were nauseating; and the two people leaning against the open door, groping each other under their clothes, were shocking. And just a little bit frightening.

She didn't want to go in.

But she had to find Zeke. Once she'd found him, once she'd explained and apologized, everything would be all right.

Cautiously, her lower lip caught in her teeth, her eyes modestly averted, she flattened herself against the doorjamb to squeeze by the oblivious couple.

"Hey, watch it," one of them yelped as she inadvertently jostled the pair.

"Sorry," Ariel mumbled and pressed her spine closer to the wall. "I'm sorry. I need to get by."

"Yeah, well, jeez, you coulda just asked," the male half of the couple complained.

"Sorry," Ariel said again and tried to inch by them.

"Hey, I know you." The girl straightened away from her partner, inadvertently blocking Ariel's way even more. "You're Ariel Cameron. Hey, babe." She nudged her boyfriend. "It's Ariel Cameron. You know, she plays Chrissy Fortune on
Family Fortune.
That's my favorite TV show," she said to Ariel.

Ariel shook her head as she pushed on by them. "I'm not her," she said, and ran down the hall.

There were twenty or so people jammed into the living room. About half of them were crowded onto the vinyl beanbag chairs and the madras-draped sofa or just sitting on the floor, drinking wine, passing a joint around, and grooving to the music. The others were standing around in small groups talking and flirting, using exaggerated facial expressions and lots of pantomime as they tried to make themselves understood over the pulsing beat of the music. A slender redheaded girl in a tie-dyed gauze caftan and a leather headband was dancing by herself, her expression vacant as she undulated to the tune of "Crimson and Clover" now blaring from the oversize speakers. But Ariel didn't see Zeke anywhere. Or anyone else she recognized, for that matter.