The Bride and the Brute

by Laurel O'Donnell

  Reese couldn’t help himself. He moved with her, and, like a summer storm, the tempo built until Jayce matched his thrusts, raising her hips to welcome him. Reese kissed her savagely, hungrily devouring her.

  As Reese watched, her face blossomed beneath the rain, and contented joy spread across her features. Thunder boomed in the sky, rocking her body with its might. Reese heard Jayce cry out as the heavens shattered around her.

  Lightning lit up the sky, illuminating Jayce’s face. Reese had never witnessed a more captivating sight, a more wondrously glorious vision. Then, thunder rocked the ground, and he stiffened, exploding into her.

  *****

  When Jayce opened her eyes, she found herself lying beneath Reese, sheltered from the pelting rain by his body.

  He wore a grin on his face and a dark look in his eyes that promised much, much more.

  A shy smile curved Jayce’s lips.

  He scooped her up into his arms and trapped her tightly against his body. “Are you hurt?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  As he bent over her, drops of water fell from his face and trailed down her cheek like tears. “I’m so sorry, Jayce,” Reese whispered. “I’ve been a brute to you. There’s no reason for it. I’ve treated you horribly. I’m sorry.”

  Jayce stared up at him and he averted his eyes.

  “I never intended to have our marriage annulled,” Reese told her. “I wrote that letter before you arrived at Castle Harrington. But once I laid eyes on you I knew...”

  “Knew what?” Jayce wondered.

  Reese swallowed hard and lifted his gaze to lock with hers. “I knew I wasn’t going to have our marriage annulled,” he admitted.

  “But you said---”

  “I’ve been a fool. The biggest fool there is.”

  “No,” Jayce stopped his confession, pressing her fingertips to his lips. “Not a fool. A man trying to live by his honor. It was unforgivable what my father did to you. Had I known---”

  “I owe him everything. Had he not kidnapped Nicole, had he not forced me to marry you, I never would have known you. And that would have been the greatest loss of my life.” He swept her up into his arms, pressing his lips to hers.

  Thunder quaked in the sky, but Jayce was no longer frightened. Now, the memory of thunder would not be linked to her mother’s death, but would be wedded to a new beginning.

  Reese walked to his horse and gently placed her on Satan.

  Jayce gasped. “You rode Satan!”

  “I’m just full of surprises,” he murmured, still holding her hand tightly in his own. He gazed up at her adoringly. “You are now truly the lady of Castle Harrington,” Reese proclaimed softly. “I would like nothing more than the honor of having you as my wife.”

  The smile that filled her heart and soul and face was unquenchable. “Oh, Reese,” she sighed. “You’ve had my hand and my heart since the day we met.”

  As Jayce gazed into her husband’s contented eyes, she knew that she had tamed her brute.

  The End

  Thank You

  Thank you for reading The Bride and The Brute! I wanted to give this novella away free to my readers as a way of saying thank you for choosing my books. I hope you enjoyed this story. I’d love to hear what you thought of my novels.

  Please drop me an email at my website – www.laurel-odonnell.com

  Laurel O’Donnell

  Laurel O’Donnell Book List and Excerpts

  You can read a brief excerpt and sample chapters from each of the books listed below by continuing through the ebook or clicking the Excerpt or Sample Chapters links. You will also find a cover gallery for the books below as well.

  Medieval Romance Novels:

  The Angel and the Prince - Excerpt - Sample Chapters

  In this exciting medieval romance, the French lady knight known as the Angel of Death wages a battle of wills and desires against her dreaded enemy --- the English warrior known as the Prince of Darkness. An epic medieval romance.

