One Night with You Read online

  Rave Reviews for

  FRANCIS RAY

  Nobody But You

  “Fast and fun and full of emotional thrills and sexy chills. Everything a racing romance should be!”

  —Roxanne St. Claire

  Until There Was You

  “Ms. Ray has given us a great novel again. Did we expect anything less than the best?”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)

  “Crisp style, realistic dialogue, likable characters, and [a] fast pace.”

  —Library Journal

  The Way You Love Me

  “A romance that will have readers speed-reading to the next tension-filled scene, if not the climax.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Fans of Ray’s Grayson and Falcon families will be thrilled with the first installment in the new Grayson Friends series. And this is done very well…told with such grace and affection that this novel is a treat to read.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)

  “Francis Ray is, without a doubt, one of the Queens of Romance.”

  —A Romance Review

  Only You

  “Francis Ray’s graceful writing style and realistically complex characters give her latest contemporary romance its extraordinary emotional richness and depth.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “It’s a joy to read this always fresh and exciting saga.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)

  “The powerful descriptive powers of Francis Ray allow the reader to step into the story and become an active part of the surrender... If you love a great love story, Only You should be on your list.”

  —Fallen Angel Reviews

  “Riveting emotion and charismatic scenes that made this book captivating…a beautiful story of love and romance.”

  —Night Owl Romance

  “A beautiful love story as only Francis Ray can tell it.”

  —Singletitles.com

  “Readers will find a warm and wonderful contemporary romance with plenty of humor and drama. Adding a fun warmth and reality to these characters and a plot that moves quickly add all the needed incentive to read this fun book.”

  —Multicultural Romance Writers

  Irresistible You

  “A pleasurable story...a well-developed story and continuous plot.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews

  “Like the previous titles in this series, Irresistible You is another winner…Witty and charming...Author Francis Ray has a true gift for drawing the reader in and never letting them go.”

  —Multicultural Romance Writers

  Dreaming of You

  “A great read from beginning to end, it’s even excellent for an immediate re-read.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews

  “An immensely likable heroine, a sexy man with a heart of gold, and touches of glitz and color, [this] is as unapologetically escapist as Cinderella. Lots of fun.”

  —BookPage

  You and No Other

  “The warmth and sincerity of the Graysons bring another book to life….delightfully realistic.”

  —Romantic Times

  “Astonishing sequel…the best romance of the new year…the Graysons are sure to leave a smile on your face and a longing in your heart for their next story.”

  —ARomanceReview.com

  Someone to Love Me

  “Another great romance novel.”

  —Booklist

  “The characters give as good as they get, and their romance is very believable.”

  —All About Romance

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks Titles

  BY FRANCIS RAY

  The Grayson of New Mexico Series

  Until There Was You

  You and No Other

  Dreaming of You

  Irresistible You

  Only You

  The Graysons Friends Series

  The Way You Love Me

  Nobody But You

  One Night with You

  Someone to Love Me

  I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

  Rockin’ Around That Christmas Tree

  Anthologies

  Rosie’s Curl and Weave

  Della’s House of Style

  Welcome to Leo’s

  Going to the Chapel

  Gettin’ Merry

  One Night

  with You

  Francis Ray

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments and Thanks

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  ONE NIGHT WITH YOU

  Copyright © 2009 by Francis Ray.

  Excerpt from If You Were My Man copyright © 2009 by Francis Ray.

  Cover photograph © Shirley Green

  All rights reserved.

  For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

  ISBN: 978-0-312-36506-6

  Printed in the United States of America

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / November 2009

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Carolyn Michelle Ray, my fantastic research

  assistant. You never give up until you

  find the answer.

  Acknowledgments

  and Thanks

  Patti Berg, romance writer and rancher, who is fortunate enough to live in Montana. Her expertise on the animal and wildlife in the Billings area was invaluable. She also directed me to several resources including The Cowboy Way: Seasons of a Montana Ranch by David McCumber, which was simply fantastic.

  Jenna Black, romance writer who studied physical anthropology, who answered my desperate e-mail for assistance on the time frame of a dig. She was kind enough to send me pictures of her on a dig—which were wonderful.

  Jason M. LaBelle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Colorado State University, who helped me with rancher/archaeologist concerns. You were great.

  Information was also gathered from: Museum of the Rockies, The Getty Institute, Pictograph State Park, Montana Fish and Wildlife, and the Chauvet Cave.

  It was a pleasure and a challenge to write about a rancher’s life in Montana and how to authenticate pictographs/cave drawings. Any mistakes are my own.

