“You have great hands,” Dan said. “Very graceful.”

Maddie looked embarrassed but pleased with his unexpected praise. “Must be the only perk of being a giant.”

He heard the dissatisfaction in her voice. “You’re not a giant. You didn’t tower over the guy you came in with.”

“Colton? He’s the perfect height.”

“You met him today, and you’ve already fallen for him?”

“Well, when I met him, my heart did do this funny thing.”

Dan resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. “Define ‘funny thing.’”

She shrugged. “First my chest felt kind of tight, and then my heart raced.”

“I don’t think that means love. I think it means arrhythmia.” He grinned. “So, you think this Colton guy has got it for you?”

Maddie snorted. “Not likely. He can’t even remember my name.”

Dan didn’t know why the idea of Colton raining on Maddie’s parade bothered him, but it did. A lot. “He’d be lucky to have you,” he said softly.

And then Maddie flashed him a smile so rich in emotion, so totally beautiful, he swore he felt his heart zing.

Dear Reader,

In this season of giving thanks, there’s only one thing as good as gathering with your family around the holiday table—this month’s Silhouette Romance titles, where you’re sure to find everything on your romantic wish list!

Hoping Santa will send you on a trip to sunny climes? Visit the romantic world of La Torchere resort with Rich Man, Poor Bride (SR #1742), the second book of the miniseries IN A FAIRY TALE WORLD….Linda Goodnight brings the magic of matchmaking to life with the tale of a sexy Latino doctor who finds love where he least expects it.

And if you’re dreaming of a White Christmas, don’t miss Sharon De Vita’s Daddy in the Making (SR#1743). Here, a love-wary cop and a vivacious single mother find themselves snowbound in Wisconsin. Is that a happily-ever-after waiting for them under the tree?

If you’ve ever ogled a man in a tool belt, and wanted to make him yours, don’t miss The Bowen Bride (SR #1744) by Nicole Burnham. This wedding shop owner thinks she’ll never wear a bridal gown of her own…until she meets a sexy carpenter and his daughter. Perhaps the next dress she sells will be a perfect fit—for her.

Fill your holiday with laughter, courtesy of a new voice in Silhouette Romance—Nancy Lavo—and her story of a fairy godfather and his charge, in A Whirlwind…Makeover (SR #1745). When a celebrity photographer recognizes true beauty beneath this ad exec’s bad hair and baggy clothes, he’s ready to transform her…but can the armor around his heart withstand the woman she’s become?

Here’s to having your every holiday wish fulfilled!

Sincerely,

Mavis C. Allen

Associate Senior Editor

A Whirlwind…Makeover
Nancy Lavo

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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To John, for twenty-five years of romance. Thanks for filling my life with love and laughter.

NANCY LAVO

Nancy’s life is all about the basics: companionship, shelter, sustenance and romance. For companionship she married her college sweetheart and had three lovely children. She finds shelter in a little house beneath the wide open skies of Texas. For sustenance she consumes alarming quantities of chocolate. And for romance she relies on her aforementioned college sweetheart and romance novels. When not indulging in a good book, Nancy can be found penning love stories in which the hero and heroine always live happily ever after.

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 Sixteen

Chapter One

The man was a god.

Not with a capital G of course, but unquestionably one of the Almighty’s finest creations. Maddie figured that if angels walked the earth, they would look like this guy: tall and muscular with thick blond hair and the broadest pair of shoulders this side of heaven.

Yup, the man was a god all right. And he was headed her way.

“Maddie, let me introduce you to our newest addition,” said her boss. “Colton Hartley, meet Maddie Sinclair.”

Her face froze. Her mouth went dry. Maddie forced her tongue across her suddenly stiff lips in hopes of coaxing them to smile.

“Nice to meet you, Colton.” Her normally low voice sounded lower still and her greeting was the scratchy croak of a groggy bullfrog.

He didn’t seem to notice. He smiled, a perfect toothpaste-ad smile, and Maddie felt the room brighten and the temperature soar. Her heart did a flip-flop. He extended his hand. “Great to meet you.”

She shook his hand. Too late she realized where all the moisture from her mouth had gone. Her hand practically dripped clammy sweat. Colton was too much a gentleman to wipe his hands on his slacks.

“Maddie,” her boss, Jack Benson, was saying, “it’ll take Colton a while to learn the ropes around here. I wondered if you’d be willing to act as his guide for the next couple of days. To make certain he settles in.”

She nodded. “Sure.” Willing? Major understatement. She was willing all right. To be his guide, his slave, the mother of his children. Whatever.

She was so willing that her head continued to bob the affirmative like one of those tacky ceramic dogs people put in the rear windows of their cars.

Time to get a grip on herself. After all, Colton Hartley was only a man, albeit a perfect specimen. She stilled her bobbing head and smiled. “I’d be happy to help.”

Jack grinned. “Great. I’ve got some stuff I need to get done this morning, so I’ll let you take over from here.” He clapped Colton on the shoulder. “I’m leaving you in good hands.”

Jack winked at Maddie behind Colton’s back and walked away.

Bless Jack’s devious heart. He was always trying to jump-start her social life. Correction. To jump-start her social life would require that she had one. Which she did not. Yet.

“Where to first?” she asked Colton. “What have you already seen?”

“Nothing. You were the first stop on the tour.”

Double blessings on Jack. “Then we’ll start at the front door. Let me introduce you to our receptionist.”

It was encouraging to know that Maddie wasn’t the only one stricken with idiocy when face-to-face with Colton. Crystal, the cute little blond receptionist, was clearly awed.

“Wow,” she said in a breathless voice after Maddie had performed the introductions. “Wow.”

“Nice to meet you, Crystal.”

Crystal wasn’t quite the clod Maddie had been. She was stunned, but not so shaken that she forgot the basics of flirtation. Easily a foot shorter than Colton, she lowered her chin to look up through her eyelashes at him.

