Cathie Linz - Cinderella's Sweet-Talking Marine

“I’m sorry about that.” She dabbed at his bare chest with a paper towel, her fingers brushing against his muscular flesh. “I meant to warn you that Amy was playing with that soda can before putting it in the fridge.”

“It’s okay.”

But it wasn’t okay to be feeling what she was feeling when she touched him.

Yet she didn’t seem to be able to step away. Not yet. Her hands remained poised on his warm skin, her fingers splayed. His heart beat beneath her open palm.

Her gaze lifted to his. Standing this close she saw a faint scar running along the right side of his jaw. “How did you get this?” She ran her fingertips along his skin, noting the seductive friction caused by the roughness of his morning’s growth of beard.

“I fell when I was sixteen. Hit my jaw on the edge of a table and needed stitches.”

“You must have fallen pretty hard.”

“A bad habit of mine,” he murmured huskily. “I don’t fall often, but when I do, I fall hard.”

Dear Reader,

If you can’t beat the summer heat then join it! Come warm your heart with the latest from Silhouette Romance.

In Her Second-Chance Man (SR #1726) Cara Colter enchants us again with the tale of a former ugly duckling who gets a second chance with the man of her dreams—if only she can convince him to soften his hardened heart. Don’t miss this delightful story of love and miracles!

Meet Cinderella’s Sweet-Talking Marine (SR #1727) in the newest book in Cathie Linz’s MEN OF HONOR miniseries. This sexy soldier promised to take care of his friend’s sister, and he plans to do just that, even if it means marrying the single mom. A hero’s devotion to his country—and his woman—has never been sweeter!

Talk about a fantasy come to life! Rescued by the handsomest Native American rancher this heroine has ever seen definitely makes up for taking a wrong turn somewhere in Montana. Find out if her love will be enough to turn this bachelor into a husband in Callie’s Cowboy (SR #1728) by Madeline Baker.

Lilian Darcy brings us the latest SOULMATES title with The Boss’s Baby Surprise (SR #1729). Dreams of her handsome boss are not that strange for this dedicated executive assistant. But seeing the confirmed bachelor with a baby? She doesn’t believe it…until her dreams begin to come true!

We hope you enjoy the tender stories in this month’s lineup!

Mavis C. Allen Associate

Senior Editor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Special thanks to pun-meister Bill Phillips for his invaluable input on the fairy tales that my hero tells. You are brilliant as always!

Special thanks to my best friend De Patch for the drawing at the front of this book.

Silhouette Romance

One of a Kind Marriage #1032

*Daddy in Dress Blues #1470

*Stranded with the Sergeant #1534

*The Marine & the Princess #1561

A Prince at Last! #1594

*Married to a Marine #1616

Sleeping Beauty & the

Marine #1637

*Her Millionaire Marine #1720

*Cinderella’s Sweet-Talking

Marine #1727

Silhouette Books

Montana Mavericks

“Baby Wanted”

Silhouette Desire

Change of Heart #408

A Friend in Need #443

As Good as Gold #484

Adam’s Way #519

Smiles #575

Handyman #616

Smooth Sailing #665

Flirting with Trouble #722

Male Ordered Bride #761

Escapades #804

Midnight Ice #846

Bridal Blues #894

A Wife in Time #958

†Michael’s Baby #1023

†Seducing Hunter #1029

†Abbie and the Cowboy #1036

Husband Needed #1098

left her career in a university law library to become a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romances. She is the recipient of the highly coveted Storyteller of the Year Award given by Romantic Times and was recently nominated for a Love and Laughter Career Achievement Award for the delightful humor in her books.

Although Cathie loves to travel, she is always glad to get back home to her family, her various cats, her trusty computer and her hidden cache of Oreo cookies!

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Ben Kozlowski was a Marine with money. But it hadn’t made him a happy man. The inheritance from his wealthy oilman grandfather had made him feel somewhat guilty when he’d first heard about it. After all, he’d done nothing to deserve it.

But that guilt was nothing compared to the guilt that had driven him into this honky-tonk just off the North Carolina Interstate, in a town called Pine Hills. He wasn’t there to drown his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle of whiskey, tempting as that might sound. No, he was here looking for a woman.

And not just any woman. He was here to find Ellie Jensen.

A neighbor at her apartment building said she was at work and had given him the name of this place.

Ben had been in plenty of bars during the course of his adult life, from cantinas in South America to exotic dives in Asia. Each had their own unique smell blended with the customary tobacco smoke. This particular place seemed to specialize in the scent of burnt onions. A big chalkboard on the wall proclaimed that Al’s Place made burgers the way you wanted them—hot and juicy. And apparently dripping with onions.

The place was crowded, with country music blaring from a jukebox in the corner. Guys wearing jeans and T-shirts pressed their beer bellies against the bar, barely able to fit onto the stools provided. They sported a variety of baseball caps advertising various brands of their favorite malt liquor beverage.

The rest of the room had booths around the perimeter and tables placed wherever they’d fit, not leaving much room for the servers to get by.

Which seemed to suit the clientele just fine.

Ben could understand the appeal. The females—and all the servers were female—were dressed in short, tight denim skirts and skimpy tank tops. The closer the servers got, the easier it was for the customers to cop a feel.

Ben tugged out the well-worn photo and fingered the sweet face displayed there. John Riley had been one of Ben’s closest friends and Ellie was John’s sister, his only family.

Take care of my sister. Promise me you’ll take care of my sister. Ben had held John in his arms as he lay mortally wounded by friendly fire and he’d sworn he’d take care of his friend’s sister.