The Tender Trap

The Tender Trap
BEVERLY BARTON

ME? MARRY YOU?It took just one brief touch of Adam Wyatt's lips to Blythe Elliot's mouth to ignite a fire so hot neither could deny it. And now, thanks to that one reckless night of passion, Blythe has an unplanned surprise for Adam… and he has an unexpected proposal for her!OKAY… I DO. Blythe is sure she has nothing in common with stubborn, old-fashioned Adam - except for the baby she carries, the signed marriage certificate… and the house they share. But living together soon makes them realize that it wasn't sex, but love, that created their child. If only one of them would admit it first… .

“I Don’t Want To Marry You,” (#u5ca4e85e-1cbf-5d6b-affb-19404a4d8a7e)Letter to Reader (#u1863110f-0eb8-5ebc-95ac-b2fd7566d318)Title Page (#u52335df9-9653-56dd-8dfd-75dc65d7d6ce)BEVERLY BARTON (#u5f899e26-e44c-5ee3-80fb-a58318174556)Dedication (#u879c4ff3-af98-5559-b100-0da60c60342e)Chapter One (#u2d5593cb-04fd-56f1-894a-ff44af74be03)Chapter Two (#ud0cc7e96-a02b-5d62-b2f1-07956ad036e6)Chapter Three (#u3c1821b3-8025-54d0-9ce5-3b909cdbc679)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)Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

“I Don’t Want To Marry You,”

Blythe told Adam, “and if you’re honest with yourself, you don’t want to marry me. Despite the fact that we slept together, we really don’t like each other.”

“Maybe we could learn to like each other.” Adam stood. “If we gave each other a chance and got to know each other, we might learn to be friends.”

“I doubt that will ever happen.”

“Why not?” Adam grinned. “A few months ago neither of us would have believed we’d ever become lovers, and look what happened.”

Dear Reader,

Welcome to a wonderful new year at Silhouette Desire! Let’s start with a delightfully humorous MAN OF THE MONTH by Lass Small—The Coffeepot Inn. Here, a sinfully sexy hero is tempted by a virtuous woman. He’s determined to protect her from becoming the prey of the local men—and he’s determined to win her for himself!

The HOLIDAY HONEYMOONS miniseries continues this month with Resolved To (Re)Marry by Carole Buck. Don’t miss this latest installment of this delightful continuity series!

And the always wonderful Jennifer Greene continues her STANFORD SISTERS series with Bachelor Mom. As many of you know, Jennifer is an award winner, and this book shows why she is so popular with readers and critics alike!

Completing the month are a new love story from the sizzling pen of Beverly Barton, The Tender Trap; a delightful Western from Pamela Macaluso, The Loneliest Cowboy; and something a little bit different from Ashley Summers, On Wings of Love.

Enjoy!

Senior Editor

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

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

Canadian: P.O. Box 609. Fort Erie. Ont L2A 5X3

The Tender Trap

Beverly Barton

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

BEVERLY BARTON

has been in love with romance since her grandfather gave her an illustrated book of Beauty and the Beast. An avid reader since childhood, she began writing at the age of nine and wrote short stories, poetry, plays and novels throughout high school and college. After marriage to her own “hero” and the births of her daughter and son, she chose to be a full-time homemaker, a.k.a. wife, mother, friend and volunteer.

When she returned to writing, she joined Romance Writers of America and helped found the Heart of Dixie chapter in Alabama. Since the release of her first Silhouette book in 1990, she has won the GRW Maggie Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award and has been a RITA finalist. Beverly considers writing romance books a real labor of love. Her stories come straight from the heart, and she hopes that all the strong and varied emotions she invests in her books will be felt by everyone who reads them.

With love and appreciation to a bright, funny, energetic

little ball of fire—my very special friend,

JoAnn Westfall. And a heartfelt thank-you to every

member of my Heart of Dixie RWA chapter for

their continued support.

One

Adam Wyatt was the sexist man on earth. Blythe had thought so since the moment they met, nearly two years ago. Every time she saw him, the bottom dropped out of her stomach. Why was it that, of all the men she’d ever known, he was the one she couldn’t stop fantasizing about? She could not keep herself from thinking about what it would be like to have him as her first lover.

