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Last's Temptation
Tina Leonard
He may be a grown man, but daredevil Last Jefferson is running away from home. Yet in escaping his own family, he runs right smack into another! Esme Hastings casts a spell under the big top as sexy magician Poppy Peabody–but being mom to her orphaned niece and nephew is her most important job.Unfortunately, convincing a judge she can provide a stable home will take more than a wave of her magic wand.Before Last takes off halfway around the world, he brings Esme and the kids back to the Malfunction Junction ranch in Texas. There's room to spare and they need to settle down, but Last can't stay. Sure, he and Esme have fun together, but it could never work. Besides, this cowboy isn't ready to be a family man. Right?
Last grinned. “But don’t you feel the magic?”
He was strong-muscled and tall, and the dip in the ocean had left his skin gleaming.
Her nephew and niece looked up at her.
“Do you?” Curtis asked.
“Aunt Poppy?” Amelia said.
Goose pimples rose on Poppy’s arms.
“I’m always up for an adventure,” Last added with a devilish grin. “And that’s what I’m offering you.”
Poppy looked into his chocolate-brown eyes. “I don’t even know you.”
“But it’s clear you’re in a bind,” Last said, “and I’ve always been partial to coming to the rescue.”
“Children, it’s time to go. The sun is setting, and that means a bit of a chill this time of year. Goodbye, Mr. Jefferson. And good luck to you on your adventures.”
She escaped, her heart pounding. Oh, she had felt the magic.
THE JEFFERSON BROTHERS OF MALFUNCTION JUNCTION
Mason (38), Maverick and Mercy’s eldest son—He can’t run away from his own heartache or The Family Problem.
Frisco Joe (37)—Fell hard for Annabelle Turnberry and has sweet Emmie to show for it. They live in Texas wine country.
Fannin (36)—Life can’t get better than cozying up with Kelly Stone and his darling twins in a ring house in Ireland.
Laredo (35), twin to Tex—Loves Katy Goodnight, North Carolina and being the only brother to do Something Big.
Tex (35), twin to Laredo—Grower of roses and other plants, Tex fell for Cissy Kisserton and decided her waterbound way of life was best.
Calhoun (34)—Loved to paint nude women, and finally found Olivia Spinlove, the one woman who could hold his heart.
Ranger (33), twin to Archer—Fell for Hannah Hotchkiss and will never leave for the open road without her.
Archer (33), twin to Ranger—E-mail and an Aussie stuntwoman named Clove Penmire were this cowboy’s undoing.
Crockett (31), twin to Navarro—He was the first artist in the family! And his new wife, Valentine Cakes, and her daughter, Annette, have taught him the true meaning of creativity.
Navarro (31), twin to Crockett—Fell for Nina Cakes when he was supposed to be watching her sister, Valentine.
Bandera (27)—With Holly Henshaw in a hot air balloon he doesn’t need poetry to keep his mind off his troubles.
Last (26)—The only brother who finds himself a new father with no hope of marrying the mother. Will he ever find the happy ending he always wanted?
Last’s Temptation
Tina Leonard
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Heather Tipton and Lorie Hart, for always being there. Joanne Reeson, you are a doll. Georgia Haynes, thank you for everything. Latesha Ballard, for making me smile. Fatin, your voice always cheers me. To all the Scandalous Ladies and Gal Pals, you are the best and truest friends.
Kimmie Eickholz, you are my best friend—I love my sissy and her angels.
Isabel Sites, you’re an awesome granny even if you are a feisty heroine.
Lisa and Dean, thank you for the Boy Scouts, lacrosse, drama, weird music and hair obsessions. I will always remember writing this book during your gall bladder removal, Dean. You were twelve, and having you at home for those three stolen weeks was an adventure that made the Jefferson boys stronger.
Many thanks to Stacy Boyd, whose memory is better than mine, and all the able editors and other people at Harlequin who have had a hand in making this series so much fun.
And to all the readers who have written to talk about it—it’s been a dream come true.
Contents
Prologue
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
Epilogue
Prologue
Dear sons,
You’re growing up to be good men, and your mother would be proud. I know I am. Remember the things I’ve taught you. I hope you can forgive me, but if I stay any longer on the ranch where I see and hear your mother every day, I’m going to die of a broken heart. Always remember that I love you.
—Maverick Jefferson
Last Jefferson had been to hell and back.
He was not afraid of physical pain. Emotional pain he preferred to avoid, as did all his brothers. They claimed they were running from commitment, but the simple fact was that the men from the Malfunction Junction ranch were die-hard emotional-pain-avoidance junkies. No pain, all gain.
