Redwolf's Woman

Redwolf's Woman
Laura Wright

Jared Redwolf knew Ava Thompson should have been his, but four years ago his lover had left Paradise, Texas, to marry another man. Now Ava was back, and Jared was hell-bent on uncovering the truth of why she had fled. Their reunion turned explosive when Jared learned Ava's secret…. She'd had his child! Ava knew that Jared was not a man to forgive and forget. But she also knew he wouldn't be willing to lose his little girl again.Despite her need to run away, she kept remembering all the incredible nights they had shared - the bone-melting kisses, the tender embraces… Could Ava tame Jared's stubborn pride and make him recognize she was meant to be Redwolf's Woman?

“You Were Always Good At Running, Ava.”

She slowly turned and faced Jared. “I didn’t think you’d care if I left—or notice for that matter.”

His eyes darkened. “I noticed. Your husband here?”

Her pulse skittered as she was reminded of the lie she’d been forced to tell.

“We’re not together anymore,” she said quietly.

“You walk out on him, too?”

Ava took a deep breath. “I understand that you’re angry with me, but that’s no reason to be downright cruel.”

“I’m not angry at you, Ava. You have to really care about someone to be angry with them.”

She felt her throat tighten as tears threatened. “Look, you obviously don’t want to see me. So let’s just try to steer clear of each other.”

Ava hesitated, then turned to leave. But he was right behind her, his large hand covering hers on the knob.

“Let go of the door, Ava,” he said. “This time I’m going to be the one walking out first.”

Dear Reader,

We’re so glad you’ve chosen Silhouette Desire because we have a lot of wonderful—and sexy!—stories for you. The month starts to heat up with The Boss Man’s Fortune by Kathryn Jensen. This fabulous boss/secretary novel is part of our ongoing continuity, DYNASTIES: THE DANFORTHS, and also reintroduces characters from another well-known family: The Fortunes. Things continue to simmer with Peggy Moreland’s The Last Good Man in Texas, a fabulous continuation of her series THE TANNERS OF TEXAS.

More steamy stuff is heading your way with Shut Up And Kiss Me by Sara Orwig, as she starts off a new series, STALLION PASS: TEXAS KNIGHTS. (Watch for the series to continue next month in Silhouette Intimate Moments.) The always-compelling Laura Wright is back with a hot-blooded Native American hero in Redwolf’s Woman. Storm of Seduction by Cindy Gerard will surely fire up your hormones with an alpha male hero out of your wildest fantasies. And Margaret Allison makes her Silhouette Desire debut with At Any Price, a book about sweet revenge that is almost too hot to handle!

And, as summer approaches, we’ll have more scorching love stories for you—guaranteed to satisfy your every Silhouette Desire!

Happy reading,

Melissa Jeglinski

Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

Redwolf’s Woman

Laura Wright

LAURA WRIGHT

has spent most of her life immersed in the worlds of acting, singing and competitive ballroom dancing. But when she started writing romance, she knew she’d found the true desire of her heart! Although born and raised in Minneapolis, Laura has also lived in New York City, Milwaukee and Columbus, Ohio. Currently, she is happy to have set down her bags and make Los Angeles her home. And a blissful home it is—one that she shares with her theatrical production manager husband, Daniel, and three spoiled dogs. During those few hours of downtime from her beloved writing, Laura enjoys going to art galleries and movies, cooking for her hubby, walking in the woods, lazing around lakes, puttering in the kitchen and frolicking with her animals. Laura would love to hear from you. You can write to her at P.O. Box 5811, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413 or e-mail her at laurawright@laurawright.com.

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

One

“He’s back.”

At her sister Rita’s words, Ava Thompson felt her heart drop into her pink satin pumps. “Who’s back?”

“The ever-gorgeous Jared Redwolf, that’s who,” Rita supplied with a smile.

From atop her white-carpeted pedestal at Benton’s Bridal and Formalwear, Ava stumbled sideways, letting fly a barely audible, “Ouch,” as Mrs. Benton accidentally stuck her with a pin.

“Hold still now,” said the older woman.

Barely hearing the good-natured reprimand, Ava stared down at her sister, her large green eyes severe. “What do you mean, he’s back? Back where?”

“Here in Paradise,” Rita said calmly, standing in front of the three-way mirror, fluffing her long, tawny curls. “He’s across the street actually. When I went for coffee I saw him go into the diner.” With a mischievous grin, she added, “And who could blame him? Did you know they have a patty melt, fries and a cherry cola, all for just $2.95 today?”

“Those patty melts are pure horse meat,” Mrs. Benton stated flatly as she pinned the hem of Ava’s stunning off-the-shoulder A-line number that her younger sister had designed to hit just above the ankle.

“Horsemeat.” Rita laughed, her dark-blue eyes sparkling. “That’s not true.”

Mrs. Benton shook her head dejectedly. “And to think, we’re living in beef country.”

They weren’t fooling anyone with their calm discussions of patty melts and cherry colas, Ava thought, taking in the pair’s secret glances. From the moment Rita had mentioned Jared Redwolf, Ava had felt the two women’s eyes on her, watching her like conspiring hawks—wanting to see her reaction to the news and wondering if her life was flashing before her eyes because of it.

A life that everyone in Paradise had known about. A life Ava had left four years ago.