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The Texan's Twins
Pamela Britton
DEFINITELY NOT DADDY MATERIAL!Jasmine Marks is focused and hardworking, and when she took a job as engineer for Baron Energies, she left behind her support network. Now, the burden of caring for her twin girls is all on her, and she doesn't have time for a dilettante playboy like Jet Baron. Besides, she needs her job, and she can't blow it by getting involved with the boss's son. On the surface, Jet Barron is a dabbler, dropping into work one day and riding rodeo the next. But when he makes his mind up, he goes for it, full-out. He knows a lot more than anyone suspects, about the oil business, about women. And this woman needs someone to count on - which will be Jet, if he gets his way.
Definitely Not Daddy Material!
Jasmine Marks is focused and hardworking, and when she took a job as engineer for Baron Energies, she left behind her support network. Now, the burden of caring for her twin girls is all on her, and she doesn’t have time for a dilettante playboy like Jet Baron. Besides, she needs her job, and she can’t blow it by getting involved with the boss’s son.
On the surface, Jet Barron is a dabbler, dropping into work one day and riding rodeo the next. But when he makes his mind up, he goes for it, full-out. He knows a lot more than anyone suspects, about the oil business, about women. And this woman needs someone to count on—which will be Jet, if he gets his way.
“You think I’m some kind of prank. An actress hired to—what? Pretend to have a meeting with you? Then strip out of my clothes?”
He’d started to get a funny feeling. “Well, yeah.”
She took a step toward him, and Jet would be lying if he didn’t feel as if, somehow, the joke was on him.
“Tell me something, what makes you think the engineer in question is a man?”
“All engineers in the oil industry are men.”
She took another step toward him. “There are actually quite a few women in the business. I graduated from Berkley with a degree in geology.” She took yet another step closer. “I interned for the USGS out of Menlo Park then moved back to Texas to get my master’s in engineering. My father was a wildcatter, and it was from him that I learned the business, so let me reassure you, Mr. Baron, I can tell the difference between an injection hose and a drill pipe. But if you still insist only men can be engineers, perhaps we should call your sister, Lizzie, who hired me.”
He couldn’t speak for a moment. “Oh, crap.”
Her extraordinary blue eyes scanned him, her derision clearly evident. “Still want me to strip?”
He almost said yes, but he could tell that he was in enough trouble as it was.
Dear Reader (#ulink_54129b58-15ef-5daa-a027-a29024be41c6),
It’s always a privilege to be asked to contribute to one of Mills & Boon’s continuity series. When my editor called and explained the premise of the Texas Rodeo Barons, I became even more thrilled. Cowboys, rodeos and family drama? I was in!
I will have to admit, it’s a little daunting, too. All those different heroes and heroines to keep track of, not to mention story lines and plot twists. I knew I would need to read each book to ensure I didn’t drop the ball somewhere along the way.
Those books blew me away.
I was left in awe of my fellow authors: Donna Alward, Trish Milburn, Barbara White Daille, Cathy McDavid and Tanya Michaels. To be honest, I was a little overwhelmed, too. Could I write a book as good as my sister authors? I wasn’t sure I could, but I sure tried, focusing all my energy on creating a story that would continue the standard of excellence…and a funny thing happened.
I fell in love with my own characters.
My hero was so much fun to write, and my heroine the perfect match for his bad-boy personality. Add in two adorable twin girls and, well, what a hoot-and-a-half.
I hope you feel the same way about The Texan’s Twins.
Pamela Britton
The Texan’s Twins
Pamela Britton
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (#ulink_c40dc876-e8fb-5076-9010-36a2b9c2ce56)
With over a million books in print, PAMELA BRITTON likes to call herself the best-known author nobody’s ever heard of. Of course, that changed thanks to a certain licensing agreement with that little racing organization known as NASCAR.
But before the glitz and glamour of NASCAR, Pamela wrote books that were frequently voted the best of the best by the Detroit Free Press, Barnes & Noble (two years in a row) and RT Book Reviews. She’s won numerous awards, including a National Readers’ Choice Award and a nomination for the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Award.
When not writing books, Pamela is a reporter for a local newspaper. She’s also a columnist for the American Quarter Horse Journal.
For the real life twins, Brooke and Gwen.
Two adorable little girls who always amuse and entertain me. I couldn’t have written this book without you in my life. Know that Auntie Pam loves you.
