Christmas Stalking. Margaret Daley

      This Christmas, we’ve got some fabulous treats to give away! ENTER NOW for a chance to win £5000 by clicking the link below.

       www.millsandboon.co.uk/ebookxmas

      UNDERCOVER FOR THE HOLIDAYS

      Bodyguard Ellie St. James has one objective: protect her client...without letting her know. Pretending to be Rachel “Winnie” Winfield’s assistant lets Ellie stay close, but there’s an unexpected complication—Colt Winfield. Winnie’s grandson wasn’t in on the plans, and the suspicious marine biologist isn’t easy to fool. When the truth comes out, so do more threats to Winnie’s life. Trapped on a Colorado mountain, Ellie and Colt must trust each other to guard Winnie and find the stalker. Before this Christmas becomes their last.

      “What are you hiding, Ellie?”

      “What makes you think I’m hiding something?” Ellie busied herself pouring the hot water into a mug.

      “I get the feeling there’s something in your past you don’t like to talk about,” Colt murmured.

      “I didn’t know full disclosure about all details of my life was necessary for me to get this job. Your grandmother seems satisfied.”

      He dipped his head in a curt nod. “Winnie is a great judge of character.”

      Meaning he had his doubts?

      One of the reasons she liked being a bodyguard was that she could blend into the background. She kept a lock on her past—a past she didn’t want to take out and reexamine.

      “If you must know, the short version of my life so far is—”

      “That’s okay—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up something painful.”

      “What did you mean?”

      “To make sure Winnie was in good hands.”

      She stared into his light blue eyes. “She’s in good hands. When I do a job, I do it one hundred percent.”

       About the Author

      MARGARET DALEY feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun. Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for more than twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and has participated in many sports with her students.

      Christmas Stalking

      Margaret Daley

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

       Before you start reading, why not sign up?

      Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

       SIGN ME UP!

      Or simply visit

      signup.millsandboon.co.uk

      Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

      For if ye forgive men their trespasses,

      your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

      —Matthew 6:14

      To Shaun and Kim, my son and daughter-in-law

      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

       DEAR READER

       QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

       TEASER CHAPTER

      ONE

      In the dark, Ellie St. James scanned the mountainous terrain out her bedroom window at her new client’s home in Colorado, checking the shadows for any sign of trouble before she went to sleep. The large two-story house of redwood and glass blended in well with the rugged landscape seven thousand feet above sea level. Any other time she would appreciate the beauty, but she was here to protect Mrs. Rachel Winfield.

      A faint sound punched through her musing. She whirled away from the window and snatched her gun off the bedside table a few feet from her. Fitting the weapon into her right palm and finding its weight comforting, she crept toward her door and eased it open to listen. None of the guard dogs were barking. Maybe she’d imagined the noise.

      A creak, like a floorboard being stepped on, drifted up the stairs. Someone was ascending to the second floor. She and her employer were the only ones in the main house. She glanced at Mrs. Winfield’s door two down from hers and noticed it was closed. Her client kept it that way only when she was in her bedroom.

      So who was on the stairs? Had someone gotten past the dogs outside and the security system? And did that someone not care that he was being heard coming up the steps? Because he didn’t intend to leave any witnesses?

      The latest threat against Mrs. Winfield urged her into action. She slipped out of her room and into the shadows of the long hallway that led to the staircase. Having memorized all the floorboards that squeaked, Ellie avoided the left side of the corridor as she snuck forward—past Mrs. Winfield’s door.

      Another sound echoed through the hall. Whoever was on