Standing in the doorway leading to the patio, she watched Adam while he checked the outside area to make sure the caterer had cleared away everything. He turned, smiled and waved at her.

After the last guest had left, he had removed his jacket and tie. His wide shoulders strained against the pristine white shirt, and Blythe could see plainly the contours of his muscular, six-foot-two body. A heavy sprinkling of steel gray highlighted his thick mane of black hair, which was almost completely white along his sideburns and at his temples.

Adam was good-looking, in that very big, tough manly kind of way that made a woman’s knees turn to jelly and her brain turn to mush. He was so drop-dead gorgeous few women could resist him.

Blythe quivered, then prayed the shudder hadn’t been noticeable. Turning her back to him, she walked into the condo and took a deep, steadying breath. To most women Adam Wyatt was definitely irresistible, but she could resist him. She’d been doing just that for two years, and even if it killed her, she would go on resisting. He might be devastatingly handsome, charming and a self-made millionaire, but he was the wrong man for her.

Blythe was a modern woman—Adam was an old-fashioned man. They mixed like oil and water. Perhaps that was part of his attraction. He was everything she had always avoided in a man. He was the type she repeatedly told herself she didn’t want. And that was the problem. She did want Adam—wanted him badly.

Giving in to her sexual urges in this case could mean disaster. Adam was too macho, too much the Me-Tarzan-You-Jane type. In that respect, he reminded her of her overbearing, domineering stepfather, and she had sworn long ago she’d never allow herself to fall for a man who’d try to dominate her.

Of course it wasn’t as if Adam had been pursuing her. The exact opposite was true. Since their first meeting, when sparks had flown between them, he’d avoided her as much as possible. And she’d been glad. If she spent too much time with the man, there was always the chance she’d give in to her primitive feminine desire and throw caution to the wind.

Tears clouded Blythe’s vision. She swallowed, then wiped her eyes. She had to stop this overemotional reaction to the day’s events. The last thing she wanted was for Adam to catch her acting like some weak, weeping female.

She had tried not to cry, but despite her best efforts she’d greatly resembled a leaky faucet all afternoon. But then, it wasn’t every day that a woman became a godmother.

Blythe lifted two empty champagne glasses onto the silver tray she held and placed the tray on top of the bar. Without thinking, she began picking up dirty plates and crumpled napkins from where they’d been left scattered around the living room in Adam’s Brickyard Landing Marina condo.

“Hey, leave that stuff.” Adam stepped inside through the sliding glass doors that opened onto his private brick patio overlooking the Tennessee River. “The housekeeper will take care of everything the caterers left when she gets here in the morning.”

“Sure. I guess I’m so used to picking up after parties at my house, I didn’t think.”

Blythe glanced at Adam. Big, tall, rugged Adam, with his macho stance, his gruff voice and his slanting dark eyes.

Remember that you don’t like him! Remember that he’s not your type!

It had been mutual animosity at first sight when they’d met at the engagement party Adam had hosted for his lawyer, Craig Simpson, and Joy Daniels, Blythe’s best friend. She supposed Adam was a nice enough man—if you liked his type. But she didn’t like his type, and it had been apparent, from some of his remarks, that he was prejudiced against strong, independent career women.

“Everything went well, don’t you think?” Leaving the sliding glass doors open behind him, Adam walked into the living room. “It was a new experience for me. I’ve never hosted a christening party before.”

“We could have had the party at my apartment.” Blythe had offered to give the christening party for her little goddaughter, but Adam had insisted on hosting the event. And Adam Wyatt always got his way.

“In that cracker box apartment of yours over on the southwest end of town?” Adam laughed, the sound a deep rumble from his broad chest. “You couldn’t fit ten people into that tiny place, let alone the thirty Joy and Craig invited to Missy’s christening. That’s why we agreed to have the party here. Remember?” Falling into a navy blue leather chair, Adam stretched out his long legs in front of him as he raised his arms over his head and burrowed into the seat.