Contents
Cover (#u17155f35-f31f-55a0-b122-bc3389444fb2)
Back Cover Text (#u44186c50-6011-525a-9ce7-43802b526831)
Introduction (#u06c604ad-ba29-5c1b-b69f-409c3c599d3c)
Dear Reader (#u7379dbf5-9479-56f7-a584-7a365259a603)
Title Page (#u82151c71-957c-511d-9555-9306816a7f72)
About the Author (#u04becabf-acab-5151-be9c-138af1294f70)
Dedication (#u96763def-db93-5a44-9379-9c799c04a98c)
Chapter One (#u1052443b-4ee4-52e5-aeb2-b57a11b44baf)
Chapter Two (#ud1f907be-19d6-5e00-acc2-df3484f5823f)
Chapter Three (#ub59c05f3-a029-5163-a82b-5d2bf6576eec)
Chapter Four (#u192d2758-6387-591f-9e18-1c3a04d61236)
Chapter Five (#uc78af287-dd1d-5a6d-8dd2-d167da3de903)
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)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#ulink_6fa549f3-8d7e-5509-92d6-40ded79cb5e0)
Hole-lee Toledo—
Jet Baron slammed on the brakes, nearly clocking his chin on the steering wheel in the process.
Dust kicked up from his truck’s tires and wafted around the woman’s silhouette. A blonde woman—a drop-dead gorgeous woman—in a black dress stared at him curiously as he drifted to a stop.
She waved, mouthed hello, and all Jet could think was, all right, which one of his rodeo friends had set him up? They’d teased him mercilessly last night when he’d told them about the meeting this morning out in the middle of a field in Nowhere, Texas. Jet Baron, forced to work, they’d said. Not forced, he’d explained. More like...emotionally blackmailed.
This had to be his friends’ idea of a joke because there was no way this was J. C. Marks, their newly hired engineer at Baron Energies. Granted, he’d never met the man, but the point was, J.C. was a man.
“Ha, ha, ha,” he said as he slipped out of his truck, the words Baron Energies on the side—unlike her truck. “Very funny.”
The woman in the black dress stepped away from her vehicle and frowned.
“I beg your pardon?”
Eyes the same piercing blue of an Artic fox scanned first him and then his white truck. She had golden hair, the kind that glowed like pirate’s treasure and hung well past her shoulders, and a heart-shaped face complete with a tiny chin and nose. Her huge eyes were outlined with black; it made her appear even more doll-like. This was no engineer with a master’s degree in engineering. No way.
“You going to peel off your dress now? Or later?”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t worry. It’s not your fault. My friends didn’t know I was meeting a man. A project engineer, actually, and you don’t exactly look the part. Nice try, though.”
Her mouth hung open a bit, and it was a plump, juicy-looking mouth, one that made him think of eating fruit for some strange reason.
“Let me guess. Jet Baron.”
“One and the same.” He gave her a welcoming smile, his gaze slowly sliding over her body. Damn. Wherever they’d found her, his buddies had outdone themselves. Hot didn’t begin to describe her. Damn hot. Holy-moly hot.
“Why am I not surprised?” she asked.
Her sarcasm startled him, as did the way she eyed him up and down, her gaze skating over his jeans and black shirt. So direct. So appraising. So...disappointed.
He straightened. “If you’re going to start stripping, you better do it now. I’m expecting the engineer at any moment.”
She had tipped her head sideways, her long hair falling in large curls over one shoulder. “You think I’m some kind of prank. An actress hired to, what? Pretend to have a meeting with you? Then strip out of my clothes?”
He’d started to get a funny feeling—like he’d walked into a room at the end of a joke. “Well, yeah.”
She took a step toward him, and he would be lying if he didn’t feel as if, somehow, the joke was on him.
“Tell me something—what makes you think the engineer in question is a man?”
“I was told that.”
“By whom?”
He couldn’t remember, but it didn’t matter.
When his sister had told him to meet with their newest engineer, she’d said Mr. Marks...hadn’t she?
“I don’t know who told me, just that I know he’s a man. All engineers in the oil industry are men, but if you want to pretend you’re part of the industry, have at it. Won’t matter once you take off your clothes.”
She took another step toward him. “Oh, but see? You’re wrong.” One more step. “There’s actually quite a few of us women in the business. I graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in geology.” Another step. “I interned for the USGS out of Menlo Park while getting that degree, then moved back to Texas to get my master’s in engineering. My father was a wildcatter, and it was from him that I learned the business, so let me reassure you, Mr. Baron, I can tell the difference between an injection hose and a drill pipe. I’ve worked on both drilling rigs and production platforms, but if you still insist only men can be engineers, perhaps we should call your sister Lizzie, the one who hired me.”
He couldn’t speak for a moment, and then all he could utter was “Oh, crap.”
Her brows lifted, her extraordinary blue eyes scanning him up and down, her derision clearly evident. “Still want me to strip?”
He almost said yes, but he could tell that he was in enough trouble as it is. “I take it you’re J.C.?”
“I am.”
Why hadn’t Lizzie told him? Then again, why would she? Lizzie had her hands full between helping to run Baron Energies and being newly engaged, not to mention pregnant. The gender of their engineer wasn’t exactly something you discussed during the course of a normal conversation, especially when that sister was perturbed with you because you weren’t pulling your weight.
“I should apologize.”
“You think?”
He almost laughed. “You’ve got to admit.” He pointed a palm toward her dress. “You don’t exactly look like an engineer.”
