âDonât you think we should get to know each other better? I mean, we are going to be latched together for the wedding.â
That was her excuse and she was sticking to it. Her interest had nothing to do with the simmering attraction between them. Nothing to do with the way he studied her, or how watching him touch the silk petals had made her swallow, thinking of those same fingers against her own skin. Nothing to do with the way Kane Lennox had awakened something in her that she hadnât expected.
He laid the silk flowers in his hand down on the table. âIs that all? Just trying to get to know the guy youâre going to be stuck with for a few hours at a reception?â
Nothing to do with the way looking at him made her wonder if sheâd been missing out on something all these years. If Miss Responsibility should take a little vacationâbefore her vacation.
Susannah inhaled, and when she did she caught the citrus notes of his cologne. The quiet undertone of man. The low, unmistakable hum of sexual current. âOf course.â
Liar.
New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump didnât have the will-power to diet, nor the talent to master under-eye concealer, so she bowed out of a career in television and opted instead for a career where she could be paid to eat at her deskâwriting. At first, seeking revenge on her children for their grocery store tantrums, she sold embarrassing essays about them to anthologies. However, it wasnât enough to feed her growing addiction to writing funny. So she turned to the world of romance novels, where messes are (usually) cleaned up before The End. In the worlds Shirley gets to create and control, the children listen to their parents, the husbands always remember holidays, and the housework is magically done by elves. Though sheâs thrilled to see her books in stores around the world, Shirley mostly writes because it gives her an excuse to avoid cleaning the toilets and helps feed her shoe habit. To learn more, visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com
Shirley Jump brings you
another sparkling romance DOORSTEP DADDY in May
Dear Reader
In THE BRIDESMAID AND THE BILLIONAIRE, Iâve brought one of my favourite kinds of heroâthe wealthy, troubled manâtogether with a quirky heroine and some of my absolutely favourite secondary characters: dogs. Anyone who regularly reads my blog (www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com) knows about my new little Havanese puppy, Sophie, and her adventures with my other two dogs. I had a lot of fun writing this book, and introducing some canine characters with personalities all their own!
I hope you enjoy this book, and thank you for being a regular reader of mineâand of Mills & Boon>® Romance. Please write to meâeither through my website, www.shirleyjump.com, or at PO Box 5126, Fort Wayne, IN 46895, USAâand tell me about your favourite Romance. Who knows? Maybe weâve got a favourite book in common!
Happy reading
Shirley
For Sherri, my own maid of honor and best friend, even though she got the part of the narrator in the fourth grade play. The best part about having her as a best friend is weâre never too grown up to have fun.
CHAPTER ONE
KANE Lennoxâs bare feet sank into the new spring grass, his toes disappearing between the thick green blades like shy mice. Heâd slept on mattresses that cost as much as a small sedan, walked on carpet that had been hand loomed in the Orient, and worn shoes made to order specifically for his feet by a cobbler in Italy. But those experiences paled in comparison to this one. Comfort slid through his veins, washing over him in a wave, lapping at the stress that normally constricted his heart, easing the emotionâs death grip on his arteries.
He halted midstep, tossing the conundrum around in his mind. How could something so simple, so basic, as walking barefoot on grass, feel so wonderful?
âWhat on earth do you think youâre doing?â
Kane whirled around at the sound of the womanâs voice. Tall and thin, her blond hair hanging in a long straight curtain to her waist, she stood with tight fists propped on her hips. Her features were delicate, classic, with wide green eyes and lush dark pink lips, but right now her face had been transformed by a mask of confusion and annoyance. In one hand she held a cell phone, her thumb over the send button, 9-1-1 just a push away.
Not that he could blame her. Even he had to admit what he was doing lookedâ¦odd. Out of place. Kane put up both hands. The âSee, Iâm okay, not carrying any lethal weaponsâ posture. âThereâs a perfectly logical explanation for my behavior,â he said. âAnd my presence.â
She raised a dubious brow, but looked a bit worried, even apprehensive. âA total stranger. Barefoot. On my sisterâs lawn. In the middle of the day. Uh-huh. Iâm sure thereâs a logical explanation for that.â She turned, casting a hand over her eyes, shading them from the sun. âEither thereâs some cameraman waiting to jump out of the shrubbery with a âSurprise, youâre on