Authors: Leanne Banks
Harlequin Special Edition September 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Maverick for Hire\A Match Made by Baby\Once Upon a Bride (15 page)
“You think Melba will mind me sleeping in your room?” she
asked.
“For one thing, you won't be doing much sleeping,” he promised.
“Unless I'm wrong, Melba is going to be cheering. I wouldn't be surprised if
she's planning our wedding right now,” he said and carried Cecelia the rest of
the way to his room.
Nick had sworn off marriage and commitment, but now he thanked
his lucky stars he'd had sense enough to realize that Cecelia was the best thing
in his life. He'd always thought of marriage as the ultimate sacrifice. Now he
knew the truth. Being without the woman he loved would have been a much worse
sacrifice.
“I can't believe you're really mine,” she said, touching his
face.
“I'll show you every day,” he promised. “In every way.”
* * * * *
Don't miss the next installment of the new
Special Edition
continuity
MONTANA MAVERICKS:
20 YEARS
IN THE SADDLE!
Jonah Dalton swore he'd
never return to Rust Creek Falls, but when he's asked to help design the new
lodge outside town, he can't say no. The beautiful artist working on the hotel's
mural realizes that he's the cowboy for her...but can she win over his
once-burned, twice-shy heart?
Look for THE LAST-CHANCE MAVERICK
by
USA TODAY
bestselling author
Christyne Butler
On sale October 2014,
wherever Harlequin books
are sold.
Enjoy this sneak peek from
New York Times
bestselling author Diana
Palmer's TEXAS BORN, the latest in
THE LONG, TALL TEXANS
miniseries.
Forced from her home by her cruel stepmother, Michelle
Godfrey is out of luckâ¦until Gabriel Brandon comes to her rescue. The tall,
brooding cowboy is devilishly handsome, but he's her guardianâand nothing more.
As Michelle grows into the woman she's always wanted to be, can the shy beauty
show Gabriel that she's the only one he needs?
***
J
ust for an instant, Gabriel worried about
putting Michelle in the line of fire, considering his line of work. He had
enemies. Dangerous enemies who wouldn't hesitate to threaten anyone close to
him. Of course, there was his sister, Sara, but she'd lived in Wyoming for the
past few years, away from him, on a ranch they co-owned. Now he was putting her
in jeopardy along with Michelle.
But what could he do? The child had nobody. Now that her idiot
stepmother, Roberta, was dead, Michelle was truly on her own. It was dangerous
for a young woman to live alone, even in a small community. And there was also
the question of Roberta's boyfriend, Bert.
Gabriel knew things about the man that he wasn't eager to share
with Michelle. Bert was part of a criminal organization, and he knew Michelle's
habits. He also had a yen for her, if what Michelle had blurted out to Gabriel
once was trueâand he had no indication that she would lie about it. Bert might
decide to come try his luck with her now that her stepmother was out of the
picture. That couldn't be allowed.
Gabriel was surprised by his own affection for Michelle. It
wasn't paternal. She was, of course, far too young for anything heavy. She was a
beauty, kind and generous and sweet. She was the sort of woman he usually ran
from. No, strike that, she was no woman. She was still unfledged, a dove without
flight feathers. He had to keep his interest hidden. At least, until she was
grown up enough that it wouldn't hurt his conscience to pursue her.
Afterwardâ¦well, who knew the future?
***
Don't miss TEXAS BORN
by
New York Times
bestselling author Diana Palmer,
the latest installment in
THE LONG, TALL TEXANS
miniseries.
Available October 2014 wherever
Harlequin® Special Edition
books and ebooks are sold.
Copyright © 2014 by Diana Palmer
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Special Edition story.
You know that romance is for life.
Harlequin Special Edition
stories show that every chapter in a relationship has its challenges and delights and that love can be renewed with each turn of the page.
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ISBN-13: 9781460338728
Maverick for Hire
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given
to Leanne Banks for her contribution to the
Montana Mavericks: 20 Years in the Saddle! continuity.
Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin Books S.A.
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been
granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of
this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted,
down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any
information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether
electronic or mechanical,
now known or hereinafter invented,
without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises
Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents
are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and
any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments,
events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by
arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ⢠are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ®
are registered are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office,
the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
Family in Training?
Only an emergency could bring on-call pediatrician Kaitlyn Foster to Adam Preston's house. But the man who opens the doorâwith a crying infant on his shoulderâis a world away from the globe-trotting bachelor whose kisses still burn in her memory. And he's in desperate need of her baby expertise!
Adam can't believe the Mommy Club volunteer is the gorgeous blonde who's been haunting his fantasies for almost a year. The baby doc couldn't have come at a better time. The environmental scientist is used to traveling to remote corners of the world, not acting as stand-in father to his two-month-old niece. But Kaitlyn's already working her magic on both of them. Is Adam finally ready to put down roots with the woman who's carved a permanent place in his heart?
