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      About the Author

      SAMANTHA HUNTER lives in Syracuse, New York, where she writes full-time. When she’s not plotting her next story, Sam likes to work in her garden, quilt, cook, read and spend time with her husband and their dogs. Most days you can find Sam chatting on the Blaze^® boards at eHarlequin.com, or you can check out what’s new, enter contests or drop her a note at her website, www.samanthahunter.com.

      Dear Reader,

      Summer is here, my favourite season, and I am thrilled to be part of this collection with Tawny Weber and Heather McAllister. In Mine Until Morning, Jonas and Tessa spend a stormy night in a Philadelphia blackout. Blackouts have a way of bringing people closer, and Jonas and Tessa become very close during their adventure.

      Jonas is also suffering his own personal blackout due to his recent blindness, but being in a blackout levels the playing field as he helps Tessa cross the city of Philadelphia in order to help a friend. Jonas also has three gorgeous brothers—all of whom will have their own stories, so keep an eye out for my BERRINGER BODYGUARD books.

      Animals are a huge part of my life and often appear in my books, and Mine Until Morning is no exception. I hope you enjoy meeting Irish, the feline partner at the Berringer Bodyguard Agency! To find out more about him, be sure to check out Blazeauthors.com, and learn all about our new Pet Project!

      Happy summer,

       Samantha Hunter

      Thanks to Julie Dutt, for help in understanding

      scent, soap-making, how to set up Tessa’s soap

      shop, and for the great soaps she makes to go

      with my books. Check her out on

      Twitter: @latherati.

      Many thanks to Diana Holquist and Madeline

      Walsh for help with Philadelphia specifics.

      Particularly thanks to Diana for info about the

      Fletcher St. Urban Riding Club that matches

      inner city youth with rescue horses, inspiring

      the appearance of one of Philly’s Urban

      Cowboys in the book.

      Many thanks to Eileen at SEPTA Customer

      Service in Philadelphia, for quick, friendly

      responses about SEPTA Blackout/Emergency

      policies and city route information.

      And to Mike, much love and thanks for

      everything, as always.

       1

      1:00 p.m. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

      JONAS BERRINGER FLIPPED the Closed sign on the door of the soap shop, Au Naturel. For the ten hours that the shop was open, all he could think about was being alone with the owner, Tessa Rose.

      It was a swelteringly hot Philadelphia evening, which was the norm lately. Though it was cool in the storefront, the air-conditioning making it cool where he stood. Plain wood shelves were artfully stacked with every color and scent of soap and lotion he could imagine. Small baskets of samples, lip balms and various other trinkets and testers were placed strategically where customers would find them.

      It was classy, elegant and yet still somehow warm and inviting, much like Tessa herself. Aromas of what he now recognized as jasmine, sandalwood, orange and vanilla, among others, filtered through his senses.

      The back room wasn’t air-conditioned, and a blast of heat hit him as he walked into the small foundry, the workroom where Tessa made her products.

      It was a little bigger than the actual store and twice as pungent. He’d gotten used to it though, and it didn’t seem overwhelming anymore.

      Several tubs and two stoves took up almost all of one wall, and there were shelves of wood soap molds and various containers, amber vials and tools there, as well. On the other side of the room, shelves of curing soaps lined a wall next to a refrigerated unit where more perishable supplies were kept. There was a table for cutting and wrapping next to the desk where Tessa did her accounting.

      “Jonas,” she said, her pretty blue-grey eyes warming as she looked up before he announced his presence. He knew that she’d been waiting for him, too. They’d been dancing around this, around each other, for several weeks. Now, it was finally going to happen.

      He closed the distance between them, oblivious to the slippery coating of lotions and oils slathered on her hands; she’d been working. He didn’t care about the mess as he pulled her up against him.

      “Jonas!” she exclaimed with a laugh before he covered her mouth with his in a hot kiss that left no guessing as to how hungry he was for her. He walked her back until she was pinned between him and the table behind her. She moaned, pressing tight against him, returning his passion kiss for kiss.

      Jonas buried his face in her neck. “You like driving me crazy, don’t you?” he accused playfully, nipping her earlobe.

      Tessa had always been hands off. The boss’s daughter. A woman way out of his league. But being around her 24/7 for the past weeks had pushed his control to the limit, and now all bets were off.

      She sighed against his cheek as he nibbled at the soft lines of her throat, and then pulled away.

      “I’ve been trying my hardest. I thought you’d never give in,” she said with a sexy smile. “You and that iron control of yours.”

      “You have too many clothes on,” he said gruffly.

      Continuing to smile at him in that minxlike way she had, she wiped her hands on a nearby cloth and slid the smock from her shoulders that she always wore while making her soaps and lotions.

      Underneath, there was a simple yellow sundress with a halter top tied around her very graceful neck. When she reached up to hang the smock on a hook by the worktable, he could see her delectable shape outlined underneath.

      He wanted to touch and kiss every inch of her.

      “I’ll be right back. I need to lock up,” she said, sliding him a glance, still playing. Tempting him. Making him wait.

      “I already did.