Kathie DeNosky - Expecting the Rancher's Heir / Taming Her Billionaire Boss - Expecting the Rancher's Heir

Expecting the

Rancher’s Heir

Kathie DeNosky

Taming Her

Billionaire Boss

Maxine Sullivan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Expecting The Rancher’s Heir

Kathie DeNosky

He traced her perfect coral lips with his tongue, then coaxed her to open for him.

When he stroked her tongue with his, he could tell from her soft moan that she was as turned on as he was.

Unfortunately, sitting on a bale of straw in a stable had to be one of the least sensual places on earth. Cursing himself as nine kinds of a fool for starting something he couldn’t finish, he groaned and reluctantly broke the kiss.

“I think it’s about time we took that hot shower,” he said, setting her on her feet.

“We?” she asked as he rose to take her hand in his and hurry her toward the stable doors.

He didn’t even try to stop his wicked grin. “I’ve decided it’s about time for the ranch to ‘go green.’ We’ll save water by showering together.”

Dear Reader,

When I was offered the opportunity to participate in the DYNASTY: THE JARRODS series, I was not only honored to be asked to write Expecting the Rancher’s Heir , I was intrigued by the idea of a no-strings affair suddenly becoming a very serious dilemma. Then, when I discovered it was set in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, my imagination took off.

Shortly after returning to Aspen for the reading of her father’s will, Melissa Jarrod entered into a no-strings affair with local rancher Shane McDermott, one of the investors in Jarrod Ridge Resort. They’ve managed to keep it from her family and the other investors, but when their liaison takes an unexpected turn, it’s just a matter of time before their secret comes to light.

I hope you enjoy reading Expecting the Rancher’s Heir as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love hearing from my readers. Please feel free to e-mail me at Kathie@ Kathiedenosky.com or send snail mail to PO Box 2064, Herrin, IL 62948, USA. And don’t forget to stop by my website, www.kathiedenosky.com.

All the best,

Kathie

From the Last Will and Testament of Don Jarrod

… And to my daughter, Melissa, I bequeath the third portion of my estate. In particular, I entrust you with executive oversight of the Jarrod Ridge spa complex. Though you may think I didn’t notice, the success you’ve had with your fitness concern in Malibu truly impressed me. Ever since you were a little girl, I’ve been so proud of you, even though our family business kept me away from home, and from showing how much I truly loved you. I only ask that you make your younger half-sister, Erica, feel as loved and welcome in her new family. You always held your own among your headstrong brothers; now show her the way.

KATHIE DENOSKYlives in her native southern Illinois with her big, lovable Bernese mountain dog, Nemo. Writing highly sensual stories with a generous amount of humor, Kathie’s books have appeared on the Waldenbooks bestseller list and received the Write Touch Readers Award and the National Readers’ Choice Award. Kathie enjoys going to rodeos, traveling to research settings for her books and listening to country music. Readers may contact Kathie at PO Box 2064, Herrin, Illinois 62948-5264, USA or e-mail her at kathie@kathiedenosky.com. They can also visit her website at www.kathiedenosky.com.

This book is dedicated to the wonderful authors I worked with on this series, Maureen Child, Maxine Sullivan, Tessa Radley, Emilie Rose and Heidi Betts. It was a pleasure working with all of you.

And a special thank you to Charles Griemsman and Krista Stroever for asking me to be included in such a great project.

“Don’t say pregnant. Please don’t say pregnant,” Melissa Jarrod whispered, afraid to open her tightly closed eyes. Maybe if she repeated it enough times she could will the white stick in her trembling hand to give her the results she wanted.

When she finally worked up the courage to take a peek at the pregnancy test she held, her eyes widened and it felt as if her stomach dropped all the way to her feet. The word pregnant in the little results window couldn’t have been clearer.

“I can’t be pregnant,” she said disbelievingly as she glanced at herself in the bathroom mirror. “We’ve been careful.”

But as her gaze dropped to her flat stomach, she realized that the way her luck had been running lately, it was not only possible, it was highly probable. She and Shane McDermott had been in a physical relationship practically from the moment she returned to Aspen two months ago. She sighed heavily. Although they’d taken the proper precautions, there had been that one night only a few days after they’d started seeing each other when they’d gotten carried away and passion had overtaken them.

Hoping the results of the test might be wrong, she quickly picked up the box to check the directions. No, she had done everything correctly. She turned the box to the side to see if there was a disclaimer or some reassurance that the test could have given a false-positive reading. Her spirits sank further when she found what she was looking for. The percentage of error was so low, it was almost impossible that she wasn’t pregnant.

Wandering into the bedroom, she sank onto the side of the bed. What was she going to do and how on earth was she going to tell Shane?

He had made it perfectly clear from the beginning that he wasn’t interested in a serious relationship, and that had been just fine with her. When she’d first come back to Aspen for the reading of her father’s will, she hadn’t been certain just how long she would be staying. But she, her brothers and her newfound half sister had learned they were required to take over the running of the Jarrod Ridge Resort for at least one year or forfeit their inheritance of the thriving enterprise. Even so, it would have been utter foolishness to engage in anything long-term, knowing that she would eventually return to California at some point in the future.

But with the positive results of the pregnancy test, their casual affair had just taken a very serious turn and become a lifelong commitment. At least for her. But how would Shane react when he learned that in a little more than seven months he was going to be a father?

Lost in a tangle of disturbing thoughts and fighting a wave of sheer panic, Melissa jumped when her cell phone rang. Reaching to pick it up from the night-stand, she noticed the number for the Tranquility Spa on the caller ID.

“What’s wrong this time, Rita?” she asked, taking a deep steadying breath.

Whether real or imagined, the assistant manager of Jarrod Ridge’s elite spa had reported a crisis nearly every day since Melissa had stepped in to temporarily take over the manager’s position. But for the first time in two months, she welcomed the insecure woman’s concerns. Anything was a welcome distraction from her own current dilemma.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Ms. Jarrod, but the yoga instructor called in sick this morning and I haven’t been able to reach our backup. We have a room full of guests and no one to lead the yoga class. What should I do?” Rita whined, her voice clearly filled with indecision, as well as a good amount of panic.

“First of all, breathe, Rita,” Melissa said, rising from the bed to pull a leotard from her dresser drawer. “I want you to calm down, then escort the guests over to the juice bar for a complimentary drink.”