The Detective's Undoing

Jill Shalvis

Cade McKnight was a loner…A man who liked his horizons open. Then the private investigator met Delia Scanlon. The sexy spitfire drove Cade to distraction and aroused his protective male instincts. He was supposed to uncover the truth about Delia's heritage–not sleep with his alluring client. Yet he was powerless against the woman who made him break his golden rule about never needing anyone and never letting anyone need him. She unleashed his tightly controlled emotions and made him feel alive again. And although he wanted her in his bed, he had no intentions of becoming Delia's willing groom. But how long could he ignore the longings of his heart?

The Heirs to the Triple M:

Three foster sisters vow to make their inherited ranch a home.

There was a dangerous edge to Cade McKnight, one that Delia didn’t understand.

For all his casual smiles and laughter, there remained a part of him that was always prepared for anything. Maybe it was the bright day, or the isolation, but she thought she saw a surprising depth to him now, and it made her take a good, long look at him.

He looked back just as steadily, without a hint of discomfort.

Hurt, she realized, startled. He was hiding a wealth of hurt just beneath his rough surface, and this unexpected side to the man she’d thought of only as a pain in her own rear end was unsettling.

She looked away first.

The Detective’s Undoing

Jill Shalvis

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

To Megan, warrior princess

JILL SHALVIS

When pressed for an answer on why she writes romance, Jill Shalvis just smiles and says she didn’t realize there was anything else. She’s written over a dozen novels so far and doesn’t plan on stopping. She lives in California, in a house filled with young children, too many animals and her hero/husband. Jill loves to hear from readers, and can be reached at P.O. Box 3945, Truckee, CA 96160.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Prologue

At six years old, Delia Scanlon knew everything she needed to about control.

Having it was the only way to survive.

As she hung upside down from a low branch on the tree outside the group home where she lived, her long blond hair swept the grass. Next to her hung her two foster sisters, Zoe and Maddie.

Actually, Maddie wasn’t hanging; the quiet, sweet little girl was too timid for that. She sat, gripping the branch for all she was worth, very carefully watching the ground beneath her.

Zoe, who was not quiet or sweet, hung by one leg, calmly inspecting the torn knees of her jeans. Upside down, she popped a huge bubble and casually said, “I’ve got three lollipops under my pillow.”

Delia’s mouth watered and she went all warm and fuzzy inside. She knew Zoe would share—that’s how it was between them. Maddie and Zoe were more than her foster sisters; they were her life.

It wasn’t easy being in the group home with too many kids and too few caretakers, but they were fed and clothed and safe. And they had each other. It was enough for Delia, who just wanted to be with Zoe and Maddie. They were family, no matter what everyone told them.

“When I marry a prince,” she announced, “he’ll take us away on his white horse. We’ll live in a beautiful castle where we can eat all the macaroni and cheese we want.”

“Will you have horses?” Zoe asked, snapping her gum.

“Lots. You’ll come?”

Zoe smiled dreamily. “Yeah.”

“Maddie?”

“I go anywhere you go.”

Delia, with her natural maternal instinct, liked the thought of taking care of her sisters for the rest of her life. “The three of us together.”

Maddie nodded solemnly.

Zoe flipped down from the tree and tossed back her hair. “I get to be in charge of the horses.”

“Sure.” Delia thought horses were dirty and smelled funny, but she wanted Zoe with her, so she’d promise her anything. “What do you want, Maddie?”

“To be a family,” Maddie said softly, her eyes shining wit