Texas Magic

by Jean Brashear

  Nikos lost his balance—

  And together they fell into a brand new world.

  ~THE END~

  Thank you for letting me share my stories with you! Dominic Santorini first appeared in the Texas Heroes series in TEXAS CHARM. The next Sweetgrass Springs story is BE MY MIDNIGHT KISS.

  When a woman with no faith in love meets the quintessential nice guy determined to breach her mile-high walls, sparks fly as both fight a decidedly unwelcome but equally unavoidable attraction.

  Steph Hargrove was a bombshell, a sexy, intrepid woman operating in the business world with guts, brains and daring. She was accustomed to going after whatever she wanted until a man she called friend betrayed her and the company she’d helped build—and nearly killed her in the process. Since that time, she’s been a shadow of the wild, wicked woman who’d carved a swath through her world.

  Gavin O’Neill is an artisan with wood, a gardener, a restorer of battered homes and a savior of strays. When first he meets the wounded woman who postures as invincible and worldly, the sadness in her eyes draws him even more than her lush figure does. However she insists otherwise, he sees that she needs the kindness and friendship he can give to her while he’s waiting for the woman of his dreams, who will be small and soft and sweet, different in every way from the woman he keeps returning to see.

  Yet while he’s not interested in the virago and she refuses to be nurtured, a potent attraction keeps them circling each other. And while they’re busy listing the reasons they’re unsuited, something powerful is growing between them.

  New Year’s Eve is for lovers and new beginnings…will these two stubborn souls take the risk?

  Start reading BE MY MIDNIGHT KISS today!

  If you enjoyed TEXAS MAGIC, I would be very grateful if you would help others find this book by recommending it to your friends in such places as GOODREADS, BOOKBUB and writing a review. If you would like to be informed when my next release is available or get news of special prices on my books, please sign up for my newsletter here. You can also follow me on BookBub here.

  I love hearing from you, so please contact me through any of the options at the end of this book.

  Thanks!

  Jean

  Please enjoy an excerpt from BE MY MIDNIGHT KISS:

  No one in the Sweetgrass headquarters of Enigma dressed up, but Steph had today because—

  She wasn’t sure, exactly. Couldn’t explain it even to herself. Some attempt, she supposed, to regain control of her life. To return to the footing she’d once thought natural.

  But all she had to do was walk outside on the town square to know she wasn’t in Kansas anymore, Toto. Actually she probably was in someplace as provincial as Kansas—but she was the witch with the flying monkeys, dropped down into the land of cowboys and barbecue.

  “You all right, darlin’?” asked a very familiar voice.

  No. No freaking way. Wyatt’s crew wasn’t supposed to start work for Jackson until—

  Crap. Today was Tuesday. She was shaking her head as she turned.

  And there he stood, Gavin O’Neill in the flesh. Looking far too delicious for her piece of mind in dusty jeans and beat-up work boots, a t-shirt that molded his fine upper body too well and…oh, man…a tool belt slung at his hips.

  No fair.

  “What?” he asked. But he was grinning as if he could read her thoughts.

  Blast the man, he probably could. “Don’t you have work to do?”

  “And don’t you make a picture?” he asked. “All slick and sleek and shiny.”

  Her spine went ramrod stiff. “I’m dressed for work.”

  His brows rose. “Jackson Gallagher has on a t-shirt and jeans.”

  “Jackson owns the company.”

  “You own your own portion. Does that make you a rich woman, darlin’? In need of a gigolo, perhaps?” He grinned as he opened his arms wide. “You could have both, your own personal man of all work and a love slave to boot. What do you say, sugar?” His eyes glowed with mischief.

  She burst out laughing. “You’re ridiculous. Go back to work.”

  “It’s time for lunch. Would you prefer to have me escort you to Ruby’s, or shall we have a picnic at the spring?”

  “I don’t eat lunch.” Or she hadn’t before she came to Sweetgrass, where Ruby and Scarlett fed her so well she was in danger of needing to let out seams.

  “A pity.” He clucked his tongue. “You need some meat on your bones, my mama would say.”

  “Do you actually have a mom? ”

  “I do, and she adores me the way you will soon.” He took her elbow and began to escort her to Ruby’s.

  Steph tried to dig in her heels, but the man was ox-strong. “No. I’d rather not—” She wasn’t up for the questions she’d get if they were seen together. Sweetgrass had a gossip mill that worked overtime.

  “Fine, then. You can share my lunch.”

  “You’ll need your strength. I—”

  “Well, I have to admit I like the sound of that.” His eyebrows waggled. One hand spread over his heart, and he patted it. “That gives a man a reason to live.”

  “You are such a jerk.” But she laughed as she said it. “I’ll grab something from Spike’s cantina. You go on.”

