Stolen Memory

Stolen Memory
Virginia Kantra

He was as impressive in person as he was to read about in the papers. Simon Ford exuded his trademark power and intelligence…despite having amnesia. For small-town police officer Laura Baker, there were countless reasons to find Simon's attacker, but one that landed her off the case: Her father was the prime suspect.But Simon wanted her help, and Laura suspected that Simon always got what he wanted. Despite herself, she agreed to keep his memory loss a secret and to fake intimacy to explain her closeness and her questions. Yet when the line between ruse and reality became blurred, Laura knew she'd let in danger of a different kind….

She could be mistaking sex for love.

That would be female. Foolish. Like her. She had known Simon for less than two weeks. Maybe she was letting loss and loneliness and incredible sex blind her not only to what she had to do but to what she really felt.

But she didn’t think so.

She hadn’t just fallen for a hunky Mensa millionaire. Okay, the incredible body and amazing mind were a definite plus. But she liked his integrity, his perception, his calm competence and cool humor. She admired the way he took care of others who only wanted to take from him.

No way was she joining their ranks.

She’d come back to the island with Simon tonight because he wasn’t safe alone. But her focus had to be on this case. Her self-respect depended on it.

And so could his life.

Stolen Memory

Virginia Kantra

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

VIRGINIA KANTRA

credits her enthusiasm for strong heroes and courageous heroines to a childhood spent devouring fairy tales. A four-time Romance Writers of America RITA

Award finalist, she has won numerous writing awards, including two National Readers’ Choice Awards.

Virginia is married to her college sweetheart, a musician disguised as the owner of a coffeehouse. They make their home in North Carolina with three teenagers, two cats, a dog and various blue-tailed lizards that live under the siding of their house. Her favorite thing to make for dinner? Reservations.

She loves to hear from readers. You can reach her at VirginiaKantra@aol.com or c/o Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY, 10279.

Special thanks to Lt. A. J. Carter, Criminal Investigation, Durham Police Department; to Pam Baustian and Melissa McClone; and, always, to Michael.

Contents

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 1

No man is an island.

But reclusive inventor Simon Ford could afford to buy one. He’d built his modern-day castle on a limestone cliff in the middle of a lake, two miles off-shore from the town of Eden, Illinois.

Detective Laura Baker didn’t want to be impressed by Ford’s mansion or his money. Which was too bad, because from the inside his multimillion-dollar house was even more imposing than it had looked from the water. She followed Ford’s squat, muscled butler—who had a butler anymore? Besides maybe Batman—across the polished stone floor. Soaring wood, jutting stone and wide panes of glass framed the views and let in the light.

Jeez. Her entire apartment would fit inside Ford’s foyer.

Laura resisted the urge to wipe her hands on her uniform pants and stuffed them in her pockets instead. This could be considered a crime scene. She wasn’t about to contaminate it by touching anything. Besides, the butler guy was watching her like he expected her to make a grab for the family silver or something.

He lumbered in front of her to a broad, shallow staircase that spilled down to a room lined with windows and furnished in natural woods and neutrals. A massive fireplace split the view. The only spot of color in the room, a violent collision of oranges, purples and reds over the mantel, seemed jarringly out of place.

Silhouetted against the sparkling lake was a big, dark, solitary figure. Ford?

Something about him—the powerful line of his back, maybe, or the rigid set of his shoulders—brought Laura to attention. Beneath her heavy Kevlar vest, her heart beat faster.

Stupid. She was not impressed, she reminded herself. She would not be intimidated. She touched her elbow to the gun at her waist for reassurance.

Her guide stopped at the top of the stairs and scowled. “The police are here.”

“Thank you, Quinn.” The tall figure didn’t turn around. “I’ll call you when we’re done.”

Quinn shot Laura a resentful look. She returned it blandly. As the only female on Eden’s small police force, she was used to men who considered her presence an invasion of their turf.

“Right,” Quinn said, and stomped away.