Tara Taylor Quinn - Love By Association

Love isn’t part of the job...

A tough-as-nails cop, Chantel Harris faces whatever life throws at her, and then some. As part of Santa Raquel’s High Risk team—created by the town’s women’s shelter, The Lemonade Stand—she goes undercover to expose one of the community’s elite as an abuser.

Looking the part is easy, but gaining acceptance into upper society circles is a different matter. That’s where gorgeous and successful lawyer Colin Fairbanks comes in. But Colin is so much more than Chantel could have dreamed. Wanting him is dangerous. Falling for him could ruin everything...

“You’re different...”

Colin drew out the words, then added, “Compelling. In a way I’ve never known before.”

In a stunningly simple black short shift that was sexier for what it covered, not for what it left uncovered, she could have stepped out of a fashion magazine.

And those lips—so artfully painted—glistened with promise.

“You did hear me say that when I’m done with my book I have to return to New York?”

“I heard.”

“And you’re okay with that?” The worry in her gaze hit him harder than the kiss waiting on her lips. She cared, too.

“Yes,” he told her. She’d been honest. If, in the future, they needed to work out something...then they’d work it out.

Two nights ago his life had changed. He’d changed.

And it didn’t seem as if there was a lot he could do about that.

Except to see where it was all going to lead...

Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication 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 CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE CHAPTER THIRTY CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO Extract Copyright ,

What can I tell you about Chantel Harris that will make you want to read this book? Whatever it is, please imagine me saying it. Chantel is the best friend...but has few friends. Her closest friend, a female cop, was killed on duty. Chantel was the first responder.

She never expects things for herself, she only asks how she can help others. She’s the kind of friend we all want.

If you haven’t read previous Where Secrets are Safe books, relax, you don’t need to. You won’t feel left behind. For those of you who have, you’ll have seen Chantel once before in book three, Husband by Choice, when she visited Santa Raquel to help her best friend’s widower after his second wife goes missing.

Now a member of the Santa Raquel High Risk Team, she goes undercover to ensure the safety of a boy and his mother and ends up finding something horrible going on in the society she infiltrates. I didn’t know, when I started this book, what was going to happen. I didn’t know until the end how it was going to end. I didn’t even know if the bad guy was bad. Chantel took care of it all. She took care of me. And she’ll take care of you, too, if you give her a chance!

I love to interact with my readers. You can find me on Facebook at facebook.com/tarataylorquinnand on Twitter, @tarataylorquinn.

Or join my open Friendship board on Pinterest! Pinterest.com/TaraTaylorQuinn/Friendship

All the best,

Tara

Love by Association

Tara Taylor Quinn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

An author of more than seventy novels, TARA TAYLOR QUINN is a USA TODAY bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is known for delivering emotional and psychologically astute novels of suspense and romance. Tara is a past president of Romance Writers of America. She has won a Readers’ Choice Award and is a five-time finalist for an RWA RITA® Award, a finalist for a Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Booksellers’ Best Award. She has also appeared on TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning. She supports the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.

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 Lynda Kachurek, who started out as a fan and became a friend. I am very thankful you sought me out...

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text Love isn’t part of the job... A tough-as-nails cop, Chantel Harris faces whatever life throws at her, and then some. As part of Santa Raquel’s High Risk team—created by the town’s women’s shelter, The Lemonade Stand—she goes undercover to expose one of the community’s elite as an abuser. Looking the part is easy, but gaining acceptance into upper society circles is a different matter. That’s where gorgeous and successful lawyer Colin Fairbanks comes in. But Colin is so much more than Chantel could have dreamed. Wanting him is dangerous. Falling for him could ruin everything...

Introduction “You’re different...” Colin drew out the words, then added, “Compelling. In a way I’ve never known before.” In a stunningly simple black short shift that was sexier for what it covered, not for what it left uncovered, she could have stepped out of a fashion magazine. And those lips—so artfully painted—glistened with promise. “You did hear me say that when I’m done with my book I have to return to New York?” “I heard.” “And you’re okay with that?” The worry in her gaze hit him harder than the kiss waiting on her lips. She cared, too. “Yes,” he told her. She’d been honest. If, in the future, they needed to work out something...then they’d work it out. Two nights ago his life had changed. He’d changed. And it didn’t seem as if there was a lot he could do about that. Except to see where it was all going to lead...

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

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

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

IT FELT WEIRD being in an interrogation room out of uniform. Not that thirty-two-year-old Chantel Harris spent much time interrogating suspects. She was a street cop, not a detective. But in the twelve years she’d been a cop, she’d been called in to sit with suspects on occasion and to help with questioning a time or two.

Even worse than being out of uniform was entering the room on stiletto heels, with makeup on her face and with her blond hair, which usually lived in a ponytail, cascading down her back in artfully curled waves.