Samantha Hunter - Unexpected Temptation

Berringer Bodyguards File #4

Name: Luke Berringer

Trademark: Single-minded determination…

Biggest weakness: A sweet ’n’ sexy gal who drives him to distraction!

Luke Berringer used to have everything—money, status. And just like that, he lost it all. Now a bodyguard for Berringer Security, he’s determined to track down the woman responsible for ruining his life. But when he finally catches up with Vanessa Grant, he’s in for one heck of a surprise….

Vanessa is no con artist. It’s a case of mistaken identity, and worse for Luke, the woman has a hidden sensuality that he can’t resist. With her life in jeopardy, Luke must protect an innocent woman, track down a guilty one…and determine if maybe the “wrong woman” isn’t really the right one, after all!

“Are you for real?” Luke asked, transfixed.

He dipped down to capture Vanessa’s mouth with his.

She moaned, the sound reverberating as she wound her arms around him.

“That’s definitely real,” she whispered.

Luke knew that this was a bad decision, but she was sweet in his arms. Her kiss as hot and insistent as his.

“Vanessa.” His voice was rough, objections buried somewhere under the hot need that was taking over as he studied the pink lips that begged for a taste.

“We shouldn’t,” he said, trying one more time to do the right thing. There was no way he could walk away and leave her alone right now. But there was also no way he could stay without having her….

Dear Reader,

Luke Berringer. Many of you have written asking for his book, and here it is—and what an adventure he’s about to have with his heroine! If you read the epilogue at the end of His Kind of Trouble, you’ll know the explosive way these two met (and if you didn’t, go do that, right now!).

Luke, of course, lost everything when a woman he was involved with brought his whole world down around him. After years of searching for her—and for revenge—what he’s found is far more unexpected. Vanessa understands what it means to spend your life searching for something—she’s spent almost all of hers looking for her long-lost siblings. Now she’s found Luke along the way. Hand in hand, they’re not alone in their searches anymore. But what happens when the search is over—can they both get what they’ve wanted for so long? Maybe, especially when what they most want is each other.

So, this is the final Berringer Bodyguards book—but if this is the first one you’ve read, maybe you’ll enjoy going back to read about Luke’s bodyguard cousins, who all have their own stories. If you want to chat about Blaze, Berringers or bodyguards, you can find me on Twitter or Facebook, or email me at samhunter@samanthahunter.com.

Enjoy!

Samantha Hunter

Unexpected Temptation

Samantha Hunter

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha Hunter lives in Syracuse, New York, where she writes full-time for Mills & Boon. 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 Mills & Boon Blaze boards at www.millsandboon.co.uk, or you can check out what’s new, enter contests or drop her a note at her website, www.samanthahunter.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.

For Blaze author Cara Summers, whom we all lost

in September 2013. She walked me through

my first Blaze a decade ago, and was a friend

and colleague years before that. She’s been

a part of every Blaze I’ve written, and that

will always be true. Thanks so much, Carolyn.

Contents

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

Excerpt

1

LUKE BERRINGER STARED through the bars of the adjoined jail cell at one of the most beautiful women he’d ever known. If he hadn’t been at her house that afternoon right before it had blown up, and if he hadn’t found her in time, neither one of them would be standing here now, waiting for the police to sort it all out.

But he had been there, and now they were both holed up in jail, since she kept insisting that he was a stranger and that she was someone else. She was playing the innocent—the victim—when in truth, Nicole Brooks was anything but innocent. He’d prove that if it was the last thing he did.

Luke looked at his watch again—except it wasn’t on his arm. It was in a property bag being held by the police until he was released, which should be any minute now.

His cousins, the other members of Berringer Bodyguards, should get him out of here soon.

Nicky might not be as lucky, he thought, watching her pace next door.

There were a few subtle differences between Nicky and her new identity, Vanessa Grant. Most people wouldn’t notice.

Luke noticed, but he could still see the real Nicky underneath Vanessa’s softer persona.

“I have to say, I like this look on you. But a schoolteacher, Nicky? You never cared for kids—this score must be really something for you to put on this kind of performance day in and out.”

She turned on him.

“Stop. Calling. Me. Nicky.”

“The cat will soon be out of the bag, why pretend? You might as well get used to these accommodations. You could be here for a while.”

She shook her head and made a small, feral growling sound before she walked to the bars, curled her hands around them very tightly and looked at him hard.

“The way I see it, Mr. Berringer, if that’s even your real name, you’re behind bars, too. At least I’m here as a victim. It’s you they’re investigating. Convenient that you happened to be there right before the place blew. That you knew exactly how much explosive was in the house, what kind and that it would go off right at that second. But why? That’s what I want to know. Why would you want to kill me? I don’t even know you.”

Luke vaulted across the cell, his hands curling over hers, holding her there as she tried to pull away.

“Oh, you know me. You know me very well. Intimately, even. The same way I know you. I know how you feel, how you taste and how you cry out when you—”

“Stop!” she spat, and pulled her hands free. “You know nothing about me, especially not that.”

Her eyes flashed, cheeks blooming with color as she heaved breaths, drawing his attention to the fit of her blouse.

“Had a little work done there, too, hmm? You look...smaller on top.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. He laughed.

“Still very nice, but you know, less showy. I guess you’d want to draw less attention in your new position. Apparently, it didn’t work, since someone wanted you to go boom right along with your house. I saved your life. That’s one fact you left out. Believe me, after the evidence I handed over to the detective, you’re the one in trouble here, sweetheart. And I couldn’t be happier about it.”