The Willful Wife

The Willful Wife
Suzanne Simms

THE MAN: Rugged private investigator Mathis Hazard.THE MISSION: Pose as the estranged spouse of beautiful hotel owner Desiree Stratford - for investigative purposes only, of course.POSSIBLE COMPLICATION: Inability to keep his mind - not to mention his hands - off said Desiree.As soon as the once-reluctant detective Mathis Hazard got a look at lovely Desiree Stratford, he suddenly became a lot more eager to get to the bottom of all the weird goings-on at her hotel. And what better way to proceed than to pretend to be Desiree's husband?Yes, he knew what a tough job it would be - t would probably take twenty-four-hour-a-day, one-on-one surveillance. But hey, a man had to do what a man had to do… .

“Wife?” (#u93ba7261-df57-524c-81e8-85329779a454)Letter to Reader (#u587347e7-e6a4-5a41-b0e8-a8c25b4f28d4)Title Page (#u58f62101-ce89-540e-bb0b-df942faf58c8)About the Author (#ue9503cde-dd2e-5c41-8a31-78bf620c3384)Chapter One (#u938b8303-a374-5f60-bdbf-9c4e8077816e)Chapter Two (#u78f0e6ba-2e30-5e06-a865-d45f25b86170)Chapter Three (#u2ca0d1fa-fa45-54b2-b348-a99910b430e3)Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)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)A Word About Sapphires (#litres_trial_promo)Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

“Wife?”

Desiree choked out, as she speared the man with her eyes.

Mathis Hazard didn’t even have the good grace to appear sheepish or apologetic. “Ex-wife,” he corrected. “Well, almost.”

Her voice rose half an octave. “Almost?”

“We’ve been separated.”

Desiree continued to stare at him. “Have we?”

Mathis was, apparently, a teller of tall tales. “But the divorce hasn’t gone through yet.” He grinned at her. “We’re still hoping to work it out.”

As Desiree looked at him in unrestrained wonder, she heard the voice of Miss Mays, one of her guests.

“We’re all rooting for you, Miss Stratford. Or should I say...Mrs. Hazard?”

Dear Reader,

Why not sit back and relax this summer with Silhouette Desire? As always, our six June Desire books feature strong heroes and spirited heroines who come together in a highly passionate, emotionally powerful and provocative read.

Anne McAllister kicks off June with a wonderful new MAN OF THE MONTH title, The Stardust Cowboy Strong, silent Riley Stratton brings hope and love into the life of a single mother.

The fabulous minisenes FORTUNE’S CHILDREN: THE BRIDES concludes with Undercover Groom by Merline Lovelace, in which a sexy secret agent rescues an amnesiac runaway bride. And Silhouette Books has more Fortunes to come, starting this August with a new twelvebook continuity series, THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS

Meanwhile, Alexandra Sellers continues her exotic SONS OF THE DESERT series with Beloved Sheikh, in which a to-die-for sheikh rescues an American beauty-in-jeopardy. One Small Secret by Meagan McKinney is a reunion romance with a surprise for a former summer flame. Popular Joan Elliott Pickart begins her new miniseries, THE BACHELOR BET, with Taming Tall Dark Brandon. And there’s a pretend marriage between an Alpha male hero and blue-blooded heroine in Suzanne Simms’s The Willful Wife.

So hit the beach this summer with any of these sensuous Silhouette Desire titles...or take all six along!

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 PO. Box 609, Fort Ene, Ont L2A 5X3

The Willful Wife

Suzanne Simms

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

SUZANNE SIMMS had her first romance novel published fourteen years ago and is “thrilled” to be writing again for Silhouette Desire. Suzanne has traveled extensively, including a memorable trip to the Philippines, which, she says, “changed my life.” She also writes historical romance as Suzanne Simmons. She currently lives with her husband, her son and her cat, Merlin, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

One

She was a looker.

Mathis Hazard handed the photograph back to the gentleman on the other side of the desk and told him as much. “She’s a good-looking woman.”

“Desiree is beautiful and we both know it,” George Huxley stated as he leaned back in his executive-style, ergonomically-correct leather chair. He steepled his fingers under his chin and studied the picture that occupied one corner of his desk.

No doubt former Ambassador Huxley saw in the black-and-white studio portrait what Mathis had seen: a young Grace Kelly type, right down to the long, lithe legs, the patrician features, the flawless complexion and the shoulder-length blond hair.

Yup, she was a looker, all right.

Mathis decided to concede the point. “She is beautiful.”

“To tell you the truth the photograph doesn’t do Desiree justice,” the older man claimed, running his hand back and forth along his chiseled jawline. It was some time before he added, almost as an afterthought, “She’s a Brahmin.”

Mathis managed to keep a straight face. “As in bull?”

“As in Bostonian.” George Huxley went on to explain. “Desiree was born and bred in Boston. She has the right pedigree. She attended all the right schools. She traveled in all the right circles. She traveled to all the right destinations—Paris, Florence, Venice, Rome. Naturally she studied all the right subjects.”

“Naturally,” Mathis echoed. He wondered exactly what constituted the “right” subjects for a Boston blue blood.

His companion turned out to be a mind reader. “Art history, classical music, foreign languages.”

Mathis grunted.

George Huxley continued. “Desiree lives at the right address, works at the right place, even wears the right designers. Nothing flashy, of course. Mostly Chanel or Armani.” The distinguished sexagenarian behind the rosewood-inlaid desk paused and drew a breath. Then he shook his head from side to side and admitted, “Damned, if she doesn’t do all the right things.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“According to her parents—and it’s her parents who contacted me—my goddaughter did all the right things.”

Mathis couldn’t help but notice the use of the past tense. “I repeat, what’s the problem?”

“The Hotel Stratford.”

His brow crinkled into a studied frown. “The Hotel Stratford here in Chicago?”

“The very one.”

Mathis had .only been in town a week but he’d heard of the Stratford. “It’s a landmark.”