Definitely Not Daddy Material!
Jasmine Marks is focused and hardworking, and when she took a job as engineer for Baron Energies, she left behind her support network. Now, the burden of caring for her twin girls is all on her, and she doesnât have time for a dilettante playboy like Jet Baron. Besides, she needs her job, and she canât blow it by getting involved with the bossâs son.
On the surface, Jet Barron is a dabbler, dropping into work one day and riding rodeo the next. But when he makes his mind up, he goes for it, full-out. He knows a lot more than anyone suspects, about the oil business, about women. And this woman needs someone to count onâwhich will be Jet, if he gets his way.
âYou think Iâm some kind of prank. An actress hired toâwhat? Pretend to have a meeting with you? Then strip out of my clothes?â
Heâd started to get a funny feeling. âWell, yeah.â
She took a step toward him, and Jet would be lying if he didnât feel as if, somehow, the joke was on him.
âTell me something, what makes you think the engineer in question is a man?â
âAll engineers in the oil industry are men.â
She took another step toward him. âThere are actually quite a few women in the business. I graduated from Berkley with a degree in geology.â She took yet another step closer. âI interned for the USGS out of Menlo Park then moved back to Texas to get my masterâs in engineering. My father was a wildcatter, and it was from him that I learned the business, so let me reassure you, Mr. Baron, I can tell the difference between an injection hose and a drill pipe. But if you still insist only men can be engineers, perhaps we should call your sister, Lizzie, who hired me.â
He couldnât speak for a moment. âOh, crap.â
Her extraordinary blue eyes scanned him, her derision clearly evident. âStill want me to strip?â
He almost said yes, but he could tell that he was in enough trouble as it was.
Dear Reader,
Itâs always a privilege to be asked to contribute to one of Mills & Boonâs continuity series. When my editor called and explained the premise of the Texas Rodeo Barons, I became even more thrilled. Cowboys, rodeos and family drama? I was in!
I will have to admit, itâs a little daunting, too. All those different heroes and heroines to keep track of, not to mention story lines and plot twists. I knew I would need to read each book to ensure I didnât drop the ball somewhere along the way.
Those books blew me away.
I was left in awe of my fellow authors: Donna Alward, Trish Milburn, Barbara White Daille, Cathy McDavid and Tanya Michaels. To be honest, I was a little overwhelmed, too. Could I write a book as good as my sister authors? I wasnât sure I could, but I sure tried, focusing all my energy on creating a story that would continue the standard of excellenceâ¦and a funny thing happened.
I fell in love with my own characters.
My hero was so much fun to write, and my heroine the perfect match for his bad-boy personality. Add in two adorable twin girls and, well, what a hoot-and-a-half.
I hope you feel the same way about The Texanâs Twins.
Pamela Britton
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With over a million books in print, PAMELA BRITTON likes to call herself the best-known author nobodyâs ever heard of. Of course, that changed thanks to a certain licensing agreement with that little racing organization known as NASCAR.
But before the glitz and glamour of NASCAR, Pamela wrote books that were frequently voted the best of the best by the Detroit Free Press, Barnes & Noble (two years in a row) and RT Book Reviews. Sheâs won numerous awards, including a National Readersâ Choice Award and a nomination for the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Award.
When not writing books, Pamela is a reporter for a local newspaper. Sheâs also a columnist for the American Quarter Horse Journal.
For the real life twins, Brooke and Gwen.
Two adorable little girls who always amuse and entertain me. I couldnât have written this book without you in my life. Know that Auntie Pam loves you.
Chapter One
Hole-lee Toledoâ
Jet Baron slammed on the brakes, nearly clocking his chin on the steering wheel in the process.
Dust kicked up from his truckâs tires and wafted around the womanâs silhouette. A blonde womanâa drop-dead gorgeous womanâin a black dress stared at him curiously as he drifted to a stop.
She waved, mouthed hello, and all Jet could think was, all right, which one of his rodeo friends had set him up? Theyâd teased him mercilessly last night when heâd told them about the meeting this morning out in the middle of a field in Nowhere, Texas. Jet Baron, forced to work, theyâd said. Not forced, heâd explained. More like...emotionally blackmailed.