Nice trick, Maddie thought. She wouldn’t be opposed to trying it herself, but at five-eleven there were precious few men she could look up at.

“Welcome to Cue Communications,” Crystal purred.

Maddie saw his smile widen in appreciation and two dimples appeared in his chiseled cheeks. Uh-oh. Afraid she’d lose him before she’d won him, Maddie hustled Colton along to the second point on the tour.

A familiar sense of pride filled her as she led him down the plush gray-carpeted hall. Cue Communications, with its sleek Art Deco décor was the top advertising agency in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Once a dining-room-table enterprise of two visionary young men, Cue now comprised the entire thirty-second floor of the prestigious Tower Building in downtown Fort Worth.

“This is the graphics department. Nick Hodges is our art director.”

Nick stepped away from the table where he was constructing a storyboard. “Hi. What can I do for you?”

Colton stuck out his hand. “Colton Hartley. I just signed on with Cue. Molly here is showing me around.”

“Maddie,” she corrected.

“Right. Maddie,” he said, with the briefest glance toward her.

Nick and Colton spoke for a few minutes about advertising and music and football. Maddie couldn’t tell by the conversation whether Colton knew what he was talking about, but it was obvious he was a natural schmoozer. He had Nick eating out of his hand in no time.

“I’ll let you get back to work, Nick. Molly and I should continue on the grand tour.”

“It’s Maddie,” she said.

He looked startled, then apologetic. “Sure. Sorry. See ya around, Nick.”

Maddie took him to the big conference room at the far end of the hall where they held staff functions and important client meetings. She took him to the production rooms and introduced him to the people on the creative team.

Wherever they went the response was the same. Colton Hartley knocked them dead. Every square inch of his perfect six-foot-three-inch frame oozed charisma. He had only to smile at the ladies and talk sports with the men, and they were putty in his well-manicured hands. If the man ever decided to try his hand at politics, no office in the land would be out of his reach.

Even more amazing than his power over humankind was the fact that he was currently assigned to Maddie’s care. Maddie could hardly believe her luck. The couple of days they would have together while he became acclimated to the firm would surely give her the inside track. Working side by side, he’d recognize her charm and intelligence and fall under her as-yet-undiscovered spell.

Whoa, girl. Maddie mentally halted her galloping imagination before she had them married with two kids, a dog and a mortgage.

First things first. She had to get him away from the crowd currently fluttering around him like moths to a porch light so she could get in some quality one-on-one time with him.

“I think you’ve seen all the highlights,” Maddie said. “Are you ready to head back to your office?”

Colton looked up from his throng of admirers. “Sure.”

Colton had been given one of the coveted offices with a window overlooking downtown Fort Worth. Unlike Maddie’s cramped office with scarcely enough room for a desk and credenza, Colton’s office was furnished with a large desk, two credenzas and a cozy grouping of two high-back leather chairs separated by a small round table.

As Colton sat at his desk, sunlight streamed through the window to bathe him with a golden aura. Maddie scooted one of the heavy chairs up close to his desk and sat. She allowed herself a moment to admire his now-radiant beauty before getting started.

“I don’t know if Jack spoke with you about our current bid to retain the Swanson Shoes account?”

Colton smiled and lifted the manila folder from the center of his desk. “We discussed it briefly. He gave me this file to review.”

“Oh.” Drat. She’d wanted to be the one to introduce him to the situation. To dazzle him with her insight.

Colton flipped open the file and began to read.

Maddie shifted forward to rest her elbows on the desktop and propped her chin in her hands to watch. He was magnificent. His heavily lashed blue eyes darted across the typed notes. As he turned the page he reached a long-fingered hand to his mouth. When he absently stroked his lower lip with his fingertip, Maddie sighed.

Colton looked up as if surprised she was still there. “Don’t let me keep you,” he said. “I’ve got it from here.”

Her heart sank. “Are you sure?”

He nodded and stood. “This report seems pretty thorough. I’ll call you if I have any questions.”

She couldn’t very well stay after he’d so obviously dismissed her. She stood. “If you’re sure…”

He smiled. “I think I can handle it.” He walked around the desk and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for this morning’s tour, Mandy. I really appreciated it.”

She didn’t correct him. She couldn’t. She could hardly breathe. Not when he was smiling as though she was the most important person in the world.

Dazed, she moved toward the door. Before exiting, she paused to say, “I’ll come by your office about noon to show you where everybody goes for lunch.”

He’d already reseated himself and was studying the report. He didn’t look up. “Fine.”

Maddie floated to her office and closed the door to day-dream in privacy. There was no way she could concentrate on the Swanson Shoes account when she had a lunch date with the most beautiful man in the world.

At 11:45 a.m. Maddie grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer of her file cabinet and headed to the ladies’ room for a little prelunch primping. Her conscience nagged her about quitting work so early, but she silenced it with the knowledge that she hadn’t accomplished anything all morning anyway. Who could concentrate on clients when the man of her dreams occupied the office three doors down?

She had the elegant gold-and-ivory powder room to herself. She stopped in front of the first sink under the lighted wall-long mirror and got started. From the large black leather tote bag that did double duty as her purse she pulled out a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. After a thorough scrubbing she gargled a mouthful of the mouth-wash she carried for emergencies.

As she rinsed the residue down the drain she studied her reflection. For a change, her long curly hair hadn’t escaped the two dozen pins and half bottle of hair spray that secured it to her head. It didn’t look great, but it was neat, so she opted to leave it alone.

She wasn’t a big makeup enthusiast so all that was left was to reapply her lipstick. She carefully filled in her upper and lower lip with the tube of rosy-pink gloss she found wedged in the bottom corner of her bag. She smacked her lips together and stepped back from the mirror to get the full effect.

Hmm. No point in kidding herself. Miss America she wasn’t. Unlike her five-foot-three-inch blond sister, who’d had the good sense to take after their beautiful petite mother, Maddie was the spitting image of her dad.

