Nicole Helm - Stone Cold Christmas Ranger

“You don’t have to trust me, Texas Ranger. You just have to stay out of my way.”

Bennet Stevens will do anything to prove himself. But the ranger never expected a cold case lead like Alyssa Jimenez, a wild-card bounty hunter. Or that someone would target her. The only safe place she can hide is in Bennet’s elite world. But Alyssa’s gutsy maneuvers and surprising vulnerability are putting Bennet’s heart at passionate risk…

Alyssa barely survived her drug-cartel family’s machinations. She knows all too well that trusting anyone can get you dead. Still, Bennet is the only way she can finally put her mother’s unsolved murder to rest. But posing as his lover is seductive—and risky. And exposing the truth could guarantee they won’t live to celebrate Christmas.

“Love is always a weapon, Bennet.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” he replied steadfastly, his blue eyes an odd shade in the light of the laptop screen.

Alyssa’s chest felt tight, and her heart felt too much like it was being squeezed. She’d wanted to feel something, but not this. Not anything to do with love.

Before Alyssa realized what he was doing, Bennet had his hand fisted in her shirt and tugged her down. Then his mouth was on hers. Gentle, and something that kind of made her want to cry because there’d been so little of it in her life. His lips caressed hers, his tongue slowly tracing the outline of her bottom lip, and all she could do was soak it up. . .

Stone Cold Christmas Ranger

Nicole Helm

www.millsandboon.co.uk

NICOLE HELM grew up with her nose in a book and the dream of one day becoming a writer. Luckily, after a few failed career choices, she gets to follow that dream—writing down-to-earth contemporary romance and romantic suspense. From farmers to cowboys, Midwest to the West, Nicole writes stories about people finding themselves and finding love in the process. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons and dreams of someday owning a barn.

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To late-night train whistles when everyone else is asleep and

the Janette Oke books that introduced me to romance.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text “You don’t have to trust me, Texas Ranger. You just have to stay out of my way.” Bennet Stevens will do anything to prove himself. But the ranger never expected a cold case lead like Alyssa Jimenez, a wild-card bounty hunter. Or that someone would target her. The only safe place she can hide is in Bennet’s elite world. But Alyssa’s gutsy maneuvers and surprising vulnerability are putting Bennet’s heart at passionate risk… Alyssa barely survived her drug-cartel family’s machinations. She knows all too well that trusting anyone can get you dead. Still, Bennet is the only way she can finally put her mother’s unsolved murder to rest. But posing as his lover is seductive—and risky. And exposing the truth could guarantee they won’t live to celebrate Christmas.

Introduction “Love is always a weapon, Bennet.” “It doesn’t have to be,” he replied steadfastly, his blue eyes an odd shade in the light of the laptop screen. Alyssa’s chest felt tight, and her heart felt too much like it was being squeezed. She’d wanted to feel something, but not this. Not anything to do with love. Before Alyssa realized what he was doing, Bennet had his hand fisted in her shirt and tugged her down. Then his mouth was on hers. Gentle, and something that kind of made her want to cry because there’d been so little of it in her life. His lips caressed hers, his tongue slowly tracing the outline of her bottom lip, and all she could do was soak it up. . .

Title Page Stone Cold Christmas Ranger Nicole Helm www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author NICOLE HELM grew up with her nose in a book and the dream of one day becoming a writer. Luckily, after a few failed career choices, she gets to follow that dream—writing down-to-earth contemporary romance and romantic suspense. From farmers to cowboys, Midwest to the West, Nicole writes stories about people finding themselves and finding love in the process. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons and dreams of someday owning a barn.

Dedication To late-night train whistles when everyone else is asleep and the Janette Oke books that introduced me to romance.

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

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Bennet Stevens had learned how to smile politely and charmingly at people he couldn’t stand before he’d learned to walk. Growing up in a family chock-full of lawyers and politicians, and many of the Texas rich and powerful, he’d been bred to be a charming, cunning tool.

His decision to go into police work had surprised, and perhaps not excited, his parents, but they weren’t the type of people to stand in someone’s way.

Everything was far more circumspect than that, and after five years as a Texas Ranger, easily moving up the ranks beyond his counterparts, Bennet was starting to wonder if that’s how his parents were attempting to smoke him out.

Make everything too damn easy.

He was as tired of easy here at the Texas Rangers headquarters in Austin as he was of political parties at his parents’ home where he was supposed to flirt with debutantes and impress stuffed suits with tales of his bravery and valor.

Which was why he was beyond determined to break one of the coldest cases his Texas Ranger unit had. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, with his partner in the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Unit taking some extended time off giving Bennet the opportunity to solve a case on his own.

He glanced over at said partner, Ranger Vaughn Cooper, who was leaning against the corner of their shared office, talking on his cell in low tones.

No amount of low tones could hide the fact taciturn Ranger Cooper was talking to his very pregnant wife. Bennet could only shake his head at how the mighty had fallen, and hard.

Vaughn said his goodbyes and shoved his phone into his pocket before he turned his attention to Bennet, assessing gaze and hard expression back in place. “Captain won’t go for it,” Vaughn said, nodding at the file on Bennet’s desk.

“He might if you back me up.”

Vaughn crossed his arms over his chest, and if Bennet hadn’t worked with Vaughn for almost four years, he might have been intimidated or worried. But that steely-eyed glare meant Vaughn was considering it.

“I know you want more...”

“But?” Bennet supplied, forcing himself to grin as if this didn’t mean everything. When people knew what it meant, they crushed it if they could. Another Stevens lesson imparted early and often.