“I’m marrying someone else.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you,” Blade said. “But I still think you’re settling. You have passion, verve.”
“What do you know about me?”
“I know enough.” His voice was quiet, cutting through the kitchen like a knife.
Cassidy whirled away from him and gripped the granite countertop.
“Cassidy.”
Something in the tone of his voice softened her.
“Yes?”
“Are you afraid to turn around and look at me?”
Actually, at that moment she was. All she had to do was stand in the room and she wanted him. He tempted her like chocolate cake, but she needed to remain true to her diet of bland. Slowly Cassidy turned around and looked at him, sensing the mistake the moment she did so.
Dear Reader,
This month we have a wonderful lineup of stories, guaranteed to warm you on these last chilly days of winter. First, Charlotte Douglas kicks things off with Surprise Inheritance, the third installment in Mills & Boon American Romance’s MILLIONAIRE, MONTANA series, in which a sexy sheriff is reunited with the woman he’s always loved when she returns to town to claim her inheritance.
Next, THE BABIES OF DOCTORS CIRCLE, Jacqueline Diamond’s new miniseries centered around a maternity and well-baby clinic, premieres this month with Diagnosis: Expecting Boss’s Baby. In this sparkling story, an unforgettable night of passion between a secretary and her handsome employer leads to an unexpected pregnancy.
Also available this month is Sweeping the Bride Away by Michele Dunaway. A bride-to-be is all set to wed “Mr. Boring” until she hires a rugged contractor who makes her pulse race and gives her second thoughts about her upcoming nuptials. Rounding things out is Professor & the Pregnant Nanny by Emily Dalton. This heartwarming story pairs a single dad in need of a nanny for his three adorable children with a woman who is alone, pregnant and in need of a job.
Enjoy this month’s offerings as Mills & Boon American Romance continues to celebrate twenty years of publishing the best in contemporary category romance fiction. Be sure to come back next month for more stories guaranteed to touch your heart!
Melissa Jeglinski
Associate Senior Editor
Mills & Boon American Romance
Sweeping the Bride Away
Michele Dunaway
Dedicated to my father, Larry M. Smith (1936-2002),
who always believed in me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In first grade MICHELE DUNAWAY knew she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up, and by second grade she wanted to be an author. By third grade she was determined to be both. Born and raised in a west county suburb of St. Louis, Michele recently moved to five acres in the rolling hills of Labadie. She’s traveled extensively, with the cities and places she’s visited often becoming settings for her stories.
Michele currently teaches high school English, raises her two young daughters and describes herself as a woman who does too much but doesn’t want to stop.
Michele loves to hear from readers, and you can visit her Web site at www.micheledunaway.com or write to her at P.O. Box 45, Labadie, MO 63055. Please enclose a SASE.
Books by Michele Dunaway
MILLS & BOON AMERICAN ROMANCE
848—A LITTLE OFFICE ROMANCE
900—TAMING THE TABLOID HEIRESS
921—THE SIMPLY SCANDALOUS PRINCESS
931—CATCHING THE CORPORATE PLAYBOY
963—SWEEPING THE BRIDE AWAY
A Bride-to-be’s Do’s and Don’ts
Do…
…listen to everything your busybody future mother-in-law has to say.
…go to dress fittings even though your wedding attire makes you look like a cumulus cloud.
…have fun with girlfriends before the wedding (especially to encourage them to find their own Mr. Perfect).
…write your future married name repeatedly.
Don’t…
…stare at the good-looking contractor who’s working on your house.
…even think about wearing his tool belt.
…contemplate long walks on the beach with your good-looking contractor.
…believe everything your fiancé says. Looks can be deceiving.
Contents
Chapter One
Mistake number one had been letting Lillian Morris, neighbor from hell and her future mother-in-law, in the front door. Yes, it would have been much better to have just ignored the doorbell and pretended she wasn’t home. But Cassidy Clayton had been waiting for the city building inspector, and when she’d opened the door, unfortunately he hadn’t been standing on the other side.
Cassidy looked at her fiancé’s mother and grimaced. Once again, this time within five seconds after Lillian’s arrival, Cassidy had been hit up to set an exact wedding date.
“I’m not sure,” she said slowly, for it was always wise to choose your words carefully around Lillian, “exactly, if Dan and I want to marry this June. We haven’t discussed it. After all, we’ve only been engaged two months. I was thinking more like October. That’s eight months from now.”
Lillian