The Burning Point

The first contemporary novel by New York Times bestselling author, The Burning Point is a riveting story of the ties that bind two people together—and the incendiary forces that can tear them apart.
Kate Corsi always dreamed of working for her family’s world famous explosive demolition business—a wish her old-fashioned father denied until the day he died. According to his will, Kate will receive a fortune while her ex-husband, Donovan, will inherit the family business. But only if they agree to live under the same roof for a year.
Forced into a reluctant alliance, Kate and Donovan must discover the truth about her father’s death—and confront the past that almost destroyed them both. And as they face their shattered dreams, their wrenching secrets and bitter resentments, they find themselves sliding perilously toward the burning point where passion catches fire once more….
* The Burning Point was listed as one of the five best romances of the year by Library Journal.

The Burning Point

Book 1 of the Circle of Friends Trilogy

by

Mary Jo Putney

(c) 2000, 2011 by Mary Jo Putney, Inc.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

Please Note

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.

The scanning, uploading, and distributing of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

Thank You
.

To Ruth Cohen, an agent who has always gone "above and beyond."

"Love is the burning point of life....The stronger the love,

the more the pain."

"But love bears all things."

Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers,
The Power of Myth

Acknowledgments

∗ ∗ ∗

I'd like to thank the Loizeaux family of Controlled Demolition Incorporated for their help with the technical aspects of this book. Needless to say, they run CDI in a far

more enlightened, not to mention less accident-prone, fashion than my

fictional explosives demolition firm.

∗ ∗ ∗

In particular, I want to thank Stacey Loizeaux, third generation member of CDI and clear proof that there is no reason why a woman can't blow things up if she wants to. Any errors are my own.

∗ ∗ ∗

It takes a lot of feedback from friends when an author is cautiously making her way from one genre into another. Profound thanks for insight and support go to

(in no particular order) Binnie Braunstein, Kate McMurry, Laura Resnick, Jeri Wright, Suzanne Kelly, Mary Kilchenstein, Denise Little, Laurie Miller, Val Taylor, Jaclyn Reding, Barbara Ankrum, Chris Ashley, Shannon Katona, Brad Clark, and Mary Shea. Not to mention Loretta Chekani, Marjorie Farrell, Alison Hyder, Julia Kendall, Carol O'Hanlon, Ciji Ware, Nic Tideman, Peggy Wyne, and most especially

the indomitable Pat Rice.

∗ ∗ ∗

I also want to thank Colleen Faulkner for the feral cats, but honestly,

I really can't take one of the kittens.

Prologue

Twenty-five years ago

A piercing wail shattered the dawn air. The waiting crowd, safely restrained behind barriers, began to buzz with anticipation. In the command post, Kate Corsi danced excitedly from foot to foot. "Now, Papa?"