His Convenient Virgin Bride / Seduction on the CEO’s Terms: His Convenient Virgin Bride

His Convenient Virgin Bride / Seduction on the CEO’s Terms: His Convenient Virgin Bride
Barbara Dunlop

Charlene Sands

His Convenient Virgin BrideHe never imagined the incredible beauty would be a virgin! Yet just weeks after their roll in the hay, Stephanie Ryder was expecting his baby. Now millionaire Alec Creighton’s proposed and with the ceremony imminent, would he wheel and deal his way out of it? Knowing the delights his bride offered, would having her in his bed be a pleasure he would afford?Seduction on the CEO’s Terms CEO Joe Carlino had returned to Napa Valley to help run the family winery; he’d made the mistake of indulging in an office romance before, and even beautiful Ali Pendrake didn’t tempt him to try again. Frustrated that her boss was judging her solely by her looks, Ali went for a total reverse makeover. Ironically, when she transformed from glittery Cinderella to mousey plain-Jane, she really caught the wealthy bachelor’s eye.

His Convenient

Virgin Bride

Barbara Dunlop

Seduction On

The Ceo’s Terms

Charlene Sands

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

His Convenient

Virgin Bride

Barbara Dunlop

“You’re here for a shotgun wedding …?” she asked, her brow raised.

“Something like that,” he admitted.

Stephanie shook her head. “Thanks for stopping by, Alec. You’re an honorable man. But your baby is safe in my hands. I’ll drop you a line once it’s born.”

“Not quite the way things are going to happen,” he said as he stared down at her with intense purpose.

“Get this straight in your mind, Stephanie. You are marrying me.”

She squinted into his dark, intense eyes. “That was a joke, right?”

“Am I laughing?”

About the Author

BARBARA DUNLOP writes romantic stories while curled up in a log cabin in Canada’s far north, where bears outnumber people and it snows six months of the year. Fortunately, she has a brawny husband and two teenage children to haul firewood and clear the driveway while she sips cocoa and muses about her upcoming chapters. Barbara loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her website at www.barbaradunlop.com.

For my husband

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the MONTANA MILLIONAIRES: THE RYDERS series from Desire™. I have a great time writing siblings, and I hope you enjoy stephanie’s story in His Convenient Virgin Bride, along with the stories of her brothers, Royce and Jared, in the companion books.

I also love a ranch setting and a smart, protective hero. Add to that a little mystery and a long-ago family secret, and you have the ingredients for a really fun write. I enjoyed exploring the Ryder family history in this book, and it was great to touch base again with the characters from Seduction and the CEO and In Bed with the Wrangler. I hope you enjoy the finale to the Ryders’ series.

Happy reading!

Barbara

One

Stephanie Ryder felt a telltale breeze puff against the skin of her chest. She glanced down to discover a button had popped on her stretch cotton blouse. The lace of her white bra and the curve of her breasts were clearly visible in the gap.

She crossed her arms to block the view, arching a mocking brow at the man silhouetted in the tack shed door. “You, Alec Creighton, are no gentleman.”

Wearing a dress shirt, charcoal slacks and black loafers that were at odds with the rustic setting of a working horse stable, his gaze moved indolently from the wall of her forearm back to her eyes. “It took you twenty-four hours to figure that out?”

“Hardly,” she scoffed. “But you keep reinforcing the impression.”

He took a step forward. “Are you still mad?” She swiftly redid the button and smoothed her blouse. “I was never mad.”

Disappointed, yes. Wesley Harrison had been inches away from kissing her last night when Alec had interrupted them.

Wesley was a great guy. He was good-looking, smart and funny, and only a year younger than Stephanie. He’d been training at Ryder Equestrian Center since June, and he’d been flirting with her since they met.

“He’s too young for you,” said Alec.

“We’re the same age.” Practically.

The jut of Alec’s brow questioned her honesty, but he didn’t call her on it.

With his trim hair, square chin, slate-gray eyes and instructions to go through her equestrian business records with a fine-tooth comb, she should have found his presence intimidating. But Stephanie had spent most of her life handling two older brothers and countless unruly jumping horses. She wasn’t about to get rattled by a hired corporate gun.

“Shouldn’t you be working?” she asked.

“I need your help.”

It was her turn to quirk a brow. Financial management was definitely not her forte. “With what?”

“Tour of the place.”

She reached for the cordless phone on the workbench next to Rosie-Jo’s tack. “No problem.” She pressed speed dial three.

“What are you doing?”

The numbers bleeped swiftly in her ear. “Calling the stable manager.”

Alec closed the distance between them. “Why?”

“To arrange for a tour.” He lifted the phone from her hand and pressed the off button. “You can give me a tour.”

“I don’t have time.”