Necessary Roughness
Page 18
She wore a lacy gown that had sheer sleeves, hugged her waist, and flowed in a cloud of poofy layers to the floor. He had no idea what the decorations on her dress were called; it really didn’t matter. The poofy layers were covered in white embroidered flowers and vines. Her veil was sheer, trimmed in lace and sparkly stuff. It draped over her face. She carried a bouquet of several different kinds and colors of flowers. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, wishing her smile and the fact she looked at nobody else but him could be engraved on his memory for the rest of his life. He’d never seen a woman so beautiful before. He couldn’t believe she was about to be his for the rest of their lives. She held her father’s arm as she moved slowly toward Tanner, her eyes locked on him.
He reached into his pocket, grabbed out the handkerchief, and mopped at his face. Harrison put one hand on his shoulder. Tanner was pretty much losing it in front of fifty people. He didn’t give a damn who saw him cry. It was the greatest moment of his life.
Jordan reached out for his hand before her dad could make the transfer, so to speak. Her dad hugged Tanner, one of those clumsy guy-hugs that ended with a lot of backslapping and a little murmured conversation.
“Here she is,” James said. “I hope you’ll have a life full of happiness together.”
Tanner had no idea what to say, but he’d better come up with something. “I love her so much,” he said. “I’ll do my best to take care of her.”
“Take care of each other,” James said. He gave Tanner another hug. “Be happy,” he said.
Tanner shook his hand. Her dad doubled back to carefully lift the veil off Jordan’s face, kiss her cheek, and say something in her ear. Her eyes filled with tears.
Tanner was close enough to hear her say, “I love you too, Dad.”
Minutes later, Jordan and Tanner were in front of the minister, and Harrison pulled the rings out of his jacket pocket when he was asked for them, without a hitch. The typically self-assured and calm Tanner broke into tears again, and his bride reached up to brush them away.
It was the best wedding ever, followed by a lifetime full of happiness.
About the Author
JULIE BRANNAGH has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She lives in a small town near Seattle, where she once served as a city council member and owned a yarn shop. She shares her home with a wonderful husband, an uncivilized Maine Coon, and a rambunctious chocolate Lab. When she’s not writing, she’s reading or armchair-quarterbacking her favorite NFL team from the comfort of the family-room couch. Julie is a Golden Heart® finalist and the author of contemporary sports romances.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Also by Julie Brannagh
Love and Football
Intercepting Daisy
Guarding Sophie (novella)
Chasing Jillian
Holding Holly (novella)
Covering Kendall
Catching Cameron
Rushing Amy
Blitzing Emily
A Letter from the Editor
Dear Reader,
I hope you liked the latest romance from Avon Impulse! If you’re looking for another steamy, fun, emotional read, be sure to check out some of our upcoming titles. We have something for everyone next month!
If you’re a sports romance lover, you are in luck! Lia Riley has a brand-new Hellions Angels novel for your reading pleasure. HEAD COACH is a sexy, fun story about a sports reporter who’s determined to get an interview with a stoic hockey coach. He may hate the press—but he can only resist the tempting reporter for so long. Grab this second book in Lia’s new series and become a Hellions fanatic overnight!
If you’re in the mood for a quick, fun, lighthearted holiday romance, you don’t want to miss the new Heartbreaker Bay novella from Jill Shalvis! In HOLIDAY WISHES, during a friend’s wedding weekend, a carefree bad boy reunites with the girl he lost his virginity to a decade earlier. But now their positions are reversed, because this good-time guy finally wants something real—and his one-time flame is in the mood to be a little wild!
For historical romance fans, we also have a brand new Victorian romance from Christy Carlyle! HOW TO WOO A WALLFLOWER, the final book in her Romancing the Rules series, features a free-spirited woman who is determined to revamp her family’s publishing venture . . . except the uptight, scowling, and irritatingly handsome editor has other plans. It’s a charming, fabulously passionate story that you do not want to miss!
And finally, for a quick, sexy, suspenseful read, you’ll want to one-click the new novella from HelenKay Dimon! THE NEGOTIATOR is about a woman who discovers her supposedly long-dead husband’s body on her kitchen floor and must team up with sexy, savvy Garrett McGrath to uncover the truth—before she’s accused of murder!
You can purchase any of these titles by clicking the links above or by visiting our website, www.AvonRomance.com. Thank you for loving romance as much as we do . . . enjoy!
Sincerely,
Nicole Fischer
Editorial Director
Avon Impulse
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
NECESSARY ROUGHNESS. Copyright © 2017 by Julie Revell Benjamin. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Digital Edition OCTOBER 2017 ISBN: 978-0-06-244335-9
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-244334-2
Cover design by Nadine Badalaty
Cover photographs: © Shutterstock; © Getty Images
Avon Impulse and the Avon Impulse logo are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America.
Avon and HarperCollins are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
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