Jen Bokal - Her Rocky Mountain Hero

In Jennifer D. Bokal’s new Rocky Mountain Justice romance, a lone agent falls for the enemy

When security expert Cody Samuels finds fugitive Viktoria Mateev in hiding, he can’t believe his luck. Turning her in will be the perfect revenge on the crime family who destroyed Cody’s DEA career. But to his surprise, Cody is just in time to rescue Viktoria from assassins. He soon finds himself tracking her son’s kidnappers—and trying to resist his deepest desires...

To keep her son from her ruthless in-laws, Viktoria went on the run. Now she’s teaming up with a man she can’t trust. Cody’s courage and bold gambits are a temptation Viktoria can’t resist—even as a risky sacrifice guarantees they may not survive to see another holiday.

Cody released his hold on Viktoria. What kind of jerk would steal a kiss when her son had just been kidnapped?

But without a word, Viktoria closed the distance between them. She pressed her lips onto his cheek. “For luck,” she whispered.

Without another thought about right or wrong, Cody slid his arm around her waist and pulled Viktoria closer. Her breasts pressed into his chest, warm and inviting.

He placed his mouth on hers. Viktoria wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips. He moved his tongue into her mouth and she greeted him in return. Cody’s hands traveled down, memorizing her form. Their kiss became his world. His universe. His everything...

* * *

Rocky Mountain Justice: These Colorado mercenaries fight for duty and honor

Dear Reader,

Confession time: I’ve been a lifelong Harlequin romance reader, so I’m especially thrilled to introduce Rocky Mountain Justice, my first series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. More even, is that this is a holiday romance, which are my favorite kind of books to read! Nothing says the holidays to me like a book that brings together family, traditions—and, of course, love.

Although I’ve been known to scour the shelves at my local bookstore in October looking for the latest holiday romances, I also love a great romantic suspense. Because what’s better than two people trying to save the world while at the same time losing themselves in each other?

For you, dear reader, I wish you all the joys and wonder of the season. May your days be filled with laughter and your nights filled with love. I also hope you enjoy reading Her Rocky Mountain Hero as much as I did writing it!

Happy holidays,

Jennifer D. Bokal

PS: Please visit me on Facebook at Facebook.com/Jennifer-D-Bokal-1527295950883205or follow me on Twitter, @jenbokal. Looking forward to chatting with you!

Her Rocky Mountain Hero

Jennifer D. Bokal

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JENNIFER D. BOKAL is the author of the bestselling ancient-world historical romance The Gladiator’s Mistress, and the second book in the Champions of Rome series, The Gladiator’s Temptation. Happily married to her own alpha male for twenty years, she enjoys writing stories that explore the wonders of love in many genres. Jen and her husband live in upstate New York with their three beautiful daughters, two aloof cats and two very spoiled dogs.

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In memory of my father, Jim “Mac” McDarmont. A girl couldn’t have asked for a better dad. Thank you for always believing in me and teaching me to believe in myself.

And to my husband, John. Without you, I wouldn’t be me.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

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

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

December 23

4:00 p.m.

Telluride, Colorado

The sun hung above the horizon; the final rays of the day cast long shadows over the mountains and into the valley below. Cody Samuels shouldered open the door of his house and propped his skis against the wall. Balancing his poles next to them, he then worked his feet out of his hard, formfitting downhill boots.

He was glad he’d had a chance to go skiing. It looked like he might be forced to stay inside for the next few days. The weather was about to turn nasty and bring what the local meteorologists were calling “The Blizzard of the Century.” Actually, being snowed in for a few days didn’t seem so bad. It would help take away the sting of being alone over a holiday.

Closing the door, he carried his gear to the storage room next to the kitchen. His tablet sat on the counter, and he gave it a glance as he passed. A message icon glowed. When he finished putting his gear away, he returned and tapped it to open the email.

To: Samuels, Cody

From: Rocky Mountain Justice

Re: Mateev, Viktoria

Mateev, Viktoria. Cody’s shoulders tightened and his pulse spiked. The name Mateev was one he hoped to never see again and at the same time he looked for everywhere.

23 December

This message is an alert. One or more people hired to be found by RMJ have been located via facial recognition software. Please access the case file and make all necessary contacts.

Sir Ian Wallace

Founder and CEO, Rocky Mountain Justice

Scrolling down, he found a heavily pixelated photo of a blonde woman behind a steering wheel, along with an inset photo of the car’s Colorado license plate. A link took him to the case file. It contained half a dozen separate documents. Most originated from New York State’s Child Protective Services and contained reports of severe neglect by Viktoria Mateev of her son Gregory, aged four.

Damn the Mateevs. They’d haunted him since his days with the DEA. Clearly, he wasn’t through with them yet.

The Mateev family had been embroiled in crime from their very beginnings. They were infamous, not just in their native Russia but throughout the world. In the 1990s the Mateevs had strong ties in Brooklyn, New York. After being brought up on racketeering charges, the Mateevs left the country, but continued to practice their brand of lawlessness in Russia.

Cody discovered they’d returned to the US when a confidential informant had come forward with information that linked several Denver drug dealers to a cartel. Cody’s superiors were unimpressed with the CI, low-hanging fruit as far as the criminal underworld was concerned, and they never opened an investigation.

But Cody’s gut told him otherwise.

He began developing a case on his own time and met with the CI on several occasions. It was in one of those meetings that the name Nikolai Mateev was brought up.

Cody already knew of Mateev by his family’s very nefarious reputation. He again approached his superiors, this time with a signed affidavit. Cody’s supervisor promised to send the information up the chain of command.

To this day, Cody had no idea if the promise was ever kept. The next Saturday afternoon, he met the CI at a crowded Denver park. The man said only a few words before pulling out a gun and aiming it at Cody. Cody had no choice but to fire his own weapon in self-defense. A perfect shot to the head killed the man instantly. But the CI’s gun, which Cody clearly recalled him drawing, was never found, and too many witnesses saw nothing more than an armed federal officer shooting what they believed to be an innocent man. That moment ended not only a life, but Cody’s career with the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well.