The moment was so magical that Kirsten was afraid to breathe for fear it was all a dream and sheâd wake up alone in her bed, her arms wrapped around her pillow.
She was spellbound by his heady scent, by the warmth of his breath and the heat of his touch.
As the kiss deepened and their lips parted, his tongue brushed hers, making her knees go weak. So she reached for his waist to steady herself. As she did so, he slipped his arms around her, drawing her close, kissing her until she was tempted to drag him inside and see what happened next.
Oh, lordy. If this was the way Jeremy kissed a woman goodnight, she wondered what it would be like to welcome him into her bed, into her ⦠life.
JUDY DUARTE always knew there was a book inside her, but since English was her least favourite subject in school, she never considered herself a writer. An avid reader who enjoys a happy ending, Judy couldnât shake the dream of creating a book of her own.
Her dream became a reality in March of 2002, when her first book was released. Since then she has published more than twenty novels.
Her stories have touched the hearts of readers around the world. And in July of 2005 Judy won a prestigious Readersâ Choice Award for The Rich Manâs Son.
Judy makes her home near the beach in Southern California. When sheâs not cooped up in her writing cave, sheâs spending time with her somewhat enormous but delightfully close family.
Dr. Jeremy Fortune stepped out the front door of the Red Rock Medical Center and headed for the parking lot, his mood dark as the storm clouds that gathered overhead.
It had been over a month since his father had disappeared on what would have been the older manâs wedding day, and in spite of all the efforts to find him, thereâd been very few leads and the trail had gone cold.
William Fortune had been involved in a car accident that took place a hundred miles from the Red Rock church in which he was to be wed. The other driver, a young woman, had died upon impact. But for days, authorities hadnât realized a second vehicle had been involved until they spotted Williamâs silver Mercedes, which had plummeted down an embankment and into a deeply wooded area, where it had been partially hidden by brush and rocks.
There hadnât been any sign of William, thoughâno blood and no indication that heâd been injured or ⦠worse. It was as if heâd vanished without a trace.
A photograph of Molly, his first wife, had been found tucked into his visor, which had led some of the tabloids to report that heâd been running away. But Jeremy knew better than that.
William Fortune had been eagerly awaiting the ceremony that would unite him in holy matrimony to Lily, the widow of his cousin Ryan. And heâd been looking forward to spending the rest of his life with the woman heâd recently come to love and respect. Besides, his family and his close friends were important to him, and he wouldnât have left without telling any of them. Not of his own accord, anyway.
At first, Jeremy had feared that his father had been kidnapped, but there were no ransom notes found, no phone calls demanding money.
So where was he?
As a driven and dedicated orthopedic surgeon, Jeremy relied on logic and reason to solve problems, which he always faced head-on. But there wasnât anything logical about his fatherâs disappearance.
Jeremy didnât usually trust feelings or hunches, but he couldnât shake the belief that his father was still alive and out thereâsomewhere.
Maybe that was because Jeremy had lost too many family members already and wasnât going to accept the possibility that he might have lost another.
Nevertheless, he wouldnât leave Texas and return to California until his father was foundâone way or another. So heâd taken a leave of absence from his medical practice in Sacramento, which didnât seem to bother him nearly as much as heâd thought it would.
He suspected that had something to do with the fact that, even before coming to Red Rock for his fatherâs wedding, heâd been reevaluating his life choices. And he hoped that a little distance would help him sort it all out.
Still, to keep himself busy during the day and to make himself useful, heâd been volunteering his time at the Red Rock Medical Center, which the Fortune Foundation helped fund. And today was no different.
He glanced at his wristwatch. It was just past four-thirty and a little too early to head for the restaurant. He was meeting his brother and new sister-in-law for dinner at Red tonightâhis favorite local restaurantâand he didnât want to drive all the way back to the Double Crown Ranch, where heâd been staying.