A Stranger She Can Trust

In USA TODAY bestselling author Regan Black’s new Escape Club Heroes thriller, a guarded man builds a future with a woman without a past...

Outside of one of Philadelphia’s busiest nightclubs, a woman stumbles from her taxi. Beaten and bruised, Melissa Baxter is an amnesiac with a target on her back. Gun-shy, Melissa relies on a handsome hero to help her uncover who she really is.

Carson Lane—a paramedic with his own dark history—can’t help but bring this beautiful, vulnerable woman under his wing. Still reeling from his partner’s murder, he’s no stranger to risk. But as he and Melissa begin unraveling the mystery of who she really is, Carson realizes falling in love could be the biggest risk of all.

“You’re not making this easy.” Lissa’s gaze flitted everywhere but wouldn’t alight on him.

“I’m not trying to,” Carson said. “If you want to stay at a hotel, we’ll stay at a hotel. I think staying here is more convenient and comfortable. Either way, the last few days are proof enough that trouble is likely to catch up wherever we go.”

“And the kiss?”

She was killing him. “House or hotel, I’ll kiss you whenever you ask me to.” He gave in and reached for her, sweeping the heavy fall of her hair back from her eyes. “You’ve had a tough day on top of a series of tough days. Let’s take this inside.”

“Kiss me.” She scooted across the bench seat, crowding his side of the cab. “Please.”

* * *

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

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

* * *

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Dear Reader,

Welcome back to the Escape Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! It’s a riverside hot spot for music lovers, as well as safe haven for people with problems that slip through the cracks of typical law-enforcement channels.

Carson is a paramedic who could have been an excellent doctor. Instead, he chose life on the front lines as a first responder. When an injured woman stumbles out of a cab and into his arms while he’s working at the club, what else would he do but help?

Writing this story had me wondering, how is it we know who to trust in those moments when we’re at our weakest? Even suffering amnesia, Melissa senses she can trust Carson. At that weak point, with no other reference, she follows the only thing she has left—her intuition.

I think we’ve all experienced that moment when a close friend or a licensed professional swoops in and saves us from ourselves in a crisis. Whether it’s a soothing voice, a uniform or swift, competent guidance, something assures us deep inside that we can let go and accept the offered help.

Carson and Melissa have an uphill battle between her memory loss and his self-doubt, but watching them grow and believe in each other was a wonderful journey for me—as I hope it will be for you.

Live the adventure,

Regan Black

A Stranger She Can Trust

Regan Black

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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 Lowcountry, where the rich blend of legend, romance and history fuels her imagination.

For my editor, Patience. Those of us who love

Mondays must stick together.

And for the paramedics and first responders who

make a positive difference in their communities every day.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

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

Copyright

Chapter 1

Carson Lane hesitated in the hallway, the rack of clean pint glasses growing heavy in his arms. Only a few strides separated him from the sea of humanity singing along and cheering the band blasting from the Escape Club stage. This persistent slip and slide of nerves through his gut was ridiculous. Not one person out there would notice him. The longer he stalled, the more attention he’d gain from the bartenders who needed the glassware.

His knee ached, and the muscles in his thigh burned as he struggled with the extra burden. He’d worked a full first shift today, substituting on a Philadelphia Fire Department ambulance, and though his body begged for a break, his mind wasn’t ready to rest. For more than eight months, only exhaustion brought him any peace. His current choices were clear: walk into the heart of the club or walk out and keep going. He had to choose, to do something, or he’d drop the glasses and have a bigger mess to clean up along with the unwelcome questions about his fitness.

Pivoting, he pushed through the swinging door with his shoulder and back. The path memorized, he averted his gaze from the faces in the crowd. People were oblivious to the risks and pain that could be the end of any one of them at any given moment. Official “managed” risks and protocols hadn’t kept his best friend and partner on the ambulance rig alive when they’d answered the call that would be her last.