The Texan Takes a Wife Read online

  A temporary tryst with a sexy Texan...no problem, right? Only from USA TODAY bestselling author Charlene Sands.

  All it takes is a daring out-of-character ride on a mechanical bull to send Erin Sinclair straight into the arms of one fine-looking cowboy. With Royal, Texas, on edge over the criminal targeting their secrets, she needs to blow off steam.

  Dan Hunt is happy to give the ex-nanny the time of her life, but the rich rancher insists he doesn’t do relationships. With Erin leaving Royal in a matter of weeks, why not have a no-strings affair? Even if it feels like it could be the commitment of a lifetime...

  The thought of never taking a risk was messing with her head.

  With the last sip of her margarita, she spotted a tall, gorgeous beast of a man. He was six foot two if he was an inch, all packed nicely into cowboy duds, boots and hat.

  Maybe exactly what she needed was to bring one of these hunky cowboys home tonight. Preferably, that handsome beast making direct eye contact with her.

  His incredible eyes never wavered. They stayed on her. And she returned his scrutiny, finding not a flaw on the sharp angles of his face, the set of his chiseled jaw or the deep ocean blue of his eyes.

  He made her breath catch. He made her hot.

  The silent communication between them was ready to combust.

  * * *

  The Texan Takes a Wife is part of the series Texas Cattleman’s Club: Blackmail—No secret—or heart—is safe in Royal, Texas...

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome back to the Texas Cattleman’s Club and Royal, Texas! I’m happy to say that romance is in the autumn air and my Thanksgiving story starring Erin Sinclair and Daniel Hunt will bring a cornucopia of love and intrigue and mystery.

  Erin Sinclair isn’t a risk taker. At least, she never has been, but a past scandal in her hometown of Seattle has her thinking outside the box lately. When she climbs up on a mechanical bull to prove to herself and the world she’s no wilting willow, the ride she takes knocks her on her butt. In comes a rugged cowboy to save the day, and Erin’s soon engaged in another kind of ride, one that leaves her just as breathless...with Daniel Hunt.

  If you’re an animal lover, you’ll soon meet Daniel’s menagerie—the big hunky beast of a man brings home wounded strays to his ranch on a regular basis. One night, after a hit-and-run, he enlists Erin to help bring an injured animal to safety, and soon the half collie, half German shepherd named Lucky sneaks his way into Erin’s and Daniel’s hearts.

  But there’s a cyber culprit on the loose and Erin and Daniel get swept up in the investigation. Finding and bringing to justice Maverick, the mysterious bully who has caused so much heartache and pain to the Texas Cattleman’s Club members, is a must.

  Wishing you happy reading and a wonderful holiday season!

  Charlene Sands

  Charlene Sands

  The Texan Takes a Wife

  Charlene Sands is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty romance novels. She writes sensual contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spending time with her family. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter, write her at PO Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308, or sign up for her newsletter for fun blogs and ongoing contests at charlenesands.com.

  Books by Charlene Sands

  Harlequin Desire

  Moonlight Beach Bachelors

  Her Forbidden Cowboy

  The Billionaire’s Daddy Test

  One Secret Night, One Secret Baby

  Twins for the Texan

  The Slades of Sunset Ranch

  Sunset Surrender

  Sunset Seduction

  The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch

  Redeeming the CEO Cowboy

  The Worths of Red Ridge

  Carrying the Rancher’s Heir

  The Cowboy’s Pride

  Worth the Risk

  Texas Cattleman’s Club: Blackmail

  The Texan Takes a Wife

  Visit her Author Profile page at Harlequin.com, or charlenesands.com, for more titles.

  Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!

  Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards

  http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010002

  This story is dedicated to the little munchkins in my life who make every holiday wonderful and exciting.

  With love to my special girls—Everley, Kyra, Madyson and Lila Dawn.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Excerpt from Christmastime Cowboy by Maisey Yates

  Excerpt from Twins for the Billionaire by Sarah M. Anderson

  One

  Some of her friends had bucket lists, things they wanted to do before they kicked it, but Erin Sinclair had a list of Never Do’s and riding a mechanical bull in an arena of highly capable-to-the-bone Texans was one of them. The legless, leather-clad metal bull scared her silly as it jerked around, keeping only the most proficient on its back.

  Yet as she sipped her second Cadillac margarita in the Dark Horse Saloon outside the Royal city limits the thought of never doing it, never taking a risk, was messing with her head.

  She’d broken from the pack of women she’d come here with, half a dozen welcoming ladies from the Texas Cattleman’s Club who’d befriended her and invited her to a birthday party at the Dark Horse. Now the party was over and all of those women had gone home to their boyfriends or husbands. Erin had neither. It was November and she’d be heading back to her hometown in Seattle the first of the year, without having done anything Texan, anything remotely wild.

  “Ready for another, blondie?” the bartender asked, his gaze on the near-empty glass in her hand, yet it was the dubious look in his eyes that brought her five-foot-four frame to attention. “Or maybe you’ve had enough?”

