Showdown!
ONLY ONE WOMAN HAD A MARK LIKE HERSOr so Sheriff Zack Dalton had thought. Still, even with the promise of a long-lost family, it took all of his persuasion to convince vulnerable siren Honey Carrington to visit his mountain ranch. Only when he had her home in his arms did he admit he wasn't sure who the mysterious beauty was–or what secrets she harbored.Honey knew she wasn't the woman the Daltons had been searching for, and considering the way her heart raced whenever Zack was near, that was good! But she was desperate for a place to hide so she went along with the scheme. Still, could she really risk her life–and her heart–just to keep her secret safe?
Читать Showdown! онлайн беплатно
âMy room has a private entrance.â
The silence arced between them, intense and urgent, as compelling as the fire blazing in his eyes. With him, she would find sweet fulfillment.
It would be bliss. And it would be based on lies. Tomorrow always came and with it the reckoning sheâd come to expect. Then whatever theyâd shared would be lost, one more thing to remember with regretâ¦.
âWhat troubles you so?â he asked.
âUs,â she admitted. âAnd all that it implies.â
âWhich is?â
She turned from his scrutiny. âI donât know.â
He nodded as if he understood. âSometimes things move too fast. There are too many questions.â
The questions pertained to her. She clenched her hands and wished she could tell him everythingâall her worries, her yearnings, her dreams.
He let off the brake and made the turn onto the road home. His home, not hers. She must remember that.
Dear Reader,
Your best bet for coping with April showers is to runânot walkâto your favorite retail outlet and check out this monthâs lineup. Weâd like to highlight popular author Laurie Paige and her new miniseries SEVEN DEVILS. Laurie writes, âOn my way to a writersâ conference in Denver, I spotted the Seven Devils Mountains. This had to be checked out! Sure enough, the rugged, fascinating land proved to be ideal for a bunch of orphans whoâd been demanding that their stories be told.â You wonât want to miss Showdown!, the second book in the series, which is about a barmaid and a sheriff destined for love!
Gina Wilkins dazzles us with Conflict of Interest, the second book in THE MCCLOUDS OF MISSISSIPPI series, which deals with the combustible chemistry between a beautiful literary agent and her ruggedly handsome and reclusive author. Can they have some fun without love taking over the relationship? Donât miss Marilyn Pappanoâs The Trouble with Josh, which features a breast cancer survivor who decides to take life by storm and make the most of everythingâbut she never counts on sexy cowboy Josh Rawlins coming into the mix.
In Peggy Webbâs The Mona Lucy, a meddling but well-meaning mother attempts to play Cupid to her son and a beautiful artist who is painting her portrait. Karen Rose Smith brings us Expecting the CEOâs Baby, an adorable tale about a mix-up at the fertility clinic and a marriage of convenience between two strangers. And in Lisette Belisleâs His Pretend Wife, an accident throws an ex-con and an ex-debutante together, making them discover that rather than enemies, they just might be soul mates!
As you can see, we have a variety of stories for our readers, which explore the essentialsâlife, love and family. Stay tuned next month for six more top picks from Special Edition!
Sincerely,
Karen Taylor Richman
Senior Editor
To the Redding bunchâfor the laughs, the sharing and the wedding from you-know-where. It was a riot!
LAURIE PAIGE
âOne of the nicest things about writing romances is researching locales, careers and ideas. In the interst of authenticity, most writers will try anythingâ¦once.â Along with her writing adventures, Laurie has been a NASA engineer, a past president of the Romance Writers of America, a mother and a grandmother. She was twice a Romance Writers of America RITA>® Award finalist for Best Traditional Romance and has won awards from Romantic Times for Best Silhouette Special Edition and Best Silhouette.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter One
âLast one,â Zack Dalton reminded Lady Luck, but without much hope the fabled lady would have a change of heart and smile on him.
Huh. His luck with females had been pretty sour lately. A tang of bitterness like the aftertaste of fine wine gone to vinegar lingered on his tongue. He ignored it and the accompanying pang in his heart. Heâd trusted one female with that organ and had had it handed back to him last summer when his fiancée had visited relatives in Denver, met some rich guy and married him on the spot.
So much for trust, loyalty and true love.
His uncle Nick said all things happened for the best. Looking at it that way, he figured heâd gotten off easy, heart and pride dinged but repairable.
He fed his last quarter into the slot machine, pushed the button and watched the wheels spin. They came up zilch. Okay, so he wasnât destined to be rich. That probably was for the best, he consoled himself philosophically, then chuckled at his little jest.
Glancing at the clock, he saw it was midnight. The reason he was at the slots was simple. Las Vegas was truly a city that never slept. It wouldnât let him catch any zzzâs, either. Too many lights, too many people, too much noise at all hours.
His duty here was done and he could start home tomorrow. Heâd better try for some rest, assuming he could find the elevator that would take him from the casino level to his floor far above the neon sparkle of the famous strip. He glanced around, searching for a landmark as a guide.
