âYou donât have a romantic bone in your body.â
With that, Jack swept her into his arms and delivered the kiss to end all kisses. She was so shocked initially she didnât know what to do. Longing welled up within her, unlike anything she had ever dreamed she could feel. A shiver of need swept through her, followed by an even more magnificent ripple of pure pleasure.
Even while her mind protested, the rest of herâheart, body and soulâsurrendered to the sweet surprise of his kiss. And the knowledge that maybe, just maybe, she had really misread this man in thinking that he had no heart.
She leaned closer, emboldened by the ferocity of her response, wanting, needing, to know and experience more â¦
And just that suddenly, he released her.
Looking down at her with a distinctly male satisfaction, he surveyed her lazily from head to toe. âStill think I havenât got a romantic bone in my body?â
Dear Reader,
What better way to add new energy and excitement to your life than by falling in love and making a life-long commitment to another person?
At least thatâs the way Jack Gainesâ long widowed mother feels. Sixty-something Patrice is engaged to be married. Jack would be happy for her, if he believed his mother was truly in love with Dutch.
But something seems missing in their relationship. And Jack, burned by his own matrimonial âmistakeâ, does not want to see his mother enter into an ill-advised union. Sheâs had enough heartbreak in her life. As her son, it is his duty to protect her.
Enter Caroline Mayer, wedding planner extraordinaire. Although Caroline has ruled out a happy-ever-after romance for herself, she loves fulfilling the dreams of others, by making their wedding the happiest day of all.
Caroline and Jack are at odds from the beginning. He wants to stop the wedding. She wants the nuptials to go off without a hitch. What they donât expect is to fall in love themselves along the way â¦
Happy reading,
Cathy Gillen Thacker
CATHY GILLEN THACKER is married and a mother of three. She and her husband spent eighteen years in Texas, and now reside in North Carolina. Her mysteries, romantic comedies and heart-warming family stories have made numerous appearances on bestseller lists, but her best reward, she says, is knowing one of her books made someoneâs day a little brighter. A popular author for many years, she loves telling passionate stories with happy endings, and thinks nothing beats a good romance and a hot cup of tea! You can visit Cathyâs website at www.cathygillenthacker.com for more information on her upcoming and previously published books, recipes and a list of her favorite things.
âI want you to stop the wedding.â Caroline Mayer knew there was going to be trouble when the brideâs son insisted on meeting with her in advance of her consultation with the âhappy couple.â But she wasnât prepared for the CEOâs blunt demand.
She stared up at Jack Gaines. Caroline had no doubt that the thirty-four-year-old owner of Gaines Communication Systems was used to getting exactly what he wanted. Most men that handsome, wealthy and successful were. But the implacable Texan had targeted the wrong person to put a halt to the nuptials of his equally wealthy and successful mother.
Aside from the fact what he was asking her to do was just plain wrong, the GainesâAmbrose nuptials could make or break her. If she failed to deliver the most talked about wedding of the year, her career as a bridal consultant would be over, almost before it began. If she succeeded, she would be the new hot wedding planner in Fort Worth. With that would come long-lasting financial security and the realization of all her dreams. Sheâd be able to buy a home, adopt a child, get a dog, continue to expand her business and save for the future.
Caroline flashed Jack Gaines a droll smile. She wanted him to know with whom he was dealing. âObviously thereâs been a miscommunication.â She paused to let her words sink in. âIâm a wedding planner. Not a spoilsport for hire.â
And that was a shame, Caroline thought. Because although she wasnât looking to get involved with anyone just nowâor maybe everâshe was still a woman who appreciated beauty in all forms, and Jack Gaines was a man who was very easy on the eyes.
Every inch of him, from the top of his clipped dark brown hair and chiseled masculine features, to the toes of his custom leather boots, was perfectly and precisely cared for. His face was clean shaven, his jaw solid, his lips kissable. His powerful six-foot-two frame boasted broad shoulders, an impossibly solid chest and a trim waist. But it was his expressive, silver-gray eyes that really drew her in. This was a man who missed nothing, a confident indomitable male, the kind of man who let nothing stand in his way. The kind she had sworn off, with very good reason, for the rest of her lifeâ¦.
Jack moved to impede any hope of a dignified exit and challenged her with a glance. âHear me out.â