  “I haven’t had nearly enough,” she said. “One more.” She offered him a sweet smile. “Thank you.”

  The bartender walked away shaking his head and she focused back on the bull that seemed to be calling to her. Was she being an idiot, or was that bull looking straight at her, tempting her to take a chance, teasing her with his grotesque fake horns to come get him?

  With the last sip of her margarita at her lips, she spotted a tall, gorgeous beast of a man. He was six foot two if he was an inch, all packed nicely into cowboy duds, boots and hat, his shoulders wide enough to carry that longhorn over his shoulders without breaking a sweat.

  Speaking of Never Do’s: in all her twenty-six years, she’d never done a Texan before. She burst into a fit of giggles. Good thing no one around her noticed or she’d really look like an idiot. But the sad fact was, there were also forty-eight other states’ worth of men she hadn’t been with. Her home state of Washington housed her ex, Rex Talbot. Now, he was a piece of work. And she was glad she was staying in Royal, Texas, at least for the holidays. Rex had nearly ruined her reputation in Seattle, but she wasn’t going to dwell. Not tonight.

  Maybe exactly what she needed was to bring one of these hunky cowboys home tonight. Preferably, that chunk of handsome beast making direct eye contact with her. He had perfected the
art of smolder, had it down to a science and she was loving all the attention and the fact that he’d picked her out of a sea of stunning women.

  His incredible eyes never wavered. They stayed on her. And she returned his scrutiny, finding not a flaw on the sharp angle of his face, the set of his chiseled jaw or the deep ocean blue of his eyes.

  He made her breath catch. He made her yearn. He made her hot. The silent communication between them was ready to combust.

  Sheesh, maybe she shouldn’t have another margarita. She was really thinking outside the box tonight. She turned to the bartender to tell him to forget that last one. She didn’t need it.

  And when she turned back around, ready for another round of eye contact with her handsome broad-shouldered Texan, he had disappeared. She searched for him, desperate to find him, scanning the entire saloon with eyes peeled, but it was no use. She’d lost him in the swarm of the crowd. He may have gotten bored and left the saloon.

  Disappointed, her stomach clenched. Story of her life.

  So much for taking a risk.

  But then, there was always the mechanical bull.

  Yes, that’s exactly what she’d do. She’d ride the darn thing. Why not? She needed one lasting memory to take back with her to Seattle. One thing she could say she’d conquered while in Texas. The ex-nanny, a woman who also knew her way around a music room filled with children, might just need this bit of excitement to cling to once she left the lone star state.

  Ha!

  And suddenly, that bull didn’t look so intimidating anymore. Suddenly, the challenge bolstered her courage. She could do this. She could ride that silly-looking contraption. And her bravado didn’t waver while she stood in line to take her turn. It didn’t waver when one rider after another eventually got tossed off. Just a few seconds, was all she was asking. Five. Five seconds on that bull, and she’d be satisfied, and thrilled and proud.

  “You can do this,” she muttered under her breath.

  And when it was her turn, the arena host whose booming voice rose above the patrons of the saloon announced, “This little lady is Erin from Seattle, and she’s gonna give Destroyer a go.”

  She gulped and a crewman helped her up onto the leather back of the bull. “We’ll take it slow,” he said. “Use your thighs as a grip and try to keep yourself centered as the bull begins to move.”

  Once he moved back, she took a big breath and nodded to the crewman to start up the robot.

  And the bull began to jerk.

  * * *

  Erin looked up into the dazzling blue eyes of the beast. He was kneeling over her, staring at her face, a frown pulling his very kissable mouth down. Had she slept through her very best fantasy? What was going on? She moved and the cushioned padding at her back rebelled with a squeak. “What the...”

  “You took a fall,” he said in a deep baritone voice. With a nod of his head, he gestured to the metal bull.

  She realized where she was instantly. And that the crowd circling the arena was watching her. “How long did I ride?”

  That brought a smile to his lips. Oh, and it was a killer. “About three seconds.”

  She grimaced.

  “Your head?” he asked.

  When a crewman approached, the beast gave him a glare that would have sent the Hulk cowering away.

  “I feel fine,” she answered. She did. She’d been tossed off the bull and landed hard on the padding, but nothing hurt, nothing seemed fuzzy. Anymore.

  Except that her handsome beast was at her side, helping her to her feet. She was met with a round of applause and cheers. She chuckled out of sheer embarrassment and then her body tilted, swaying sideways and everybody else seemed to be leaning. “Uh-oh.”

  “I’ve got ya,” he said, catching her before she lost her balance and lifting her into his arms. “You need air.”

  She stared up at him again, amazed at his strength. From this angle, he was even more appealing. His size, the sexy base of his throat, the scruff on his face and those blue eyes, locked him into a category all his own. He carried her as if she was a handful of marshmallows, instead of a twenty-six-year-old woman. And before they got too far, she pointed toward the bar. “My purse.”