Last lived the motto as uncompromisingly as his eleven brothers. Being the youngest of twelve, he had watched. Learned. Now he possessed the soul of an escape artist. He loved his daughter, Annette. He loved his brothers and treasured his memories of growing up. And he had a soft spot for the mother of his daughter.
But, he thought, as he looked down at the California ground way, way below him, sometimes the only way to forget the past was to take a big flying leap into the future.
He held his breath the way he did before he rode a bull out of the chute. But this time instead of a bull carrying him hell-bent-for-leather into an arena, he ran until there was no ground left below his feet and nothing but a hang-glider canopy above him to keep him from leaving God’s green earth altogether.
Chapter One
If it wasn’t for the very shapely woman standing at the bottom of the California cliff, Last Jefferson might not have miscued his hang-glider landing, ending up in three feet of ocean instead of on the beach as he’d planned.
Last appreciated the female form, as did all of his brothers. Hers, he thought as she walked toward him, was worth the ocean water bath.
Until he saw the little boy and girl beside her.
Had he realized from his airborne position that the beautiful lady had two young children with her, he might have stayed dry. Unfortunately he’d been mainly focused on her sinuous shape and on the lovely cleavage gleaming above her bikini top.
The water was warmish, at least. He pulled off his helmet, grimacing.
“Are you all right?” the little boy asked. “You made a big splash when you hit the water.”
“A big splash,” his sister confirmed. “I bet the sea lions on their rocks heard it.”
Last dragged himself out of the water, checking his canopy to make certain it was still in good shape. “You two remind me of my niece and nephew back home. And they’re nothing but trouble,” he said wryly. “You two run on back to your mom. I’m fine.” And I don’t need any more wisenheimer children in my life.
Nor did he need a woman. He’d had enough trouble with the female gender. He should have saved himself the crash landing. He was on a mind-clearing sabbatical here in California, and he’d learned the hard way that one-night stands were not mind-clearing exercises.
His toddler daughter was proof of that.
The shapely brunette finally caught up with her children. “Are you all right?” she asked him.
His mouth watered as he got a closer look at her face. “Yes. Thank you.” Okay, God must have let one of his angels drop from the sky, because this woman was stunning.
Maybe she was a model. Wasn’t California full of models and actresses?
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Only by staying away,” he said bluntly, although he appreciated her sun-browned waist above a long black sarong. Beneath the crepe fabric he could see very shapely legs. Orange-painted toenails peeped from her leather thongs. “I’m a loner.”
“We’re loners, too,” the young boy said. “My mom’s a magician.”
Great. Just what he needed—someone who excelled in disappearing acts.
The Jefferson clan already possessed more disappearing acts than they needed, from their missing father Maverick to their eldest brother Mason, who had a habit of running off when he didn’t want to deal with his feelings for a certain lady. Right now Last was focused on his own disappearing act, while his brother Crockett tried to make a family with his new wife, Valentine—who just happened to be Last’s former one-night stand and the mother of Last’s daughter, Annette. Privacy had seemed like the proper thing for Last to give the new family, and he’d chosen not to hang around like a disgruntled shadow.
No matter how pretty this young mother was, he wouldn’t hang around here, either. “Goodbye,” he said, hauling his hang-glider down the beach.
“Hey,” the boy said, running after him. “My mom can pull a quarter from your ear.”
“Look,” Last said, not wanting to be mean, “I’ll pull a ten-dollar bill from yours if you scram.”
“Really?” The boy beamed while his sister looked on with doubt.
“Sure.” Last took a ten from the elastic-covered hidden pocket of his long swim trunks, folded it, then handed it to the boy.
“Hey! That wasn’t my ear!”
“But it is a ten. Now scram.”
“I beg your pardon!” The gorgeous-vixen mother with dark hair and snapping blue eyes snatched the money from her son and handed it back to Last.
It had been in poor taste. Last opened his mouth to apologize, except the woman whirled around, dragging her kids, one in each hand, away before he could speak.
Hellfire. He shouldn’t care, should he? He’d wanted them to bug off, and that’s what they were doing. But he hadn’t meant to hurt anyone’s feelings.
“Jeez,” he said under his breath, situating his canopy carefully on the sand. He ran after the brunette, noting that her rear view was as eye-pleasing as her front view.
Which meant spoon-style lovemaking would be a very pleasant option.
Whoa, he said to his unruly thoughts. With determination, he took his eyes off the swaying black sarong. “Excuse me.”
She didn’t turn around.
He jogged in front of her, holding up his palms in surrender. “Look, I’m sorry,” he said.
“A sorry excuse for a gentleman,” she snapped, passing him.
Gentleman? No one had ever accused him of being that. Gamely, he hustled past her. “My name’s Last Jefferson. From Texas.”
She marched past him.
