by Laura Wright
PRAISE FOR
BRANDED
“A sexy hero, a sassy heroine, and a compelling story line, Branded is all that and more—I loved it!”
—Lorelei James, New York Times bestselling author of Unwound
“Secrets, sins, and spurs—Laura Wright’s Cavanaugh brothers will brand your heart!”
—Skye Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of Reckless
“Deacon and Mackenzie . . . are strong and passionate, and the chemistry between them sizzles. Wright tells a story filled with heart, genuine characters, and natural dialogue. Add good pacing and a well-developed plot, and Wright’s latest is one that will not disappoint.”
—RT Book Reviews
“I loved it! . . . An epic tale of love and redemption . . . a captivating read. It kept me hooked until the end. I can’t wait for the next book, Broken.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“Saddle up for a sexy and thrilling ride! Laura Wright’s cowboys are sinfully hot.”
—Elisabeth Naughton, New York Times bestselling author of Stolen Chances
“Deadly secrets, explosive sex, four brothers in a fight over a sprawling Texas ranch. . . . Ms. Wright has penned a real page-turner.”
—Kaki Warner, bestselling author of Behind His Blue Eyes
“Saddle up for a sexy, intensely emotional ride with cowboys who put the ‘wild’ in Wild West. Laura Wright never disappoints!”
—Alexandra Ivy, New York Times bestselling author of Hunt the Darkness
“Branded was one heck of a ride with fantastic characters and a perfectly paced and intense plot that kept me engaged. . . . Wright delivered a hot tale, fleshed-out characters, a decade-old mystery, and family secrets. Yeehaa!”
—Caffeinated Book Reviewer
“A fantastic story about a family destroyed by a terrible tragedy, which will continue to play a part in the remaining books in this series. This is also such a wonderful romance, with a fabulous couple who is not only hotter than hot, but so perfect together.”
—The Reading Cafe
“This was a great, steamy, and hot-as-heck read; I fell in love with it from the start, and I definitely look forward to reading the next book in this series.”
—The Book Vixen
“Branded is a rich opening to what promises to be a compelling series.”
—Heroes and Heartbreakers
“Branded is a keeper. The emotions are intense, the sexual steam is sizzling-hot, and the story line never lags. . . . The sex will have you fanning yourself. I can’t wait to read the next in this series. The remaining Cavanaugh brothers, Cole, James, and Blue, are men that I’ve just got to know better.”
—Literal Addiction
PRAISE FOR LAURA WRIGHT’S
OTHER NOVELS
“I can’t wait for more from Laura Wright.”
—Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author of Heart of Obsidian
“Laura Wright knows how to lure you in and hold you captive until the last page.”
—Larissa Ione, New York Times bestselling author of Bound by Night
“The pacing is steady and the action plentiful, while the plot is full of twists and the passion . . . is hot and electrifying.”
—RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
“Absorbing and edgy . . . an enthralling read.”
—Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author of A Touch of Midnight
“Grabs you by the heartstrings from the first page. . . . [The] complexity of emotion is what makes Laura Wright’s books so engrossing.”
—Sizzling Hot Book Reviews
“If you haven’t experienced this series yet, you are totally missing out.”
—Literal Addiction
“Enough twists that leave one anxious for the next in the series.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“Laura Wright has done it again and totally blew me away.”
—Book Monster Reviews
“Very sexy.”
—Dear Author . . .
“A sweep-off-your-feet romance.”
—Leontine’s Book Realm
“A must read.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“Deeply satisfying.”
—Sacramento Book Review
“Certain to make it onto your list of favorite books and will leave you thirsty for more.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Page-turning tension and blistering sensuality.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Also by Laura Wright
The Cavanaugh Brothers Series
Branded
Mark of the Vampire Series
Eternal Hunger
Eternal Kiss
Eternal Blood
(A Penguin Special)
Eternal Captive
Eternal Beast
Eternal Beauty
(A Penguin Special)
Eternal Demon
Eternal Sin
SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014
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penguin.com
A Penguin Random House Company
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Copyright © Laura Wright, 2014
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
ISBN 978-1-101-62616-0
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Praise
Also by Laura Wright
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Acknowledgments
Excerpt from BRASH
To Isa. My sweet, horse-loving girl.<
br />
Diary of Cassandra Cavanaugh
May 2, 2002
Dear Diary,
I saw Sweet again today. This time, it was outside the diner and we only got to talk for a second or two because he had to go somewhere. But it was enough for him to ask me to meet him later out by Carl Shurebot’s old place. I CAN’T WAIT! I’ve never felt so excited about anything in my whole life. He’s just so cute. So DIFFERENT. He doesn’t look like the other boys around here, with their mud-caked boots and Wrangler jeans. Sweet looks like one of those surfer guys on TV. And every time he smiles at me, my cheeks feel hot.
