SLOW HAND takes place in the wide open spaces of Montana; and as Nicole Powell arrives from sunny Georgia, she quickly realizes that she is out of her element. Nikki has received notice that her long estranged father has died, and as his only relative she must plan his funeral. She runs into a series of problems before she can even reach her destination of Twin Bridges, Montana, however; and a cowboy at the airport helps her out of her predicament. Unbeknownst to Nikki, the cowboy is none other than the lawyer who will be handling her father's will.
Wade Knowlton is on his way home from a meeting when flights are disrupted due to the weather; and gallantly gives up his seat to Nikki. After arriving and discovering that Wade is the lawyer she is to contact, another issue rears its head. She has lost her wallet, with all of her ID and credit cards. Wade, being the gentleman that he is, personally guides her through the process of restoring her identity and provides her a place to stay. It doesn't hurt any that he has taken a fancy to Nikki and wants to get to know her better.
As Wade and Nikki spend time together, the attraction between them grows. Nikki, having been involved in a long string of failed relationships, plans to take care of her business and leave; but thinks a little flirtation with the good-looking lawyer certainly can't hurt anything. Wade takes Nikki home to his family ranch to stay, and then on a trip up the mountain to look for stray cattle. When they are forced to spend the night in a cabin on the mountain, their casual friendship comes to a head. Can Nikki bring herself to trust this cowboy with her heart when so many other men have let her down?
SLOW HAND is historical romance author Victoria Vane's first foray into contemporary romance. The research into the inner workings of the cattle industry, as well as the vivid imagery of the Montana backdrop sets the storyline apart from the average romance tale. SLOW HAND is a meaty, sprawling family saga; as well as a tentative romance between a man burned by previous relationships and a restless, rootless woman. The flirty banter between Wade and Nikki is deliciously wicked, the sexual tension thick, and the love scenes steamy. The well fleshed out secondary characters and subplots of SLOW HAND leave the reader eagerly anticipating the next story in the series; that of Wade's contentious brother Dirk.
Victoria Vane has already achieved indie triumph with her excellent historical romances. SLOW HAND may well be the vehicle for her to attain mainstream success with an established publisher. The rich storyline and vibrant characterizations serve to make SLOW HAND an intense and satisfying read. There are several twists along the way to keep the reader guessing as to where the storyline and romance will go next. SLOW HAND is a quite gratifying read; enjoyable and highly recommended.
In rural Montana...
Wade Knowlton is a hardworking lawyer who's torn between
his
small-town Montana law practice and a struggling family
ranch. He's on the brink of exhaustion from trying to save
everybody and everything, when gorgeous Nicole Powell walks
into his office. She's a damsel in distress and the breath
of fresh air he needs.
Even the lawyers wear boots...
Nicole Powell is a sassy Southern girl who has officially
sworn off cowboys after a spate of bad seeds-until her
father's death sends her to Montana and into the arms of a
man who seems too good to be true. Her instincts tell her
to
high tail it out of Montana, but she can't resist a cowboy
with a slow hand...
EXCERPT
Wade raked his hand through his sandy hair with a curse.
โDamned vegan tree-huggers will destroy our entire state
economy.โ
Iris rolled her eyes as if anticipating a full-blown
tirade. โBe back in a jiffy.โ She winked at Nikki as she
slipped out the door.
Nikki grinned. โI take it youโre not a card-carrying member
of the Green Party?โ
โNo.โ His gaze narrowed and brows pulled into a frown.
โYouโre not one of them I hope.โ
โWho me?โ Nikki shook her head. โNo, sir-ee, Iโm a live-
and-let-live Libertarian and a longtime omnivore. My
grandparents had a chicken farm in Lavonia. I betcha didnโt
know Georgia is the countryโs biggest chicken producer.โ
โNo, maโam.โ His shoulders visibly relaxed. โI didnโt, but
then Iโm not a big chicken fan myself.โ
She let her gaze travel over him in a slow appreciation of
his tall, lean, muscular frame. She guessed he stood at
least six-three in his boots. โI suppose not,โ she said.
