Secret Service Rescue

The Adair legacy concludes with a shocking revelation…

Kidnapped and held captive for weeks, Shelby O’Hara is grateful to be rescued by handsome Secret Service agent Daniel Henderson. But the rebellious beauty balks at his 24/7 protection until she learns the shocking secret of why she was abducted: she’s the granddaughter of the former U.S. vice president, a woman with lethal opponents in a deadly political game.

To elude those enemies, Daniel and Shelby go on the run, although they are constantly at each other’s throats…until the fighting stops with a torrid kiss. Suddenly, Shelby doesn’t feel so safe. From the bad guys, maybe, but from Daniel? He’s a clear and present danger to her heart!

Shelby’s second mistake.

In the fading light, she stared into his smoldering green eyes and lost herself all over again. She leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

He cupped the back of her head and sealed the kiss with one of his own, his mouth consuming her.

When at last he lifted his head, he dragged in a deep breath and stepped through the door. “Get your things,” he said, his voice stern. “We’re going back to Raleigh.”

She’d been ready to do just that, but having him come back at her like what they’d shared hadn’t happened was a slap in the face.

“What just happened here?” she demanded.

His gaze met hers briefly and he looked away. “Nothing.”

“Are you telling me that kiss meant nothing?”

He faced her, and for a long moment he stared down at her, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Really, Miss O’Hara, I’m just doing my job.”

Dear Reader,

I always find it a wonderful challenge to work with a great group of authors and editors to bring a series of books to life. I feel honored that I was asked to be a part of this series and to be tasked with wrapping it up. And what better setting than that of North Carolina? It’s full of history, beauty and charming people.

As a young lieutenant and captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, I had the pleasure of visiting North Carolina a couple times to train at Fort Bragg. We always managed to make a trip out to the coast on the weekend to enjoy the beach and sunshine. North Carolina has a variety of terrain, all of it lush, green and beautiful. I’ve rafted in the mountain rivers, played in the surf and sand, and enjoyed the scenery along the way.

Part of my research led me to Greensboro, North Carolina, and the Writers’ Police Academy, where a fantastic cadre of men and women gave us a brief glimpse into the lives and work of our police officers, FBI agents, forensic scientists, firemen, bomb squads and first responders. We are truly blessed to have them, with their skills, knowledge and courage, working for us to keep us safe.

Please take the time to thank our heroes for all they do.

Happy reading!

Elle James

Secret Service Rescue

Elle James

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ELLE JAMES

A Golden Heart Award winner for Best Paranormal Romance in 2004, Elle James started writing when her sister issued a Y2K challenge to write a romance novel. She has managed a full-time job and raised three wonderful children, and she and her husband even tried their hands at ranching exotic birds (ostriches, emus and rheas) in the Texas Hill Country. Ask her, and she’ll tell you what it’s like to go toe-to-toe with an angry 350-pound bird! After leaving her successful career in information technology management, Elle is now pursuing her writing full-time. Elle loves to hear from fans. You can contact her at [email protected], or visit her website, at www.ellejames.com.

This book is dedicated to my husband, who made the trip out to the Outer Banks and captured the essence of the area for me to include in this story, while I attended Writers’ Police Academy. Gotta love a man who sacrifices his time to visit the beach for my research!

Contents

Dear Reader

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

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Extract

Chapter 1

Daniel Henderson stood with his hand on the butt of the HK40 pistol resting in the shoulder holster beneath his suit jacket, his gaze locked on the man standing in the middle of the room.

“I repeat, your granddaughter has been missing for two weeks,” Patrick O’Hara insisted, worry lines etched deep into his weathered face. “I’ve pursued all other options. I’ve filed a missing persons report, but the police have no leads. I’m at my wit’s end. That’s why I came to you.”

“What do you mean, I have a granddaughter?” Former vice president Kate Winston stood straight, her shoulders squared, her lips tight. The only indication that the man in front of her had disturbed her normal calm was how pale her face had become. She glanced around the room at her three sons, Trey, Thaddeus and Samuel. “Is there something you three haven’t told me?”

The three men shook their heads as one.

O’Hara, who’d made the shocking statement, shook his head. “Not the child of one of your sons, the child of your daughter. Our daughter.”