âI wouldnât mind getting out of this dress and these shoes,â Kim said without thinking.
David gave her a lopsided grin, letting his gaze travel down to her feet and back up again.
âDonât get your hopes up.â Too late, she realized how her remark might have sounded. âItâs hot, and my feet hurt, thatâs all.â
âAh, hereâs the Kim we all know and love,â he drawled. âYouâve been so nice to me today that you had me worried. I thought an alien had taken over your body.â
âBetter an alien than you.â Instantly she wanted to bite her tongue. âIâm sorry.â
He held up his hand. âNo, no. I needed the reality check.â
His wry grin sent shivers through her. More than anything, she wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss that clever mouth. Obviously what she desperately needed after all the enforced togetherness of the last hours was a breather.
Dear Reader,
Breeze into fall with six rejuvenating romances from Silhouette Special Edition! We are happy to feature our READERSâ RING selection, Hard Choices (SE#1561), by favorite author Allison Leigh, who writes, âI wondered about the masks people wear, such as the âgoodâ girl/boy vs. the âbadâ girl/boy, and what ultimately hardens or loosens those masks. Annie and Logan have worn masks that donât fit, and their past actions wouldnât be considered ideal behavior. I hope readers agree this is a thought-provoking scenario!â
We canât get enough of Pamela Tothâs WINCHESTER BRIDES miniseries as she delivers the next book, A Winchester Homecoming (SE#1562). Here, a world-weary heroine comes home only to find her former flame ready to reignite their passion. MONTANA MAVERICKS: THE KINGSLEYS returns with Judy Duarteâs latest, Big Sky Baby (SE#1563). In this tale, a Kingsley cousin comes home to find that his best friend is pregnant. All of a sudden, he canât stop thinking of starting a familyâ¦with her!
Victoria Pade brings us an engagement of convenience and a passion of inconvenience, in His Pretend Fiancée (SE#1564), the next book in the MANHATTAN MULTIPLES miniseries. Donât miss The Bride Wore Blue Jeans (SE#1565), the last in veteran Marie Ferrarellaâs miniseries, THE ALASKANS. In this heartwarming love story, a confirmed bachelor flies to Alaska and immediately falls for the woman least likely to marry! In Four Days, Five Nights (SE#1566) by Christine Flynn, two strangers are forced to face a growing attraction when their small plane crashes in the wilds.
These moving romances will foster discussion, escape and lots of daydreaming. Watch for more heart-thumping stories that show the joys and complexities of a womanâs world.
Happy reading!
Karen Taylor Richman,
Senior Editor
Dedicated to readers everywhere who are separated
from their loved ones, whatever the reason, with the sincere hope that you find your way home again soon.
USA TODAY bestselling author Pamela Toth was born in Wisconsin, but grew up in Seattle where she attended the University of Washington and majored in art. Now living on the Puget Sound areaâs east side, she has two daughters, Erika and Melody, and two Siamese cats.
Recently she took a lead from one of her romances and married her high school sweetheart, Frank. When sheâs not writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband, reading, playing FreeCell on the computer, doing counted cross-stitch and researching new story ideas. Sheâs been an active member of Romance Writers of America since 1982.
She loves hearing from readers and can be reached at P.O. Box 5845, Bellevue, WA 98006. For a personal reply, a stamped, self-addressed envelope is appreciated.
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Kim Winchester stood frozen in the open stable doorway, her initial shock turning to disgust as she stared at the couple locked in a passionate embrace between the rows of stalls.
She had never dreamed he could act this way, too caught up in kissing the woman coiled around him like a snake to even care that his betrayal would break Kimâs heart. He had insisted over and over how important she was to him, but right now it was clear heâd forgotten her very existence.
Tears filled Kimâs eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She felt devastated and sick, but she had no intention of slinking away quietly and pretending she hadnât seen the two of them.
âOh, isnât this just too, too cozy,â she drawled, sauntering into the light as though she didnât have a care in the world, pleased beneath the hurt as the couple sprang apart. âYou two make me want to barf.â
Sheâd half expected to see a gleam of triumph in Emilyâs eyes, but instead the other woman looked totally mortified.
âKim,â she pleaded, eyes wide.
Kim ignored her entreaty. âI knew you were after him!â She shook an accusing finger in Emilyâs face. âI could tell by the way you practically drooled when we saw you in town.â Did Emily think she was blind or just naive?