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Hers for the Holidays
Samantha Hunter
The Berringer Bodyguards File #2Name: Ely Berringer Trademarks: Clean-cut former marine who's all muscle…and all hotness! Biggest weakness: This good boy likes a bad, bad girl….Bodyguard Ely Berringer's job was simple: find the missing woman. But there's nothing simple about smokin'-hot tattoo artist Lydia Hamilton…or the fact that they once shared a wickedly sexy night together. And once he finds her in Montana, he realizes that one night with Lydia was definitely not enough!Lydia's been trying to sort out the sale of her childhood home and ranch. But lately there's been a rash of nasty incidents–break-ins, damaged property…just enough to convince Ely that he needs to stick around. And if that means some no-strings-attached naughty nights? Well, he's all hers…even if it is only for the holidays!
The Berringer Bodyguards File #2
Name: Ely Berringer
Trademarks: Clean-cut former marine who’s all muscle...and all hotness!
Biggest weakness: This good boy likes a bad, bad girl....
Bodyguard Ely Berringer’s job was simple: find the missing woman. But there’s nothing simple about smokin’-hot tattoo artist Lydia Hamilton...or the fact that they once shared a wickedly sexy night together. And once he finds her in Montana, he realizes that one night with Lydia was definitely not enough!
Lydia’s been trying to sort out the sale of her childhood home and ranch. But lately there’s been a rash of nasty incidents—break-ins, damaged property...just enough to convince Ely that he needs to stick around. And if that means some no-strings-attached naughty nights? Well, he’s all hers...even if it is only for the holidays!
This was about not thinking…
Walking to the window, Lydia looked down and saw Ely emerging from the garage. It was all the inspiration she needed as she tapped lightly on the cold glass. Then again, harder.
He paused, detecting the sound, and looked up.
Following her instincts, she dropped the towel, but left the sheer curtain drawn. His eyes seemed to stare right into hers, even through the curtain.
Slowly lifting her leg, she planted her toes on the bottom windowsill, a shiver running through her. She reached to get some of the spicy-scented lotion, bending forward to work it up her leg, over her thigh.
She let her head fall back as she applied lotion to her neck and throat, and then finally to her breasts, lingering there.
Then the slam of a door.
Something dropped to the floor.
Heavy boot steps on the stairs.
The next thing she knew, Ely was there, standing in the doorway of her bedroom.
His eyes were hot, watching her, hunger etched into every contour of his face.…
Dear Reader,
We have exciting news! Starting in January, the Harlequin Blaze books you know and love will be getting a brand-new look. And it’s hot!
But don’t worry—nothing else about the Blaze books has changed. You’ll still find those unforgettable love stories with intrepid heroines, hot, hunky heroes and a double dose of sizzle!
So be sure to check out our new supersexy covers. You’ll find these newly packaged Blaze editions on the shelves December 18th, 2012, wherever you buy your books.
In the meantime, check out this month’s red-hot reads.
LET IT SNOW by Leslie Kelly and Jennifer LaBrecque
(A Blazing Bedtime Stories Holiday Edition)
HIS FIRST NOELLE by Rhonda Nelson
(Men Out of Uniform)
ON A SNOWY CHRISTMAS NIGHT by Debbi Rawlins
(Made in Montana)
NICE & NAUGHTY by Tawny Weber
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
by Lori Wilde, Kathleen O’Reilly and Candace Havens
(A Sizzling Yuletide Anthology)
HERS FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Samantha Hunter
(The Berringers)
Happy holidays!
Brenda Chin
Senior Editor
Harlequin Blaze
Hers for the Holidays
Samantha Hunter
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Samantha Hunter lives in Syracuse, New York, where she writes full-time for Harlequin Books. When she’s not plotting her next story, Sam likes to work in her garden, quilt, cook, read and spend time with her husband and their dogs. Most days you can find Sam chatting on the Harlequin Blaze boards at Harlequin.com, or you can check out what’s new, enter contests or drop her a note at her website, www.samanthahunter.com (http://www.samanthahunter.com).
