The Golden Bough. Sir James George Frazer

      

      They stopped in front of her door, and Shondra looked up from finding her keys to thank him for the evening.

      Before she could get any words out of her mouth, he was pulling her close.

      The next thing she knew, she was flattened against his chest and his soft, firm lips were on hers.

      A flash of hunger shot through her in his strong, purposeful embrace. Shondra gave herself a moment to enjoy his kiss—soft and heated with just the tiniest flick of tongue—before she pulled away, breathless.

      “Connor,” she said when she finally regained her voice. “Thank you for dinner and a really fun evening. But as much as I’d like to continue where we just left off, I really don’t think it’s wise for us to get involved. After all, you’re my boss.”

      ROBYN AMOS

      worked a multitude of day jobs while pursuing a career in writing. After graduating from college with a degree in psychology, she married her real-life romantic hero, a genuine rocket scientist. Finally, she was able to live her dream of writing full-time. Since her first book was published in 1997, Robyn has written tales of romantic comedy and suspense for several publishers, including Kensington Books, Harlequin and HarperCollins. A native of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, Robyn currently resides in Odenton, Maryland.

       Sex and the Single Braddock

      Robyn Amos

      

www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      This book is for Adrianne, A.C. and Brenda.

       It was a pleasure working with you, ladies.

      Dear Reader,

      Participating in a continuity series can be both a lot of fun and a really big challenge. The most fun I had writing Sex and the Single Braddock was getting to talk to three other extremely talented authors about how our books were going to fit together. Adrianne Byrd, A.C. Arthur and Brenda Jackson were so easy to work with and as a team we came up with some great ideas.

      The most challenging part of writing this story was conquering unfamiliar territory. When I received the story line, I realized I was going to be writing about Texas oil wells, fancy sports cars and decadent escapades to exotic locations. These things were all new to me. Since I couldn’t convince my husband to take me to Monte Carlo on a private jet, I had a lot of fun letting my imagination run wild.

      I hope you enjoy reading about how Shondra and Connor find love despite the contrary demands of their families. It takes Shondra a while to learn that it’s okay to let go of control and let new experiences happen. And this is definitely a lesson I learned for myself while working on Sex and the Single Braddock.

      I love to hear from readers. E-mail me at [email protected] or visit me on the Web at www.robynamos.com.

      Happy reading,

      Robyn Amos

      Contents

      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 1

      Shondra Braddock navigated the narrow metal stairs leading down from the helipad. She was on an oil rig in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. And it was hot.

      She shook hands with the liaison from Stewart Industries who’d met her at the airport that morning. “And now I’ll leave you in the capable hands of the crew,” the young man said as he turned to leave.

      Out of the jumble of workers milling about, an oil-stained man stepped forward. Other than the blond hair brushing his collar from under the hard hat, Shondra couldn’t make out much. Hidden among the streaks of grime were a few patches of golden tan, a pair of ice-blue eyes and a smile containing the straightest white teeth she’d ever seen.

      “I’ll be showing you around.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I’d shake your hand, but…” He nodded to his oil-covered hands, which he continued to wipe on a rag. “Sorry about this. I had to do some emergency work on the bottomhole assembly. I didn’t want to make you wait while I showered.”

      “Don’t worry about it,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand anyway. “I’m Shondra Braddock, the new chief compliance officer.”

      His fingers were strong and firm in hers, and Shondra felt a little jolt when their skin made contact. Deciding the ninety-degree heat was getting to her, she took the rag he offered and wiped her hands before passing it back.

      Dressed like the others, he wore brown work pants and a shirt with C.J. stitched on the breast pocket. He’d ripped the sleeves off the shirt, revealing his tanned, muscular arms. Shondra forced herself not to drool. It was no secret that she had a thing for buff, working-class men, and something about this guy was pushing all of her buttons.

      Once again blaming the heat, she forced her mind back to the business at hand. “It’s nice to meet you…C.J.?”

      He nodded, flashing her another grin worthy of a toothpaste ad. “Let me find you a hard hat, and we’ll get this tour under way.”

      Less than a minute later C.J. returned carrying a yellow hard hat. Expecting him to hand it to her, Shondra found herself holding her breath as he reached out to settle it on her head himself. Lifting her chin to inspect his work, he nodded with approval. “Perfect fit.”

      Then he winked at her and Shondra felt a tingle shoot down her spine.

      Before she could analyze whether or not he was flirting with her, C.J. was leading her down a narrow aisle. “Have you ever been on a jackup rig?” he called over his shoulder.

      Shondra stopped cold, thinking he’d said something obscene. “A what!”

      “You’re standing on a Tarzan-class jackup rig. We drag it to the drilling site, drive the legs into the sea floor and then jack up the entire rig above the reach of hurricane waves. Once we strike oil, we’ll cap the well, jack down the rig and drag it to the next site.”

      “I see,” Shondra said. She had to pay better attention. It wasn’t like her to let the proximity of a man she’d just met affect her this much.

      As C.J. showed her around the rig, Shondra became convinced he was touching her more than was necessary—guiding her through