Return to Me: A Novel (Last Chance Rescue, Band 2) - Softcover

Reece, Christy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0345505433 ISBN 13: 9780345505439

Verlag: Ballantine Books, 2009

Inhaltsangabe

DESIRED TO DEATH

Posing as an underage teenager, Samara Lyons is out to trap an online predator. Smart, fiery, and fresh off a broken engagement, Samara is up for the challenge. But this challenge might not be so easy. Her boss, Noah McCall, head of a private international corporation called Last Chance Rescue, can’t disguise his raw, physical desire for Samara–and she’s going crazy battling her own feelings for him. The middle of a high-stakes op, with the fate of dozens of innocent lives on the line, is not the time to indulge in sensual delights.

Then the sting explodes, forcing Noah to face his dark past and throwing Samara into the middle of an evil tug-of-war. Noah must confront an enemy he knows better than anyone else in the world, while Samara must find a way to stay alive. Now it’s no longer a matter of desire–it’s all about survival.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Christy Reece is the author of Rescue Me. She holds a BSW from the University of Memphis and is a member of Romance Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. Christy Reece lives in Alabama with her husband, two adorable canines, and one very shy turtle. Return to Me is her second novel in a three-book series.

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Prologue


Lexington, Kentucky 

“Hey, it’s Manda,” the voice whispered. “Did he call?” 

“No . . . hold on.” Ashley Mason padded to her bedroom door and eased it shut. Turning, she perched on 

the edge of the bed. “He just IM’d me. I’m meeting him tomorrow night.” 

“Ohmigosh, where?” 

“The Night Owl. He says he knows a guy who can get us in.” 

“Are you excited?” 

“Nervous and excited. I can’t believe I’m going out with the quarterback from Nelson.” 

“What’re you going to tell your mom?” 

“What we talked about . . . that I’m coming over to your house to study. She won’t care. She’s working late again anyway.” 

“What’re you going to wear?” 

“That green skirt and top I bought Saturday.” 

“You think he’ll believe you about your age?” 

“People are always telling me I look older than I am.” 

“Yeah, but you told him you were sixteen. You won’t even be fourteen till December.” 

“He won’t notice. He–” 

“Damn. Ashley, I gotta go. My dad’s coming up the stairs and I’m supposed to be asleep.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow in class.” 

Closing her cellphone, Ashley fell back onto the bed as excited shock tingled inside her. She had a date with a ju nior, but not just any ju nior. The star quarterback at Nelson High School. Everyone knew him. 

And he wanted to go out with her. 

She’d found him on a fluke. Out of boredom a couple of weeks ago, she’d been browsing a teen chat room and started up a conversation with QB1201. After chatting a few minutes, she asked him what his handle meant and that’s when she’d learned he was the quarterback at Nelson High. She had played it cool, all the time absolutely thrilled to be talking to one of the most pop u lar boys in the city. 

Ryan Davidson was written up in the newspaper every week as doing something spectacular on the field the Friday night before. She’d seen his picture numerous times. He was tall, with blond, curly hair and dimples in both cheeks. Last weekend, when her mom had thrown the paper away, she’d pulled it out of the garbage and cut his picture out. She now had the beginnings of a photo album she was going to devote fully to Ryan. 

Every night, after her mom went to bed, Ashley went online and spent hours chatting with him. Last night, when he’d asked her to meet him, she’d panicked and shut the computer down. To night, she’d just gotten online when he’d IM’d her, asking if she was mad. 

This might be her only chance to actually date a hunk like Ryan Davidson. Reluctantly she agreed to meet him, positive she could make herself look sixteen. What she’d told Manda was true. People were constantly telling her she looked a lot older. She’d have no trouble convincing Ryan. Last week, she’d emailed him a picture taken a few months back. After he got it, he’d told her how pretty she was and hadn’t said a word about her age. She knew she could pull this off. 

With a sigh of pure plea sure, Ashley closed her eyes and imagined how Ryan would grin at her when they met. Just wait till all the kids heard about it at school. They’d be talking about her all year. 

Excitement curled in her stomach, giving her a warm, cozy glow. Tomorrow she was going to meet her dream man.

Chapter One


Birmingham, Alabama 

“I found the man I want to marry.” 

This announcement received mixed reactions from the three women sitting at the table with Samara Lyons. Rachel just rolled her eyes, Allie ignored the comment because of the cute guy at the bar making eyes at her, and Julie, the newest member of their Thursday night margarita- fest, leaned toward her eagerly. 

“Where’d you meet him? What’s his name? Have you been dating–” 

“Wait . . . hold up,” Rachel interrupted as she raised her hand to signal their server. “Let’s call for another round and then Samara will explain to you. With your psychologist degree, you can tell us the name of Samara’s mental illness.” 

Samara grinned and stuck her tongue out at her best friend since the first grade. Rachel, the cynic, as she fondly called her, didn’t believe in “happily ever afters.” Samara, on the other hand, knew they existed. She’d seen them firsthand. Having parents who’d been happily married for over thirty- five years, not to mention five very happy brothers and sisters- in- law, reinforced her beliefs. 

Rachel referred to Samara as Pollyanna for what she called her amazing belief in the goodness of humanity when all evidence showed the exact opposite. Samara never argued with that statement, because it was true. She did believe in the basic goodness of people and so far, with only a few exceptions, she’d never been proven wrong. 

“Okay, girl.” Rachel took a sip of her frozen concoction, licked the salt from her mouth, and leaned forward. “Who is it this week?” 

Being humored didn’t bother Samara in the least. 

“Did you see that new foaming bath commercial where the husband runs a hot bubble bath for his wife and then takes the kids to the park while she has the house to herself?” 

“Yeah, so?” 

“He’s the one.” 

Only Julie looked startled by this statement. “Do you know the man in the commercial?” 

Looking satisfied with how the conversation was going, Rachel settled back into her chair with an amused, knowing expression. 

“No, I don’t know him. He’s just the guy I’d like to marry.” 

“But why?” 

Ignoring Rachel’s smug grin, Samara attempted to explain her philosophy. “I have the ideal man in my head. I’ve just never met him. But sometimes, I’ll see a guy on tele vi sion or read about him and I recognize a certain characteristic I want in my future Mr. Right.” Julie nodded. “Actually, that’s a very healthy attitude.” Rachel stared at Julie. “You gotta be kiddin’ me. Don’t encourage her lunacy. Heal it!” 

“No, really. It is healthy.” Julie waved a hand at the crowded bar in Mama Maria’s. “Look at all these people, searching for that one special person they think they want to spend their life with, and most of them have no clue what they’re looking for. At least Samara has a good idea what she does and doesn’t want.” Taking a long, icy swallow of her drink, Samara couldn’t help but be glad that at least someone thought knowing what she was looking for was a good idea. She also knew what she didn’t want, having learned that the hard way. She took...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Ballantine Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2009
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0345505433
• ISBN 13: 9780345505439
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 352
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar