Exploits: A Glamorous, Dangerous Romance

EXPLOITS - SynopsisPublicity-shy mystery author Sunny Drysdale’s life is more tangled than one of her plots. Her agent, Aunt Ruby, wants her to date movie star heartthrob Armani Fontana to further her career, while rival author Darla Arnold seeks to bring Sunny unwanted publicity by dumping the body of celebrity impersonator Boyd Bradford in her car. Sunny has no taste for Armani and is certainly in no mood to take responsibility for Darla’s dead lover, especially after seeing a news report linking Boyd to the mob. Sunny successfully evades Armani, but her plan to return the body to Darla hits a snag, when, along the way, Sunny finds herself giving a lift to very-much-a-cop Jeremy. Sparks fly. Jeremy’s intelligence and cool demeanor attract her. Sunny’s never had much confidence where men are concerned, having been a disappointment to her only lover. Still, she finds herself falling fast.As Sunny’s romance with Jeremy heats up, so do the obstacles between them. She still has Boyd’s body, and Aunt Ruby keeps scheming to connect her with Armani. The actor hounds Sunny, drawing media attention. A guilty Sunny twists herself in a pretzel to keep Jeremy from finding out about Boyd and Armani, but Jeremy grows suspicious of her. Counterfeit bills have been found all over town, and he has two main suspects, Darla and Sunny. It breaks his heart to think Sunny is involved with the mob, the missing man and counterfeit cash. He justifies dating Sunny by telling himself it’s the easiest way to find out if she’s a criminal.When the mob steals Boyd’s body from Sunny, leaving no trace of her involvement, she breathes a sigh of relief. She can be more open now, and Jeremy begins to believe in her innocence. Their joy is short-lived. In a moment of weakness, Jeremy allows himself one evening with Darla. Sunny is devastated and leaves for the American Mystery Writers’ conference in Pennsylvania, determined to flush him from her life.Jeremy follows her, hoping to win her back. Aunt Ruby works to thwart their reconciliation, wanting Sunny only to be with Armani. She arranges for Darla, also at the conference, to surprise Jeremy with a kiss, and makes sure Sunny sees it. The plan works perfectly. Sunny runs off, heartbroken. Jeremy catches up to her just in time to see a mysterious man force her into the back of his car. He’s sure the kidnapping is connected to Boyd, but doesn’t know how.He’s right. It turns out Boyd was working with the counterfeiters, who had nothing to do with the mob; a fact not lost on mob boss Lou Narducci. Lou didn’t like having a rival crime syndicate in his backyard, so in exchange for a cut of their business, Lou offered to help the counterfeiters find the very real money that Boyd stole from them before his heart attack. The counterfeiters and Lou know Boyd left the wedding reception he was at the night before he died with either Darla or Sunny. Thinking one might know what Boyd did with the stolen money, they decide to kidnap them at the writers’ conference.Lou’s alliance with the counterfeiters is uneasy, and Sunny successfully instigates an argument between the factions while being held hostage. When things turn deadly, Sunny helps a wounded Lou escape. Jeremy and a Secret Service agent hunt them all down, and Jeremy finally learns the truth about how Sunny was saddled with Boyd’s body and how it was Darla who was unknowingly spending Boyd’s counterfeit cash.After a tense standoff, during which Sunny saves Darla’s life, Sunny and Jeremy are able to come clean with one another. With no more secrets between them, Sunny and Jeremy confess their love and begin their journey toward happily-ever-after.