Chapter One
JOE ZORN STAMPED SNOW OFF HIS FROZEN BOOTED FEET as he impatiently jiggled the door handle. Locked. A damn good thing considering that, despite the nationwide manhunt under way, a serial killer was even now finding his way through the storm to this Nowhere, Montana, ranch.
It wasn't a case of if Dwight Treadwell would show. It was a case of when.
Although he was standing beneath the deep porch overhang, the howling wind whipped snow down Joe's collar and snuck under the hem of his coat as it flapped around his ankles. He shuddered with cold. Which didn't bother him nearly as much as finding the place lit up like a damned Christmas tree.
Joe glanced around the porch. His new assignment, party planner Kendall Metcalf, must've bought out every Christmas and craft store between Bozeman and Billings.
There was Christmas crap everywhere.
Might as well have a frigging flashing red neon arrow pointing to the house. Here I am. Come and get me!
Damn it to hell.
He kept one hand in his left pocket, fingers loosely clasping the grip of his custom-made HK Mark 23. He would rather shoot a hole through his favorite coat than have someone open the door to find a large, armed man standing on the other side.
It worried Joe only marginally that he hadn't been able to reach the Camerons before he left the ski lodge, or that he didn't have their cell numbers. High winds and snow storms frequently messed with the phone lines way the hell and gone out here.
Hunching into his coat, he jabbed at the doorbell. "Get the damn lead out, people." When that didn't elicit an immediate response, he thumped his fist on the door a couple of times, making the oversized Christmas wreath dance. "Open the damn d—"
He heard the faint beeps from inside as the security alarm was deactivated. The door swung open, spilling golden light and the hot, unmistakable fragrance of cookies baking onto the front porch. Joe's heart did a hard thump-thump as he got his first look at the Amazon who was his charge.
Kendall Metcalf was luscious. Every curvy, magnificent inch of her. Her hair, the reddest Joe had ever seen, spilled over her shoulders like liquid fire. Her feet were bare, and black leggings accented every incredible inch of her long, long, long legs. A red sweater proclaimed, in cursive white script across a mouthwatering chest, HO HO HO Y'ALL.
Before he could get on her case for opening the door without checking to see who was out there first, she grabbed him by the hand, practically dragging him inside. "Lord, am I happy to see you."
Joe would have been ecstatic to see Attila the Hun at this point. His freaking nose was numb. He stepped into the warmth, booted the door shut, locked it, and pressed the reactivate button on the alarm before turning around to face her. The smell of Woman overlaid the smell of pine, vanilla candles, and baking. His temperature shot up in response, warming him much faster and more efficiently than a hot shower. But not quite as fast as his anger that she'd opened the door without ascertaining who the hell was knocking. Jesus.
"Lord. You must be a Popsicle," she said cheerfully, oblivious to his stony look. "Let's get you defrosted." She glanced at the control panel, apparently saw the light was on, frowned slightly, then headed across the vast entry hall toward the kitchen. Without turning to see if he was following.
"I just put my millionth pot of coffee on. I'm always addicted when it's this cold, aren't you? Here, can I take your co—No, you're right. Keep it on until you thaw. This way."
She'd taken her sweet time answering the door, but now that he was inside, she moved at the speed of light and hadn't yet paused to take a breath. Which suited Joe just fine. He was a man of action and few words. He suspected she wouldn't like either by the time this was over.
The house was blessedly warm, and smelled mouthwatering. The scent of Christmas was everywhere, but that wasn't the fragrance making him salivate. She smelled as clean and fresh as . . . he frowned as he followed her into the kitchen. Some kind of . . . fruit? Yeah. Pears or something. Fresh and clean and—Jesus, he was losing it—juicy. She walked over to pour him a huge mug of coffee, bringing it back to the center island where another half-filled mug sat beside a baking sheet of hot-from-the-oven cookies. Joe removed his hat, then unbuttoned his coat. The kitchen was warm, and looking at Miss Metcalf kept his body temperature several degrees above normal.
"Black, I bet." She handed him the mug. The most bizarre current of electricity passed from her fingers to his, shooting directly to his groin. Her eyes widened in surprise. It sure as hell shocked the hell out of him, and he almost dropped the mug.
Joe tightened his fingers around the heat of the Christmas mug, which still had a $3.99 price sticker from Ross stuck on the side. He peeled it off and stuck it on Denise's sludge green–black granite counter top. Denise did not shop at discount stores. Never had.
Copyright © 2005 by Cherry Adair, Leanne Banks, Pamela Britton, Rhonda Pollero
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This holiday season, four bestselling authors give the gift that keeps on giving: gripping tales of special agents in a covert agency, out to protect the innocent ... by any means necessary. "Snowball's Chance" by Cherry Adair--Kendall decks the halls, unaware that a serial killer has her on the top of his list. Of course, being naughty with the sexy good guy sent to protect her would be so nice. "Santa Slave" by Leanne Banks--After her best friend disappears, Hilary takes matters into her own hands and finds herself caught in the throes of danger, while a hunky male operative hopes to mix pleasure with business. "Runaway Santa" by Pamela Britton--Biologist Kaitlyn Moneypenny's research is finally leading to a big scientific breakthrough ... and mortal peril. When bullets start to fly, so do the sparks between Kaitlyn and her Santa-clad rescuer. "Killer Christmas" by Kelsey Roberts--When several Santas are murdered at a swanky department store, the new CEO, Meghan Beckham, had better watch out, had better not cry--because a serial killer has come to town.
