“I've wanted this all my life,” he said. “I want you.”

Between running a company and a recent attempt on his life, billionaire Carter Williamson doesn't need any more stress. So when a trio of orphan children breaks into the Colorado ranch he's hiding out in, his first instinct is to just let the police handle it. That was before their spunky social worker Mia showed up.

Mia Amesworth has worked hard to make sure that the Smith kids aren't separated from each other, but she can only do so much. With her own body unable to produce children, the kids are the closest thing to a family she's got. When the handsome ranch owner offers to let the three troublemakers pay for the damages with hard work over the summer, she happily accepts. When he suggests they go on a date, she can't say yes fast enough.

Even though Carter's secret assailant keeps threatening him, he feels like he might be falling for the small town girl. And though Mia knows that a family might not be in the cards for her future, she longs to create a life with Carter.

And then, a miracle happens...

* * *

He smiled, then pulled back a little bit. “I do have one last surprise for you this evening,” he said.

He turned and put his hand back in his pocket as if he was going to make a phone call. Mia grabbed his tie and pulled him back in for another kiss, and he pulled his hand out of his pocket. “It'll have to wait,” she whispered into his ear.

“Yes, ma'am,” he said with a smile. She put her hand on his chest and kissed again, feeling his heart rate increase as she became more assertive. This time, she leaned toward him, and as she moved her hands to his sides, she made sure to catch his suit coat and move it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

Carter's hands moved to the bottom of his shirt, where he began to undo his buttons, all while still kissing Mia. When he got to the top of his shirt, he began to loosen his tie. Again, Mia grabbed his tie and stopped him. “Keep it on,” she said, surprised at her own tone.

He grinned from ear to ear and popped his collar, slipping the tie from the shirt to his skin. Then he took a step back, throwing the shirt off in a dramatic motion. For a moment, Mia marveled at the hard body in front of her. This was clearly a guy who not only rode horses but also spent a ton of time at the gym.

“Wow.” Her mouth watered at the sight of him.

He smiled. Then stepped forward and his hand touched the fabric of her dress, sending shivers through her. “You know, when I saw this dress, all I could think about was how good you'd look in it.” Mia smiled and blushed a little bit. He continued talking. “But now, I'm afraid the only thing I can think about is how good you'll look out of it.”

Mia couldn't help but giggle a little bit. She reached back to unclasp the back, but in a moment his hands were around her, reaching up her back. “Please, allow me,” he said as if he were the perfect gentleman for offering to disrobe her. She felt him deftly release the clasp, as sure of himself as when he uncorked the champagne. He moved the zipper down slowly, agonizingly slowly.

As soon as the zipper was at the bottom of her back, he leaned down and moved his lips to her neck, kissing down to her shoulder. She could feel his stubble against her skin, and it felt incredible. His hands moved to her shoulders, gently moving the straps of the dress.

With a whisper, the dress fell to the floor, leaving her in nothing but her panties. For a moment, she thought about covering herself, but she stopped herself. She knew this was coming and had never felt so comfortable in front of a man. She wanted to be seen by him...

* * *

Included after this book is a bonus novella, “A Hopeful Kind of Love,” an extended preview of the next novel in the series, “A Wonderful Kind of Love”, and a bonus novel, “Hurricane Kisses!”