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Millionaire in Command / The Bride Hunter: Millionaire in Command / The Bride Hunter
Ann Major
Catherine Mann
Millionaire in Command Catherine Mann He’d worked the most dangerous missions, but nothing had prepared Kyle Landis for becoming a dad. When Phoebe Slater suddenly announced the child she was caring for was his baby, marriage was the only course of action. But would Phoebe be up for enlisting as his wife…The Bride Hunter Ann Major He’d made the mistake of falling for, lying to, then marrying Anna Barton, the woman he’d been hired to find. And then she fled. Now Connor would need more than money to bring back his runaway wife – and their baby!IRRESISTIBLE Strong, rich, sexy men – almost too hot to handle!
Millionaire in Command
by Catherine Mann
He read through the birth certificate…with his name in the “father” box.
If the little girl was his, he would move forward and take responsibility. Landises didn’t shirk their responsibilities. But for the child’s safety as well, he needed to investigate this claim and this woman further.
“I can’t just take home a child because you say –”
She laughed, her breath gusting a straggled strand of blonde hair. “No, you completely misunderstand. I don’t want you to take her. I want to be her mother. I want to adopt her, if at all possible.”
He should be relieved…but something was still off. His instincts from battling overseas bellowed loud and clear that there were more landmines ahead. “Then why are you here?”
“I’m here to keep her out of the foster care system,” she said, her words tumbling together as she blurted, “I’m here to ask you to marry me.”
The Bride Hunter by Ann Major
“I can’t be with you. You lied. And I’m through with liars. You have to understand that. We’ll get a divorce. Go our separate ways.”
“It’s not that simple. Other people are involved.”
“You can’t make me come back to you, Connor.”
“Oh, yes I can, sweetheart…Money buys a lot of what passes for justice in this country. I’ve got money – lots of it. You don’t. I can afford topnotch legal talent. You can’t.”
“I hate you. I’ll hate you forever.”
“But you’re a survivor, so that won’t stop you from coming home with me and living with me as my wife now that you see how it’s to your advantage, now will it?” He pushed back his stetson. “Because if you do that, sweetheart – and only if you do that – I’ll keep all your dirty little secrets.”
Available in May 2010 from Mills & Boon® Desire™
Millionaire in Command by Catherine Mann
&
The Bride Hunter by Ann Major
Mini-series – Irresistible
Tall, Dark…Westmoreland! by Brenda Jackson
&
The Moretti Seduction by Katherine Garbera
The Prodigal Prince’s Seduction by Olivia Gates
&
The Heir’s Scandalous Affair by Jennifer Lewis
Millionaire In Command
by
Catherine Mann
The Bride Hunter
by
Ann Major
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Millionaire In Command
by
Catherine Mann
Dear Reader,
I’m thrilled to bring you the next in my THE LANDIS BROTHERS series, Millionaire in Command.
Writing about a military man is a special treat for me since I’m married to my very own air force hero. We have certainly commemorated many homecomings over the years. Although I have to say my husband has never experienced quite the shock that’s in store for Kyle Landis when he returns from overseas to find a baby girl waiting for him. While Kyle quickly takes command of the situation to claim his daughter, he has his work cut out for him when it comes to conquering the heart of Phoebe Slater.
Thanks again for checking out the latest Landis brother. Happy reading!
Cheers,
Catherine Mann
www.CatherineMann.com
RITA® Award winner Catherine Mann resides on a sunny Florida beach with her military flyboy husband and their four children. Although after nine moves in twenty years, she hasn’t given away her winter gear! With over a million books in print in fifteen countries, she has also celebrated five RITA® Award finals, three Maggie Award of Excellence finals and a Booksellers’ Best win. A former theatre school director and university teacher, she graduated with a master’s degree in theatre from UNC-Greensboro and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the College of Charleston. Catherine enjoys hearing from readers and chatting on her message board – thanks to the wonders of the wireless internet that allows her to cyber-network with her lap-top by the water! To learn more about her work, visit her website, www.CatherineMann.com, or reach her by snail mail at PO Box 6065, Navarre, FL 32566, USA.
All my love to my flyboy husband, Rob.
Even after many years and four children,
you still make my heart flutter!
