Sophia rose from her seat and came over to his side of the table, brushing his shoulder to reach for his plate.
Her long tresses flowed onto his lap as she brought her face inches from his. He smelled of earth, rawhide and musk, and her breathing quickened as their eyes met. He was a beautiful man who hated her, but right now, she saw desire darken his eyes. She whispered gently, blowing her breath over his lips, playing the vixen he thought she was, âIâll clean this up and then weâll get right to work so you wonât have to stay any longer than necessary.â
Logan stared at her, their gazes linked and then his hand touched the ribbon of exposed skin at her waist. Her breath caught in her throat and her senses heightened as he splayed his fingers along the rim of her shirt.
It was unexpected magic.
Dear Reader,
Iâm beyond thrilled that Sunset Surrender is the first book in Mills & Boon>®âs new RICH, RUGGED RANCHERS promotion. Rich and rugged (and gorgeous) describes my hero, Logan Slade, to the letter. He owns and operates Sunset Ranch, raising prized horses on land the Slade family has owned for generations.
In Sunset Surrender, youâll also meet Sophia Montrose, the beautiful Las Vegas showgirl turned hotel manager who has inherited half of Sunset Lodge located on Slade property. Sheâs a thorn in Loganâs backside and a woman who can hold her own against a man who bitterly opposes her return to the ranch. But Sophia isnât the woman he thinks she isâsheâs moreâand she sets out to prove that Logan has always been wrong about her.
Sparks fly between Logan and Sophia and the sizzle is evident from page one. I hope you enjoy seeing Loganâs ultimate âsurrenderâ in the first installment of the SLADES OF SUNSET RANCH series. Lukeâs and Justinâs stories are coming soon.
My motto: the bold, passionate, heart-stopping cowboy always gets the girl!
Happy reading!
Charlene Sands
CHARLENE SANDS is a USA TODAY bestselling author of thirty-five romance novels, writing sexy contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. Her books have been honored with the National Readers Choice Award, the Cataromance Reviewerâs Choice Award and sheâs a double recipient of the Booksellersâ Best Award. She belongs to the Orange County Chapter and the Los Angeles Chapter of RWA.
Charlene writes bold, passionate, heart-stopping cowboys and always real good men! She knows a little something about true romanceâshe married her high school sweetheart. When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spoiling her new baby granddaughters. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. Charlene loves to hear from her readers. You can write her at PO Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308, USA, or sign up for her newsletter for fun blog posts and ongoing contests at www.charlenesands.com.
With all my love to Everley Frances and Kyra Nicole.
You are my sweet little wonders!
Sunset Ranch, Nevada
Sophia Montrose stared into the cowboyâs cold black eyes. His mouth was hard and a twitch away from a sneer.
âCouldnât wait to show up here, now could you?â
It was not a sunny welcome back to Sunset Ranch. Not that Sophia really expected one from Logan Slade. Sheâd decided long ago that she would stand her ground and refuse to let him intimidate her. But she hadnât crossed paths with him since sheâd left Sunset Ranch as a girl of fifteen, and had forgotten how his rugged good looks could make her heartbeat speed up. Yet even though maturity had done him justice in a dangerously sinful way, she wouldnât lose sight of how Logan Slade resented her being here, just as much as he had when sheâd lived on Slade land before.
âIs Luke home?â Standing on the doorstep of the ranch house, Sophia hoped to see the friendly face of Loganâs younger brother soon.
âNo. Heâll be home tomorrow. You want to come back?â
She shook her head. She had nowhere else to go. Sheâd given up her small Las Vegas apartment and had driven for hours to reach the ranch this afternoon. She didnât want to take a room in Carson City. She was ready to start her new life, now. This minute. âI came for the keys to the cottage.â
He leveled an unforgiving look at her. âYouâll get them.â
Logan had instructed his attorney not to give her the keys in advance. Heâd wanted her to come for them personally. It was Loganâs way. He wanted to see her squirm, or at the very least, make her feel uncomfortable the second she stepped foot on Slade property.
She put out her hand, palm up, and tried for civility. âPlease. Iâd like to get settled.â
He assessed her for one moment, then whipped around and entered his house, tossing a command over his shoulder. âFollow me.â
She was left on the threshold with her hand out. Quickly lowering it to her side, she tilted her chin up, and took a few steps inside the house.
The minute she entered, her throat tightened and good memories washed away Loganâs attempt to ruin this homecoming. The place was as beautiful as she remembered. Sheâd loved the warmth of the Slade home, the pretty earth colors, the cozily arranged furniture that faced a wide stone fireplace that reached the ceiling. Antiques, bronze statues and expensive artwork decorated the room. Hard wood and contrasting soft hues made the Nevada ranch house perfectly welcoming.