HERE
FRIDAY
7 PM PST.
AUTHOR OF:
CARMINE VALENTINE
When Marianne Dunaway returns to her hometown on Orcas Island and buys an old mansion, little does she realize that she’s triggered old resentment against the Dunaway name and stirred awake island folklore of stolen jewels. An intruder in the dead of night, and a threatening note at her gate, accusing her of having traitor in her blood, make it clear that someone isn’t joking around. With an ailing grandfather, and a sister who is hiding something from her, she’s getting nowhere in finding answers close to home. Until the handsome stranger, she’d met earlier shows up at her door.
Jack Sanders is trained in hunting bad guys, and he has an offer. He’ll track down the person behind the threats in exchange for room and board. But when she discovers that Jack has a connection to her grandfather’s past, and that the stolen jewels do exist, she begins to question his true purpose for being on the island. Something she should have done before she kissed the man staying under her roof. Sometimes a woman just needs to deal with the consequences another day when the threat that could take it all away is closing in.
Jack Sanders is trained in hunting bad guys, and he has an offer. He’ll track down the person behind the threats in exchange for room and board. But when she discovers that Jack has a connection to her grandfather’s past, and that the stolen jewels do exist, she begins to question his true purpose for being on the island. Something she should have done before she kissed the man staying under her roof. Sometimes a woman just needs to deal with the consequences another day when the threat that could take it all away is closing in.
When Mimi's best friend sets her up with Derek on a blind date, neither of them have a clue what's in store. Charming and handsome, Derek displays just enough stubbornness to fall short of Mimi's ideal man. After one evening on a dangerous, champagne-fueled thrill ride through the shadowy foothills of the Cascade Mountains, she begins to reconsider.
It suddenly became too quiet in the back of the limousine as they drove through the dark night toward the foothills. Derek’s leg was within inches of Mimi’s. The tiny lights built into the limo’s bar, the smooth ride of the luxury vehicle, and Derek’s cologne was making her think of things she shouldn’t be thinking of with a man she barely knew. The ice cubes in his glass clinked together as he took another sip of his cocktail.
“Where do you live?” she asked out of nervousness.
“Where do you live?” he countered.
“I live on Queen Ann Hill, here in Seattle.” This was a fairly safe subject area from her fairly safe place on this seat in a dark car with her back against the door.
“I live in Taos, New Mexico.” Derek set his empty glass in the cabinet.
“So, when you’re through with this current assignment, that’s where you’ll return?” She tried to ignore the sounds of smooching coming from the opposite end of the car where her friend Betsy made out with her date. Derek’s eyes slowly looked in the same direction only to return to her, once again.
“Nope. When I’m through here, I move on to help the Vancouver Vice.”
“Vancouver, Washington has a similar problem?”
“No. Vancouver, Canada does.”
“Really?” Her voice was barely audible. She thought about this for several moments. “How do you know which strip clubs you need to shut down and which have nothing to do with this man you’re after?”
“Inside information, if we get it in time. Otherwise, we’ll just have to send people in to have a look around, make it seem like we’re just customers.”
She found it hard to swallow. “What about the girls, I mean the employees that work there? Will they be arrested as well?”
“Depends.” He was smiling at her. “Going to tell me that I should vote yes on an initiative to help the less fortunate stripper?”
“Depends.” He was smiling at her. “Going to tell me that I should vote yes on an initiative to help the less fortunate stripper?”
Mimi squared her shoulders. “There is nothing illegal about a striptease. These girls pay their taxes and most of them are honest women just trying to make ends meet.” She stopped there; even she’d heard far too much passion in her tone. As apparently did Derek.
His brow wrinkled. “Sounds like you know them personally.”
“I, I know someone that knows someone that has a sister that, that performs on stage. She doesn’t necessarily strip down to her birthday suit. You know, a lot of those girls wear this leotard that makes it look like they’re naked. Sort of like that outfit Ann Margaret in her nightclub act.”
“Really?” Derek drawled. “Sounds interesting.”
“Just something I heard.” She turned to look out the window. The lights of the city had been left behind miles ago as they climbed in elevation and the road wound its way into the mountain pass.
Unbeknownst to them, a dark-colored vehicle followed stealthily behind.
The season of Mistletoe and Christmas Cookies is almost upon us and we are proud to bring you 12 Holiday Romances! Snuggle up by the fire and enjoy this season like never before. From Sweet to Sizzling, From Maui to Washington DC, all our Romances have page turning love stories, plus recipes for Christmas cookies, roasted turkey, appetizers, and more, all from the kitchens of these authors.
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