Cinderella's Christmas Affair

Cinderella's Christmas Affair
Katherine Garbera

It hardly took the stroke of midnight to remind CJ Terrence that, despite colored contacts and haute couture, she was still the mousy schoolgirl disposed to fairy-tale delusions. All it took was a chance holiday encounter with Tad Randolph. Years ago, the tycoon whose business could make or break her career had befriended her, then betrayed her.Now he wanted redemption–and more than a kiss beneath the mistletoe. Heaven help her, so did CJ.She craved Tad's taste and touch–always had. And something told her that fate in the form of an unlikely fairy godmother had delivered this second chance. Still, CJ wondered if she dare believe this Christmas affair could lead to ever after.

“I Want To Take You To Bed And Break Down All The Barriers You Put Between Us.”

“Tad, go away.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not the girl you want.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Because I like the same Christmas tree you do.”

He gave her a half smile that took her breath away. “No, because you’re beautiful and sexy and you’ve haunted my dreams since the last time I saw you.”

She took the tray and left the living room. She couldn’t think when he said things like that. When he made her believe that forever and happily ever after might still exist. It was as if everything her ex-lover and ex-boss had taught her disappeared. But she knew better.

“I’m not your dream woman, Tad. I’m no man’s.”

Dear Reader,

Thank you for choosing Silhouette Desire—where passion is guaranteed in every read. Things sure are heating up with our continuing series DYNASTIES: THE BARONES. Eileen Wilks’s With Private Eyes is a powerful romance that helps set the stage for the daring conclusion next month. And if it’s more continuing stories that you want—we have them. TEXAS CATTLEMAN’S CLUB: THE STOLEN BABY launches this month with Sara Orwig’s Entangled with a Texan.

The wonderful Peggy Moreland is on hand to dish up her share of Texas humor and heat with Baby, You’re Mine, the next installment of her TANNERS OF TEXAS series. Be sure to catch Peggy’s Silhouette Single Title, Tanner’s 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 Garbera’s second book in the KING OF HEARTS series. Cinderella’s Christmas Affair is a fabulous “it could happen to you” 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

Cinderella’s Christmas Affair

Katherine Garbera

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

KATHERINE GARBERA

lives in central Florida with her husband and two children. They are all happy to be back in their native state after a two-year absence. Her favorite things are spending time with her family, writing, reading and talking about reading. Readers can visit her on the Web at katherinegarbera.com.

To Courtney, Lucas and Matt—

thanks for making everything worthwhile.

Acknowledgments:

Special thanks to Julie Wachowski

for suggesting Gejas as a romantic place for dinner.

Also, thanks to the entire Windy City chapter

for being so knowledgeable about everything and for making me feel like one of your own even it was only for a short time.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Prologue

Dying had not been what I’d expected and after successfully matching together one couple I felt a little more confident about this afterlife gig. But this body disappearing thing still freaked me out. I was back in that in-between land that Father Dom had called purgatory.

I’d been a capo in the mob before being betrayed by one of my lieutenants. Five shots to the chest and a dying request for forgiveness had brought me here.

The deal I’d cut was essentially to unite in love as many couples as enemies I’d murdered in hate. So I knew I’d be dealing with this angel broad for a while. Matchmaker to the lovelorn wasn’t exactly something I’d been dying to do but life was full of surprises. Come to think of it so was death.

In front of me was a large mahogany desk with a library lamp and a jar of Baci chocolates. I’d been here before. The angel broad was there, still looking like she’d just attended a funeral but her dress this time was puke-green.