A Texan for Christmas Read online

  If this wild Texan is a changed man...

  Why is he craving the nanny under the mistletoe?

  Black sheep Beau Elliott came home for his baby...and to prove to his family that he’s a changed man. The last thing he needs is temptation at his door...but that’s what he gets with the new nanny who’s living on his ranch! Will their holiday kisses end with a Christmas engagement...or a New Year’s dissolution?

  “Women don’t walk away from me.”

  No, she’d bet not. Most likely he gave them one heavy-lidded stare or a flash of that cocky grin and their panties melted off as they begged him for anything he was willing to give.

  “I’m not walking away from you,” she defended. “I’m walking away from this conversation.”

  “That’s not fair.” He took a half step closer. “I guarantee you know more about me than I know about you.”

  “That’s not my fault you parade your life in front of the camera. You know all you need to in order for me to do my job.”

  He held her arm and ran his thumb along the inside of her elbow.

  “You don’t look like a nanny,” he murmured, studying her face.

  Her entire body heated. With each stroke of his thumb she felt the zings all over.

  “What do I look like?” she asked. Why did that come out as a whisper?

  “Like trouble.”

  * * *

  A Texan for Christmas is part of Harlequin Desire’s #1 bestselling series, Billionaires and Babies: Powerful men…wrapped around their babies’ little fingers.

  Dear Reader,

  If you’ve been keeping up with my Rancher’s Heirs series, you have already met Colt, Nolan and Hayes. Who’s next? Oh, that’s right. The mysterious Hollywood heartthrob, Beau Elliott.

  I hope you’ll forgive that I skipped ahead in this fictitious world and picked up where Hayes’s book left off, but I made the season Christmas. What’s more magical than Christmas? Believe me, these characters needed some magic in their lives!

  Scarlett has suffered so much heartache, and being thrust into this nanny position is just another layer of pain. But working with Beau Elliott does help take out the sting. Who wouldn’t want to be under the same roof with an A-list actor for three weeks?

  Beau can’t believe this is his nanny. Maybe he should’ve specified a warty, gray-haired grandmother, because the second the sultry Scarlett shows up on his doorstep, he knows he’s in trouble. Poor Beau.

  Once these two break past the barriers of heartache and pain, they quickly realize they have more in common than they ever thought possible. And with the magic of Christmas and a beautiful little baby girl, well, maybe this will be one holiday to remember!

  I hope you all enjoy the final installment of The Rancher’s Heirs. The Elliott brothers have been a joy to write!

  Happy reading,

  Jules

  Jules Bennett

  A Texan for Christmas

  USA TODAY bestselling author Jules Bennett has published over sixty books and never tires of writing happy endings. Writing strong heroines and alpha heroes is Jules’s favorite way to spend her workdays. Jules hosts weekly contests on her Facebook fan page and loves chatting with readers on Twitter, Facebook and via email through her website. Stay up-to-date by signing up for her newsletter at julesbennett.com.

  Books by Jules Bennett

  Harlequin Desire

  What the Prince Wants

  A Royal Amnesia Scandal

  Maid for a Magnate

  His Secret Baby Bombshell

  Best Man Under the Mistletoe

  The Rancher’s Heirs

  Twin Secrets

  Claimed by the Rancher

  Taming the Texan

  A Texan for Christmas

  Texas Cattleman’s Club: Bachelor Auction

  Most Eligible Texan

  Visit her Author Profile page at Harlequin.com, or julesbennett.com, for more titles.

  Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!

  Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards

  http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010002

  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

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Love in Catalina Cove by Brenda Jackson

  Excerpt from Substitute Seduction by Cat Schield

  One

  Scarlett Patterson clutched the handle of her small suitcase and waited.

  And waited.

  She’d knocked twice on the door, but still no answer. She knew this was the address she’d been given—a small cabin nestled in the back of the sprawling, picturesque Pebblebrook Ranch. She’d been told exactly who she’d be working for and her belly did flips just thinking of Beau Elliott—deemed Hollywood’s Bad Boy, the Maverick of Movies, Cowboy Casanova...the titles were endless.

  One thing was certain, if the tabloids were correct—he made no apologies about his affection for women. Scarlett wasn’t sure she’d ever seen an image of him with the same woman.

  That is, until his lover turned up pregnant. Then the two were spotted out together, but by then the rumors had begun—of drugs found in his lover’s carry-on, of affairs started...or maybe they’d never stopped.

  Why he’d come back home now, to this quiet town in Texas and his family’s sprawling ranch, was none of her concern.

  With a hand blocking her eyes from a rare glimpse of winter sun, Scarlett glanced around the open fields. Not a soul in sight. In the distance, a green field dotted with cattle stretched all the way to the horizon. This could easily be a postcard.

  The Elliott land was vast. She’d heard there were several homes on the property and a portion of the place would soon become a dude ranch. In fact, this cabin would eventually be housing for guests of said dude ranch.

