Semiautomatic Marriage

Semiautomatic Marriage
Leona Karr

ONE DAY THEY WERE STRANGERS AND THE NEXT THEY WERE HUSBAND AND WIFE!After Carolyn Leigh learned that the grandfather she never knew had died and left her a fortune, she discovered that he might actually have been murdered–and only she could help find the killer. But first she'd have to consent to "marry" Adam Lawrence, the sexy agent assigned to the case.There was no denying the attraction between them, but they couldn't let love get in the way of the case. After all, solving this mystery was personal–for both of them. Could they unmask the killer before the killer revealed their covert conjugal bliss?

“I need your help. You can provide me with a legitimate cover for my investigation.”

“How can I do that?” she protested. “I’m totally inexperienced, and it will take time for me to make any changes at the company. You would stick out like a sore thumb if I tried right off to put you in any kind of position at Horizon Pharmaceuticals.”

“I know. That’s why we’d have to arrange something different. I’ll need a cover that will give me intimate access to the workings of the company.”

The steadiness of his gaze told Carolyn that he had already decided what that cover should be. She felt a strange quiver in her stomach.

“When you arrive at Horizon for the first time, Carolyn, I need to be there with you—as your husband.”

She choked on her intake of breath. “My husband?”

“In name only,” he hastened to reassure her. “Don’t you see? It’s the perfect cover.”

Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

This month Harlequin Intrigue has an enthralling array of breathtaking romantic suspense to make the most of those last lingering days of summer.

The wait is finally over! The next crop of undercover agents who belong to the newest branch of the top secret Confidential organization are about to embark on an unbelievable adventure. Award-winning reader favorite Gayle Wilson will rivet you with the launch book of this brand-new ten-story continuity series. COLORADO CONFIDENTIAL will begin in Harlequin Intrigue, break out into a special release anthology and finish in Harlequin Historicals. In Rocky Mountain Maverick, an undeniably sexy undercover agent infiltrates a powerful senator’s ranch and falls under the influence of an intoxicating impostor. Be there from the very beginning!

The adrenaline rush continues in The Butler’s Daughter by Joyce Sullivan, with the first book in her new miniseries, THE COLLINGWOOD HEIRS. A beautiful guardian has been entrusted with the care of a toddler-sized heir, but now they are running for their lives and she must place their safety in an enigmatic protector’s tantalizing hands! Ann Voss Peterson heats things up with Incriminating Passion when a targeted “witness” to a murder manages to inflame the heart of a by-the-book assistant D.A.

Finally rounding out the month is Semiautomatic Marriage by veteran author Leona Karr. Will the race to track down a killer culminate in a real trip down the aisle for an undercover husband and wife?

So pick up all four of these pulse-pounding stories and end the summer with a bang!

Sincerely,

Denise O’Sullivan

Harlequin Intrigue, Senior Editor

Semiautomatic Marriage

Leona Karr

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native of Colorado, Leona (Lee) Karr is the author of nearly forty books. Her favorite genres are romantic suspense and inspirational romance. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a B.A. and the University of Northern Colorado with an M.A., she taught as a reading specialist until her first book was published in 1980. She has been on the Waldenbooks bestseller list and nominated by Romantic Times for Best Romantic Saga and Best Gothic Author. She has been honored as the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year, and received Colorado’s Romance Writer of the Year award. Her books have been reprinted in more than a dozen foreign countries. She is a presenter at numerous writing conferences and has taught college courses in creative writing.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Carolyn Leigh—A visit to a lawyer’s office makes her an heiress and a partner in a dangerous charade.

Adam Lawrence—A man on a mission, who will use his status as a “pretend husband” to carry out his plan.

Jasper Stanford—A newly found relative who has little interest in being an uncle or friend.

Della Denison—An executive who seems willing to preserve her position at all costs. Her daughter, Lisa, is a spoiled young woman who lives a pampered life. Her son, Buddy, shows little interest in anything but pursuing his idle hobbies.

Cliff Connors—An assistant laboratory assistant who has an unsavory past that threatens to endanger the present.

Nick Calhoun—A man with a gambling habit.

Susan Kimble—A woman dedicated to her job and searching for happiness.

Nellie Ryan—A woman in love with a man who only brings trouble into her life.

Love and thanks to my sons, Leonard and Clark,

for their valuable help with this book,

and to Cindy Karr for her supportive interest

and encouragement.

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