Licensed To Marry

Licensed To Marry
Charlotte Douglas

By day these agents are cowboys; by night they are specialized government operatives. Men bound by love, loyalty and the law–they've vowed to keep their missions and identities confidential…THE MISSION: UNDERCOVER HUSBANDNo woman had ever looked more beautiful to Kyle Foster than the trembling female he rescued from the wreckage of an explosion. But he never dreamed he'd marry Laura Quinlan just days later! When traces of the bomb led to a security leak inside Laura's top-secret laboratory, a stricken Laura made Kyle a shocking proposal–marry her, and infiltrate the lab to find the traitor. As a Confidential agent and single father, Kyle would do anything to make the world a safer place. But living with Laura could prove a deadly distraction. Kyle's daughter loved her. Kyle's own heart was in jeopardy. And now the enemy knew it…

“You mentioned terms. What did you have in mind?”

Laura lifted her chin and gave Kyle a shy smile. “I need an administrator.”

Kyle shook his head. “Undercover means inconspicuous. If I come in as head honcho, every person at the institute will scrutinize the daylights out of me.”

Laura sank down, shoulders slumped. “It seemed like the solution to both our problems.”

Kyle settled beside her, longing to pull her into his arms and comfort her. He kept his distance. His reassuring hug might turn into something deeper. Wilder. “Just hire me as a simple researcher and let me start right away.”

Laura turned to face him again, her expression calm and resolute. “There’s one way to both get what we want.”

Kyle smiled at her earnestness. “If you’ve thought of a solution, you’re a miracle worker.”

“It will work, all right.” Her solemn eyes sought and held his gaze. “You’ll have to marry me.”

Dear Reader,

This holiday season, deck the halls with some of the most exciting names in romantic suspense: Anne Stuart and Gayle Wilson. These two award-winning authors have returned together to Harlequin Intrigue to reprise their much loved miniseries—CATSPAW and MEN OF MYSTERY—in a special 2-in-1 collection. Night and Day is a guaranteed keeper and the best stocking stuffer around!

Find out what happens when a single-dad secret agent has to protect a beautiful scientist as our MONTANA CONFIDENTIAL series continues with Licensed To Marry by Charlotte Douglas.

The stork is coming down the chimney this year, as Joanna Wayne begins a brand-new series of books set in the sultry South. Look for Another Woman’s Baby this month and more HIDDEN PASSIONS books to come in the near future.

Also available from Harlequin Intrigue is the second title in Susan Kearney’s HIDE AND SEEK trilogy. The search goes on in Hidden Hearts.

Happy holidays from all of us at Harlequin Intrigue.

Sincerely,

Denise O’Sullivan

Associate Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue

P.S.—Next month you can find another special holiday title—A Woman with a Mystery by B.J. Daniels

Licensed To Marry

Charlotte Douglas

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charlotte Douglas has loved a good story since learning to read at the age of three. After years of teaching that love of books to her students, she now enjoys creating stories of her own. Often her books are set in one of her three favorite places: Montana, where she and her husband spent their honeymoon; the mountains of North Carolina, where they’re building a summer home; and Florida, near the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s West Coast, where she’s lived most of her life.

Books by Charlotte Douglas

HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE

380—DREAM MAKER

434—BEN’S WIFE

482—FIRST-CLASS FATHER

515—A WOMAN OF MYSTERY

536—UNDERCOVER DAD

611—STRANGER IN HIS ARMS* (#litres_trial_promo)

638—LICENSED TO MARRY

HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

591—IT’S ABOUT TIME

623—BRINGING UP BABY

868—MONTANA MAIL-ORDER WIFE* (#litres_trial_promo)

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Laura Quinlan—She’s determined to expose the terrorists who have threatened her father’s work, but is she willing to risk her heart as well as her life?

Kyle Foster—As a bomb demolition expert, he’ll do whatever it takes to stop the Black Order from killing others, even if it means marrying a woman he has no intention of loving.

Molly Foster—Kyle’s adorable three-year-old daughter.

Josiah Quinlan—Laura’s father has developed the Quinlan Research Institute for the purpose of finding vaccines and antidotes against biological weapons.

Montana Confidential Covert Operations Group—Headed by Daniel Austin. Frank Connolly and Court Brady work with Kyle from their headquarters at the Lonesome Pony Ranch in their fight against the Black Order terrorists.

The Quinlan Research Institute Staff—When biological weapons end up in the hands of the Black Order, doctors Lawrence Tyson, Melinda Kwan and Robert Potter are all suspects, along with lab assistants Wayne Pritchard and Gary Bowen. Only Dr. C. J. Connolly, Frank’s wife, is in the clear.

U.S. Senator Ross Weston—A presidential candidate running on an antiterrorism platform, he becomes a chief target of the Black Order.

Contents

Chapter One (#u19442f84-0a37-56ad-a8bf-043c08b702cf)

Chapter Two (#u6377c3df-bb8a-56ae-b92b-a829fbb62fc5)