Her smile faded. Though he’d been gone five years now, the still-sharp pain of losing him brought tears to her eyes.

Her dad had been a great big teddy bear—the classic gentle giant. He had stood an impressive six and a half feet tall and weighed in at 290 pounds. Though his size had certainly attracted attention, it was his kind heart and easy-going nature that had endeared him to everyone.

Maddie liked to think she’d inherited his character traits—his incurable optimism and ability to see beyond the surface to the beauty beneath—but she fervently wished that she’d physically favored her mom.

Inner beauty was a fine thing, but it was external beauty that snared the men. It was great to have people say she was the nicest person they knew, but she’d cheerfully forgo the compliment just once for an honest-to-goodness date.

Maddie returned her gaze to her reflection and purposely stretched her mouth into a wide smile. She had a date now—in a manner of speaking. Colton Hartley, advertising executive extraordinaire, was hers for the next hour.

They didn’t have much time. She needed to strategize to make the most of every minute. She’d take him down to the cafeteria on the lobby level. They’d sit at one of the small square tables that lined the far wall of the room. Preferably one tucked behind a potted plant.

She closed her eyes to complete the fairy tale. Without the distractions of fellow employees, they’d talk about themselves and the incredible good fortune that had brought them together. Colton’s beautiful blue eyes would look into hers and he would see her as no one had seen her since her father had been alive. As a rare treasure worthy of love.

Maddie’s heart hammered against her ribs as she reached up to knock on Colton’s door.

“Come in.”

Maddie took two steps into the room that now smelled faintly of his cologne. “Ready to eat?”

He looked up from the notes he was making in the Swanson file. He smiled, his perfect teeth blindingly white against his tan. “You bet.”

He was even better looking than she remembered. She stifled a sigh. “Great. Let’s go.”

It took nearly ten minutes to make the five-second walk to the elevator. It couldn’t be coincidence that every female employee, and a few males, just happened to pop out of their offices at the exact moment she and Colton passed. Though she couldn’t avoid stopping and chatting half a dozen times, she refused to lose sight of her objective. Colton was hers and hers alone for the next hour.

She could have wept with relief when the elevator doors whispered shut on just the two of them.

“Cue Communications is such a friendly place,” Colton said as Maddie pushed the down button.

The man had a gift for understatement. Co-workers mobbed him like groupies around a rock star. “So I’ve noticed.”

He inclined his head to her and smiled. “I appreciate you going to the trouble of showing me around, though I’m sure I could have found the cafeteria on my own.”

“No way.”

Colton’s eyes widened a fraction at the steel in her voice.

She tried for the lowered-chin, look-up-through-the-eyelashes approach. “What I mean is, there’s no way I’d desert you on your first day. I’ve got Cue’s friendly reputation to live up to.”

His face relaxed into a heart-stopping smile. “That’s real nice.”

The elevator doors opened onto the lobby, now crammed with people. Darn. She shouldn’t have waited till straight-up noon to take him to lunch. The cafeteria served good food and was a real favorite with the office-building crowd. They were all here today.

Maddie and Colton fell into the lineup of about twenty people waiting to pick up trays and make selections. She did some hasty calculations. At the rate things were moving they’d have only forty-five minutes sequestered at their table. Only a fool would waste these precious moments in line. And her daddy didn’t raise no fool.

“So, Colton,” she began. “How did you end up at Cue?”

A cute, size-four redhead standing two people in front of them turned at the sound of his name. “Colton? Colton Hartley?”

His handsome face lit up in recognition. “Paige?”

Their warm reunion carried them all the way to the tray and silverware pickup.

“It’s great seeing you, Paige,” Colton said as he pocketed the slip of paper she’d handed him with her phone number on it. “I’ll give you a call and we can get together.”

Maddie didn’t allow her heart to sink. After all, a man like Colton Hartley didn’t reach this stage in his gorgeous life without acquiring a few female friends. Just because their greeting seemed a tad overwarm to Maddie didn’t guarantee that Paige meant anything to him.

“So what’s good?” he asked Maddie, the first time he’d spoken to her since her brief introduction to the red-haired interloper.

“Everything.” Maddie had her eye on the warming tray stacked high with crispy chicken-fried steaks. Yum. A glob of mashed potatoes and cream gravy alongside would make the perfect lunch.

Colton looked down the length of the serving island, considering the options before picking up a chef’s salad and plunking it down on his tray.

“Is that all you’re having?” Maddie asked as they inched their way toward the golden chicken-fried steaks and steaming gravy.

“Yeah.” He motioned toward the steaks and delicacies beyond. “If you eat all that heavy stuff for lunch it doesn’t take long before the pounds start adding up.” He patted his rock-hard stomach for emphasis.

Maddie thought about her own not-so-rock-hard stomach and suddenly the chicken-fried steak didn’t look so good. She snatched up a green salad and a paper container of diet dressing instead. She sped by the freshly baked pies before temptation could destroy her fragile newfound willpower.

After paying the cashier for their food, Colton and Maddie paused to scout the crowded room for a table.

“I think I see a table over there,” Maddie said, pointing to the far wall. She squinted to be sure. “Can you see it behind the palm?”

“Lead the way.”

Trays in hand, they forged a path through the occupied tables.

“Hey, Colton, over here.” A preppie-looking guy waved at them from his table some ten yards away.

“Okay with you?” Colton asked, lifting a muscular shoulder in the direction of the caller.

Her heart slipped a few notches. “Sure.”

With Colton now leading, they threaded their way to the table, trays lifted high to keep from bumping into diners. Maddie hung back to allow Colton time to make introductions.

“Good to see you, Colton.” The preppie clapped Colton on the back. “What brings you to our little corner of the world?”

The predominately female group seated around the rectangular table greeted Colton like a visiting celebrity. Or a god. A woman skinny enough to shop in the preteen department patted the empty seat next to hers. “Come sit here.”