Books by Samantha Hunter
HARLEQUIN BLAZE
142—VIRTUALLY PERFECT
173—ABOUT LAST NIGHT…
224—FASCINATION*
229—FRICTION*
235—FLIRTATION*
267—HIDE & SEEK*
299—UNTOUCHED
343—PICK ME UP
365—TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP…
478—HARD TO RESIST**
498—CAUGHT IN THE ACT
542—MAKE YOUR MOVE
584—I’LL BE YOURS FOR CHRISTMAS
620—MINE UNTIL MORNING
659—STRAIGHT TO THE HEART
720—YOURS FOR THE NIGHT†
*The HotWires
**American Heroes
†The Berringers
To get the inside scoop on Harlequin Blaze and its talented writers, be sure to check out www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).
All backlist available in ebook. Don’t miss any of our special offers. Write to us at the following address for information on our newest releases.
Harlequin Reader Service
U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3
Many friends offered their support and good cheer during the writing of this book—many thanks to Selena Blake, Anne Calhoun, Donna Cummings, Cari Quinn, Serena Bell and Ruthie Knox, who all listened, read, critiqued and cheered me on.
And here I thought Ely would be the easy brother.
Also thanks to Jamie DeBree for her research info on Billings, MT, and tattoos, as well as for general cheering on.
Contents
Chapter 1 (#u8c038a47-9a68-5055-a7bd-c25f9f1a073e)
Chapter 2 (#u17f26204-2bf2-590e-8108-adfb56cc3309)
Chapter 3 (#u1315a0e9-dcce-5c0a-aa3d-19d2873299e5)
Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
1
ELY BERRINGER walked out of the shower into the room he rented over a restaurant in Clear River, Montana. A chill worked over his damp skin, and he eyed the thickening frost on the windows. A strand of Christmas lights attached to the outside of the building fell loose and now hung down in the center of the glass, still merry as they danced in the wind.
This was a long way from Antigua, that was for sure. He’d come home thinking that his sister-in-law, Tessa, had called him about some family trouble, but her concern had been about Lydia Hamilton, her best friend. That had given Ely a moment of pause; he and Lydia had some history he wasn’t sure he wanted to reopen. But he was a Marine, and he was a Berringer—helping was what he was trained to do.
Lydia had left suddenly, according to Tessa, canceling her appointments and closing her shop until further notice. She’d been acting strangely, being distant and uncommunicative. Like she was so warm and cuddly the rest of the time, Ely thought with a snort as he dried off and got dressed. The petite Goth hottie who ran the tattoo shop, Body Inc., next to Tessa’s soap shop was tough as nails. Though she could be soft as a kitten in bed, something he knew from personal experience.
Lydia told Tessa she’d be gone for a while, but had not answered her phone or responded to her email since. Tessa thought she could be in some kind of trouble, and she could be right.
Ely hadn’t known Lydia for long, but even he knew how she was all over the internet—she was constantly accessing her email and social media pages, and none of them showed any recent activity. She was also serious about her business. Closing up shop at one of the busiest retail times of the year was enough to trigger his concern, as well.
He got to work and used the resources available to him through Berringer Bodyguards—the family business—and through Tessa’s father, a U.S. Senator. It didn’t take long to track Lydia down. She’d left a trail of credit card purchases, including a rental car that she’d returned in Billings, Montana. That likely was her final destination, so now, here he was, freezing his ass off in Montana, three weeks before Christmas.
Ice and snow obscured any view out of the windows of his small room. Born in Philadelphia, he wasn’t any stranger to winter, but cold seemed to take on a new meaning out here. His flights had been delayed due to several strong weather systems crossing the U.S. At least he’d landed in Billings the day before, beating the worst of the weather. The Antiguan beach he had been standing on only a few days ago seemed a million miles away now.
As soon as he’d gotten into town, he’d asked around for Lydia and found people knew her—or her family. She wasn’t just a visitor, she’d grown up here. He’d found more in the public records at the local town hall.
He was still trying to get his head around the fact that Clear River, population 1,738, was her hometown. That wouldn’t be such a surprise if Lydia hadn’t told all of them that she didn’t have any family. Everyone thought she’d grown up in the east as a foster kid and then ran away, out on her own at seventeen.