“Have you ever thought about a night with me, with no responsibilities, no agenda and no time restrictions?”
The idea of a night with Adam stopped Kaitlyn cold. She couldn't even think straight. That was why she didn't know what to say.
“Why didn't you just call this morning? You could have given me this information over the phone or in an email.”
Standing this close, she could still feel everything male about himâhis scent, his strength, his determination. She said weakly, “I wanted to check on Erica.”
He narrowed his eyes and came so close, she could feel his breath on her cheek. “Tell the truth.”
She only hesitated a moment. “I like you.”
He broke into a grin. Then he kissed herâreally, really hard. After he broke away, stared into her eyes for a moment, he kissed her again, this time with such coaxing passion, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
* * *
The Mommy Club:
It's about caring, familyâ¦and love
Dear Reader,
When I was a new mom, I remember the awe I felt when my son was placed in my arms for the first time. But I also remember the overwhelming sense of responsibility and the powerful realization that I would be taking care of this little being twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week! Fortunately my husband was an involved dad. We shared the joys and the sleep-deprived nights of those first few months and that made our journey into parenthood
a bonding experience.
My hero, Adam, suddenly has the care of his niece thrust upon him. Unprepared, he calls in The Mommy Club. To his surprise, pediatrician Kaitlyn Foster shows up at his door. Their one encounter left them both vulnerable to the sizzle that now zips between them as they together care for Adam's infant niece. Irrevocable bonds form until neither Adam nor Kaitlyn can deny them. They truly are
A Match Made by Baby.
I hope you enjoy this couple's romantic journey as they discover happily-ever-after is within their reach.
All my best,
Karen Rose Smith
A MATCH MADE BY BABY
Karen Rose Smith
Books by Karen Rose Smith
Harlequin Special Edition
¤His Country Cinderella
#2137
**
Once Upon a Groom
#2146
**
The CEO's Unexpected Proposal
#2201
**
Riley's Baby Boy
#2205
¶Wanted: A Real Family
#2277
¤¤
Marrying Dr. Maverick
#2287
¶A Match Made by Baby
#2355
Silhouette Special Edition
Abigail and Mistletoe
#930
The Sheriff's Proposal
#1074
His Little Girl's Laughter
#1426
Expecting the CEO's Baby #1535
Their Baby Bond
#1588
Take a Chance on Me
#1599
Which Child Is Mine?
#1655
ÎCabin Fever
#1682
â¦Custody for Two
#1753
â¦The
Baby Trail
#1767
â¦Expecting His Brother's Baby
#1779
+
The Super Mom
#1797
§
Falling for the Texas Tycoon
#1807
±The Daddy Dilemma
#1884
^Her Mr. Right?
#1897
±The
Daddy Plan
#1908
±The Daddy Verdict
#1925
*
Lullaby for Two
#1961
*
The Midwife's Glass Slipper
#1972
ΦThe Texas Bodyguard's Proposal
#1987
*
Baby by Surprise
#1997
*
The Texas Billionaire's Baby
#2032
*
The Texan's Happily-Ever-After
#2044
ΨFrom Doctorâ¦to Daddy
#2065
*
Twins Under His Tree
#2087
**
His Daughterâ¦Their Child
#2098
Silhouette Books
The Fortunes of
Texas
Marry in Hasteâ¦
Montana Mavericks
Born
in Whitehorn
It Happened One Wedding Night
Logan's Legacy
A
Precious Gift
The Fortunes of Texas:
Reunion
The Good Doctor
Signature Select
Secret Admirer
“Dream
Marriage”
â¦Baby Bonds
ÎMontana
Mavericks: Gold Rush Grooms
+Talk of the Neighborhood
§Logan's
Legacy Revisited
^The Wilder Family
±Dads in Progress
*The
Baby Experts
ΦThe Foleys and the McCords
ΨMontana Mavericks:
Thunder Canyon Cowboys
**Reunion Brides
¤Montana Mavericks: The
Texans are Coming!
¶The Mommy Club
¤¤Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek
Cowboys
Other titles by Karen Rose Smith
available in ebook format.
KAREN ROSE SMITH
USA TODAY
bestselling author
Karen Rose Smith's plots are all about emotion. She began writing in her early
teens, when she listened to music and created stories to accompany the songs. An
only child, she spent a lot of time in her imagination and with booksâNancy
Drew, Zane Grey, the Black Stallion and Anne of Green Gables. She dreamed of
brothers and sisters and a big family such as the ones her mother and father
came from. This is the root of her plotlines, which include small communities
and family relationships as part of everyday living. Residing in Pennsylvania
with her husband and three cats, she welcomes interaction with readers on
Facebook, on Twitter, @karenrosesmith, and
through her website,
www.karenrosesmith.com
,
where they can sign up for her newsletter.