Maureen Child - Falling for King's Fortune / Seduction, Westmoreland Style - Falling for King's Fortune

Falling for King’s Fortune by Maureen Child

Casey had a way of getting to him like no other woman ever had.

Not something Jackson wanted to admit even to himself, let alone her. But it was there. A niggling tug of desire that was damned hard to ignore. He stopped alongside her table, opened his mouth to speak and then slammed it shut again.

Beside her on the red vinyl booth was a child’s booster seat. And in that seat was a baby girl. Jackson scowled as the infant – surely not even a year old yet – turned her face up to his and grinned, displaying two tiny white teeth.

And his eyes.

Tearing his gaze from the child, Jackson glared at Casey and ground out, “Just what the hell is going on?”

Seduction Westmoreland Style by Brenda Jackson

Casey Westmoreland was a woman who, without very much effort, could bring out strong desires in any man.

And to make matters worse, she was Corey’s daughter and Durango’s cousin. That meant she was doubly off limits.

“Regardless of what she thinks, I did the right thing,” McKinnon muttered, trying to place his concentration back on grooming his horse, and not how Casey had looked when she walked out of the barn. All he wanted from a woman was a short, hot, satisfying affair with no ties. Casey Westmoreland had the words home, hearth and motherhood all but stamped on her forehead. And that was the type of woman he avoided at all costs.

He refused to let any female become an emotional threat to his well-being ever again.

MAUREEN CHILD

is a California native who loves to travel. Every chance they get, she and her husband are taking off on another research trip. The author of more than sixty books, Maureen loves a happy ending and still swears that she has the best job in the world. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two children and a golden retriever with delusions of grandeur.

You can contact Maureen via her website: www.maureenchild.com.

Dear Reader,

Do you ever wonder if a decision you make will come back to haunt you? Sure you do. We all do.

In Falling for King’s Fortune , two people find out just what can happen when Fate steps into their lives.

Casey Davis, alone in the world and craving family, visits a sperm bank, eventually gives birth to her daughter and thinks her world couldn’t be better. Then an anonymous source tells her who her child’s father is and before she knows it, Casey’s life is spinning out of control.

Jackson King is the youngest of the King brothers and the most adventurous. He goes where he wants when he wants and likes his life just as it is. But when everything changes on him, Jackson has to decide if love isn’t the real adventure.

I hope you enjoyed the KINGS OF CALIFORNIA trilogy as much as I enjoyed writing them. I’m planning on revisiting the Kings, since as it turns out, there are a lot of King cousins yet to be heard from!

Please stop by my website at www. maureenchild. com and drop me an e-mail! Or write to me at PO Box 1883, Westminster, CA 92684-1883, USA.

Happy reading!

Maureen

MAUREEN CHILD

BRENDA JACKSON

www.millsandboon.co.uk

by

Maureen Child

To Sarah…for too many reasons to list here

I love you

One

“I’ve been stood up.” Jackson King closed his cell phone with a snap. Setting his empty glass down on the lustrously polished bar top, he signaled the bartender, Eddie, an older man with knowing eyes, to fill it again.

“Well,” Eddie said, “I think this is a first for you, isn’t it? You losing your touch?”

Jackson snorted a laugh and leaned deeper into the cushioned back of the dark red bar stool. Swiveling it a half turn, he glanced over the dimly lit room behind him. The Hotel Franklin, the only five-star hotel between the tiny town of Birkfield and Sacramento, boasted one of the best bars in the state.

It was also conveniently close to the King family airfield where Jackson spent most of his time. He kept a suite in the hotel for those nights when he was too tired to drive home and thought of the elegant bar almost as his office.

“Oh hell no. That’s never going to happen. Wasn’t a woman who blew me off, Eddie,” Jackson said with a grin. “My cousin Nathan canceled on me. His assistant was driving his car to his mountain place and had problems. Nathan to the rescue.”

“Ah.” The bartender nodded. “Good to know you’re not slipping. Thought maybe it was a sign of the apocalypse or something.”

He did have good luck with women, Jackson mused. Or at least, he always had. Soon enough, all of that would be over. He frowned a little at the thought.

“Something wrong?” The bartender asked.

Jackson shot him a look. “Nothing I want to talk about.”

“Right. Another drink. Coming right up.”

While he waited, Jackson let his gaze slide around the elegantly appointed bar. The room gleamed with a warm glow as discreet lighting reflected off the wood walls and marble floors. The mahogany bar itself curved around the room in a sinuous bend that was nearly artistic. Tall, high-backed red leather stools were pulled up to the bar inviting patrons to sit and stay awhile. Small round tables spotted the floor, each of them boasting flickering candlelight. And the soft, lazy strains of jazz piped in through overhead speakers.

In this bar a man could relax and a lone woman could enjoy a quiet drink without being hassled. At the moment, the place was practically empty. There were two couples at the tables and at the far end of the bar, a woman sat alone, like Jackson. Instinctively, Jackson’s gaze fixed on the blond woman and he smiled. She gave him a long, sly look that fired his blood before returning her attention to her martini.

“She’s a looker all right,” Eddie muttered as he refilled Jackson’s glass with his favorite, Irish whiskey.

“What?”

“The blonde.” The bartender risked a quick look himself. “Saw you spot her. She’s been sitting over there for an hour, nursing that one drink and acting like she’s waiting for someone.”

“Yeah?” Jackson took a longer look. Even from a distance there was something about the woman that made his blood start to hum. He began to think that maybe Nathan not showing up was a very good thing.

“Can’t imagine anyone standing her up,” Eddie said as he moved off to fill another order.

Jackson couldn’t either. This was a woman who demanded a man’s attention. He watched her long fingers move up and down the stem of her martini glass in slow strokes and his body jerked to attention as strongly as if her hand was moving across his skin.

She looked up and her gaze slammed into his. He couldn’t see her eyes from here, but he had a feeling there was a knowing gleam in them. She knew he was watching her. Had probably done the whole stroke-the-crystal thing on purpose to get his attention. Well congratulations, babe, it worked.

Picking up his drink, Jackson casually walked the length of the bar, slipping from lamplight to shadow, his gaze continually fixed on the blonde who watched his approach. As he got closer, he could appreciate the view even more.