Regan Black - Braving The Heat

One man wants her dead.

Another will do anything to protect her.

Firefighter Kenzie Hughes never thought saving lives would make her a target. When someone rigs her car and sexy Stephen Galway offers to be her bodyguard, the flames of danger burn red-hot. Stephen lost his fiancée to violence years ago, but he can’t resist Kenzie. Can he keep Kenzie safe and out of his arms when they’re forced to confront what they fear most?

REGAN BLACK, a USA TODAY bestselling author, writes award-winning, action-packed novels featuring kick-butt heroines and the sexy heroes who fall in love with them. Raised in the Midwest and California, she and her family, along with their adopted greyhound, two arrogant cats and a quirky finch, reside in the South Carolina Low Country, where the rich blend of legend, romance and history fuels her imagination.

Also By Regan Black Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Extract About the Publisher

Escape Club Heroes

Safe in His Sight

A Stranger She Can Trust

Protecting Her Secret Son

Braving the Heat

The Coltons of Shadow Creek

Killer Colton Christmas

“Special Agent Cowboy”

The Coltons of Red Ridge

Colton P.I. Protector

Colby Agency: Family Secrets (with Debra Webb)

Gunning for the Groom

Heavy Artillery Husband

The Specialists: Heroes Next Door (with Debra Webb)

The Hunk Next Door

Heart of a Hero

To Honor and To Protect

Her Undercover Defender

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Braving the Heat

Regan Black

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07913-6

BRAVING THE HEAT

© 2018 Regan Black

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“Kenzie?”

She glanced over her shoulder to find Stephen watching her from the corner of the building. Was a man supposed to look that sexy with a scowl on his face?

“More trouble?” she asked, coming back to the bottom step. Why couldn’t Murtagh be satisfied wrecking her career with the lawsuit?

“No.” Stephen crossed to her with a few ground-eating strides and the light from the camper window washed over his face, revealing the depth of concern in his gaze. “You’re safe here with me behind this fence. I promise.”

He looked so earnest, so determined to tolerate her invasion of his space until everything in her world was back to normal. “I appreciate that.”

Leaning forward, she brushed her lips to his cheek. A light, friendly, platonic gesture was all she intended. Instead, he caught her as if he thought she’d lost her balance, his hands hot on her waist. Then his lips touched hers. Bracing her hands on his strong shoulders, she wanted to sink a little deeper, explore his taste as his masculine scent and the summer night enveloped her.

* * *

Be sure to check out the next books in this miniseries:

Escape Club Heroes—Off-duty justice, full-time love

Dear Reader Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Extract About the Publisher ,

Welcome back to Philadelphia, PA, and the Escape Club! This riverside hot spot is the place to find both great music and a safe haven if you have a problem that doesn’t fit within the framework of typical law enforcement.

Stephen Galway first appeared in Safe in His Sight, my debut book for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and though I’ve written several novels in between, I’ve never been able to put this brooding man out of my mind. I’ve wanted him to have a happy-ever-after since the first moment he showed up on the page, grumbling at his brother.

Kenzie Hughes, a PFD firefighter, is in trouble and her options are dwindling when help comes from an unlikely source: Stephen. For some reason he sees right through her independent nature, which is currently propped up by little more than bravado and a big smile. Time after time he listens and then quietly steps up and does what’s needed and all without trampling her pride.

Life has dealt Kenzie and Stephen some serious challenges and alone they found unique ways to cope and compensate. But now that they’ve met, it’s time to make some hard choices about who they are, what they really need and how those revealing answers will shape their future.

Live the adventure,

Regan Black

For my friend Sam, a man who consistently stepped up as a sheriff’s deputy, as an author and as my inspiration for Stephen’s dad, Samuel Galway.

I am forever grateful for the light and laughter you added to my world.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text One man wants her dead. Another will do anything to protect her. Firefighter Kenzie Hughes never thought saving lives would make her a target. When someone rigs her car and sexy Stephen Galway offers to be her bodyguard, the flames of danger burn red-hot. Stephen lost his fiancée to violence years ago, but he can’t resist Kenzie. Can he keep Kenzie safe and out of his arms when they’re forced to confront what they fear most?