In the newest Coltons of Texas romance, a woman framed for a heinous crime falls for the man who must bring her safely home
Wrongfully accused of masterminding her adoptive fatherâs disappearance, Piper Colton needs answers. So she leaves the family ranch behind to embark on a dangerous mission...but sheâs not alone for long. Her brother enlists the help of Cord Maxwellâa local bounty hunterâto ensure his sisterâs safe return. But Cord has an agenda of his own, and itâs not just to avoid falling for the Colton beauty! He promises to help her in exchange if sheâll help him track down his runaway nieceâand stay with him. Itâs an offer she cannot resist and a powerful attraction she cannot deny...
âAre you flirting?â
Though Piper colored, she didnât look away. âMaybe. Maybe not. Iâm trying to find out where we stand with each other. I also noticed you didnât answer the question.â
Cord laughed; he couldnât help it. âIâd have to be dead not to find you attractive,â he told her. âBut donât worry, I wonât let it get in the way of the job I have to do. Or finding Renee. Both are too important to me.â
Color still high, she finally smiled back. âFair enough. Now how about we call it a night and regroup in the morning?â
Though it was still early, he nodded. âOkay. Good night.â
She sighed. âIâm probably going to regret this, but...â
Before he could ask what she meant, she crossed the space between them, grabbed him and pulled him down for a kiss. Her mouth moved across his, nothing tentative about it. A wave of lust swamped him. Damn if it wasnât the most erotic kiss heâd ever shared.
Standing stock-still, he let her nibble and explore, until he couldnât take it any longer.
* * *
We hope you enjoy this dramatic seriesâ
The Coltons of Texas: Finding love and buried family secrets in the Lone Star State...
KAREN WHIDDON started weaving fanciful tales for her younger brothers at the age of eleven. Amid the gorgeous Catskill Mountains, then the majestic Rocky Mountains, she fueled her imagination with the natural beauty surrounding her. Karen now lives in north Texas, writes full-time and volunteers for a boxer dog rescue. She shares her life with her hero of a husband and four to five dogs, depending on if she is fostering.
You can email Karen at [email protected]. Fans can also check out her website, www.karenwhiddon.com.
Chapter 1
âI was framed.â Back ramrod straight, clenching her hands into fists so her adoptive brother and sister wouldnât see how badly they shook, Piper Colton kept her voice perfectly level. âYou have to realize that.â
âFramed.â Marceline Colton snorted, making her elegant, gem-encrusted earrings swing. âRight. Piper, you were arrested. The police wouldnât have arrested you unless they had sufficient evidence. I think finding Eldridgeâs bloody shirt in your closet might have been the final clue.â
âI saved up to buy that shirt for him one Christmas when I was sixteen. You know that.â
âNow itâs evidence,â Marceline continued, her voice as icy as her pale blue, flawlessly made-up eyes. âApparently enough evidence for them.â She sneered, her bright red lipstick a bright slash of color in her alabaster face. âWhereâs your trademark optimism now?â
âItâs all circumstantial. They donât even have a body.â Piper spoke with confidence, despite the fact that her own familyâs suspicion hurt her heart.
âIâm sure itâs just a matter of time before they find the body,â Marceline declared. Even at home, every strand of her golden-blond hair appeared perfect. When Piper had been younger, sheâd been envious of Marcelineâs movie star appearance. Now, understanding the amount of work that went into maintaining that look, it only made Piper feel tired. Plus, Marceline might be gorgeous on the outside, but her inner self was an entirely different matter.
âThatâs true,â Fowler Colton agreed, his cold blue eyes intense. As usual, he wore one of his custom suits and perfectly pressed black Stetsons. âCome on, Piper. You can tell us. Did you kill Eldridge?â
Though Piper wanted to double over at the amount of pain his question caused, by sheer strength of will she managed to remain expressionless. Her natural optimism hadnât fledâit had just gone into temporary hiding. âHow can you ask me such a thing? Why on earth would I murder my own father?â
âAdoptive father,â Marceline reminded her. âYouâre not a real Colton, after all.â
As if she could forget. Not possible, with Marceline finding a way to remind her of that fact at least once a day. Piper figured this was Marcelineâs way of dealing with her own insecurity, since Marceline hadnât been born a Colton, either. However, since her mother, Whitney, was actually married to Eldridge Colton, Marceline clearly figured that put her one step above Piper, whoâd been orphaned when Whitney and Eldridge adopted her.