One
Phoebe Slater brought a baby to the millionaire military hero’s seaside welcome-home gala.
Undoubtedly most of the guests plucking canapés and champagne from silver trays at this high-profile affair could afford nannies. Of course the Hilton Head Island wealthy could also afford tailored tuxedos and sequined high-end dresses as they mingled the evening away in the country club gardens by the shore. Her basic little black dress had been bought at a consignment store to wear to the few mandatory cocktail parties related to her position as a history professor at the University of South Carolina.
Of course she usually didn’t accessorize with baby drool dotting her shoulder.
Phoebe jostled the fractious five-month-old infant on her hip, smoothing down the pink smocked dress. “Hang on, sweetie. Just a few more minutes and I can feed you before bedtime.”
As waves crashed in the distance, a live band played oldies rock, enticing guests to the dance floor with a Billy Joel classic. Even South Carolina’s governor was dancing under the silver silk canopy with his wife. Darn near gawking, Phoebe stumbled on the edge of the flagstone walkway.
Definitely this was a party for the movers and shakers in the political world—as well as on the polished wood dance floor planked over the sandy lawn. She untangled her low heel from between two decorative rocks. She wasn’t here to socialize tonight. She’d come to find little Nina’s father.
If only she had a better idea of what he looked like.
Her longtime friend and old sorority sister—Nina’s biological mother—had told Phoebe that Kyle Landis was the baby’s daddy a couple of months ago when she’d asked for “just a little help” with Nina while she went on an audition for a dinner-theater production in Florida. Bianca had been so excited to get her prebaby body back, insisting this was her chance to provide a better life for her daughter.
Who could have known Bianca wouldn’t return?
Phoebe hugged Nina closer, all the more determined to make sure this precious baby had a stable life. Which meant finding Kyle Landis, a man she’d never met in the flesh. She’d hoped to ID him by his Air Force uniform, but the place was packed with tall, dark-haired guys decked out in formal military gear. Medals gleamed in the moonlight.
Cupping the back of Nina’s bonnet-covered head as the little one finally dozed off, Phoebe scanned the sea of faces, their profiles shadowy with only the illumination of moon, stars and pewter tiki torches. She only had an older photo to go by, a picture tucked deep in the bottom of the flowered diaper bag slung over her clean shoulder. No way was she going to disturb Nina by looking, not now that the baby was nearly out for the count.
He used to appear in the newspapers frequently when his late father had been a senator. Then his mother and brother had stepped into the political spotlight, too. But the family kept Kyle out of the media’s scrutiny as much as possible for safety’s sake because of his tours of duty in war zones.
The crush of people grew thicker, faces tougher to see. As much as she hated to draw attention to herself, she was going to have to ask for help finding—
“Can I get you something?”
The deep voice rumbled from behind her as if in answer to her very thoughts, jolting her with a clear shot of sexy bass on the salty ocean breeze. Lordy, the waiter must rack up tips with that bedroom voice of his. She glanced over her shoulder to ask for a napkin—she’d forgotten the burp rag again, damn it. Her smile froze.
Captain Kyle Landis—in the flesh, all right.
His dark brown hair was trimmed military short, mellow blue eyes creased at the corners from a deep tan she knew he’d earned in a Middle Eastern desert. A broad forehead and strong jawline gave him a masculine appeal just shy of harsh.
She should have realized the guy would be even better looking in person. He was a lucky son of a gun from an established old Southern family—handsome and rich, with a smoky voice to boot. He’d even reportedly survived a crash unscathed. His muscled chest in a blue uniform jacket sported at least double the medals of most here, perhaps only outdone by his stepfather, a general.
What were the odds of Kyle finding her tonight, instead of the other way around? But then, as the guest of honor, maybe he felt obligated to make sure everyone else was having a good time.
“Can I get you something?” he repeated, a cut-crystal whiskey glass cradled in his hand.
An older woman angled past, whipping a full, ruffled train against Phoebe’s leg. The scent of strong perfume made Nina sneeze. She readjusted the baby, wishing they were at home in her bentwood rocker rather than here with this man. “I actually don’t need help anymore, since I was looking for you.”
