Texas Bachelor

By Katherine Garbera/Eve Gaddy

Johnny Gamble isn’t afraid of anything. Except Fiona Lannigan’s effect on him. It’s not just that she sees through his love ‘em and leave ‘em ways, she’s also his partner in Whiskey River’s most prestigious law firm. He believes she deserves better than him until they “matched” at the annual Valentine’s Day dance and the night turns into one of the most romantic of his life. Convincing him that he’s found a woman he doesn’t want to leave.

Fiona is all for a good time with Johnny. There have been sparks between them from the beginning, but more than one night between the sheets isn’t in the cards. Or so she thinks, until Johnny turns on the romance.

Can Johnny convince Fiona that this is one Valentine’s Gamble worth taking?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tule Publishing
• Release date: Feb 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781943963935

Book preview

Texas Bachelor

A Whiskey River Romance

Katherine Garbera

and

Eve Gaddy

––––––––

The Valentine Gamble

Copyright © 2016 Katherine Garbera and Eve Gaddy

The Tule Publishing Group, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-943963-93-5

Dedication

This is for Jane Porter and all the Tule gang. Thanks so much for everything you do. You rock!

Dear Readers

Dear Readers,

Happy Valentine’s Day! We’ve got something fun and spicy for you this year. Have you ever met the right person and the timing was all wrong? When Johnny Gamble and Fiona Lannigan met, he was newly divorced and she had just broken up with a fiancé. Neither of them wanted to get involved but nothing could stop the sparks that flew between them. They fell into being partners at the law firm and keeping the fiery passion between them banked.

Aside from one mistletoe kiss at Christmas they were doing good at keeping their hands to themselves. Until Whiskey River’s unofficial matchmakers decide to put the two of them together for the Annual Valentine’s Day Dance. As you can imagine, after years of wanting each other but not having each other, the passion between them explodes.

We hope you enjoy The Valentine Gamble as much as we enjoyed writing it.

Katherine & Eve

Chapter One

Fiona Lannigan loved to shop. She especially loved to shop for lingerie. Luckily, her good friends, Chantel and Angel Chandler, owned Fallen Angels, the best lingerie store in Whiskey River. One of them always let her know when a new shipment had come in. Today she had some time before her next client’s appointment to see what delightful new lingerie the Chandlers had for her to browse through.

It was a weakness, she admitted. But it didn’t border on obsession. She just liked pretty things. Especially pretty things that lay next to her skin. So sue her.

Fiona pushed open the door and stepped inside, appreciative as always of the décor of the shop. Feminine and tastefully sexy was a hallmark of Fallen Angels. The atmosphere was light and airy with the wares displayed on tables, hangers and mannequins and the scent something floral and spicy rather than sweet.

Just in time, Chantel, the older said. You beat the Valentine’s Day rush.

Have I ever told you I love you? Fiona asked, heading straight for the matching panties and bra sets.

Every time you come in, her friend said. We have some beautiful camisole sets, too.

I really shouldn’t, Fiona said. I have so many but I can’t resist.

Why would you want to do that?

I don’t, obviously, Fiona said, and laughed.

Are you all set for the big Valentine’s Day dance? Chantel asked.

The Whiskey River Valentine’s Day dance was a tradition started many years before, when single men and women were few and far between. Every single person in town had their name tossed into a hat and was matched randomly with a person of the opposite sex. The drawing was held at the beginning of the dance, and the two people who matched were each other’s date for the evening.

Fiona shuddered, remembering the year before. I’m going to have the flu.

You’d better not. Angel and I are the match coordinators this year.

Damn. I forgot about that.

Don’t worry. We’ll make sure you get someone good. Chantel smirked and added, I know just the person.

No thanks, Fiona said, remembering all the men her friends had tried to set her up with. I’ll take my chances with a random match. To distract Chantel, she grabbed a pale pink cami set and held the hanger under her chin. What do you think?

Chantel considered her for a moment. You look like cotton candy. It washes you out.

I like cotton candy, Fiona said.

So do I, but not to wear. Here, she said, handing her an emerald green set. You need vibrant colors.

Fiona looked in the mirror as she held it up against her. I hate when you’re right. Fine, ring it up. And these, too, she said, adding a couple of bra and panty sets and to the pile. She looked at her watch. I’ve got a meeting but I’ll be back later to see what else is new.

Late that afternoon, Fiona decided to look at her purchases again before going back by Fallen Angels. She’d been in a hurry when she bought them and there was at least one set she thought she could live without. None of her partners at the law offices of Gamble, Lannigan and Ford were in, so she was alone in the office. Ryder Ford and his wife, Addison, their new junior partner, had left early. Johnny Gamble was off somewhere and who knew when he’d return. She’d let their new paralegal have a long lunch after her clients left.

When she, Johnny and Ryder had formed their partnership a number of years before, they’d converted an old house in the heart of town into the law offices of their firm. Fiona liked being alone in the offices. In fact, she liked being alone period.

Taking each item out of the bag, she carefully unwrapped the paper and laid each one out on her desk. The emerald green camisole was a definite. She liked both the bra and panty sets, but on closer inspection she realized the bra of one of them was a style she didn’t like. She hadn’t noticed in the store. With the panties dangling from her hand, she held the other bra up against her chest. Siren red. Very Valentine’s Day.

Who’s the lucky man?

Startled, she whirled around to see Johnny Gamble lounging in her doorway. You scared me to death. I didn’t hear you come in. Damn it. Johnny was the last person she wanted to find her displaying her lingerie.

Obviously. He strolled over to her and picked up the camisole from her desk. Very pretty. I repeat, who’s the lucky man?

Realizing she was still holding the bra against her boobs, she hastily dropped her hand. Crap, she was blushing. How dumb was that? Wouldn’t you like to know. Lame, Fiona. Very lame.

He sent her a speculative look. That’s a good color on you, he said, waving a hand at the red bra and panties still in her hand.

A vignette popped into her mind, involving Johnny and her and a very sexy red bra and panties. Do not go there.

He grinned at her. That sexy smile kicked up at the corner of his mouth. The mouth that, in her weaker moments, she fantasized about kissing. Again. She hoped like hell he couldn’t read her mind, but she wouldn’t put it past him. Was she imagining the heat in his gaze?

She and Johnny had never been romantically involved. They worked together and their careers were too important to each of them to chance messing up a good thing. Not that she hadn’t thought about it on occasion.

Not that something hadn’t almost happened on several occasions. The latest just last week. They had worked late and Johnny had picked up Chinese take out, she remembered. And wine. Which they’d agreed didn’t mix with business, but he’d done it anyway. And of course, she’d drunk it anyway. Before long they were telling each other worst date ever stories, their work forgotten.

You have sweet and sour sauce on your face, Johnny said.

Fiona touched her cheek