âAre you trying to convince me of something?â he asked roughly.
âNo. Iâve just told you how I feel.â
âMaybe I should show you what Iâm feeling.â He gave her a few moments to run. She knew he expected her to run.
But she held steadfast. âWhat are you feeling, Clay?â
His arms circled her, his lips came down on hers, and her breath became trapped in her chest along with the knowledge that he was trying to prove a point. She was unclear about that point, though, as his lips sealed to hersâ¦as she kissed him back, bringing her hands to his shoulders, gripping him tightly so her knees wouldnât buckle.
Dear Reader,
At my high-school reunion, I reconnected with women Iâd once confided in as we attended classes and dances and shared dreams. Guys whoâd once seemed unapproachable were now easy to converse with. Time and experience seemed to have given most of us a kinder perspective. That reunion gave me the idea for my REUNION BRIDES miniseries.
High-school classmates Celeste, Jenny and Mikala have stayed in touch. In His Daughter ⦠Their Child, Celesteâs friends watch as a spark ignites between her and Clay Sullivan at the reunion. Once a surrogate for Clay and her twin sister, Celeste is now determined to become a mother to the child her sister abandoned. Will attraction between Clay and Celeste ruin that possibility or give it wings?
Of course, I will be writing romances for Jenny and Mikala, too. Readers can follow my progress on my fan page at Facebook and visit my website at www.karenrosesmith.com for updates and excerpts.
Have a wonderful, romance-filled year.
All my best,
Karen Rose Smith
KAREN ROSE SMITH is the award-winning, best-selling novelist of over seventy published romances. Her latest miniseries, REUNION BRIDES, is set near Flagstaff, Arizona in Miners Bluff, the fictional town she created. After visiting Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Karen thought the scenery was so awe-inspiring that she had to set books there. When not writing, she likes to garden, growing herbs, vegetables and flowers. She lives with her husbandâher college sweetheartâand their two cats in Pennsylvania. Readers may e-mail her through her website at www.karenrosesmith.com or write to her at PO Box 1545, Hanover, PA 17331, USA.
Clay Sullivan strode into the cafeteria of his old high school. He hadnât even wanted to come to his fifteen-year reunion, yet he knew the confrontation he was going to have with Celeste Wells tonight was inevitable.
He hardly noticed the blue and yellow streamers that zigzagged across the ceiling, and ignored the classmates mingling and huddling around their old yearbooks. Catching sight of Celeste talking with a group of friends, a feeling of dread pulled tight across his chest.
Celeste rose when she saw him. Her light brown hair shimmered with highlights from the summer sun. The strapless white dress with pastel flowers decorating the full skirt showed off her creamy shoulders to perfection. She looked like his ex-wifeâher fraternal twin sisterâand at first glance heâd almost mistaken her for Zoie.
That was one mistake he couldnât afford to make.
âHow are you?â Celeste asked as he approached her table. Her wide green eyes showed compassion. Was that an act? Like the one Zoie had put on for so long?
âIâm here because you emailed that you wanted to see me,â he responded, his voice gruff. âHow long are you staying in Miners Bluff? Just tonight? Through the weekend?â
Celesteâs cheeks flushed as she seemed to think over what she wanted to say.
Before she could answer him, music began to play at the other side of the room.
Celeste asked hopefully, âDo you want to go somewhere else and talk?â
He intended to keep this short and sweet. He didnât want to give Celeste an inch. He thought about his three-and-a-half-year-old daughter at home in her pjâs, playing with her dollhouse. Abby was the sole reason he got up each morning. She was the last person he thought of before he went to sleep each night. Zoie had signed away her rights, and he had sole custody. That was the way it was going to stay.
âWe can talk here. I donât think anyoneâs going to interrupt us.â Not with the tension buzzing around them like a force field ready to singe anyone who came too close.
Celeste had always been the quiet, understated twinâin the way she dressed, the way she moved and the way she spoke. But now he saw something new come over her ⦠something that put fire in those green eyes and a determined set to her pretty mouth.
She took a step closer to him, and the scent of honeysuckle titillated his senses. He wondered crazily if his large hands would span her slim waist. He stopped the thought before it had a chance to tickle his libido.
âHave you heard from Zoie recently?â she asked in a low voice.
He caught the note of worry and felt his heart soften a bit.