Last Of The Joeville Lovers

Last Of The Joeville Lovers
Anne Eames

MONTANA MALONES THE MOST WANTED MALONE BROTHER Tall, dark and very rich rancher Josh Malone's bachelor status was legendary. No one had ever been able to tempt the most wanted man in Montana to settle down. Until a tragedy changed Josh Malone's life forever… . Suddenly the man who was used to calling his own shots had to depend on the very headstrong, very beautiful Taylor Phillips.He knew she was as passionately attracted to him as he was to her, but once-burned, twice-shy Taylor refused to give in to the desire burning between them. Until what they both wanted most of all suddenly became theirs… .MONTANA MALONES: Three sexy brothers whose lips are sealed with their secrets… till passion pries 'em loose.

Whatever Made Him Think He Could Take Things Slowly Where Taylor Was Concerned? (#ufff4abfe-4a42-55ac-b69a-491344f619a4)Letter to Reader (#ua9453314-4bf6-5f83-9e51-b1d607af80c2)Title Page (#uf1c7366f-1a1e-5b54-b5b1-b7c6731a0c8a)About the Author (#u0e4b94c7-1041-5b92-a48e-a2c45ad8b76c)Acknowledgments (#u4087d25e-e133-53c9-b4c1-145dc848c8c7)Chapter One (#uf22402ab-07fd-5ede-bbec-313945907afd)Chapter Two (#u44479934-1c89-5f4b-b606-73a07350d2b9)Chapter Three (#u04982ad9-1926-53f5-8419-e851fefbec00)Chapter Four (#u522be48b-f93a-5f00-b1ba-f52cb248d5cd)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)Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Whatever Made Him Think He Could Take Things Slowly Where Taylor Was Concerned?

Now that he knew they could make love, he wanted her.

Tonight. Badly.

He shook his head and muttered under his breath. One kiss and he wanted it all. And it wasn’t simply physical; that was the problem. He cared too much for this woman.

He’d seen it coming and he’d done nothing to stop it. He’d seen the look in her eyes and known she was beginning to care too much.... The evidence was in the generous and giving heart of Taylor that he had seen every time he’d looked deep into her eyes.

He growled in frustration. He couldn’t saddle her with this. No matter how willing she might be to accept him as he was. She deserved more. Much more. And until he could give it to her, he had to bring to a halt feelings that were getting far too out of hand.

It had been nearly impossible to ask her to leave tonight. And he doubted if he could ever muster the courage to do it again....

Dear Reader,

MEN! This month Silhouette Desire goes man-crazy with six of the sexiest, heart-stopping hunks ever to come alive on the pages of a romance novel.

Meet May’s MAN OF THE MONTH, love-wary secret agent Daniel Lawless, in The Passionate G-Man, the first book in Dixie Browning’s fabulous new miniseries, THE LAWLESS HEIRS. Metsy Hingle’s gallant hero protects an independent lady in danger in the last book of the RIGHT BRIDE, WRONG GROOM series, The Bodyguard and the Bridesmaid. Little bitty Joeville, Montana, has more tall, dark and rugged ranchers than any other town west of the Mississippi. And Josh Malone has more sex appeal than all of ’em put together in Last of the Joeville Lovers, the third book in Anne Eames’s MONTANA MALONES series.

In The Notorious Groom, Caroline Cross pairs the baddest boy ever to roam the streets of Kisscount with the town virgin in a steamy marriage of convenience. The hero of Barbara McCauley’s Seduction of the Reluctant Bride is one purebred Texas cowboy fixin’ to do some wife-wranglin’—this new groom isn’t about to miss a sultry second of his very own wedding night Yeehaw! Next, when a suddenly wealthy beauty meets the owner of the ranch next door, he’s wearing nothing but a Stetson and a smile in Carol Grace’s The Heiress Inherits a Cowboy.

Silhouette Desire brings you the kind of irresistible men who make your knees buckle, your stomach flutter, your heart melt...and your fingers turn the page. So enjoy our lineup of spectacular May men!

Regards,

Senior Editor

Silhouette Books

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian. PO. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3

Last of the Joeville Lovers

Anne Eames

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

ANNE EAMES

This is Anne’s sixth novel for Desire. Her books have appeared on the USA Today bestseller list, and she has been a Golden Heart finalist and Maggie winner.

Anne and her husband, Bill, live in southeastern Michigan.

With special thanks to my pilot buddy, Barry;

to Dana and Christopher Reeve for their inspiration;

and most important, to my favorite cowboy

and love of my life, Bill.

One

“Don’t you dare stop now!” From her position on the floor, Taylor Phillips stared down into the tired cowboy’s eyes and saw beads of sweat streaking down his temples.

“How much longer till you’re satisfied?” Josh asked, pumping yet another time.

“At least a minute...five if you can hold out that long.” He groaned and kept moving, but without much enthusiasm.

“Having problems, Joshua Malone? I thought you told me you were in good shape” She knew she was goading him. She also knew that if she could elicit a little anger, he might find more energy and push his own limit.

Finally, with one last growl, he slumped on the floor beneath her. “Enough.” A dumbbell rolled free from his hand and coasted along the mat.

Taylor’s smile was one of triumph. She checked her watch then stood and extended an arm to Josh. “Not bad. Four minutes longer than yesterday.” Using his good arm, he grabbed hold of her hand and hoisted himself up.

“Where did you learn to be a physical therapist? The University of S and M?” He wiped his forehead on the sleeve of his T-shirt, then massaged his left shoulder.

Taylor laughed at his barb and made notes in his chart, resisting the temptation to write her thoughts: rich kid has to work hard. Poor baby. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him staring at her with that sexy smirk of his, one that he’d probably practiced in front of the mirror and that she’d heard worked on many an unsuspecting female in Bozeman. She wondered if he had a clue how much she enjoyed ignoring his overt moves on her. His shoulder had healed weeks ago. She knew why he kept coming around.

With her head still down she was finishing her notes when the sound of Max’s footsteps crossing the tile floor forced her to look up. His face was grave, a cordless phone pressed to his chest.

Josh ignored the ominous body language and tried to engage his father in playful banter. “Hey, Dad...did you teach Taylor to be this tough?”

His expression unchanged, Max didn’t acknowledge his son’s question. “Josh...you’ll have to excuse us a moment. There’s an urgent call from Ann Arbor.” Max turned back to Taylor. “It’s your father,” he said and handed her the phone.

Taylor stared at it, her pulse quickening. Her father would never call her at the Malone ranch when he knew she would be working in Max’s clinic...especially at this hour of the morning...unless....

She punched a button and spoke into the receiver, trying to steel herself for bad news. “Dad?” The sound of his voice at once confirmed her fears. Something was gravely wrong.

And it had to do with her mother.

Taylor walked around the corner to the office where Max’s daughter-in-law, Savannah, sat cross-legged on the floor. Her young son, Billy, knelt beside her, watching as she changed his baby brother’s diapers. Savannah’s quick smile faded as soon as she saw Taylor’s face.

Taylor dropped into a chair in front of the desk and listened intently to her father. “Who’s her doctor?” she finally asked. When her father answered, she stood and paced to the window behind the desk. “I’ll catch the next flight out. Tell her to hang on, Dad. I’m on my way.” Her knees started to shake and she was thankful when he said goodbye.

She switched off the phone and stared at miles of wildflowers leading to the MoJoe Mountains and the mirrored blue waters below, her thoughts turning inward. She had always known this day might come. And she had always known what she would do if it did.