Plain Jane's Texan

Plain Jane's Texan
Jan Hudson

ONE DETERMINED TEXANFrom the moment their gazes collided at a family wedding, and their lips met in a passionate kiss, plain Jane Eve Ellison wondered if a man like Matt Crow could truly desire her . Sophisticated, sexy, and superwealthy, he could have any woman. But after their first magical encounter, he claimed he wanted her … .Eve didn't give her heart easily All her life she'd been the brains to her sister's beauty. Often overlooked. Never the object of anyone's affection. But Matt was different. He made her feel beautiful. And cherished. Yet could Eve trust that this Texan was not merely enjoying the thrill of the chase, but was motivated by true love?

“Will you marry me, darlin’?” (#uebb99ee7-b2f2-5b6f-a0e5-560702a89f51)Letter to Reader (#uef283154-5fde-5232-bfa9-3eb38e53181c)Title Page (#u0fb31536-95ae-5418-ad41-88a206666df2)About the Author (#u35ad3ccc-5a43-52a6-a178-235e293dbfea)Dedication (#ud1e44bcd-e8a6-5aee-b0f5-5c79da349b97)Chapter One (#u8f181f2e-b47a-5eeb-a173-a287c8231a65)Chapter Two (#u18aa738d-50b7-50a6-9a0f-83f9d92cf5df)Chapter Three (#ua3fa5f40-9061-5b61-aed9-80aa51469dc4)Chapter Four (#ub818a8cd-f272-5a2c-9a26-b597a11d8536)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)Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

“Will you marry me, darlin’?”

“Marry you? Are you mad?”

“I may be. Something strange is going on. There’s magic between us. Don’t you feel it? If you won’t marry me, will you at least come home to Texas with me?”

“You are mad. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Why not?”

“You’re practically a stranger. I don’t know anything about you.”

“We can soon remedy that.”

He started to kiss her again, but she averted her mouth. “Don’t do that,” she protested.

“I thought you liked it.”

“You were mistaken.”

“Was I?”

She’d often heard the term “rakish grin,” but she’d never completely understood the power of one until that moment. When he looked at her and grinned in that captivating way, she melted. This tall Texan was totally beyond her experience; he was way out of her league.

But she kissed him again anyhow....

Dear Reader,

The joys of summer are upon us—along with some July fireworks from Silhouette Desire!

The always wonderful Jennifer Greene presents our July MAN OF THE MONTH in Prince Charming’s Child. A contemporary romance version of Sleeping Beauty, this title also launches the author’s new miniseries, HAPPILY EVER AFTER, inspired by those magical fairy tales we loved in childhood. And ever-talented Anne Marie Winston is back with a highly emotional reunion romance in Lovers’ Reunion. The popular miniseries TEXAS BRIDES by Peggy Moreland continues with the provocative story of That McCloud Woman. Sheiks abound in Judith McWelliams’s The Sheik’s Secret, while a plain Jane is wooed by a millionaire in Jan Hudson’s Plain Jane’s Texan. And Barbara McCauley’s new dramatic miniseries, SECRETS!, debuts this month with Bdackhawk’s Sweet Revenge.

We’ve got more excitement for you next month—watch for the premiere of the compelling new Desire miniseries THE TEXAS CATTLEMAN’S CLUB. Some of the sexiest, most powerful men in the Lone Star State are members of this prestigious club, and they all find love when they least expect it! You’ll learn more about THE TEXAS CATTLEMAN’S CLUB in our August Dear Reader letter, along with an update on Silhouette’s new continuity, THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS, debuting next month.

And this month, join in the celebrations by treating yourself to all six passionate Silhouette Desire titles.

Enjoy!

Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

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 Brie, Ont L2A 5X3

Plain Jane’s Texan

Jan Hudson

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

JAN HUDSON, a winner of the Romance Writers of America RITA Award, is a native Texan who lives with her husband in historically rich Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas. Formerly a licensed psychologist, she taught college psychology for over a decade before becoming a fulltime author. Jan loves to write fast-paced stories laced with humor, fantasy and adventure, and with bold characters who reach beyond the mundane and celebrate life.

For my special aunts,

Barbara and Benye, and in loving memory

of Mamie, Louise and Estelle

One

As Matt Crow stood at the altar of a small Episcopal church in Akron, Ohio, gussied up in a tuxedo and his dress boots, he saw an angel, an honest-to-God angel. He hadn’t seen anything so beautiful since he’d left Texas at dawn. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Matt forgot about the crowd gathered for the wedding. The music preceding the bride’s entry became a faint melody somewhere in the back of his mind. His total attention was on the angel coming toward him.

Instead of a diaphanous white robe, she wore a wine-colored gown, and he didn’t see wings sprouting from her back, but otherwise she was absolutely celestial. Sunlight shining through the stained glass window shimmered around her head like a halo and turned her hair to strands of spun silver and pale gold interlaced with pearls.

Spellbound, he watched as she slowly approached the altar, her gaze lowered, her hands clutching a large bouquet of lilies and roses. Only when she took her place beside the others gathered there did she lift her chin. Her long lashes swept upward to reveal the most gorgeous eyes he’d ever seen in his life.

An angel’s eyes.

So pale and haunting a blue that against her golden skin they seemed like liquid sky. His mouth went dry. The world stopped.

Totally terrified, Eve Ellison clutched her bouquet as if the flowers were a lifeline in the turbulent sea of emotions threatening to engulf her. Why had she ever agreed to be the maid of honor? She’d tried to talk Irish out of it, tried to convince her sister that one of her poised and glamorous friends would be much better, but Irish wouldn’t hear of it.

“Eve, don’t be a goose,” Irish, had said. “I wouldn’t dream of having anyone but my little sister for my maid of honor.”

Eve had peered over her glasses and scowled. “I am not by any stretch of the imagination your little sister. I’m damned near six feet tall and not the type for ruffles and sweetheart necklines. I’ll do the flowers, I’ll bake the cake, I’ll even make cutesy little bags of birdseed and potpourri for the guests to toss, but please don’t ask me to put on a Scarlett O’Hara dress and walk down that aisle in front of everybody. Irish, you’re the beauty of the family, you’re the model who loves the limelight, not me. I’d feel like a fool.”

But Irish had planted her fists on her hips and gotten that determined look on her face, the one that said she planned on getting her way, no matter what. “Eve Ellison, I don’t know where you get your dumb ideas. You’ll be a lovely maid of honor. You’re much more beautiful than I ever was.”

Eve had snorted. “Yeah, sure. Everyone’s talking about how I have to beat off the hordes of men with a baseball bat. Sis, I haven’t even had a date in almost a year.”

“Then the men in Cleveland are blind. Anyone can see that you’re lovely. I suspect that it’s your attitude rather than your looks keeping them away. And...well, you could do a little something with your hair.”

Her hand had automatically gone to her head. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“Other than the fact that it looks as if it were last cut with a weed whacker, hasn’t been brushed thoroughly in a week, and is tied into a lopsided mess with a shoe string?”