LITMIR.BIZ

      “You like telling me what to do. Is this a military thing or a male thing?”

      “I’m just trying to do the right thing,” Jeff replied. “I need a housekeeper and you need to make a change in your life.”

      Ashley sighed. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, Jeff.”

      “But you don’t trust me.”

      Her gaze sharpened. “It’s not that exactly.”

      I want you.

      The words remained unspoken, but they burned inside of him. He wanted to inhale the scent of her body, touch her everywhere. He wanted to fill her until they both forgot everything but the heat of the moment.

      He drew in a slow breath. “The offer still stands. Let me know if you change your mind.”

      And then he walked away, because if he didn’t, he might just tell her the truth.

      That when he was with her and her daughter, he forgot he wasn’t like everyone else.

      Dear Reader,

      Many people read romance novels for the unforgettable heroes that capture our hearts and stay with us long after the last page is read. But to give all the credit for the success of this genre to these handsome hunks is to underestimate the value of the heart of a romance: the heroine.

      “Heroes are fantasy material, but for me, the heroines are much more grounded in real life,” says Susan Mallery, bestselling author of this month’s Shelter in a Soldier’s Arms. “For me, the heroine is at the center of the story. I want to write and read about women who are intelligent, funny and determined.”

      Gina Wilkins’s The Stranger in Room 205 features a beautiful newspaper proprietor who discovers an amnesiac in her backyard and finds herself in an adventure of a lifetime! And don’t miss The M.D. Meets His Match in Hades, Alaska, where Marie Ferrarella’s snowbound heroine unexpectedly finds romance that is sure to heat up the bitter cold.…

      Peggy Webb delivers an Invitation to a Wedding; when the heroine is rescued from marrying the wrong man, could a long-lost friend end up being Mr. Right? Sparks fly in Lisette Belisle’s novel when the heroine, raising Her Sister’s Secret Son, meets a mysterious man who claims to be the boy’s father! And in Patricia McLinn’s Almost a Bride, a rancher desperate to save her ranch enters into a marriage of convenience, but with temptation as her bed partner, life becomes a minefield of desire.

      Special Edition is proud to publish novels featuring strong, admirable heroines struggling to balance life, love and family and making dreams come true. Enjoy! And look inside for details about our Silhouette Makes You a Star contest.

      Best,

      Karen Taylor Richman, Senior Editor

      Shelter in a Soldier’s Arms

      Susan Mallery

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      To single mothers everywhere. May your dedication be rewarded with love, happiness and your heart’s desire.

      SUSAN MALLERY

      is the bestselling author of over forty books for Harlequin and Silhouette. She makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her handsome prince of a husband and her two adorable-but-not-bright cats.

      Dear Reader,

      I was so excited to find out that my book was going to be part of Special Edition’s new promotion, A WOMAN’S WAY. While I frequently write stories about strong women who find an extraordinary love, I felt that this particular heroine deserved special notice.

      Ashley Churchill is like so many of us—trapped in circumstances she can’t quite control. She’s a struggling single mom trying to get her degree. Money is tight, time is tighter. Yet she has a terrific relationship with her daughter and she has a plan. With love and a plan, a woman can do almost anything.

      When Jeff Ritter sweeps into her life, she’s not sure if she’s being rescued or taken hostage. Jeff is every inch a soldier—he’s lost the tenderness in his heart, if he ever had any. Yet he is the most honorable man she’s ever known…and the sexiest. He frightens her, because a man who has nothing to lose is a dangerous creature. Yet he is both kind to her and her daughter—and incredibly handsome. She can’t resist him, even when she knows she’s crazy to let herself fall for him.

      I hope you enjoy this passionate story.

      All the best,

      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

       Epilogue

      Chapter One

      There was trouble.

      Jeffrey Ritter sensed it even before he spotted the flashing light on the security console mounted in his car. At five o’clock in the morning the offices of Ritter/Rankin Security should have been locked down and empty. According to the red flashing light, the building was neither.

      Jeff touched several buttons on the console to confirm the information. The front and rear doors were locked, but inner doors were open. Lights were on as well, he noted as he drove into the parking lot and headed for a spot to the left of the double glass doors—glass that was deceptively clear but could in fact withstand severe artillery fire and a small bomb blast.

      Trouble, he thought again as he put the car into Park and turned off the engine. He popped the trunk of his black BMW 740i and stepped out onto the damp pavement. Although it wasn’t raining, the air was heavy and wet, as if the Seattle skies were about to do their thing at any moment.

      Jeff circled the vehicle and removed his personal firearm, which he checked and slipped into his specially designed holster. Next came the black stunner, designed to immobilize

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