Lawless (18 page)

Lillian Wickham is desperate for a job, poor as a church mouse, and determined as a bulldog. Arriving in Wyoming to a chilly reception, and saddled with a five-year-old girl that could be mistaken for an incredibly, dirty little boy does not daunt her.

Ray is determined to avoid women completely, to ignore Lillian’s luscious figure, ruby red lips, and husky voice. Lillian is determined to turn Melody into a lady, come hell or high water, and avoid the hellion’s devastatingly attractive father at the same time.

Until one night when Lillian’s clumsiness drops her right into Ray’s arms and their passion takes on a life of its own.

When unexpected danger steals into their lives, and threatens the stubborn child they both love, will their passion be strong enough to survive, or will it tear their world apart?

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, some violence.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
The Treasure: Lily was hot. After the incident with Ray in the hallway, her entire body was flushed and she felt a bit feverish. Odd, really, that reaction to a man. She had never had it before, and honestly hadn’t expected it.

After washing up, she went into her room and opened the window a bit to try to cool herself off. The moon was bright in the dark sky. She opened the window a bit more and leaned out to get a better look.

Then her natural grace took over, and she fell out the window into the snow.

She landed on her nose, which immediately made a popping noise, and a warm gush of blood bathed her face. The snow was absolutely freezing and her entire body was lying on that frozen mass, from tip to toes. She pushed up on her elbows and ended up shoving her hands deeper into the snow.

Yes, indeed, her fine graceful self just had to make itself known. Hopefully she could climb back into her window without anyone seeing her.

The sound of boots rapidly running through the snow toward her dashed that hope to the rocks.

“Lily!” Ray said. “My God, are you all right?”

She turned her head and peered at him in the darkness. Might as well be honest. “No, I think I may have broken my nose. And I can’t seem to get out of this snow. I’m afraid frostbite will be a possibility if I don’t figure out how.”

Strong arms lifted her effortlessly and she found herself being carried by Ray before she could blink. It was dark enough she couldn’t see his expression under the shadow of his hat, but she had no doubt it was not a happy face.

“Thank you.”

Lily tilted her head back and pinched the bridge of her nose to stop the bleeding. Her nose was really the least of her concerns. Ray Malloy was the biggest.

He opened the door and carried her inside, kicking the door closed behind him. She had the insane notion of a groom carrying his bride over the threshold and she started laughing. The more she tried to stop, the harder she laughed.

“I’m not sure what’s so damn funny, but if you don’t hush up, I’m gonna throw you back into the snow.”

Ray carried her over to the sofa in the living room and set her down. He glanced at her white nightgown and immediately his eyes changed. The pupils dilated and a hazy glow surrounded the green. His nostrils flared and his lips tightened.

Lily thought it was blood that he saw, but when she looked at her nightgown, she realized the snow had turned the white garment transparent. He could clearly see her breasts, and her nipples, which were puckered tighter than a stone, as well as a hint of the dark hair between her legs.

Lily was never so embarrassed in her life. She didn’t know whether to stop her nosebleed or cover herself, so she tried both. One arm landed over her breasts, while the other continued to pinch her nose.

“Do you think you could get me a towel, and perhaps some of that snow for my nose?”

His gaze snapped to hers and what she saw in his eyes made her breath stop. Raw, blatant desire. For her. A plump, on the shelf spinster with a shady childhood and a penchant for tripping over her own two feet. Lily felt an answering yearning in herself, a need to find out if what she saw, what she felt from him, was more than lust.

“I—”

“Let me get that towel,” he said and then he was gone before she could finish her sentence.

Lily started shivering. She didn’t know if it was from the snow bath or from the look in Ray’s eyes when he stared at her nearly naked body.

She was afraid it was from the latter. And she had no idea what to do about it.

A younger man bent on seduction. An older woman determined to resist. A love that
cannot be denied.

The Seduction of Widow McEwan

© 2007 Melissa Schroeder

Part of the Leather and Lace series

Jameson McEwan is widowed, but happy with her lot in life. After suffering through an arranged marriage to an older man, she’s had little romance and very little experience with men—other than ordering them around on her ranch.

Seth Conner has harbored a bit of an obsession for Jamie since the tender age of sixteen. Now that she’s widowed, he has sensed her reluctance to wed again and has kept his distance. When she says she’s marrying another man—strictly as a business arrangement—Seth decides he’s waited long enough.

Jamie never expected to find herself in bed shivering with desire, especially not with Seth. One taste of a night filled with passion, and she finds he’s as addictive as liquor.

