Marry Me. Jo Goodman

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       KISS ME

      Rhyne closed the book and set it on the table beside her. She nestled her cold fingertips in the folds of her flannel nightgown.

      “You’re freezing,” said Cole.

      “Hardly.”

      “Come over here and stand.”

      She shook her head.

      “But you’re shivering.”

      She merely watched him, waiting.

      “Could you be more stubborn?”

      This time one corner of Rhyne’s mouth curled upward.

      “Could you?”

      Cole closed the distance between them so quickly that Rhyne had no time to catch her breath. It was just as well. He would have taken it away. Grasping her upper arms, he lifted her out of the chair. She couldn’t quite get her legs under her and she fell into him. He found her mouth while she was still trying to find her breath. His lips ground against hers. The heat that he’d abandoned at the stove was replaced by one that was entirely more satisfying …

       Books by Jo Goodman

      THE CAPTAIN’S LADY

      CRYSTAL PASSION

      SEASWEPT ABANDON

      VELVET NIGHT

      VIOLET FIRE

      SCARLET LIES

      TEMPTING TORMENT

      MIDNIGHT PRINCESS

      PASSION’S SWEET REVENGE

      SWEET FIRE

      WILD SWEET ECSTASY

      ROGUE’S MISTRESS

      FOREVER IN MY HEART

      ALWAYS IN MY DREAMS

      ONLY IN MY ARMS

      MY STEADFAST HEART

      MY RECKLESS HEART

      WITH ALL MY HEART

      MORE THAN YOU KNOW

      MORE THAN YOU WISHED

      LET ME BE THE ONE

      EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED

      ALL I EVER NEEDED

      BEYOND A WICKED KISS

      A SEASON TO BE SINFUL

      ONE FORBIDDEN EVENING

      IF HIS KISS IS WICKED

      THE PRICE OF DESIRE

      NEVER LOVE A LAWMAN

      MARRY ME

      Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

      MARRY ME

      JO GOODMAN

      

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

      ZEBRA BOOKS are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      119 West 40th Street

      New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2010 by Joanne Dobrzanski

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

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      Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

      eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-2014-1

      eISBN-10: 1-4201-2014-X

      First Printing: December 2010

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      Printed in the United States of America

       For Robin Harders– a good person to have in your corner

      Contents

      KISS ME

      Books by Jo Goodman

      Prologue

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

       Chapter 8

       Chapter 9

       Chapter 10

       Chapter 11

       Chapter 12

       Chapter 13

       Chapter 14

       Chapter 15

       Chapter 16

       Epilogue

       Prologue

       Mrs. Theodore Easter

       Above Easter’s Bakery on Euclid

       Reidsville, Colorado

       Coleridge Monroe, M.D.

       5231 52^nd Street

       New York City, New York

       08 July 1884

       Dear Dr. Monroe,

       After careful examination of the particulars of your letter of interest and curriculum vitae the Reidsville Physician Search Committee is prepared to offer you a contract to serve as the Town Doctor. The contract is enclosed for you to review before accepting our offer. Our Lawyer for the Town assures us that it is a straightforward agreement, and we respect his opinion, as he knows the Town’s Business.

       As you may have many similar offers for your doctoring, the Search Committee has asked me to convey their confidence in your abilities as stated in your letter. The Committee wishes you to know that you were selected from twenty-two candidates with like backgrounds and qualifications. Your letter, though, set you apart, and has eased our minds that you are personable and of excellent character. I will tell you that some members of the Committee found your missive charming.

       With the unexpected departure of our dear Doc Diggins after twenty-four years of service to our