Charlotte Douglas - Stranger In His Arms

“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

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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*

HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

591—IT’S ABOUT TIME

623—BRINGING UP BABY

868—MONTANA MAIL-ORDER WIFE*

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 —Café 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.

Prologue 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

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

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.