Hot Texas Nights by Janice Maynard

Author:Janice Maynard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-11-22T21:46:15+00:00

* * *

Aria’s skin smelled like Ethan. Or at least that’s the way it seemed to her. Had she really let him make love to her in a deserted hotel room far away from the hustle and bustle of the party and then return as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened?

Three times in the last forty-five minutes, she had tried to slip away from him. And all three times he had tightened his arm around her waist and kept her by his side. Being so close to him was torture. Trying to pretend that sex was no big deal taxed the limits of her acting abilities.

Every time Ethan’s mother and stepfather crossed paths with Ethan and Aria at the reception, Ethan nuzzled Aria’s neck, or kissed her temple, or tucked her hair behind her ear. His demonstrations of affection—staged for the benefit of onlookers—made her yearn to believe the steamy touches might hold a kernel of truth.

Surely he felt something more for her than friendship and lust.

The evening took an unpleasant turn when Harmon Porter confronted them in a dark corner near the bar. The man—who was several inches shorter than Ethan—had clearly been drinking. He got up in Ethan’s face. “I’m having a hard time believing this engagement story, Barringer. There’s no ring on Aria’s finger. Maybe I’ll sue her for breach of promise.”

Ethan’s expression grew stormy. “Don’t press your luck. I kept my part of the bargain. The debt is paid.”

“And your fiancée’s ring?” Harmon put a hand to his mouth, feigning embarrassed shock. “Oh, my. It’s the money, isn’t it? You can’t afford a flashy stone now that you’ve cleaned out your accounts to pay me.”

When Aria felt Ethan’s entire body tense, she put a hand on his arm and gave Harmon a cool stare. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Ethan is giving me an heirloom, a ring that’s been in his family for generations. We’re having it reset and sized. Now go away and leave us alone.”

Harmon’s face turned red. He gave them a bitter sneer. But moments later, he turned on his heel and strode away.

Ethan stared after him in disgust. “Stupid toad of a man.”

“He has a lot of friends,” Aria said.

“I don’t care if he’s the guy with the cardigans and all the neighbors. The man is a pretentious moron.” He glared at her. “I can’t believe you were actually going to marry him. What were you thinking?”

Aria’s temper rose. “What I choose to do with my life is none of your business.”

“You seemed pretty happy about me sticking my nose in your business when he was blackmailing you.”

“Not me,” Aria said sharply. “My father. And what happened to all your caring, empathetic words about how I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I didn’t owe you a thing?” She glanced across the room and turned her glare into a saccharine smile. “Oh, by the way, your mother is staring at us.”

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