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Man of her Dreams
Debra Webb
After helping the police track a serial killer brutalizing her sleepy Louisiana town, Darby Shepard made headlines that put her life on the line.Now, the only man she could trust to keep her safe was the enigmatic, inexplicably familiar Aidan Tanner who seemed to know Darby as well as she knew herself.Soon, Aidan, and his mile-wide shoulders, became too hard to resist, and she became involved with her sexy protector. And as the danger escalated around them, the dark secrets from the past were fighting to resurface.
Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,
It might be warm outside, but our June lineup will thrill and chill you!
* This month, we have a couple of great miniseries. Man of Her Dreams is the spine-tingling conclusion to Debra Webb’s trilogy THE ENFORCERS. And there are just two installments left in B.J. Daniels’s McCALLS’ MONTANA series—High-Caliber Cowboy is out now, and Shotgun Surrender will be available next month.
* We also have two fantastic special promotions. First, is our Gothic ECLIPSE title, Mystique, by Charlotte Douglas. And Dani Sinclair brings you D.B. Hayes, Detective, the second installment in our LIPSTICK LTD. promotion featuring sexy sleuths.
* Last, but definitely not least, is Jessica Andersen’s The Sheriff’s Daughter. Sparks fly between a medical investigator and a vet in this exciting medical thriller.
* Also, keep your eyes peeled for Joanna Wayne’s THE GENTLEMAN’S CLUB, available from Signature Spotlight.
This month, and every month, we promise to deliver six of the best romantic suspense titles around. Don’t miss a single one!
Sincerely,
Denise O’Sullivan
Senior Editor
Harlequin Intrigue
Man of Her Dreams
Debra Webb
ISBN: 9781408947333
Man of Her Dreams
© Debra Webb 2011
First Published in Great Britain in 2011
Harlequin (UK) Limited
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, including without limitation xerography, photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This ebook is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the prior consent of the publisher, in any form or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All characters in this work have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l.
® and TM are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
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
COMING NEXT MONTH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debra Webb was born in Scottsboro, Alabama, to parents who taught her that anything is possible if you want it badly enough. When her husband joined the military, they moved to Berlin, Germany, and Debra became a secretary in the commanding general’s office. By 1985 they were back in the States, and with the support of her husband and two beautiful daughters, Debra took up writing full-time and in 1998 her dream of writing for Harlequin came true. You can write to Debra with your comments at P.O. Box 64, Huntland, Tennessee 37345 or visit her Web site at www.debrawebb.com to find out exciting news about her next book.
Books by Debra Webb
HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE
583—SAFE BY HIS SIDE*
597—THE BODYGUARD’S BABY*
610—PROTECTIVE CUSTODY*
634—SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT: BABY
646—SOLITARY SOLDIER*
659—PERSONAL PROTECTOR*
671—PHYSICAL EVIDENCE*
683—CONTRACT BRIDE*
693—UNDERCOVER WIFE**
697—HER HIDDEN TRUTH**
701—GUARDIAN OF THE NIGHT**
718—HER SECRET ALIBI*
732—KEEPING BABY SAFE*
747—CRIES IN THE NIGHT*
768—AGENT COWBOY*
801—SITUATION: OUT OF CONTROL†
807—FULL EXPOSURE†
837—JOHN DOE ON HER DOORSTEP††
843—EXECUTIVE BODYGUARD††
849—MAN OF HER DREAMS††
HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
864—LONGWALKER’S CHILD
935—THE MARRIAGE PRESCRIPTION*
948—THE DOCTOR WORE BOOTS
995—GUARDING THE HEIRESS*
SILHOUETTE BOMBSHELL
22—JUSTICE
33—SILENT WEAPON
*Colby Agency
** The Specialists
†Colby Agency: Internal Affairs
††The Enforcers
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Aidan—An Enforcer, a genetically engineered seer assigned to complete the Prophecy Mission.
Darby Shepard—A simple schoolteacher who has unexplainable dreams. But if she’s so simple, why is her life in danger?
Madam Talia—A local New Orleans psychic. Can she help Darby discover the truth before it’s too late?
Detective Lance Willis—He has to nail the serial killer who has been preying on children. Can Darby help him bring the man to justice?
Jerry Lester—A twisted murderer who is obsessed with children.
Howard Thomas—The Shepard family attorney. Does he know more about Darby’s adoption than he’s telling?
Director Richard O’Riley—Center Director. He has the power to order Darby’s elimination. Will his conscience let him do what’s best for Center?
Governor Kyle Remington—The new head of the Collective. The man in charge of the Collective has traditionally left the day-to-day operations to O’Riley. Will Remington prove a more forceful leader than his predecessor?
Dr. Waylon Galen—The creative mind behind the Enforcers. Will he win this time?
Wizard—Darby’s cat.
Prologue
Ring a-round the roses,
Pocketful of posies
Her mother watched from the kitchen window as six-year-old Christina Fairgate frolicked in the backyard. She clutched her favorite doll under one arm and skipped around the circle she had made in the grass with the other dolls and stuffed animals from her room. She sang the nursery rhyme over and over, as if she expected her audience to join her.
The autumn Louisiana sun hovered like a glimmering orange in the western sky. Its golden rays were still powerful enough to force a sweat even as it slipped downward in surrender to the coming dusk.
Christina’s mother smiled at the pleasant scene, then turned back to the oven to check on the special treat she had prepared for her daughter. One hand gloved with a thick mitt, she opened the oven door and removed the baking pan, allowing the delicious smell of homemade chocolate chip cookies to fill the air.
A sound of approval on her lips, she set the pan aside so the cookies would cool. After turning off the oven she poured her daughter, as well as herself, a cool glass of milk. A little snack this close to dinner wouldn’t hurt. Handling the still warm dessert gingerly, she loaded a small plate with cookies and placed it on a tray, along with the two glasses of milk. No need for napkins. Licking gooey chocolate from fingers was part of the fun of homemade cookies.
But neither of them would ever taste those lovingly prepared cookies for when she made her way to the backyard with the laden tray, her little girl was gone.
Days would turn into weeks and weeks to a month before the body would be found.