While they fussed over Colton, Maddie did the math. One preppie, one accountant type, five skinny hussies and one delectable Colton. Eight bodies. Table for eight.

There wasn’t room for her.

Maddie stood several inconspicuous steps from the table, waiting for Colton to notice her predicament. Once he saw she was still standing he’d insist they drag an extra chair up to the table for her.

She waited.

When one minute had lapsed into two and he still hadn’t looked up from his friends, Maddie knew she’d been forgotten. She couldn’t blame him. Who wouldn’t forget their own name in the midst of all that adulation?

Not wanting to embarrass him or herself, Maddie backed up in retreat. As she slowly moved backward, a stupid smile plastered on her face, Maddie didn’t notice the abandoned chair blocking the aisle. Inching along, her leg caught the chair rung and she knew in that awful moment that to cap off her humiliation, she was going to fall.

“Whoa.” A deep voice rumbled in her ear as strong arms came from behind to steady her.

Her heart seemed to stop. Her stomach did a long, slow slide. It took Maddie a second or two to realize the hideous downward pull of gravity had been broken. She wasn’t going to fall. She’d been saved.

Balance restored, Maddie turned, tray in hand, to thank her rescuer.

Dark eyes, the color of the richest chocolate and tinged with amusement, met hers. “You okay?” he asked.

Chapter Two

“I’m fine, thanks to you.” Obviously shaken by her near fall, the woman’s pleasantly husky voice wobbled. “I’m not usually so clumsy. I guess I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Dan had seen her slow progress through the crowded room and knew full well why she’d stumbled. She was one-hundred-percent focused on the movie-star guy she’d come in with. As was half the population of the room. “No problem. You want to sit down?” he asked, pointing to the chair that had nearly toppled her. “I’ve got room for you here.”

After an almost imperceptible glance toward the movie star’s table, she turned to Dan and smiled. “Thanks.”

She had a great smile. Full. Warm. Sincere.

And a really great mouth. Full. Warm. Delicious. He knew the camera would love it, though at the moment his thoughts weren’t entirely professional.

Dan eased the tray from her white-knuckled grip and placed it on the table before maneuvering the chair from the aisle. He waited until she sat down before sitting across from her.

“I’m Dan Willis.”

She smiled again. “Maddie Sinclair,” she said, extending her hand to him.

“Nice to meet you, Maddie.” He glanced down at the puny salad on her tray. “Not much lunch.”

She looked at the red plastic bowl half filled with greens and wrinkled her nose. “No.”

He tapped the dessert plate on the edge of his tray. “Tell you what. You eat all your salad and I’ll give you a bite of my pie.”

She grinned. “Deal.”

Dan watched her pour the watery dressing over the lettuce and pick up her fork. “Great hands,” he said.

Her fork froze, drippy lettuce dangling in midair. “I’m sorry?”

“I said you have great hands. Very graceful. You have the perfect combination of slender palms and long fingers.”

She looked embarrassed but pleased with the unexpected praise. “Long fingers must be the only perk of being a giant.”

He heard the dissatisfaction in her voice. “You’re not a giant. You’re tall. What are you, six feet?”

“Only five-eleven,” she corrected in a way that told him that that one inch was important to her.

“If I look taller it’s the hair,” she continued while pointing to what looked like an ugly brown badger hibernating on top of her head. “It’s long and thick. I pin it up on the top of my head to keep it out of the way. Once I tried pinning it around the sides of my head, but it looked like I was wearing a hairy inner-tube crown. I probably look taller with it pinned up this way, but really I’m only five-eleven.”

“I believe you.” He took a bite of his sandwich. “I take it you don’t like being tall.”

She blew out a frustrated breath. “I hate it. Trust me, it’s only in fairy tales that giants have the advantage. In real life we have to buy ugly flat shoes and slump our shoulders to keep from towering over everyone.”

“You didn’t seem to tower over the guy you came in with.”

“Colton?” Her gaze traveled to the movie star’s table and her expression softened. “He’s the perfect height.”

“Perfect for what?”

Her eyes remained trained on Colton. “For me.”

“He’s your guy?” Dan hoped his astonishment didn’t bleed through to his voice.

She dragged her eyes back to Dan. “No,” she admitted with an embarrassed blush.

Dan sensed there was an interesting story here. “How do you know him?”

She leaned in, eager to talk about Colton. “We work together. At Cue Communications. He just came on board today.”

“You met him today, and you’ve already fallen for him?”

“Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? I’m not usually the impulsive type. I don’t even believe in love at first sight. Or didn’t. There’s just something about Colton.”

He couldn’t keep the cynicism from his tone. “Mind if I hazard a guess? Could it be that he looks like a movie star?”

She dismissed the idea with a graceful wave of her hand. “Oh no. I mean, sure, he’s fabulous looking, but there’s more to it than that.”

“Like what?”

She hesitated. “Promise you won’t laugh?”

He hadn’t been tempted to until he saw her suddenly solemn expression. He chewed the insides of his mouth. “I promise.”

“My dad always told me that when I met Mr. Right, he’d knock me off my feet. Not literally, of course. He used to say that when he met my mom his heart went zing and he knew she was the one. It happened to me today. The minute I saw Colton my heart did this funny thing.”

Dan resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. “Define ‘funny thing.’”

She shrugged. “I can’t explain it exactly. It was a weird feeling. First my chest felt kind of tight, and then my heart raced.”

Dan swallowed his last bite of sandwich. “I don’t think a tight chest and a racing heart mean love. I think it means arrhythmia. Could be deadly. You probably ought to have it checked out.”

She laughed. “You’re obviously not a romantic.”

“Obviously not.” Dan scooted the plate of pie between them. “Time for dessert. Eat up.”

She didn’t need a second invitation. Seemed the tiny salad hadn’t filled her up. She and Dan talked and laughed as they demolished the pie.

