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Rhyne closed the book and set it on the table beside her. She nestled her cold fingertips in the folds of her flannel nightgown.
“You’re freezing,” said Cole.
“Hardly.”
“Come over here and stand.”
She shook her head.
“But you’re shivering.”
She merely watched him, waiting.
“Could you be more stubborn?”
This time one corner of Rhyne’s mouth curled upward.
“Could you?”
Cole closed the distance between them so quickly that Rhyne had no time to catch her breath. It was just as well. He would have taken it away. Grasping her upper arms, he lifted her out of the chair. She couldn’t quite get her legs under her and she fell into him. He found her mouth while she was still trying to find her breath. His lips ground against hers. The heat that he’d abandoned at the stove was replaced by one that was entirely more satisfying …
THE CAPTAIN’S LADY
CRYSTAL PASSION
SEASWEPT ABANDON
VELVET NIGHT
VIOLET FIRE
SCARLET LIES
TEMPTING TORMENT
MIDNIGHT PRINCESS
PASSION’S SWEET REVENGE
SWEET FIRE
WILD SWEET ECSTASY
ROGUE’S MISTRESS
FOREVER IN MY HEART
ALWAYS IN MY DREAMS
ONLY IN MY ARMS
MY STEADFAST HEART
MY RECKLESS HEART
WITH ALL MY HEART
MORE THAN YOU KNOW
MORE THAN YOU WISHED
LET ME BE THE ONE
EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED
ALL I EVER NEEDED
BEYOND A WICKED KISS
A SEASON TO BE SINFUL
ONE FORBIDDEN EVENING
IF HIS KISS IS WICKED
THE PRICE OF DESIRE
NEVER LOVE A LAWMAN
MARRY ME
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
MARRY ME
JO GOODMAN
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
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Copyright © 2010 by Joanne Dobrzanski
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Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-2014-1
eISBN-10: 1-4201-2014-X
First Printing: December 2010
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
For Robin Harders– a good person to have in your corner
Contents
KISS ME
Books by Jo Goodman
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Epilogue
Mrs. Theodore Easter
Above Easter’s Bakery on Euclid
Reidsville, Colorado
Coleridge Monroe, M.D.
5231 52nd Street
New York City, New York
08 July 1884
Dear Dr. Monroe,
After careful examination of the particulars of your letter of interest and curriculum vitae the Reidsville Physician Search Committee is prepared to offer you a contract to serve as the Town Doctor. The contract is enclosed for you to review before accepting our offer. Our Lawyer for the Town assures us that it is a straightforward agreement, and we respect his opinion, as he knows the Town’s Business.
As you may have many similar offers for your doctoring, the Search Committee has asked me to convey their confidence in your abilities as stated in your letter. The Committee wishes you to know that you were selected from twenty-two candidates with like backgrounds and qualifications. Your letter, though, set you apart, and has eased our minds that you are personable and of excellent character. I will tell you that some members of the Committee found your missive charming.
With the unexpected departure of our dear Doc Diggins after twenty-four years of service to our