A dimple dug into his cheek with his one-sided smile. “I’m sorry, if we’ve met before, I’m not remembering.”
That dimple would have been charming if she hadn’t already heard from Bianca to be wary of his prep-school-polished sense of humor. She might be out of her financial league here, but she was a smart, determined woman.
Phoebe forged ahead, needing to say something before he turned her over to a bouncer. “I’m not here for myself.”
He glanced behind her quickly, then focused his full, deep-blue-eyed attention on her face again. “Which one of my pals are you with? We don’t get many chances to meet the wives.”
“I’m not married.” But she had been. She shoved away even the thought of Roger before the inevitable stab of pain could steal her focus.
Kyle’s gaze flicked briefly to Nina, then away. So much for him recognizing his child on sight.
To be fair, he didn’t even know about Nina’s existence. Bianca had insisted early in the pregnancy that, while she wasn’t sure if she wanted to keep the baby, she would inform the baby’s father. Then later said she’d chickened out, then couldn’t find him and certainly didn’t want to send this kind of news to him overseas through his family.
As if Bianca would’ve even gotten past personal assistants to talk to anyone in his famous family. It had been a major challenge to gate-crash this shindig, but no security could outdo her determination.
That drive—along with channeling some acting tips she’d picked up from Bianca—and Phoebe had convinced them all she was the caterer’s assistant’s wife. Easy enough to do, since she was more the friend-next-door than the flashy-leading-lady.
Nothing could stop her, not now that Kyle had come home. Somebody had to tell him about his new “little” responsibility and since Bianca was MIA, that left it up to her.
Might as well get this over with. “Is there somewhere we can step aside to talk?”
“I’m sorry, but my mother would haul me back in by my ear if I tried to duck out of my own welcome-home party.” He angled closer, the fresh scent of his aftershave teasing her nose. “Maybe later, though?”
Undeniable interest flared in his cobalt-blue eyes, his full attention fixed on her.
Holy crap. Could he actually be hitting on her? She’d prepared herself for any possible reaction from him—except that.
She jolted back a step, holding up one hand. “Wait, that’s not what I meant.”
And even if he were interested enough to actually contact her, what if it took him a week to call? She didn’t have another week to waste waiting for him to phone her back.
Nina didn’t have a week.
Phoebe patted between the baby’s shoulders, praying she would stay asleep. The last thing she needed was a colicky nuclear meltdown. “I have to speak with you for five minutes out of earshot of everyone else. I promise I won’t keep you long and you can get back to your welcome-home party. Perhaps you could just escort me to the door? Then you’ll know I’m truly on my way out of your hair.”
“Fair enough.” He set his drink on the bar behind him. “Do you need some help with the kid?”
Instinctively, she backedfartheraway until herbutt bumped a column plant-holder, jostling the fern on top.
Laughing, he held out both hands. “Hey, no need to freak out. I won’t drop her. I’ve never been much of a kid person, but I’m getting practice lately with my nephew.”
Nina had a cousin. How wild to think about, and imagine them playing together happily. Nina needed a life full of people who loved her. And the sooner Phoebe cleared this up, the sooner Nina would be settled. “We’re fine, but thanks for asking. Just lead the way and we’ll follow.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.”
He turned his broad shoulders sideways to slide past a pair of tuxedo-clad teens sneaking refills from the champagne fountain. Kyle plucked the glasses from their hands on his way by and passed them to a man from the catering staff.
He led Phoebe around a corner and stopped in a small, empty alcove with a spindly iron bench and two more large potted ferns on Grecian-pillar stands. The party noise muffled down a notch, although the laughter of a nearby couple made her itchy for a room with a door to close. The nook just past an ivy-covered trellis wasn’t totally private, but it would have to do.
Stepping away from his towering presence for a bit of breathing room, she eased the diaper bag down onto the iron bench and rolled the kink out of her shoulder. “Do you remember someone named Bianca Thompson?”
His eyes went from friendly to reserved. “Yes, why do you ask?”
Nearby laughter swelled as two trophy-wife types ducked into the alcove, one with a silver cigarette case in her hands and the other weaving tipsily behind her. “Oh,” the woman said, tucking her cigarette case surreptitiously behind her back, “excuse me.”
