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Authors: LuAnn McLane

Wicked Wonderland

BOOK: Wicked Wonderland
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Table of Contents
 
 
 
 
Praise for the Authors
LuAnn Mc Lane
“[A] fun and flirty contemporary romance.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Lighthearted comedy and steamy romance . . . a delightful tale.”
—Romance Junkies
“A hoot! The pages fly in this sexy, hilarious romp.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Charmingly entertaining . . . a truly pleasurable read.”

Romantic Times
Susanna Carr
“Sizzling and charming.”
—Romance Junkies
“Witty and sexy . . . what a huge amount of fun!”
—Just Erotic Romance Reviews
“The sexual tension is unbelievable!”

New York Times
bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries
“Delivers exactly what readers want.”
—TwoLips Reviews
Janice Maynard
“Romantic, entertaining, and sexy enough to leave you wanting more!”

New York Times
bestselling author Lori Foster
“If you . . . like your romance lovin’ hot, emotion driven, and often, Maynard delivers in spades.”
“Smart, sexy, and so hot it singes the pages.”

New York Times
bestselling author JoAnn Ross
“A must read. A true scorcher.”
—Romance Junkies
SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
 
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
 
First Printing, November 2010
eISBN : 978-1-101-46614-8
 
Copyright © Penguin Group (USA), Inc., 2010
“Hot Whisper” copyright © LuAnn McLane, 2010
“Hot for the Holidays” copyright © Jasmine Communications, LLC, 2010
“Hot Arctic Nights” copyright © Janice Maynard, 2010
All rights reserved
 
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
 
Set in Bembo
 
 
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
 
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
These are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
 
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.Your support of the authors’ rights is appreciated.

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Hot Whisper
LuAnn McLane
Chapter One
C
laire paused and put a hand to her chest before picking up an exquisitely carved statue of Santa Claus. She ran her French-tipped fingernail over the smooth wood surface and sighed. The attention to detail made the jolly old elf appear so lifelike that she could almost hear him give her a deep
Ho, ho, ho!
“Oh, this is perfect!” Claire said with a happy sigh. Her mother collected Santa figurines from all over the world, so Claire had seen countless Clauses over the years, yet none had captivated her quite like this one.Who would have thought she would have found a Christmas gift for her impossible-to-buy-for mother at a tiny train depot in . . . Where was she? After glancing up, Claire spotted an artfully painted sign behind the register and nodded slowly. “Whisper, Colorado.”
What a soothing name, she thought as she clutched the Santa to her chest. A little bit of her earlier tension eased from her neck and shoulders. The weeklong convention in Denver had been exhausting, and she longed to get home for the holidays. Flying back to Atlanta would have been quicker, but after a terrifyingly turbulent flight a few years ago, Claire now had a cold-sweat-inducing fear of ever boarding another airplane. Truthfully, the train ride had turned out to be a quiet, laid-back alternative that Claire had thoroughly enjoyed. Her demanding job as a senior stylist at a high-end Atlanta salon left Claire little downtime, so the cross-country trek had been a welcome excursion. And for a girl born and raised in the city, seeing miles upon miles of farmland sprinkled with small towns here and there had been quite an eye-opener.
“Hand carved by Jesse Marshall,” Claire read from a glossy brochure lying next to the display. A self-confessed shopaholic, Claire had managed to find a fun little trinket in each and every train station, but these Santa statues were an unexpected delight and a bargain at thirty-five dollars. “Hm, local artist,” she murmured.
“Um, miss, we’re closing.”
“Oh!” Claire glanced over at the young clerk and smiled in apology while wondering why he appeared so skittish. “Sorry, I was having a difficult time choosing, but I think I’ll take this one.” She held up the Santa and started walking toward the front of the store. “Wow!” Claire looked out the window in surprise. “When did it start snowing?” Fat flakes twirled in a gusty wind and were coming down hard.
“A few minutes ago, and the weatherman said we’re in for quite a winter storm. I don’t mean to rush you, but I’d like to close up and get home.”
“I don’t blame you. I’m from Atlanta, so we don’t deal with this much down there, but I’ve seen enough snow to know that I’m scared to drive in it.”
BOOK: Wicked Wonderland
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