âI Just Wanted Us Both To Be Clear About What Was Going On,â Camille Said.
âDamn good sex is what went on,â Pete replied. âThe best sex I can remember. Chemistry was over the top. If you feel differently or are trying to tell me that you regret itââ
âI donât regret it.â
âIf you want something more from meâ¦â
âI donât want a damn thing, you blockheaded dolt! And thereâs nothing wrong with âjust sex,â either! Everything doesnât have to end up in a complicated, heavy relationship, for heavenâs sake!â
âSo whatâs the problem?â
âThere is no problem! And donât you forget it!â She whipped around and stomped off. Try to be nice to the damn man and where did it get her? He didnât want to be cared about. Well, fine.
She didnât want him to care about her, either.
She walked so fast that she got a stitch in her sideâexcept that somehow, that stitch seemed to be located right over her heartâ¦.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for choosing Silhouette Desireâwhere passion is guaranteed in every read. Things sure are heating up with our continuing series DYNASTIES: THE BARONES. Eileen Wilksâs With Private Eyes is a powerful romance that helps set the stage for the daring conclusion next month. And if itâs more continuing stories that you wantâwe have them. TEXAS CATTLEMANâS CLUB: THE STOLEN BABY launches this month with Sara Orwigâs Entangled with a Texan.
The wonderful Peggy Moreland is on hand to dish up her share of Texas humor and heat with Baby, Youâre Mine, the next installment of her TANNERS OF TEXAS series. Be sure to catch Peggyâs Silhouette Single Title, Tannerâs Millions, on sale January 2004. Award-winning author Jennifer Greene marks her much-anticipated return to Silhouette Desire with Wild in the Field, the first book in her series THE SCENT OF LAVENDER.
Also for your enjoyment this month, we offer Katherine Garberaâs second book in the KING OF HEARTS series. Cinderellaâs Christmas Affair is a fabulous âit could happen to youâ plot guaranteed to leave her fans extremely satisfied. And rounding out our selection of delectable stories is Awakening Beauty by Amy J. Fetzer, a steamy, sensational tale.
More passion to you!
Melissa Jeglinski
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
lives near Lake Michigan with her husband and two children. Before writing full-time, she worked as a teacher and a personnel manager.
Ms. Greene has written more than fifty category romances, for which she has won numerous awards, including three RITA>® Awards from the Romance Writers of America in the Best Short Contemporary Books category, and she entered RWAâs Hall of Fame in 1998.
To Larâ
For letting me rescue even the impossibly ugly dogs, cats and critters over the years. Donât worry, love. Iâll never tell anyone what a softie you are.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
Once a month, Pete MacDougal braced for a full-scale rebellion. And once every month, he got it.
Only the nature of the weapons and attacks varied. The look on the faces of his fourteen-year-old sons was always the same: A never-give-in-determination in the eyes, an unrelenting stubbornness in the chins, a cocky attitude written on their every feature.
It was bad enough to have two teenagers in the house, worse yet to have twins, but the real insult was that the kids took after him. It just wasnât fair.
âLook, Dad. You just donât get it. Youâre missing the point of living without women. Weâre supposed to be free.â
âUh-huh,â Pete said, and from his key position in the front hall, slapped a mop and bucket in Simonâs hands. His sidekickâand Sean was the absolute spitting image of his brother except for one errant cowlickâwas trying to slowly back away from the vacuum.
âCome on, Dad. Remember about free? Weâre supposed to be free to be ourselves. Free to not eat vegetables. Free to not do dishes until we run out. Free to wear our boots in the house. Free to live how we want.â
The vacuum nozzle was slapped into Seanâs handâbut Simon elbowed in front of him. âYou always said we should think for ourselves, remember, Dad? Well, we finally got a day off from school because of the blizzard, so I think the last thing we should be doing is cleaning.â
Sean accidentally let the vacuum nozzle drop. âAnd, like, whatâs the point, you know? As soon as you clean, the dirt comes right back. Whatâs wrong with dirt anyway? I like dirt. Simon likes dirt. Gramps likes dirt. Youâre the only oneââ
âDirt keeps the women away, right, Dad? Like an apple keeps the doctor awaââ
âEnough. Iâve had it with the lip.â Pete knew heâd lose his temper. He always did. The only question every month was when. âI donât want to hear another word. Unless you both want to be grounded for the rest of your lives, the floors are getting washed and the carpets vacuumed. And the bathroomsâhell, the health department wouldnât go near your bathroom upstairs. It stinks. Now move itââ