  Champion of the Heart - Excerpt - Sample Chapters

  Fox Mercer watches in horror as his father’s knighthood, lands and nobility are all torn from him. Banished into disgrace, Fox waits for the moment to strike to avenge his family’s honor. And that moment arises when a tournament is announced --- a battle of champions wherein the winner gets to claim a very lovely prize…

  A Knight of Honor - Excerpt - Sample Chapters

  Taylor Sullivan is a raven-haired hellion fleeing the flames that destroyed her family. She arms herself with a quick sword and a sharp tongue, hiring herself out as a mercenary, willing to do whatever it takes to survive. Slane Donovan is a knight of honor, sworn to uphold his oath and his word. He seeks the woman who wears the Sullivan ring, determined to bring her back to Castle Donovan. A fast paced medieval romance filled with action.

  Midnight Shadow - Excerpt - Sample Chapters

  Disguised as the legendary hero known as the Midnight Shadow, Lady Bria Delaney swears to rid the land of Lord Terran Knowles’ cruel tyranny. She is stunned to encounter him in her father’s castle --- one of the many suitors vying for her hand. Captivated by his darkly intent gaze, Bria struggles to suppress her fierce attraction to the very enemy she has secretly promised to destroy. A Robin-Hood style medieval romance with a twist.

  The Lady and the Falconer - Excerpt - Sample Chapters

  A mysterious falconer infiltrates Castle Fulton during a siege, intent on reclaiming what is rightfully his. When the handsome stranger lays eyes and hands on Lady Solace Farindale, all of his plans of revenge start to crumble around him...

  Paranormal Romance Novels:

  Immortal Death - Excerpt

  Jade Smith’s supernaturally fast ability to heal has made her a freak. After years of fearful reactions from others, she stays hidden in the shadows of life. The one thing that keeps her sane is her writing -- and her wonderful Demetrius, an imaginary vampire fighter character she created in her online stories. But when Demetrius suddenly appears in her apartment, her life changes forever…

  Urban Fantasy:

  Lost Souls: Resurrection - Episode 1 - Excerpt

  The first episode in the new urban fantasy series: Lost Souls.

  Christian Thompson is killed but refuses to pass into the afterlife because of his need to shelter his daughter from her cruel mother. He soon discovers there are others like him, other spirits trapped between the world of the living and the dead. He joins the Lost Souls in their struggle against a dark evil that threatens them all.

  The Angel and the Prince - Excerpt

  Ryen moved closer, slowly, her gaze appraising him, his body. He was no disappointment there. The urge to touch him was overwhelming. She stretched her fingers toward him and touched the hair on his naked chest, running her hands along his torso, marveling at the size of his muscles. They were hard, sculptured curves of warm flesh. Magnificent, she thought. The smell of him, the heady musky scent of him, enveloped her.

  Her prisoner stirred, his head moving slightly from side to side, as if he were struggling to clear his mind. His head slowly lifted. A thrill of anticipation touched Ryen’s spine as his dark eyes, the eyes of midnight, rose like the moon to gleam at her.

  “Enjoying yourself?” he asked, his voice low, suggestive.

  Through the darkness he wore like a veil, she saw the flash of his white teeth. Ryen pulled her hands away and watched the shadows slide off his features as his face slowly came into the flame’s light. A shiver snaked its way up her spine. The candlelight revealed a sensual mouth with a cynical twist to it, a Spartan chin hewn from an ancient line of warriors.

  Ryen realized that she had been holding her breath and released it slowly in admiration. She could not believe the sight that greeted her. This is the man who was born without a heart? The man who is in league with the devil? The most feared barbarian in all of England?

  Then how can he be so handsome?

  The Angel and the Prince Bonus Chapters Preview
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br />   Champion of the Heart - Excerpt

  “I told you before you could not escape,” he whispered hotly.

  He held her firmly against the wall, his body pressed against hers.

  Jordan knew he spoke the truth, but not the truth as he believed it. It was the truth as she knew it. How could she escape from Fox? And how could her children ever depend on her again if she couldn’t fight to get to them? She couldn’t hold even a trembling dagger to Fox. Uselessness, frustration, and helplessness all welled up inside her, spinning and churning until Jordan couldn’t keep her feelings inside. Warm tears slipped from her eyes and dripped onto her cheeks, and her body trembled with a sob.