  “Oh, no. I’d find myself eating alone, and that won’t do. Not when a much more tantalizing option has presented itself.”

  He followed her into the cantina Jackson had established for his employees. The place was open 24/7, since his geeks worked all hours, and when it wasn’t staffed, Spike kept plenty of food in the coolers.

  When they entered, Spike and Big D were arguing over which Marvel superhero was best.

  “Oh come on, now,” Big D complained. “Cap is just too white-bread. Give me some Black Widow any day.”

  Spike rolled her eyes. “Of course you’d like the black catsuit.”

  “You think Thor’s long hair is hot. He’s only an over-muscled egomaniac.”

  “You’re just jealous.”

  “Superbrain here,” he said, tapping his temple. “Brains beat brawn.”

  “And it’s her…brains you admire? Not the boobs?”

  “Oh come on—don’t be a sexist. Nat is wicked smart. I’d think you’d like how kickass she is.”

  Steph went to the cooler and grabbed an apple and some yogurt. She turned back to get Spike to put it on her tab.

  Gavin was buying two enormous cookies.

  “I don’t eat desserts,” she said.

  “Oh, you thought these were for you?” Gavin grinned.

  …Excerpt from BE MY MIDNIGHT KISS by Jean Brashear © 2017.

  Start reading BE MY MIDNIGHT KISS today!

  THE SWEETGRASS SPRINGS STORIES in order:

  TEXAS ROOTS (Ian and Scarlett)

  TEXAS WILD (Mackey and Rissa)

  TEXAS DREAMS (a reunion of all the Texas Heroes families)

  TEXAS REBEL (Jackson and Veronica)

  TEXAS BLAZE (Bridger and Penelope)

  TEXAS CHRISTMAS BRIDE (a Texas Heroes reunion)

  THE BOOK BABES

  TEXAS HOPE (Michael and Laken)

  TEXAS STRONG (Tank and Chrissy)

  TEXAS SWEET (Brenda and Henry)

  BE MINE THIS CHRISTMAS (Gib and Dulcie)

  TEXAS CHARM (Jeanette and Walker)

  TEXAS MAGIC (Dominic and Lexie)

  BE MY MIDNIGHT KISS (Steph and Gavin)

  Click on the covers below for more on each book

  THE TEXAS HEROES series:

  THE GALLAGHERS OF MORNING STAR

  Secrets will be revealed and the lives of four people will be shattered as they learn that who they are and where they come from is not at all what they always believed.

  Texas Secrets: Former SEAL Boone Gallagher returns to the only home he’s ever known only to find that the ranch has been willed to a stranger who doesn’t want it—and he must keep her there for thirty days, or it will be lost to them both.

  Texas Lonely: A loner who�
��s lost faith in love is the only hope for a mother and child on the run

  Texas Bad Boy: Disgraced bad boy has his chance for revenge against the beautiful society girl who chose money over his love

  The Gallaghers Of Morning Star Boxed Set

  THE MARSHALLS

  Texas Refuge: Haunted former detective is the only sanctuary for an actress being stalked by a madman

  Texas Star: Sexiest Man Alive becomes a white knight for a woman who keeps trying to escape him

  Texas Danger: Down on his luck rancher is the only hope for a socialite on the run from the mob

  The Marshalls Boxed Set

  THE WORLD OF SWEETGRASS SPRINGS

  Nestled in the Texas Hill Country, tiny Sweetgrass Springs was founded by four veterans of the Texas Revolution, and for over a century the town and their ranches grew and prospered. Nowadays, however, too many of the town’s children leave for the big city as soon as they can escape, and Sweetgrass is barely hanging on. The heart and soul of Sweetgrass is Ruby Gallagher. Her daughter vanished from Sweetgrass right after high school, but Ruby, owner of community gathering place Ruby’s Café, remains, keeping vigil, hoping for her daughter’s return. She is fighting to save her ancestors’ legacy, but the town is dying, and it’s breaking Ruby’s heart.

  Then the granddaughter she never knew existed arrives and sets in motion a new life for this eccentric, lovable spot in the road…where hope never fades and love never dies. Readers call it “a special place for hearts that need healing.”

  Texas Roots: A Paris-trained chef on the run finds Texas family she never knew existed and a sexy cowboy she doesn’t dare love

  Texas Wild: Sexy SEAL turned Hollywood stuntman returns home to find his buddy’s little sister all grown up

  Texas Dreams: Take two reluctant brides and two frustrated grooms, mix with both clans of Gallaghers and season with a SEAL or three, a movie star, a Hollywood Barbie and a country music giant—and get not one but two surprise weddings

  Texas Rebel: A former rebellious teen turned billionaire’s reunion with his teenage sweetheart and a secret baby he never knew about

  Texas Blaze: What happens when a shark lawyer in stilettos has a fling with a hot firefighter determined to find Suzy Homemaker?

