Single Dads Collection. Lynne Marshall
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу Single Dads Collection - Lynne Marshall страница 89

Название: Single Dads Collection

Автор: Lynne Marshall

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Короткие любовные романы

Серия: Mills & Boon e-Book Collections

isbn: 9780008900625

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ do want to,’ she said, dropping soft kisses over his face. ‘You know what a thing I’ve got about security, and, now I’ve decided that you’re my security, I want to tie you up as close as I can!’

      ‘The tying up bit sounds fun,’ mumbled Will between kisses. ‘You can tie me up as tight as you like!’

      ‘Good, I hoped you’d agree,’ said Alice with satisfaction, and then her blizzard of kisses had reached his mouth and neither of them said anything more for a long time.

      ‘We don’t have to get married in St Bonaventure,’ Will pointed out some time later, when they had both discovered that they were starving and were in the kitchen making cheese on toast, which was the best Alice could do. ‘If I get this job, we’ll be moving back to the UK and we could have the wedding here if you like.’

      Alice picked a piece of cheese from the grater and studied him. ‘When’s the interview?’

      ‘The day after tomorrow.’

      ‘I think you should ring up and cancel,’ she said. ‘Let’s go back to St Bonaventure and finish the project. If I’m married to you, I’ll be able to find a job doing something, and as long as I’ve got something to do I’ll be fine. I could sort out your fund-raising for a start! Then, when the project’s finished, we can think again. Maybe that’ll be the time to come back to the UK, and Lily can settle in a school here.’

      Will slid his arms about her from behind and kissed the side of her neck, making her arch with pleasure. ‘You’re a dream come true,’ he said, and she smiled.

      ‘That’s the plan.’

      The sun was just starting to sink towards the horizon as Alice took Lily’s hand and walked down the garden and across the track. Ducking under the trunk of a coconut palm that leant down at an extraordinary angle, they kicked off their shoes and walked barefoot across the beach to where Will was waiting for them.

      Lily was in a pale pink dress, which she had been allowed to choose herself, and her dark curls were held in place by a satin headband decorated with rosebuds. Her tongue was sticking out slightly as she concentrated on remembering her bridesmaid’s duties. Next to her, Alice was wearing a very simple cream-coloured dress with fine straps that left her arms and shoulders bare, and the chiffon stirred against her legs as cat’s paw of wind ruffled across the lagoon. There were frangipani flowers in her hair, and she carried a spray of vivid bougainvillaea.

      The sky was flushed with a pink that was deepening rapidly to a brief blaze of red and orange as Will turned to watch them walk across the sand towards him, and he smiled. Their plans for a small ceremony had been overtaken by the insistence of the entire project staff on being invited, together with Roger and Beth, Alice’s parents, his mother, Sara and a whole lot of other people who’d seemed so genuinely happy for them that it had seemed churlish not to include them in the wedding party too. They all gathered round as Will stood with Alice and Lily before the celebrant.

      Alice bent and handed her flowers to Lily, who took them as if they were made of glass and stepped carefully back to join her grandmother. Will took Alice’s hand and, as they turned to face each other, his grey gaze travelled lovingly over her, from the tawny hair to those golden eyes and the warm, generous mouth, and then down over the enticing curves of her body to stop at her bare feet.

      ‘What, no shoes?’ he murmured as the celebrant cleared his throat. ‘How are you going to run away?’

      She smiled back at him. ‘I’m not running anywhere,’ she said. ‘From now on I’m staying right by your side.’

       Coming Next Month

      If you enjoyed the eBook you just read, then you’ll love what we have for you next month! Check out new titles from Silhouette Special Edition and Harlequin Everlasting Love as well as every title in the Harlequin Romance series, available at your favorite eRetailer.

      New titles are published on the first of the month.

       The Cowboy’s Second-Chance Family

      Jules Bennett

      To all the readers who requested more books set

      in Stonerock…here you go!

      I also threw in a cowboy. You’re welcome :)

       Chapter One

      The mysterious man sitting in the back of the room didn’t want to be seen. Too bad, because Lucy Brooks had spotted him the second he’d tried to slip in unnoticed twenty minutes ago.

      A sexy man with broad shoulders, perfectly tanned skin, denim worn out in all the proper places, and clutching a black cowboy hat could not simply blend in. That square, stubbled jaw alone would grab any woman’s attention. Not that Lucy wanted to be grabbed.

      She tried to focus as one of the regular attendees discussed her one positive experience from the past week. The Helping Hands support group Lucy had started with her best friends Tara and Kate was a way to encourage others struggling with grief. Everyone brought something different to the meetings because everyone handled the loss of a loved one differently. And nobody had the same story to tell.

      Which brought her gaze back to the cowboy in the back. Stonerock, Tennessee, had its fair share of ranchers, but she’d never seen this man before. The fact he was new explained the jumbled nerves in her belly. She refused to believe they were caused by the dark stare he was returning in her direction.

      “Does anyone else have anything they’d like to share?” Tara asked, pulling Lucy back to the moment. When nobody stepped forward, Tara went on. “Remember, we will be changing the starting time next week. We’ll be switching to seven instead of six. Have a great week, everybody.”

      All in attendance tonight were regulars, save for the cowboy. They’d all had a positive week and tonight’s meeting had mostly been smiles and laughter—the whole reason for forming this group nearly two years ago.

      Lucy excused herself from her friends and headed toward the back of the church where the new guy was trying to sneak out as quickly and quietly as he’d snuck in.

      Lucy wasn’t having any part of that. She made her way through the aisles, smiling and nodding to familiar faces. But when she reached the back, the stranger was gone. Jogging out the open doors, she spotted him striding toward a big black truck. What else would a mysterious cowboy drive?

      A fine mist covered her face as she picked up the pace to catch up with him. Those long legs of his ate up some serious ground.

      He must’ve heard or sensed her because he glanced over his shoulder and stopped. Swiping the dampness from her face, Lucy finished closing the gap between them.

      “Hi. I’m Lucy.” Okay, that sounded lame, but she didn’t know what else to lead with. She was usually fine with greeting new guests, but this man was different. “I wanted to welcome СКАЧАТЬ