LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter One

      “Just play along with me,” Ellie whispered to the bartender as she leaned against the bar. Her task was hindered by the rather imposing figure of a man who had occupied the same stool ever since the snow began sticking to the street two hours ago.

      Josh gave her a conspiratorial smile and a flirtatious wink. “Anything for a beautiful woman.”

      “So I hear,” she mumbled under her breath. She was turning away from the bar when she caught the other man’s gaze.

      The tall stranger had eyes the color of rare emeralds. A brilliant, sparkling green that reflected the white light overhead.

      Normally friendly and outgoing, Ellie Tanner suddenly found herself without a voice. Actually, she amended, it wasn’t that she’d lost her voice, it was more like a total loss for words. What do you say to a man who is as handsome as sin? A man with a perfect smile and even more perfect dimples?

      She didn’t have time to contemplate an answer because Mike Avery, his jacket dusted with a damp layer of fresh snow, burst through the door.

      “Show time,” she said, sighing.

      After taking a second to brush the flakes off his coat, he shrugged it off and deposited it on one of the hooks on the wall. In keeping with one of his many personality flaws, he didn’t seem to care that a small puddle of water was forming on the polished wood floor.

      “Why are you here?” she asked without preamble, crossing her arms in front of her chest. In her peripheral vision, she saw the tall, blond stranger remove his Stetson and place it on the bar next to the penny he’d been playing with for the better part of an hour.

      Great! she silently fumed. Nothing like an audience.

      Mike stepped forward and attempted to place a kiss on her tightly clamped lips. Ellie turned her head at the last second. Mike had to settle for a brief brush against her cheek.

      “Merry Christmas to you, too,” he said.

      “It isn’t Christmas yet.”

      Mike’s eyes narrowed, but her blatant rebuke didn’t seem to be penetrating his thick skull any better than it had back in New York.

      Just then, Josh came out from behind the bar and draped his arm across her shoulder. Ellie derived some small amount of satisfaction as she watched her former boyfriend try not to react.

      “Josh Richardson, Mike Avery.”

      “Nice to meet you,” Josh greeted, extending his hand. “I didn’t know Ellie had any friends here in Charleston.”

      Ellie drew her bottom lip between her teeth to keep from laughing aloud. Aside from being a great bartender and an even more legendary leech, Josh was also a very good actor. No, she corrected when she felt him brush his mouth against her hair, he was an excellent actor.

      “What’s going on here?” Beth asked as she came over, an empty tray balanced against her slender hip.

      Ellie felt a momentary panic. What if Beth gave them away? The last thing she needed was for this well-meaning waitress to tell Mike the truth.

      “Miss?”

      Ellie was saved by the handsome man at the bar. His Texas accent and deep, sexy voice could not be ignored, especially by the obviously curious Beth. Somewhat reluctantly, Beth walked over to serve the lone customer waiting out the storm.

      “What gives here?” Mike asked, his eyes fixed on Ellie.

      “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she responded, slipping her arm around Josh’s waist.

      If it were physically possible, steam would have poured from Mike’s ears. Instead, his face flushed an angry shade of red.

      “You’ve been down here less than a week and you’ve already taken up with this guy?” He hooked his thumb in Josh’s direction as if he were insignificant.

      “I’m a quick study,” Josh volunteered, baiting the larger man. “And Ellie sure is a beautiful topic to study.”

      He was playing it all wrong, she thought to herself as she gently extracted herself from his arm. “Josh, honey,” she purred. “Why don’t you let me explain things to Mike. Besides...” She turned her eyes toward the bar. What she saw there made her heart skip a beat. Mr. Handsome as Sin was watching her with blatant interest. If that sexy half smile was any indication, he was enjoying the show, too. “You promised Rose you’d keep Chad out of the cherries.”

      When her pseudoadmirer spotted the two-year-old reaching into the tray of fruits, Josh abandoned her and raced to the end of the bar. Hesitantly, she turned to face the music.

      * * *

      THE PENNY WAS SMOOTH as he rubbed it between his fingers. Smooth and satisfying. Jake only wished he had had the time to send it to Greenfield before arriving in Charleston. He’d only been in town a couple hours and already his opinion of the city fell well short of positive. Or at least it had until he’d caught his first glimpse of the tall, willowy woman now seated at one of the round tables arranged near the glow of the fireplace.

      This was the South, the

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