  The McBride Family Tree

  Paul & Stella McBride

  (divorced)

  The Graysons of New

  Mexico Series

  The Grayson Friends

  Series

  1. Until There Was You

  1a. The Way You Love Me

  2. You and No Other

  2a. Nobody But You

  3. Dreaming of You

  3a. One Night with You

/>   4. Irresistible You

  5. Only You

  Prologue

  Love sometimes needed a helping hand, Ruth Grayson thought as she studied the wedding pictures of her five children on the mantle in her living room. Ruth had taken great pride in seeing that each child found the one person for them to love and be loved by in return.

  First, there was Luke, the protector and the oldest. For him, Ruth had chosen Catherine Stewart, a noted child psychologist. Catherine possessed a quiet spirit except when it came to championing abused children or her husband. For Morgan, the defender and Ruth’s second born, the ideal match for him had been Phoenix Bannister, a renowned sculptress, who might appear quiet but burned with an inner fire.

  Ruth’s gaze moved to the third photo, of her middle child, Brandon, the nurturer. The perfect woman for him was Faith McBride. Faith possessed the same warm, caring spirit as the man she adored. Pierce, the thinker and Ruth’s fourth son, learned there were no rules in love when he fell in love with Sabra Raineau, a Broadway star.

  A smile curved Ruth’s mouth upward as she stared at the last photo. Sierra, her youngest child and only daughter, still believed she had chosen her life partner, Blade Navarone, without her mother’s help. It didn’t matter. The important thing was that Sierra, gifted with a knack of discernment, had captured the heart and soul of Blade Navarone, the only man whose passion matched hers.

  As Ruth’s fingers touched the smiling faces of Blade and Sierra, she thanked God and the Master of Breath for keeping them from harm when Sierra was kidnapped. Ruth would forever be grateful to Shane and Rio, the two men in charge of Blade’s security at the time, for their expertise and help in bringing everyone home safely.

  Ruth’s gaze moved to the picture of Shane Elliott and his smiling bride, Paige, on the coffee table. After receiving Shane and Rio’s help, Ruth had begun to think that they deserved the same blissful happiness that her children had found. It had only taken Paige’s mother, Joann Albright, asking Ruth for assistance in keeping Paige from becoming engaged to an unscrupulous man for Ruth to set the wheels in motion to bring Paige and Shane together.

  Ruth sighed and thought of Rio—silent, watchful. He would require more in-depth thought and study, but there wasn’t a shred of doubt in Ruth’s mind that the woman for Rio was out there, waiting. Ruth and her sister-in-law, Felicia, wouldn’t rest until they’d brought the two together.

  In the meantime, Ruth had another opportunity to possibly give love a helping hand.

  She picked up the picture next to Shane and Paige’s, a wedding photo of Cameron McBride and Caitlin Lawrence. The picture included the couple’s cute and precious son, Joshua; the groom’s brother, Duncan, and sister, Faith, and Brandon; and the groom’s divorced parents, Paul and Stella McBride, who stood as far away from each other as possible.

  Ruth’s heart went out to Stella. She’d learned too late that the grass wasn’t always greener on the other side. A tough lesson to learn at any age, but particularly daunting for a woman past sixty. Divorcing Paul, as Stella readily admitted to Ruth more than once and again during her unexpected phone call an hour ago, was the worst mistake of her life.

  Stella lived with regret each moment of every day. Loneliness, not the man she loved, was her companion. She didn’t want the same hopeless existence for her older son, Duncan. While Duncan wouldn’t take his ex-wife back on a platinum platter, his unhappy marriage had hardened his heart toward women in general and love in particular. The McBride family curse—successful in business and unhappy in love—probably wasn’t helping him move forward.

  Duncan’s brother and sister might have beaten the odds, but Ruth could understand that as the oldest, he probably thought, looking at his unhappy parents, that the family curse couldn’t be escaped.

  Ruth believed otherwise. It wouldn’t be easy to make him see the possibilities instead of the pitfalls. It would take a special woman to stand up to a strong, commanding man such as Duncan McBride on his Montana ranch.

  The opportunity to do just that had just presented itself. Ruth replaced the photo and moved to the telephone in the kitchen and dialed Raven La Blanc’s number. Brilliant, perceptive, and as independent as they came, Raven was a friend and a fellow professor at St. John’s College in Santa Fe. She had once told Ruth that she wanted stability and permanence more than anything in the world.

  Raven needed to learn that security wasn’t always a place.

  “Hello.”

