âI Want To Take You To Bed And Break Down All The Barriers You Put Between Us.â
âTad, go away.â
âWhy?â
âBecause Iâm not the girl you want.â
âYes, you are.â
âBecause I like the same Christmas tree you do.â
He gave her a half smile that took her breath away. âNo, because youâre beautiful and sexy and youâve haunted my dreams since the last time I saw you.â
She took the tray and left the living room. She couldnât think when he said things like that. When he made her believe that forever and happily ever after might still exist. It was as if everything her ex-lover and ex-boss had taught her disappeared. But she knew better.
âIâm not your dream woman, Tad. Iâm no manâs.â
Dear Reader,
Thank you for choosing Silhouette Desireâwhere passion is guaranteed in every read. Things sure are heating up with our continuing series DYNASTIES: THE BARONES. Eileen Wilksâs With Private Eyes is a powerful romance that helps set the stage for the daring conclusion next month. And if itâs more continuing stories that you wantâwe have them. TEXAS CATTLEMANâS CLUB: THE STOLEN BABY launches this month with Sara Orwigâs Entangled with a Texan.
The wonderful Peggy Moreland is on hand to dish up her share of Texas humor and heat with Baby, Youâre Mine, the next installment of her TANNERS OF TEXAS series. Be sure to catch Peggyâs Silhouette Single Title, Tannerâs Millions, on sale January 2004. Award-winning author Jennifer Greene marks her much-anticipated return to Silhouette Desire with Wild in the Field, the first book in her series THE SCENT OF LAVENDER.
Also for your enjoyment this month, we offer Katherine Garberaâs second book in the KING OF HEARTS series. Cinderellaâs Christmas Affair is a fabulous âit could happen to youâ plot guaranteed to leave her fans extremely satisfied. And rounding out our selection of delectable stories is Awakening Beauty by Amy J. Fetzer, a steamy, sensational tale.
More passion to you!
Melissa Jeglinski
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
lives in central Florida with her husband and two children. They are all happy to be back in their native state after a two-year absence. Her favorite things are spending time with her family, writing, reading and talking about reading. Readers can visit her on the Web at katherinegarbera.com.
To Courtney, Lucas and Mattâ
thanks for making everything worthwhile.
Special thanks to Julie Wachowski
for suggesting Gejas as a romantic place for dinner. Also, thanks to the entire Windy City chapter for being so knowledgeable about everything and for making me feel like one of your own even it was only for a short time.
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
Epilogue
Dying had not been what Iâd expected and after successfully matching together one couple I felt a little more confident about this afterlife gig. But this body disappearing thing still freaked me out. I was back in that in-between land that Father Dom had called purgatory.
Iâd been a capo in the mob before being betrayed by one of my lieutenants. Five shots to the chest and a dying request for forgiveness had brought me here.
The deal Iâd cut was essentially to unite in love as many couples as enemies Iâd murdered in hate. So I knew Iâd be dealing with this angel broad for a while. Matchmaker to the lovelorn wasnât exactly something Iâd been dying to do but life was full of surprises. Come to think of it so was death.
In front of me was a large mahogany desk with a library lamp and a jar of Baci chocolates. Iâd been here before. The angel broad was there, still looking like sheâd just attended a funeral but her dress this time was puke-green.
She was making notes in a file folder. She didnât glance up and I knew she was playing a game with me. Iâd done the same thing a time or two when Iâd been a capo. It made me feel like a cugine instead of the boss of bosses, which Iâd essentially been. I didnât like it.
âWhatâs up next, babe?â I asked.
âMr. Mandetti, unless you want me to stop this whole exercise now, you will refrain from calling me babe.â
I still wasnât used to being called by my real name. Iâd been Il Re when I was alive. The King. Yeah, I had an ego and the attitude to carry off that name. âI donât know your name.â
âDidiero. Iâm one of the seraphim.â
âThe what?â
âOne of the highest angels of God.â
âOh.â She made me feel stupid which wasnât a feeling I liked. But she held all the cards and if Iâd learned one thing from my time back on earth it was that I didnât want to go to hell.
And Iâd never admit this to anyone but I liked the feeling that came with doing something good. It was the first time Iâd ever experienced it.
âDidi?â I asked.
âAre you talking to me?â She didnât look up from the papers in front of her.