His Child

His Child
Delores Fossen

After being abducted and artificially inseminated, Jessie Barrett was in danger and running for her life. And the one man she could turn to for answers was Jake McClendon - the biological father of her unborn child. In the midst of their clandestine investigation to uncover the conspiracy behind her kidnapping, Jessie was unwittingly drawn to the sexy Texas rancher.She knew she should keep her distance and safeguard her heart, but all she wanted was to kiss him senseless. Except when he insisted they pretend to be man and wife so he could protect her, her defenses started to crumble. Now the ultimate challenge was to keep from falling in love with the father of her baby!

The kiss had done funny things to her body

Jessie tried to blame those funny things on the pregnancy, but she knew it wasn’t her condition causing it. This was some kind of spooky attraction to a man she knew she shouldn’t be attracted to. There was just one problem. She didn’t know how to make it stop.

“Are you all right?”

She didn’t realize she’d been staring at him. And there was certainly a lot of him to stare at. Jeans, worn white in places she wished weren’t so obvious. A blue cotton shirt that showed nearly every muscle the man had.

“Have you felt the baby move?” He reached out and placed his hand over her abdomen. It was probably a mistake, but she looked at him again. Their gazes met. Held. That unwavering, almost pleading look in his eyes caused her breath to stall in her throat.

It was his child….

Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

Welcome to a brand-new year of exciting romance and edge-of-your-seat suspense. We at Harlequin Intrigue are thrilled to renew our commitment to you, our loyal readers, to provide variety and outstanding romantic suspense—each and every month.

To get things started right, veteran Harlequin Intrigue author Cassie Miles kicks off a two-book miniseries with State of Emergency. The COLORADO SEARCH AND RESCUE group features tough emergency personnel reared in the shadows of the rugged Rocky Mountains. Who wouldn’t want to be stranded with a western-born hunk trained to protect and serve?

Speaking of hunks, Debra Webb serves up a giant of a man in Solitary Soldier, the next installment in her COLBY AGENCY series. And you know what they say about the bigger they come the harder they fall…. Well, it goes double for this wounded hero.

Ann Voss Peterson takes us to the darkest part of a serial killer’s world in Accessory to Marriage. The second time around could prove to be the last—permanently—for both the hero and heroine in this gripping thriller.

Finally, please welcome Delores Fossen to the line. She joins us with a moving story of forced artificial insemination, which unites two strangers who unwittingly become parents…and eventually a family. Do not miss His Child for an emotional read.

Be sure to let us know how we’re doing; we love to hear from our readers! And Happy New Year from all of us at Harlequin Intrigue.

Sincerely,

Denise O’Sullivan

Associate Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue

His Child

Delores Fossen

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Imagine a family tree that includes Texas cowboys, Choctaw and Cherokee Indians, a Louisiana pirate and a Scottish rebel who battled side by side with William Wallace. With ancestors like that, it’s easy to understand why Texas author and former air force captain Delores Fossen feels as if she was genetically predisposed to writing romances. Along the way to fulfilling her DNA destiny, Delores married an air force Top Gun who just happens to be of Viking descent. With all those romantic bases covered, she doesn’t have to look too far for inspiration.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Jessie Barrett—Someone wants her dead. Jessie’s only hope is Jake McClendon—the biological father of her unborn child. But will the prominent Texas rancher help a woman he’s never even met?

Jake McClendon—Texas rancher turned politician. Could he trust Jessie—the mother of a child he desperately wants, but thought he could never have?

Abel Markham—Jake’s political opponent. A man with more ambition than ethics.

Douglas Harland—Jake’s brother-in-law and campaign manager. He wants nothing—including Jessie—getting in the way of the campaign.

Willa Harland—Jake’s socialite sister. Is she overly protective of her brother—or does she have a different reason for wanting Jessie out of his life?

Detective Byron DuCiel—Jessie’s best friend. Does he have his own personal agenda, or is he truly trying to help Jessie?

To my husband, Colonel Thomas Fossen,

who encourages me, inspires me

and makes sure I keep my sense of wonder.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen