by Starla Kaye
He closed his eyes, blew out a breath of intense frustration. What the hell was he going to do about this disaster?
Two days later in a small wedding chapel on Las Vegas’s main strip Amy stood next to Lee and nervously whispered, “I do.” It had taken her three ties to get the quiet words out.
“Speak up, honey,” Samuel Grayson stated boldly from where he sat in the few chairs behind them. “Nobody could hear you.”
She watched Lee give his father a frown of annoyance, but decided Samuel was right. It still stunned her that she’d agreed to go through with Samuel’s wild idea that she and Lee get married, at least until everything blew over. What surprised her even more was that Lee had gone along with the idea. He didn’t seem the type of man to be forced into anything he didn’t want to do.
He gently squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring look, like he’d done in the helicopter. That fast trip had seemed surreal. This, though, was far beyond that. She wondered if she closed her eyes for a second and opened them, if it would all have been a dream. A wild dream and nothing more.
“I heard you.” His voice was low and rumbly. It did things to her that she didn’t want to think about now.
She pushed that reaction aside and thought about what he’d said. Her response hadn’t been good enough. If she were doing this, she would do it right.
Tipping up her chin, she glanced at Samuel seated next to Lee’s slightly younger, equally handsome adopted brothers, Daniel and Doug. They had been the only other siblings at the ranch when she’d arrived there with Lee and Molly. The flirtatious devils, so much alike, winked at her and she heard Lee give a quiet growl of irritation. His reaction amused her and settled her as well.
She looked straight at Lee and raised her voice so everyone would hear. “I do.”
He blinked in surprise and then slowly grinned. He held her hand through the rest of the words spoken by the short, slightly pudgy version of Elvis complete with a white rhinestone-studded suit. At the appropriate time, Lee declared, “I do.”
He turned toward Hunter Grayson, the quiet yet intimidating oldest of the adopted sons, who had shown up only minutes before the ceremony. Hunter handed Lee a ring he’d brought with him, a ring the rest of them had forgotten about. The brothers exchanged some kind of silent communication and then Lee faced her once more.
She held out a shaking hand and he slipped the ring on her finger. Heart racing at the seriousness of the situation, she was barely aware of Molly stepping up to give her a ring for Lee. A ring also supplied by Hunter. This is wrong, her conscience screamed. Marriage should be a sacred event, not a chicken way out.
Lee held out his hand, pulling her from her troubled musings. He looked her in the eye. She sucked in a breath and she pushed the ring onto his finger. Done deal. She was a married woman…for now.
Anything else the minister might have said after that was lost in Samuel’s hooting and carrying on chorused by Daniel and Doug. Beside her Molly hissed, “Shush!” to them, but they ignored her.
And then Lee pulled her up against him. Every nerve in her body zapped to life. Her heart pounded even as her knees threatened to give out. She drew in his scent, felt the heat of him, waited, wondered. Slowly he lowered his head and kissed her. It wasn’t a simple I’m-doing-this-because-it’s-expected kiss. He put everything he had into it. It was just like her dreams.
For a second she didn’t know how to respond. Then she decided what the hell and kissed him back, although she was clearly far less experienced than Lee. Evidently she wasn’t too bad at it, though, because he groaned and rubbed a very proud erection against her. She sighed and enjoyed the moment.
“Best get you two out of here.” Samuel chuckled and came over to pat Lee on the back. “You’re making sweet Molly blush something awful.”
Feeling her face heat, Amy stepped away, noting the shocked expression on Lee’s face. It was clear that he hadn’t intended to get quite so into kissing her and didn’t know how to react now. They hadn’t touched one another since he’d helped her out of the helicopter at the ranch. He’d kept his distance, kept his thoughts to himself after the initial argument about taking such a drastic step to solve the mess they were in.
She hadn’t said much either. She’d been swept along in everything, which puzzled her a bit. She’d decided after her father had died that she would take control of her life. For too many years she’d had to apologize for him, had to withstand pitying looks, and had to accept that her dreams might never come true. But since his death she’d been working hard to build up her self-confidence and to find a way to make what she longed for become a reality. Marrying a jock had never been one of her dream except for the starring role he had in her “hot” dreams.
He put a hand to her back and urged her to walk past his grinning brothers and his father. “We’ll be at the ranch tomorrow.”
Nerves once more fluttered in her stomach. Now they moved on to the rest of the carefully discussed plan. They would make themselves seen in the right places to be recognized. Lee would fawn over her, pretending to be the adoring newly married groom. She would gush over him, showing the world how much she loved him. His personal manager had already leaked a story about their secret affair and how Lee had finally swept her off to Las Vegas to get married. His lawyer was already trying to smooth things over with the team’s owners. But whether or not they suspended him for the rest of the season was still to be determined. A lot of their decision would depend on how she and Lee handled this quick marriage in front of the media.
“We’ll get through this,” he said calmly. He stopped beside her, looking down, his expression concerned. “I’ll make this up to you.”