  Texas Christmas Bride: All he wants is the girl he thought he’d lost forever.

  The Book Babes: Five women began as a reading group and became family…but now change is rippling through the group. (A surprise Sweetgrass Springs connection!)

  Texas Hope: Can two brothers who never knew each other existed overcome the secrets of a woman who abandoned one son and lied to the other?

  Texas Strong: Can a man who’s never trusted anyone and a woman who’s trusted all the wrong men defy the odds and open their hearts to each other?

  Texas Sweet: When a stranger who holds the keys to her identity arrives in town, will the girl everyone knows as Brenda come to terms with her past or run again?

  Be Mine This Christmas: The man he’s become is not the boy she once knew—and he may never forgive her, once he knows the secret she’s been concealing.

  Texas Charm: He’s a country superstar; she’s a small town waitress. When the real world slams into their reverie, whose heart will be the one to break? (Contains an original song written for this book)

  Texas Magic: One billionaire…one tomboy…one night of magic. Miracle or mirage?

  Be My Midnight Kiss: It’s New Year’s Eve…and now or never for these two hearts

  Boxed sets:

  The Gallaghers Of Sweetgrass Springs Boxed Set 1 (Books 1-3)

  The Gallaghers Of Sweetgrass Springs Boxed Set 2 (Books 4-6)

  LONE STAR LOVERS

  Heart-tugging, action-packed and passionate stories of the close-knit Sullivan/Sandoval family of four brothers and one sister, plus the three Morgan sisters, orphaned and separated for many years, whose lives reconnect as they become part of the family circle.

  Texas Heartthrob: Hollywood’s hottest star is a man in disguise when he encounters a woman who’s lost everything…but her secrets. When the world catches up to them, will the price of their lies cost them everything?

  Texas Healer: Special Forces medic holds the power to heal both a doctor’s injured body and her wounded heart…but she can’t stay in his world—and he can’t leave.

  Texas Protector: A detective forever haunted by the night when he couldn’t save a young girl from trauma—now she’s a cop herself and he has to send her undercover to lure a murderer.

  Texas Deception: A plucky crusader falls for a down-on-his-luck stranger—only to learn too late that he’s the villain determined to destroy her town

  Texas Lost: A hard-nosed detective targeted by internal affairs and the woman who’s professional evaluation will make or break his career. A a growing attraction between them risks first his case…and then her life.

  Texas Wanderer: When she’s lost all her dreams and is finally finding a place to call home, will she place her trust—and her heart—in the hands of a wanderer with secrets?

  Texas Bodyguard: He’s undercover as a bodyguard to a film star because her best friend is his top suspect. When she comes to mean too much to him, confessing his deception means risking his career—but not coming clean with her could risk her life

  Texas Rescue: A haunted warrior who lives in the shadows encounters a small, valiant woman who’s a champion of lost causes, and the vibrant light within her lures him from the darkness. When she is rocked by a brush with evil, can he make her feel safe again…and can she convince him that he deserves to live in the light?

  Lone Star Lovers Boxed Set (Books 1-3)

  SECOND CHANCES series

  Love deserves a second chance…

  Guarding Gaby: Gabriela Navarro believed she and Eli Wolverton would always be together…until he abandoned her.

  Bringing Bella Back: They had the perfect marriage…until he lost his way. Then he lost Bella.

  The Price He Paid: The golden boy and the rebel girl who cost him everything

  The House That Love Built: Once they had it all: a home with a man who adored her, three children they cherished, a life filled with passion and promise. Until one troubled child cost them everything.

  The Road Back Home: Can her family forgive what she can’t forgive herself?

  Dream House: Her dream house is the scene of his nightmares.

  DANGEROUS TO LOVE stories

  Is he her enemy…or will he save her?

  Dark, deadly and dangerous, they operate in the shadows, guarding the women they love but cannot have.

  The Choice: Only one of them can win—and if they cannot learn to trust each other, both of them could die.

  Mercy: He went to prison for twenty years to save her…can he save her again?

  The Light Walker: A brand-new detective. A mesmerizing, mysterious billionaire suspect. A powerful attraction that threatens the balance in a battle between the dark and the light

  Dangerous To Love Boxed Set

  About the Author

  A letter to Rod Stewart resulting in a Cinderella 16th birthday for her daughter might have been the first step on Texas romance author Jean Brashear’s path to being a New York Times and USAToday bestselling author of more than 50 novels in romance and women’s fiction.

  Jean’s stories are hailed as “feel-good romance at its finest” and her quirky small towns are called “a special place for hearts that need healing.” All are evidence of Jean’s heartfelt belief that love is the most powerful force in the universe, and her stories reflect that bone-deep commitment to spreading her faith in the goodness that exists inside us all.

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  Magic