âHello, youâve reached the voice mail of Lila Maxwell at Collette, Inc. Iâm not available right now, so please leave a message and Iâll get back to you soon. Thanksâand have a great day! [Beep]â
[You have one message from Jayne Randolph, extension 555, left today at 9:05 a.m.]
âHi, Lila, itâs meâJayne. Just wanted to get your thoughts on last nightâs bachelorette auction. Did Meredith look incredible up there or what? Not to mention the way that supersexy bachelor Adam Richards was looking at her. The chemistry between them was so obvious, I thought Adam was going to hop onto the stage and make her a bid she couldnât refuse. I think this guy is perfect for Meredith, and she does deserve the best. Anyway, thought Iâd give you a ring and we could discuss Meredithâs extraordinary transformation. Call me later, or stop byâ Iâll be home. Bye!â
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Silhouette Desire, where every month you can count on finding six passionate, powerful and provocative romances.
The fabulous Dixie Browning brings us Novemberâs MAN OF THE MONTH, Rocky and the Senatorâs Daughter, in which a heroine on the verge of scandal arouses the protective and sensual instincts of a man who knew her as a teenager. Then Leanne Banks launches her exciting Desire miniseries, THE ROYAL DUMONTS, with Royal Dad, the timeless story of a prince who falls in love with his sonâs American tutor.
The Bachelorette, Kate Littleâs lively contribution to our 20 AMBER COURT miniseries, features a wealthy businessman who buys a date with a âplain Janeâ at a charity auction. The intriguing miniseries SECRETS! continues with Sinclairâs Surprise Baby, Barbara McCauleyâs tale of a rugged bachelor with amnesia whoâs stunned to learn heâs the father of a love child.
In Lukeâs Promise by Eileen Wilks, we meet the second TALL, DARK & ELIGIBLE brother, a gorgeous rancher who tries to respect his wife-of-convenienceâs virtue, while she looks to him for lessons in lovemaking! And, finally, in Gail Daytonâs delightful Hide-and-Sheikh, a lovely security specialist and a sexy sheikh play a game in which both lose their heartsâ¦and win a future together.
So treat yourself to all six of these not-to-be-missed stories. You deserve the pleasure!
Enjoy,
Joan Marlow Golan
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
The Bachelorette
Kate Little
claims to have lots of experience with romanceââthe fictional kind, that is,â she is quick to clarify. She has been both an author and an editor of romance fiction for over fifteen years. She believes that a good romance will make the reader experience all the tension, thrills and agony of falling madly, deeply and wildly in love. She enjoys watching the characters in her books go crazy for each other, but hates to see the blissful couple disappear when itâs time for them to live happily ever after. In addition to writing romance novels, Kate also writes fiction and nonfiction for young adults. She lives on Long Island, New York, with her husband and daughter.
For Rosie, the greatest dog you could ever imagine.
Her pure heart and gentle spirit gave so much love during her brief life. She will always live on in our hearts.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
The morning had been absolutely exasperatingâeven for a Monday, Meredith reflected. Sheâd missed the bus and gotten caught in a downpour without an umbrella. Not to mention a run in her panty hose that was now as wide as the mighty Mississippi.
She scurried from the elevator to her office at Colette, Inc., the world-renowned jewelry company. She opened the door and slipped inside. Usually a little rain or a ruined stocking wouldnât phase her. Her appearance was always neat and carefully planned to blend into the woodwork. But this morning she had to give a presentation to just about every high-level person in the company. Meredith dreaded speaking to groups, or any situation that put her in the limelight. Having her hair and outfit wrecked by the rain made the job even worse.
With her office door firmly closed behind her, she worked on some basic repairs, starting with her long reddish-brown hair. Matted and damp, it curled in every direction at once. She brushed it back tightly, in her usual styleâa simple low ponytail secured with a clip. A bit severe perhaps, but certainly practical. Her complexion was fair, with faint freckles on her nose. She rarely tried to cover them with makeup. In fact, she usually wore no makeup at all. Which was just as well, she thought, since this morning sheâd definitely have a bad case of raccoon eyes from melted mascara.
Her large blue eyes stared back at her in the mirror from behind oversize, tortoiseshell frames. She removed the glasses and wiped the damp lenses with a tissue. She often wished she could wear contact lenses and had several pairs in her medicine chest. But her eyes never felt totally comfortable in contacts, especially during the close work required for jewelry design. Besides, she had no one special to impress.