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Memory Reload
Rosemary Heim
Silent memories unlock simmering passions…He found her on the beach with no memory and a gun…FBI Agent Ryan Williams had a soft spot for women in distress and this one was a textbook example. He'd come to Paradise for some R and R–instead he took in a beautiful stranger with killers on her trail.Ryan had named her AJ, but she hadn't a clue to her identity. Even her reflection was that of a stranger's. But she knew something terrible had happened to those closest to her. Because of her. And unless she unlocked the secrets of her past, Ryan's kindness and his growing feelings for her would be repaid in blood….
“You think I’m married.”
“Aren’t you?”
AJ opened her mouth to deny it, but the words caught in her throat. “I…I don’t know…. It seems as though, if I am married, I should feel something, some sense of urgency to get back. And I don’t.”
“So you’re running from something,” Ryan said. “Maybe it’s not a good marriage. Are you afraid to go back?”
“No. It’s not that. It’s more like…”
“Like what?”
“Sadness. Like I’ve lost something and I’ll never find it again.”
Ryan knew that sadness too well. He could no more ignore the pain in AJ’s voice than he could stop the tide from rising.
He wanted to pull her into his arms, to apologize for the pain his conversation had brought. The need to protect her kept growing.
All he would allow himself was a touch. Only one touch. He tucked her hair behind her ear and traced the line of her jaw with the tip of his finger. The velvet softness of her skin sent a bolt of desire crashing headlong into his best intention to keep his distance…
Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,
We have a superb lineup of outstanding romantic suspense this month starting with another round of QUANTUM MEN from Amanda Stevens. A Silent Storm is brewing in Texas and it’s about to break….
More great series continue with Harper Allen’s MEN OF THE DOUBLE B RANCH trilogy. A Desperado Lawman has his hands full with a spitfire who is every bit his match. As well, B.J. Daniels adds the second installment to her CASCADES CONCEALED miniseries with Day of Reckoning.
In Secret Witness by Jessica Andersen, a woman finds herself caught between a rock—a killer threatening her child—and a hard place—the detective in charge of the case. What will happen when she has to make the most inconceivable choice any woman can make?
Launching this month is a new promotion we are calling COWBOY COPS. Need I say more? Look for Behind the Shield by veteran Harlequin Intrigue author Sheryl Lynn. And newcomer, Rosemary Heim, contributes to DEAD BOLT with Memory Reload.
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Denise O’Sullivan
Senior Editor
Harlequin Intrigue
Memory Reload
Rosemary Heim
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rosemary Heim grew up on a dairy farm, attended a one-room schoolhouse, lived in an English castle and settled in Minneapolis. She shares a charming (needs work) old house with her husband and four cats. Rosemary would love to hear from readers. You can visit her Web site at www.rosemaryheim.com or mail her c/o Midwest Fiction Writers, P.O. Box 24107, Minneapolis, MN 55424.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
AJ—woke with a camera, a loaded gun and no memory. All she wants is to find her home.
Ryan Williams—FBI Special Agent. Between assignments, he’s returned to this island hideaway for a little R and R.
Jacquelyn Kingston—FBI Special Agent in Charge. She watches over her team members from a distance.
Justin Angelini—He started an investigation and ended up dead.
David Angelini—He picked up the investigation after his brother’s death. Now he’s disappeared.
Jamison McRobbie—Mysterious and gifted, he offers shelter to his friends.
Kimo Kealoha—Photo lab owner and friend to AJ. He seems to have information everyone wants.
Tim Pela—FBI Special Agent. He has a few secrets of his own.
Frank Sullivan—A man pulling the strings behind the scenes.
John Danse, Carly and Matt Adams—FBI Special Agents. Will their help cost Ryan and AJ their chance for a future?
First, last, always,
To Will
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As with many books, especially first books,
there is a plethora of people to thank.
First off, thank you to Susan Litman,
for opening the door and providing gentle
(and patient) guidance on this new journey.
On the technical side, thank you to Maureen Lease
and David Kitchen for answering my questions about the
FBI. Any errors or inaccuracies are due to my
flights of fancy, not their information.
Thank you to Jackye Plummer, Penelope Neri and
Andi Sisco Pike for answering my Hawaii questions
and to Sandy Morris for the medical info.
Kat Baldwin and Karen Sanders, there aren’t words
enough to express my appreciation of your patience
while I learned all those pesky writing skills.
Jade Taylor, thank you for the wonderful title.
Stacy Verdick Case, your “drainstorming”
led to a satisfying A.F. and so much more.
Yea to the power of three!
Thanks to my friends and family who believed
in the dream and encouraged me, to the wonderful
members of MFW, and Rex, the best German shepherd
I never knew.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Chapter One
Ryan Williams ran as if the devil was dogging his tail. Too bad some devils couldn’t be outrun. Like memories of betrayal.
He slowed from his flat-out run. Wave-packed sand gave a little with each step, cushioning his bare feet as he raced along the shoreline. Bloodred fingers of light streaked the sparse clouds as the sun breached the horizon.
Blood red.
The thought raised goose bumps along his arms in spite of the tropical warmth.
Day two of his leave and he hadn’t shaken the images from the last mission yet. Dealing with a traitor was never easy. It became doubly hard when innocent people were hurt. Thank God everyone was going to be okay.
And thank God for well-to-do friends who issued standing invitations. Once again, Jamie’s “guest cottage” offered Ryan refuge, a safe place far away from the Bureau and all its intrigues. The north shore of Oahu was about as far away from Quantico as he could get. He needed every inch of that distance.
His breathing approached normal as he continued slowing down, cooling off from his customary five-mile run. He rounded the small bend in the shore, passing the tall palm trees that marked the final leg of the course he’d laid out four years earlier on his first visit.
He headed away from the ocean, winding through the small grove of coconut palms. He loved the quiet of the beach at sunrise, the solitude, the freedom. It provided exactly the break he needed.
He cleared the tree line high on the beach, skidded to a stop and quickly stepped back behind the nearest trunk. Up ahead, a figure crouched in the sand.
Who the devil was that? Ryan wasn’t particularly pleased with the idea that someone had managed to invade this private stretch of heaven.
A quick scan of the surrounding area came up empty. No other intruders staked out on the beach. No boats in the water. No movement among the trees. No vehicles within eyesight. Not much could have gotten past the estate’s security defenses, even this early in the morning. So how had this intruder gotten so close?
Regretting the absence of his gun, he left the tree cover and crossed down the beach to confront the intruder. The shushing waves masked what little sound his footsteps made.
From behind, he couldn’t tell much about the person except that it was female. Long black hair lifted on the gentle breeze, seeming to defy gravity. He had a brief view of a slender back, narrow waist and softly rounded hips before the breeze died. The hair settled back into a solid curtain.
Oh yes. Definitely female. Interest of another sort stirred.
He adjusted the angle of his approach so he could get a better look at her. It didn’t do much good. An expensive-looking 35mm camera obscured the woman’s face. A large black camera bag rested in the sand next to her. She kneeled, facing the water, motionless except for her fingers on the camera lens and shutter release.
He glanced out over the horizon, searching for what held her attention. Just empty water met the morning sky. The few clouds stretched and shredded colors as the sun rose higher.
