Unforgettable Heroes II Boxed Set
Title Page
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Prologue
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
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
PROLOGUE
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
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
EPILOGUE
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Prologue
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
PROLOGUE
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
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
Prologue
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
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
About May Williams
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Unforgettable Heroes II
Boxed Set
Turquoise Morning Press
Copyright © 2015, Turquoise Morning Press
Unforgettable Heroes II
Media > Books > Fiction > Romance Novels
Keywords: romantic heroes, contemporary, historical, comedy, cowboys, suspense, paranormal, Celtic, baseball
Digital ISBN: 978-1-62237-423-6
Digital Release: August 2015
Cover Design by Calliope-Designs.com
Stock art by istockphotos.com
All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work, in whole or part, by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, is illegal and forbidden.
This is a work of fiction. Characters, settings, names, and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination and bear no resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, places or settings, and/or occurrences. Any incidences of resemblance are purely coincidental.
This edition is published by agreement with Turquoise Morning Press, a division of Turquoise Morning, LLC, PO Box 43958, Louisville, KY 40253-0958.
UNFORGETTABLE HEROES II
13 NATIONAL BESTSELLING AND AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS deliver romance fiction featuring incredible, unforgettable romance heroes. This set runs the gamut from contemporary to historical romance, sweet romance to erotic, suspense to paranormal, and includes romantic heroes such as a baseball player, cowboy, Celtic warrior, ninja, journalist, the man next door, and more….
UP CLOSE - ELIZABETH BEVARLY is the New York Times bestselling, RITA Award-nominated author of more than seventy novels and novellas. Up Close is the perfect beach read, blending adventure and intrigue with romance and sensuality, peppered with the author's signature humor.
PARKER: THE MONTANA MCKENNAS - MADDIE JAMES is an International bestselling author of more than thirty romance novels and novellas. Parker, is her latest release in the Montana McKennas western romance series (book 4).
SPRING CHICKENS - MARGARET ETHRIDGE is a National bestselling author, contemporary romance fan favorite, and TMP top-selling author. Her second chance at love story, Spring Chickens, is a romance that defies the ageists!
CRESCENT MOON - JANET EAVES is a National bestselling author of the Ladies of Legend series of books. Crescent Moon, a Legend After Dark novella, takes the townsfolk of quiet Legend, TN on a bit of a different spin. It's still Legend, only darker.
RESCUED BY THE CELTIC WARRIOR - AMY JARECKI is a National bestselling author of more than ten Scottish historical romance novels. Rescued by the Celtic Warrior is a Night Owl Reviews Top Pick.
SCENT OF A SHADOW - JENNIFER JOHNSON is a National bestselling author of contemporary romance and women's fiction. Scent of a Shadow, features a man making his living by hiding in the shadows, and a divorced mother of three, who finds him.
THE GULL MOTEL - AMIE DENMAN is an EPIC Award and Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence finalist for her books. The Gull Motel, a beach read about a young woman who takes over a small Florida motel and falls for the man next door, earned a 4-star review from RT Bookreviews.
NICK OF TIME - BOBBYE TERRY is a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence finalist in Mystery/Suspense, and a National bestselling author. Nick of Time is a Climax, Virginia novel of suspense, intrigue and romance.
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH - JC WARDON is the author of the thirteen-book Mystic Waters series, called a "series to watch" by her publisher. Diamond in the Rough, is book 6 of the Cavanaugh Family series.
BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER - ARLENE HITTLE is the author of seven contemporary romance novels and novellas. Beauty and the Ballplayer is a 2011 Golden Heart finalist and winner of the First Coast RWA unpublished Beacon.
RIVETING HIS ATTENTION - MAY WILLIAMS is the author of historical romance, Riveting His Attention, which has been called "fun and flirty" and "adorable" by her fans. May writes both contemporary and historical romance.
CORPORATE COWBOY - BELLA MASTERS is the erotic romance pen name of International bestselling author Maddie James. Corporate Cowboy, an All Romance Ebooks bestseller, received a favorable 4 Star Review from RT Bookreviews.
RUNNING NOWHERE - LISA TAPP is the author of Maggie Award Finalist, Finding Beth, the first title in her Young Adult Ro Davis Series. Her book Running Nowhere, part of the contemporary romantic suspense Maystown Series, was the Romantic Suspense winner of the Hot Prospect Contest and was named a finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense.
