Kingston's Captive (Kingston Security 2)

By Carole Mortimer

KINGSTON’S CAPTIVE (Kingston Security 2) is the second book in USA Today and Amazon International #1 Bestselling Author, Carole Mortimer’s, Contemporary Romantic Suspense series.

Adam is learning the hard way that having feelings for a certain woman doesn’t necessarily mean she’s ever going to return those feelings. Especially if that woman is the beautiful but stubbornly infuriating Cara Ferrari-Smythe.

But Adam is only too happy to ignore Cara’s objections to having his presence in her life when he knows she’s once again in danger.

When Cara first saw the dark and brooding Adam Kingston again a year ago, at an art exhibition where some of her paintings were being shown, it had felt as if she had been waiting forever for him to come back into her life. That Adam didn‘t feel the same way about her became obvious, when he didn’t so much as speak one word to her that night before leaving, let alone acknowledge the two of them had ever met before.

Then a week later Cara saw him again, walking past her London home. And again a few days later, outside a restaurant, where she was having lunch with friends. She saw him again, and again, until Cara knew the ‘coincidence’ of them suddenly being in the same place at the same time wasn’t coincidence at all but was being deliberately engineered by Adam Kingston.

Why he was doing it, Cara still had no idea.

Asking him for help when it seems she’s once again in danger is definitely not on her list of things to do.

Adam doesn’t agree, and Cara soon discovers he’s one very stubborn and determined man.
Other books by Carole Mortimer
Kingston Security:
Kingston’s Ransom (Kingston Security 1)
Kingston’s Captive (Kingston Security 2)

Ruthless Regency Dukes:
The Wager (Ruthless Regency Dukes 1)

Dance with the Devil – Contemporary Romance series:
MATTEO (Dance with the Devil 1)
LEON (Dance with the Devil 2)
KILLIAN (Dance with the Devil 3)
JERICHO (Dance with the Devil 4)
KIERAN (Dance with the Devil 5)
Series now complete

Regency Scandal
WANTON (Regency Scandal 1)
WILD (Regency Scandal 2)
WAYWARD (Regency Scandal 3)
SINFUL (Regency Scandal 4)
Series complete
Russian Dragon Heat
VLADIMIR (Russian Dragon Heat 1)
VAUGHN (Russian Dragon Heat 2)
VIKTOR (Russian Dragon Heat 3)

Regency Club Venus:
Bks 1-5 Series now complete

Steele Protectors contemporary romance Series:
Bks 1-6 Series now complete

Regency Men in Love – MM romance written as C A Mortimer
HIDDEN LOVER (Regency Men in Love 1)
HIDDEN DESIRE (Regency Men in Love 2)

Regency Lovers Series:
Bks 1-6 Series now complete

Dragon Hearts:
Bks 1-8 Series now complete

Regency Sinners Series:
Bks 1-8: Series now complete

Regency Unlaced Series:
Books 1-9: Series is now complete

Contemporary Romance Knight Security Series – spin-off to Alpha Series:
Books 0.5–6: Series is now complete

Contemporary Romance Alpha Series:
Books 1-8: Series is now complete.

Carole Mortimer has written over 270 books, in contemporary romantic suspense, Regency romance, MM Regency romance & paranormal romance. She became an indie author in 2014. In May 2017 she received a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times. She is the Recipient of the 2015 Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Is an Entertainment Weekly Top 10 Romance Author—ever. Carole is a 2014 Romantic Times Pioneer of Romance. She was also recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012, for her “outstanding service to literature”.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carole Mortimer
• Release date: May 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9781914336034

Carole Mortimer

Carole Mortimer was born in England, the youngest of three children. She began writing in 1978, and has now written over one hundred and seventy books for Harlequin Mills and Boon®. Carole has six sons, Matthew, Joshua, Timothy, Michael, David and Peter. She says, ‘I’m happily married to Peter senior; we’re best friends as well as lovers, which is probably the best recipe for a successful relationship. We live in a lovely part of England.’

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Cara opened the back door of her house and stepped outside. Straight into a brick wall masquerading as a man. Or was it a man masquerading as a brick wall? When it came to Adam Kingston, Cara wasn’t sure.

Whichever it was, he was standing in her way. Deliberately so, she realized, when he made no effort to step aside.

