Jean Thomas - The Bounty Hunter's Forbidden Desire

A desperate search through Alaska leads to danger—and undeniable passion!

Bounty hunter Chase McKinley will do anything to locate his missing brother—even kidnap the man’s girlfriend. But Haley Adams has no leads on her ex…other than a mysterious package that brings murder in its wake. Handcuffed to the sexy tracker, she’s stunned when her outrage turns to attraction…

With only an Alaska postmark, Chase follows the trail—with Haley. He put her in danger; only he can protect her. But who’ll protect him from the woman he desires and can never have? With every step, they get closer to his brother…and to a killer who sets the perfect trap—with them as bait.

“Touch me. Please.”

She pressed his hands to her and Chase ignited. If he didn’t stop now, there would be no stopping. And he had to.

“I can’t do this, Haley. Not when you belong to someone else.”

He saw the wounded expression in her eyes. “It’s not me your brother owns. It’s you, Chase.”

It didn’t make sense. No one owned him.

“Haley—”

“Just go back to your room.”

He did as she asked. But he didn’t sleep. He had to admit snatching Haley without any authority and forcing her to go with him to find his missing brother had been reckless.

Now it was too late. As long as there was any risk to her, he had to remain at her side. Which was a big problem when she was a walking temptation. And now it looked as if she was also attracted to him.

So, what the hell were they going to do about it?

***

Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Extract Copyright ,

Have you ever heard of Svalbard? I hadn’t either until a few years ago when I learned it’s an archipelago halfway between Norway and the North Pole. There, on an uninhabited island, is located what may well be mankind’s most important structure—a state-of-the-art storage facility built inside a frozen mountain. To store what? Seeds. Millions of varieties of seeds collected from around the world. If a monumental disaster, natural or man-made, should ever occur to our crops, here are preserved in this Global Seed Vault the seeds to begin anew.

The more I read about Svalbard, the more intrigued I became. Those who have read my romantic suspense books know that I like to build my stories around unique subjects. The Bounty Hunter’s Forbidden Desire is one of those stories. It concerns a man and a woman who race to save an international seed vault threatened with destruction by a megalomaniac—a seed vault that in my novel is situated in Alaska, not Norway. As fast-paced as the plot is, this is not its major theme. That deals with a guilt-ridden hero searching for his missing brother and the romance that was never supposed to happen. Here’s a hint before you take this journey with Haley and Chase. You won’t need a dogsled. It can be quite warm in Alaska in the summer. And with Haley and Chase heating up the environment…well, you get the idea.

Jean Thomas

The Bounty Hunter’s Forbidden Desire

Jean Thomas

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Jean Thomas, aka Jean Barrett, lives in Wisconsin in an English-style cottage on a Lake Michigan shore bluff. The view from her office window would be a magnificent one if it weren’t blocked by a big fat computer that keeps demanding her attention.

This author of twenty-six romances was a teacher before she left the classroom to write full-time. A longtime member of Romance Writers of America, Jean is a proud winner of three national awards and has appeared on several bestseller lists. When she isn’t at the keyboard, she likes to take long walks that churn up new story ideas or work in the garden, which never seems to churn up anything but dirt. Of course, there are always books to be read. Romantic suspense stories are her favorite. No surprise there. Visit Jean at jeanthomas-author.com.

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

To my good friends

Bobbie Finn and Kathy Mueller

for their loyal support

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text A desperate search through Alaska leads to danger—and undeniable passion! Bounty hunter Chase McKinley will do anything to locate his missing brother—even kidnap the man’s girlfriend. But Haley Adams has no leads on her ex…other than a mysterious package that brings murder in its wake. Handcuffed to the sexy tracker, she’s stunned when her outrage turns to attraction… With only an Alaska postmark, Chase follows the trail—with Haley. He put her in danger; only he can protect her. But who’ll protect him from the woman he desires and can never have? With every step, they get closer to his brother…and to a killer who sets the perfect trap—with them as bait.

Introduction “Touch me. Please.” She pressed his hands to her and Chase ignited. If he didn’t stop now, there would be no stopping. And he had to. “I can’t do this, Haley. Not when you belong to someone else.” He saw the wounded expression in her eyes. “It’s not me your brother owns. It’s you, Chase.” It didn’t make sense. No one owned him. “Haley—” “Just go back to your room.” He did as she asked. But he didn’t sleep. He had to admit snatching Haley without any authority and forcing her to go with him to find his missing brother had been reckless. Now it was too late. As long as there was any risk to her, he had to remain at her side. Which was a big problem when she was a walking temptation. And now it looked as if she was also attracted to him. So, what the hell were they going to do about it? ***

Dear Reader Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Extract Copyright , Have you ever heard of Svalbard? I hadn’t either until a few years ago when I learned it’s an archipelago halfway between Norway and the North Pole. There, on an uninhabited island, is located what may well be mankind’s most important structure—a state-of-the-art storage facility built inside a frozen mountain. To store what? Seeds. Millions of varieties of seeds collected from around the world. If a monumental disaster, natural or man-made, should ever occur to our crops, here are preserved in this Global Seed Vault the seeds to begin anew. The more I read about Svalbard, the more intrigued I became. Those who have read my romantic suspense books know that I like to build my stories around unique subjects. The Bounty Hunter’s Forbidden Desire is one of those stories. It concerns a man and a woman who race to save an international seed vault threatened with destruction by a megalomaniac—a seed vault that in my novel is situated in Alaska, not Norway. As fast-paced as the plot is, this is not its major theme. That deals with a guilt-ridden hero searching for his missing brother and the romance that was never supposed to happen. Here’s a hint before you take this journey with Haley and Chase. You won’t need a dogsled. It can be quite warm in Alaska in the summer. And with Haley and Chase heating up the environment…well, you get the idea. Jean Thomas