“So, you think this Colton guy has got it for you? Think his heart zinged?”

Maddie snorted. “Not likely. He can’t even remember my name. Kept calling me Molly or Mandy.”

Ouch. Dan wasn’t surprised to hear Maddie didn’t turn the golden boy’s head. Guys like Colton went for bomb-shells, not bombs. And the shapeless black dress and Wild Kingdom hairdo Maddie wore were bonafide bombs. Still, Dan felt an urge to soften the blow. “Don’t be discouraged. He probably had a lot of distractions, this being his first day and all.”

“He had a lot of distractions all right—short, skinny female ones.” She lifted her chin a fraction. “But I’m not discouraged. I hope that after he gets to know me he’ll see that I have some great qualities. It’s the inside that counts.”

That had to be the bravest speech he’d ever heard. And the dumbest. Old Colton didn’t look like the type to seek out great qualities. Fact was he didn’t look the type to see beyond his own mirror.

Dan didn’t know why the idea of Colton raining on Maddie’s parade bothered him, but it did. It was obvious her self-esteem was already at rock bottom. He hated to think what the inevitable rejection would do to her. “He’d be lucky to have you.”

She flashed him a smile so rich in emotion, so totally beautiful he swore he felt his heart zing. “Thanks.”

She glanced down at her watch then picked up her purse—a hideous, scarred black leather bag large enough to carry a week’s worth of clothing. She stood. “I need to get back to the office.”

Dan stood. “It was nice meeting you.”

“I had fun,” Maddie said. “And thanks for the pie.” She grinned. “I believe there was enough chocolate in it to tide me over till my candy-bar break at three.”

She turned and took two steps from the table before stopping and turning back. She lowered her voice so no one at the surrounding tables could hear her. “What you said earlier, about my hands being great—that was really nice. Thanks.”

Dan unlocked the door to his office and stepped inside just as the phone rang. He crossed to the desk, a strictly utilitarian steel model he’d picked up in a secondhand office furniture store, pressed the flashing button on the phone and picked up the receiver. “This is Dan.”

“Dan, ol’ buddy. Ryan here. I called to see if you’d had enough of the wilds of Texas? Are you ready to return to civilization?”

Dan settled back into his swivel chair and propped his cowboy-booted heels on top of the desk. He chuckled. “Not a chance.”

“Come on, man. You’ve been there, what, two weeks now? Surely that’s enough time for you to come to your senses.”

“I have come to my senses. That’s why I’m back in Texas.”

Ryan’s tone changed from teasing to lecturing. “I know you think you’re burned out, but you’re not. You have an incredibly successful career up here. People do not burn out on incredibly successful careers. Besides, you love New York. Everybody loves New York.”

“You’re right. I love New York. But I needed a break. I needed to get away.”

“Fine. Take another week. Then get on a plane. There’s a big shoot in Milan in two weeks. We’ll do it together.”

“No can do.”

“Why not? What are you going to do buried down there?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure yet.”

“Okay. I won’t press you.” Ryan paused. “So, tell me, are the women down there as beautiful as you remembered?”

Dan smiled. Before he’d packed up and moved back to Texas Dan had bragged that Texan women were the most beautiful in the world. And he’d meant it. He couldn’t think of another group of women anywhere in the world who invested the kind of time and effort in themselves that Texan women did. Young or old, fat or skinny, it was as though they had an innate understanding of their worth.

Except Maddie.

Five feet and eleven inches—four inches of badger hair not withstanding—Maddie didn’t seem to have that Texas confidence. If anything, she undervalued herself.

Instead of carrying her commanding height with pride, she rolled her shoulders forward as if trying to shrink from sight. He couldn’t tell if she had a figure: no body, no matter how bad, deserved to be draped in the long, flowy black thing she’d been wearing today. It looked more like a bad slipcover than a dress. The meager attention she gave her hair and makeup said she didn’t see the point in trying. She felt she was hopeless.

Dan’s practiced eye told him nothing could be farther from the truth. If you could get past the thick black eyebrows that were separated by a scant half inch of flesh, Maddie had an excellent forehead, well-defined cheekbones, and a strong but feminine nose. She had a mile-wide smile with straight white teeth and the full lower lip that women were willing to suffer collagen injections to achieve.

The memory of Maddie’s mouth made his mouth water. How many times had he forced his focus away from her lips so he could concentrate on what she was saying?

Maddie had all the right stuff. And so much more.

Years of working with the world’s most acclaimed beauties had taught him that good physical attributes rarely added up to true beauty. More often they equaled cold hauteur and empty vanity, women who would cheerfully spend an evening with only a mirror for company.

He’d gotten to the point recently, when looking through the camera lens, that he couldn’t find the shot he wanted because he couldn’t find the beauty. His last shoot ran a record nine hours. The fault hadn’t been a temperamental model. It had been him.

He’d become cynical and he knew it. And when the cynicism became debilitating he’d packed up his camera and walked away. He was tired of looking for beauty where it didn’t exist. So he’d come home.

Funny that his first glimpse of beauty should be in the most unlikely person. In the short time he’d spent with Maddie he’d seen something he’d begun to doubt existed. A beauty that transcended good bones.

Of course, first impressions could be deceiving. Beneath her refreshing openness could be an empty shell like that he’d seen in so many others.

Maddie Sinclair intrigued him. He’d just have to get a second impression to find out.

“Are they as beautiful as I remembered?” Dan said, repeating his friend’s question. “Let me get back to you on that.”

Chapter Three

Maddie picked up her yellow legal pad and freshly sharpened pencil and walked to the door of her office. She’d left it slightly ajar so she could see when Colton started down the hall for the Monday morning staff meeting.

She assured her troublesome conscience that she was not stalking the man—she simply wanted to be handy if he needed reassurance during the first difficult days of his new job. Not that she honestly believed he’d ever suffered even a moment of self-doubt in his gorgeous life. Whereas mere mortals were composed of ninety-something percent water, Colton Hartley was pure unadulterated confidence.

