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Stranger In His Arms
Charlotte Douglas
Lover in disguise?When Officer Dylan Blackburn learned Jennifer Reid was back in town, he wondered if she remembered the innocent kiss they'd shared as children. But this sensual, aloof stranger who stole his heart was nothing like the girl he remembered.This Jennifer was hiding something–something dangerous. Surely she could trust him, a friend, with the truth? The problem was, Jennifer didn't seem to remember him at all…Falling in love with Dylan Blackburn was not the smartest thing Jennifer could have done. But with a hired killer on her trail, she'd had little choice. She'd been an innocent witness to a horrible crime and there was no one to turn to. Only Dylan. And she'd made him think she was someone else!
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
Dylan asked gently.
Her hand shook slightly and she seemed to avoid his gaze on purpose. “Should I?”
“Maybe it wasn’t as big a deal for you as it was for me. You were the first girl I ever kissed.”
Jennifer retreated to her corner of the sofa. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. I was twelve years old and thought you were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.”
“How did you manage to kiss me?”
He leaned back in his chair, enjoying his recollection. “Tommy Bennett bet me a dollar I was too chicken to try.”
“You kissed me on a bet?” Laughter tugged at the corners of her luscious mouth, and he experienced an irresistible urge to kiss her again. “I should have pushed you in the lake.”
“What made you come back to Memphis?” he asked suddenly.
“I had many happy times here, so naturally I wanted to return.”
His policeman’s instincts went on alert. But why would anyone lie about something as innocuous as why she chose to live in a certain place?
Unless she had something to hide.
Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,
Got a bad case of spring fever? Harlequin Intrigue has the antidote for what ails you. Breathtaking romantic suspense to blast away the cold of winter.
Adrianne Lee brings you the next title in our TOP SECRET BABIES promotion. Tough-guy cop Cade Maconahey could face down any foe, but he was a fish out of water with a baby. Good thing Joanna Edwards showed up when she did to help him out…but what was her real motive? Find out in Undercover Baby.
Passion ignites in Debra Webb’s next COLBY AGENCY case. Ian Michaels and Nicole Reed go head-to-head in Protective Custody—the result is nothing short of explosive. Charlotte Douglas follows up her cross-over Harlequin American Romance-Harlequin Intrigue series, IDENTITY SWAP. Sexy lawman Dylan Blackburn had loved Jennifer Reid from afar, but when he had the chance to love her up close, he’d learned there was a Stranger in His Arms.
Finally, Sheryl Lynn winds up her two-book McCLINTOCK COUNTRY miniseries with Colorado’s Finest.. Tate Raleigh combines urban street smarts with a rugged physique and stalwart principles that stand the test of time. He’s a devastating opponent to any criminal—and totally irresistible to every woman.
So we hope each one of these fantastic stories jump-starts the season for you. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Denise O’Sullivan
Associate Senior Editor
Harlequin Intrigue
Stranger in His Arms
Charlotte Douglas
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charlotte Douglas has loved a good story since learning to read at the age of three. After years of teaching that love of books to her students, she now enjoys creating stories of her own. Often her books are set in one of her three favorite places: Montana, where she and her husband spent their honeymoon; the mountains of North Carolina, where they’re building a summer home; and Florida, near the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s West Coast, where she’s lived most of her life.
Books by Charlotte Douglas
HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE
380—DREAM MAKER
434—BEN’S WIFE
482—FIRST-CLASS FATHER
515—A WOMAN OF MYSTERY
536—UNDERCOVER DAD
611—STRANGER IN HIS ARMS* (#litres_trial_promo)
HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
591—IT’S ABOUT TIME
623—BRINGING UP BABY
868—MONTANA MAIL-ORDER WIFE* (#litres_trial_promo)
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Dylan Blackburn —A dangerously handsome cop with high principles, a long memory and a love of justice.
Jennifer Reid —A warm and attractive woman with secrets and a killer on her trail.
Miss Bessie Shuford —Matriarch of Casey’s Cove and Jennifer’s employer.
Jarrett Blackburn —Dylan’s older brother who raises Christmas trees.
Johnny Whitaker —Dylan’s best friend and fellow cop who died tragically.
Raylene —Cafе owner, town gossip and Jennifer’s best friend.
Sissy McGinnis —A lonely little girl Jennifer takes under her wing.
Larry Crutchfield —An Atlanta attorney with a dubious past.
Michael Johnson —A hired killer who’ll do whatever it takes to fulfill his contract.
Contents
Prologue (#u55c9fae6-9ae7-51ef-8a74-aa52804f9f10)
Chapter One (#ud0674395-d5ed-5310-866a-716dc24347ef)
Chapter Two (#ua9593413-d506-579f-aa24-a2cd461e5f41)
Chapter Three (#uebc4f630-0cd3-543a-8017-a935318a85d0)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue
Slinging her hastily filled backpack over her shoulder, she raced toward the front door, but skidded to a stop before she reached it. A huge figure on the porch was silhouetted against the etched glass.