  He nodded and changed directions, carrying her over to swoop up her purse off the bar stool with the grace of a panther. He glanced down for a second. “I’m Dan.”

  She smiled. What an odd way to meet. But she was not complaining. “I’m Erin. Nice to meet you.”

  He grunted a reply.

  The contrast of the dimly lit smoke-filled noisy saloon to the cool crisp fall Texas air outside helped to wake her up out of this steamy sort of dream she was in. She didn’t want Dan to put her down, but it was awkward and she didn’t know where to put her arms, so she’d looped them around his neck. Now that they were outside, touched by moonlight and facing the parking lot where it was quieter, the reality of the situation was starting to dawn on her. “I, uh, I’m fine now,” she said. “You can put me down.”

  He gave her another glance, nodded and then took great care to allow her to slide down his body. For safety’s sake, she assumed, but oh, the brush of his body with hers sent all the right signals and she shivered.

  “Cold?” he asked.

  “No,” she answered. “I’m, uh, this is silly. I hardly know you, but...”

  She couldn’t finish her thought. Was she about to tell this gorgeous cowboy that just a brush of his body to hers made her tingle from head to toe? No, she couldn’t do that.

  “Got it,” he said, and without any discussion at all, he seemed to know. Oh God. How embarrassing. Did women fall at his feet like this all the time?

  “So why the bull?” he asked.

  “Because it was there,” she answered immediately.

  His brows furrowed. He didn’t get her little joke.

  She tried to explain, “It’s just that, I’m from Seattle, staying in Texas for the holidays and I wanted to do something Texan. You know,” she added quickly, remembering her thought a while ago about doing him. “I mean we don’t have a lot of mechanical bulls in Washington.”

  “I don’t suppose.” Still, the furrow.

  “And I... Well, you see my nanny job brought me here. And then a few friends I’d made invited me to a birthday party tonight at the Dark Horse, so I tagged along with them, but they all went home, and I wanted...”

  He was a good listener, but he wasn’t adding much to the conversation. And she wasn’t going to babble on anymore. “Never mind.”

  Talk about the strong silent type. He was that and so much more.

  “You sober enough to drive home?” he asked.

  “Oh, uh, yes. I stopped drinking a while ago. I’m feeling fine now, aside from the humiliation.”

  He stared at her for what seemed like a minute, his eyes flickering over her mouth and in that heated moment, she wanted nothing more but to lock lips with him, to taste his whisky breath and feel the absolute thrill of kissing him. Almost as if he heard her thoughts, his mouth cocked up and he drew a long breath.

  And then he said, “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  Disappointment that the stranger who’d just rescued her didn’t want to kiss her into oblivion, she said, “Okay.”

  In a few minutes she’d be headed back to her guest cabin at the Flying E, with no job, no prospects, and trying to find a productive way to spend the next month or so. Her job being little Faye’s nanny had ended when her employer Will Brady had found love here in Texas. And apparently, scandal-plagued grade school music teachers were not in hot demand, apparently in Seattle or anywhere else for that matter.

  She pointed to her car. “It’s just over there.”

  She could dream of a goodbye kiss from the stranger. Or she could give him one herself. It was risky, but she was war
ming to the idea. Executing it would be a different—

  A car came to a screeching halt, right in front of them on the street. Then a loud yelp rang out and something hit the pavement with a thud. And a dog began to whimper. The sound of his pained cries curled her stomach and she glanced at Dan. He didn’t waste a second. He grabbed her hand and took off running toward the downed animal. The car sped off, the driver not even giving the poor animal a glance. Dan was at the dog’s side immediately, kneeling beside him, cradling his head. “You’ll be alright, boy,” he said, whispering confidently near the dog’s face as he began a thorough scan over his body. His big hands were gentle as he probed. He found a few gashes on the dog’s backside where blood was beginning to pool. “You need some patching up, is all.”

  “Are you a vet?” she asked, noting the care he took with the animal.

  “No, but he needs one. He’s scared, probably in shock. That A-hole just drove off after hitting him.”

  Erin couldn’t believe it, either. It was heartless and cold. She wished she could’ve gotten a look at the license plate.

  The dog looked to be a mix of collie and German shepherd with big round brown eyes. He watched Dan carefully, giving him blind trust. “Will you stay with him?” Dan asked, sparing her a brief glance. “I have a blanket in my car.”

  “Sure, of course.”

  Dan rose and Erin took over his position. “You’re gonna be just fine, pretty boy,” she said, carefully stroking the dog just above the eyes. She made massage circles and the dog’s whimpers stopped as his eyes drifted closed. He wore no collar and there was no way to contact his owner, if he even had one. Why had he been wandering out so late at night?

  “That’s it, boy. Rest. We’re going to get you all fixed up.”

  Dan was back in an instant, and immediately tucked the blanket under the dog, careful not to cause him injury. The blanket was thick enough to absorb the little bit of blood at the wound site. “Bleeding isn’t too bad.”

  “That’s good, right?”