If you like romance that blends twisting suspense with small-town charm, secret crushes, a stop-at-nothing protective hero, and a swoony happy ending, you’llyou’ll love Island Rescuer!
About the book:
Always the good girl, she dreamed of reforming the bad boy… Now she needs the protection only he can provide.
Heiress Harper Ellington is an expert at dodging charming opportunists. But the one man who truly captures her attention, Knox Moore, remains an enigmatic mystery.
His sudden presence in her familiar world feels different, charged with an undercurrent she can’t ignore.
When danger comes crashing down on Harper, the truth about Knox’s work as a Guardian Agency protector explodes into the open.
Amid the quaint backdrop of their small town, a high-stakes game of survival unfolds, forcing Harper and Knox to confront their long-held desires as they fight for their lives and a future rooted in an incomparable love.
Sneak Peek!
Prologue
We need you back in South Carolina. Report to the Ellington resort.
Knox stared at the text message, fruitlessly waiting for a “just kidding”. But his bosses at the Guardian Agency didn’t joke around with security and assignments.
Like all of the family-owned Ellington properties, the resort had an excellent security team in place, which could only mean one thing: another collaboration.
The family who owned the resort had been coordinating with the Guardian Agency more and more frequently in recent years. Combining efforts increased security and safety for guests and staff alike. Not to mention the high-profile family members.
Hospitality was a growing industry, fraught with unique challenges—exactly where the Guardian Agency researchers and protectors excelled.
On my way
His reply text was the only acceptable response. After his last assignment on Brookwell Island, he took himself on a vacation with only moderate success. Lately, he got bored quickly. He wasn’t exactly unsettled or discontent, he was simply happier on the job.
And a trip to the famous luxe resort came with an extra dose of personal incentive—or perpetual torture.
Harper Ellington.
The woman had intrigued him since they were kids. She’d always been cute and had grown into an incredible beauty, with glossy blonde hair and clear blue eyes. A Carolina girl to the bone with her lithe build, generous smile, and boundless independence.
He thought of her as a beacon, a bright light of hope and joy. But like the sun, he couldn’t look directly at her. Not for long. Little sister to a good friend, she’d always been off limits. Being the good-girl heiress to a substantial fortune, made her doubly so.
Though he’d done the work to become an upstanding citizen and get his life straight as an adult, he had been a hellion as a kid. Memories were long in the Southern communities where he’d grown up. Fathers of good girls—especially heiresses—didn’t allow the bad boys too close. Even when those bad boys had money to gloss over their lousy reputations.
Harper. An eagerness filled him as he grabbed his gear, despite the desperate and despondent mood that would inevitably follow. She was his dream girl—and absolutely untouchable.
Within thirty minutes he was on the road headed south. He knew the details would come through in an email, possibly a phone call, before he reached the resort. That gave him plenty of time to brace himself for the impact of being in Harper’s world again.
When he pulled over to fill up with gas he read the email from the office. The details weren’t anything out of the ordinary. Standard protection, absolute discretion. His researcher, Jenna, was local to the area. Although he was quite familiar with the South Carolina coast, he appreciated the additional expertise she would offer.
Time seemed to come to an abrupt halt as he read the name of the person he would be safeguarding and the general situation that required his presence.
Harper Ellington.
His mind blanked and the eagerness faded, replaced by a surge of worry. Her name in the context of the assignment put a pinch between his shoulder blades.
Harper was being threatened, the source and severity currently unknown.
Knox swore. Could he be an objective protector when it came to her?
Oh, he would definitely keep her safe. But ensuring her safety and keeping his objective, detached professional reserve? Not a chance.
His pulse kicked into high gear. The woman stirred him like no one else. She made him wish and long for things that he had no business contemplating. No one in their right mind would approve of him going out with her. The only thing keeping him sane lately was staying away, as far from her orbit as possible.
He climbed back into the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel tightly.
That was about to change. Big time.
Chapter 1
On Brookwell Island, the Pelican Pub was jumping when Harper Ellington walked in. Trivia nights were becoming a big deal and teams were forming up for this week’s game. Trash talking would start soon and she was ready for it.
Lately, these outings were the best place for her to cut loose and be herself. A place she could feel safe. She didn’t have to worry about maintaining her professionalism with staff nearby. And surrounded by her pals, she didn’t have to look over her shoulder either.