Move! she instructed forcefully. "Adam, I said move, damn it." She tilted her head back to glare at him.

I should put you over my knee and spank your arse for being so fucking reckless! he muttered as he purposefully moved her back inside the house before closing and locking the door behind him.

Cara stared up at him in the confines of the hallway. What did you just say?

You heard me the first time, he growled aggressively.

Yes, she had, but she was giving him the chance to retract that incendiary comment. She should have known better. Adam Kingston was a law unto himself.

As always happened, no matter what the circumstances, just looking at Adam was enough to steal Cara’s breath away, even more so when the narrow hallway made it impossible for her to ignore the heat and power coming off his body in waves. In response, her own body had become instantly aroused, her nipples engorging and heat flooding between her thighs.

Because, at the age of thirty-nine, dark-haired Adam was one of the most savagely attractive men she had ever met. With emphasis on the savage.

With his naturally swarthy complexion, dark and piercing eyes, a sharp blade of a nose between high cheekbones, sculpted lips which were invariably unsmiling, and the dark scruff on his square jawline, Adam always gave the impression of being ready to defend whatever needed defending. A fight he had no doubt he would win.

A belief backed up by the fact he was so damned big, he dominated whatever space he was in.

At least a foot taller than Cara’s own two inches over five feet, he had shoulders wide enough to block a doorway—seconds ago, this doorway. His chest was muscular, the ridges of his hard abs clearly visible against the close-fitting black T-shirt he wore beneath a battered black leather jacket.

The tattoos on his body added to those other indications of his being dangerous. An impression Cara had never seen him do a single thing to contradict. Even when he wasn’t moving, Adam gave off a vibe of power and lethal intent.

She also knew that ink decorated the length of his right arm and from just beneath the elbow of his left one, with more of the same on his neck. Cara had a feeling there were more tattoos on his chest, although never having seen him without one of the T-shirts he always wore, she couldn’t be sure. Not that she hadn’t wanted to; the opportunity had just never materialized. Unfortunately.

Her sister, Rosie, was going to marry Adam’s cousin Max next week, and she’d told Cara that Adam had added the tattoos on his body over the years to cover the scars from injuries he’d received when he was part of the military, mostly in the Special Forces team he and Max led as the captain and major.

Cara knew both men had resigned from the army almost ten years ago to open a security firm with Max’s five brothers. Some of Adam’s visible tattoos looked as if they might have been added during that time, leading her to wonder what sort of security the Kingston family provided for their clients.

That aside, her fingers had itched, more than once, to trace the outlines of Adam’s tattoos. All of them.

As well as the T-shirt and leather jacket, Adam wore buttery soft black jeans that rested low down on his hips, the denim material so old, there was a slightly faded patch on his bulge at the front. He was also wearing black biker boots with steel toecaps on what looked to be very large feet.

Now, what was it she’d once heard said about the size of a man’s feet reflecting the size of his—

Oh, for God’s sake!

Cara didn’t have time to speculate on the physical attributes of Mr. Silent-and-Lethal right now. What she needed to do was get away. To go somewhere, anywhere, where she could throw off what felt like a heavy weight resting on her chest and feel as if she could breathe again.

Unbelievable! She decided attack was the best form of defense. Normally you don’t have a word to say to me, and then when you do, you threaten to spank me. A threat that should incite the anger she’d implied it had, but instead made her ache with arousal.

I speak to you, Adam growled.

When? she challenged.

He gave a shake of his head. All the time.

I beg to differ, she derided. You talk to your two dogs more than you do me. Again, she knew from Rosie that the guard dogs living on the Kingston family estate, Rottweilers named Loki and Thor, belonged to Adam.

His brown eyes darkened to black. I don’t speak to them. I give them instructions.

Cara snorted. I suppose I should be grateful you don’t attempt to do the same to me.

His mouth twisted. Would it have a favorable result if I did?

Absolutely not.

That’s what I thought.

Her frown lifted. I suppose it’s something if you already knew that.

Adam’s jaw tightened. And the reason I should spank your arse is because you know Langley is out on bail, pending further police investigation into whether or not he kidnapped you or you attacked him while the two of you were away for a romantic weekend together.

