The Idea of You (30 page)

I
ENDED UP
finishing this book under extreme duress—my mother had foot surgery, my kids were finishing school, my husband was out of town, my car was being towed to the dealership for a new battery . . . In short, I felt like I was living in my own novel! Thank you to my family for being so supportive and awesome as I sprinted to The End.

I am so fortunate to have such a great team with my agent, Jim McCarthy, and my editor, Nicole Fischer, both of whom I met in person for the first time at RWA this summer. Thank you, Jim, for the gift that was
Hamilton,
and thank you, Nicole, for a fun night of lemon drops and photo-booth silliness. Thank you also to Maria Silva, an absolutely amazeballs publicist.

Special thanks to my local pals for our writing sessions: Lynda Aicher and Jenna Bayley-Burke. And thanks to my not-so-local pals for our online word wars, which really aren't wars, but more like support extravaganzas: Elisabeth Naughton and Rachel Grant. Thanks also to Elisabeth for super-fun wine country plot lunches!

I have to give a shout-out to my very dear writing friends. Thank you Erica Ridley, Emma Locke, and Morgan Edens for a fantastic night out in New York. Hugs to Inara Scott—seeing you was a highlight of my summer—and Lila DiPasqua, one of the strongest and most inspiring women I know. Thank you to Joan Swan just because—and I miss your face SO MUCH!

Finally, I want to honor every parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, friend, caregiver, medical professional, therapist, etc. who supports and loves someone with autism. To parents especially, I want to hug each and every one of you and say, “I'm with you.” Autism is such a strange impairment (I struggle with using the right word, but as the parent of a child on the spectrum, this one works for us), and one I think we're only beginning to truly understand. It embraces such a wide range of abilities, and like neurotypical people, no two on the spectrum are alike. We all have so many similarities as well as differences, and I hope more people will celebrate uniqueness and be open to things and people they don't necessarily understand.

Thank you!

Thank you for reading
The Idea of You
! I have so much fun writing about the Archers. They feel like family to me, and I hope to you, too. I'm so excited about the next book, which is Liam's story,
When We Kiss
. I hope to see you back in Ribbon Ridge when it releases in January 2016!

Ribbon Ridge is a fictional town based on several cities and towns dotting the Willamette Valley between Portland and the Oregon Coast. It's pinot noir wine country, very beautiful and picturesque—and a short drive from where I live. My brother actually dwells right in the heart of it in a tiny town with no gas station or grocery store (he recently informed me they now have a smallish grocery store/carniceria). There is, however, an amazing antique mall in a historic schoolhouse.

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Twitter
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Thank you again for reading and for your support!

DARCY BURKE
is the
USA Today
best-selling author of hot, action-packed historical and sexy, emotional, contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age eleven, a happily-ever-after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan that loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, and three Bengal cats. In her “spare” time, Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a twelve-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. She's also a fair-weather runner, and her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge.

Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
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CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Ribbon Ridge

Where the Heart Is
(a prequel novella)

Only in My Dreams

Yours to Hold

When Love Happens

The Idea of You

Coming soon:

When We Kiss

You're Still the One

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Secrets and Scandals

Her Wicked Ways

His Wicked Heart

To Seduce a Scoundrel

To Love a Thief
(a novella)

Never Love a Scoundrel

Scoundrel Ever After

Regency Treasure Hunters

The de Valery Code

Romancing the Earl

Darlene Panzera returns with a sweet new Western series perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber's heartwarming romances.

Bree Collins has finally come home to Fox Creek, Montana, to manage her family's guest ranch. She knows she can handle any challenges that come her way, but when the infuriating Ryan Tanner reappears in her life, Bree suddenly has doubts about her ability to stay professional—and away from the handsome cowboy.

 

B
ree stayed a few more minutes to watch them sway in time to the music, then spun around to search for the three CEOs and collided straight into a hard, chiseled chest. A soothing warmth spread over her entire body as she glanced up into Ryan's handsome face and gasped. “You're here.”

“I wouldn't miss it.”

She leaned to the side and glanced at the three men behind him. “And you brought your
brothers
!”

“Yeah, they're the reason I'm late. They didn't want to come but I knew how much it meant to you, and
why
,” he said, giving her a mischievous grin. “So I had to negotiate a deal to get them here.”

Bree smiled because of the way his mouth twitched when he grinned, because of the excitement in his eyes when he looked at her, and because of the way his dark navy blue dress shirt and jeans clung to his splendid physique.
Whoa, girl! Remember to keep it
casual
.
Recollecting her thoughts, she met his gaze and asked, “What kind of deal?”

Ryan placed a hand on either side of her waist, his touch firm and . . . pleasantly possessive. “I had to trade them my earnings from working your ranch so they can buy a set of new tires for their quad.”

He did that for her?

