Grayson Brothers Series Boxed Set (4 books in 1) (112 page)
Read Grayson Brothers Series Boxed Set (4 books in 1) Online
Authors: Wendy Lindstrom
Tags: #Fredonia New York, #Brothers, #Anthology
After a long night of celebration, Faith reached for her husband, missing him, eager for his loving touch. But he stepped away from her and set the lantern on the table in the bathhouse.
“I want to give this to you first,” he said, pulling something from his coat pocket.
To her surprise, he placed her mother’s silver-handled hair brush in her hand. Her breath sighed out and she held the brush in her palms. “You found it!”
“I’d forgotten about it until I put my coat on tonight.”
“Oh, Duke, this is... it reminds me of the times Mama brushed my hair.” She stroked her fingers over the painted roses on the porcelain back, remembering those brief but warm moments with her mother. “She loved me.” The truth flowed into her heart, washing away the ache, leaving behind peace and love and forgiveness. “I was loved,” she whispered.
“You were. And you are.”
She drew the brush through her hair, feeling the delicious tug against her scalp and hearing the raspy sound of the bristles slipping through her hair. Her mother had loved her.
“I’ll brush your hair if you like,” Duke offered.
She raised her eyes to her husband, touched by his tender consideration, but she shook her head. She didn’t need her hair brushed anymore; she needed to be in her husband’s arms. She laid the brush on the table, at peace. “I want you to love me.”
“I do,” he said, his voice filled with sincerity and conviction. He embraced her.
“Even after all I’ve cost you?”
“You’ve brought me riches I never dreamed of.”
“Would you have chosen me if you’d known the truth?”
“The only truth that matters is that I met and fell in love with a brave, compassionate and loyal woman, and I chose with my head and my heart when I asked you to marry me.”
She cradled his firm jaw in her palms, loving the textures of his body and the smoldering heat in his eyes. “I could have been a wealthy princess with a kingdom of men to choose from, and I would have chosen you as the love of my life.” He would always be her friend, her lover, the man of her dreams.
* * *
A sense of homecoming filled Duke, and he kissed his wife. “I wanted to sneak you down here hours ago.”
“I’d have come willingly.” She kissed his neck. “I’ll always welcome your touch.” She nibbled his earlobe. “And your love.” She slid her hands down his sides. “And your passion.”
His groin tightened and his breath hissed out.
She stroked her hands up his chest. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered, driving him mad with her fondling and teasing. “But I can’t stay away from you any longer. You might have to take a little discomfort with your pleasure.”
“Gladly.” He shook with a need to consume her, and yet he held back and kept the kiss tender. Love wasn’t for the fainthearted. But it was worth the wounds. It was worth every moment of doubt and pain. Because to live and love, one had to be willing to bleed.
“It’s been forever since you’ve kissed me,” she whispered against his mouth.
“I couldn’t kiss you and not make love to you.”
“You can do both now.”
“I will.” He trailed his tongue across her lips and filled his palm with her breast. `All night,” he said, loving how she smelled of blooming flowers and scented oils and the good rich earth that filled her greenhouse.
She gazed up at him, her eyes sparkling in the lantern light. “It could be a long night. I brought some oil.”
“Gads! Not the smelly lavender, I hope.”
“Better than lavender,” she said, in a warm, sexy tone he’d not heard her use before, a tone of openness and confidence and trust. “I mixed up a special combination, just for us.”
“This better not be your sneaky way of treating my shoulder with another one of your concoctions.”
She smiled, the glow of happiness on her face a feast for his eyes, her lush lips a temptation to his mouth. “You know what I thought of the first time you kissed me?” she asked.
“That I was taking advantage of you.”
She shook her head. “I thought I’d kissed the sun. I didn’t want to leave the warmth of your arms or lose the thrilling heat of your mouth on mine.” She stroked his jaw. “I need your light, Duke. I need your love.”
“You have my heart and my soul, sweetheart.”
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Can I have your body too?”
“Only if you promise to stop your doctoring.”
“Well, I thought I’d stretch your muscles before we—”
He growled and playfully bit her neck. “I can put your lovely hands to better use, sweetheart.”
Her arms circled his waist in invitation, her soft laugh echoing off the stones and into his heart, and love was no longer a mystery out of reach, beyond his wildest dream. Faith was love. She brought companionship and passion and meaning to his life. All the struggles and sacrifices and lessons were worthwhile. Their future would be an amazing journey filled with family, laughter, passion. Giving his heart to Faith had changed him, altered his too-rigid way of seeing the world, and taught him what it meant to love, to be a husband, a father, and a better man—a complete man.
And their journey was just beginning.
Thank you for taking the time to read the first four books of
The Grayson Brothers series
. I’ve received so many requests for Adam and Rebecca’s story that I wrote
Sleigh of Hope
, which is a special Grayson Christmas story with Adam and Rebecca and is a prequel to their adult love story,
Leave it for the Rain
. If you would like to spend more time with the Grayson family, receive a notice when the next book is coming out, or learn more about other books in this series, please visit my
website
and sign up for New Book Alert!
I sincerely hope you enjoyed
The Grayson Brothers series
and consider all the books 5-star keepers that brought you many enjoyable hours of reading. If so, and you would be willing to share your enthusiasm with other readers, I’d be very grateful. Telling your friends about my books and posting
online reviews
is extremely helpful and instrumental in elevating this series. It not only helps other readers find my books more easily but enables me to publish books more frequently. I have many wonderful stories to share with you, so please continue to spread the word.
Even with many layers of editing, mistakes can slip through. If you encounter typos or errors in this book, please send them to me at
http://www.wendylindstrom.com
(use Contact link).
Thanks again for your enthusiastic support. I’m wishing you many blissful hours of reading.
Peace and warmest wishes,
Wendy
The Grayson Brothers boxed set
Sleigh of Hope
,
Adam and Rebecca’s story
Visit my
website
for the publication date of:
Leave it for the Rain
,
Adam and Rebecca’s adult love story
Wendy Lindstrom
is a RITA Award-winning author of “beautifully poignant, wonderfully emotional” historical romances. Romantic Times has dubbed her “one of romance’s finest writers,” and readers rave about her enthralling characters and the riveting emotional power of her work. For more information about Wendy Lindstrom’s other books, excerpts, and sneak previews, please visit the author’s
website
. (www.wendylindstrom.com)
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The Grayson Brothers
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