Pamela Hearon - In Emmylou's Hands

Will his secret be safe?

Sol Beecher returned home from serving in Afghanistan a changed man. Closed off, he hasn’t opened up to anyone in years, and he certainly has no intention of doing so with EmmyLou Creighton. She, however, seems determined to get under his skin…and into his bed. Any other man would be thrilled to have the enticing EmmyLou pursue him, but a relationship with her means exposing his prosthetic leg. They’re thrown together at every turn, and keeping the truth from her becomes increasingly harder—as does hiding his attraction. How can Sol trust his biggest vulnerability with someone who’s obviously hiding her own secrets behind that alluring smile?

“Here I sit, not an arm’s length away, all but begging you to kiss me, and you want to argue about it.”

“I’m not arguing about it. I just can’t imagine that you’re being sincere.” Sol pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes. “I don’t want to be toyed with, EmmyLou.”

He threw the truck into Drive and pulled back onto the road, fuming. The heat and their silence made the air in the truck hard to breathe. He turned onto her lane, then brought the truck to a stop in her driveway and cut the engine. Without a word, he got out, determined to walk her to the door so she couldn’t throw not being a gentleman in his face.

But she was already out before he closed his door. She came around and met him at the front. “You’re right. I do toy with guys sometimes. It’s called flirting.” She stepped against him and slid her arms around his waist. And then her lips were pressing his, warm and inviting.

The jolt he felt was strong enough to shake the dust off his libido. Without a thought or a consideration, he held her to him and answered her mouth with the fervor it demanded.

Being toyed with might not be so bad…

Dear Reader Dear Reader TITLE PAGE ABOUT THE AUTHOR DEDICATION Acknowledgments 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 SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE EXTRACT COPYRIGHT ,

When I first introduced EmmyLou Creighton as Maggie Russell’s best friend in My Way Back to You, the question started showing up, time after time: When will EmmyLou get her own story?

For those of you who’ve met her, it might seem strange that a character as flamboyant and “out there” as EmmyLou would be reticent about sharing anything. But we all have our public side and our private side, and EmmyLou is no different. It took some time to earn her trust to the point that she was willing to open up because EmmyLou isn’t just another pretty face—she has a deeper side…a crippling secret that many who read this will readily identify with.

Of course, EmmyLou’s hero had to be her equal in every way, which included her depth and level of intrigue. Sol Beecher—once Taylor’s Grove’s most eligible bachelor but now its most mysterious recluse—was the perfect one to coax Emmy’s secrets out of her and perhaps even share his own.

Have I caught your attention? I hope so! And I hope you enjoy EmmyLou and Sol’s story—In EmmyLou’s Hands.

Until next time,

Pamela

In EmmyLou’s Hands

Pamela Hearon

www.millsandboon.co.uk

PAMELA HEARON grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, a place that infuses its inhabitants with Southern values and hospitality. Here she finds inspiration for her quirky characters, her stories’ backdrops and her narrative voice. Pamela was a 2013 RITA® Award finalist and a MAGGIE® Award finalist for her first Harlequin Superromance story, Out of the Depths. The Summer Place was a 2014 National Readers’ Choice Award finalist. Visit Pamela at pamelahearon.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.

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To Camden, Taj and Quincy.

If you read this many, many years from now, perhaps you’ll smile and feel that you know Gigi a little better.

Acknowledgments Acknowledgments 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 SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE EXTRACT COPYRIGHT

It takes so many people to bring a book from its inception to the printed page, and I’d like to take this time to say thank you to a few.

Thank you to my editor, Karen Reid, for teaching me so much about romance writing. I’ve worked with you on six books now. Each has been pure pleasure.

Thank you to my agent, Jennifer Weltz of The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. You are quite simply The Best.

Thank you to my critique partners at WriteRomance—Maggie Van Well, Angela Campbell and Sandra Jones.

Thank you to my family for your encouragement, your understanding of my time commitments and your love.

And thank you to my husband, Dick, whose hands forever hold my heart.

Contents

COVER

BACK COVER TEXT Will his secret be safe? Sol Beecher returned home from serving in Afghanistan a changed man. Closed off, he hasn’t opened up to anyone in years, and he certainly has no intention of doing so with EmmyLou Creighton. She, however, seems determined to get under his skin…and into his bed. Any other man would be thrilled to have the enticing EmmyLou pursue him, but a relationship with her means exposing his prosthetic leg. They’re thrown together at every turn, and keeping the truth from her becomes increasingly harder—as does hiding his attraction. How can Sol trust his biggest vulnerability with someone who’s obviously hiding her own secrets behind that alluring smile?

INTRODUCTION “Here I sit, not an arm’s length away, all but begging you to kiss me, and you want to argue about it.” “I’m not arguing about it. I just can’t imagine that you’re being sincere.” Sol pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes. “I don’t want to be toyed with, EmmyLou.” He threw the truck into Drive and pulled back onto the road, fuming. The heat and their silence made the air in the truck hard to breathe. He turned onto her lane, then brought the truck to a stop in her driveway and cut the engine. Without a word, he got out, determined to walk her to the door so she couldn’t throw not being a gentleman in his face. But she was already out before he closed his door. She came around and met him at the front. “You’re right. I do toy with guys sometimes. It’s called flirting.” She stepped against him and slid her arms around his waist. And then her lips were pressing his, warm and inviting. The jolt he felt was strong enough to shake the dust off his libido. Without a thought or a consideration, he held her to him and answered her mouth with the fervor it demanded. Being toyed with might not be so bad…

Dear Reader Dear Reader Dear Reader TITLE PAGE ABOUT THE AUTHOR DEDICATION Acknowledgments 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 SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE EXTRACT COPYRIGHT , When I first introduced EmmyLou Creighton as Maggie Russell’s best friend in My Way Back to You, the question started showing up, time after time: When will EmmyLou get her own story? For those of you who’ve met her, it might seem strange that a character as flamboyant and “out there” as EmmyLou would be reticent about sharing anything.