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Capturing the Texas Rancher's Heart

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Ballantine
November 2011
On Sale: October 25, 2011
Featuring: Lena Riddle; Ezra King
384 pages
ISBN: 0345517539
EAN: 9780345517531
Kindle: B004LROUUO
Paperback / e-Book
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Shiloh Walker

Shiloh Walker
Author Book List

The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration. Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close? When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her.

Excerpt

Lost herself in the warm golden glow and the feel of a man’s hands on her body.

She could see...see his face as he guided her to the ground and knelt between her thighs.

She could touch...touch his shoulders and fist her hands in his hair.

She could feel...feel the fiery hot pleasure blistering through her as he levered up over her and pushed inside, one deep, smooth thrust that stretched her in the sweetest damn way.

She could hear—

"Help me!"

Lena came awake with a gasp. Her heart knocked against her ribs and she shivered as cool air danced over her sweat-slicked body. A breeze drifted in through the open window.

It was cool...not cold. But she was freezing.

Hearing one low, questioning yip, she held out her hand. Puck pressed his nose against her palm and she heaved out a breath. The dog’s body was tense—all over tense and he had his hackles up.

"Sorry, boy. Just had a bad dream," she muttered. She’d gone and freaked her dog out.

As she started to lie back down, she heard it.

A voice.

"...help me..."

Puck growled.

Jerking back up, she turned her head towards the window, tried to breath past the knot in her chest. "What in the hell...?" She closed her eyes, listened. Concentrated.

Puck growled again, louder this time, his voice rough, full of menace, full of warning. Lena shushed him, her voice sharp, her own fear edging its way in.

Through the window, she could hear...something. Thrashing in the forest that bordered the western edge of her property. The western edge...the woods. That strip of land where lately, her dog didn’t like to go. Not for the past few months.

"Somebody, please help me!"

The sound of the woman’s screams, raw and agonized, sent a shudder racing down Lena’s spine.

"Oh, God," Lena whispered. Her heart slammed against her ribcage as she reached for the phone by her bed.

There was another scream and she dropped the phone. Swearing, she crawled out of the bed, patting around on the floor. "Damn it, damn it, damn it." Icy, cold sweat dripped along her spine as she listened through the window.

Branches snapping. A ragged moan. Then all was silent.

Where’s the fricking phone??

Making a sound halfway between a sob and a growl, she stuck her hand under him the bed and heaved out a sigh of relief as her fingers brushed plastic. Scuttling across the floor, she pressed her back to the wall and listened, phone clutched in her hand.

Call 911, damn it! She tried to get her fingers to move but terror made them clumsy.

Outside, she heard nothing. She didn’t hear anything...wait. Yes, yes, she heard something now, but it was quiet...somebody, moving so quiet and so soft as they moved through the trees.

If her room had been any farther away from the trees, if she had lived any closer to town...hell, if she’d had the radio playing, she never would have heard it. So, so quiet...

There was another short, sharp scream--one that ended all too abruptly. The sound of it was enough to get her frozen fingers to move and she dialed 911.

Puck made a rough sound low in his throat and nosed her leg. She patted the space next to her and as he pressed his big, furry body against her leg, she wrapped an arm around him.

"Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?"

"I...I hear a woman screaming. She’s screaming for help."