Her Texas Ranger Hero

TEXAN WITH A CAUSE

Teaming up with a civilian to bring down a trafficking ring isn’t Luckey Davis’s usual style. But after Allyson Duncan decodes a cryptic message that gives him his first lead, Luckey realizes Ally is indispensable to his case. The Lone Star lawman also realizes he’s in danger of falling for the beautiful professor.

Ally can’t believe a legendary Texas Ranger needs her expertise. And as her own feelings for Luckey deepen, is she ready to commit to an uncertain and perilous future? Or has this deep-in-the-heart-of-Texas woman found her safe harbor with the honorable man she dreams of calling her own?

He stepped away and walked toward her with purpose in every step.

She could hardly breathe as he opened the door and pulled her into his arms. They closed around her body, not allowing her feet to touch the ground.

“I thought you’d never get here,” he whispered into her hair. “If I don’t kiss you right here and now, I’m not going to make it.”

“I want you to kiss me,” she confessed, inching her lips over his smooth, shaven jaw to the compelling mouth she’d longed to taste. Ally wanted him in such an elemental way, there was no thought of her holding back. His hunger matched hers as their mouths met in a fiery explosion of need she had no way of controlling.

Ally hadn’t known a man’s embrace for several years, but nothing had prepared her for the kiss of her Texas Ranger except in her dreams. But this was no dream, and Luckey was taking her to a place she’d never been before.

Dear Reader,

I’ve always had a love for languages. At my school, a priest from the cathedral came to my junior high to teach us Latin. I LOVED Latin. It helped me understand English in a wonderful way and taught me how to speak correctly. I can still remember the nominative, genitive, accusative, dative and ablative cases that told me whether to say I or me, or he or him. Marvelous!

Then I traveled to Switzerland and learned to speak French. What a joy! My Latin helped me make sense of the diplomatic language of the world. I took Spanish and always wanted to study Italian. My sister lived in Perugia, Italy, and speaks beautiful Italian. My daughter studied in Siena, Italy, and her Italian is wonderful. I’ve been very envious of both of them.

Last year I found out about an old secret language learned by a few elite women in China. I won’t tell you any more than that. You’ll have to read Her Texas Ranger Hero to know why it fascinated me so much. I knew I had to write a novel where that language featured heavily in the plot and brought the hero and heroine together.

Enjoy!

Her Texas

Ranger Hero

Rebecca Winters

www.millsandboon.co.uk

REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favorite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels, because writing is her passion, along with her family and church.

Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website, cleanromances.com.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

“Yoo-hoo—I’m back! Does anyone care?”

Ally’s mother beat her to the front door of the ranch house, where her father had just walked in. His black hair with its streaks of silver made him distinguished looking. He put his briefcase on the floor and the three of them hugged.

“I decided to fly all night from Washington, DC, so I could surprise you. You’re both a glorious sight!” After kissing her mom, he turned to kiss Ally’s cheek.

“I’m so glad you’re home.” She kissed him back. “I was just about to leave for work, but I’ll be home later and we’ll celebrate.”

“Wait—I have a present for you.” He reached down and opened the case to pull out a letter. “I believe you’ve been waiting for this. It came in my diplomatic pouch yesterday.”

“Soo-Lin!”

“Who else?”

“I haven’t had a letter from her in two months!” Soo-Lin was one of Ally’s best friends. She couldn’t wait to hear all her news. Since Ally’s family had returned from China last summer, she’d hungered for Soo-Lin’s periodic letters. “I’ll take this with me.” She hugged them both again. “I’ll be back soon to help you, Mom.”

“All right, darling.”

Ally knew her parents would appreciate some quiet time together, and flew out the door to her car. She wanted to open the letter right away, but would have to put off reading it until she reached her office.

Twenty minutes later she pulled into the faculty parking lot of the University of Texas at Austin campus. “Hi, Nedra,” she said to the receptionist as she hurried in. “Have any students been by asking for me?”