His Kind of Trouble

by Samantha Hunter

  Berringer Bodyguards File #3

  Name: Chance Berringer

  Trademarks: Chance by name… chance by nature!

  Biggest weakness: Adventure and beautiful women—especially when combined in one caliente cook!

  Danger is bodyguard Chance Berringer’s first, last and middle name. Protecting celebrity chef Ana Perez—a hot little firecracker with a mouth to match—for two weeks in Mexico is more vacation than job. Just keep his eyes on her, and his hands off. How hard can it be?

  Plenty hard.

  Ana doesn’t want a babysitter during the holidays. Even if Chance’s muscled hotness (complete with wicked grin) makes him a mouthwatering dish…. But when the heat starts sizzling in the bedroom—and beyond—will this hot tamale cause more trouble than Chance can handle?

  “Exactly how do I fit into this?”

  “It makes everything more complicated, because while I know you’re here only for a job, I felt something,” Ana said. “A spark. I had thought that you felt it, too, and perhaps that there would be...more.”

  “More?” Chance echoed, his voice low, and rougher in a way that rubbed over her skin.

  She smiled a little. “I’ve had lovers. I have a career. I don’t intend to get married or settle down, not anytime soon. But I’d hoped there could be more between us, at least while we were here in Mexico.”

  Chance seemed to consider what she’d told him, and then stepped even closer.

  “Thank you, Ana, for the truth. Here’s mine,” he said softly, lowering his head and taking her mouth in an unexpected kiss that wiped everything else from her mind.

  Chance’s hands were at her waist, pressing her close as he walked her back against the broad trunk of a tree in the garden, trapping her against it as the kiss deepened. She wanted him, more than she had known.

  And now she knew that he wanted her just as much….

  Dear Reader,

  We have exciting news! As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the Harlequin Blaze books you know and love have a brand-new look, starting this month. And it’s hot! Don’t you agree?

  But don’t worry—nothing else about the Blaze books has changed. You’ll still find those unforgettable love stories with intrepid heroines, hot, hunky heroes and a double dose of sizzle!

  Check out this month’s red-hot reads.…

  #729 THE RISK-TAKER by Kira Sinclair

  (Uniformly Hot!)

  #730 LYING IN BED by Jo Leigh

  (The Wrong Bed)

  #731 HIS KIND OF TROUBLE by Samantha Hunter

  (The Berringers)

  #732 ONE MORE KISS by Kathy Garbera

  #733 RELENTLESS SEDUCTION by Jillian Burns

  #734 THE WEDDING FLING by Meg Maguire

  I hope you’re as pleased with our new look as we are. Drop by www.Harlequin.com or www.blazeauthors.com to let us know what you think.

  Brenda Chin

  Senior Editor

  Harlequin Blaze

  His Kind of Trouble

  Samantha Hunter

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Samantha Hunter lives in Syracuse, New York, where she writes full-time for Harlequin Books. 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 Harlequin Blaze boards at Harlequin.com, or you can check out what’s new, enter contests or drop her a note at her website, www.samanthahunter.com.

  Books by Samantha Hunter

  HARLEQUIN BLAZE

  142—VIRTUALLY PERFECT

  173—ABOUT LAST NIGHT…

  224—FASCINATION*

  229—FRICTION*

  235—FLIRTATION*

  267—HIDE & SEEK*

  299—UNTOUCHED

  343—PICK ME UP

  365—TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP…

  478—HARD TO RESIST**

  498—CAUGHT IN THE ACT

  542—MAKE YOUR MOVE

  584—I’LL BE YOURS FOR CHRISTMAS

  620—MINE UNTIL MORNING

  659—STRAIGHT TO THE HEART

  720—YOURS FOR THE NIGHT†

  728—HERS FOR THE HOLIDAYS†

  *The HotWires

  **American Heroes

  †The Berringers

  To get the inside scoop on Harlequin Blaze and its talented writers, be sure to check out blazeauthors.com.

  Other titles by this author available in ebook format.

  To new friend and author Melissa Cutler, who inspired me with her travel stories to set this story in the Yucatan; it was fun, and now I want to visit.

  To my editor, Kathryn Lye,

  for all of her hard work on my books, and to

  Blaze senior editor Brenda Chin, who came up with this great set of series titles. Thank you both!

  As always, to Mike, with love.

  You make every day an adventure.

  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

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  Prologue

  JONAS, GARRETT, AND ELY Berringer—along with their cousin and new member of the team, Luke—were stunned as they watched the plasma TV screen together. Ana Perez, the petite Mexican chef on the screen, ordered her kitchen staff around with the authority of a military general. Garrett felt his spine straighten as he listened to her.

  The rant that ensued when a contestant on the show messed up was epic. The people in the kitchen—many of them large, serious-looking men—paled. Perez didn’t bother cleaning up her language all that much—though a good deal of it was in Spanish—when someone’s sauce was cloudy, or muddy, or their vegetables were limp.

  “Man, I bet the asparagus isn’t the only thing going limp in that kitchen,” Luke offered, earning a chuckle.

