Safe with a Stranger

Safe with a Stranger
Linda Conrad

Rule #1: Stay out of it Josh Ryan knew he wasn't going to heed his own warning. A single mom and a baby on the run? Two men in hot pursuit? Josh's ranger training and his Texas roots left him no choice–he was hardwired to help. Rule #2: Do anything to save her But the battle-scarred ex-soldier didn't want to be a hero. And now the very worst had happened–he had fallen in too deep. Clare had gotten under his skin, and her little son was looking at him with adoring eyes.He'd broken the unwritten code, making Clare even more of a target in the process. To save her, he would have to do the unthinkable. He'd have to make her go….

Josh couldn’t remember the last time he’d really smiled.

His sense of humor had been AWOL for months—years, maybe.

“Thank you,” Clare said with a smile.

Without thinking, only needing to feel her warmth, he leaned in closer. “I don’t know what to say,” he murmured. He was hovering within an inch of those tantalizing lips, caught between a wish and a prayer.

“Say, ‘You’re welcome.’”

The soft whisper of air from her words fanned over his face as he closed his eyes and breathed her in. What would she do if he narrowed the gap between them and bent for a taste of those luscious lips?

He reached out and ended up grabbing a handful of air.

Hot damn. He should’ve known better.

Dear Reader,

June brings you four high-octane reads from Silhouette Romantic Suspense, just in time for summer. Steaming up your sunglasses is Nina Bruhns’s hot romance, Killer Temptation (#1516), which is the first of a thrilling new trilogy, SEDUCTION SUMMER. In this series, a serial killer is murdering amorous couples on the beach and no lover is safe. You won’t want to miss this sexy roller coaster ride! Stay tuned in July and August for Sheri White Feather’s and Cindy Dees’s heart-thumping contributions, Killer Passion and Killer Affair.

USA TODAY bestselling author Marie Ferrarella enthralls readers with Protecting His Witness (#1515), the latest in her family saga, CAVANAUGH JUSTICE. Here, an undercover cop crosses paths with a secretive beauty who winds up being a witness to a mob killing. And then, can a single mother escape her vengeful ex and fall in love with her protector? Find out in Linda Conrad’s Safe with a Stranger (#1517), the first book in her miniseries, THE SAFEKEEPERS, which weaves family, witchcraft and danger into an exciting read. Finally, crank up your air-conditioning as brand-new author Jill Sorenson raises temperatures with Dangerous to Touch (#1518), featuring a psychic heroine and lawman, who work on a murder case and uncover a wild attraction.

This month is all about finding love against the odds and those adventures lurking around every corner. So as you lounge on the beach or in your favorite chair, lose yourself in one of these gems from Silhouette Romantic Suspense!

Sincerely,

Patience Smith

Senior Editor

LINDA CONRAD

was inspired by her mother, who gave her a deep love of storytelling. “Mom told me I was the best liar she ever knew. And that’s saying something for a woman with an Irish storyteller’s background,” Linda says. Linda has been writing contemporary romances for Silhouette Books for seven years. Besides telling stories, her passions are her husband and family, and finding the time to read cozy mysteries and emotional love stories. Linda keeps busy and is happy living in the sunshine near the Florida Keys. Visit Linda’s Web site at www.lindaconrad.com.

Safe with a Stranger

Linda Conrad

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

To all women everywhere: these books are for you.

And to Janet Capps, whose ideas for Texas-sounding

names were superior. Thanks to her, we found

Larado Hinojosa and the interesting character

behind the name. Thanks Janet!

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

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Nothing seemed off, yet everything felt wrong.

There were no eerie noises. No flashes of color. No lightning bolts to give her a clue. Still, Clare Chandler’s instincts told her this funky Houston bus station was about to be the end of their road.

But she refused to give up. Frustration warred with determination as she clutched her sleeping son in her arms and slinked backward into the shadows. So, they would miss this bus. There would be another in a couple of hours.

The danger she’d felt had been coming from those two men there by the bus benches, the ones in the suits and ties. They looked legit, but slightly out of place. Had they come for her and Jimmy?