UP CLOSE
Elizabeth Bevarly
Lou needs a lover that won’t drive her crazy. But sharing sultry nights and close quarters with Mason might very well send her over the edge.
To journalist Mason Thorne, Lou Lofton is a nice kid who needs looking after. Sure, she played the rescuer once and helped him out of a bind, but these days, she’s the one who needs protecting. Especially now that they’re headed off on an assignment to cover a coup in a tiny Caribbean nation that’s been a hotbed of political unrest. But after a few steamy tropical nights with Lou, he’s more worried about a hotbed of something else.
The last thing Lou wants from Mason is for him to be her protector. The first thing she wants is for him to be her lover. And the way she sees it, a trip to the sultry tropics will be the perfect opportunity for the two of them to finally get up close and personal.
Dear Reader,
I am so happy to see Up Close being reissued in the Unforgettable Heroes collection. The book was written for Silhouette’s Special Edition line more than two decades ago, and it’s been out of print for more than ten years. So it was a lot of fun going back to revisit the characters for this edition.
It was also kind of enlightening. This was my fourth book, and I’ve now completed more than seventy. So my writing style and characters have changed a lot. I did do some polishing and editing, but, for the most part, I stayed true to the original. That’s why I hope you’ll forgive some of my early inexperience when it comes to things like character point-of-view and its tendency to change mid-scene sometimes. Ahem.
I hope you’ll also forgive the technological disadvantages. As I said, this was my fourth book, written in the early 90s. Before the Internet. Before Harry Potter. Before HGTV. Before the Cult of Bacon. Today, this story wouldn’t have—couldn’t have—played out the same way it did then. Cell phones and GPS would have saved our protagonists a boatload of trouble—and me several chapters, come to think of it—but neither was available then. Or, at least, weren’t in wide use among the general public. Too, the world was a different place politically. An island nation like Sonora probably wouldn’t have captured the nation’s interest now the way it would have then.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading Up Close as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I hope Mason and Lou’s story is as entertaining now as it was when they first popped into my head and onto the page.
Happy Reading,
Elizabeth
>
Prologue
He still couldn’t get over the change in her.
From the fourth row of American University’s Bender Arena, Mason Thorne studied the young woman at the podium and couldn’t believe how much different she was from the frightened, insecure girl who had approached his desk at the newspaper five years before. Back then, Halouise Lofton had been all of nineteen years old, lucky to have received a complete education in a community where many never finished middle school—not to mention living in fear of losing her family, her integrity, and her life. With only a twinge of guilt, he reminded himself her family, thanks to him, was effectively lost to her, most of them locked up in federal penitentiaries. But during everything that had transpired—the arrests, the publicity, the trials—Lou Lofton had managed to maintain her integrity all on her own.
As for her life, Mason had seen to it personally Lou received everything she would need to be happy—a college education, an apartment in Adams Morgan, and a job she would begin next week. And as long as he was around, she would continue to be just fine. She’d worked hard for her degree in journalism. She would be a tremendous asset to the Capitol Standard. It was the least Mason could do for the kid who’d saved his life.
It was with no small amazement that he realized how, after today, she would be out running in the rat race like the rest of them, picking up her life in an entirely different position from which she’d left to go to school. It should comfort Mason to know he’d been instrumental in getting Lou back on track, and he ought to consider his debt to her paid in full. But something in him recoiled at the thought of turning her loose to face the world alone. There was still so much she didn’t know about, so many things someone who’d grown up sheltered and cloistered in the mountains of West Virginia couldn’t possibly understand.
Despite the maturity she’d achieved, Lou was still naive about life. He could hear it in her voice, still so soft and lilting, even if it now carried only a trace of the mountain-hollow accent that had once been so thick. He could see it in her face, too, still so delicate and angelic, framed by a light brown halo of hair. Hair that had once been lank and lifeless but was now shiny and boyishly cut. Somehow, the style only reinforced his protective instincts, because it drew more attention to her wide brown eyes and their undeniable innocence. Those eyes were so dark and compelling, a man had to hold on to himself to keep from drowning in them.
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