Claire, Angela - Heart of Stone

81 Pages·2011·0.55 MB·English

by  Claire Angela

Heart of Stone

Widowed Colorado cowboy Jake Stone has a baby to take care of. But when he asks his aunt to come
west to help, she sends Melinda O'Chauncey instead...a walking, talking inspiration for sex if Jake ever saw
one. But Jake has no intention of ever marrying again, so he vows to keep his hands off the sexy new
nursemaid. Easier said than done!

As skittish as Jake is about matrimony, Melinda couldn't marry the handsome cowboy, even if he got
down on his knees and begged her. She has secrets of her own that she hopes are far, far behind in Boston.

Add to that a rash of mysterious happenings on the ranch that make Jake's wife's death a question
mark, and a wedding may turn out to be the least of Melinda and Jake's problems. In fact, it looks like a
funeral might be in store for them instead.

Genre: Historical, Western/Cowboys
Length: 31,372 words
HEART OF STONE
Angela Claire
EROTIC ROMANCE
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
HEART OF STONE
Copyright © 2011 by Angela Claire E-book ISBN: 1-61034-206-2
First E-book Publication: March 2011
Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by
Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or
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PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

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BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not
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Claire’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
To my dear friend, Elizabeth Church, who has such a generous spirit and
who always gives me encouragement when I need it.
HEART OF STONE
ANGELA CLAIRE
Copyright © 2011

Prologue
The cowboy crept into the ranch house. Stone had ridden away hours ago, but
the old man assured him the woman would still be in bed. Sure enough, though
he heard no noises from the bedroom when he stood in the doorway, there she
was, asleep. Well, not asleep precisely. Her eyes were open, but she was just
lying there, like a little blond rag doll. He smiled. He bet he could make her
move right quick. His cock perked up at the thought. Unfortunately, that wasn’t
going to happen. The old man had warned him not to touch her.
Except to kill her of course.
It was supposed to look like a natural death. She looked white as death
already, the bones of her pretty little face stuck up against that white, white skin.
Gal must have never ventured out once under the Colorado sun to stay that pale.
She sure was pretty, though, even listless and skinny as she was. Too bad he
couldn’t take a little more time with her, but you didn’t cross the old man.
He approached the bed, and the woman didn’t even seem to register it. He
held the pillow over her face, and swear to God, she didn’t even put her arms up
to struggle. It took no longer than it would to wring the neck of a chicken.
When he took the pillow away from her face, she even looked real peaceful
like. He felt a pang of remorse, completely foreign, but dang if it wasn’t there.
Whoever this little gal had been, she didn’t deserve to die so young. But the old
man had plans, and if you knew what was good for you, you followed along.
If you didn’t want a pillow over your face one day real soon, that is.
Chapter One

Colorado Territory, 1869

The train was late again. Big surprise. Jake Stone stood on the platform and
pulled his hat down farther as a shield from the glaring sun. October was
supposed to be a little cooler, seeing as how snow in Colorado could make its
introductions as early as the first of November. No matter. The ranch house was
cool enough, even in this unseasonably warm weather. Aunt Lil wouldn’t find it
intolerable. Now when the snow came, well, that would be another matter. But
as long as he could convince his aunt to stick it out a year or two, the baby
would be old enough to work out some other arrangement. Then Aunt Lil could
head on back to her precious Boston. He hated to ask his only kin to put herself
out so much. Lord knew this rancher’s life was not what his genteel aunt was
used to. No more than it had been what Victoria was used to.
His picture-pretty wife had never cottoned to the dusty summers and isolating
winters of a rancher’s life. He should have sent her back to Boston when the
baby was on its way like she’d begged him to, but he’d been selfish. He’d
thought it would work out, that the baby would be fine. And little Ginny was
fine, more than fine. As perfect a little creature as he’d ever seen with all her ten
toes and fingers and the sweetest little smile when she looked up at her daddy.
Victoria, however, had not been fine. The birth had taken too much out of her,
and for months after, she remained listless and uninterested in anything, even
Ginny. It got so she wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning or even feed the baby
unless Jake put the hungry little infant’s mouth up to his wife’s breast. After a
while, Jake was plumb afraid to leave the baby alone with her.
For a time, his neighbor’s wife, Annie Wilson, had sent over her oldest girl to
mind the baby while Jake was out on the ranch. Though a twelve-year-old girl,
even one with a half dozen little brothers and sisters, was no substitute for a
mother, it was the best he could do under the circumstances. But when Victoria’s