I asked him why I hadn’t seen him around River Black before. Everybody knows everybody in this town. But he didn’t answer me. He had to go. But I’ll ask him tonight. That, and what his real name is.
Maybe it’s something like Tristan or Brad or Dillon.
Ahhhhh! What if he doesn’t want to tell me? He seems to like me calling him Sweet, just like I like him calling me Tarts. (Note to self: Go by the dime store today and get some of our favorite candy for tonight!) I guess I could ask my brothers, see who’s new in school. But then they’d start asking me questions, and I REALLY don’t want them in my business. They’ll ruin everything. They’ll say he’s too old for me, and they’ll tell Mom and Dad.
I don’t think he’s too old for me. He can’t be more than eighteen, and I’m almost fourteen. It’s perfect. He’s perfect. I still haven’t said anything to Mac about him.
Is that bad?
I’ll report back later,
Cass
One
“Lemon’s the clear winner, right?”
Before Sheridan could answer, Mackenzie Byrd shoved another forkful of cake into her mouth. This time, rich, creamy chocolate assaulted her tongue. Very nice. But frankly, you couldn’t go all that wrong when it came to chocolate. Unless, of course, it was covering up grasshoppers or scorpions or whatever the crazy insect-eating population was pairing with their cocoa these days.
She swallowed, licked her lips, and then reached for her napkin—which had been folded into a lovely bird of paradise by the owner, Albert Lee, and set next to her plate as soon as she’d taken a seat.
Mac stared expectantly across the white wicker table at her. “So? What do you think? Raspberry, lemon, or chocolate?”
Sheridan noted the look of panic on the forewoman’s face, and wondered once again how she’d been roped into cake tasting with her boss’s fiancée. Oh, that’s right. She’d been strolling down the street—her first time strolling, mind you, but it had felt like the right thing to do in the small town—when a hand had suddenly shot out of Hot Buns Bakery, curled around her arm, and yanked her inside the oh-so-precious pink-and-white establishment.
“Well?” Mac pressed good-naturedly, pushing the brim of her Stetson back off her forehead. “Thoughts? I need them. Normally I have them. But today, for some reason, it’s just blank upstairs.”
A smile touched Sheridan’s lips. She really liked Mackenzie Byrd. The dark-haired, blue-eyed, ever-grinning forewoman of the Triple C Ranch was funny and smart and took no shit from anyone—male or female—which was an attribute Sheridan wholeheartedly admired. In fact, in another life, where Sheridan didn’t work for the man she worked for, she and Mac might’ve been friends. But she did work for Deacon, and friendship wasn’t something she allowed herself to invest in. Either with time or her emotions. She’d grown up, maybe even hardened, watching her mother invest so deeply in her father’s happiness and career only to be destroyed when he’d walked out on them. Determined to never risk her heart, she’d looked at all relationships as a distraction to her schooling, her work, and her goals. Sometimes it got lonely. But Sheridan would always choose loneliness over destruction.
“They’re all excellent,” she offered in a professional tone.
Mac groaned and held her fork above her head, the tines stained with bits of frosting. “I know. But which one is the best?”
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. “That’s really for you to decide, Miss Byrd.”
Dropping back in her chair, Mac’s eyes narrowed. “Sheridan, seriously, you can’t call me that. We’ve talked about this.”
The small smile that had touched Sheridan’s lips a moment ago expanded into a full-fledged grin. She couldn’t help it. She liked this woman. “You and Mr. Cavanaugh are engaged. I am his employee. In my very corporate world, there’s no fraternizing with the boss’s family. Or those who are soon to be family.”
“Oh Lord have mercy,” Mac said with an eye roll.
“And forgive me for saying so, Miss Byrd,” Sheridan continued, “but isn’t this something you should be doing with Mr. Cavanaugh?”
“As you very well know, Deacon’s in Dallas for the next couple of days. This needs to get done.” A slight wickedness flashed in her blue eyes. “And as his right hand, his most trusted employee—”
“Oh dear.”
Mac laughed. “Come on, you know what he likes.”
“As do you, I’m sure.”
“He’s abandoned me in my time of need, Sheridan,” Mac said dramatically. “This wedding is less than three weeks away, and things like cake and flowers and food need to be decided on. Am I supposed to make all the decisions alone?”