  Fox placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his, studying it for an eternal moment in which Jordan fought hard to bury her feelings. She lifted her chin slightly, waiting for his scorn, waiting for his berating words.

  But when the silence stretched on, she lifted her gaze to his. She was unprepared for the tenderness she saw in those blue depths. He lifted a finger to trace the path of one of her tears. Then he pulled his hand away from her, slowly rubbing the tear in his fingers, staring at the glistening drop for a moment.

  His blue eyes seemed confused, and a slight scowl marred his brow as he continued to inspect the tear on his fingertip. Then he looked at her again and his gaze swept every inch of her face. A warmth spread throughout her body that suddenly brought her senses to life, sharpening them. The muscles in his strong chest pressed against her breasts. The power in his thighs crushed against her. And something dangerous stirred inside her -- something powerful threatened to engulf her.

  Her vision dropped to his lips, lips that were so sensual, so entrancing. Lips that were slowly moving closer and closer.

  Jordan didn’t fight him; she wanted to feel his kiss. She wanted the intoxicating feeling rushing through her body to grow. His kiss would only make the dangerously delicious sensation run wild inside of her.

  And then his lips closed over hers, a startlingly gentle caress, a warm, wet brush of his lips. But with that simple touch, exhilaration filled Jordan’s body. It was unlike anything she had ever felt, tender and warm, but filled with a fiery spice all the same.

  Then his tongue touched her lips, gently sliding along the length of her mouth, caressing, coaxing. She felt a jolt igniting its way through her entire body from the tips of her hair to the edges of her toes. She gasped against his lips and he dropped his hands to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him as he delved into the recesses of her mouth.

  Jordan felt herself being swept away by the emotions raging through her. Her world was spinning on its axis, and she had to cling to Fox as if he were the only thing keeping her from falling. But the tighter she clung, the greater the waters seemed to swirl about her.

  “I won’t let you go, Jordan,” he whispered against her lips. “Not this time.”

  Champion of the Heart Bonus Chapters Preview

  A Knight of Honor - Excerpt

  “Stand here,” Taylor instructed, pulling him in front of her like a shield.

  At least that would protect her, Slane thought.

  But suddenly, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Slane would have tumbled backward, had he not braced himself by splaying his hands on the sides of the doorway. He opened his mouth to reprimand her, but she quickly pressed her lips, and her body, against his.

  Stunned into immobility, Slane gaped as she slid her lips across his, as she pressed her tiny body to his quickly hardening one. He jerked and tried to pull away, but her embrace held him tightly to her chest.

  Slane managed to slide his lips off of hers and exclaim, “What in God’s blood are you doing, woman? Have you lost your senses?”

  “Unless you want to lose more than your senses, you’ll return my affection and make it good,” she warned in a whisper, nibbling his ear.

  Jolts of pleasure shot through Slane’s body. His mind told him to resist her, but his body was already succumbing to her seduction. Then his quickly fogging mind focused enough to realize what she was doing. A desperate disguise: a harlot and her customer.

  She slid her mouth across his jaw and pressed her lips against his again, running her hands through his hair, clinging to him as if his lips were the only thing that could save her. Slane wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, wanting to reassure her. He knew it had to look convincing or they were done for.

  He ran his tongue lightly across her lips, coaxing her to open to him. He felt her quiver beneath him as she parted her lips. She was either a very talented actress or...

  Distantly, Slane heard footsteps march closer in the street, and he pulled her tighter against him. He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth. A soft groan escaped her parted lips. A groan that sent his world tumbling end over end.

  The curves of her body fit snugly against the ridges in his; her full breasts pressed heavily against the battle-hewn muscles in his chest. Tingles followed the trail her fingers left along his skin; prickles of heat inflamed his soul. The essence of her seemed to take on solid form, enclosing him in a swirling cloak of passion. He no longer heard the footsteps in the streets, no longer cared if they were caught; he only wanted this moment to go on forever.