But their age difference and her responsibilities hold her back from considering a future with him. Seth refuses to take no for an answer.

As the dance of seduction heats up, trouble brews. Someone is poisoning Jamie’s cattle, setting fires on her ranch. Someone is hell-bent on making sure Jamie and Seth never find happiness, someone who will stop at nothing—including murder.

Explicit sex, spanking, seduction by a younger man, a little bit of bondage for fun, and a whole lot of teasing guaranteed to make ya hot under the collar and enough passion to give your spurs a twirl.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
The Seduction of Widow McEwan:

“Seth, this can’t go anywhere. I already told you—”

All of her thoughts halted and her hormones danced when he nuzzled the side of her neck just below her ear. “I heard ya.” He nipped at her lobe. “I just decided to ignore ya.”

She huffed in annoyance and he chuckled. His chest vibrated against her back. Her nerves jumped before a burst of energy slipped over her skin, causing her to shiver. As he

kept one hand splayed across her stomach, he skimmed his other up to her breast. She should pull away from him and order him from her room. Seth would go if she were serious, if she really wanted him to leave. That was the problem. Propriety insisted that he leave, but she couldn’t seem to get the words out through her lips. Not with his teeth grazing her earlobe, his hand caressing her breast.

“Ahh,” he whispered as his thumb grazed her nipple. It tightened under his attention.

“Now, I would say that was more than a good sign.” With one last little nip, he pulled away, the action so fast she almost lost her balance. She bit back the irritated sigh that rose in her throat.

He turned her to face him, then backed her up against the post of the canopy bed.

When Jamie looked up at him, she drew in a quick, loud breath. She had known him for years and had probably seen just about every human emotion from him except this one.

Desire etched his facial features. The arrested look in his eyes deepened their color as he drew her near. Slipping one hand around her waist, he stepped closer. Gently, almost reverently, he brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek, then allowed his fingers to play along her jaw.

“Seth.” Her tone no longer held the stern reprimand it had earlier. Even she could hear the change in her pitch and the way her voice caught on his name.

But he said nothing. He trailed his hand down to cup her untouched breast. Her breathing hitched when he rubbed his fingers over her nipple. Everything seemed to slip away. As he held her gaze, it was as if they were the only two people in the world.

Jamie wanted to close her eyes, wanted to slip into a blissful daze. But he would not allow it. Instead, he leaned in and brushed his mouth over hers. The sweetness of the gesture, the simple touch, had her mind whirling. Jamie sighed, shutting her eyes and losing herself in the pleasure of it. He groaned in reaction, wrapping both his arms around her waist. She lifted her hands to his shoulders as he pressed his lips against hers. This was no longer the gentle caress but a kiss full of desire and passion. His tongue thrust into her mouth and she welcomed it with a moan. The taste of him was beyond anything she had ever experienced. Before she was ready to stop, he pulled away. Their harsh breathing was the only sound in the dark room.

“Tell me now.”

He was talking. She saw his mouth move but she didn’t work through what he said.

Her brain was melting, and he wanted to have a conversation?

“Wh—what are you talking about?”

When he spoke, his voice was harsh and abrupt. “Tell me now you don’t want me. If you don’t stop this now, there will be no going back.”

She should tell him to go. Doing this, taking him as her lover even if for one night, would not be a good idea. The ghost of her marriage would never disappear. It wouldn’t solve her problems. But none of those things truly mattered to her at the moment. What did matter was the heat blazing through her blood, the way her body responded to his every touch, and she never wanted that feeling to go away. It would in the morning because this would never be anything but a one-night affair, but she needed this. She craved to experience one little taste of heaven.

“Jamie?”

“God help me, I know I shouldn’t want it, or even think about doing it.” She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “But I can’t seem to refuse you.”

He rested his forehead against hers and released a sigh of relief. She thought she heard him say, “About time.”

After he gave her a kiss, Seth tugged her away from the bedpost and pushed her back on the bed. With a laugh, she bounced on the mattress. Before she could adjust to her new position, he was slipping his body over hers and stealing her breath again. This time there was no sweet interlude, no wooing.

Possessively, Seth settled his mouth on hers. Spearing her fingers through his thick hair, she held him closer, wanting nothing more than for this feeling to continue. He pushed himself up to his hands and looked down at her. The smile he gave her made her curl her toes into the bed linens.

“I knew you had passion in you, Jameson.” He gave her a quick, forceful kiss. “And I intend on enjoying it.”

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