Title: Braydon's Bride
Series: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers #3
Author: Kathleen Lewis
Genre: Western Historical Romance
OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Braydon prides himself on his way with women. After all, he was raised in a house full of them.
Then he meets Henrietta, an adventure-loving, globe-trotting, treasure-hunting enigma.
Henrietta makes her own way. She has no time for Braydon’s macho charisma. No interest in getting involved in the feud between Braydon’s brothers and their sworn enemy.
Until she finds herself implicated in a murder. And Braydon is the one person she can count on.
Henrietta heaved a sigh of relief as Braydon sauntered back to the bride and groom’s head table. “Don’t encourage him,” she hissed under her breath to her friend, Percy.
Percy shook his elegant blond head. “Darling, Henny. Men like Braydon Mason don’t need encouragement. They thrive on any sort of challenge.”
Henrietta sniffed. “As long as he doesn’t consider me one. I was warned he fancies himself quite the ladies’ man. He was raised in a brothel, of all places.”
Percy laughed out loud, causing a few of the guests to look their way, wondering if they had missed a good joke. “I don’t know if I ought to envy the bloke or pity him. Oops, don’t look now, but here he comes.”
Sure enough, Henrietta looked up to see Braydon making a bee-line for their table. She rose before he reached them, scanning the room for the nearest exit, but only made it two steps before he caught her arm. She glanced back, horrified to see he held her shawl and her reticule in one large, sun-browned hand.
“Forgetting something?”
There was no mistaking the teasing glint in his dark eyes. She tossed her head proudly. “Not at all. I was just …” She glanced around, seeking an excuse for her attempt to flee. “I was just going for another glass of Champagne.”
“Great idea. I could use a beer.” Before she knew it, her hand was tucked in the crook of his elbow and secured there with his free hand. The warmth of his clasp sent unwanted tingles of awareness up her arm and beyond.
Henrietta felt the curious gaze from more than a few pairs of eyes following their progress, and much as she wanted to pull away and tell Braydon Mason to keep his filthy hands to himself, she reminded herself there was a time and a place for everything. She was the newcomer here, and something of a curiosity to the locals.
“’Nother beer, Bray?” the bartender greeted him.
“And Champagne for the lady, Mac.”
“Coming right up.”
“Thank you,” she said, accepting the glass Braydon held her way, relieved when he released her to pick up their drinks from the bar.
“My pleasure.” The way he watched her over the rim of his glass implied his pleasures were vast and varied. And that he wasn’t above sharing.
Two could play at that game!
She leaned against the bar, not taking her eyes from him. “I hear the women in town are all wondering who will be the next Mason brother down the aisle, and with which lucky lady.”
“I’ve got four other brothers in the running. I’ll sit that race out.”
“Don’t be saying that too loudly,” Henrietta said. “I can’t bear the sight of female tears.”
“One more thing we have in common.”
“I wasn’t aware we had anything in common, Mr. Mason.”
“I told you. Braydon.” He reached forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear with an easily familiarity that annoyed her. She went to bat his hand away, but he caught her hand in his and raised it to his mouth. Before she could jerk free his tongue made the most delicious warm, hot swirls across her palm at the same time his thumb stroked the sensitive underside of her wrist.
Pulling her hand away was the furthest thing from her mind.
Instead, she dashed her glass of Champagne in his face.
copyright 2019 Kathleen Lawless
Kathleen Lawless blames a misspent youth watching Rawhide, Maverick and Bonanza for her fascination with cowboys. Historical or contemporary, cowboys continue to resonate with her today and inspired her new historical romance series, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Steele, in A Hard Man to Love, is a modern-day cowboy, so when she was dating on-line and met a man called Steel— While he’s not a cowboy, he is an Alpha ale and her forever hero. Which is why all of her stories end Happily Ever After.
Not that she can ever stick to just one genre. So many stories to tell—never enough time.
With close to 30 published novels to her credit, she enjoys pushing the boundaries of traditional romance into historical romance, erotic romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction and stories for young adults.
Sign up for Kathleen’s VIP Reader Group to receive a free, unpublished prequel of the Seven Brides series, updates, special giveaways and fan-priced offers. http://eepurl.com/bV0sb1
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