Maddie knew her own confidence level frequently dipped into the non-existent range. That’s probably one of the myriad reasons she found Colton Hartley so attractive. He was everything she was not.

She had hoped to serve as his guide over the next few days, but unfortunately he’d made it very clear last Friday afternoon when she’d walked him out to his car at the end of the day that he no longer required her services. His exact words were, “You’ve done a great job of showing me around, Maddie, but I can handle it from here.”

Despite her protests, he was determined to go it alone. Though deprived of a valid excuse to stick by his side, she was pleased he’d finally remembered her name.

And though he was determined to stand on his own two feet, she was equally determined to stand by his side. And anyone who knew Maddie at all knew that what she lacked in self-confidence she more than made up for in sheer determination.

So here she was, lurking in the doorway, eye pressed to the crack so he couldn’t slip by. Lucky for her his office was on the opposite side of the hall: if she stood at just the right angle to the opening she could see his office door.

Moving shadows alerted her that he was finally coming out. When she saw his broad shoulders fill his doorway she counted three seconds before swinging open her door and stepping out into the hall. She knew immediately the delay had been a mistake. Even as she moved in on his retreating form, people were popping out of their offices like cuckoos from a clock just as Colton passed by.

Coincidence? Maddie doubted it. She began to suspect hers had not been the only eye pressed to a door crack that morning.

She hurried, trying to catch up with Colton’s long-legged stride, but it was no use. Her female colleagues had already closed in on him.

She resisted the temptation to gnash her teeth. There would be other times.

Maddie filed into the conference room with the others. The seats around the long mahogany table were already taken so she settled into one of the chairs set up in the back of the room.

Less than five minutes later Jack Benson, owner of Cue Communications, called the meeting to order. Jack and Maddie’s late father had started Cue Communications thirty years ago. At the time, they’d had one client and no prospects. The only thing the two young men had had in abundance was ambition.

Through grit and perseverance they’d built the advertising agency into a well-respected firm billing millions in revenue annually. The staff had grown to eighteen full-time employees and their client list read like a Who’s Who of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

As a little girl, Maddie’s heart’s desire had been to work side by side with her father at Cue. When he’d died unexpectedly before she’d graduated from college, Jack had assured her she’d always have a place at the agency. A year after her dad had died, her mother sold Jack their half of the agency, preferring the lucrative cash settlement to the messy details of owning a business. Though Maddie no longer held physical ownership of the company, in her heart it would always be hers and her dad’s.

She’d hired on a year ago, after earning her MBA, with the nebulous title of Jack’s assistant. She didn’t have the experience required of an account executive, nor the talent for art or copywriting, but she had drive. Jack had signed her on with a handsome salary and an office of her own.

She’d never forget the day he’d first introduced her at the Monday morning meeting. She’d sat beside him at the head of the table, and, when it came time for introductions, they stood, his arm around her shoulders, and he had said to the assembled staff, “You are looking at the brightest star on the horizon of Cue Communications.”

She wasn’t sure why, but he believed in her. Other than her father, Jack was the only one who thought she was bright, capable and creative.

Jack had spent the past year training her. He’d taught her about the fine art of marketing and forecasting trends. He’d showed her the production side of the business, so she knew firsthand how a concept evolved into a story-board and finally into a finished campaign. More importantly, he’d modeled the integrity and ambition she’d admired in her father.

Maddie desperately wanted to live up to the potential Jack saw in her. As his assistant she listened carefully, absorbing the information he’d given her. But after a year, she still kept to the background. When Jack questioned her as to why she didn’t share her ideas with the group, she told him honestly that she didn’t feel she’d earned the right to speak. What were her opinions compared to those with years of experience?

The sound of laughter dragged her attention to the present. As always, Jack had opened the meeting with a joke. When the laughter died down, he officially introduced Colton to the group. Maddie didn’t miss the particularly warm reception the women gave him. Colton accepted it graciously, said a few words of greeting and sat down.

“Now, on to the business at hand,” Jack said. “I received a call from Swanson Shoes last week. Old man Swanson is stepping down from leadership and his son Paul is taking his place. Swanson wanted me to know that Paul is considering dropping Cue and going with a new agency.”

Jack paused while a worried buzz filled the room. “Paul thinks Swanson Shoes needs new blood to freshen up the company image. In deference to our long-standing friendship, Swanson has requested that Paul give us the opportunity to pitch a new campaign before he makes any changes. Paul agreed. I set a tentative meeting for Friday.”

The buzz became a roar.

Jack held up his hand for silence. “I know that doesn’t give us much time, but I believe the faster we get back to him, the more likely we are to retain the account. Once the news gets out that Swanson Shoes is up for grabs, agencies will swarm them. I don’t have to tell you that nobody wins in a frenzied bidding war.”

Again he lifted his hands in a call to order. “I’m personally going to handle the new pitch and I’m going to ask Colton to work with me.”

Colton smiled and nodded his acceptance to Jack, obviously pleased with the honor.

“And Maddie, I’m looking for your input as well.”

She’d known when Jack had given her the information last week that he wanted her opinion of the situation, but she’d never dreamed he wanted her on the account team. Though her stomach lurched with the weight of the responsibility, she, too, gave Jack a calm nod.

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur. Maddie couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for the current cheap toy promotion their hamburger chain was offering. Her mind was locked on the idea that Swanson Shoes, one of their biggest, most lucrative accounts, was in jeopardy and she was on the team to save it. Even the honor of working side by side with Colton was of secondary importance.

After Jack dismissed the meeting, he asked Colton and Maddie, along with the creative team, to stay. Maddie picked up her pad and pencil and relocated to the open chair at Jack’s left.

