Shirley Jump - The Bachelor's Dare

CLAIRE’s CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

4 one-ounce squares of semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks

3 eggs, separated

1 tsp vanilla

¾ tsp cream of tartar

½ cup sugar

1½ cups chilled whipping cream, separated

Avoid the hotter issues with the man in your life by heating the chocolate in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is melted, remove pan from heat. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks slightly, then stir yolks and vanilla into chocolate.

In a separate bowl (make him wash the dishes!), beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Stir ¼ of the meringue into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold the rest in.

Take out frustrations by beating 1 cup of whipping cream in a chilled bowl until stiff. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Divide evenly among bowls, making sure you leave enough in mixing bowl to taste the mousse—to ensure it’s perfect, of course.

Beat remaining whipping cream, but don’t get too distracted by thoughts of a sexy dark-haired man and end up overbeating it. Carefully drop dollops on each bowl of mousse. Refrigerate at least two hours before sharing with someone delectable.

Dear Reader,

Discover a guilt-free way to enjoy this holiday season. Treat yourself to four calorie-free, but oh-so-satisfying brand-new Silhouette Romance titles this month.

Start with Santa Brought a Son (#1698) by Melissa McClone. This heartwarming reunion romance is the fourth book in Silhouette Romance’s new six-book continuity, MARRYING THE BOSS’s DAUGHTER.

Would a duty-bound prince forsake tradition to marry an enchanting commoner? Find out in The Prince & the Marriage Pact (#1699), the latest episode in THE CARRAMER TRUST miniseries by reader favorite Valerie Parv.

Then, it’s anyone’s guess if a wacky survival challenge can end happily ever after. Join the fun as the romantic winners of a crazy contest are revealed in The Bachelor’s Dare (#1700) by Shirley Jump.

And in Donna Clayton’s The Nanny’s Plan (#1701), a would-be sophisticate is put through the ringer by a drop-dead gorgeous, absentminded professor and his rascally twin nephews.

So pick a cozy spot, relax and enjoy all four of these tender holiday confections that Silhouette Romance has cooked up just for you.

Happy holidays!

Mavis C. Allen

Associate Senior Editor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To Jeff, and the memories of all those long car rides between Massachusetts and Indiana. I fell in love with you sometime between the first toll booth and the last exit.

Silhouette Romance

The Virgin’s Proposal #1641

The Bachelor’s Dare #1700

has been a writer ever since she learned to read. She sold her first article at the age of eleven and from there, became a reporter and finally a freelance writer. However, she always maintained the dream of writing fiction, too. Since then, she has made a full-time career out of writing, dividing her time between articles, non-fiction books and romance. With a husband, two children and a houseful of pets, inspiration abounds in her life, giving her good fodder for writing and a daily workout for her sense of humor.

SURVIVE AND DRIVE CONTESTANTS

* Mark Dole: confirmed bachelor, used to work with his brother, Luke, in a software design company in California, but has never forgotten the girl next door, Claire

* Claire Richards: former hairdresser, knows Mark from childhood and doesn’t intend to play fair in the contest—or in love

* Millie and Lester: a retired couple given to power shakes and napping, determined to win the RV, even if they have to resort to threats with knitting needles

* Danny: football fan whose sole interest is the TV in the RV

* Roger and Jessica: newlyweds who haven’t consummated their vows yet, so watch out—they’re a bit on edge

* Art and Gracie: friends of Millie and Lester’s who double as canasta partners when life on the RV gets slow

* Renee Angelo: a former high school classmate of Mark and Claire’s who supposedly is winning the RV for her grandma…or is it grandpa?

* Tawny: a makeup counter salesgirl who spends her days polishing her nails

* John Madison: a dad of two who wants the RV to go to Disneyland

* Aaron Jefferson: a doctor with a constantly beeping pager

* Milo Otis: a tired security guard

* Adele Williams: a teller at Lawford City Bank with a deadline

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Claire Richards ran her hand along the sleek exterior, the smooth metal gliding beneath her palm. If only men were this well-equipped. And this useful.

Her fingers slipped down the glossy surface, up and over the body ridges. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Now all she had to do was win the forty-five-foot-long beast. She’d worry about wrangling it down the highway later.

The shadow of the massive cream-and-burgundy Deluxe Motor Homes RV dwarfed Claire, even though she was five-foot-nine. The house on wheels had plenty of space for the bedroom, kitchen and living room, the sign advertised. Perfect, she repeated. A house and a getaway car all in one. She needed both—and the sooner the better. She’d made a promise and didn’t have a lot of time left to keep it. Not nearly enough time.

But getting out of Mercy, Middle-of-Nowhere, Indiana, was about more than keeping a promise. No matter what, Claire was going to make the new start she needed. She’d given notice at the beauty shop, tucked most of her belongings into storage, and scraped up enough savings to fund her move. When Claire Richards leapt off a cliff, she did it without hesitation and without a safety net.

In the back of her mind, a tiny doubt whispered that changing her life was about more than physical distance. Claire quickly pushed the thought away.

The RV was her ticket to a new life in California and to the only family she had left. She gave the motor home a final pat, then crossed to the registration table.

“Is this where I sign up for a chance to win the RV?”

A cheerleader from Mercy High turned a clipboard toward Claire and handed her a pen. The girl had dark, bouncy hair and a thousand-watt smile that must have cost three dollars a watt at the orthodontist’s. She wore a blue-and-white uniform and white sneakers. Change her hair to blond and she could have been Claire at that age.

“There’s, like, a million people signed up and only, like, the first twenty get on.” The girl gestured toward a board of rules. The number 20 shouted back at Claire, bold and big. “The contest starts Sunday. Try to be, like, early, and bring all your stuff.” The cheerleader dipped her head and started filing her nails.

For a fleeting second, Claire felt like grabbing the girl’s hand and telling her not to forgo a college education, not to put her faith in some silly boy who would end up working in the steel mill because his father worked there and jobs were inherited along with the family cowlick. She wanted to tell Go-Team-Go Gidget to get out of Mercy while she still had a chance. Or she’d find herself at twenty-eight, still single, stuck in this town and desperate enough to sign up for the September “Survive and Drive” contest at the mall.