She really didn’t know how to respond to that. He’d said something like that a few times, so had Samuel. It was obvious they meant to pay her in some way for helping salvage his reputation. She could use money, of course, but the idea rubbed her wrong. What she would like is a job on the Last Chance Ranch. But she’d rather get it because of her skills, not because they felt they owed it to her.
She forced a smile as they neared the front doors of the chapel in case there happened to be photographers waiting outside. “Better put your game face on, cowboy.”
He stopped for a second, straightened his shoulders, and blew out a deep breath. And then he leaned down to kiss her again. This time he was more hesitant. When he stopped, he rested his forehead against hers and said quietly, “You deserve better than this, better than me.”
Her toes were still tingling, along with everything else in her. While she’d enjoyed his more intense kiss, his gentle one touched her heart. If she didn’t watch out, she just might fall in love with him.
I hope you enjoyed this introduction to one of the troubled kids adopted by Samuel Grayson. His “kids” are now grown up and are taking on wives or significant others, building new lives. Lee’s life took an unexpected and complicated turn. But a real future together for he and Amy is up in the air. The couple will be back in a novella, RIDING FOR A FALL.
Other stories in the Devils in Denim anthology will include:
* Rose’s Cowboys: Rose is fresh home from college and is the new librarian in the nearest small town. She has had a bad history with men so far and is wary, especially of cowboys. Yet she has trouble resisting the devilish Grayson brothers, Daniel and Doug, that she meets at a Sadie Hawkin’s Day dance. They aren’t blood related, but close enough in looks to almost be twins. And they tend to think along the same lines. Both want pretty little Rose, even if they have to share her…if she’ll be agreeable.
* * * *
* Loving Her Cowboy: Tyler and Maggie Grayson are married, but their marriage is strained. He’s a retired bull rider in charge of the rodeo bull breeding part of the Last Chance Ranch. She works with barrel racing horses on the ranch, but still travels the rodeo circuit barrel racing. He wants to start a family, but she isn’t sure she will make a good mother and resists fully settling down. But he’s ready
to take a stronger step as the head of their household and rein in his untamed wife. Does she love him enough to save their marriage?
* * * *
* A Cowboy’s Second Chance: Harley Grayson left the ranch at 18, got a music degree, and slowly moved his way up in the country western music business. But the lifestyle is starting to wear on him. Then he meets Jessica at one of his concerts. Instant attraction pulls them together for a “hot” weekend. Afterward he wants her to go on the road with him, but she has her own dreams of working with troubled horses to pursue. Unwilling to just give her up, he arranges for her to work at his family’s ranch, vowing to see her every chance he gets. But can their basically long-distance romance really work out? **This story is also an introduction to a special couple whose story will continue in the novella A COWBOY’S MAGIC.
* Cowboy Hero: Graham Grayson and Tiffany McGowan have been friends for years and have never dated, but have secret feelings for one another. Her father is dying and desperately wants her married. He presses them to marry, certain they belong together and are just too stubborn to realize it.
* * * *
* Getting Even With Her Cowboy: Colt Grayson is president of the local cattlemen’s association and has definite ideas on what is good for the town. Victoria Holmes is the small town’s mayor and her views differ greatly from the almighty Colt. She’d been married to one of his brothers, a scoundrel who divorced her and disappeared. He blames her for losing his brother/friend. She is one of the few in the area who don’t think all Graysons “walk on water.”
* * * *
* The Cowboy Dom: Hunter Grayson is the oldest of the adopted boys and had the harshest background. Now an international corporate attorney, disillusioned with his work, and a practicing Dom, he is ready to get married. He’s been considering a business arrangement with a woman he knows, but he can’t forget one of the few girls Samuel had taken into his unique family. He’d tried to keep Rebecca Reynolds at a distance because of his dark nature, his even darker interests. Yet he’s often wondered how she turned out and if she ever acknowledged the submissive side of her he’d always sensed. Then they meet again and an almost irresistible heat fires between them.
* * * *
**This is another introductory story that will continue in the final novella, LOW-TIPPED STETSON.
[Back to Table of Contents]
* * *
Available Now From Black Velvet Seductions
Other books by Starla Kaye
Cowboys in Charge
Her Cowboy’s Way
Holly’s Big Bad Santa
Their Lady Gloriana
Spanked! Domestic Discipline Anthology
Available Now in
Paperback and ebook
Visit the Black Velvet Seductions Blog
www.blackvelvetseductions.com/readersblog/
Prizes! Prizes! Prizes!
Frequent Kindle Giveaways Amazon Gift Cards Paperbacks Ebooks Lace Bookmarks Book Bags Too Many Other Prizes To List
Winners announced each Saturday at www.blackvelvetseductions.com/readersblog
* * *
Visit www.blackvelvetseductions.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.
Table of Contents
The Cowboy's Bride
Available Now From Black Velvet Seductions
[Back to Table of Contents]
