Sylvie Kurtz - Heart Of A Hunter

Her blue eyes still held the hollow look of fear. Olivia wasn’t there; she was still lost. “I can’t…I can’t breathe in there.” Her voice was a whisper. “I need to breathe.”

He’d thought he could keep the truth from her. That he could hold her in the safety of the house while he tracked down the stalker. He saw now that that was impossible. To keep her safe, he would have to confess the truth.

“I know you do, sweetheart. But there’s someone out there who wants to hurt you. And he’ll go through anyone and anything to destroy what I care for the most.”

Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

Those April showers go hand in hand with a welcome downpour of gripping romantic suspense in the Harlequin Intrigue line this month!

Reader-favorite Rebecca York returns to the legendary 43 LIGHT STREET with Out of Nowhere—an entrancing tale about a beautiful blond amnesiac who proves downright lethal to a hard-edged detective’s heart. Then take a detour to New Mexico for Shotgun Daddy by Harper Allen—the conclusion in the MEN OF THE DOUBLE B RANCH trilogy. In this story a Navajo protector must safeguard the woman from his past who is nurturing a ticking time bomb of a secret.

The momentum keeps building as Sylvie Kurtz launches her brand-new miniseries—THE SEEKERS—about men dedicated to truth, justice…and protecting the women they love. But at what cost? Don’t miss the debut book, Heart of a Hunter, where the search for a killer just might culminate in rekindled love. Passion and peril go hand in hand in Agent Cowboy by Debra Webb, when COLBY AGENCY investigator Trent Tucker races against time to crack a case of triple murder!

Rounding off a month of addictive romantic thrillers, watch for the continuation of two new thematic promotions. A handsome sheriff saves the day in Restless Spirit by Cassie Miles, which is part of COWBOY COPS. Sudden Recall by Jean Barrett is the latest in our DEAD BOLT series about silent memories that unlock simmering passions.

Enjoy all of our great offerings.

Sincerely,

Denise O’Sullivan

Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To my family whose continued support

means the world to me.

Even a mild traumatic brain injury

can alter a person for a lifetime. Becuase of the short time frame

of this story and because it is a romance,

I downplayed the pain and the expected physical symptoms

someone with Olivia’s injuries would feel.

Her recovery is an ongoing process that

will require her to adapt and will probably

last the rest of her life.

Flying an eight-hour solo cross-country in a Piper Arrow with only the airplane’s crackling radio and a large bag of M&M’s for company, Sylvie Kurtz realized a pilot’s life wasn’t for her. The stories zooming in and out of her mind proved more entertaining than the flight itself. Not a quitter, she finished her pilot’s course and earned her commercial license and instrument rating.

Since then, she has traded in her wings for a keyboard where she lets her imagination soar to create fictional adventures that explore the power of love and the thrill of suspense. When not writing, she enjoys the outdoors with her husband and two children, quilt making, photography and reading whatever catches her interest..

You can write to Sylvie at

P.O. Box 702, Milford, NH 03055.

And visit her Web site at www.sylviekurtz.com.

Sebastian Falconer—He’s a U.S. Marshal caught between duty to the service and love for his wife, his haven.

Olivia Falconer—She’s an artist who doesn’t remember how to paint, and a wife who doesn’t remember her love for her husband.

Paula Woodruff—Olivia’s sister is determined to save her sister from her husband’s domination.

Cari Woodruff—Paula’s daughter wants someone to take responsibility for her father’s death.

Edwin Sutton—Sebastian’s boss is on a fast track to success and won’t let anything stain his perfect image.

Bernie Kershaw—The fugitive is wanted for armed robbery, rape and murder. He’s out for revenge for being caged.

Nathan Kershaw—Bernie’s brother is tired of playing second fiddle.

Mario Menard—The Aerie’s groundskeeper keeps an eye out for trouble. But did he have a hand in the security break?

Sean Greco—The U.S. Marshal is angry and dirty.

Allan Verani—Greco’s roommate wants what he was promised.

Nelson Weld—The small-time thief is ready to sing to keep his freedom.

Kiki Bates—Weld’s girlfriend has pinned all her hopes on the wrong man.

1 2/ 3cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup orange juice

1 tsp vinegar

½ tsp orange extract

½ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt with fork in ungreased square pan, 8"8"2". Mix in remaining ingredients except chocolate chips. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 9 servings.

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

Epilogue

The hunter had returned. Decompressing, he called the time he needed alone after coming home from an assignment. But Olivia knew it went deeper. He was trying to shake off the mind-set of the man he’d hunted for the past month. He’d told her once it was like spending time in a sewer and he didn’t want to poison her with the stench.

Was it wrong of her to want him to share his world?

She descended the stone stairs that led to the basement of their mountaintop home and the room she referred to as Sebastian’s “cave.” She’d called it so affectionately at first. Now there was a trace of resentment that left a bitter taste at the back of her throat. At the door she hesitated.

Bent over his paperwork, he was surrounded by all sorts of electronic gadgets that could have come from a science fiction movie set. His mind was focused, laser-sharp on his task. The lean muscles of his tracker’s body were controlled. She’d seen this stance often enough to recognize he was detaching himself from one world and trying to reconnect with another. Why did that passage make her so sad?