The Secret Heir
With the onset of his son's illness, Jackson Reiss learned the truth behind his family legacy. Now, though, he had to put the past aside and emotionally reconnect with his wife.After all, if their little boy was to get through this hardship, he needed his parents together. During the crisis, Laurel Reiss lived for each moment with her baby. And as she found herself reunited with her husband, her fears about not being a good mother disappeared, thanks to his reassurances. Finding strength in Jackson's arms was one thing Laurel never expected. Finding an unexpected passion in the bedroom was another.With their child healthy and happy, would they give their marriage the second chance it deserved? Once separated, a husband and wife reignite the fires of matrimony….
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Laurel dreamed of the day she met Jackson.
The summer-afternoon party wasnât a typical event for either of them and later Laurel would think of what a cliché their meeting had been. Eyes meeting across a crowded room. Everyone else fading into a misty background. Her toes curling when he smiled. Sparks of sexual awareness coursing through them when their hands touched.
They had left the party together a short while later and had gone for a barefoot walk on the beach at sunset. The salty breeze had tossed their hair and tugged at their clothesâclothes they had abandoned in a hidden nook. They had been daring and reckless and impetuous that night. By dawn the next morning theyâd known they were in love.
She dreamed of that beach, of conversation and laughter, of passionate whispers and hoarse cries.
Of two young people so desperately in love that they had let their emotions sweep them into a life neither had been prepared for.
GINA WILKINS
is a bestselling and award-winning author who has written more than seventy novels for Harlequin and Silhouette Books. She credits her successful career in romance to her long, happy marriage and her three âextraordinaryâ children.
A lifelong resident of central Arkansas, Ms. Wilkins sold her first book to Harlequin in 1987 and has been writing full-time since. She has appeared on the Waldenbooks, B. Dalton and USA TODAY bestseller lists. She is a three-time recipient of the Maggie Award for Excellence, sponsored by Georgia Romance Writers, and has won several awards from the reviewers of RT Book Reviews.
Be a part of
Because birthright has its privileges and family ties run deep.
Once crazy for each other, a husband and wife lose their way. As an adorable little boy reunites them, this couple learns that sometimes love is meant to last a lifetimeâ¦.
Jackson Reiss: When his son, Tyler, became ill, Jackson had to let go of his idealized version of a family. He realized some things took precedenceâhis childâs healthâ¦and his wife by his side.
Laurel Reiss: After a stormy upbringing, Laurel gave everything to Jackson until circumstances swept them into different orbits. With little Tyler in trouble, Laurel devoted herself to his careâ¦and felt that strong passion toward Jackson reemerge.
Jack Crosby: The patriarch of the Crosby clan hadnât exactly been an exemplary father. But as his children found happiness, he realized he had to make amends, even if it meant bringing long-buried secrets to lightâ¦.
Because birthright has its privileges and family ties run deep.
AVAILABLE JUNE 2010
1.) To Love and Protect by Susan Mallery
2.) Secrets & Seductions by Pamela Toth
3.) Royal Affair by Laurie Paige
4.) For Love and Family by Victoria Pade
AVAILABLE JULY 2010
5.) The Bachelor by Marie Ferrarella
6.) A Precious Gift by Karen Rose Smith
7.) Child of Her Heart by Cheryl St. John
8.) Intimate Surrender by RaeAnne Thayne
AVAILABLE AUGUST 2010
9.) The Secret Heir by Gina Wilkins
10.) The Newlyweds by Elizabeth Bevarly
11.) Right by Her Side by Christie Ridgway
12.) The Homecoming by Anne Marie Winston
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2010
13.) The Greatest Risk by Cara Colter
14.) What a Man Needs by Patricia Thayer
15.) Undercover Passion by Raye Morgan
16.) Royal Seduction by Donna Clayton
For my familyâimmediate and extendedâwho have to live daily with the mood swings, panic attacks, distraction and paranoia of the average writer. Thank you for your love and your patience.
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
Epilogue
One
L aurel Phillips Reiss was a strong, competent, self-sufficient woman. Everyone who knew her said so. She could handle anything.
Anything except this.
Twisting a shredded tissue between her hands, she looked through her lashes at the man sitting in a nearby chair in the hospital waiting room. His sun-streaked blond hair was tousled from running his hands through it. Strong emotions darkened his blue eyes to navy and hardened his chiseled features to resemble granite. Years of manual labor had toned his broad-shouldered body. Jackson Reiss looked fit, tough and strong enough to overcome any adversity.
Except this one.
His eyes met hers. âAre you okay?â
She nodded, but even that silent response was a lie. She wasnât at all okay.
Other people sat in the waiting room, clustered in tight units as they waited for news of loved ones. Conversations swirled around them, the volume fluctuating from muted to rather loud. Occasional bursts of self-conscious, too-cheery laughter were followed by nervous silences. On the far side of the waiting room, a young woman cried softly. Laurel watched as a man gathered her into his arms to comfort her.
The green upholstered chairs in which Laurel and Jackson sat were crowded together so that their knees almost touched, but they made no effort to close even that small distance. Laurelâs hands were in her lap, and Jacksonâs were fisted on his knees. A plain gold band gleamed on the ring finger of her left hand. His hands were bare, since jewelry could be dangerous on the construction sites where he spent most of his time.