“Which means,” he continued, flashing her another pulse-kicking grin, “I'm a little short on money and I'd be willing to be your weekend wrangler for the rest of the summer, if you'll have me.”

Stunned, Bree sucked in her breath and stared at him, unable to speak, unable to process exactly what this would mean for her family, unable to think of anything except that Ryan Tanner was absolutely, undeniably, the very, very best! With a little hop, she squealed, unable to hold back her delight, and with her heart taking the lead, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

It was a quick kiss, over before she even realized what she had done, but when Bree pulled back she didn't know who was more surprised, she or Ryan.

His gaze locked with hers for several long, breathless moments, then he cupped her cheek with his hand and drew her back toward him . . . and this time he kissed
her.

His mouth was warm, tender, and soft against her own and filled with such passion she blocked out every sound around them, every presence, everything except the fact that Ryan Tanner, the guy she'd wanted to dance with since high school, held her in his arms.

Sergeant Oliver Martinez joined the military to serve his country—not plan parties. But after a run-in with his commanding officer, Oliver is suddenly responsible for an upcoming canine charity event. Worse, he's got to work with the bossiest, sexiest woman he's ever met—who just happens to be the general's daughter. When tempers flare and a scorching kiss turns into so much more, Oliver and Eve will have to decide if this attraction is forever . . . or just for now.

 

T
he dog bounded to her, wiggling and licking wherever he could. She held her hand behind her, and Oliver gave her the leash. Once she had it hooked onto Beast's collar, she stood up with a mischievous smile. “I don't know why he gives you so much trouble.”

“Oh, I'm sure Best put him up to it,” Oliver grumbled.

“Ah, and he gets a kick out of messing with you, huh?”

“That's just because I've let it go until now, but the dude owes me a sofa and chair.”

Eve laughed and held the leash out to him. “I wonder if maybe you two just got off on the wrong foot. Perhaps you should open your mind to the possibility that Beast has issues and this is his way of dealing with them.”

Oliver took her advice with a healthy dose of skepticism. “What makes you think he has issues?”

“Well, for starters, he came from the animal shelter, so he's got to have some baggage. The question is, was he turned in because he has behavioral problems and his previous owners just couldn't deal? Or were the owners jackasses who just didn't want him anymore?” Her tone was sad as she added, “If he was loved, it's easy to assume that he is confused and misses it.”

Oliver studied Eve. Her dreamy, sweet expression tugged at his heart and he wondered who she was thinking about. A loved one she missed? A past lover? A bitter rush of jealousy churned in his stomach. He didn't want to think about another man having even a sliver of Evelyn's affections. Not when he wanted them all to himself.

“How is it you seem to know so much about what he's feeling? Are you an event planner by day and dog psychic by night?” He had been trying to make a joke, but one look at her face told him he'd insulted her.

“I'm just making an observation,” she said curtly.

“Hey.” He reached out and touched her arm, turning her toward him. “I was just teasing you.”

She remained silent, and he took her chin in his hand, tilting her gaze up to meet his. “Why does it always seem like I can never say the right thing to you?”

A small smile played across those bee-stung lips. “Maybe I make you nervous.”

Oliver rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip and her sharp, warm breath spread over his skin. “Oh, you definitely make me nervous.”

“I do?” Her breathless question stirred his cock to life.

“Yeah, you do. I can't relax around you, not with the way you make me feel,” he said.

“How is that?” Her tone was soft, and Oliver dipped his head, his mouth hovering over hers.

“Like I'm standing in the sunshine every time I'm near you,” he said.

“Oh.”

Oliver didn't give her a chance to escape this time and covered her mouth with his, groaning as the sweet taste of her overwhelmed him. His hands slid back to cradle the back of her head, sliding his fingers into her hair and loosening her ponytail. A tiny sigh escaped her and he took advantage, slipping his tongue between her parted lips, coming undone when her tongue tangled with his. He felt her hands grip his waist, pulling him tighter against her body and he wanted more. Never had he gotten so caught up in one kiss. And never had he ignored every warning bell for a woman, but with Evelyn, it was like common sense went out the window and was replaced by uncontrolled passion.

Oliver felt something pushing between them and opened his eyes to look down at Beast, who was trying to use his giant head to separate them. Ignoring him, Oliver maneuvered them toward the couch, tumbling Eve down onto the mangled leather.

The kiss broke long enough for Eve's eyes to pop open and she giggled. “Somehow, I never imagined making out on a cloud of couch stuffing.”

Oliver grinned down at her. “What can I say? I'm an original.”

“You're definitely different,” she said.

“Is that a compliment?” His lips found the pulse point behind her ear and he felt her heart race against his mouth.

“I think so.”

“You don't sound sure,” he murmured against her jaw.

“Probably 'cause I can't think while you're kissing me,” she whispered.

His mouth brushed hers. “Want me to stop?”

“God, no.”