Hidden Agenda. Kara Lennox

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      Beyond appearances

      Work undercover, catch the bad guy, become a full-time Project Justice investigator. Simple enough plan, until Jillian Baxter recognizes the man she’s investigating. Her new “boss” is none other than Conner Blake—her childhood crush. Luckily, he has no idea who she is, since Jillian is no longer Jillybean, the short, overweight teenager he publicly humiliated.

      Despite their past, Jillian knows Conner isn’t a murderer. Nor is he that same cruel boy. In fact, there’s much to admire about the man he is. Still, this is an ongoing case and whatever is happening between them will have to wait. As she gets closer to finding the killer, she must decide if she can trust Conner with the truth. And that could be her toughest decision yet.

      “What the hell are you doing in here?”

      Conner stepped inside and closed the door.

      “Oh, Conner, you startled me. I was hoping Mr. Cuddy could give me the budget for the office party—”

      “You were in here alone, with the door closed. Drop the dumb-blonde act, Jillian. I happen to know you’re highly intelligent. So I’ll repeat myself. What the hell are you doing in Cuddy’s office?”

      “What did you come in here for? You didn’t even knock.”

      “I needed something from my office for the meeting. Since I was headed this way, Cuddy asked me if I’d get his…his phone.”

      Jillian couldn’t believe this. Conner was lying, too!

      “I don’t see his phone,” Jillian said casually.

      “Guess he didn’t forget it after all. Probably put it in the wrong pocket or something.”

      “Is that the story you’re going to stick with?”

      He crossed his arms. “Mine’s better than yours.”

      For the span of a few heartbeats they stared at each other, challenging.

      A rattling of the office doorknob caused Conner’s eyes to widen with apprehension. “Follow my lead.” Without warning he wrapped his arms around her and planted his mouth firmly on hers.

      Dear Reader,

      What was your most humiliating incident in high school? Almost every woman can remember a moment during her vulnerable teen years when she wished the earth would swallow her up, or she could move to a different state and change her name. And was there a boy involved? If you could see him again today, what would you say?

      Fortunately, most of us can laugh at those cringe-worthy memories. But Jillian, the heroine of Hidden Agenda, isn’t ready to laugh. At age fourteen she was humiliated and she had her heart broken. Now, just when she gets a chance to prove herself in the eyes of her Project Justice colleagues, she has to work side by side with the boy—now a man—she used to love with all her heart, then vowed to hate forever.

      I had a great deal of fun with Jillian. She’s made an appearance in all five Project Justice books, and I’m excited to give her her own story. I hope you enjoy her journey.

      All best,

      Kara Lennox

      Hidden Agenda

      Kara Lennox

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Kara Lennox has earned her living at various times as an art director, typesetter, textbook editor and reporter. She’s worked in a boutique, a health club and an ad agency. She’s been an antiques dealer, an artist and even a blackjack dealer. But no work has ever made her happier than writing romance novels. To date, she has written more than sixty books. Kara is a recent transplant to Southern California. When not writing, she indulges in an ever-changing array of hobbies. Her latest passions are bird-watching, long-distance bicycling, vintage jewelry and, by necessity, do-it-yourself home renovation. She loves to hear from readers. You can find her at www.karalennox.com.

      For my best friend in high school and college, Anne O’Connor.

      We sure had some adventures.

      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

       Chapter Sixteen

       Epilogue

       Excerpt

       CHAPTER ONE

      I’M IN! JILLIAN BAXTER tried not to let the sense of triumph show on her face as the personnel director, Joyce Carrington, droned on about vacation policy and 401(k) plans. Jillian had crossed her first hurdle as a field investigator at Project Justice: she’d been hired by Mayall Lumber. Now she would infiltrate the company and catch a murderer.

      “Well, we can go over all this when you officially start,” Joyce said breezily. She was a pleasant, matronly sort with a cloud of dark, frizzy hair escaping from numerous barrettes, a blouse with a coffee stain, and a desk piled high with messy stacks of paper itching to be sorted and organized. “We’ll make the job offer official as soon as Mr. Blake signs off.”

      “Mr. Blake?”

      “He’ll be your direct supervisor,” Joyce said. “I’ll warn you, he’s quite challenging. He’s been through four admins this year already. But with your experience, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble.”

      Jillian’s experience was mostly fabricated. Daniel Logan, CEO of Project Justice, had put together a résumé that had made her sound like the best administrative assistant in all of Texas, making sure her stellar references would check out.

      But Jillian had full confidence in her ability to please this Mr. Blake, whoever he was. He couldn’t possibly be any more demanding than Daniel was, and she’d been Daniel’s personal assistant for years before transferring to the foundation’s investigative arm.

      “I’ll walk you