Dixie Browning - A Bride For Jackson Powers

Men bound by blood, tied to the sea

and destined to be heroes.

Meet the Powers men:

Jackson Powers. Maritime lawyer. Rich, handsome and stranded with baby in A Bride for Jackson Powers by Dixie Browning, a 2/00 Silhouette Desire title.

Matthew Powers. Sea captain, forefather. Strong, honorable and married for convenience in The Paper Marriage by Bronwyn Williams, an 8/00 Harlequin Historicals novel.

Curt Powers. Navy SEAL. Arresting, determined and involved in a dangerous mission of the most private nature in The Virgin and the Vengeful Groom by Dixie Browning, an 11/00 Silhouette Desire title.

Don’t miss this exciting new series from

Silhouette Desire and Harlequin Historicals!

Dear Reader,

In keeping with the celebration of Silhouette’s 20 thanniversary in 2000, what better way to enjoy the new century’s first Valentine’s Day than to read six passionate, powerful, provocative love stories from Silhouette Desire!

Beloved author Dixie Browning returns to Desire’s MAN OF THE MONTH promotion with A Bride for Jackson Powers, also the launch title for the series THE PASSIONATE POWERS. Enjoy this gem about a single dad who becomes stranded with a beautiful widow who’s his exact opposite.

Get ready to be seduced when Alexandra Sellers offers you another sheikh hero from her SONS OF THE DESERT miniseries with Sheikh’s Temptation. Maureen Child’s popular series BACHELOR BATTALION continues with The Daddy Salute—a marine turns helpless when he must take care of his baby, and he asks the heroine for help.

Kate Little brings you a keeper with Husband for Keeps, in which the heroine needs an in-name-only husband in order to hold on to her ranch. A fabulously sexy doctor returns to the woman he could never forget in The Magnificent M.D. by Carol Grace. And exciting newcomer Sheri WhiteFeather offers another irresistible Native American hero in Jesse Hawk: Brave Father.

We hope you will indulge yourself this Valentine’s Day with all six of these passionate romances, only from Silhouette Desire!

Enjoy!

Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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For Curtiss Ann Matlock, my dearest friend,

distant cousin and Oklahoma connection.

We’ve put in a few airport hours together, too.

celebrated her sixty-fifth book for Silhouette with the publication of Texas Millionaire in 1999. She has also written a number of historical romances with her sister under the name Bronwyn Williams. A charter member of Romance Writers of America, and a member of Novelists, Inc., Dixie has won numerous awards for her work. She lives on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Obviously, Jackson was doing it all wrong. He didn’t even know how to hold her. You’d think a man his age would’ve learned that much by now. She’d started to squeal and kick him in the belly.

A few people glared at him. Most were too busy comparing hard-luck stories.

“…catch a shuttle. If I’m not in D.C. by nine tomorrow—”

“Fat chance. I’ve been standing here for the past three hours and the damned line hasn’t moved an inch, I swear.”

“This place stinks. I mean literally! Last time I’m ever going to plan a trip this time of year, so help me. Hey, quit shoving, will you?”

Two small boys broke through the line, whooping like wild animals. A middle-aged woman wearing sweats and a fur coat dropped a heap of carry-on luggage, flopped down on the pile and began to swear.

Jax wanted to say, Yeah, well what if you were stuck here with a daughter you’d met only hours earlier, who doesn’t even speak the damned language? He sniffed. He had a pretty good idea what was stinking, and it wasn’t just the weather. He jiggled the damp, squirming baby in his arms, mumbling words that were supposed to be comforting, but didn’t appear to have that effect. Too bad babies didn’t come with an operations manual.

Someone bumped him from behind and murmured a soft apology. The natives were getting restless. He’d heard of road rage. It was nothing compared to airport rage, given a holiday crowd and the ice storm of the century.

“Whaddya mean, flight delayed? I gotta get outta here, dammit!” the man in front of him shouted. “Don’t nobody in this place know how to deice a plane? Buncha idiots, if you ask me!”

Lines for the two flights serviced from this particular desk had already merged into one unruly mob. He was being jostled from all sides.

The sigh that came from behind him was almost lost in the clamor. Jax’s shoulders sagged as Sunny shifted from fret mode to shriek mode. Pink-shod feet, size zilch, kicked him in the belly. Poor kid must be miserable. He wondered how long it would take the dampness to soak through her padded pink snowsuit and all the layers it enclosed.

Another sigh whispered behind him. He was tempted to turn around and snap out something really helpful, like, “You think you’ve got troubles? How’d you like to try mine on for size?”

He shifted his burden, struggling to hold on to baby, briefcase, carrier and pink plastic diaper bag. Sunny was bored with the carrier, which was why he was carrying her in his arms. The thing was a damned nuisance, but Carolyn had said she needed it.

“Shh, yeah, I know, babe, it’s a rough deal. I’ll get us out of here, don’t worry.” At this point he’d gladly take the first flight out, regardless of where it was bound.

“Excuse me,” said a voice so soft he nearly missed it.

“You talking to me?” He turned to the woman behind him in what had once been an orderly line.

“I was wondering—do you know—I mean, I think your baby might need changing.”

“So?” He wasn’t normally given to surliness, but these were not normal circumstances. “Sorry. Yeah, I kind of suspected as much.”

The woman glanced around, probably searching for someone who looked like a wife and mother. There were plenty of likely looking candidates as far as age was concerned, only none of them belonged to him and Sunny.

“Um…maybe I could hold your place in line while you…uh…”

“Change her drawers? You mean right here?” Jax dodged as a utility cart beeped its way through the throng.

“I’m pretty sure I saw a changing table in the ladies’ room.”

“The ladies’ room. Now, why didn’t I think of that?” Jax’s conscience was broadsided by a pair of silver-gray eyes the size of half dollars. Sarcasm wasn’t going to help matters. Besides, she didn’t deserve it, she was only trying to help.