Sylvie Kurtz - Blackmailed Bride

He needed her.

He couldn’t have her.

Not now.

Not ever.

A faint whimper escaped her in her sleep. Cathlynn’s eyelids fluttered with the mad movements of a dreamer dreaming. Dark shadows of distress slipped across her innocent face. Fear spread her breaths raggedly through her parted lips.

Fear. Yes, she had a right to fear him, Jonas thought, watching her sleep. He’d do her no good. Having Cathlynn pretend to be his wife so he could acquire the trust fund was the most important thing in his life now. He needed the money to continue his work, to save his life and his brother’s. He would sacrifice anything to find the cure.

His dreams were grounded in reality, in his vision for a brighter future for all, not in fantasy. He had to remember that. In two weeks, Cathlynn would be gone, and everything could go back as it was.

Anger rose. A disturbing anger that shook him to the core. Damn Cathlynn and her irresistible appeal!

Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

Sunscreen, a poolside lounge—and Harlequin Intrigue: the perfect recipe for great summer escapes!

This month’s sizzling selection begins with The Stranger Next Door (#573) by Joanna Wayne, the second in her RANDOLPH FAMILY TIES miniseries. Langley Randolph is the kind of Texan who can’t resist a woman in trouble. Can he help unlock a beautiful stranger’s memories…before a killer catches up with her first?

Little Penny Drake is an Innocent Witness (#574) to a murder in this suspenseful yet tender story by Leona Karr. The child’s desperate mother, Deanna, seeks the help of Dr. Steve Sherman. Can Steve unlock her daughter’s secrets…and Deanna’s heart?

Dr. Jonas Shades needs a woman to play his wife. Cathlynn O’Connell is the perfect candidate, but with time running out, he has no choice but to blackmail his bride. Each minute in Jonas’s presence brings Cathlynn closer to understanding her enigmatic “husband” and closer to danger! Don’t miss Blackmailed Bride (#575) by Sylvie Kurtz.

Bestselling Harlequin American Romance author Tina Leonard joins Harlequin Intrigue with a story of spine-tingling suspense and dramatic romance. She’s created the small town of Crookseye Canyon, Texas, as the backdrop for A Man of Honor (#576). Cord Greer must marry his brother’s woman to keep her and her unborn baby safe. But is it fear that drives Tessa Draper into Cord’s arms, or is it something more than Cord had hoped for?

Indulge yourself and find out this summer—and all year long!

Sincerely,

Denise O’Sullivan

Associate Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue

Blackmailed Bride

Sylvie Kurtz

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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 computer 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, in addition to quilt making, photography and reading whatever catches her interest.

You can write to Sylvie at P.O. Box 702, Milford, NH 03055.

HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE

527—ONE TEXAS NIGHT

575—BLACKMAILED BRIDE

Dr. Jonas Shades—With time running out, he had to convince a beautiful stranger to play his wife for two weeks. Yet how far would his “marriage” go once she was by his side…?

Cathlynn O’Connell—She was playing the role of a lifetime. What price was she willing to pay to get what she wanted?

Alana Chandler Shades—The faithless socialite was missing. Was it by choice? Or was it murder?

Sterling Ryder—Did the family lawyer and trust fund’s trustee have a motive of his own to see Alana dead?

Geoffrey Chandler—Alana’s cousin. Greed was always a good motive for murder.

David Forester—Jonas’s trusted assistant knew everything that went on between the thick monastery walls.

Meara O’Connell—Would Cathlynn’s grandmother appreciate the sacrifice her granddaughter made for her sake?

Lorraine Forester—The local seamstress was happy to oblige Jonas’s every request.

Bertha Lane—There was no love lost between David’s grandmother and the mistress of the monastery.

Scott MacPhearson—The private eye was a bulldog when it came to tracking down a clue. Jonas had paid his salary, but no man could buy the truth from him.

To my grandmothers—for the fond memories.

Prologue CAST OF CHARACTERS Dr. Jonas Shades—With time running out, he had to convince a beautiful stranger to play his wife for two weeks. Yet how far would his “marriage” go once she was by his side…? Cathlynn O’Connell—She was playing the role of a lifetime. What price was she willing to pay to get what she wanted? Alana Chandler Shades—The faithless socialite was missing. Was it by choice? Or was it murder? Sterling Ryder—Did the family lawyer and trust fund’s trustee have a motive of his own to see Alana dead? Geoffrey Chandler—Alana’s cousin. Greed was always a good motive for murder. David Forester—Jonas’s trusted assistant knew everything that went on between the thick monastery walls. Meara O’Connell—Would Cathlynn’s grandmother appreciate the sacrifice her granddaughter made for her sake? Lorraine Forester—The local seamstress was happy to oblige Jonas’s every request. Bertha Lane—There was no love lost between David’s grandmother and the mistress of the monastery. Scott MacPhearson—The private eye was a bulldog when it came to tracking down a clue. Jonas had paid his salary, but no man could buy the truth from him.

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

Epilogue

A paper-thin moon hung in the ink-blue sky, mutating grotesque shadows behind the three crosses in the courtyard of the Ste-Croix monastery in rural New Hampshire. But Alana Chandler Shades didn’t care. The creepy place with its eerie shadows and haunting chantlike winds had ceased to frighten her a long time ago.

Now, it merely bored her.

At thirty, she’d wasted almost half her life in this godforsaken place. As she hurried over the courtyard’s cobblestones, she smiled, ignoring the ominous whispers of fall leaves from the nearby woods. Soon she’d be free. She threw her head back and laughed, defying the morbid sounds of night. She’d waited a long time for this freedom—a freedom she’d earned with her filial duty; a freedom which would now be greatly enhanced by her coming inheritance. She’d have plenty of time to make up for all the deprivation she’d endured over the last thirteen years.

As she opened the garage door, it creaked. For now, she’d settle for the simple pleasures of the flesh. Her latest conquest was strong and virile, and Alana licked her lips in anticipation of the feral passion they’d share. She hopped into her red Miata and roared into the bleak night.

Too bad that husband of hers had found the papers and ruined his Christmas surprise. He’d been amiable enough about the whole situation, with her conditions. But with him, who knew?