The Marrying Kind

The Marrying Kind
Judy Christenberry

Mills & Boon Silhouette
I'll Never Marry!From the moment Jonathan Davis rang Diane Black's doorbell, mistaking her for his blind date, she knew the sexy developer couldn't be more different from her. He squired around gorgeous, flirty, dim-witted Dallas socialites, not modest investment bankers like her. Still, the man made her heart flutter under her pin-striped suit as it hadn't in years.John was many things–a millionaire, a player, a catch. But he'd never be a husband. For him, "marriage" equaled "mistake." Diane might be the quintessential forever kind of woman, but he was confident he could avoid that trap. That is, until he kissed her.And then, of course, there was the matter of the baby….

“Why are you flirting with me?”

John lowered his head. “I’ll admit, at first it was because you rejected me.”

She rolled her eyes. “I suppose it was the shock of that happening.”

He looked up and laughed. “But then it was because you didn’t expect compliments or gifts from me.”

“And that was odd?”

“The women I know would sell their souls to snag a rich man. They’re the kind my father usually marries. But they’re not going to get me!”

So he was not the marrying kind. Still… “But I’m not exactly the type of woman to turn heads.”

“You are to me. Since I’ve met you, you occupy my mind most of the time.”

Diane tugged on her suit lapels. “You’re flirting again, Mr. Davis. It’s not appropriate at a business lunch. Don’t you respect me?”

“Absolutely.” He leaned in close and whispered on a husky breath, “But I also want to sleep with you.”

Dear Reader,

Long ago, when I was young (ha!) I began my career by writing Regencies. I enjoyed writing heroines who looked for love in life, rather than position, fortune and fame. The Marrying Kind is like a Regency in that my characters are not looking for marriage. Or at least they think they aren’t! This attractive, successful and cynical man is about to meet his match in an independent and wary woman.

I really enjoyed writing these two characters. They are a little different from what I usually write, but a little change is good, isn’t it? However, you may notice that I can’t seem to stop bringing people together in a type of family.

I think we all try to create a family around us, whether by blood or circumstances. This is the second book of my DALLAS DUETS series, which takes place in a fourplex on Yellow Rose Lane. We’ve got one more story to tell, Mommy for a Minute, which will be out in August. I hope you’ll look for that story, too! Dallas is a very nice place to visit.

If you have comments or questions, you can visit me at my Web site, www.judychristenberry.com.

Happy reading!

The Marrying Kind

Judy Christenberry

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for over fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. A former French teacher, Judy now devotes herself to writing full-time. She hopes readers have as much fun with her stories as she does. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy lives in Texas.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

“Dad, I don’t need another woman pawing over me. I’ve got enough women already trying to figure out how to get me to marry them.”

“Son, this one is different. Her mother promised me—”

“Come on, Dad, you know women. They’ll promise you their souls if it’ll get them your charge cards.”

“John, I’m only asking for one evening. She’s a good-looking blonde. Surely you can spare one night. For me.”

John stared at his father. He loved him, even if he didn’t agree with his choices, especially about women.

But what the hell. He could endure one evening with another money-hungry female. He’d done it often enough. He’d sit through one gourmet dinner while she ordered the most expensive meal and prattled inanely for two hours. Then he’d take her home and he’d be finished.

“Okay, Dad, I’ll take her out once. If I don’t like her, that’s it, okay?”

“Thank you, John.” His father handed him a piece of paper. “Here’s the address. She lives in a fourplex on Yellow Rose Lane.”