The Catch Of Texas

The Catch Of Texas
Lass Small

A MAN MADE FOR MARRIAGE Confirmed bachelorette Gerri Jones was convinced she'd never meet a man in all of TEXAS she could understand, let alone love. Then Frank Scheblocki walked into her life.He was a true gentleman, careful with her innocence, generous with his kisses… and teetering on the edge of falling in love. And though he'd made her the prize of his relentless pursuit, Geri wondered if Frank just might be the biggest catch of all!

“You’re Something Special.” (#uaa67298b-0850-52b3-8837-6016328294d5)Letter to Reader (#u33c56f5d-ae35-5811-95a3-1108bd89fd82)Title Page (#ub8b16b9e-6e96-51f8-8f1e-b7479c199198)About the Author (#ud1708a09-7c71-58c4-bfd5-a0cf789a173f)Chapter One (#u21730119-aa7a-5f04-8aae-455dae3e975c)Chapter Two (#u76c34b92-2010-57cc-8dc1-2bcf02863193)Chapter Three (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

“You’re Something Special.”

Frank watched her, and his eyes and face were soft and gentle.

Geri just looked at him.

He told her, “I wish—”

She waited.

He continued to look at her in that same soft way.

She asked, “What is it that you...wish?”

He shook his head. He was still and said nothing more.

She asked again, “What exactly are you talking about that you wish?”

So he finally said the truth. “I’d take you away to a private place and make love to you.”

“I don’t do that sort of thing. I wouldn’t until I was safely married.”

“You haven’t—? At all?” His mouth was open. He couldn’t believe what she’d said. She was a virgin? He was boggled.

But he also couldn’t get his eyes off her. She truly was something special, and he would do well to be very careful with her.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Silhouette Desire—where you’re guaranteed powerful, passionate and provocative love stories that feature rugged heroes and spirited heroines who experience the full emotional intensity of falling in love!

This October you’ll love our new MAN OF THE MONTH title by Barbara Boswell, Forever Flint. Opposites attract when a city girl becomes the pregnant bride of a millionaire outdoorsman.

Be sure to “rope in” the next installment of the exciting Desire miniseries TEXAS CATTLEMAN’S CLUB with Billionaire Bridegroom by Peggy Moreland. When cattle baron Forrest Cunningham wants to wed childhood friend Becky Sullivan, she puts his love to an unexpected test.

The always-wonderful Jennifer Greene returns to Desire with her magical series HAPPILY EVER AFTER. Kiss Your Prince Charming is a modern fairy tale starring an unforgettable “frog prince.” In a sexy battle-of-the-sexes tale, Lass Small offers you The Catch of Texas. Anne Eames continues her popular miniseries MONTANA MALONES with The Unknown Malone. And Sheri WhiteFeather makes her explosive Desire debut with Warrior’s Baby, a story of surrogate motherhood with a twist.

Next month, you’ll really feel the power of the passion when you see our new provocative cover design. Underneath our new covers, you will still find six exhilarating journeys into the seductive world of romance, with a guaranteed happy ending!

Enjoy!

Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

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The Catch of Texas

Lass Small

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

LASS SMALL

finds living on this planet at this time a fascinating experience. People are amazing. She thinks that to be a teller of tales of people, places and things is absolutely marvelous.

One

There’s a saying known by its four letters—TGIF or Thank God It’s Friday. Well, that isn’t exactly what women have in mind. Their definition of the quote is: Thank God I’m Female.

Men are slow and think it’s another quote entirely. But then, men are different from women.

Now Geri Jones was a normal woman and saw life as it was. At an early age, she was baffled by males. As time went along, she watched them silently. When she matured, she found all men are thataway! There is no change! Men are strange.

Just try to take a man to a concert when there’s a baseball game! They go to that.

Their... grandmother...is ill. That’s what they say when they leave the office.

It was after Geri was adult that she had TGIF put on her car license plate. She’d looked at males since she was ten, and she had never understood any, nor had she been snared by any one of them.

She searched. The town in TEXAS where Geri lived was big enough. Something over a million people. A good number to paw through and select some interesting males. She was thoughtful, considering, and careful. But few were acceptable. They were generally not what she had in mind. So she’d slowly withdrawn. She had just about been positive she’d either have to be a single woman or move away and search somewhere else for a man.

Frank Scheblocki thought Geri Jones was what he wanted. He smiled at her as she walked down the street toward him. He thought just his smile would be plenty and she’d swoon in his arms.

She did not.

Frank was not deterred by her being so difficult. He talked to his buddies about her. There was Tim Slamecki, Jack Smith, Mac Kraft, Mark Goode and Tommy Thompson.

The males discussed the stubborn female who at her age hadn’t the guts to smile back. They stood on the street corner and looked at her as she passed.

Geri didn’t notice. Not the actual males. They blocked the walk, and she had to cope with that stupidity. She walked around them with grim indignation. They laughed. She thought they were too old to be thataway.

Frank was trying to catch her eye. He thought she was...wonderful. He wanted her in his house so that when he got home from work, she would be there with all the goodies on the table. The biggest goody being her.

To him, she was special. Frank smiled his hello smile at her. She never noticed. She didn’t look at him at all.

Sadly, Frank said to his buddies, “She doesn’t like me all that much.”