Married By Midnight
Oh, what a night!How had Maxwell Taylor ended up naked…in a honeymoon suite…with Kelly O'Rourke at his side? The last thing the Boston blue blood remembered was catching the garter at a wedding and putting it on sweet Kelly's shapely leg. Then the memories hit him: He and this redheaded spitfire of a stranger had gotten hitched last night. And, if his dated body could be trusted, they'd just consummated their wedding!But before the midnight groom could absorb this monumental fact, his blushing bride had one more surprise. Kelly's military father and three brawny brothers were about to break down the door. And there would be no getting out of this situation unscathed, for in the O'Rourke family, marriage was forever…!
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“What are you doing in my bed?”
Clutching the sheet, Kelly pulled herself up against the satin pillows, a stricken look on her face.
“I believe it’s my hotel room,” Max said on a sigh. “As to why I’m in bed with you, I’m not sure. Frankly, this is as big a shock to me as it is to you. You know, I don’t make a habit of waking up next to strange women.”
“I hope you don’t think I’ve done this sort of thing before!”
“Of course not,” Max agreed hastily. “It was all a game we were playing, right?”
She had intended to take him up on his dare, flirt a bit and then walk away. Instead, his tempting smile had gotten to her. Like Cinderella, she should’ve run away from him at midnight. Just when had the game turned into something more serious? And, more to the point, what had she gotten herself into?
Dear Reader,
February is a month made for romance, and here at Harlequin American Romance we invite you to be our Valentine!
Every month, we bring you four reasons to celebrate romance, and beloved author Muriel Jensen has reasons of her own—Four Reasons for Fatherhood, to be precise. Join former workaholic Aaron Bradley as he learns about parenthood—and love—from four feisty youngsters and one determined lady in the finale to our exciting miniseries THE DADDY CLUB.
Some men just have a way with women, and our next two heroes are no exception. In Pamela Bauer’s Corporate Cowboy, when Austin Bennett hits his head and loses his memory, Kacy Judd better watch out—because her formerly arrogant boss is suddenly the most irresistible man in town! And in Married by Midnight by Mollie Molay, Maxwell Taylor has more charm than even he suspects—he goes to a wedding one day, and wakes up married the next!
And if you’re wondering HOW TO MARRY…The World’s Best Dad, look no farther than Valerie Taylor’s heartwarming tale. Julie Miles may not follow her own advice, but she’s got gorgeous Ben Harbison’s attention anyway!
We hope you enjoy every romantic minute of our four wonderful stories.
Warm wishes,
Melissa Jeglinski
Associate Senior Editor
For Paul and Terri Molé, whose wedding inspired this story. And to newly married Michael and Lynn Fox. Great grandsons who were smart enough to marry wonderful women. Way to go!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After working for a number of years as a Logistics Contract Administrator in the aircraft industry, Mollie Molay turned to a career she found far more satisfying—writing romance novels. Mollie lives in Northridge, California, surrounded by her two daughters and seven grandchildren, many of whom find their way into her books. She enjoys hearing from her readers and welcomes comments. You can write to her c/o Harlequin Books, 300 East 42nd Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10017.
Books by Mollie Molay
HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
560—FROM DRIFTER TO DADDY
597—HER TWO HUSBANDS
616—MARRIAGE BY MISTAKE
638—LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
682—NANNY & THE BODYGUARD
703—OVERNIGHT WIFE
729—WANTED: DADDY
776—FATHER IN TRAINING
799—DADDY BY CHRISTMAS
815—MARRIED BY MIDNIGHT
American Romance
is pleased to announce the
wedding of
Maxwell Taylor
and
Kelly O’Rourke.
The bride and groom will be notified
of their nuptials
shortly after the ceremony.
Fireworks to follow.
Contents
Prologue
Max Taylor didn’t know what hit him.
Caught in a logjam of cheering wedding guests, he was nursing a glass of champagne punch when suddenly an object flew through the air. He ducked—too late. The bride’s decorated lace garter, still warm with her body heat, struck him just above his right eye. Shaken out of his reverie, Max instinctively reached for the garter and caught it before it fell into the punch bowl. The crowd around him parted and to his bewilderment started to clap and cheer him on.
To complicate matters, directly in his line of vision, the maid of honor was seated with her striking emerald-green bridesmaid’s dress drawn up over her knees, a leg poised and an embarrassed look on her face. In her arms, she held the bridal bouquet. From the eager expressions on everyone’s faces, it was obvious to him, as the lucky garter-catcher, that he was expected to slide the intimate object over her shapely slender leg.
Max could see the bride standing next to the groom clapping in time to the music. The amateur four-piece band was playing not too well but enthusiastically.
With the drummer executing a brisk roll of the drums, the master of ceremonies motioned Max forward and pointed to the redhead’s upper thigh.
Max froze.
What was he to do now?
A whirlwind of thoughts raced through his mind, including making a quick getaway. He should have been pleased. After all, this was the first time he’d won anything more than a few bucks on a lottery ticket. Good enough, he muttered to himself as he gazed at the sculptured leg, but why did the prize have to be something that might test his manhood? He hesitated, trying to come up with a good reason to decline the honor. He couldn’t. The groom was his cousin and he was the best man. Family honor was at stake. Short of causing a scene, he realized he had to be a good sport and enter into the festivities.
