Leanne Banks - The Fairest of Them All

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Daniel Pendleton is restless. The eldest of six brothers and one sister, he was forced to grow up quickly after the deaths of their parents. Now, with his siblings all grown up, he finally has time to sow his own wild oats, to escape the role of the responsible, reliable Pendleton, if only temporarily. And there’s just one woman he wants to live out his forbidden fantasies with: Sara Kingston.

Sara firmly believes she can be nothing but bad news to a good man like Daniel. Her sensible side says she should avoid getting involved, but her sensual side wants nothing more than to give in to his offer of a passionate, no strings affair. And after a few searing kisses, she gives in.

Daniel thought getting Sara into his bed would get her out of his system. He didn’t count on falling in love. Or that secrets from Sara’s past would cause her to push him away…

Previously published.

To Beth and Nita who started it all with “We’d like you to add three more dwarfs…”

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

“I’ll never get over him!” wailed seventeen-year-old Carlene Pendleton.

Russ Bradford patted her on the back and looked around. The rented palm would have concealed them if Carly wasn’t making such a racket. He’d been taking a breather from his friend Brett’s wedding reception when Carly had flopped into his lap and started weeping. Now he was stuck nursing a heartbroken mass of teenage femininity wrapped in layers of chiffon when he’d rather be home watching the baseball game and nursing a beer.

He felt her tears seep through his starched shirt and gave a heavy sigh. “Carly, you gotta get a hold of yourself. You don’t want your brothers to see you like this. Think how much teasing you’ll have to put up with.”

Carly lifted her moist eyes to his and sniffed. “I can’t help it. I had such dreams for Brett and me. Now,” she choked, “they’re all gone.”

Russ didn’t bother to point out that Carly had been the one with the dreams, not Brett. In an attempt to divert her, he said, “Hey, in a couple of weeks, you’ll start your senior year. You’ll probably have guys lined up asking you to the homecoming dance.”

The thought gave her pause. She sniffed again. “Think so?”

“Sure,” Russ said emphatically. Carly was tall and skinny, and Russ had enough experience with the female gender to know she was definitely a late bloomer. “I bet all the girls wish they had your dark hair and violet eyes. And your brothers are probably gonna have to shoot the male population of Beulah County for whistling at your legs.”

“I’m too tall,” she said miserably. “The doctor says I’ll probably grow at least two more inches. I feel like an ostrich. If I get a date for homecoming, his cheek will be pressed against my rib cage instead of my forehead.”

Russ withheld his chuckle. He didn’t want to bring on another spate of tears. “I’ll tell you what. If you don’t get a date for homecoming, I’ll come back from the university and take you myself.”

“I might as well ask one of my brothers,” Carly muttered as she smoothed her frilly dress.

She had a point, Russ thought. He’d grown up with Carly’s brothers and had become acquainted with Carly when her biggest problems had been colic and diaper rash.

“Baby, you don’t see it now, but everything will come together for you in a year or two. I promise you’ll be leaving trails of men in your wake.”

“I don’t want trails of men,” Carly insisted, her eyes filling with tears again. “I w-want B-Brett.”

Russ’s uneasiness increased tenfold. Carly hardly ever stuttered anymore. The rare occasion she slipped was a sign of extreme distress.

The balcony door opened, and Russ heard the sound of music and masculine voices. He whipped out a handkerchief and wiped Carly’s tears, thinking she was going to kick herself tomorrow if she didn’t dry up now.

From longtime experience with the Pendleton clan, he knew there were two things you didn’t mess with—pride and independence. “You don’t want everybody to get the idea you’re a sniveling crybaby, do you?” he asked, aiming directly for her pride.

Carly stiffened. “I am not a sniveling crybaby,” she said in a wobbly but stutter-free voice.

“Then quit acting like one.”

Jerking the handkerchief from his hand, she stood, ready to run for the ladies’ room. She took two steps, then turned around. She took a deep breath. “Uh, Russ…”

“Yeah?”

She gave a shaky version of the smile that made her brothers willing to slay dragons for her. “Thanks.”

“Hey, babe, you’ve got a nice swing on that back porch.”

Carly Pendleton stopped checking the heavily laden table of hors d’oeuvres and cut her eyes in the direction of that familiar, naughty male voice. She shook her head chidingly. “You’re setting a horrible example for these impressionable high school seniors, Russ.”

He shrugged his wide shoulders as he played a ballad on the grand piano. “What can I say?” Russ asked innocently. “In six years, you’ve gotten a rear end that bears watching.”

She fought the smile teasing her lips and lost. “I’m surprised you noticed, what with Tina and Amanda.” Carly looked heavenward in mock confusion. “Or is Natalie the latest one?”

“You wound me,” Russ said. “You know you’ve always had my heart.”

“And I suppose you’ve donated the rest of your body to research.” Carly arched a dark eyebrow. “Feminine research.”

“Well,” he said, running his hands up the keyboard in an arpeggio, “if you ever decide you want to conduct a study of your own…” He let the thought dangle seductively between them.

Carly’s breath caught, then she laughed. After all, Russ wasn’t serious. She watched him pick up the wineglass and take a drink. “You know, I never have figured out how you can make your big square hands play such beautiful music on this piano. It just doesn’t seem possible.” She briefly touched one of his broad fingers.

“Years of practice,” he said after she released his hand. “My mother forced me. I took a lot of ribbing until I beat the hell out of a few of my tormentors.”

“I never thought of that.” Carly smiled. “I owe your mother a debt of gratitude. Who’d have ever thought Beulah County’s premier catfish fanner would be playing piano for special occasions on my riverboat?”

“You owe me a debt of gratitude,” Russ corrected. “I got several black eyes as a result of my music training. The least you could do is console me.” He struggled to plaster an unbelievably pitiful expression on his rugged face.

Carly shook her head. Russell Bradford simply could not look pitiful. At thirty, he stood six feet four with over two hundred pounds of weight distributed into well-defined muscle throughout his tanned body. As a child, his hair had been bright red. The years had toned it to a dark auburn. His craggy, mobile face had the ability to both intimidate an opponent and charm the panties off his current conquest. But although he was an outrageous flirt, he kept his practical heart under lock and key.

“My mother always gave my brothers milk and cookies for consolation,” she said sweetly. “I can have some sent up from the galley.”