Hero For Hire

A baby left on a doorstep, an heiress presumed dead…and murder? Check out this classic thrilling romance by New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis!

Brazilian heiress Terry Monteverde was supposedly killed in a tragic accident. But how could a dead woman give birth to a baby? Bounty hunter Rick Singleton goes underground in Rio to find out. His only lead is Terry’s sister, Nina Monteverde. She’s sweet, shy—and not telling what she knows. Rick’s a dangerous man to cross, but Nina’s not afraid—Rick is. He’s defenseless against her innocent charm. And that scares the hell out of him.

A contemporary romance.

Previously published.

The man stared at her, his gaze measuring. “It’s close....” Once again he studied the picture, then carefully searched her face. “Really close. But no cigar. What do you know about this woman? What did you call her...Terry? Where can I find her?”

Nina nearly let out a laugh, but it would have been half-hysterical, so she put her hand to her mouth and shook her head.

“I need to talk to her.”

“You...can’t,” she said, wishing for something to rescue her from this nightmare.

“Why not?”

“She died last September.”

His frown deepened. “Try again, lady.”

Nina shook off the fear and found her temper. “I don’t know who you are, but there is a guard right inside, and—”

“Don’t call him. I just want some answers. I need to talk to her.”

“No.” Terry was dead.

And she needed to remain so.

Everything depended on her remaining so.

JILL SHALVIS has been making up stories since she could hold a pencil. Now, thankfully, she gets to do it for a living, and doesn’t plan to ever stop. Jill is a bestselling, award-winning author of over two dozen novels who has hit the Waldenbooks bestsellers lists, is a 2000 RITA® Award nominee and a two-time National Readers’ Choice Award winner. Jill’s first single title, The Street Where She Lives, appeared last October and she is hard at work on a new one.

Hero for Hire

Jill Shalvis

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

I’ve written over two dozen novels, and this one, Hero for Hire, was my favorite. Okay, so I say that about every book I finish.

Nina Monteverde has a few secrets, one of which is that she’s never trusted a soul to see the real Nina. Rick Singleton hates secrets. He’s a dangerous, edgy, brooding bounty hunter still paying for the one fatal mistake that changed his life. When they are forced by circumstances to work together, sparks fly.

So does a very unwelcome heat between them, a heat that deepens quickly both in sultry Rio de Janeiro and the untamed Amazon jungle, becoming the most terrifying thing of all: love.

I love to hear from redaers. You can write me at P.O. Box 3945, Truckee, CA 96160-3945. For a complete list of my books, please visit www.jillshalvis.com.

Thanks, and happy reading!

Jill Shalvis

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Title Page

Dear Reader

PROLOGUE

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

Extract

Copyright

FRUSTRATION BOILED UP inside, crawling, screaming to be let out.

What to do?

It should be so simple. There were only three things worth having in life—wealth, power and physical beauty.

Yet none had been obtained, which fried the blood. Others had gotten what they wanted. Others like Terry Monteverde.... Now there was a woman who’d had it all and hadn’t even noticed. She’d lived her wild, wanton life without a single care.

Shameless.

She’d been punished for that, and that punishment had been quite satisfactory.

Only that satisfaction hadn’t lasted long, not when the family reputation and success lived on through Terry’s younger sister.

Nina Monteverde. Sweet and lovely. Beloved by all.

Just thinking about it had the bitterness and fury burning inside all over again. The Monteverdes had everything, everything worth coveting.

Yet they were untouchable.

If only Terry was still alive to pay for her sins once again.

Since she wasn’t, Nina would have to do.

MAN, THE HEAT was brutal. But then again, the weather in Rio de Janeiro was known for being brutal, even in the winter month of July.

Winter being relative of course, especially in the tropics.

Though the air came off the ocean and should have been cool, it wasn’t; but after four years in Brazil, Rick Singleton considered himself a Carioca—a native—and hardly felt a thing.

In truth, he hardly felt anything anymore, and that was how he liked it. He’d definitely come to fit into the South American way of life, where everything was casual, come-what-may, and absolutely pleasure-based.

Not many would consider their job pleasure-based, but Rick did. As a bounty hunter, he lived for the thrill of the chase—not to mention the money he got paid for finding his man.

Or in this case, woman.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the hazy Polaroid of a couple taken two Carnivals back. The woman with her feathery mask had eyes only for the man holding her close. They looked excited, anticipatory, and given the man’s hot gaze, they were headed for a night of passion.