Playing By The Rules. Beverly Bird

on>

      

      “Let me get this straight.

      “We’ll do things together for a while—uncomplicated things—while we swear off dating until such time as one or both of us feels up to plunging back into the dating pool?” I asked.

      “Yeah,” he said, looking relieved. “We could swear off chasing the opposite sex while we keep each other company. We could assuage all those male-female urges without the issue getting too complicated,” he explained excitedly. “So, what do you think?”

      “Not so fast,” I said. “First, define uncomplicated.”

      “I don’t know. Dining, drinks, companionship. Sex.”

      He shoved the last part in quickly, and the air stopped somewhere midway in my chest.

      “That’s the whole point of this,” he said when I didn’t answer immediately. “Without the sex, we’re right back to bashing our heads against the wall looking for the whole enchilada!”

      The more I thought about it the better it sounded.

      “This could be a mutually gratifying situation,” he continued.

      “Okay,” I said. I was breathing again, but just barely.

      Then he smiled.

      “When do we start?”

      Dear Reader,

      Make way for spring—as well as some room on your reading table for six new Special Edition novels! Our selection for this month’s READERS’ RING—Special Edition’s very own book club—is Playing by the Rules by Beverly Bird. In this innovative, edgy romance, a single mom who is sick and tired of the singles scene makes a deal with a handsome divorced hero—that their relationship will not lead to commitment. But both hero and heroine soon find themselves breaking all those pesky rules and falling head over heels for each other!

      Gina Wilkins delights her readers with The Family Plan, in which two ambitious lawyers find unexpected love—and a newfound family—with the help of a young orphaned girl. Reader favorite Nikki Benjamin delivers a poignant reunion romance, Loving Leah, about a compassionate nanny who restores hope to an embittered single dad and his fragile young daughter.

      In Call of the West, the last in Myrna Temte’s HEARTS OF WYOMING miniseries, a celebrity writer goes to Wyoming and finds the ranch—and the man—with whom she’d like to spend her life. Now she has to convince the cowboy to give up his ranch—and his heart! In her new cross-line miniseries, THE MOM SQUAD, Marie Ferrarella debuts with A Billionaire and a Baby. Here, a scoop-hungry—and pregnant—reporter goes after a reclusive corporate raider, only to go into labor just as she’s about to get the dirt! Ann Roth tickles our fancy with Reforming Cole, a sexy and emotional tale about a willful heroine who starts a “men’s etiquette” school so that the macho opposite sex can learn how best to treat a lady. Against her better judgment, the teacher falls for the gorgeous bad boy of the class!

      I hope you enjoy this month’s lineup and come back for another month of moving stories about life, love and family!

      Best,

      Karen Taylor Richman

      Senior Editor

      Playing by the Rules

      Beverly Bird

      

www.millsandboon.co.uk

      BEVERLY BIRD

      has lived in several places in the United States, but she is currently back where her roots began on an island off the coast of New Jersey. Her time is devoted to her family and her writing. She is the author of numerous romance novels, both contemporary and historical. Beverly loves to hear from readers. You can write to her at P.O. Box 350, Brigantine, NJ 08203.

      Dear Reader,

      I can honestly say that Playing by the Rules is my favorite of all my Silhouette books. It was an absolute kick to write this entirely from Mandy’s point of view and in her own words, and it offered the interesting challenge of portraying Sam only through Mandy’s eyes and his dialogue—like figuring out a man in real life! I’ve often wondered if relationships might be easier if we went into them with our expectations and “rules” right up front, and Playing by the Rules was my chance to explore that idea and to take it to an extreme. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it.

      Contents

      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 One

      The last time things were normal between Sam and me, we were fighting in Judge Larson’s courtroom.

      We’re lawyers. At least, I’m a lawyer. Sam Case is more like a world-class actor with a law degree. He lulls the opposition into a false sense of security by coming off as overly polite and just a little slow-witted. He’s transplanted from south Texas, land of drawling cowboys and good tequila, so he can get away with it. He cultivates an impression of bemused confusion at our East Coast aggression, and it always seems to work.

      Judge Larson should have been wise to his tricks by now because he’d been appearing before her for the better part of six months. But she was a pretty blonde on her third marriage—having sacrificed her first two husbands in the interest of her career, or so rumor had it—and Sam likes blondes. Ergo, Larson likes Sam. It’s virtually impossible not to like Sam once he decides that you’re on his list of favorite people.

      The judge gave him a dopey smile. It’s my firm opinion that no one ought to be allowed to simper while seated on the bench, but she did it, anyway.

      “You have a point to make, Counselor?” she asked him.

      “Well, something sort of occurred to me, Your Honor.” He swiveled on his heels to languidly look my way. Languid was part of the whole performance. “I believe my adversary’s chief argument is that a full-time mother is preferable to a half-time father. Is that about right, Ms. Hillman?”

      I stood. “A full-time mother is preferable to a twenty-five-percent father. That’s my premise.”

      “Hey, where did my other twenty-five percent go?” He sounded genuinely injured.

      I stepped around the defense table and moved closer to him, then I spoke in a hiss meant for his ears alone. “My guess would be down your client’s throat.” I turned my attention back to the judge with a polite smile. “Mr. Woodsen has a drinking problem, Your Honor. This has been established. Until he gets treatment, the children are better off with their mother as the custodial parent. We’re willing to grant ample visitation, provided it’s supervised, but Mrs. Woodsen simply isn’t comfortable with her children spending overnights with Mr. Woodsen when no other responsible adult is present.”

      “No other responsible adult?” Sam grabbed that one quickly. “Your Honor, I do believe she just called my client responsible.”

      “No, I did not.”

      “Yes, you did.”

      I