When the room cleared, Jack said, “You both have had an opportunity to study the Swanson account. You’ve heard me say the new president, a thirty-two-year-old hotshot, is ready to replace us with new blood. What do you think we should do about it?”

He turned to Maddie. “Ladies first.”

She’d had plenty of time to prepare what she wanted to say, but when it came time to speak nerves blocked her throat. “I think—” Her voice was a croak. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. Twice.

“I think it’s time to change the focus of the campaign. For the past twelve years we’ve sold Swanson Shoes as good value. We’ve concentrated almost exclusively on the price angle. Last week I researched the price of comparable children’s shoes in local stores and found that Swanson Shoes are expensive. I don’t have the exact numbers with me but Swanson Shoes are typically priced thirty percent higher than their competitors’ shoes.”

Jack nodded and made a little humming sound of approval.

Maddie continued with more confidence, careful to avoid looking at Colton so she wouldn’t get distracted. “I also noticed that while the prices were higher, so was the quality. Swanson Shoes were superior to every other shoe I compared them to. Through personal observation and questioning the sales people I found that the average Swanson Shoe customer is a double-income couple. I know money is important to everyone, but I think these customers would be motivated to buy a shoe for quality and construction. Even status.”

Jack’s brows shot up.

“Let’s compare it to buying cars. The upwardly mobile rarely drive economy cars even though they provide adequate transportation. No, they buy luxury cars because they want the status. They don’t mind paying the bigger price tag because they believe they are getting more. The finest quality. Exclusivity.” Maddie took a deep breath before finishing, “Bottom line, I think we should sell Swanson Shoes like Cadillacs. We would use the angle that their children deserve the best.”

Jack’s grin nearly split his face. He looked so proud Maddie half expected him to burst the buttons on his shirt.

Colton leaned forward, shaking his head. “I disagree. I think money is always of paramount importance, especially in uncertain economies like ours. I believe we’re dead-on by making value the focus of the campaign.”

With all attention riveted on him, Colton stood and began to pace. “As I see it, the problem isn’t the focus of the campaign, it’s the delivery. I took the Swanson Shoe video home over the weekend and watched the current television ads. B-o-r-i-n-g. This new president, Paul, is looking for fresh and innovative ideas. I think what is called for here is flashy presentation. New music, bold colors, aggressive staging. There’s nothing wrong with Maddie’s ideas, but in execution I believe we’d be giving Swanson Shoes more of the same stuff they’ve come to expect from Cue. We’d be handing Paul all the excuse he needs to walk.”

He was good. Maddie didn’t enjoy having her ideas shot down like mallards in duck season, but she had to admit, Colton did it with panache. He paced as he delivered his ideas, stopping and gesturing at dramatic intervals. Between the sight of his impressive self and the ringing authority in his voice, Maddie was half convinced she was an idiot. Evidently so were the others.

The creative team was one hundred percent behind Colton. Jack seemed less certain. He sat back in his black leather chair, balanced his elbows on the tabletop and steepled his fingers. After a lengthy silence he said, “Both ideas have merit…”

Colton seemed to sense his advantage, “Jack, you brought me on to update Cue’s image. I hope you’ll go with the same instincts that led you to me and allow me to draw up the campaign.”

Maddie wanted to applaud. The guy was a master. He seemed to be a natural at reading the crowd and delivering what they wanted. Wouldn’t that same innate ability apply to advertising?

Maddie thought her ideas were good. Really good. But what if she was wrong? It’s not like she had years of experience behind her. She certainly didn’t have Colton’s knack for reading people.

It was hard to give up her own plan, which she believed was a sound one, but ultimately the good of Cue outweighed her need for validation and acceptance. “I think he’s right, Jack,” she said.

Jack turned to study her face and gauge her sincerity. She nodded and smiled her approval. After another long pause Jack said, “Okay, creative people, you’ve heard Colton’s ideas. Flesh them out for me. I want sample print campaigns, radio spots and 30-second television spots. Make them trendy enough to convince Paul Swanson that Cue Communications has not gone the way of the dinosaur.”

Colton had a five-minute head start on Maddie when she headed downstairs for lunch. With her eye once again pressed to the door she’d seen him switch off his office light and head down the hall. Forgoing a delay for the sake of appearances, she darted out to follow him.

She’d have caught up with him if Jack hadn’t caught her.

“Maddie,” he called from his office. “Come in for a second. And close the door.”

She had no choice but to obey. She cast one last longing look at Colton’s retreating back before entering Jack’s office and closing the door behind her. She took the chair across from him at the desk.

Jack’s normally jovial expression was serious. “I want you to tell me honestly what you think of Colton’s ideas for Swanson’s campaign.”

She met his eyes to give him the reassurance he sought. “I liked them. You know they’re not the direction I’d have originally chosen. I’ve never been a big fan of loud music and erratic photography to sell a product. However, all that said, I believe Colton will make them work.”

She sat forward in her chair to continue. “From the little I’ve seen of him, I know he’s a natural. You’ve seen him, Jack. He works a crowd like a seasoned politician. If he brings that same power to an ad campaign, I can’t see how it could lose.”

“He’s good all right, but my gut instinct tells me your strategy is better.”

Maddie thought those were the nicest words she’d ever heard.

Jack said, “This is going to sound crazy, but the fact that I agree with you is why I decided to go with Colton.”

“You’re right. It sounds crazy.”

“Hear me out. Paul Swanson thinks Cue Communications is outdated. Since I’ve had the largest input in his previous campaigns I translate that to mean that I’m outdated. I’ve spent the last year teaching you everything I know. You and I think alike.”

Maddie nodded. “I see what you’re getting at. It’s possible you like my idea because it’s a product of your training.”

“Exactly. I don’t ordinarily second-guess myself. I’ve been in this business a long time and I have developed a certain sense about what works. But I’ve got to tell you, I was rattled when old man Swanson told me we were in danger of losing the account. For the first time, I wondered if I’ve been around too long. If my perspective is stale.”

