Kira Sinclair - Testing the Limits

Wanting him was wrong, but it felt so right…

Social worker Quinn Keller sees the best in people…and the worst. When she rescues a prominent businessman’s battered wife, Quinn is targeted by the woman’s violent husband. Her only option is to place her safety in the hands of Ranger Jace Hyland—tattooed, scarred, incredibly hot…and the brother of Quinn’s deceased fiancé. An entirely different kind of dangerous!

Quinn is the woman Jace has always wanted—and she’s strictly hands-off. But keeping her safe means taking her to his small apartment…and his bed. So for one unforgettable night, Jace will give in to the temptation he can no longer resist. One night of forbidden hunger. One night he prays will be enough to satisfy a lifetime of longing….

Dear Reader,

From the moment I started writing Jace and Quinn’s story I knew it was going to be one of those that grabbed my heart and refused to let go. They’re both dealing with such deep, sometimes heart-wrenching issues. And if their personal demons weren’t enough, I had to throw in another character finally finding the strength to leave a situation involving domestic violence. But I hope all their struggles only make you root for them to find happiness even more—I know that’s what happened for me.

Jace and Quinn have struggled for years against wanting each other and feeling as if they’re betraying the memory of someone they both love. The great thing about love is that it’s fathomless. Loving one person doesn’t mean you can’t love someone else just as much, although maybe a little differently. The heart has such a limitless capacity for compassion.

I hope that’s the message everyone takes away from Testing the Limits—not just because Jace and Quinn finally find a way to accept what they share, but because of the way they both selflessly give of themselves to help others. In this respect, they are amazingly similar and make me want to be a better person.

I’d love to hear from you at www.kirasinclair.com, or come chat with me on Twitter: @KiraSinclair.

Best wishes,

Kira

Testing the Limits

Kira Sinclair

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kira Sinclair is an award-winning author who writes emotional, passionate contemporary romances. Double winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award, her first foray into writing fiction was for a high-school English assignment. Nothing could dampen her enthusiasm…not even being forced to read the love story aloud to the class. However, it definitely made her blush. Writing about striking, sexy heroes and passionate, determined women has always excited her. She lives out her own happily-ever-after with her amazing husband, their two beautiful daughters and a menagerie of animals on a small farm in North Alabama. Kira loves to hear from readers at www.kirasinclair.com.

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I’d like to dedicate this book to anyone who has registered to become an organ and tissue donor. It’s such an important and selfless gift, and your sacrifice can help save someone else’s life. However, it isn’t enough to sign your driver’s license or register online. You have to tell the people closest to you what your wishes are—share your intent to give the gift of life.

For more information on organ donation please visit www.organdonor.gov.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

Extract

1

QUINN KELLER DIDN’T often lose it. She tried hard to keep a rein on her temper. It was something she’d been working on her entire life, not wanting to hurt others with harsh words. Most days she succeeded.

She gritted her teeth, her body quivering with barely suppressed fury. Today wasn’t one of those days.

Luckily, the object of her rage deserved every last speck of it, and she wouldn’t lose one wink of sleep over anything she said.

Slick and condescending, Everett Warren thought he was above the rules. It had taken everything she had not to slam her fist into his smug face. Fortunately, her brain was working faster than her instincts for once, because if she’d given in to the urge she probably would have lost her job.

And then how would she be able to help Caroline Warren, the asshole’s wife?

“There’s been a grave misunderstanding, Ms. Keller,” Warren had said, in that deep, solemn voice that was probably supposed to indicate just how important and trustworthy a man he was.

Unfortunately for him, Quinn had seen the evidence of the opposite with her own eyes.

An image of Caroline’s body, marked and bruised, flashed across Quinn’s mind. Not twelve hours ago she’d held the woman’s hand while a doctor and nurse had taken care of her injuries. She’d been there as Caroline had stripped naked so they could take pictures of the damage for evidence. And the marks hadn’t all been from last night. Several of the bruises were days and weeks old. All purposely positioned so they could be well covered.

And then Quinn had hidden Caroline in a safe house on a small farm on the outskirts of town.

Somehow, despite Warren’s false concern, Quinn managed to bite her tongue, keeping the snide comments to herself. Misunderstanding, her ass. She hated men who felt putting a ring on a woman’s finger equaled the right to dictate, intimidate and hit.

What made Warren worse than most was the smooth exterior he presented to the world. Most of the abusers she’d met over the years didn’t bother pretending they were anything else. They didn’t care enough to hide the truth.

Warren did. In fact, he worked hard at the perfect facade. He was a major donor to several high-profile charities in town. He’d won service awards and been hailed as a town hero for years. Hell, even she’d been sucked in by the pretense. How could she not be? He’d funded several of the programs for the people she assisted on a daily basis.

Although, according to Caroline, the money he’d been liberally spreading around town for years wasn’t exactly clean. Certainly, he had legitimate business interests. But also ties with “families” that were well known for their ruthless behavior.

To put it bluntly, he laundered money.

The minute Caroline had told her that, Quinn had tried to call in the cops. But Caroline had flipped at the idea of talking to them. She was scared—not just of Warren, but also the men he worked for. Considering the evidence Quinn had seen, Caroline had good reason for that fear.

So Quinn had planned on giving Caroline a few days to settle in and begin to feel safe before pressing the issue again.

They had to proceed with caution, anyway.

Warren had money, a sense of entitlement and played poker at least once a month with a judge, several lawyers, two city councilmen and most of the financial heavy hitters in Barnhart, their small town just outside Fort Benning, Georgia. He’d built a network of friends and associates who’d back him first and ask questions later.