Page 1 of Taming a Heartbreaker

Prologue

Sloan and Leslie Outlaw’s wedding...

“Sloan definitely likes kissing you, girlfriend.”

Leslie Outlaw couldn’t help but smile at her best friend’s whispered words. “And I love kissing him.”

She’d married the man she loved, and she’d had her best friend Carmen Golan at her side. Leslie followed her friend’s gaze now and saw just where it had landed—right on Redford St. James, who was being corralled by the photographer as Sloan took pictures with his best man and groomsmen.

Unease stirred Leslie’s insides at her friend’s obvious interest.

Leslie had known Redford for as long as she’d known Sloan, since she’d met both guys the same day on the university’s campus over ten years ago. Redford had been known then as a heartbreaker. According to Sloan, Redford hadn’t changed. If anything, he’d gotten worse.

“Carmen, I need to warn you about Redford,” Leslie said, hoping it wasn’t too late. She’d noted last night at the rehearsal how taken her best friend had been with Redford. She’d hoped she was mistaken.

“I know all about him, Leslie, so you don’t need to warn me. However, you might want to put a bug in Sloan’s ear to warn Redford about me.”

Leslie lifted a brow. “Why?”

A wide smile covered Carmen’s face. “Because Redford St. James is the man I intend to marry. Your hubby is on his way over here. I will see you at the reception.”

Leslie watched Carmen walk toward Redford. Marry? Redford? She had a feeling her best friend was biting off more than she could chew. Redford was not the marrying kind. He’d made that clear when he’d said no woman would ever tame him.

Chapter One

Two years later...

Redford St. James froze, with his wineglass midway to his lips, when he saw the woman walk into the wedding reception for Jaxon and Nadia Ravnell. Frowning, he immediately turned to the man by his side, Sloan Outlaw. During their college days at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, Sloan, Redford, and another close friend, Tyler Underwood, had been thick as thieves, and still were.

Redford had been known as the “king of quickies.” He would make out with women any place or any time. Storage rooms, empty classrooms or closets, beneath the stairs, dressing rooms...he’d used them all. He had the uncanny ability to scope out a room and figure out just where a couple could spend time for pleasure. He still had that skill and used it every chance he got.

Although he, Sloan and Tyler now lived in different cities in Alaska, they still found the time to get together a couple of times a year. Doing so wasn’t as easy as it used to be since both Tyler and Sloan were married with a child each. Tyler had a son and Sloan a daughter.

“Why didn’t you tell me Carmen Golan was invited to this wedding?”

Sloan glanced over at Redford and rolled his eyes. “Just like you didn’t tell me Leslie had been invited to Tyler and Keosha’s wedding three years ago?”

Redford frowned. “Don’t play with me, Sloan. You should have known Leslie would be invited, since she and Keosha were friends in college. In this case, I wasn’t aware Carmen knew Jaxon or Nadia.”

Sloan took a sip of his wine before saying, “The Outlaws and Westmorelands consider themselves one big happy family, and that includes outside cousins, in-laws and close friends. Since Carmen is Leslie’s best friend, of course she would know them.” Sloan then studied his friend closely. “Why does Carmen being here bother you, Redford? If I recall, when I put that bug in your ear after my wedding, that she’d said she intended to one day become your wife, you laughed it off. Has that changed?”

“Of course, that hasn’t changed.”

“You’re sure?” Sloan asked. “It seems to me that over the past two years, whenever the two of you cross paths, you try like hell to avoid her. Most recently, at Cassidy’s christening a few months ago.” Cassidy was Sloan and Leslie’s daughter. Redford was one of her godfathers, and Carmen was her godmother.

“No woman can change my ways. I don’t ever intend to marry. Who does she think she is, anyway? She doesn’t even know me like that. If she did, then she would know my only interest in her at your wedding was getting her to the nearest empty coat closet. The nerve of her, thinking she can change me.”

“And since you know she can’t change you, why worry about it?”

“I’m not worrying.”

“If you say so,” Sloan countered.

Redford’s frown deepened. “I do say so. You of all people should know that I’ll never fall in love again.”

Before Sloan could respond, his sister Charm walked up and said the photographer wanted to take a photo of Jaxon with his Outlaw cousins.

When Sloan walked off, leaving Redford alone, he took a sip of his wine as he looked across the room at Carmen again. Sloan’s words had hit a nerve. He wasn’t worried. Then why had he been avoiding her for the past two years? Doing so hadn’t been easy since he was one of Sloan’s best friends and she was Leslie’s, and both were godparents to Cassidy. Whenever they were in the same space, he made it a point to not be in her presence for long.

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