Glancing around the cozy bar favored by the island locals, she spotted her newest best friend, Trina Bollani, holding down a booth close to the bar for their team. Excellent.
Like Harper, Trina was from a long line of hoteliers. Unlike Harper, she’d left her home in Italy for an incredible opportunity. Trina managed the Inn, a small-ish local hotel with a lively and eclectic history. A significant update a few years back resulted in a spa, tea room, new wedding packages, and special events that drew all kinds of tourism to the small town.
The updates and improvements drove Rhett, Harper’s brother, crazy.
He was convinced the Inn stole business from Ellington properties in the Lowcountry. He was full of crap. There was plenty of tourism to go around. And, in the time-honored tradition of little sisters, Harper gleefully called him out for being dumb and grumpy when he had no cause. Thankfully, her brother’s primary role was to oversee the Ellington Cove in Key West, Florida so he wasn’t underfoot complaining all the time.
But tonight wasn’t about Rhett, the family, or business. Tonight was about having fun.
“Nice job.” Harper grinned. “Did you bribe someone?”
Trina slid out of the booth. “Location, location, location, right?”
“Absolutely.” Harper hugged Trina, then held her at arm’s length. “You look amazing!” she gushed.
Trina did a little spin and struck a pose. “You like it? I saw it at the Beach Belle on Central and couldn’t resist.” Petite and curvy, she was styled to perfection in flowing navy pants with tiny palm trees scattered from waist to hem and an emerald green wrap-top that showcased her lush, hourglass figure. Even her sandals coordinated, with jeweled palm trees sparkling over a flawless pedicure. Her black hair framed her face with casual waves and her big brown eyes were dancing.
“I love it.” Harper made a mental note to swing by the boutique with her mom one day soon. “Tell me everything,” she demanded as they slid into the booth. “What’s his name?”
Trina waved that off. “This isn’t for a man. It’s all for you. And the team.”
“The team, right.” Harper shook her head. “Not buying it.” She cast a look around, searching for someone who might fit Trina’s type: professional, intelligent, wildly attractive, and impeccably dressed.
“Stop.” She pressed her hands on the table. “The outfit is just for me,” Trina admitted. Her lips slanted into a mild frown. “I wanted to feel fabulous for a meeting this afternoon.”
“You nailed it.” Harper smiled. “Bet you slayed the meeting too.”
Trina grimaced. “Time will tell.” She didn’t sound the least bit happy or confident.
Harper bristled, immediately ready to defend her friend from any misplaced judgment. Since Trina had taken over, the Inn was thriving. Surely the revenue was increasing at an impressive pace. From Harper’s vantage point, it seemed as if Trina’s efforts were helping Brookwell Island become a destination in itself, instead of the usual afternoon excursion for visitors to Charleston.
“What do the stakeholders expect?” She caught herself before aiming a glare around the pub. The Inn was collectively owned by the town after falling into disrepair decades ago. A mayor with extraordinary vision and irrepressible determination had come up with the innovative plan.
“No, not the Inn. They’re happy. This involved the stakeholders in my life,” Trina explained. “The monthly family call.” She leaned in close to whisper, “How is it that an entire ocean isn’t enough of a buffer?”
“Yikes.”
Harper understood. The two women had been raised in families where the prime business was hotel and hospitality. And, like Trina, Harper was also feeling the family pressure to find a good partner and settle down. The aunts, her mother’s sisters, had been singing the worn-out refrain annually since she’d graduated college. The nagging only got louder now that her sisters-by-choice, Hannah and Sonya, were happily married. The Ellingtons considered them part of the family. Hannah and her husband Seth were expecting their first child and the aunts were over the moon, planning a baby shower to put all others to shame.
Though Harper was equally excited to become an aunt, she didn’t like the ridiculous pressure to settle down and procreate.
“How bad was it?” she asked.
Trina pressed her lips together. “They’re threatening to send eligible young men across the ocean to meet me.”
“Wow.” Harper sat with that for a moment, wrapping her head around the implications. She might’ve laughed if her friend didn’t look so miserable. “You win the outrageous family award. What can I do?” “Short of stirring up an international scandal, I’m not sure anything would shift their focus,” Trina admitted.
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