He suddenly looked older. Grayer. Maddie reached across the desk to take his hand in hers. “My dad always said you were an advertising genius. And he was right. Part of that genius led you to Colton. Instinct told you he had something you wanted for Cue. You were right to go with your instincts. He can give Paul something totally new and different. And new and different just might be the ticket.”

He squeezed her hand with fatherly affection. “Thanks, Maddie.”

“For what?”

“For taking this so well. When I asked you to join the Swanson team I did it because I know your ideas are good and I wanted you to realize it, too. You finally open up and your ideas get shot down. That’s not how I planned it. So thanks, for being a big enough person to consider someone else’s ideas.”

She laughed as she stood. “You know as well as I do that no one has ever accused me of being less than a big person.”

His laughter trailed her down the hall.

Maddie once again selected a green salad for lunch. For variation she went with the diet Italian dressing that strongly resembled water with red and green flecks. Just past the cashier she paused to scan the room for Colton. Her first sweep came up empty. She sighed. With so many people milling around she might never locate him.

About halfway through her second sweep she caught sight of someone waving. Her heart skipped a beat until she realized it wasn’t Colton. It was Dan, the guy she’d shared a table and a piece of pie with on Friday. She balanced her tray in one hand and waved back before continuing her search for Colton. No sign of him.

Maddie glanced back at Dan. He was standing now, waving her over to his table. She hesitated. She didn’t want to commit herself should she suddenly locate Colton. She darted several more fruitless looks around the room.

Finally, good manners propelled her toward Dan. He was kind enough to offer her a seat and, realistically, she might never find Colton. Besides, Dan just might have another piece of pie he was willing to share.

It was slow going through the obstacle course of people and tables. Dan was smiling when at last she reached him. A crinkly eyed smile that made Maddie feel as though she’d stepped into a pool of bright sunlight.

“Hi, Maddie,” he said, pulling out a chair for her. “I figured you might be looking for dining companionship.”

“I had thought…” her voice trailed away as she glanced back over her shoulder.

“Looking for your friend Colton? He’s over there.” Dan pointed to a table four or five down from theirs. “That’s him with his back to us. You might get a glimpse of him if those women standing around him will move.”

No wonder she hadn’t seen him when she came in. Once again he was mobbed with females. She wagged her head ruefully as she sat. “He’s amazing.”

Dan sat across from her and lifted his shoulders in a dismissive shrug. “He doesn’t do a thing for me.”

She met his twinkling eyes and laughed. “I’m really glad to hear it.”

Dan looked down at her tray. “Why do you punish yourself like that?” he asked, pointing to the salad.

She didn’t want to confess she’d planned to sit with Colton and had hoped to fool him into believing she existed on salads. As if anybody would be dumb enough to believe she’d attained her body on lettuce and diet dressing. “I was hoping you’d have a piece of pie you’d want to share,” she improvised.

He lifted a plate with a large wedge of chocolate cream pie. “Looks like today is your lucky day.”

She’d forgotten what a nice smile Dan had. It wasn’t movie-star perfect like Colton’s, of course, but it was nice. Dan had a strong jaw and a generous mouth with straight white teeth. She liked the tiny smile lines bracketing his mouth, testimony to the good humor that seemed to radiate from him. The very best thing about his smile was the way it somehow transferred itself from his lips to his eyes when his mouth turned up in a grin.

He was an attractive man. She’d noticed right away that he was an inch or two taller than she was, a plus in any acquaintance. He had the rangy build of an athlete—more sleek runner than bulky weight lifter. As he had on Friday, Dan wore faded blue jeans and a T-shirt that stretched over a nicely muscled chest.

This was not a man who spent hours in front of the mirror. Dan appeared to be comfortable with himself, which was probably the reason she felt so comfortable with him.

She knew instinctively that Dan was a kind man. A man who saved toppling giants and shared his dessert with hungry strangers. A man who knew how to get people to talk about themselves and possessed the rare willingness to listen to the answers.

Maddie remembered with a guilty start that she’d been so preoccupied with Colton on Friday she hadn’t asked Dan anything about himself. “Tell me about Dan Willis,” she said before popping a forkful of salad into her mouth.

He flashed her a self-deprecating smile. “Not much to tell.”

She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m not buying that. It’s payback time. I told you all about me on Friday, now it’s your turn. I’ll help you get started. Tell me what you do.”

“I’m a photographer.”

“A professional photographer?”

He nodded.

“That’s interesting. What do you take pictures of?”

His laugh sounded more disgusted than amused. “At this moment, I don’t know.”

Uh-oh. Out-of-work photographer. No wonder he was hesitant to talk about himself. Probably pretty touchy about it. She reached across the table and patted his hand. “Don’t get discouraged. Something will turn up.”

He caught her hand in his, holding it up to examine it. Maddie’s breath lodged midwindpipe. Wow. Amazing how his casual touch could make her insides go all squishy. She forced herself to breath. Dan’s hand was warm and strong. She was amazed to see that her hand looked feminine, almost fragile when clasped in his larger one.

“This looks suspiciously like a fresh manicure to me,” he teased.

She snatched her hand back in embarrassment. “It is. I had my nails done on Saturday.” She didn’t go on to confess that it was her first manicure ever or that it was his remark about her hands being great that had sent her racing to the nearest salon.

She’d been taught all her life to play up her assets but until she met Dan she hadn’t been sure she possessed any.

Lunch ran overtime. Conversation was so easy with Dan that Maddie forgot to keep an eye on her watch.

“Oops,” she said when she finally realized she’d been due back at the office ten minutes ago. “I’ve gotta run.”

Dan smiled. “No problem. I’ll look for you down here tomorrow.”

Maddie’s heart felt surprisingly light as she hurried toward the elevator. He didn’t compare to Colton, of course, but Dan made a pretty terrific lunch date.

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