“I believe some women would find that a blessing, Miss Byrd.” I know I would. “Total control of the remote, so to speak.”
Mac snorted. “I’m not that kind of woman, Sheridan. Now, if we’re having beef for the fancy dinner, that I can pick out and drive right on over to the butcher.” She paused for a moment as Hot Buns’s head baker sidled up to their table and set a sizable piece of coconut cake between them.
“Wow, Natalie,” Mac exclaimed, taking in the layers and the fluffy white coconut. “This looks amazing. I’ll never decide.”
“Maybe you should call off the wedding, then?” Natalie replied softly.
Both Mac and Sheridan glanced up at the dark-eyed woman, who was somewhere around Mac’s age.
“I’m sorry; what did you say?” Mac asked, confused.
Natalie looked sheepish. Her eyes pinned to the table, she ran her hand through her short blond hair, which was cut in a cute pixie style. “I’m kidding. Of course.” She swallowed tightly, then turned around and walked back toward the kitchen.
Sheridan stared after her. “Strange woman.”
“Yep. Even back when we were in school,” Mac remarked. “But she makes a mean doughnut. And a killer pumpkin-spice cupcake. And, of course, regular cake. She’s a bakery genius.”
Turning to face the forewoman once again, Sheridan laughed. “Well, then, she’s excused. Geniuses are exempt from normality. You know . . . she could help you with your wedding plans. A school friend might be just the thing.”
“Natalie isn’t a friend,” Mac clarified. “Wasn’t back when we were in school either.”
“Okay. Then maybe someone from the Triple C . . .”
“My closest friend is Blue.” Sobering, she released a heavy sigh. “And he’s run away from home.”
“Right.” While she didn’t know the details of the newest Cavanaugh brother’s exit to parts unknown, Sheridan knew enough to be sympathetic. “I’m sorry about that. I know you two are very close.”
Mac’s eyes went kitten-wide. “Don’t say you’re sorry. Say you’ll be my wingman.”
The woman was relentless. “Miss Byrd—”
“Mac,” she corrected.
“You’re really stubborn, you know that?”
She snorted. “Hell yes, I know. Part of my charm.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “And this no-fraternizing-with-the-boss’s-relatives business ain’t gonna work anyway.”
“Oh?” Sheridan said, her gaze flickering traitorously toward the coconut cake. She loved coconut cake. Made a pretty decent one herself. Maybe strange-genius Natalie could teach her a thi
ng or two. “Why’s that?”
“Well, James won’t like you calling him Mr. Cavanaugh when he’s kissing on you now, will he?”
Heat slammed into Sheridan’s cheeks, and the entire bakery seemed to shrink around her. “Wh-what?”
Dipping her fork into the coconut cake, Mac’s grin widened. “Oh, come on, Sheri.”
Sheri? And . . . James? KISSING ON HER? What the hell was happening? This town and several of its residents were getting to her, making her appear soft. Making her forget why she had come to River Black. Work. For her boss, Deacon Cavanaugh. To further her career. Not to forge friendships or get caught up in dramas, imaginings, or, for God’s sake, wedding plans!
Sitting up just a little bit straighter, Sheridan said in her most controlled voice, “I’m here to work, Miss Byrd. I’m not dating anyone. Especially not James. Er”—she cleared her throat—“Mr. Cavanaugh.”
To be fair, she had noticed James Cavanaugh. Frankly, one would have to be blind not to. The man was decidedly handsome and rugged. He worked with horses, for heaven’s sake, and knew his Shakespeare. That was a serious quadruple threat. But professionalism demanded that noticing was as far as it went. No dating. No kissing.
As she studied Sheridan, Mac slid another forkful of coconut cake into her mouth. “So, what you’re saying is, he hasn’t asked you out?”
Good Lord. Grant me patience. “I’m not saying anything,” Sheridan answered quickly and with the slightest hitch of irritation. “And of course he hasn’t asked me out.”
But instead of picking up on the frustration, Mac looked utterly perplexed. “Really? I mean, how is that possible? I swear, whenever you’re around, the guy can’t keep his eyes off you, or his tongue inside his mouth.”
“That’s not true,” Sheridan said tightly. But she couldn’t stop the foolish and juvenile voice inside her that was already wondering if it were. Lord, if Deacon were to ever think she was interested in his brother, her position could be jeopardized. And she’d worked way too hard to endanger her career—not to mention her heart—over a rugged horse-whispering man with a pretty face.