The Texan's Baby

DONNA ALWARD

Литагент HarperCollins EUR

UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCESAs a powerful Dallas oil executive, planning is what Lizzie Baron does best. But she didn’t plan on getting pregnant following one memorable night after a rodeo. Now she needs to figure out how she’s going to raise a baby with a man she barely knows.Aspiring bronco rider Chris Miller always hoped he’d see Lizzie again, though not quite like this. The pregnancy is a welcome surprise but, when Lizzie learns Chris works for a rival company, she feels betrayed. Can two perfect strangers trust each other enough to become the perfect family?

There she was, pushing him away again.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to go with you?” Chris asked.

“People will get the wrong idea.”

“So what? Eventually they’re going to know we had sex. You said it yourself. Showing up together makes it look as if there was more to it than a one-nighter. Unless there’s another reason why you don’t want me around?”

Lizzie blushed.

“Is there another reason, Lizzie?”

“Like what?” She lifted her chin and he saw the spark of defiance in her eyes. He liked it. Liked her when she got a little fired up. She’d been this way before, too. A little on edge. Exciting.

He moved closer, saw her pupils widen, and that’s when he knew. The cool, calm demeanor wasn’t completely real. Oh, he had no doubt that she wanted it to be, but it wasn’t. Another step put him directly in front of her, close enough that he could smell the light floral scent of her shampoo, see the way her pulse beat heavily at her throat.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Shh,” he ordered as he contemplated his next move.

The Texan’s Baby

Donna Alward

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

A busy wife and mother of three (two daughters and the family dog), DONNA ALWARD believes hers is the best job in the world: a combination of stay-at-home mom and romance novelist. An avid reader since childhood, Donna has 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 a Booksellers’ 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 (http://www.donnaalward.com), or follow @DonnaAlward (http://twitter.com/DonnaAlward) on Twitter.

To Trish, Barbara, Pamela, Cathy, and Tanya—

for making this newbie feel at home.

Contents

Chapter One (#u17143997-8b4b-5537-8d48-4e596ac1d524)

Chapter Two (#ue4d0813f-994e-550e-a0c8-bc0d1eeb9e42)

Chapter Three (#u9b288f3a-af4d-5419-a94d-ba121fe76fe0)

Chapter Four (#u4537d423-da0b-5b67-b4c8-e3e7d8e29483)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One

Two minutes and thirty-three seconds to go.

Lizzie Baron stared at her watch with dismay. It had only been twenty-seven seconds since she started the timer on her watch. She refused to look until the full three minutes was up. I