Midnight Rider

Count Eduardo Cortes's fortune—and future at his beloved ranch—are in question. Tragedy, money woes and family pressure are now driving him toward a marriage of convenience. That is, until he encounters Bernadette Barron, wandering frightened and disheveled after a society ball.…Beneath the grime, it's clear Bernadette is beautiful and rich. But is she just another heartbreak waiting to happen or has Eduardo finally found the one woman who can save his ranch and heal his heart? The Spanish count can provide Bernadette with the title she needs—but can he return her feelings?Gazing into her husband's penetrating eyes, Bernadette sees not only his calculating ways but also his quick arousal to passion. Will their growing desire be enough to overcome the mounting challenges they face…and to claim the love she will not be denied?Review"Palmer demonstrates, yet again, why she's the queen of desperado quests for justice and true love."--Publisher's Weekly on Dangerous"The popular Palmer has penned another winning novel,a perfect blend of romance and suspense."-Booklist on Lawman"Palmer knows how to make the sparks fly...heartwarming."-Publishers Weekly on Renegade"Sensual and suspenseful."-Booklist on Lawless From the Inside FlapSavor the magic of New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer in a dazzlingly sensual story of turn-of-the-century Texas, of a man as enigmatic and forbidding as the sun-drenched land--and the woman who dares to cross into the uncharted territory of his heart.To Bernadette Barron, Eduardo Cortes was the enemy. A noble count with a sprawling ranch in the grand state of Texas, Cortes challenged her with dark, penetrating eyes that seemed to pierce her very soul. Could he see the burning truth: that she loved him? It is a secret Bernadette vows to keep--especially now that she is to become his wife. For theirs is a marriage bargain, pure and simple. He needs a rich wife to save his ranch; she needs a titled husband.Yet desire will turn a marriage of convenience into a passionate battle of wills, and change an innocent girl into a woman aware of her own powers of attraction. For it is love's fiery initiation that will make Bernadette aware of her own capacity for pleasure as well as her husband's skill at providing it. And it is the sheer force of her own love that will give her newfound strength to battle against the odds to claim a man and a love she will not be denied. . . .