โIt would be only prime grass-fed beef and Idaho potatoes
for you.โ
He crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned on the
door frame studying her. โMiz Powell, if I didnโt know
better, Iโd think you were undressing me with those pretty
blue-green eyes of yours.โ
A guilty flush infused her face but she refused to give him
the advantage. She opted for a strong offense instead. โSo
what if I was? Werenโt you quite fixated on my ass at
Denver airport?โ
He raised a sandy eyebrow. โYou noticed that, eh?โ His
confession came with a shameless grin attached.
She jutted her chin. โQuid pro quo, Counselor. What do you
say to that?โ
He approached her slowly, the smile in his eyes
transforming in a blink to a wicked gleam. A gleam that
promised very bad things. His reply sent a warning signal
to every nerve in her body. โIโd say, why just use your
eyes?โ
Dear God, he was trouble with a capital T.
He closed the space between them in two long strides.
Instinctively, Nikki backed up as many stepsโbut her ass
hit the desk. Before she realized what he was about, heโd
caught her hips and lifted her onto it. He held her hostage
with his gazed locked on hers, his arms braced on either
side of hips. โThereโs something real interesting going on
here,โ he remarked at length.
Nikki swallowed hard, her gaze wavering. โI already told
you Iโm not interested. I donโt do casual hookups.โ
โYou think thatโs what this is about?โ
โIsnโt it?โ she asked, intentionally blithe.
He shook his head. โHell, I donโt know. Maybe. Iโd be lying
if I said I didnโt feel a damn powerful attraction to you.โ
Sheโd never had such a strong reaction to another man
either. All he had to do was look at her to get her pulse
racing and her insides quivering. And right now he was too
damned close for comfort. She shifted backward, trying to
create some distance, but there was nowhere to go.
โDonโt you have to be in court soon, Counselor?โ she
reminded him in a voice that came out breathless.
โYeah, I do,โ he replied. โGuess I got a bit sidetracked.
Youโre turning out to be a big distraction, you know that?โ
She bit her lip. โIโm sorry. I didnโt mean to be such an
imposition.โ
โI said a distraction not an imposition. Thereโs a big
difference. I didnโt realize until now just how badly Iโve
needed such a distraction.โ He stepped away with a
reluctant sigh.
Her pulse still hammering in anticipation, Nikki exhaled
the breath she hadnโt realized was trapped in her chest.
Wade spun toward his office. โHelp yourself to the phone
and anything else while I get cleaned up.โ He paused again
on the threshold. โOf course, youโre welcome to use my
office if you need greater privacy.โ He added over his
shoulder with a look of devilment. โOr in the event any
wild impulse overtakes you while I shower.โ
He went to work on his shirt buttons. His collar was soon
wide open revealing a generous show of muscular chest that
make her hands itch to rip it off him. She diverted her
gaze and curled her itchy hands by her sides.
โHave no fear, cowboy,โ Nikki replied in a tone meant to
disguise the warm flush that had come over her. โI
corralled all my wild impulses long ago.โ
โDid you, now?โ He still stood in doorway, head cocked.
โSomehow, I think you may have missed a few strays.โ
โMaybe I need to make myself clearer. I have an aversion to
cocky cowboys.โ
Just keep telling yourself that, Nikki. Maybe if you repeat
it often enough itโll become true.
โIs that so?โ His brows flew upward. โI canโt say I ever
met a woman with an actual aversion to me.โ
โDonโt take it personally. Itโs nothing against you in
particular, but to your type.โ
โAnd what do you think you know about my type?โ
โSince I donโt have a pole handy, enough to keep you at
armโs length. Besides that, this whole line of conversation
is entirely inappropriate in light of professional ethics,
donโt you think? You are my attorney, after all.โ
โWell, darlinโโโhe scratched his unshaven jawโโthereโs a
little hitch to that.โ
โWhat do you mean? You said youโd help me.โ
โAnd I will, but you canโt engage my professional services
until I know who you are.โ
โIโve told you who I am!โ she insisted.
โSweetheart, Iโm a lawyer, and according to the law, your
claim donโt weigh without authentication.โ
โAuthentication?โ
โProof.โ
โSo what are you saying? That you donโt believe me?โ
โIโm not saying that at all. Only that our professional
relationship will commence once you get your ID. In the
interimโโhis gaze slid over her in a way that threatened to
melt her insidesโโyouโd best find yourself a nice, long,
sturdy pole.โ
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