Charlene Sands - The Texan Takes A Wife

A temporary tryst with a sexy Texan...no problem, right? Only from USA TODAY bestselling author Charlene Sands.

All it takes is a daring out-of-character ride on a mechanical bull to send Erin Sinclair straight into the arms of one fine-looking cowboy. With Royal, Texas, on edge over the criminal targeting their secrets, she needs to blow off steam.

Dan Hunt is happy to give the ex-nanny the time of her life, but the rich rancher insists he doesn’t do relationships. With Erin leaving Royal in a matter of weeks, why not have a no-strings affair? Even if it feels like it could be the commitment of a lifetime...

The thought of never taking a risk was messing with her head.

With the last sip of her margarita, she spotted a tall, gorgeous beast of a man. He was six foot two if he was an inch, all packed nicely into cowboy duds, boots and hat.

Maybe exactly what she needed was to bring one of these hunky cowboys home tonight. Preferably, that handsome beast making direct eye contact with her.

His incredible eyes never wavered. They stayed on her. And she returned his scrutiny, finding not a flaw on the sharp angles of his face, the set of his chiseled jaw or the deep ocean blue of his eyes.

He made her breath catch. He made her hot.

The silent communication between them was ready to combust.

* * *

The Texan Takes a Wifeis part of the series Texas Cattleman’s Club: Blackmail—No secret— or heart—is safe in Royal, Texas…

The Texan Takes a Wife

Charlene Sands

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHARLENE SANDS is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty romance novels. She writes sensual contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spending time with her family. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter, write her at PO Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308, USA, or sign up for her newsletter for fun blogs and ongoing contests at www.charlenesands.com.

This story is dedicated to the little munchkins in my life who make every holiday wonderful and exciting.

With love to my special girls—Everley, Kyra, Madyson and Lila Dawn.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text A temporary tryst with a sexy Texan...no problem, right? Only from USA TODAY bestselling author Charlene Sands. All it takes is a daring out-of-character ride on a mechanical bull to send Erin Sinclair straight into the arms of one fine-looking cowboy. With Royal, Texas, on edge over the criminal targeting their secrets, she needs to blow off steam. Dan Hunt is happy to give the ex-nanny the time of her life, but the rich rancher insists he doesn’t do relationships. With Erin leaving Royal in a matter of weeks, why not have a no-strings affair? Even if it feels like it could be the commitment of a lifetime...

Introduction The thought of never taking a risk was messing with her head. With the last sip of her margarita, she spotted a tall, gorgeous beast of a man. He was six foot two if he was an inch, all packed nicely into cowboy duds, boots and hat. Maybe exactly what she needed was to bring one of these hunky cowboys home tonight. Preferably, that handsome beast making direct eye contact with her. His incredible eyes never wavered. They stayed on her. And she returned his scrutiny, finding not a flaw on the sharp angles of his face, the set of his chiseled jaw or the deep ocean blue of his eyes. He made her breath catch. He made her hot. The silent communication between them was ready to combust. * * * The Texan Takes a Wife is part of the series Texas Cattleman’s Club: Blackmail—No secret— or heart—is safe in Royal, Texas…

Title Page The Texan Takes a Wife Charlene Sands www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author CHARLENE SANDS is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty romance novels. She writes sensual contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spending time with her family. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter, write her at PO Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308, USA, or sign up for her newsletter for fun blogs and ongoing contests at www.charlenesands.com .

Dedication This story is dedicated to the little munchkins in my life who make every holiday wonderful and exciting. With love to my special girls—Everley, Kyra, Madyson and Lila Dawn.

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One

Some of her friends had bucket lists, things they wanted to do before they kicked it, but Erin Sinclair had a list of Never Do’s and riding a mechanical bull in an arena of highly capable-to-the-bone Texans was one of them. The legless, leather-clad metal bull scared her silly as it jerked around, keeping only the most proficient on its back.

Yet as she sipped her second Cadillac margarita in the Dark Horse Saloon outside the Royal city limits the thought of never doing it, never taking a risk, was messing with her head.

She’d broken from the pack of women she’d come here with, half a dozen welcoming ladies from the Texas Cattleman’s Club who’d befriended her and invited her to a birthday party at the Dark Horse. Now the party was over and all of those women had gone home to their boyfriends or husbands. Erin had neither. It was November and she’d be heading back to her hometown in Seattle the first of the year, without having done anything Texan, anything remotely wild.

“Ready for another, blondie?” the bartender asked, his gaze on the near-empty glass in her hand, yet it was the dubious look in his eyes that brought her five-foot-four frame to attention. “Or maybe you’ve had enough?”

“I haven’t had nearly enough,” she said. “One more.” She offered him a sweet smile. “Thank you.”

The bartender walked away shaking his head and she focused back on the bull that seemed to be calling to her. Was she being an idiot, or was that bull looking straight at her, tempting her to take a chance, teasing her with his grotesque fake horns to come get him?

With the last sip of her margarita at her lips, she spotted a tall, gorgeous beast of a man. He was six foot two if he was an inch, all packed nicely into cowboy duds, boots and hat, his shoulders wide enough to carry that longhorn over his shoulders without breaking a sweat.

Speaking of Never Do’s: in all her twenty-six years, she’d never done a Texan before. She burst into a fit of giggles. Good thing no one around her noticed or she’d really look like an idiot. But the sad fact was, there were also forty-eight other states’ worth of men she hadn’t been with. Her home state of Washington housed her ex, Rex Talbot. Now, he was a piece of work. And she was glad she was staying in Royal, Texas, at least for the holidays. Rex had nearly ruined her reputation in Seattle, but she wasn’t going to dwell. Not tonight.

Maybe exactly what she needed was to bring one of these hunky cowboys home tonight. Preferably, that chunk of handsome beast making direct eye contact with her. He had perfected the art of smolder, had it down to a science and she was loving all the attention and the fact that he’d picked her out of a sea of stunning women.

His incredible eyes never wavered. They stayed on her. And she returned his scrutiny, finding not a flaw on the sharp angle of his face, the set of his chiseled jaw or the deep ocean blue of his eyes.

He made her breath catch. He made her yearn. He made her hot. The silent communication between them was ready to combust.