  If You Can’t Take the Heat..., Ana’s Mexican cooking show, was a hit, and her fiery, unforgiving disposition was one reason why. It was also the probable reason why someone had been harassing her—at least, that was the theory.

  “Holy—” Garrett whispered, unable to take his eyes from the screen. “I didn’t think they would let you say that on TV.”

  “It’s cable, but watching this, it’s not hard to believe that someone wants to knock her off,” Jonas added as he smothered a grin at his older brother’s glare.

  Shutting the television off and turning on the lights in their small conference room, Garrett, the oldest and the one who ran most of their business dealings, turned to the others.

  “This is a big opportunity for us. Getting a foot in the door with celebrities is tough, and the studio is desperate after her current detail quit. We can make some good money if we pick it up now,” he offered enticingly.

  “So she didn’t hire us?” Ely asked.

  “No. She’s not really thrilled about having a bodyguard. The production company is the boss. She’s their investment, and they want her safe for the new season. Two weeks in Mexico. Not so bad.”

  “Right, that’s why you’re jumping on it for yourself,” Ely said, leveling his brother a look. “I’m out. Lydia and I are heading back to Montana end of the week. I have a class starting in two weeks.”

  Ely and Lydia were moving to Montana, which had been a shock to everyone, but Garrett was happy for his brother. They all were. Ely would work special assignments when they really needed him, but otherwise, he was pursuing a new career as an architect, and
Lydia was opening a new branch of her tattoo shop.

  Jonas shook his head before Garrett could even speak the words. “Sorry. You’ve already got me booked, remember?”

  Garrett had forgotten, and grimaced.

  Everything was changing for the Berringer brothers, and for the better. Several successful cases had landed them more business than they could handle, and Garrett was starting to feel the pressure. He’d have to start interviewing some new bodyguards, and soon. All three brothers had met special women, and all three had walked down the aisle or were planning to; it made everything a lot more complicated.

  “I like Mexico and pretty women,” Luke volunteered, but all three brothers shook their heads. Their cousin Luke was the latest addition to the group, but he wasn’t ready to take on anything this high-profile or this dangerous. His specialty was white-collar work, anyway. Garrett hadn’t imagined him out on jobs so much as working from his computer.

  Garrett blew out a breath and accepted his fate.

  “Well, Tiffany is starting the FBI forensics course I gave her for Christmas tomorrow, so she won’t be around much, anyway. Looks like I take the bullet on this one,” Garrett said grimly, looking up at the TV. “Maybe that attitude of hers is all for the show,” he added hopefully.

  Before any more was said, the door opened, revealing a surprise for all of them as Chance walked in.

  “Hey, what are you doing home, little brother?” Jonas asked.

  “I thought you were off skiing until after the New Year,” Garrett chimed in but was nonetheless glad to see his youngest brother and welcomed him with a handshake and shoulder-bump.

  “Logan broke his leg and had to be airlifted off the mountain. It was a mess, multiple compound fractures. Was a tough time getting him off the mountain and through surgery. By the time he was out and set to go home, I decided to call it quits and come back here. So what’s going on? What are you all watching?” Chance asked, glancing at the TV.

  The three brothers all looked at each other, then at their youngest sibling with wide grins.

  Chance stared back. “What?”

  “You have great timing. We were just thinking about turning down a job because none of us are available,” Garrett said, fingers crossed.

  “No way. I’ll do it. What’s the job?”

  It was just like Chance to say he’d do it before he even knew what it was. Just what Garrett had been counting on. Garrett took a photo of Ana out of a file and pushed it across the table, watching his youngest brother’s jaw drop. “The show tapes in New York, and she’s leaving for Mexico the day after tomorrow. If you can get there tonight, even better. Everything you need to know is in the file.”

  Garrett watched his brother’s reaction and knew Chance was already hooked. Chance couldn’t say no to a hot woman, and Ana might be crazy, but she was hot.

  “Beautiful woman with a threat on her life. It’s custom-made for you,” Ely chimed in.

  Chance whistled at the photo, picking it up for a closer look. “Who’d want to harm a hair on this gorgeous creature’s head? I’m definitely your man,” he said to the photo more than to his brothers.

  Garrett’s grin widened. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  1

  IT WAS THE DAY AFTER Christmas, and Ana Perez had worked through the holiday. Something that had happened two years in a row since she’d started hosting her reality show, If You Can’t Take the Heat...

  She’d been taping for the next season every day, nonstop, and while the group of chef-wannabe contestants for this season were the best they’d ever had, that came with its own problems. Soon they would start their short midwinter hiatus before the taping of the finale. She was alone on the set, reviewing her notes concerning the contestants’ progress so far.