  So why was Beau Elliott staying here instead of one of the main houses, with his brothers? Was he even planning to stick around?

  So many mysteries...

  But she wasn’t here to inquire about his personal life and she certainly wouldn’t be divulging any extra information about hers.

  She was here to help his baby.

  Even if that meant she had to come face-to-face with one of the sexiest men on the planet.

  The snick of a lock had her turning her attention back around. When the door swung wide, it was all Scarlett could do to hold back her gasp.

  Beau Elliott, Hollywood’s baddest boy, stood before her sans shirt and wearing a pair of low-slung shorts. Scrolling ink went up one side of his waist, curling around well-defined pecs and disappearing over his shoulder.

  Don’t stare at the tattoos. Don’t stare at the tattoos.

  And, whatever you do, don’t reach out to touch one.

  “Who are you?”

  The gravelly voice startled her back into reality. Scarlett realized she’d been staring.

  Beau’s broad frame filled the doorway, his stubbled jaw and bedhead indicating he hadn’t had the best night. Apparently, according to the information she’d received, his last nanny had left last evening because
of a family emergency.

  Well, Scarlett wasn’t having the best of days, either, so they were at least on a level playing field—other than the whole billionaire-peasant thing.

  But she could use the extra money, so caring for an adorable five-month-old baby girl shouldn’t be a problem, right?

  Tamping down past hurts that threatened to creep up at the thought of caring for a child, Scarlett squared her shoulders and smiled. “I’m Scarlett Patterson. Your new nanny.”

  Beau blinked and gave her body a visual lick. “You’re not old or frumpy,” he growled.

  Great. He’d already had some visual image in his head of who she should be. Maggie, the original nanny, was sweet as peach pie, but she could be best described as old and frumpy. Obviously, that was what Hollywood’s Golden Child had thought he would be getting this morning, as well.

  Beau Elliott, raised a rancher and then turned star of the screen, was going to be high maintenance. She could already tell.

  Why would she expect anything less from someone who appeared to thrive on stardom and power?

  Unfortunately, she knew that type all too well. Knew the type and ran like hell to avoid it.

  She’d grown up with a man obsessed with money and getting what he wanted. Just when she thought she’d eliminated him from her life, he went on and became the governor. Scarlett was so over the power trip. Her stepfather and her mother weren’t happy with her choices in life and had practically shunned her when they realized they couldn’t control her. Which was fine. She’d rather do life on her own than be controlled...by anybody.

  “Not old and frumpy. Is that a compliment or an observation?” She waved her hand to dismiss his answer before he could give her one. “Forget it. My looks and age are irrelevant. I am Maggie’s replacement for the next three weeks.”

  “I requested someone like Maggie.”

  He still didn’t make any attempt to move or to invite her inside. Even though this was Texas, the morning air chilled her.

  Scarlett wasn’t in the mood to deal with whatever hang-ups he had about nannies. Coming here after a year away from nanny duties was difficult enough. If she’d had her way, she would’ve found someone else to take this assignment, but the agency was short staffed.

  This job was only for three weeks. Which meant she’d spend Christmas here, but the day after, she’d be heading to her new life in Dallas.

  After the New Year, she’d start over fresh.

  She could do this.

  So why did she already feel the stirrings of a headache?

  Oh, right. Because the once-dubbed “Sexiest Man Alive” was clearly used to getting his own way.

  A bundle of nerves curled tightly in her belly. He might be sexy, but that didn’t mean she had to put up with his attitude. Maybe he needed to remember that he was in a bind. He’d hired a nanny and Scarlett was it.

  “Maggie, and everyone else at Nanny Poppins, is unavailable during the time frame you need.”

  Scarlett tried like hell to keep her professional smile in place—she did need this money, and she’d never leave a child without care. Plus, she wouldn’t do a thing to tarnish the reputation of the company she’d worked for over the past several years.

  She tipped her head and quirked a brow. “You do still need help, correct?”

  Maggie had told Scarlett that Beau was brooding, that he kept to himself and only really came out of his shell when he interacted with his baby girl. That was all fine and good. Scarlett wasn’t here to make friends or ogle the superstar, no matter how delicious he looked early in the morning.

  A baby’s cry pierced the awkward silence. With a muttered curse, Beau spun around and disappeared. Scarlett slowly stepped through the open door and shut it behind her.

  Clearly the invitation wasn’t going to happen.

  “I feel so welcome,” she muttered.

  Scarlett leaned her suitcase against the wall and propped her small purse on top of it. The sounds of a fussy baby and Beau’s deep, calming voice came from the bedroom to the right of the entryway.

  As she took in the open floor plan of the cabin, she noted several things at once. Beau was either neat and tidy or he didn’t have a lot of stuff. A pair of shiny new cowboy boots sat by the door and a black hat hung on a hook above the boots. The small kitchen had a drying rack with bottles on the counter and on the tiny table was a pink-and-white polka-dot bib.

