Killer Exposure

Toxic chemicals and instant chemistry in this tale of murder, medicine and combustible attraction!

One minute Hannah Baker is a quiet science professor. The next, a possible murder suspect. Six victims, one per week, all poisoned with the same exotic chemical Hannah once worked with. Now she’s wanted by Houston detective Owen Randall—but is it to enlist her help, or arrest her? Owen knows the prim Hannah is hiding something, but he isn’t sure she’s a killer. Especially after some unfortunate incidents. Is she the next victim of the chemical killer? Torn between duty and his growing feelings, Owen only knows he has less than a week to save her…

Some things didn’t add up.

Hannah was smart, and in her industry, she’d been an expert on nitrogen mustard compound. So why had she walked away from such a high-paying job? First, he had other questions.

“If someone got these chemicals,” he asked, “how much would it take to kill a person?”

“Not much. They’re highly toxic.”

As she explained, Owen observed her. Her hands moved as she spoke, every so often going to her neck, as if she was nervous. And who wore a turtleneck in mid-80s heat? What was she hiding?

Owen tried to glimpse the skin underneath. A woman’s neck was his favorite thing—that sensitive spot under the ear. He imagined his tongue tracing her skin. He could practically hear her breathless moans.

“Owen?”

He snapped out of his reverie and forced himself to tear his gaze away.

It was too many hours on this case, too many cups of coffee, too little sleep. Throw in a beautiful woman and his brain went haywire, concocting a fantasy. A fantasy he had no business enjoying. Not when there were bodies piling up.

* * *

If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of

Mills & Boon Romantic Suspense! #millsandboonromsuspense

Dear Reader,

One of my favorite things about being a writer is that I get to take a normal, everyday situation and let my imagination run wild. In this book, my heroine, Hannah, is a chemistry professor who used to work at a pharmaceutical company. I happen to be a biology professor who used to work at a pharmaceutical company, but I can tell you the similarities stop there. While my jobs were routine, even mundane at times, Hannah finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime when she steps up to help a police investigation. And while I had a blast writing her story, I’m glad I never lived through these experiences myself!

Writing and reading are such a fun way to escape, to explore wild and even dangerous situations without actually having to deal with them in real life. It’s one of the reasons I love romantic suspense, and I imagine it’s the same for you, too!

So sit back, get comfy and let Owen and Hannah take you on an exciting journey! As always, thanks for reading!

Lara Lacombe

Killer Exposure

Lara Lacombe

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LARA LACOMBE

I earned my PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. My day job as a college science professor gives me time to pursue my other love—writing fast-paced romantic suspense with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. I love to hear from readers! Find me on the web or contact me at [email protected].

This one is for June.

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

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

“Dr. Baker, is this going to be on the test?”

Hannah sighed quietly, her hand pausing in its journey across the chalkboard. One...two...three...

When she made it to five, she turned to face the class. Twenty-four faces watched her, their expressions running the gamut from drowsy boredom to bright-eyed interest. She was gratified to find that most of the students were awake, but she knew from experience they weren’t all paying attention. The endless distractions of the internet were but a click away, and most kids couldn’t resist the temptation of their phones for the full hour of class.

How times have changed. She felt like a stick-in-the-mud for even thinking it, but when she had been in college, she had come to class prepared, asked questions and paid attention. Now students howled in protest whenever an assignment was given, and spent more time trying to figure out how to get out of studying than they spent in class. It was a fact that amused and exasperated her in equal measures.

“You know I’m not going to answer that,” she replied, smiling a little to soften the blow. “Like I told you on the first day of class, if I’m talking about something, it means I think it’s important. And if I think it’s important, you should, too.”

“There’s just so much material,” another student piped up. “How are we supposed to know what to study?”

Hannah felt her smile grow thin. “Study all of it.”