Jake Gave Her A Look That Defied Interpretation.
Placing baby, cradle and all on the coffee table, he turned to where she stood surrounded by an assortment of baby gear, plus her usual clutter.
Sasha forgot to breathe. Was it only her imagination that made her feel as if every cell in her body turned his way, like a sunflower following the sun?
All it took was the slightest encouragement and she was off on another fantasy, inventing a happy ending that wasnât going to happen.
Jake placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into his arms. With her face against his hard, warm chest, she inhaled the scent that was pure Jake Smith.
âFair warning. Iâm about to kiss you,â he said calmly.
âGo ahead,â she said in a voice only an octave or so higher than normal. âI dare you.â
Dear Reader,
Welcome to another scintillating month of passionate reads. Silhouette Desire has a fabulous lineup of books, beginning with Society-Page Seduction by Maureen Child, the newest title in DYNASTIES: THE ASHTONS. Youâll love the surprises this dynamic family has in store for youâ¦and each other. And welcome back New York Times bestselling author Joan Hohl, who returns to Desire with the long-awaited A Man Apart, the story of Mitch Graingerâa man we guarantee wonât be alone for long!
The wonderful Dixie Browning concludes her DIVAS WHO DISH series with the highly provocative Her Fifth Husband? (Donât you want to know what happened to grooms one through four?) Cait London is back with another title in her HEARTBREAKERS series, with Total Package. The wonderful Anna DePalo gives us an alpha male to die for, in Under the Tycoonâs Protection. And finally, weâre proud to introduce author Juliet Burns as she makes her publishing debut with High-Stakes Passion.
Hereâs hoping you enjoy all that Silhouette Desire has to offer youâ¦this month and all the months to come!
Best,
Melissa Jeglinski
Senior Editor
Silhouette Desire
Stealing a few moments from the job, Sasha lay back on the chaise longue, closed her eyes against the late-afternoon sun and savored the warm sea breeze that fluttered her georgette camisole. She might not have a regular salary, much less benefits, but this beat a desk in a cramped, windowless cubicle all to pieces.
The sound of distant traffic merged with the nearby sound of the surf to become a soothing lullaby. âFive minutes,â she murmured.
Five minutes and then she would jump up, finish checking off her list, think of anything she might have forgotten and then stop by another clientâs new office complex to see how long before she could get started there.
As an interior designer, her bread and butter consisted of professional suitesâusually law, real estate or medical. Occasionally she did between-season patch jobs for rentals in the various beach communities along the northern Outer Banks, but her real love was having a brand new McMansion to do from scratch. Any budgetary limits only stimulated her creativity.
She sighed in contentment. When the soft southeast breeze blew her hair across her face, she smoothed it back, still without opening her eyes. If she had the energy she would take off her shoes, but that would require sitting up and bending over to unfasten the ankle straps. She should have worn mules.
âVanity, thy name is Sasha,â she murmured. The trouble with pointy-toed, stiletto-heeled shoes was that they were so darned flattering she couldnât not wear them, even knowing sheâd be climbing up and down all these wretched stairs.
She actually owned a few pairs of flats, though she seldom wore them. At home she went barefoot and wore shapeless tents, but anytime she went out in public she took pains to look her best in case she ran into a potential client. Her friends, knowing her background, called it the Cinderella syndrome.
Sasha had never denied it. Underneath the careful makeup, the streaky cinnamon-tea hair and the fashionable outfits bought at end-of-the-year salesânot to mention the jewelry she adoredâSasha Combs Cassidy Boone Lasiter was still plain old Sally June Parrish, oldest daughter of a dirt-poor tobacco farmer turned preacher.
At times like this, she almost wished she didnât give a damn. She wondered if Cinderellaâs feet had hurt in those miserable-looking glass slippers.
âRelax, feet,â she murmured drowsily. âOnce we get home you can let it all hang out, I promise.â
The sun felt marvelous now that it had lost most of its midday heat. A natural redheadâsort ofâSasha freckled whether or not she wore foundation with a serious SPF.