  Ruth straightened. Time would tell if she was able to help another mother’s plea to aid her child. “Raven, it’s Ruth. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just presented itself and I immediately thought of you.”

  Chapter 1

  Duncan McBride knew trouble when he saw it and he was looking at it in spades.

  He could handle sudden snowstorms, droughts, brush fires, and ornery or sick livestock with grit and determination. He planned to leave his mark on the land, and for that he knew he had to work hard.

  However, no matter how he wished otherwise, there were times he’d come out on the losing end. He didn’t like it, but he accepted the harsh truth and worked harder so that the next time he’d walk away the winner.

  Standing on the front porch of his ranch house east of Billings, Montana, on a beautiful summer morning, Duncan dispassionately watched a woman emerge from the driver’s side of a dusty black Jeep that had seen better days. Before her booted foot hit the paved driveway, he knew trouble had come again to the Double D Ranch.

  Long-legged, elegantly shaped, with generous breasts, she had a small waist and come-hither hips that gently flared in body-hugging jeans. Those features alone would have been enough to bring any man to his knees, but added to that stunning combination was a breathtakingly sculptured face with high cheekbones and a generous mouth painted berry-colored. The explosive package sent a punch straight to Duncan’s gut.

  He didn’t have to watch his foreman, Ramon, a renowned ladies’ man, and his newest hand, Billy, almost trip over themselves rushing to meet her to know he was right. Unmoved, Duncan folded his arms and leaned against a stone post on the porch. Whoever she was, she would be leaving in a hurry.

  He’d learned the hard way that beautiful women didn’t like isolated ranch life and they weren’t happy unless a man was fawning over them, catering to their every whim. Duncan didn’t have the time or the inclination to do either. He had a ranch to run.

  “I’m Ramon Vasquez, and this is Billy Hunt; welcome to the Double D,” Ramon greeted her, tipping his black Stetson, his white teeth flashing in his olive-colored face.

  “Good morning, Ramon, Billy. Raven La Blanc,” she returned, extending her small hand, a smile curving her sensual lips.

  It took Ramon’s elbow in Billy’s side to get him to stop staring with openmouthed fascination and remember to speak. “G-good morning, Ms. La Blanc. Welcome.”

  “Thank you,” Raven said, gently disengaging her hand when Billy continued to hold it. “Could one of you please direct me to Duncan McBride?”

  Ramon and Billy turned to Duncan, their twin expressions openly envious. The woman stared at him as well. With her face of a man’s most erotic and forbidden fantasy, Duncan found he wasn’t immune to her obvious allure any more than his two ranch hands. However, he controlled his body, not the other way around.

  He easily dismissed the stirring of his lower body. He wasn’t dead, just selective. And it was just his bad luck for his body to remember he hadn’t been with a woman in two years.

  “I’m Duncan McBride.”

  The smile that slowly spread over her golden-hued face caused his gut to tighten for an entirely different reason. Her slender hand swept the thick mass of long black hair out of her face. For one traitorous moment Duncan could imagine too well him doing the same thing for her, his mouth following.

  She was definitely leaving, he thought as she started toward him. The admiring gaze of his two ranch hands followed.

  As Duncan straightened, his ey
es narrowed in anger. His men were staring at her butt. Several feet away, she paused, her head tilting to one side, studying him. She surprised him by not running back to her Jeep. His men had certainly taken off. He could almost admire her for standing her ground.

  Almost.

  “What can I do for you, miss?” he prompted, wanting to get rid of her as soon as possible so he could get to work. There never seemed to be enough time to complete the endless jobs needed on a ranch the size of his. Today, they were bringing in the calves to start branding. One of his prize mares was taking her own sweet time about foaling, and the Angus cows he’d purchased were due to arrive soon. He didn’t have time for a woman.

  Raven La Blanc did her best not to stare at the gorgeous man on the porch. He was broad shouldered, with smooth, creamed-coffee-colored skin, a tempting mouth, and piercing onyx eyes beneath a worn black Stetson.

  She’d seen handsome men before, dismissed them without a moment’s hesitation, but something about the unsmiling man intrigued her. From the way he was staring at her in his defensive stance, he clearly didn’t share her interest. He wanted her gone, but she hadn’t driven over a thousand miles to turn around and go back to Santa Fe.

  Being a woman with a mixed heritage of Native American and French, Raven was used to challenges. Her smile widened as she closed the distance between them, stopping at the foot of the steps to stare at up at his unwelcoming face. “Good morning, Mr. McBride. I’m Raven La Blanc, the archeologist Ruth Grayson spoke to you about. I’m here to authenticate the ca—”