He had come for her.
Pivoting on her heel, she sprinted to the rear of the house, eased out the back door noiselessly and ran across the yard. Just as she was clambering up the fence to gain access to the alley, the neighbor’s dog howled.
Running footsteps thundered behind her, and as she hoisted herself over the fence top, a hand snagged her ankle. With a fierce kick that contacted with flesh and bone, eliciting a curse from her pursuer, she freed herself and dropped into the alleyway.
Without a backward look, she kicked up dust racing toward the main street, clogged with going-to-work traffic. As she reached the curb, a bus approached.
There is a God, she thought and breathed a prayer of thanks.
The bus slowed and stopped, and she hopped on. The doors closed behind her, and the bus picked up speed.
Only then did she dare risk a look behind.
He stood on the curb for an instant, glowering with rage. Then he turned and sprinted toward his car, parked in front of her house. Her only hope was to exit the bus without him catching her.
And if she could pull that off, she needed to disappear.
Permanently.
Chapter One
Four months later
Grinning like a man who’d won the lottery, Officer Dylan Blackburn eased his patrol car down the steep drive from Miss Bessie Shuford’s mountaintop home.
His luck that morning had been twofold. First, on his visit with Miss Bessie, the matriarch of Casey’s Cove, he had escaped without having to consume one of her infamous cinnamon buns. Not that he didn’t love good food, but Miss Bessie’s favorite creations had all the grace and flavor of a shot put and sat just about as heavy on the stomach. If he hadn’t been unwilling to offend the sweet old woman, he’d have shellacked one for use as a doorstop at the station years ago.
The second source of his good humor was the latest news Miss Bessie had shared. The ninety-five-year-old spinster had just hired a new assistant, a former summer visitor to Casey’s Cove whom Dylan remembered well. The newcomer was setting up housekeeping in Miss Bessie’s guest house, located a few hundred yards down the mountain from the Shuford mansion, and he was on his way to renew an old acquaintance.
Dylan parked his cruiser in the guest-house drive, checked in with the station’s dispatcher and climbed out of the car. Miss Bessie’s property, which included the entire mountainside, had the best view of the valley, and he paused to take in the glorious fall day with its cloudless blue sky reflected on Lake Casey, spread out below the autumn-leaved mountains. The tiny town of Casey’s Cove edged its western shore.
The mountain air was cool and exhilarating with a hint of the pungent tang of woodsmoke. He inhaled deeply, thinking, as he did several times a day, that he lived and worked in the finest place in the world. Casey’s Cove was a great place to be a cop. Especially if you hated crime. The serene little hamlet deep in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina had the lowest crime rate in the state.
With one fatal exception.
Reluctant to spoil a perfect day, he pushed the bloody memory from his mind, but he knew it would return. It always did. Especially in his unwanted dreams.
He turned his attention to the guest house, a miniature version of Miss Bessie’s grandiose Victorian mansion, nestled beneath two ancient hickories shimmering in golden autumnal splendor. The wide, welcoming front porch with gingerbread fretwork was surrounded by foundation plantings of burning bush, glowing with all the colors of their fiery namesake. With eager anticipation, Dylan climbed the stairs and knocked on the screen door.
Nobody answered.
The front door with its stained-glass panels stood open, and he could see into the sunny front room. With her back to him, a young woman knelt on her hands and knees before the sofa, pushing the attachment of a vintage Hoover beneath the furniture with all the determination of a crusader battling evil.
Dylan knocked again and shouted his presence, but the high-pitched roar of the outmoded vacuum cleaner drowned all other sounds.
He watched for a moment, intrigued by the sight of the small, rounded derriere, nicely shaped and smoothly covered by tightly-stretched denim, bobbing in mesmerizing rhythm with the woman’s sweeping movements as she cleaned.
Then, feeling shamefully like a voyeur, he remembered his business, dragged his gaze from the enticing spectacle, and stepped inside.
“Hello,” he bellowed, but he couldn’t raise his voice above the noise. The woman remained unaware of his presence. Resigned, he strode across the room and tapped her on the shoulder.
With a piercing shriek that overpowered the Hoover’s mechanical growl, she leapt upright and straightened in panic. He reacted quickly, but not fast enough. The crown of her head slammed into his nose. The room dimmed, and he stumbled backwards.
“Careful!” he heard her warn after shutting off the raucous vacuum, her voice honeyed and soft, even when startled.
His vision still clouded, he felt her grab him by the biceps and guide him toward a chair. Sinking gratefully into its depths, he shook his head, attempting to restore his sight and quell his dizziness.
“Stop,” she commanded sharply. “Sit still!”
Too dazed to argue, he complied. Her footsteps retreated. By the time she returned, his vertigo remained, but his sight was restored.