  Unlike the shows where players were voted off or eliminated by failing a task, on If You Can’t Take the Heat... the decision about who won was always Ana’s. That had been written into her contract; that had been a deal breaker. She wasn’t about to have her name associated with any chef recommendation that wasn’t from her directly, so winners could not be selected by chance or by personality wars. The tide was turning, however. The studio executives were being more intrusive in the show’s format, and in her life. Sometimes the producers wanted her to do stupid things—like a staged food fight on one show. Ana won a lot of those battles, but not all of them. It seemed as if the more famous she became, the less control she had over her life.

  Every meeting was deteriorating into a fight. Recently, they were debating taking control of the final decision away from her.

  Luckily, Ana was a fighter. No way was she giving that up.

  There was a lot of pressure on her, not just from the studio but from the audience and from the contestants. Not everyone agreed with her choices; some were almost pathological in letting her know what they thought, if her email or the show’s blog were any evidence.

  The recent harassment she had been experiencing was also the price of success. Ana didn’t pull punches or take it easy on her contestants, though she was rarely genuinely angry with them. Her tough treatment of them was in part for ratings—viewers liked the conflict—and also because she was a perfectionist who demanded the best of them.

  Ana couldn’t be a best friend to the people she was judging—better that they were afraid of her or didn’t like her than have them feel hurt or betrayed when she didn’t choose them to win. She’d made that mistake the first season with someone who had mistaken their friendship for an automatic win. Ana took a deep breath, shaking the memory off. It was wearying, sometimes, to say the least.

  If nothing else, every person on the show would benefit simply from the exposure of being here. Most got good job offers afterward, even when they didn’t win. For the ones who showed real promise, she sometimes connected them with someone who might further their training, behind the scenes. For Ana, it meant a big paycheck to help people back home in Mexico, and security for her and her family.

  That was important enough to put up with all the rest, she reminded herself.

  Shifting her attention back to the files on her lap, she reached for the glass of wine she’d poured before sitting. It had been the pairing for the smoky molé she’d had contestants working on for the past two days. Viewers saw only the final taping of the show, but Ana worked with contestants in the kitchens every day, all week long, teaching. Preparing.

  Making molé was an art in the small town on the Yucatán where she had lived until she turned twenty and came to the United States to attend cooking school, eight years before. The complex cooking project had allowed her to educate people about her home country and their traditions, as well.

  Bailey Knowles was the front-runner in her mind so far, a young woman from the Bronx who had no formal training and an uncanny ability to match tastes, textures and combinations in extraordinary ways. But she also had no classical culinary background and no interest in accumulating one.

  Still, Ana felt that training was an important companion to natural talent and couldn’t help but hesitate at selecting Bailey as her winner for the season.

  James Benois was next in line, an older contestant in his forties, making a comeback after being laid off from his corporate job two years before. He had a culinary education that he had let lapse in the eighteen years since he’d earned the degree, choosing to make a steady paycheck with a technology firm. Still, his story resonated with viewers and with Ana. He was good, solid and dependable, though not extremely creative. That could change as he loosened up a little. He was too anxious to please, perhaps too laid-back to run his own kitchen. Kitchens were busy, difficult, stressful places to work—a head chef had a lot of responsibility—and James had to be able to show he could stand up to the worst of it. Still, his easygoing manner was calming, and Ana found the contrast a positive one.

  There were four more, all having their own pluses and minuses, some exceptional in a particular way but less so in others.<
br />
  She stared down at Lionel Jenkins’s photo. She didn’t have many notes on Lionel. She knew his type and she didn’t like him on principle. From a wealthy Philadelphia family, Lionel was an excellent chef with perfect references and education. He could handle himself in the kitchen—she’d give him that—and he was very handsome, which was a big score with female viewers.

  Too bad he was also a total jerk. He cared about nothing but money and ambition, and while he could have walked into a lot of high-level chef positions, or probably have even started his own restaurant with his family’s money, he’d pulled strings to end up on the show. He was using them for the free promotion, a stepping stone in his career. He’d as much as told her so, which was why he was resistant to her criticism.

  Granted, that attitude would probably be a benefit when he ran his own kitchen—many chefs had egos bigger than their hats—but Ana wanted her winner to care about more than money. Ambition was important, but so was some demonstrable caring about food, community, the craft...all of it.

  Rubbing her eyes, she took a breath and closed the files. At least they were done with the taping, and now she only had to review all of the shows, interview her contestants one more time and make her decision. But for right now, she was ready to go home.

  Her heart swelled at the thought. She loved New York and the winter, which she had never known as a child in Mexico. But it wasn’t home.

  Soon, she reassured herself. Two weeks of heaven, where things were lovely, warm and welcoming. Where she could be herself among friends and family, with no stalkers or studio executives scrutinizing her every move.

  She missed having her own small cooking show, where she had happily instructed others to make authentic Mexican dishes. When she had started doing it in college—Ana’s Kitchen—they’d had one camcorder and had held the show in the dorm kitchen, uploading it to the internet.

  It took off, becoming one of the most highly rated cooking shows online. She’d then been offered a real cable TV show for the Cuisine Channel and, ultimately, the reality TV gig, If You Can’t Stand the Heat... And here she was. The show had been on for only two years, but it felt like ten.