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Cooper's Woman
Carol Finch
Alexa Quinn wanted much more from life than a society wedding. She was determined to make her busy father see her true worth. So when secrets and lies threatened the good work he was doing, Alexa seized her chance to save not only her father, but herself as well. Enter Wyatt Cooper–ex-lawman, legendary gunslinger and a fine-looking man!He was the best in the West for stopping trouble in its tracks, but for Alexa he meant excitement, adventure and danger. Just what she was looking for. . . .
“How’d you get past the locked door?” he asked.
“I’m not completely without resources,” she murmured as she moved toward him. “I brought a bottle of wine. Would you like a drink?”
“No, thanks. I’m already drunk on the sight of you.”
“I didn’t come here for flattery,” she said. “I told you that I get all the empty praise I can stand from other men.”
“Then what do you want from me, princess—?”
His breath gave out when she reached up to unfasten the top button of his shirt. Then the second and third buttons came undone—along with his willpower. His heart thudded against his chest so hard he thought the blow might have broken a rib.
“I’ve decided I want the same thing from you that you said you wanted from me,” she whispered. “I want to be naked with you, Coop. Do you have any objections?”
Cooper’s Woman
Harlequin
Historical
Praise for Carol Finch
“Carol Finch is known for her lightning-fast, roller-coaster-ride adventure romances that are brimming over with a large cast of characters and dozens of perilous escapades.”
—Romantic Times BOOK reviews
McCavett’s Bride
“For wild adventures, humor and Western atmosphere, Finch can’t be beat. She fires off her quick-paced novels with the crack of a rifle and creates the atmosphere of the Wild West through laugh-out-loud dialogue and escapades that keep you smiling.”
—Romantic Times BOOK reviews
The Ranger’s Woman
“Finch delivers her signature humor, along with a big dose of colorful Texas history, in a love and laughter romp.”
—Romantic Times BOOK reviews
Lone Wolf’s Woman
“As always, Finch provides frying-pan-into-the-fire action that keeps the pages flying, then spices up her story with not one, but two romances, sensuality and strong emotions.”
—Romantic Times BOOK reviews
CAROL FINCH
COOPER’S Woman
TORONTO • NEW YORK • LONDON
AMSTERDAM • PARIS • SYDNEY • HAMBURG
STOCKHOLM • ATHENS • TOKYO • MILAN • MADRID
PRAGUE • WARSAW • BUDAPEST • AUCKLAND
This book is dedicated to my husband, Ed, and our children
Christie, Jill, Kurt, Jon and Shawnna. And to our grandchildren,
Kennedy, Blake, Brooklynn and Livia with much love.
Available from Harlequin
Historical and CAROL FINCH
Call of the White Wolf #592
Bounty Hunter’s Bride #635
Oklahoma Bride #686
Texas Bride #711
The Last Honest Outlaw #732
The Ranger’s Woman #748
Lone Wolf’s Woman #778
The Ranger #805
Fletcher’s Woman #832
McCavett’s Bride #852
Cooper’s Woman #897
Other works include:
Silhouette Special Edition
Not Just Another Cowboy #1242
Soul Mates #1320
Harlequin American Romance
Cupid and the Cowboy #1055
Harlequin Duets
Fit To Be Tied #36
A Regular Joe #45
Mr. Predictable #62
The Family Feud #72
* (#litres_trial_promo)Lonesome Ryder? #81
* (#litres_trial_promo)Restaurant Romeo #81
* (#litres_trial_promo)Fit To Be Frisked #105
* (#litres_trial_promo)Mr. Cool Under Fire #105
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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 Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter One
Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory, 1880s
Alexa Quinn stood tensely in the doorway of the ballroom. Although the last half-dozen guests were milling about, her attention and her thoughts fixated on her father and Elliot Webster. The pair stood beside the fireplace, each with a drink in hand. Elliot had dogged Alexa’s steps most of the evening and she sincerely hoped he hadn’t pulled her father aside to ask for her hand in marriage. Dissatisfied as she was with her life, it would be infinitely more boring if she married Elliot. Even his dashing good looks, wealth and outward charm couldn’t overshadow the fact that Alexa didn’t like him.
She had learned to trust her instincts, as they pertained to zealous suitors, and they hadn’t failed her yet.
“You’ve done it again, my dear,” Benjamin Porter praised as he approached. “No one hosts a better party in Santa Fe. I’m sure your father is exceptionally proud of your skills.”
Alexa dragged her anxious gaze away from her father and Elliot Webster to nod graciously to the short, pasty-faced math whiz who was one of her father’s closest advisors. “Thank you, Ben. I appreciate that.”
The truth was that Alexa didn’t give a whit if she could organize a political or social function for her father and see that it ran smoothly. Harold Quinn might have fulfilled his ambitions as the territorial governor’s appointed director of finance, who also served in several other capacities, and was considered the governor’s most trusted counselor. She even understood that her father was preoccupied with his administrative duties to serve the greater good. Still, it was hard on her pride to know that her father saw right past her more often than not. Furthermore, he hadn’t realized her potential. That cut her to the core.
