The Wedding Bargain

The Wedding Bargain
Lisette Belisle

THEY STRUCK A BARGAIN FOR MARRIAGE…Olivia DeAngelis needed a husband! According to her father's will, she had to marry within the next six months to keep her family's homestead, Stone's End. Would a handsome stranger be her salvation?BUT THEY HADN'T BARGAINED ON LOVE.Five years ago, Drew Pierce made a costly mistake that had sent him to prison. Now this former playboy wanted to redeem himself by reopening his family's sawmill. The timber available at Stone's End would help him succeed, so he agreed to Olivia's marriage of convenience. But would passion threaten a deal that was supposed to be business only?

“Who’s there?” Drew called out.

Sweat broke out when he heard the cock of a shotgun.

With a fast reflex, Drew hooked the ankle of the intruder and they landed hard on the dirt floor. He heard the rush of air from the woman’s lungs.

And her sputtering.

He felt like laughing.

Olivia.

What the hell was she doing here?

“Drew!” Her voice registered amazement; then she laughed, relaxing under his weight. “Oh, I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me,” he said. “In case you haven’t noticed, I won that round.”

“I don’t think so.”

Unable to resist, Drew dipped his head and kissed her, stealing her breath before she could catch it and talk back.

When her arms crept around his neck, he knew he’d won this minor skirmish, but not the entire battle!

Dear Reader,

Instead of writing your resolutions, I have the perfect way to begin the new year—read this month’s spectacular selection of Silhouette Special Edition romances! These exciting books will put a song in your heart, starting with another installment of our very popular MONTANA MAVERICKS series—In Love With Her Boss by the stellar Christie Ridgway. Christie vows this year to “appreciate the time I have with my husband and sons and appreciate them for the unique people they are.”

Lindsay McKenna brings us a thrilling story from her MORGAN’S MERCENARIES: DESTINY’S WOMEN series with Woman of Innocence, in which an adventure-seeking beauty meets up with the legendary—and breathtaking—mercenary of her dreams! The excitement continues with Victoria Pade’s next tale, On Pins and Needles, in her A RANCHING FAMILY series. Here, a skeptical sheriff falls for a lovely acupuncturist who finds the wonder cure for all his doubts—her love!

And what does a small-town schoolteacher do when she finds a baby on her doorstep? Find out in Nikki Benjamin’s heartwarming reunion romance Rookie Cop. A love story you’re sure to savor is The Older Woman by Cheryl Reavis, in which a paratrooper captain falls head over heels for the tough-talking nurse living next door. This year, Cheryl wants to “stop and smell the roses.” I also recommend Lisette Belisle’s latest marriage-of-convenience story, The Wedding Bargain, in which an inheritance—and two hearts—are at stake! Lisette believes that the new year means “a fresh start, and vows to meet each new day with renewed faith, energy and a sense of humor.”

I’m pleased to celebrate with you the beginning of a brand-new year. May you also stop to smell the roses, and find many treasures in Silhouette Special Edition the whole year through!

Enjoy!

Karen Taylor Richman

Senior Editor

The Wedding Bargain

Lisette Belisle

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

With heartfelt thanks to my agent, Karen Solem, for reasons too numerous to list.

LISETTE BELISLE

believes in putting everything into whatever she does, whether it’s a nursing career, motherhood or writing. While balancing a sense of practicality with a streak of adventure, she applies that dedication in creating stories of people overcoming the odds. Her message is clear—believe in yourself and believe in love. She is the founder and past president of the Saratoga chapter of Romance Writers of America. Canadian-born, she grew up in New Hampshire and currently lives in upstate New York with her engineer husband, Frank.

She’d love to hear from her readers. She can be reached at: P.O. Box 1166, Ballston Lake, NY 12019.

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

I t felt strange to be free.

Free.

Five years after an explosion ripped his world apart, Drew Pierce walked into a roadside diner. Seeking temporary shelter from the rain, and the descending night, he blended in with the rough crowd.