All humor faded from Cara’s expression. I already know that, and the reason I do is because I was also in the courtroom when the judge announced that as being his decision. It was the reason she hadn’t been able to breathe properly in the hour since.

It was also why, during the furor that had broken out in the courtroom immediately after they heard the judge’s decision, Cara had quietly escaped the room without anyone noticing her leaving.

She’d left by the back doors, well away from where the reporters and other media were waiting to pounce on anyone leaving through the front of the building.

The story of how Cara Ferrari-Smythe, the politician Richard Smythe’s daughter, claimed to have been kidnapped for the second time in her life was all over the front page of the newspapers. It was also the reason Cara had been dodging reporters all week.

She was going to need to avoid them even more after the judge’s decision today and the release on bail of the man she insisted had carried out the second kidnapping.

In those circumstances, she’d been grateful to reach home earlier without being stopped by anyone. She’d hurried upstairs once she reached home and changed into less formal clothing than the black business suit she’d worn to court. Her intention had been to leave again before anyone realized she was here.

She desperately needed to disappear somewhere so she could be alone to just think.

She should have known Adam wouldn’t let her do that.

He’s been a thorn in her butt, and never far from sight, ever since he and his cousins had found her a week ago on the island where James Langley had taken her.

But James—Langley, she added hastily when the frown on Adan’s brow became even darker at her using the familiarity of the other man’s first name. I made sure he was still in the courtroom when I left, she reasoned.

Adam scowled at her. And he could have had men waiting outside. By leaving in the way you did, without telling anyone where you were going, you left yourself wide open for being kidnapped again.

She snorted. It seemed preferable to the alternative of my throwing up in the middle of the courtroom! Besides, I’m not answerable to you for my actions.

The intense glitter of Adam’s eyes and his large hands clenching into fists at his sides told her that he really wished she was. No doubt because then he would feel justified in carrying out his threat to put her over his knee and spank her.

Cara happened to think her behavior this morning had been completely logical, given the circumstances of James’s unexpected release.

And if this Neanderthal even attempted to put her over his knee, she’d make sure he regretted it.

Adam shook his head. You can’t just disappear like that when there’s now a fucking psychopath loose on the streets whose soul raison d’etre is to hunt you down and kill you.

Thanks for that! She gave a shudder. And he wasn’t loose when I left the courtroom, she reasoned.

But he is now. The press will have also left the court building by now, and will no doubt be arriving back here again in a few minutes.

"Which is exactly why I was leaving out the back door. Was, obviously being the operative word," she snapped.

Where were you going? he demanded.

Initially just for a drive out of the city. But if I’d found somewhere I felt safe I maybe would have stayed there for a few days.

Without luggage?

She shrugged. As I said, I’m not sure where I’m going or for how long yet.

Did you call Rosie and let her know you were leaving London?

I would have called her once I’d decided what I was doing, Cara snapped her irritation. She and Rosie had always been close, more so since the kidnapping ten years ago, and she didn’t welcome Adam’s implied criticism of her not having confided in Rosie on this occasion. Because she would have called her sister once she’d calmed down enough to sound relaxed when she did so.

Not good enough, Adam rasped.

I don’t believe I asked for your opinion.

I don’t believe I give a fuck!

She eyed him frustratedly. What exactly are you doing here?

His eyes narrowed. Making sure you’re safe.

Cara snorted. I didn’t ask you to do that.

Truth was, she never asked this man to do anything where she was concerned, he just did it. Usually without saying a word. In fact, this conversation was the longest they’d had in the week since Adam and his cousins had helped rescue her from where she was being held captive by James Langley.

"I didn’t ask you if I could either, he came back curtly. It is what it is."

Her eyes narrowed. And if I don’t want you to ensure my safety?

That’s just too bad.

No one could ever accuse Adam of being subtle.

Not that Cara didn’t appreciate him wanting to protect her. She’d just appreciate it more if he would actually talk to her about it first.

This isn’t your responsibility, Adam, she reasoned. "I’m not your responsibility."

His narrowed eyes glittered. I think I’m the one who gets to decide that.

No—

Yes. His tone brooked no further argument on the subject. At least until the authorities get their heads out of their arses and rearrest the duplicitous bastard, he added in a hard voice.

Cara shrugged. "From