  She glanced to the left and noted another bedroom, the one she assumed would be hers, but she wasn’t going to put her stuff in there just yet. Across the way, at the back of the cabin, was a set of patio doors that led to another porch. The area was cozy and perfect for the soon-to-be dude ranch.

  The lack of Christmas decorations disturbed her, though. No tree, no stockings over the little fireplace, not even a wreath on the door. Who didn’t want to celebrate Christmas? The most giving, joyous time of the year?

  Christmas was absolutely her favorite holiday. Over the years she’d shared many Christmases with various families...all of which had been more loving and fulfilling than those of her stuffy, controlled childhood.

  Scarlett continued to wait in the entryway, all while judging the Grinch’s home. She didn’t want to venture too far from the front door since he hadn’t invited her in. It was obvious she wasn’t what he’d expected, and he might ask her to leave.

  Hopefully he wouldn’t because she needed to work these three weeks. Those extra funds would go a long way toward helping her afford housing when she left Stone River to start her new life.

  Even so, the next twenty-one days couldn’t pass by fast enough.

  Beau came back down the hall and Scarlett’s heart tightened as a lump formed in her throat. A full assault on her emotions took over as knots in her stomach formed.

  She couldn’t do this. No matter how short the time span, she couldn’t stay with this man, in this confined space, caring for his daughter for three weeks and not come out unscathed.

  She wasn’t sure which sight hit her hardest—the well-sculpted shirtless man or the baby he was holding.

  Being this close to the little girl nearly brought her to her knees. Scarlett knew coming back as a hands-on nanny would be difficult, but she hadn’t fully prepared herself for just how hard a hit her heart would take.

  She’d purposely given up working in homes only a year ago. She’d requested work in the office, even though the administrative side paid less than round-the-clock nanny services. She’d been Nanny Poppins’s most sought-after employee for eight years, but after everything that had happened, her boss completely understood Scarlett’s need to distance herself from babies and families.

  Fate had been cruel, stealing her chance of having kids of her own. She wasn’t sure she was ready to see another parent have what she wanted. Working for Beau Elliott would be difficult to say the least, but Scarlett would push through and then she could move on. One last job. She could do this...she hoped.

  The sweet baby continued to fuss, rubbing her eyes and sniffling. No doubt she was tired. From the looks of both of them, they’d had a long night.

  Instinct had Scarlett reaching out and taking the baby, careful not to brush her fingertips against the hard planes of Beau’s bare chest.

  Well, she had to assume they were hard because she’d stared at them for a solid two minutes.

  The second that sweet baby smell hit Scarlett, she nearly lost it. Her eyes burned, her throat tightened. But the baby’s needs had to come first. That’s why Scarlett was here. Well, that and to get double the pay so she could finally move to Dallas.

  She could’ve turned down this job, but Maggie was in a bind, the company was in a bind, and they’d been so good to Scarlett since she’d started working there.

  Scarlett simply couldn’t say no.

  “Oh, sweetheart, it’s okay.”

  She patted
the little girl’s back and swayed slowly. Maggie had told her the baby was a joy to be around.

  “Madelyn.”

  Scarlett blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “Her name is Madelyn.”

  Well, at least they were getting somewhere and he wasn’t ready to push her out the door. Scarlett already knew Madelyn’s name and had read all the pertinent information regarding this job, but it was nice that Beau wasn’t growling at her anymore.

  Still, she wished he’d go put a shirt on. She couldn’t keep her eyes completely off him, not when he was on display like that. Damn man probably thought he could charm her or distract her by flexing all those glorious, delicious muscles. Muscles that would no doubt feel taut beneath her touch.

  Scarlett swallowed and blinked away the erotic image before she could take it too far. At least she had something else to think of other than her own gut-clenching angst and baby fever. Hunky heartthrob to the rescue.

  Scarlett turned away from the distracting view of her temporary boss and walked toward the tiny living area. The room seemed a little larger thanks to the patio doors leading onto the covered porch, which was decorated with a cute table and chair set.

  The whole cabin was rather small, but it wasn’t her place to ask why a billionaire film star lived in this cramped space on his family’s estate. None of her business. This would just be a quick three weeks in December—in and out—in the most un-festive place ever.

  Maybe she could sneak in some Christmas here and there. Every child deserved some twinkle lights or a stocking, for heaven’s sake. Definitely a tree. Without it, where would Santa put the presents?

  “She’s been cranky all night,” Beau said behind her. “I’ve tried everything, but I can’t make her happy. I’ve never had that happen before.”

  The frustration in his voice softened Scarlett a bit. Beau might be a womanizer and a party animal, if the tabloids were right—which would explain his comfort level with wearing no shirt—but he obviously cared for his daughter.

  Scarlett couldn’t help but wonder where the mother was, but again, it was none of her concern. She’d seen enough tabloid stories to figure the mother was likely in rehab or desperately needing to be there.