Lara Lacombe - Deadly Contact

It’s a race against time—and a fatal outbreak—in this thriller of a debut

In one passionate night Special Agent James Reynolds and scientist Kelly Jarvis went from friends to lovers. Then Kelly walked away with only an apology. Now James is charged with solving a bioterrorist attack—and Dr. Jarvis works at the suspected lab.

Is Kelly an accomplice or a victim? Just what are her secrets that drove her from James’s bed? Soon one thing becomes clear: The ghosts of her past have nothing on the terrorists targeting her and Washington, D.C. Another threat bathes the city in red alert, and now there are lives at stake, in addition to hearts….

“You could have gotten killed.”

There was no mistaking the anger in his voice. Kelly reacted immediately. “Don’t expect me to fall in line when you bark an order. I’m not some damsel in distress to feed your knight-errant complex. I—”

The words stuck in her throat as he loomed over her, big and dangerous. His hands landed on either side of her head, bracketing her body and trapping her in the bed.

“I’m bigger than you,” James whispered, his breath warm on her cheek. “And stronger.” His fingertips traced her arm, leaving goose bumps in their wake. “It’s my job to protect you. And if I have to, I’ll use my body.”

She saw the intensity in his eyes and felt the emotional currents swirling around them.

Did he care about her? After everything that happened, did he still harbor feelings for her?

There was only one way to find out….

Dear Reader,

This is my first book, and I couldn’t be more excited!

As a science nerd, I spent a lot of time in school. While I enjoyed it, I also needed a break from the dry, factual world of science, so I turned to romance novels as my escape. What started out as a hobby quickly turned into a (mild) obsession, and I decided to try writing romance, as well.

Fast-forward a few years, and here we are. I had a blast working on this book, as it combines my two loves: science and romance (they’re not as incompatible as you might think). I hope you enjoy James and Kelly’s story—they have a lot to overcome, but if anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s this pair.

If you get a chance, please stop by my blog and say hi. You can find me at laralacombe.blogspot.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. I’d love to hear from you!

Take care, and happy reading!

Lara

Deadly Contact

Lara Lacombe

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LARA LACOMBE

I earned my Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. My day job as a college science professor gives me time to pursue my other love—writing fast-paced romantic suspense, with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. I love to hear from readers! Find me on the web, or contact me at laralacombewriter@gmail.com.

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For my family, of course.

Special thanks also to Rachel Burkot, Patience Bloom, Jessica Alvarez, the members of the CompuServe Books and Writers Community, and the members of the North Texas chapter of RWA.

Last but not least, thanks to Sarah, Tara, Jacqui, Adrienne, Jill and Laura. You saw the early draft, and you didn’t run away screaming. You guys are the best!

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 1

Washington, D.C.

April

Where is she?

James nursed his beer as he kept one eye on the television mounted on the wall behind the bar. His spot at the corner table afforded him a view of the entire place, and although he wasn’t a huge fan of golf, the highlight reel from the Masters Tournament was the most interesting thing going on at the moment.

He glanced at his watch as he set the bottle down and reached for a handful of peanuts. Kelly wasn’t usually late, but maybe she’d had a long day or had gotten stuck in traffic. It was raining, and D.C. drivers tended to lose their minds when any kind of precipitation fell from the sky. Whatever the reason, if she didn’t get there soon, he’d start drinking the beer he’d ordered for her. He’d be doing her a favor, he decided, as no one liked warm beer.

“Ready for another, James?” Danny called out, pausing in his obsessive wipe down of the already clean bar.

He shook his head. “Not yet, thanks. I’ll work on Kelly’s first.”

“Shouldn’t she be here by now?”

As if on cue, the door opened with a blast of humid air and Kelly dashed in, wearing a frown as she brushed the raindrops off her jacket. She waved at Danny as she walked over to the table, then sat with a sigh and reached for her beer. James raised a brow as she gulped down the brew, draining the bottle in one go. She set it on the table and turned to gesture for another, but Danny was already there, handing her a fresh one and wearing an expression of amused surprise.

“Want me to keep them coming?” Danny offered. Kelly nodded, and Danny shot James a meaningful look before he returned to the bar. Keep an eye on her tonight.

James nodded. I will.

They had been meeting at this bar every Friday night for the past six months, a tradition that had started after they’d met at a friend’s party. She had looked strangely familiar to him, so he’d struck up a conversation. It turned out they had gone to the same college and had even shared some mutual friends, but by some quirk of fate they hadn’t officially met back then. After finding out she lived in a nearby neighborhood, he had suggested they meet up for drinks sometime. She’d taken him up on the offer, and they’d quickly developed a solid friendship.

Normally, Kelly was fun and easygoing when they got together, having only one or two drinks each time. He’d never seen her drunk, but if her current mood was any indication, he would tonight.

She set the bottle down with a loud thunk, then wriggled out of her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair. Facing him again, she smoothed a hand over her auburn hair and tucked the stray strands behind her ear.

“You are not gonna believe the week I’ve had,” she said, her hazel eyes flashing as she reached for the bottle. He opened his mouth to respond, but she continued, not missing a beat. “My boss is driving me crazy.”

“I figured as much,” he said, sensing a rant in his future. “What’s he done now?”

Kelly rolled her eyes and took a sip. “What hasn’t he done is the better question. Remember that project I was telling you about?”

He closed his eyes and tried to recall the conversation. “Vaguely,” he said slowly as the details came back to him. “But I didn’t really understand what you were saying. You got a little jargon-y on me there, and you know I didn’t take any biology in college.”

She grinned at him, amused as always by his lack of scientific knowledge. “Yeah, sorry about that. Anyway, I’m not getting the results he expected, so he pulled me into his office today and reamed me out. Said I was a bad scientist, and if I couldn’t do the job he paid me to do, he’d find someone else.”