Danica Winters - Mr Taken

In Mystery, Montana, a white-hot hunk fights fire with passion...

Though he’s ridiculously handsome and notoriously funny, it’s Colter Fitzgerald’s firefighting skills that are most needed by Whitney Barstow—at first. She’s been traumatized by fire and terrified that the arsonist sabotaging Dunrovin Ranch is a madman from her past. She’s also fearful that harm will come to any man she loves, so denies her attraction to Colter. Then why is she jealous of another woman’s hands all over him?

On the eve of the ranch’s Christmas festival, Colter wants no one but Whitney, body, soul and darkest secrets. But there’s still an arsonist to stop...before what makes the season bright is Dunrovin in flames.

Mystery Christmas

“I don’t want to date just anyone. The only one I’d love to take out is you. From the moment you came here, it’s all I’ve wanted.”

She wanted to give in to the joy of hearing those words, but her reality wouldn’t allow it.

“I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m telling you that if you just got to know me a little more, you would see that you wouldn’t want a woman like me.”

“I know you, whether you want to admit it or not.”

She gave a sardonic chuckle. “Just because we’ve been passing each other on the ranch since I got here doesn’t mean you know me. You have merely seen me. We have fundamental differences. Number one—you have more dates than a fruitcake. I don’t want a man whose attention I have to struggle to keep.”

“Unless we go out, how do you know if we have fundamental differences?” He leaned against the chair closest to him. “And, wait…does fruitcake even have dates in it?”

Acknowledgments

This series wouldn’t have been possible without a great team of people, including my editors at Harlequin—thank you for all your hard work.

Also, thank you to Suzanne Miller and the crew at Dunrovin Ranch in Lolo, Montana. Suzanne is the inspiration behind one of my favorite characters in this series, the fantastic Eloise Fitzgerald. Just like Eloise, she always greets you with a warm smile and an open heart.

Mr. Taken

Danica Winters

www.millsandboon.co.uk

DANICA WINTERSis a multiple award-winning, bestselling author who writes books that grip readers with their ability to drive emotion through suspense and occasionally a touch of magic. When she’s not working, she can be found in the wilds of Montana, testing her patience while she tries to hone her skills at various crafts—quilting, pottery and painting are not her areas of expertise. She believes the cup is neither half-full nor half-empty, but it better be filled with wine. Visit her website at www.danicawinters.net.

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

Whitney Barstow—This cowgirl is taking no chances after her life was nearly ended by her ex-husband when he set fire to her family’s barn. Out of fear for her family’s safety and her own, she has taken to the road and found herself thousands of miles away from her home and working the front desk at Dunrovin Ranch.

Colter Fitzgerald—Charm should have been this firefighter’s middle name. Everywhere he goes, the women of Mystery, Montana, swoon. Yet, he only has eyes for Whitney—the one woman who refuses to give him the time of day.

Wyatt Fitzgerald—Colter’s brother and the local sheriff’s deputy, who quickly finds himself neck-deep in an investigation that calls into question not only his detective skills, but a whole slew of his family’s history.

Eloise Fitzgerald—Foster mother and caregiver not only to the people in her life but to the animals as well, she is the head matriarch of the Fitzgerald clan.

William Poe—A shady county tax appraiser who has a running feud with the Fitzgeralds, he thinks everyone and everything belongs to him—including the women of Mystery, Montana.

Daryl Bucket—A long-haul trucker who has come to the aid of the family in the past but now may have more tricks up his sleeve.

Sarah Rizzo—Owner of Pretties and Pastries, the local café that has been catering the Fitzgeralds’ events, but Sarah hopes she can become even more involved with the family.

Frank Harris—On the run and potentially dangerous, Whitney’s ex-husband may have finally located the runaway—and he may do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn’t slip through his grasp once again.

To Mac,

From sea to shining sea,

it will always and forever be you and me.

Thanks for making life such an amazing adventure.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Acknowlegments

Title Page

About the Author

CAST OF CHARACTERS

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

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

No matter how hard Whitney Barstow tried, there was one memory that never seemed to fade or be twisted by time—it was the moment she had nearly died. The smoke had filled her lungs, stealing her oxygen and making her head ache. The acrid smoke was like hands covering her mouth and nose, and however hard she tried to breathe, they only clenched harder. She had torn at the invisible hands, leaving faint scars on her face—a personal reminder of her desperation to survive.

Every time she closed her eyes, she was back in the barn. The door was closed, and when the spark had hit the hay, it was like a bomb that had gone off. She could still hear the whoomp as the dry tinder erupted into flames. And the heat. Oh, the heat. Some nights she would wake up in a cold sweat, her body’s reflexes kicking in at the mere thought of being trapped in the inferno once again.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she stared out at the barn that sat at the heart of Dunrovin Ranch, and her thoughts turned to the lives she’d lost. There would be no replacing Runs Like the Wind, her black Thoroughbred. She could still smell the scent of hay on the horse’s breath and feel her smooth gait from high in the saddle. Nothing would ever be the same. There was no going back and stopping evil from entering her life. There was no undoing what had been done.

There was only one thing she could do to keep the memories at bay—she could never ride again.

Even now, almost ten years later, she could barely step foot in a barn. If she was forced, it was only if the door was kept open and the breeze drifted through like a promise of freedom. She couldn’t be trapped again. Not by a person, and never by fire. Never.

“Whit, are you okay, sweetheart?” Mrs. Eloise Fitzgerald called out from the main office.