Roxann Delaney - His Queen of Hearts

“I—I need to take care of something,” he said, turning away and striding to the door. Without another word, he was gone.

Carly stared after him. What had she done?

Stunned, she made her way slowly to the sofa on legs that would barely hold her and sank onto it.

Maybe the question she needed to ask herself was why she wanted to kiss him so badly. Part of the answer was easy. His kisses made her forget her problems. But kissing him—even wanting to kiss him—only made the problems worse. Fleeing her wedding with no plan for her future proved how impulsive she was. Falling for Dev—

No. She hadn’t fallen for him yet.

Or had she?

Dear Reader,

April is an exciting month for the romance industry because that is when our authors learn whether or not their titles have been nominated for the prestigious RITA® Award sponsored by the Romance Writers of America. As with the Oscars, our authors will find out whether they’ve actually won in a glamorous evening event that caps off the RWA national conference in July. Of course, all the Silhouette Romance titles this month are already winners to me!

Karen Rose Smith heads up this month’s lineup with her tender romance To Protect and Cherish (#1810) in which a cowboy-at-heart bachelor becomes a father overnight. Prince Incognito (#1811) by Linda Goodnight features another equally unforgettable hero—this one a prince masquerading as an ordinary guy. Nearly everyone accepts his disguise except, of course, our perceptive heroine who is now torn between the dictates of her head…and her heart. Longtime Silhouette Romance author Sharon De Vita returns with Doctor’s Orders (#1812), in which a single mother who has been badly burned by love discovers a handsome doctor just might have the perfect prescription for her health and longtime happiness. Finally, in Roxann Delaney’s His Queen of Hearts (#1813), a runaway bride goes from the heat and into the fire when she finds herself holed up in a remote location with her handsome rescuer.

Happy reading!

Sincerely,

Ann Leslie Tuttle

Associate Senior Editor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Silhouette Romance

Rachel’s Rescuer #1509

A Saddle Made for Two #1533

A Whole New Man #1658

The Truth About Plain Jane #1748

His Queen of Hearts #1813

doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t reading or writing, and she always loved that touch of romance in both. A native Kansan, she’s lived on a farm and in a small town, and has now returned to live in the city where she was born. Her four daughters and grandchildren keep her busy when she isn’t writing, designing Web sites or planning her high school class reunions. The 1999 Maggie Award winner is thrilled to have followed the yellow brick road to the land of Silhouette Romance and loves to hear from readers. Contact her at roxann@roxanndelaney.com. Also be sure to visit her Web site at www.roxanndelaney.com.

To Allison Lyons, one of Silhouette’s best, for her hard work and dedication in keeping me on track. I couldn’t have done it without you! And to Hazel Dalbom, my high school English teacher, who not only taught but also encouraged both good writing and creativity.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Devon Brannigan tugged at the black leather patch covering his left eye and tried to find a more comfortable position on the hard church pew. He couldn’t believe his good luck. In only a matter of time, he would finally have his hands on his no-good, greedy former neighbor. Once J.R.’s wedding vows were spoken, and the newlyweds departed for the reception, not only Dev but his two brothers back home would taste the sweetness of revenge.

Ignoring the choking scent of flowers that filled the sanctuary of the Baton Rouge church, he settled in for what he hoped would be a short wait. But he could wait as long as he had to. If nothing else, he was a patient and thorough man. He’d been trailing J.R. for months, always missing him by minutes. This time it wouldn’t happen. This time J.R. would be stopped from conning any more innocent people and would pay for his crimes.

The organ music rose to a crescendo and then slowly came to a close. Dev folded his arms on his chest, more than willing to enjoy J.R.’s last moments as a free man. The thought made him chuckle to himself. Marriage wouldn’t be the only bonds holding James Robert Staton when everything had played out. Dev wanted every penny owed him, but, even more, he wanted the man behind bars. Once the couple was on their way to their honeymoon hideaway, it would take one call to the authorities, and the Feds would take care of J.R. He chuckled again and earned a warning stare from the plump, middle-aged woman beside him. Turning to her, he smiled, knowing what her reaction would be to the look in his one eye and the patch over the other. With a huff of air, she faced forward, her shoulders bunched in indignation, exactly as he expected.

As the droning of the minister’s voice continued, Dev focused his attention on the ceremony. Staring at the back of the groom only made him more eager to get this rolling, and since there was nothing he could do about that, he let his gaze slide over the bride. Not that he could see that much of her. If he’d known anything about fashion, he might have admired her wedding dress. But to him it was nothing more than a shroud of white covering what might or might not be a delightful body. It didn’t matter. He had better things to do than chase after women.

But he couldn’t ignore the perfection of her profile when she turned to smile at her groom. J.R. might be considered a handsome man, but he didn’t deserve the beauty he’d soon be wed to. Did she deserve the shock she’d be in for as soon as the I do’s were said?

Before Dev could imagine how distraught the bride might become when he played his hand and how she might just throw in a wild card he hadn’t considered, she faced the guests. Enchanted by the vision of the auburn-haired beauty, Dev barely heard her clear her throat, intent on the nervous smile playing at her full lips.

“Thank you all for coming to share this special day,” she said, her husky voice wobbling slightly. “I want to thank my mama for this beautiful wedding. And my bridesmaids for all their loving support.”

Dev wasn’t sure if her gesture was customary, but by the wary look in J.R.’s eyes, he knew something unplanned was happening. Uncrossing his arms, he sat up straighter, still hoping to remain unnoticed, yet wishing he had a better view.

The bride’s gaze darted from one side of the church to the other. J.R. reached out to take her hand, but she pulled back, bestowing him with a trembling smile, and looked directly at one of the women in the wedding party. “I’d especially like to thank my maid of honor, Priscilla. She probably isn’t aware of it, but she did me a great service two nights ago by sleeping with James.”