In The Enemy's Arms

In The Enemy's Arms
Pamela Toth

HE SUSPECTED HER OF CRIMES…AND WANTED HER ANYWAYDetective Bryce Collins would catch the person responsible for dispensing black-market drugs in Merlyn County–even if the culprit proved to be his high school flame, Dr. Mari Bingham. She'd shattered his heart once, and he'd be damned if he'd let her do it again. But cornering Mari for answers–at every opportunity–left him unprepared for the warmth in her kiss, the emotion in her eyes and the effect of her confession. Because if Mari was telling the truth…then she had never stopped loving him.

“I’m calling security.”

Mari’s threat didn’t stop Bryce. It was the sight of her hazel eyes, awash with tears, that froze him in his tracks.

Were the tears a ruse, or evidence of her compassion?

He didn’t know, but an impulse he couldn’t control propelled him forward, arms open. Wrapping them around her, he pulled her close. A flood of images flashed through his mind. Caught off guard, he did his best to ignore the unwanted memories. He struggled to keep his head clear. Where had his objectivity gone? She was a suspect and he was here to question her, not to hold her in his arms.

His silent lecture wasn’t taking hold.

“It’s okay,” he murmured.

His voice jerked her head up. Her eyes met his, and his mouth went dry. A giant fist squeezed the breath from his lungs. Neither of them moved, neither blinked.

And he tried to remember why kissing her would be a very, very bad idea.

Dear Reader,

It’s spring, love is in the air…and what better way to celebrate than by taking a break with Silhouette Special Edition? We begin the month with Treasured, the conclusion to Sherryl Woods’s MILLION DOLLAR DESTINIES series. Though his two brothers have been successfully paired off, Ben Carlton is convinced he’s “destined” to go it alone. But the brooding, talented young man is about to meet his match in a beautiful gallery owner—courtesy of fate…plus a little help from his matchmaking aunt.

And Pamela Toth concludes the MERLYN COUNTY MIDWIVES series with In the Enemy’s Arms, in which a detective trying to get to the bottom of a hospital black-market drug investigation finds himself in close contact with his old high school flame, now a beautiful M.D.—she’s his prime suspect! And exciting new author Lynda Sandoval (look for her Special Edition novel One Perfect Man, coming in June) makes her debut and wraps up the LOGAN’S LEGACY Special Edition prequels, all in one book—And Then There Were Three. Next, Christine Flynn begins her new miniseries, THE KENDRICKS OF CAMELOT, with The Housekeeper’s Daughter, in which a son of Camelot—Virginia, that is—finds himself inexplicably drawn to the one woman he can never have. Marie Ferrarella moves her popular CAVANAUGH JUSTICE series into Special Edition with The Strong Silent Type, in which a female detective finds her handsome male partner somewhat less than chatty. But her determination to get him to talk quickly morphs into a determination to…get him. And in Ellen Tanner Marsh’s For His Son’s Sake, a single father trying to connect with the son whose existence he just recently discovered finds in the free-spirited Kenzie Daniels a woman they could both love. So enjoy! And come back next month for six heartwarming books from Silhouette Special Edition.

Happy reading!

Gail Chasan

Senior Editor

In the Enemy’s Arms

Pamela Toth

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

PAMELA TOTH,

a USA TODAY bestselling author, was born in Wisconsin but grew up in Seattle, where she attended the University of Washington and majored in art. Now living on the Puget Sound area’s east side, she has two daughters, Erika and Melody, and two Siamese cats.

Recently she took a lead from one of her romances and married her high school sweetheart, Frank. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband, and reading. She’s been an active member of Romance Writers of America since 1982.

Her books have won several awards and they claim regular spots on the Waldenbooks bestselling romance list. She loves hearing from readers and can be reached at P.O. Box 5845, Bellevue, WA 98006. For a personal reply, a stamped, self-addressed envelope is appreciated.

Merlyn County Regional

Hospital Happenings

Newlyweds Hannah and Eric Mendoza welcomed their beautiful baby girl into the world only a few weeks ago. Pass along your congratulations when you see the happy father handing out pink cigars!

Public relations volunteers unite! The PR department is throwing a massive shindig for the goddess of buzz, Lily Cunningham. We hear she snagged herself the most eligible of Merlyn County bachelors, CEO Ron Bingham. We wish them the very best!

That handsome detective Bryce Collins is still working alongside Dr. Mari Bingham on the investigation into procedures at the Foster Clinic (although some have seen the former sweethearts avoiding each other). Please give the detective and Dr. Bingham your full cooperation, should they request information about the hospital. And please continue to report any strange behavior at the Foster Clinic or in the pharmacy department to Dr. Bingham or her receptionist. Her future—and her heart—may depend on it!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter One

“What is he doing here?”

As Mari Bingham peeled off her gloves, she glared at the detective staring back at her through the glass divider. It seemed to Mari as though every time she turned around, even here at the midwifery clinic where she was the director, she noticed Bryce Collins watching her. If not for his gold shield, she would have filed a stalking complaint against him.

“He’s been waiting to talk to you.” The receptionist lowered her voice, her expression concerned. “Is everything okay, Dr. Bingham?”

“Of course, Heather. Everything’s fine.” Mari dredged up a smile. She’d been called in to the clinic at 2:00 a.m. and it was now midmorning. Even though she was the director, she still saw patients. Mari considered the joy of bringing a healthy baby into the world well worth a few hours of lost sleep, but this delivery had been a long one and the last few weeks had been difficult for her.

Mari had been meaning to confront Detective Collins, but not here, not now, and certainly not without a shot of caffeine to hone her senses.

In her search for decent coffee, she had come straight from the birthing room without bothering to freshen up first. She must look awful—her face pale and shiny, her hair falling from its hasty bun and her light green scrubs stained and wrinkled.

From previous experience, she knew all too well that neither a carefully made-up face nor a freshly laundered outfit would have lessened the defensiveness she always felt around the man advancing on her now with the determination of a cougar stalking a deer. He had been after her for weeks.

Despite the rumors and speculation surrounding Mari, she refused to cooperate and play the role of prey. She just wanted the investigation to be over, the real criminals caught and her reputation cleared.

“Please show the detective to my office,” she told Heather as Bryce narrowly avoided tripping over a toddler pushing a tiny grocery cart across the waiting room. “I’ll be there in a minute.”