The Secrets of Her Past. Emilie Rose

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      An irresistible attraction!

      Veterinarian Madison Monroe faces her days by ignoring her past. That’s impossible when her former brother-in-law Adam Drake appears. She’d love to refuse his demands for help—who needs his attitude? But she owes the family. So fine, she’ll work at their vet clinic, then walk away.

      Easier said than done. Being with Adam shows the differences between the twin brothers. Intense and intriguing Adam makes her feel things she never felt before. Worse, Adam gets past her defenses, putting her carefully hidden secrets in jeopardy. And once the truth comes to light, everything will change!

      Had Adam always been this handsome?

      Of course he had. He looked just like Andrew, only with shorter hair, more muscles and a scowl that was somehow more attractive than his brother’s charming grins had been.

      Why was he here?

      “This way,” he said before Madison could ask, and jerked his chin toward the end of the building from which he’d come. He reached for her bag, and in her confusion over his appearance, she didn’t release it fast enough.

      The heat of his hand covered hers on the handle and the contact zapped her. She snatched the tingling extremity away, and her pulse skittered out of control.

      Static electricity. That’s all it is.

      Who was she trying to fool? Warmth pooled low in her belly. She squashed that reaction.

      His gaze snapped to hers, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

      She carefully blanked her expression until he pivoted and headed for a pair of glass doors on the opposite side of the building from where she’d parked. A slow breath leaked from her lungs. For pity’s sake. You’d think she’d never been touched by a man before. She hadn’t in a long time. Years, actually. But still, celibacy was no excuse for her neglected hormones to start tap-dancing now, and for Andrew’s brother no less.

      Dear Reader,

      There are those who say you only get one chance at true love, and if you choose unwisely romance is over for you forever.

      I’m not one of those people.

      I believe in second chances. I believe that growing older makes us wiser and teaches us what’s really important in life and in a partner. Sometimes we find the one we were meant to be with only after we’ve earned a few bumps and bruises on our heart. I finally found my soul mate, and in this story Madison finds hers, but to do so she must face her painful past, overcome her fears and risk her wounded heart to see past the superficial and into the heart of the man who was meant for her.

      Come back to Quincey, North Carolina, with me. It’s a fictional town in the countryside through which I love to drive.

      Happy reading!

      Emilie Rose

      The Secrets of Her Past

      Emilie Rose

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Bestselling Harlequin author and RITA® Award finalist Emilie Rose lives in her native North Carolina with her own romance book hero and two adopted mutts. Her four sons have flown the coop. Writing is her third (and hopefully her last) career. She’s managed a medical office and run a home day care, neither of which offers half as much satisfaction as plotting happy endings. Her hobbies include gardening, fishing and cooking (especially cheesecake). She’s a country music fan because she can find an entire book in almost any song. She is currently working her way through her own “bucket list.” Visit her website, www.emilierose.com, or email her at [email protected]. Letters can be mailed to P.O. Box 20145, Raleigh, NC 27619.

      To my own romance book hero.

      We have traveled some very bumpy roads to find exactly where we were meant to be—with each other.

      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

       Chapter Seventeen

       Chapter Eighteen

       Excerpt

      CHAPTER ONE

      “BRING MADISON HOME.”

      Tension and loathing snatched a knot in Adam’s gut at the sound of his former sister-in-law’s name. He stared at his father across the motor home’s small galley table. “I know your diagnosis was a shock, but bringing her back into our lives would be a mistake.”

      “I disagree. At times like this we need family support.”

      “She’s not family, Dad. Not anymore. By her choice.”

      “Madison wasn’t responsible for your brother’s death. The ice storm was.”

      “Even if that was true—” and it wasn’t “—she betrayed you. After all you and Mom did for her, Madison took the life insurance money and disappeared immediately after Andrew’s funeral, and she hasn’t bothered to call and check on you since. Family wouldn’t do that.”

      “Madison was grieving, too, son, in her own way. She lost her husband and her son that night.”

      “A baby she didn’t want.” His father’s stubborn refusal to accept reality made Adam want to punch something.

      “You can’t know that, son.”

      “I know what Andrew told me. He said she resented the pregnancy.”

      “You only heard one side of the story. The pregnancy might have been unplanned and the timing less than ideal, but Madison would have been a good momma once the little one arrived.”

      “Damn it, Dad, her carelessness killed—” An abrupt slicing