DONNA ALWARD - A Cadence Creek Christmas

It’s Christmas in Donna Alward’s Cadence Creek…

Taylor Shepard has come to Cadence Creek to organize her brother’s Christmas wedding. Organizing such a special event might be a little bit stressful—but she can’t deny she’s swept away by the town’s holiday charm…and by brooding rancher Rhys Bullock.

Loner Rhys has been burned far too many times in the past. He’s sure he has city girl Taylor all figured out—she’ll be hightailing it straight back to the city in a few days! But as the snow starts to fall, Rhys and Taylor embark on a tentative winter romance. Could Taylor be the Christmas present Rhys never even knew he wanted?

And there it was. The acknowledgement of whatever this was. Attraction. Curiosity. Carnality.

“I thought we weren’t going to do this,” she said softly. She kept her hands folded tightly in her lap to keep them from going where they wanted to go—on him. “I’m only here for a few days.”

“Then there’s no danger. We both know what’s what. We’re going in with our eyes wide open.”

“Are you seducing me, Rhys?” His thumb toyed with her lower lip and her eyes drifted closed.

“With any luck.” He moved closer, leaning forward slightly so she began to recline against the cushions. “We’re adults,” he stated. “We’re both wondering. It doesn’t have to go any deeper than that.”

Tentatively she lifted her hand and touched his face. “Usually I’m the confident one who goes after what she wants.”

He smiled a little, his gaze dropping to her lips. “You don’t want this? I could have sworn you did.”

“I didn’t say that…” she whispered, sliding deeper into the cushions.

“That’s what I thought.”

His voice was husky now, shivering along her nerveendings. He leaned closer until he was less than a breath away.

A Cadence Creek

Christmas

Donna Alward

www.millsandboon.co.uk

A busy wife and mother of three (two daughters and the family dog), DONNA ALWARDbelieves hers is the best job in the world: a combination of stay-at-home mum and romance novelist. An avid reader since childhood, Donna always made up her own stories. She completed her arts degree in English literature in 1994, but it wasn’t until 2001 that she penned her first full-length novel and found herself hooked on writing romance. In 2006 she sold her first manuscript, and now writes warm, emotional stories for Mills & Boon.

In her new home office in Nova Scotia, Donna loves being back on the east coast of Canada after nearly twelve years in Alberta, where her career began, writing about cowboys and the West. Donna’s debut romance, Hired by the Cowboy , was awarded the Bookseller’s Best Award in 2008 for Best Traditional Romance.

With the Atlantic Ocean only minutes from her doorstep, Donna has found a fresh take on life and promises even more great romances in the near future!

Donna loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her website www.donnaalward.com, or her page at www.myspace.com/dalward.

To the Mills & Boon ®Romance authors—my writing family. You guys are the best.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER ONE

TAYLOR SHEPARD FROWNED as she assessed the lineup of men before her. All five of them were big, burly and, with the exception of her brother Jack, looked irritated beyond belief.

“Come on, Taylor, can’t we take these monkey suits off?”

Her oldest brother, Callum, pleaded with her. Along with his best man and groomsmen, he’d spent the past half hour trying on various tuxedo styles. Callum, being her brother and, of course, the groom, was the spokesman for the lot.

“If you want to show up at your wedding in jeans and boots, be my guest. I don’t think your bride would appreciate that too much, though.”

A muffled snort came from down the line. Her head snapped toward the sound and she saw one of the groomsmen—Rhys, if she remembered correctly—struggling to keep a straight face.

“Keep it up,” she warned severely, “and you’ll be the one trying on a cravat.”

His face sobered in an instant.

“This was supposed to be a small and simple wedding,” Callum reminded her. “Not one of your massive events.”

“And it will be. But small and simple doesn’t mean it can’t be classy.” She pinned him with a stare. “Your soon-to-be wife trusts me. Besides, you need to balance your look with the wedding dress and flower girl dress for Nell.” She paused and played her trump card. “They’re going to be beautiful.”

There’d be little argument out of Callum now. All it took was the mention of Avery and his baby daughter and the tough ex-soldier turned into a marshmallow. She thought it was fantastic. He’d needed someone like Avery for a long time. Not to mention how fatherhood had changed him. He had the family he’d always wanted.

She examined each man carefully. “I don’t like the red vests,” she decreed. She went up to Sam Diamond and tugged on the lapels of his jacket. “And not double-breasted. The green vests, like Tyson’s here. The single-breasted jacket like Jack has on, which is much simpler.” She smiled up at her brother, easily the most comfortable man in the group. Jack wouldn’t give her a moment’s trouble, not about this anyway. She got to the last body in the line and looked up.

Dark eyes looked down into hers. A little serious, a little bit of put-upon patience, and a surprising warmth that made her think he had a good sense of humor. She reached up and gave his tie a tug, straightening it. “And not the bolo tie, either. The crossover that Rhys is wearing is classier and still very Western.”

Her fingertips grazed the starchy fabric of his shirt as she dropped her hand. It was a negligible touch, barely worth noticing, except the slight contact made something interesting tumble around in her stomach. Her gaze darted up to his again and discovered he was watching her steadily in a way that made her feel both excited and awkward.

Interesting. Because in her line of work she dealt with all sorts of men every day. Rich men, powerful men, men who liked other men and men who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. She knew how to handle herself. Was never tempted to flirt unless it was a business strategy. She was very good at reading people, figuring out their tastes and wants and knowing what methods she needed to use to deliver them.

So getting a fluttery feeling from barely touching Rhys Bullock was a surprise indeed. And feeling awkward? Well, that was practically unheard of. Of course, it could be that she was just very out of practice. She’d been far too busy building her business to do much dating.

She straightened her shoulders and took a step backward. “Okay, now on to footwear.”

Groans went up the line.

She smiled. “Guys, really. This will be the best part. I was thinking black boots which we can get wherever you prefer to buy your boots. No patent dress shoes. Put on the boots you wore here so we can accurately measure your inseam for length. Then we’ll finish up your measurements and you’re done.” She made a dismissive sound. “Honestly, what a bunch of babies.”

She was having fun now, teasing the guys. They were good men but not much for dressing up. She got that. Their standard uniform was jeans and boots, plaid shirts and Stetsons. Tuxedo fittings had to be torture.

Still, it didn’t matter if this was her brother’s wedding or a client’s A-list party. Or if she was being paid or doing it as a wedding gift. Avery and Callum’s day would be exactly what it should be because she’d oversee every last detail.