Katherine Garbera - Cinderella's Convenient Husband

AROUND CHI-TOWN

Looks like the Connellys have been plunged into scandal yet again—Grant Connelly’s former lover, Ms. Angie Donahue, has been arrested! Sources report that Ms. Donahue, the mother of Grant’s illegitimate son, Seth Connelly, is the niece of Chicago’s most influential mob boss, Jimmy Kelly. Police investigations leading up to her arrest indicate that the Kellys may be behind the recent spate of troubles that have plagued the prestigious Connelly family these last few months.

And how is Seth Connelly, a well-respected attorney in the Windy City, taking this news? It seems that Seth has taken an undetermined leave of absence from his law practice…and from Chicago. Sources close to the thirty-two-year-old bachelor say he has been devastated by his mother’s revelation, but won’t reveal his location.

The Connelly troubles don’t end there. Following police questioning, Grant’s longtime assistant, Charlotte Masters, has also gone missing—and rumor has it that her life may be in danger. And she’s not the only one. Police report that hotshot P.I. Tom Reynolds, hired to protect the family, has turned up dead, the apparent victim of foul play.

In the wake of these latest disclosures, we expect local sympathies to be with Seth, a reserved lone wolf who never became a true bachelor-about-town like so many of the Connelly sons. Chicago awaits his return!

Dear Reader,

This season of harvest brings a cornucopia of six new passionate, powerful and provocative love stories from Silhouette Desire for your enjoyment.

Don’t miss our current MAN OF THE MONTH title, Cindy Gerard’s Taming the Outlaw, a reunion romance featuring a cowboy dealing with the unexpected consequences of a hometown summer of passion. And of course you’ll want to read Katherine Garbera’s Cinderella’s Convenient Husband, the tenth absorbing title in Silhouette Desire’s DYNASTIES: THE CONNELLYS continuity series.

A Navy SEAL is on a mission to win the love of the woman he left behind, in The SEAL’s Surprise Baby by Amy J. Fetzer, while a TV anchorwoman gets up close and personal with a high-ranking soldier in The Royal Treatment by Maureen Child. This is the latest title in the exciting Silhouette crossline series CROWN AND GLORY.

Opposites attract when a sexy hunk and a matchmaker share digs in Hearts Are Wild by Laura Wright. And in Secrets, Lies and…Passion by Linda Conrad, a single mom is drawn into a web of desire and danger by the lover who jilted her at the altar years before…or did he?

Experience all six of these sensuous romances from Silhouette Desire this month, and guarantee that your Halloween will be all treat, no trick.

Enjoy!

Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For Maureen Walters, who is encouraging while at the same time realistic. Thanks for your support.

loves a happy ending, so writing romance came naturally to her. She is a native Floridian who was recently transplanted to the Chicago area. “Living in a place where there are seasons is strange,” says Garbera. Her stories are known for their lush character detail and sensuality. She is happily married to the man she met in Fantasyland and has two children. She is an active member of Romance Writers of America, Novelists Inc. and The Authors’ Guild. Visit her home page on the Web at www.katherinegarbera.com.

MEET THE CONNELLYS

Meet the Connellys of Chicago—wealthy, powerful and rocked by scandal, betrayal…and passion!

Who’s Who in

CINDERELLA’S CONVENIENT HUSBAND

Seth Connelly—Deceived and betrayed by his heritage once again, he runs away, back to his cowboy roots, hoping to find himself, to heal….

Lynn McCoy—She knows what it’s like to be betrayed by someone you love—and now she, too, is paying the price.

Angie Donahue—Seth’s mother; she allowed his father, Grant Connelly, to raise him, but the havoc she wreaks finds her son wherever he hides….

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

“What can I get for you?” asked the blond waitress.

Seth Connelly looked straight into eyes he’d never forgotten. They were the deep purple of crushed African violets. Lynn McCoy had been a troublemaking brat for the first five years of their acquaintance then she’d blossomed into a beautiful young woman. One who tempted him to forget that her older brother was closer to him than his own.

“Hello, Lynn,” he said. Somehow when he’d thought of those he might see in Sagebrush, Montana, he’d forgotten about Lynn and that one awkward kiss they’d shared the night of her sixteenth birthday.

He’d never returned to the ranch again, aware that he’d crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed. Aware that he’d taken a step that would alienate him from Matt. Aware that it was time to stop running and return home to Chicago.

But his birth mother’s betrayal had made Chicago into a tense place, and he’d hit the road hoping to find some semblance of the man he’d become. Because as he’d fallen once again for Angie Donahue’s lies and manipulation, he’d realized that he didn’t know himself anymore.

He hoped Lynn didn’t remember the embrace—it was so long ago. But life had taught him that if she did, more than likely it haunted her. That one brief brush of lips still plagued his dreams on restless nights, because she had tasted innocent and he never had been.

Her eyes widened in recognition and she smiled at him. There was weariness on her face, and an instinctual part of him recognized that expression for what it was. She was running from something as well.

Not your business, old man.

“Hi, Seth. What brings you to our little corner of the world?”

He was a successful lawyer from a wealthy family so he knew all about people who complained when they had plenty, and he wouldn’t be one of those. He couldn’t tell her that he’d come here searching for something that he’d found in his youth. Something he couldn’t really explain to anyone. It had been a feeling, really, maybe something more but not definable.

“I’m hoping for a cup of coffee and a steak.”

“You’ve come to the right place. But I should tell you it’s probably not as fancy as you’d get in Chicago.”

“That’s okay. The atmosphere’s better here.”

“Really? I’d have thought all those sophisticated people would win hands down.”

“Nothing beats the mountains in Montana.” Even though night had fallen, the view from the diner was one he’d never forgotten.

“You can say that again.”

Their eyes met and held in a moment of pure appreciation for what nature had so splendidly given this area of the country.

“What kind of dressing do you want on your salad?”

He told her and she walked away. The quiet conversation that buzzed around him reminded him why he liked Sagebrush. Here in this small town he wasn’t the illegitimate son of a Mafia princess and Chicago’s most revered citizen. Here he was that wild boy who’d had his ear pierced and wore a leather jacket even in the heat of summer. Here he was a man without a family—and Seth needed that.