What lies beneath
Mitch Delacroix is everything Beth McClelland likes in a man. Smart, good-looking and so very safe. Sheâs this close to making her intentions known.
Then Mitch is accused of murdering his best friend years ago. Suddenly his rebel pastâincluding the criminal recordâis revealed to everyone.
But something doesnât fitâthe Mitch she knows couldnât possibly kill anyone. Sheâs determined to find the truth. As a forensics expert, sheâs used to uncovering peopleâs secrets. Yet she never expected Mitch could be hiding so many. Despite rising doubts, sheâll help clear his name. Even if what she discovers could threaten their relationshipâ¦and their lives.
âHe said no?â Raleigh guessed correctly.
âHe said he was busy.â Beth slumped onto a sofa, swallowing back the tears that threatened. So Mitch had turned her down. Big deal. Beth had been concerned that an office romance might affect their working relationship, anyway.
âHe didnât issue a counteroffer?â Raleigh sounded genuinely perplexed.
âMaybe he would have.â Beth knew she was grasping at straws. âHe never got the chance. His half brother was there, asking a lot of questions about something that happened years ago when Mitch lived inâ I can hardly say it. Cootâs Bayou. Did you know he was from a place called Cootâs Bayou?â
âSeems I heard about it at some point.â
âDid you know he stole a car?â
âHe was a teenager at the time. The charges were dropped.â
âSo you did know. You encouraged me to hook up with a criminal, when you knowââ
âHeâs not a criminal. Heâs a good person, Beth.â
âMaybe.â Deep down, Beth felt that Mitch was goodânot that she could trust her own instincts where men were concerned. âBut now heâs being accused of murder.â
Dear Reader,
When I introduced the character of Mitch Delacroix in an earlier book, all I really knew about him was that he was a charming Cajun and an expert computer hacker. But once I started to research the setting for this bookâthe bayous of Southern Louisianaâhe came to life in a sudden burst of inspiration. His wild past and the reasons for his youthful rebellion, his current, secret life as a mixed martial arts cage fighter, his relationship with his half brotherâit all came to me in a clump. The man was just there, fully formed, smiling that wicked-charming half smile, and all I had to do was take dictation from him.
Mitchâs story, though, wasnât always easy to write. For one thing, I didnât know beans about cage fighting. Bless my supportive husband, he bought tickets to a live mixed martial arts event so I could see for myself what itâs like. I blew my holiday gift cards on MMA magazines and spent hours watching YouTube video lessons on jujitsu and Muay Tai fighting techniques. Then I had my husbandâa second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Doâread my fight scenes to be sure they rang true.
I hope you enjoy the wild ride that Mitch took me on, and that youâll cheer on Beth, his sweet heroine, as she tries to find common ground with a man who turns out to be very different from the computer nerd she thought she wanted.
Sincerely,
Kara Lennox
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kara Lennox has earned her living at various times as an art director, typesetter, textbook editor and reporter. Sheâs worked in a boutique, a health club and an ad agency. Sheâs been an antiques dealer, an artist and even a blackjack dealer. But no work has ever made her happier than writing romance novels. To date, she has written more than sixty books. Kara is a recent transplant to Southern California. When not writing, she indulges in an ever-changing array of hobbies. Her latest passions are bird-watching, long-distance bicycling, vintage jewelry and, by necessity, do-it-yourself home renovation. She loves to hear from readers. You can find her at www.karalennox.com.
Books by Kara Lennox
HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE
1689âTAKEN TO THE EDGEâ¡
1695âNOTHING BUT THE TRUTHâ¡ 1701âA SCORE TO SETTLEâ¡
HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
974âFORTUNEâS TWINS
990âTHE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR 1052âTHE FORGOTTEN COWBOY 1068âHOMETOWN HONEY* 1081âDOWNTOWN DEBUTANTE* 1093âOUT OF TOWN BRIDE* 1146âTHE FAMILY RESCUE** 1150âHER PERFECT HERO** 1154âAN HONORABLE MAN** 1180âONE STUBBORN TEXAN 1195âGOOD HUSBAND MATERIAL 1216âRELUCTANT PARTNERSâ 1240âTHE PREGNANCY SURPRISEâ 1256âTHE GOOD FATHERâ
â¡Project Justice
*Blond Justice **Firehouse 59 â Second Sons
Other titles by this author available in ebook format.
CHAPTER ONE
âASKHIMNOW.â
Beth McClelland shrank back into the hallway, her mind screaming Chicken! âHe looks busy.â
âHeâs probably just surfing the web. Computer geeks can always look busy.â Raleigh Shinn, Bethâs best friend, stood behind her with a hand on her shoulder, ready to push if necessary.