Bachelor By Design: Bachelor By Design / Too Hot For Comfort

They raced the short distance from the picnic table to the red Ford Taurus, Trace keeping his body between Chloe and the direction the shots had come from. She opened the driver’s door and dived inside the car, lying flat across the seat. Trace followed right behind her, closing the car door, then landing on top of her.

“I can’t breathe,” Chloe gurgled, her face pressed against the seat cushion.

Trace levered himself up on his elbows, giving her enough room to turn onto her back. He lifted his head far enough to peer out the windshield, searching the dark shadows for some sign of the shooter.

“Get down,” she whispered harshly, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him toward her.

He sank onto her soft, voluptuous body and his breathing hitched. They fit together perfectly. The adrenaline fueling his blood turned into something more. His heart raced and his body reacted with a will of its own.

She stared up into his face. “I guess you’d better kiss me, Trace.”

Dear Reader,

Welcome back to CAFÉ ROMEO. Before I go any further, I have to let you in on a secret. Out of all the Callahan brothers, Trace is my favorite. I can’t explain it, and I’m not even sure I’d know how to handle a man like Trace in real life. I know I’d sure have fun trying. But let’s face it—that’s the beauty of fiction. You can be anyone you want—and you can be with anyone you want. So, sit back and enjoy the fantasy. And if you figure out a way to deal with a hunk like Trace, let me know.

Happy reading,

Kristin Gabriel

P.S. Be sure to watch for Beauty and the Bachelor, the final book in the CAFÉ ROMEO miniseries, available next month. Now that his two brothers have bitten the matrimonial dust, so to speak, poor Noah Callahan is panicking. And he’s got good reason….

Books by Kristin Gabriel

HARLEQUIN DUETS

7—ANNIE, GET YOUR GROOM

25—THE BACHELOR TRAP

HARLEQUIN LOVE & LAUGHTER

40—BULLETS OVER BOISE

56—MONDAY MAN

62—SEND ME NO FLOWERS

For my daughter Jenny, Who makes me smile at least once a day.

1

CHLOE D’ONOFRIO just didn’t feel at home in prison, despite the fact that several members of her extended family resided there. Still, she faithfully made the rounds each visiting day, bearing gifts and D’Onofrio family gossip.

First she saw Aunt Wanda, serving two to five years for petty larceny. Then Cousin Kit, serving ten months for floating bad checks. Her other cousin, Nora, was in again for violating her probation.

And then there was her mother.

“Did you know I’m up for parole soon?” Eileen D’Onofrio asked, flicking a piece of lint off the sleeve of her bright orange jumpsuit.

“In twenty-one days. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Chloe cleared her throat, then looked at her mother through the Plexiglas partition. She’d rehearsed this speech on the two-hour trip from St. Louis, determined to convince Eileen to go straight once and for all. “You’ll have a much better chance of making parole if you’ve got both a job and a place to stay when you get out.”

“I’m really overqualified for most jobs,” Eileen mused. “And I refuse to work in another laundry.” She frowned down at her chapped hands. “Just look at what that harsh detergent has done to my nails.”

Chloe leaned forward in her chair. “Mother, you can’t be picky this time. And you absolutely cannot work for Uncle Leo again.”

“But he let me set my own hours.”

“You were a courier for his money-laundering operation!”

“He had a wonderful dental plan.”

“You’re going legit this time, Mom.” Chloe set her jaw. “I mean it. Ramon needs you on the outside, and so do I.”

Eileen frowned. “What’s the matter with Ramon?”

Chloe didn’t know where to begin. It seemed her younger brother was always suffering some sort of crisis. “Well, he’s still upset about his broken engagement. I knew it was a mistake for you to fix him up with your cellmate.”

“I thought having a girlfriend might give him some self-confidence. He’s so shy around women.”

“His girlfriend was convicted of attempted murder!”

“But Nanette seems like such a nice girl. And so pretty. By the way, she’s not my cellmate anymore. Her conviction got overturned last month on a technicality. I heard she moved to Florida, so she’s out of his life.”

“Good,” Chloe said. “Because the last thing we need in this family is another felon. Now, I think you should move in with me when you get out of here and I’ll help you find a good, legitimate job.”

“You can’t afford another mouth to feed, honey. Especially when you’re struggling to start a new business.”

“I already got my first big job,” Chloe announced, trying her best to sound nonchalant about it. “So money won’t be a problem.”

“You did!” Eileen’s face lit up. “Oh, Chloe, that’s wonderful. When did this happen?”

“Just yesterday, actually. I picked up Ramon from work at Café Romeo and ran into the owner. She treated me to a cup of coffee and the next thing I know, she’s offering me a job to redecorate the place.”

“Imagine that. Isn’t she some kind of psychic?”

Chloe smiled. “Her name is Madame Sophia, and I believe she’s a former fortune-teller. At the café she reads coffee grounds and predicts romance for her customers.”

Eileen nodded approvingly. “What a great scam. She must be raking in the dough.”

“She’s legit, Mom. At least she believes in what she does. And it must be working, because she’s remodeling the place to make it bigger. That’s why she needs a decorator.”

“So did you ask Madame Sophia to read your coffee grounds?”

“Of course not. You know I don’t believe in that kind of nonsense.”

“My sensible Chloe. I suppose you don’t believe in love, either.”

“Actually, I do. But it’s hard to meet men these days.”