Another Woman's Baby
Travel with Joanna Wayne deep into the American South as she unlocks HIDDEN PASSIONSHOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS…WITH A TALL, DARK, SEXY STRANGERSurrogate mother Megan Lancaster had been prepared for what pregnancy would bring–only, an FBI hunk stringing lights on her Christmas tree wasn't one of those things! But her life was in danger, and agent Bart Cromwell, masquerading as her adoring lover, would protect her and her baby.Her baby.The child she carried no longer had parents…unless Megan and the sexy stranger who kept kissing her under the mistletoe were willing to put their hearts on the line and welcome the newborn as a family…for Christmas and forever.
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“Why would you risk your life to face a killer for me?”
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but it’s only fair I tell you. I’m crazy about you, Megan. I tried to deny it, tried to pretend the feelings weren’t there, but they only grew stronger. Then last night when we kissed under the mistletoe, I had to face it. And unless I’m reading the signals wrong, you feel something for me.”
She felt a lot more than something, but she’d been determined to blame it on her pregnancy-induced hormonal imbalance. “Has this ever happened before?” she asked.
“You’re the very first. And for the record, it’s against every rule in the book to get hooked on the woman you’re required to protect.”
Dear Reader,
This holiday season, deck the halls with some of the most exciting names in romantic suspense: Anne Stuart and Gayle Wilson. These two award-winning authors have returned together to Harlequin Intrigue to reprise their much loved miniseries—CATSPAW and MEN OF MYSTERY—in a special 2-in-1 collection. Night and Day is a guaranteed keeper and the best stocking stuffer around!
Find out what happens when a single-dad secret agent has to protect a beautiful scientist as our MONTANA CONFIDENTIAL series continues with Licensed To Marry by Charlotte Douglas.
The stork is coming down the chimney this year, as Joanna Wayne begins a brand-new series of books set in the sultry South. Look for Another Woman’s Baby this month and more HIDDEN PASSIONS books to come in the near future.
Also available from Harlequin Intrigue is the second title in Susan Kearney’s HIDE AND SEEK trilogy. The search goes on in Hidden Hearts.
Happy holidays from all of us at Harlequin Intrigue.
Sincerely,
Denise O’Sullivan
Associate Senior Editor
Harlequin Intrigue
P.S.—Next month you can find another special holiday title—A Woman with a Mystery by B.J. Daniels
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joanna Wayne lives with her husband just a few miles from steamy, exciting New Orleans. When not creating tales of spine-tingling suspense and heartwarming romance, she enjoys reading, golfing or playing with her grandchildren, and, of course, researching and plotting out her next novel.
Joanna loves to hear from readers. You can request a newsletter by writing her at P.O. Box 2851, Harvey, LA 70059-2851, or e-mail her at [email protected].
Books by Joanna Wayne
HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE
288—DEEP IN THE BAYOU
339—BEHIND THE MASK
389—EXTREME HEAT
444—FAMILY TIES*
471—JODIE’S LITTLE SECRETS
495—ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
505—LONE STAR LAWMAN
537—MEMORIES AT MIDNIGHT
569—THE SECOND SON*
573—THE STRANGER NEXT DOOR*
577—A MOTHER’S SECRETS*
593—THE OUTSIDER’S REDEMPTION
621—UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER
639—ANOTHER WOMAN’S BABY†
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Megan Lancaster— A surrogate mother who wants only to keep the unborn baby safe.
Bart Cromwell— A stranger in the town of Orange Beach, but does he have a hidden agenda?
Ben and Jackie Brewster— Biological parents of the baby.
Marilyn Lancaster— Megan’s mother, a woman with secrets of her own.
Joshua Caraway— An escaped convict who’s promised revenge.
John Hardison— Megan’s co-worker and past lover, a man who may have more than one reason for seeing that Megan gives the baby up for adoption.
Mark Cox— A handyman who may have seen more than he’s telling.
Fenelda Shelby— Megan’s housekeeper. In and out of dozens of houses, she’s seen a lot and knows more than she should.
Leroy Shelby— He’s trying to overcome a drug problem, but his mother fears he’s losing the battle.
Roger Collier— A local cop and an old friend from high school who seems very glad that Megan is back in town.
Sandra Birney— A longtime friend of Megan’s mother, but does she hold a key to more than Pelican’s Roost?
Penny Drummonds— Megan’s friend and a lifelong resident of Orange Beach.
To everyone who loves to feel the warm sand between their toes, to build a sand castle at the water’s edge or just to curl up with a good book with the rhythmic melody of the surf for background.
And to Wayne always.
Contents
Chapter One
December 4
Megan Lancaster turned onto the beach road the way she’d done hundreds of times before. Light gray clouds and patches of sunlight merged with the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Swirling, heaving waves washed over white sand. Dozens of seagulls lined the bank. A light breeze danced through clusters of willowy sea oats.
Everything was the same as it had been so many times before when she’d escaped to the rambling beach house. Yet everything was different.
She shifted, trying to find a way to get comfortable behind the steering wheel of her new black sedan. It was useless, even though she’d splurged for the luxury model this time. Her bulging stomach prevented any kind of free movement and now she needed to go to the bathroom—again.
