Lisa Childs: Explosive Engagement

GETTING MARRIED MAY BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN COMPLETING HIS MISSION.

Nothing has fazed Logan Payne in his entire career as a bodyguard. That is, until he’s tasked with protecting his biggest enemy. Stacy Kozminski isn’t too thrilled about having to work with Logan either, but when attempts are made on her life, she knows he is her only hope if she wants to survive.

Soon, a target is placed on both their backs, and they have no choice but to stage an engagement to protect one another. Logan won’t let Stacy out of his sight. But is it because he doesn’t want to fail his assignment…or because he’s come to care for the gutsy and gorgeous woman—the only woman who’s ever gone toe-to-toe with him?

Noise erupted in the room.

Gasps. Shouts. Even a scream. But she could barely hear them for the blood rushing through her head, roaring in her ears. Her pulse pounded madly with adrenaline and attraction. Had it been so long since she’d been kissed that any man could affect her like this? It couldn’t be just because it was Logan. She couldn’t want a man that she hated as much as this one.

No man had ever kissed her the way he was kissing her—with so much passion and desire that her knees weakened and her head swam and she completely forgot why she’d kissed him in the first place.

When he pulled back, she was panting for breath, and her heart was beating so quickly that it pounded against her breasts. Against her lips, he murmured, “What the hell are you up to?”

For a moment she couldn’t remember. Then it came back to her: the plan—his mother’s outrageous plan.

She whispered back, “I’m saving your life.” Then she turned toward her stunned family and announced, “Logan Payne is my fiancé. We’re getting married.”

For my family—with great appreciation for all your love and support. Love you all!

Explosive Engagement

Lisa Childs

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Bestselling, award-winning author LISA CHILDS writes para-normal and contemporary romance for Mills & Boon. She lives on thirty acres in Michigan with her two daughters, a talkative Siamese and a long-haired Chihuahua who thinks she’s a rottweiler. Lisa loves hearing from readers, who can contact her through her website, www.lisachilds.com, or snail-mail address, PO Box 139, Marne, MI 49435, USA.

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

Logan Payne—The former detective and CEO of Payne Protection needs a bodyguard himself after attempts on his life. Instead he winds up with a fiancée.

Stacy Kozminski—She has hated Logan Payne for keeping her father in prison, so he’s the last man she would marry—until murder attempts leave her no other option but to propose.

Patek Kozminski—The former jewel thief took his secrets to his grave, but someone thinks he may have shared them with his daughter—which puts her in danger.

Garek Kozminski—Stacy’s brother has done prison time, and he’s not above breaking the law again...this time for revenge.

Milek Kozminski—Stacy’s other brother has also had scrapes with the law. Like Garek, he’ll do anything to protect their sister—even kill....

Iwan Kozminski—Uncle Iwan was Patek’s partner in the jewel thefts, but he never went to prison...and he’ll do anything to make sure he never does.

Marta Kozminski—She enjoys the lifestyle her husband Iwan provides, and she’s not going to let his brother’s children and Logan Payne mess that up.

Candace Baker—The bodyguard is so in love with her boss that she would give her life for his. She might also take a life—that of his fiancée.

Robert Cooper—The retired police officer was Logan’s dad’s partner and the key witness in Patek Kozminski’s trial, which puts him in danger too.

Parker Payne—Being Logan’s twin has already put him in danger, but he would gladly take a bullet for his brother.

Nikki Payne—The baby and only Payne sister, Nikki is determined to prove she’s just as tough as her brothers.

Penny Payne—The Payne family matriarch is not part of her children’s security business. As a wedding planner, she believes in another kind of security—happily ever after—and she’s not above taking advantage of a situation to ensure her kids are happy.

Contents

Prologue Prologue The bomb was set, so he carefully closed the door. When it opened again, the timer would activate—giving the victim mere minutes before the explosion. He exited the back door and breathed a sigh of relief that he was out of danger. No. He wasn’t out of danger yet—not until the bomb claimed its intended victim. He didn’t enjoy killing, but he’d done it—more than once—out of necessity. He’d had to do it to protect himself. That was all he was doing now—making sure that no one was left alive to link him to his crimes. Then, after all these years, he might finally have peace.

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

Extract

Prologue

The bomb was set, so he carefully closed the door. When it opened again, the timer would activate—giving the victim mere minutes before the explosion. He exited the back door and breathed a sigh of relief that he was out of danger.

No. He wasn’t out of danger yet—not until the bomb claimed its intended victim. He didn’t enjoy killing, but he’d done it—more than once—out of necessity. He’d had to do it to protect himself.

That was all he was doing now—making sure that no one was left alive to link him to his crimes. Then, after all these years, he might finally have peace.

Chapter One

The sun shone brightly, setting the white bricks of the church aglow. It was a great day for a wedding. But Logan Payne couldn’t forget that a funeral was also taking place today. He’d thought it might finally bring him some peace that his father’s killer was dead. But it seemed more like an injustice that the man had lived for only fifteen years of his already too short sentence.

Maybe it was that sense of injustice that had made Logan uneasy. Or maybe it was the recent attempts on his life.

But he pushed aside that uneasiness and focused instead on the bride and groom. He lifted his hand, with birdseed stuck to his palm, and waved off his younger brother and his new bride. Nobody deserved happiness more than the two of them—especially after the hell they had endured to be together.

His sister, Nikki, glanced up at him through the tears glistening in her warm brown eyes. “Getting emotional, big bro?” she teased. Their family relentlessly teased each other.

The tears were all hers, but he played along. “Birdseed got in my eye,” he said with an exaggerated blink. But then he squinted at a random glare and glanced toward the street where his brother’s decorated SUV sat on the curb. Nikki had written Just Married across the back window and tied strings of pop cans to the rear bumper. A car slowly passed it, and as it did, a barrel protruded out of the dark tinted driver’s window.