  Then a man cleared his throat behind Slane. Even as Taylor’s kiss warmed his body, the threat of danger pierced the moment like a dagger. He almost reached for his sword.

  Taylor’s hands moved over his waist and down to his buttocks. He battled with control as she gently squeezed, running her hands over the firm rounded portion.

  He pulled back slightly to gaze deeply into the green pools of her eyes. What did she want of him? Did she truly do this for disguise? Or did she dare to challenge him so blatantly? He ran his fingers through the long locks of her glorious hair, loosening it from that accursed braid. He almost growled with the passion she had aroused within him. Then he claimed her lips again with a fierce painful lashing. If she were toying with him, he would teach her what it was like to enrage his lust so powerfully.

  She matched his kiss, his intense need with a longing of her own. He felt her tremble beneath the onslaught of his kiss. He wanted her as he had never wanted anything in his life. He wanted to see what her body looked like beneath the leather armor she wore. He wanted to kiss her breasts and her stomach and...

  Suddenly, she tore away from him. Slane stared at her for a long moment, trying desperately to regain control of his heated body. She stood before him like a vanquishing hero, her chin raised, her eyes glittering with --

  With what? Was that passion in her eyes? Or was it mockery?

  Slane felt a chill seep through his clothes to his heated skin as the cold reality of what had just happened set in. What had he been doing? What had he been thinking?

  “You made it good,” she said. “Damn good. Very convincing. Even to me. But the soldiers are gone.”

  And indeed, they were gone. Long gone. The streets were empty.

  A Knight of Honor Bonus Chapters Preview

  Midnight Shadow - Excerpt

  Terran seized her shoulders and slammed her up against the blacksmith’s shop. “Enough!” he roared. “Enough of your insults. I have endured them from your father and grandfather, even from Dysen. But I will not tolerate them from you.”

  Bria’s mouth dropped open for only a moment before her shock vanished, replaced by fury. She opened her mouth to reply, but Terran slammed his open palms on the wall on either side of her.

  “I said enough!”

  For a long moment, Bria could do nothing but stare at him. And slowly, a realization came to her. She was alone with him. And he was close --- very close. His hands were on either side of her, effectively trapping her. His lips were but inches from hers. Her eyes scanned his face, his rugged square jaw, his sensual lips, his dark eyes. Lightning lit the sky above, but Bria barely noticed except for the reflection in his eyes. Was that remorse in them? Or was she imagining it?

  H
e leaned closer to her until his face was beside hers, almost cheek to cheek. Bria stiffened. What was he doing? But she didn’t protest. His hair brushed and mingled with hers. “I didn’t mean to kill him, Bria.”

  She felt a soft wave of hot breath on her neck, but his words were so soft Bria wasn’t sure he’d spoken them at all. She turned her head to try to see him, and he shifted his gaze to look into hers with eyes that seemed a little lost.

  In the next moment, he was brushing his lips against hers, seeking, exploring. She was unsure of what to do and found herself frozen, half wanting him to kiss her, half wanting to flee. His touch was gentle, almost soothing. Not at all what she had expected.

  He pulled slightly back to look into her eyes, studying them as if waiting for her to deny him.

  But she couldn’t. She didn’t want to.

  Midnight Shadow Bonus Chapters Preview

  The Lady and the Falconer - Excerpt

  “Who are you?” she asked softly.

  “Logan,” he replied.

  Solace’s heart pounded, her eyes captivated by the way his lips caressed the word. “Logan,” she repeated dully through the haze of fog that had enveloped her. Her gaze shifted to his silver eyes, eyes the color of glinted steel. She could smell the thick scent of leather and something musky and… masculine. Even though their bodies weren’t touching, she could feel the strength emanating from him, the power. She wanted him to touch her, wanted to feel his fingers on her skin, his lips on hers. The thought frightened her, and she pulled away with such force that her head smacked the plate armor behind her. Even with Logan’s hand on it, it swung backward.