The man behind the headlines… When billionaire Lucas Carrington returns to his New York mansion, he never expects to find beautiful stranger Kate Whitley making herself at home. Invited by his aunt to stay, he soon discovers she’s a woman in need. She’s raising funds for her sick daughter, so he agrees to let her stay—temporarily! Kate may not belong in Lucas’s high-society world, but she sees there is more to this tycoon than the headlines suggest. Yet with so much at stake, can she trust herself and her heart with New York’s most sought-after bachelor? “You and I are going to be housemates for the night.” “What? But I couldn’t—” “Yes, you can. Have you looked outside lately? It’s pouring. And it’s late at night.” Her lips pressed into a firm line as she got to her feet and pushed in the chair. “I don’t need your charity.” “Who says it’s charity? You’d be saving me from a load of trouble with my aunt if she found out I kicked you to the curb on a night like this.” Kate’s hand pressed to her hip, which was hidden beneath the folds of the oversize robe. “Are you being on the level?” She didn’t have any idea what it was costing him to ask her to stay, even for one night. This place was a tomb of memories. He didn’t want anyone inside here, witnessing his utter failure to keep his family together. But there was something about Kate—more than the dark smudges beneath her eyes—more than how he found himself attracted to her. There was a vulnerability in her gaze. Something he’d guess she’d gone to great pains to hide from everyone, but he’d noticed. Maybe because he’d been vulnerable before, too. “You don’t look too sure about this.” He was usually much better with his poker face, but the dismal events of the day combined with the lateness of the hour were his undoing. “I’m not. Let’s just go to bed.” Her drooping eyelids lifted and he immediately realized how his words could be misconstrued. “Alone.” Dear Reader, Sometimes life can be a crazy, mixed bag of surprises. And when you least expect it, your life’s journey can suddenly veer off into uncharted territory. This is what happens when elusive bachelor of the year Lucas Carrington cuts a less-than-stellar business trip short and returns home early. On a dark, stormy night he stumbles across an intruder. To say he’s caught off guard by the beautiful woman’s presence is putting it mildly, but he’s bound and determined to get her out the door…one way or the other. But Kate Whitley isn’t so easily deterred, not when she thinks she’s in the right. But Mr. Oh So Sexy is a problem she just doesn’t need at this juncture in her life. And especially when he is as hot as he is mysterious. Thank you for joining Lucas and Kate as their complicated lives collide. And though both have vowed not to put their scarred hearts back on the line, they find there’s a way they can help each other. But in the process, can they learn to love again? I really hope you enjoy their story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy reading, Jennifer SAFE IN THE TYCOON’S ARMS Jennifer Faye In another life Jennifer Faye was a statistician. She still has a love for numbers, formulas and spreadsheets, but when she was presented with the opportunity to follow her lifelong passion and spend her days writing and pursuing her dream of becoming a Harlequin® author, she couldn’t pass it up. These days, when she’s not writing, Jennifer enjoys reading, fine needlework, quilting, tweeting and cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins. She lives in Pennsylvania with her amazingly patient husband, two remarkably talented daughters and their two very spoiled fur babies, otherwise known as cats—but shh…don’t tell them they’re not human! Jennifer loves to hear from readers—you can contact her via her website, www.jenniferfaye.com. Recent books by Jennifer Faye SNOWBOUND WITH THE SOLDIER RANCHER TO THE RESCUE These and other titles by Jennifer Faye are available in ebook format from www.Harlequin.com. For Viv. Thank you for being such a good friend over the years. Your helpful advice and unending support are deeply appreciated. Here’s to the future of possibilities. Contents CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN EPILOGUE EXCERPT CHAPTER ONE A DEAFENING CRACK of thunder rumbled through the darkened house. Kate Whitley pressed a hand to her pounding chest. She’d hated storms since she was a little kid. A brilliant flash of lightning sent shards of light slashing across the hallway while rain pelted the window. Mother Nature certainly had a wicked sense of humor. Actually, it seemed as though life as a whole was mocking Kate. Absolutely nothing was going according to plan, no matter how hard she fought to put things right. Her fingers pushed against the cold metallic plate on the swinging hall door. Inside the kitchen, the glare from the overhead light caused her to squint. What in the world was going on? She could have sworn she’d turned everything off before going upstairs. Hadn’t she? She sighed and shook her head. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. The long nights of tossing and turning instead of sleeping were finally catching up to her. And it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. In a few more hours, she had to be fully alert. There were decisions only she could make—lifesaving decisions. If only she could get a little shut-eye, she’d be able to think clearly. But first, Mother Nature had to quiet down. No one could rest with all this ruckus. It didn’t ease her nerves being away from home, even if she was staying in a New York City mansion. This place was nothing like her two-bedroom, ranch- style house in Pennsylvania. Though this oversize house contained some of the most breathtaking architecture, there was something missing—the warmth that made a building more than just a place to hang your coat, the coziness that made it home. In a big city where she barely knew anyone, she and this house had a couple of things in common—being lonely and forgotten. Somehow it seemed like fate that she’d ended up in this deserted mansion. A warm, loving home had somehow always eluded her, and just when she thought she’d made one of her own, it too was about to be snatched out from under her. Sadness weighed heavily on her as her bare feet moved silently across the kitchen tiles. The coldness raced up through her pink painted toes to her bare legs and sent goose bumps cascading down her arms. Spring may have brought warmer days, but the nights were still chilly. She rubbed her palms up and down her arms, willing away her discomfort. Perhaps her long T-shirt wasn’t the